WesleyGospel Ministries

I was born behind these eyes
Sewn into this skin
One with the flesh machine I’m embedded in

I hold my children’s breath
Feel their mother’s pain
Share my brother’s blood
Within my sister’s veins
Cry my mother’s tears
Through my father’s eyes
Tethered to this realm
In consciousness’ disguise

A promise unspoken, for it could never be kept
Offering passages of safety so the host won’t disconnect

Yet the mouths of our graves sing songs of unknown places
And laugh as we struggle to escape

I have lived behind these eyes
Existed in this skin
Defined by the flesh machine I’m embedded in

The mouths of our graves call these bodies home

I will die behind these eyes
Shed away this skin
Detach from the flesh machine I was embedded in
Separate perception conscious separates

–Zao, “Jinba Ittai”–

—

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

—

What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
–Jesus in Matthew 16:26 (KJV)–

Choose you this day whom ye will serve.
–Joshua 24:15 (KJV)–

Out of the belly of Hell cried I,
and thou heardest my voice.
–Jonah 2:2 (KJV)–

War a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.
–1 Timothy 1:18-19 (KJV)–

To day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
–Hebrews 3:15 (KJV)–

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,
and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.
–Acts 17:27 (KJV)–

Righteousness exalteth a nation:
but sin is a reproach to any people.
–Proverbs 14:34 (KJV)–

—

Curtis Hutson, ed. Great Preaching on Patriotism (Sword of the Lord, 2000).

Jeff Farnham, The Octopus of Humanism (Sword of the Lord, 2009).

Dr. John R. Rice, Evolution or the Bible–Which? (Sword of the Lord, 1963).

—. The Murder of the Helpless Unborn…Abortion (Sword of the Lord, 1971).

Dr. Hugh Pyle, The Truth About the Homosexuals (Sword of the Lord, 1978).

This is such a robust falsehood that I don’t know how to fully respond to it. But I just intuitively know that it’s wrong and that’s it’s yet another lukewarm device of Satan propagated in the church. It’s because of stupid statements like this, and many, many others, that I have avoided pursuing pastoral ministry since 2010.

If this ridiculous statement were true, then the following people would fall under it’s condemnation:

1. Jeremiah.

2. John the Baptist.

3. God in the Old Testament.

4. Jesus Christ the Son of God when speaking to the Pharisees. Jesus told Philip, “If you have seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”

5. Peter when speaking to Simon the Sorcerer.

6. Paul when speaking to Elymas.

7. Stephen when speaking to the Pharisees.

8. Timothy when rebuking a pagan parade – Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

9. Martin Luther when speaking about the Catholic leaders.

10. George Wishart when speaking about the Catholic leaders.

11. John Knox when speaking about the Catholic leaders.

12. John Wesley when speaking about antinomians.

13. Charles Finney when speaking about antinomians.

14. Leonard Ravenhill when speaking about cheap grace American Christianity.

15. David Wilkerson when speaking about prosperity preachers.

A temporary expression of anger at injustice is fine. But constantly abiding in anger should rightly be called bitterness. Lukewarm pastors never make that distinction, because they lack indignation at sin. That’s the best response I have for that at this point.

Some Christians believe that you should only listen to CCM, hymns, and worship music; and that all rock music is either carnal or inspired by evil spirits under the influence of drugs. Good Fight Ministries leans in this direction, but I still agree with their general sentiment that wholesale acceptance of songs that are just plain worldly in lyrical content is ridiculous. I personally don’t think that all secular songs are unredeemable, but your personal knowledge of and commitment to Biblical holiness should come in primary. Do the lyrics contradict or agree with the Ten Commandments? This should be a good starting point for judging songs and their spiritual influence. –J.B.

If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.
–James 4:15 (NIV)–

Are you down in the dumps right now, because your circumstances have changed? You didn’t want things to go the way they have, but they did go that way. And now you’re thinking, How in the world am I going to get out of this? Every great artist, every great inventor, every great innovator, always has their greatest breakthrough when they’re at their lowest point. You know that? There are many examples of this, too many examples to count. If you look into their lives, their biographies, you’ll find that it’s in the crucible, the hardest spot. John Bunyan, when he was in Bedford Prison, he was writing, separated from his wife and kids, but writing and eventually has prophetic dreams and writes Pilgrim’s Progress, which has lasted about 350 years as a devotional classic, probably saving untold numbers of souls from eternal damnation. Martin Luther finally got the Bible translated for regular non-clergy people to read for the first time in over a thousand years, but he was in hiding, on lockdown, and often harassed by evil spirits.

There’s lots of things like that in history; and probably in your own personal history. Your greatest accomplishments, if you have any, were likely born out of the fire of adversity and affliction: it’s at those moments, those low points, that you start thinking, and developing perspectives, that you never would’ve, if your situation had remained the same all the time. High quality songs, books, and films often come out of the heart of the distressed artist. And even with all of this: earth is just a temporary pilgrimage. From Point A to Point B. You’re either on your way to Hell or you’re on your way to Heaven. You’re either with Jesus or you’re not! Think about this next time you have adversity in any of the following areas: finances, family, friends, physical and mental health. If things are going bad in any of these areas, or some other category, think about this. All suffering is temporary so long as you’re walking with Jesus. You have more than the whole world! Because Jesus Christ abides in you! Do you spend time in communion with God? You’ll know his indwelling more if you do. Communion with God the Holy Spirit, the triune God. So now you’re understanding that the Christian’s life is just a journey, a going from Point A to Point B. Hopefully you’re on your way to Heaven with Jesus. If you’re a parent I hope you’re teaching the Bible and catechism to all your kids. This is why we’re here. Hopefully you’re on your way to Heaven, getting ready to live in the city where Jesus is king. Walking now with his Holy Spirit and his holy angels. Hopefully, you have the proper perspective about everything that’s going on around you. Hopefully you understand that the devil and his angels are after you as well, to try to attack you at different periods, especially at your low points.

With the stalwart military heart of a strong soldier in the thick of battle, you press and push forward, you press onward. You don’t give up! You keep on pushing, you overcome temptation! You put all those things behind you, and walk on a trail covered with the blood of God’s Son. You bathe yourself with the blood of Jesus by faith and walk around with your sins forgiven. You’re washed in the blood of Jesus. You’re clean now! Keep on going towards Heaven, keep on RUNNING, sprinting towards Heaven, jogging, taking breaks and picking up where you left off, and running, running, running towards Heaven! The years creep on, the decades pass. You get weaker, you feel sorrow. You get discouraged at times, but only considering these things temporary, to the point of losing your breath in a run, and so you get up and you keep on running some more. Finally, as you reach the point where you might think, This is something that I’ve wanted to do all my life. Consider this. If according to James 4:15, whether you really need to feel this out, if God wills for you to do this or that, or this or that. Don’t fall into the trap of being misguided by self-will. Got some personal ambitions and goals? Well, just try to make sure that everything you do is in obedience to God and his clarion call.