Tag Archives: rebellion

01.28.20
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When People Cast Off Restraint

Nicole D. Hayes Head shot

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

The stop sign. The blatant warning label. The godly counsel given. The awaiting ark of refuge from an impending flood of biblical proportions.

Bad things happen when we ignore, dismiss or rebel against sound guidance and warnings. Our rebellion creates a propensity for lawlessness, anarchy and most certainly destruction, disintegration and devastation. Sin releases a power and energy that always produces decay and most certainly, death:

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  James 1:13-15

If such decisions and behaviors bring forth death, what then, births life?

Answer: Wisdom, obedience.

Proverbs 29:18 tells us that Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (New International Version) A more blatant reading from the New Living Translation reads, When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. 

Seeking godly wisdom, desiring and obeying instruction protects us from many dangers, error and sinfulness. It is a preventive work meant to keep us from straying from the path and falling into ditches. A word of wisdom can save.

Wrong Way Do Not Enter

 

 

We Must Love Truth

The passage from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12  in short, tells us that people perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved (v. 10), and for this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (v. 11-12).

During a recent bible study, our group discussed that by its nature, wickedness is restless. Wickedness is always chasing, seeking, constantly enticed by other temptations because it is disinterested in standing in the truth and pursuing righteousness.

Prophets were and are sent to warn, serving as both harbingers and intercessors — seeking to warn others of what is coming if they continue in their ways —and to pray, intercede on the behalf of others, petitioning before God to show mercy, to withhold His wrath.

I can’t imagine the frustration of the Old Testament prophets who repeatedly warned and pleaded with rebellious people to turn from their wicked ways and obey the Lord. From Moses, to Jonah, to Jeremiah, and others, their warnings were often ignored. Sometimes the people heeded the warnings when the consequences of their actions became so severe that they pleaded for God’s mercy. They would tear their clothes and put on sackcloth to show their remorse. When God in His great love and mercy relented in His wrath toward the people, they soon returned to their rebellion. This happened over and over again, as we saw with the Israelites.

To win this, we must love truth and stay with truth. When we refuse to hold to the truth, we reap every wicked thing we’re seeing in society today. Per the Pulpit Commentary on Proverbs 29:18, it says, “The prophets were the instructors of the people in Divine things, standing witnesses of the truth and power of religion, teaching a higher than mere human morality. The fatal effect of the absence of such revelation of God’s will is stated to be confusion, disorder and rebellion; the people uncontrolled, fall into grievous excesses, which nothing but high principles can restrain.”

When people cast off restraint, it is not freedom they create–but captivity. Ultimately, through their rebellion and God giving them over to the wickedness they so desire, the stubborn will be destroyed.

The Path to Life

John 13:17 says, If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (English Standard Version)

Satan suggests that we can have a good life without God. But can a life without God be transformed into life? God is about integration (us with Him) for us to have life and life to the full (John 10:10). Satan, is about causing disintegration, being the thief who comes to “steal and to kill and to destroy” (John 10:10).

The path to life is WITH GOD. Otherwise, we are an enemy of God and on a path toward destruction.

As a dear brother in Christ and spiritual mentor says, “God will not obstruct us from accessing Him. However, people may choose to restrict their access.”

If you desire life and life to the full:

Don’t play with time. Don’t play with God’s mercy.

Hear. Turn. Obey.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray that those who are far from you will be divinely persuaded to follow you.

In Jesus’ Name I pray and ask this,

Amen.

Nicole

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09.05.14
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Saved, Now What?

Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. – Psalm 103:43-46 (New International Version)

Jason M. Alexandre, Voices Against the Grain Devotional Writer

Jason M. Alexandre, Voices Against the Grain Devotional Writer

“Relented.” A verb that means “to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving.” May the grace, love, and peace of Jesus Christ be on all those who have trusted in him as their Lord and Savior.  Many of us understand up to a point Jesus being our Savior but our lifestyles seem to strongly reflect that we have neglected to make him our “Lord.”  It seems evident that in our pride and arrogance we refuse to allow Jesus Christ to have ultimate authority, control, and power over the way in which we conduct ourselves and lifestyles. Thus, we ready ourselves to live a life of sin. We may say, “Oh! The grace of God and love is on my life surely the Lord knows and doesn’t expect me to be perfect? And so I can continue to treat my neighbor with malice, cheat here and there on my taxes, even drink and smoke everyday souring this body because after all I did trust in Jesus Christ as my Savior!”

My friend, that mindset could not be farther from the truth. I’ve only highlighted a few of the many excuses we use to deceive ourselves into believing for the sake of blindly retaining our sense of autonomy. But we forget the consequences of living lifestyles that characterizes sin. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. –Romans 6:1-4.

turn from your sin

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but grace. –Romans 6:12-14

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may we truly take this message to heart. May we rationalize sin no longer but aim to be truly doer’s of the Word and not merely just hearers. Jesus Christ lives and he continues to echo the words he spoke to the invalid man he healed thousands of years ago. Jesus said, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” – John 5:14 Friends, Let us not trample on the blood of Jesus Christ any longer by the words that we speak, our conduct, or anything else that contradicts the work of righteousness that is being worked out through him. Amen

-Jason M. Alexandre

About Jason M. Alexandre

Jason Melchizedek Alexandre was born in November of 1989 in Brooklyn, N.Y. His family later moved to Philadelphia, Pa., and he now resides in Limerick, Pa. In May of 2014, Jason obtained his Master of Social Work degree at Widener University. Professionally, Jason counsels persons who are homeless, parents, veterans, and others who suffer from various kinds of abuse. Although Jason’s career is Social Work, his spiritual passion is missions. Jason believes in actively answering the Great Commission call Jesus gave all Christians for the Gospel to be spread from person-to-person and nation-to-nation. Annually, Jason travels primarily to Haiti on a mission trip with Haiti Christianity Inc. Each year, Haiti Christianity, Inc., visits cities and/or villages in Haiti bringing children educational supplies, clothing, and medical supplies. They also facilitate conferences in which bible study, budgeting tips, financial planning and most importantly, evangelization takes place. Jason is currently the organization’s public relations director. Jason’s vision is for the gospel to continue to spread throughout the world and believes it is Christian’s responsibility to carry out this mission effectively. To learn more about the organization for which Jason volunteers, please visit www.HaitiChristianity.org.