perverted – Praying Pint

20.y. “Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Psalms 55:21   His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

Psalms 36:4   He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 26:25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart;

Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Psalms 34:14    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Amos 5:15   Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalms 101:3   I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

1 Peter 3:10-11  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

I like where David says “ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” He has purposed in his heart to know what is good, true, and right and by knowing this he is able to discern what is evil and worthless. Though he sees it and though others are doing or following after it, it will not cling to him. He has purposed in his heart to keep his life from evil and to do that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.

How is a person to know what is worthless and how to keep it from clinging to us? “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” We need to be able to recognize and discern the difference between that which is worthless and that which is right, true, pure, honorable, and lovely. God’s Word will always bring to mind the difference. Sometimes this wisdom comes immediately and other times it is a work in progress. The problem is that God’s Word does not reside in the hearts and minds of many. Meditation on His Word is what is able to soak in on a Sunday morning a couple of times per month. There is so much distraction in the world today. It is at our fingertips all our waking moments and unless there is a purposed restraint it will consume our hearts and minds. It is in this consumption that we become neglectful and complacent to the Word of God and things of God. Take an inventory of what is worthless in the world. Make a list of what you see as worthless. Spend some time looking at God’s view of what is worthless in this world. Seek and desire to know the difference.

19.b. “Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back”

Isaiah 17:10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge.

Jeremiah 3:21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God.

Deuteronomy 32:8 Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth.

Ezekiel 23:35 Therefore thus says the Lord the LORD: Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

Hosea 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.

Isaiah 51:13 and have forgotten the LORD your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth

Jeremiah 13:25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me, says the LORD; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

The following was taken, in part, from an article written by Steve Huston under the title, “We have forgotten God”

Truthfully, we must bow to the fact that regardless of who will occupy the Oval Office, America is in desperate trouble because of the many decades of spiritual decay we have allowed.

A Trump administration may be better for our pocketbook than a Biden administration, and religious liberty may have had a better chance of flourishing in the past four years than is likely in the next four years; but, what did we do with our religious liberty?

What difference did we make in presenting the gospel to those around us and bringing our denominations and their respective institutions of higher learning back to the unadulterated truth of the Bible?

America remains full of moral decay; spiritual degeneracy – not teaching or learning the difference between the holy and the profane; leaders in our midst “are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain;”

We have experienced and continue to experience a loss of social standards and a loss of biblical standards in so-called churches as the Word of God is mixed with the false science of the world. Ezekiel 22:28-29 KJV calls it “untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies,” He goes on to say, “The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy…” Patrick Henry warned us about the path that leads to where we now sit: “Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.” And Lincoln stated in his Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day: “We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.” When it all boils down, it’s not about political parties, communism, capitalism, or any other -ism; it’s not about economic strength or collapse; it’s not even about fair elections or religious freedom. AMERICA HAS FORGOTTEN GOD! America has forgotten what it is to go against biblical principles and fail; we’ve forgotten times of national repentance, fasting, and calling upon God and Him, in turn, hearing our prayer, forgiving our sin, and healing our land

“How did we get here? It was through neglect, not rejecting at first but neglecting to protect what we had been given. The best way I can explain and illustrate this is by pointing to the Scripture. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip…How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” (Hebrews 2:1 KJV, Hebrews 2:3 KJV,)

Frankly, America got to where we are because we neglected to protect our Christian heritage, the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution; we neglected the great gifts of virtue and self-governance, allowing lawlessness to creep in little by little. We must become broken and repentant of whatever spiritual apathy we may have and ask God to set us aflame anew. It is our duty to live holy, share the gospel truth, know and share our true history, and to think Biblically. How else can we remind America about the God which she has forgotten?

“…it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

11.z. “He has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.”

Habakkuk 1:2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

Psalms 13:1-2    How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Revelation 6:10     They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Psalms 94:3    O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

Psalms 74:10     How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?

