The Landover Baptist Church Forum - When a Man's Ways Please the Lord

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When a Man's Ways Please the Lord

Pro 16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

This verse came to mind when I read this article about how the church in the West has "failed" Christians who are being persecuted in other countries.

Quote:

The mastermind behind the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) in the US has said the Church worldwide has "fundamentally failed" to raise awareness about religious freedom and persecution.

Speaking on the "Washington Watch" radio program, Former Congressman Frank Wolf, said America used to do a better job of educating its citizens about Christians being persecuted around the globe.

He said: "Most churches used to have a Religious Freedom Sunday where they would bring in somebody from Sudan and China. And now, they are almost all gone.

"Unless there is change in the hearts and minds of people, I think the fundamental failure has been the Church.

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, 'If you don't speak and you don't act...' I don't see the Church speaking and I don't see the Church acting."

But why should we stand up for people whose ways clearly don't please the Lord? In the West we Christians have many enemies: atheists, secular humanists, scientists, etc. We are persecuted daily by the existence of people who disagree with us. And yet because our ways please the Lord, He has made our enemies at peace with us. We are free to assemble in places of worship unmolested. We don't face the threat of torture and execution. This is what the Bible promises those whose ways please the Lord.

The Bible is replete with examples where this is the case. You may remember the story of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:25-40), when Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching the Gospel and God sent earthquake to open the doors of all the prisoners' cells. When the jailer saw what had happened, he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved . . . ? And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house" (Acts 16:30b, 33-34).

If these third-world "Christians" were righteous in God's eyes, all they would need to do is simply cry out to Him, and He would save them.

Ps 34:17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

How can they remain so strong in their "faith", even in the face of martyrdom, when the very situation they find themselves in should be telling them that God is not pleased with them? They are clearly suffering strong delusion. It's almost as though they think their suffering at the hands of their enemies confirms their salvation. Yet we know that there are no contradictions in the Bible, and it promises that if a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his enemies to be at peace with him. This is how one knows he is right with God.

Re: When a Man's Ways Please the Lord

Your words moved the Holy Spirit through me, Brother Pim! I've been praying the last few hours that Jesus would supernaturally prevent the government shutdown, and when I came here to seek fellowship with my fellow True Christians™ around the world and mostly in rural America, I read these words and they convicted me deep in my Spirit. I must, nay I will pray even harder for those who seek the LORD, that they may Truly Find Him and not a facsimile thereof, a kind of phantom Lord proposed by generations of progressive theology. I pray they see the Light on the Hill that is America, and they can know by the fruits of our spiritual labor, for example, our freedom to legally say "Merry Christmas" again, that there is hope even for them!

Re: When a Man's Ways Please the Lord

Sister Mary and Brother Pim,

I, too, felt the unction of the Holy Ghost as I read this inspired post. Two things stood out for me in Pim's writing.

Notice how the salvation spoken of was "straightaway." Not gay, not lebanese, not transmission, but STRAIGHT. There is no way to kneel in front of our Lord and please Him if you are not willing to open your mouth and renounce sin and homer activities.

The jailer put his meat in front of his guests as a symbol of welcome and respect. Just as Abraham and our other spiritual fathers put their meat in front of the Lord as an offering, we should offer our meat to our guests in a similar and likewise way and manner. You may ask, "But Brother Larry, what if I have no meat?" Oh friend, do not question the Grace of our LORD JESUS. He will make what you DO have sufficient unto the need. He will either miraculously supply the meat or He will change what you have into meat pleasing unto Him. Take yourself out of the way and let God be God.

I hope to spread this lesson at the bar later tonight as I minister to the needs of many men lost in homer sin. I want to take them out of that bar and bring them home to Jesus. Please pray for my efforts.

Thank you, Pim, for your wise words, and thank you, dearest Sister Mary, for sharing your Holy Spirit experience with us. Jesus adores you both - He whispered this unto mine ear as I prayed.