Psa 22:24  For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Habakkuk prophesied and cried out “how long shall I cry for Help?” He saw iniquity and asked, “why do you make me see this and then sit idly by?” David cried out “how long?”, “Will you forget me forever? Those who were martyred for faith in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period cried out “how long before you judge and avenge our blood?” David cried out “how long will the wicked be exalted?” If you are a believer and God has opened your eyes and ears to the wicked things of our society that are called and believed to be alright to do, Pornography – (which the thesaurus uses words like improper, indelicate, crude, vulgar, dirty, filthy, corrupting and immoral) for which our society calls “Adult Entertainment”, Abortion – (which is child murder, assassination, homicide, depraved execution, fetal homicide) for which society calls “Women Rights”, Petaphilia – which is called alternative sexual preference, LGBTQ – which is called progressive lifestyle. These are just a tip of the iceberg of what lost souls are being temped with and are buying into it. How long oh Lord? We can see it and be appalled by it but we seem powerless in of ourselves to do anything about it. Remember this “Jesus Christ died for sinners!!!!” He died for each of these with the same amount of grace, mercy, and love He has given to us. Were it not for the Holy Spirit softening our hardened hearts with the Good News of Jesus Christ, we too would be as guilty as any of these. Are they so far lost that they cannot be saved – No they are not. I think we would do much better praying for them and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ rather than calling on God to judge and avenge. That time will certainly come but for now let us remember “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” and keep our focus on advancing the body of Christ by living and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. Who knows what the Holy Spirit will do. A heart and soul may be softened and the person repents, seeks forgiveness, and trusts in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse them from all unrighteousness.

100. “But the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

1Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

The nation of Israel did not have an earthly king for many years, they were under the guidance of God. Men like Samuel were God’s intermediary between God and the people. Samuel was the last of the Judges of Israel. Because Samuel was getting old and his appointed sons did not follow after God, the people of Israel they demanded that Samuel appoint them a king so they would be like all the other nations. They wanted a King he could judge them, and go out before them and fight their battles. God was not enough for them. They rejected His Lordship.

Do we possess a secret desire to reject the Lordship of Jesus in our lives? Do we want to benefit of the relationship, but we seem to be complacent when it comes to developing the relationship with Him? “They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.” Are we walking down a watered down walk of faith without realizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives is being rejected? God told Samuel to listen to the people, but also to warn them of what will happen if they choose to want an earthly king to rule over them. Likewise, any time spent in God’s word reveals that there are two paths of life we can pursue, the path with Jesus as Lord and the path without Him. Both of these have consequences. One leads us on a path of searching for satisfaction in things of this world and what it offers to fill the yearning and every day is filled with uncertainty. The other leads us on a path of joy, rest, peace, satisfaction, hope, courage, faith, and certainty for eternity.

When one chooses to reject the Lordship of Jesus in their life, they are not free, they are enslaved to sin. God allows people to make the choice but it is a choice they will have to live with. God will allow you to choose who will be Lord of your life, but know you will live with the consequences of that choice.

Samuel warned the people of what was to come if they chose the path they were on. They refused to listen to Samuel. No, they said. We must have a king over us then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” The nation wanted to trade God in for corrupt man, the nation wanted to trade God in for sinful man. “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”

Do not be fooled and give any ground to a complacent life with Jesus. He died for us so that we might repent, turn away from sin, be forgiven and live an abundant life with Him now and for eternity. Choosing to reject His lordship over your everyday life is rejecting Him for eternity. Spend time in His word, humbly server, honor, follow, obey, and rely on Him each waking moment of every day.

By your blood

Psalms 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Psalms 34:22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalms 56:13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 71:23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Job 33:19-30 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food. His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’; then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’ “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

To have sins forgiven is more important than physical healing. What does it profit the soul to have perfect or good health if the soul is rotting away? We tend to put blinders on when it comes to the health of our soul. It is understandable why this can happen. We can see and feel our physical state. Our physical body is designed to let us know something is not right. We feel pain. We see the effects of something not being right. Sometimes it is others who see it. When it comes to our soul, how are we to know? The word of God. In and through His word we are able to gain understanding of His holiness and our sinfulness. His word is a light into our soul. His word exposes the cancer that is eating away our soul. His word brings healing to our soul. Physical health has benefit for this life but spiritual health of our soul has benefit for eternity.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Out of Darkness

“And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?”

Psalms 82:4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Psalms 53:3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?

Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done

Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.

1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Proverbs 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

How sad would it be for God to leave a person to their own devices. Imagine God offering a place of refuge, peace, hope, and strength with eternal life upon death. He communicated resurrection to a place that He has created for those who are called by Him. The fact is, all have been called but few listen and take the offer of His gift of life. A void in their heart that at one time was open to know God but over time it became hard and a choice was made to have nothing to do with Him. Choosing to believe the liar of this world rather than the Creator. We never know when a person’s heart, mind and soul have fully hardened to God so our responsibility is to continually speak hope of Christ into their life. Bring a reflection of His light into the darkness that surrounds us. All of us were once lost and without hope, living as though there was no eternal consequences. Someone, being led by God, spoke Christ to us and God softened our heart and opened our ears to hear the need and forgiveness of our sin. Stay in His word, look and listen for opportunities to be used by Him to bring hope to the lost.

Judgement is for God

“You judge according to the flesh;”

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”

John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Psalms 82:2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?

Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.

Isaiah 11:3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

James 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin

Habakkuk 1:4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Judging is an easy trap to fall into. Sometimes we judge by appearance and other times by what we hear. We make assumptions when we do this. If we see a person dressed very nicely we may think they are successful and just the opposite for someone not dressed so well. In fact we may even treat them both differently. The bible has examples of this in the new testament. Jesus was talking about the man who pleaded with God for forgiveness, simple stating forgive me a sinner. Another stood before God and said I am thankful I am not like that person. Another example was with the man who gave money and made sure those around knew how much he gave. This was compared to the old poor woman who gave 2 pennies. In the first example the man asking for forgiveness did so with humble (fear) respect and reliance on God and the other man did so with pride in self. In the second example the old poor woman gave all she had where the rich person gave out of his abundance. It is so easy to judge by appearance and yet it is so wrong. Another example would be of the two who were being crucified along either side of Jesus. Standing back in the crowd one might judge them all as worthless sinners deserving this punishment. Yet one would join Jesus in paradise and the other condemned to hell. When it comes to a mans heart only God truly knows. We do well to treat all mankind with grace, mercy and love proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, salvation and eternal life.

Known by his acts

“By steadfast loveand faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”

Psalms 36:1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

Proverbs 20:11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Matthew 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Romans 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The heart of man is deceitful and full of arrogance and pride. We can know this and always be on guard for when it wants to raise its ugly head. Or, we can say it is not there and never be looking. How sad is it when we choose to deny there is any thing wrong with our thoughts, intents, words and actions? Out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. It is also true that what fills our mind and thoughts feeds our heart. How is a person to recognize right and wrong thoughts, intents, speech, and actions? A live time could be spend on what it means to Love, and the same for Joy, or Peace, or Patience, or Kindness, or Goodness, or Faithfulness. The only way to understand our own heart is to examine it in light of scripture and seek God to reveal that which is opposing to living, acting, speaking in such a way that humbly serves, honors and obeys Him. Filling our mind with His word on a daily basis will start this never ending growth in our service to Him. Rejecting or putting off time with His word allows our heart to become complacent and hard. We are unable to grow, unable to display fruits of His indwelling in our lives, unable to serve Him, and unable to honor and glorify Him. Our actions, thoughts and words are a direct reflection of our walk with God. David wanting to humbly serve, honor and obey God put it this way. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” You know you are on the right path when your prayer is in line with this.