RESISTANCE IS FUTILE (WITH SONG: GIVE ME A CLEAN HEART)

Psalm 51:10 King James Version (KJV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

GIVE ME A CLEAN HEART
Sung by Mishael T)

By Margaret Pleasant Douroux
© 1970 Earl Pleasant Publishing 

Chorus:
Give me a clean heart So I may serve Thee
Lord fix my heart So that I may be used by Thee
For I'm not worthy Of all these blessings
Give me a clean heart And I'll follow Thee

Verse 1
I'm not asking For the riches of the land
I'm not asking For high men to know my name
Please give me Lord a clean heart
so that I may follow Thee
Give me a clean heart a clean heart
And I'll follow Thee

Verse 2
Sometimes I am up And sometimes I am down
Sometimes I am almost Level to the ground
Please give me Lord a clean heart
That I may follow Thee
Give me a clean heart a clean heart
And I'll follow Thee

 

Romans 12:2 (KJV)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
(c) Star Trek (CBS, Paramount) 

That's what the world would have you believe.  The laws of the world will cancel out the Will and Way of God.  Worldly law will make Christians conform to the will and way of the world.  We will all be assimilated. 

Darkness always mimics The Light.  It is an old trick of Satan's because he wants to be like God.  Yet, he cannot create good.  He can only kill, steal and destroy.  Nevertheless, as useless (futile) as it is, Satan continues to "kick against the pricks"--fight against the authority of God.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE 

Acts 9:4-6 (KJV)

⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

 

In times like these, when the world has blindly returned to the sins of our forefathers, the Body of Christ must anchor itself and prepare for new storms.

As sin rages like a relentless hurricane, the world swims madly in its wake, struggling to keep its head up, lest it drown in the angry deep.  Yes, we must throw out the lifeline to those wanting to be saved.  Yet, we must be prepared for the peril and risk in trying to rescue those who resist by thrashing and fighting against us, as we try to bring them to safety, or we risk drowning with them.

As we look at the journey of the disciples, when Jesus sent them out to spread the Gospel and perform miracles, if they were not accepted as bearers of the true Gospel, Jesus told them to shake off the dust from their feet and continue on their way.  Jesus knew that not all Jews would receive Him or hear His voice.  Therefore, the disciples were directed to take a stand, when they were rejected and not look back.  They could not compromise.

Matthew 10:14
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Today, the world is filled with compromise.  It is not surprising to find compromise within churches and other places of worship. Our Heavenly Father continues to seek true worshipers who worship in Spirit and in Truth.  God alone extends the invitation for a relationship with Him.  God alone transforms and finishes the work He has begun.  When we accept those who are not true believers in the Word of God into the fold; those who "kick against the prick" (God's authority); those who have no intention of repenting from their sin, then, we bring carnage; for many souls will be misled and led to the slaughter by Satan.

As ambassadors for Christ, we too will be rejected, as our Master was, by those who conform and cling to the world. We will be labeled as radical, extremist and marked for assimilation by the forces of darkness.  We, too, must wipe our feet and continue on our way.  We, too, must face criticism, persecution, discrimination and alienation from a world enslaved to darkness.

There is an old adage, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink."  In other words, people will only do what they have a mind to do.  You cannot force them to comply.  It is a comparable analogy to the process of witnessing to save souls.   Eventually, like the horse, those who refuse to drink, from the fountain of living water will most assuredly die; for there is no other source which can sustain and give eternal life.

Can we equate physical thirst to spiritual thirst?

The body gives physical signs when it is in need of water.  Over a period of time, one cannot ignore the signs or continue until their thirst has been satiated. Left to their own devices, will a sinner surrender all to drink from the fountain of living waters?  

The flesh looks to the things of the world to quench its thirst, but a parched spirit can only be satisfied by God, the fountain of living waters. There are many who come to worship God for the purpose of satisfying fleshly needs, yet, their spirit does not thirst for God, because they have conformed to the world.  

Matthew 13:15
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Jeremiah 17:13
O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.

Jesus knew that the people the disciples encountered must be spiritually thirsty to hear and accept the Word of God.  God's Word will draw or repel.  Those in bondage in the world, who have become addicted to the  taste of sin, would rather return to the same contaminated watering hole, rather than partake of Living Water to heal them and make them whole.  We cannot just lead them to water and expect them to drink.  We must take their blinders off; remove the scales from their eyes and reveal the lies that keep them in bondage.  We must call out and expose that which is not of God; that which puts us in bondage to another; that which ends in death. We must call that which is sin--sin, with no hesitation. We must call that which is a lie--a lie, with no hesitation.

The sinner must be told that they are living in sin and if they continue drinking the poison of sin, it will not hesitate to kill them and send them to eternal damnation. The blinders MUST come off so they can see the dangerous path on which they are traveling.

Because of compromise and sin within places of worship, many remain in bondage--a slave to sin and children of darkness.  Now, some of these children have risen to power with authority within places of worship to create more false doctrine.  What does Satan want us to do?  He would have us: run; hide; feel defeated; feel out-numbered; lay down our Sword and give in to compromise.  What does God want us to do?

God has empowered us to:

• STAND
• Proclaim His Authority
• Bear His Fruit
• Be Holy
• Be Righteous
• Be a Vessel and be used by God
• Press to the Mark of Christ Jesus
• Put on the Full Armour of God
• Watch
• Pray
• Listen to His Voice and Obey
• Speak Boldly
• Speak Truth
• Speak in Love
• Be a Witness
• Spread His Word and Help Build His Kingdom on Earth
• Manifest the Power of His Holy Spirit
• Love and Help Others
• Fight the Good Fight
• Rejoice Always
• Worship in Spirit and in Truth
• STAND, always ready for the bridegroom, with oil for our lamp
• STAND, lighting the way for others to the wedding feast
• STAND, heralding His Goodness and Mercy
• STAND, meeting pride with humbleness
• STAND, meeting kindness with thanksgiving
• STAND, when we can do nothing else but give glory, honor and praise to Jehovah God!

Be on your guard, my brothers and sisters, Be watchful--ever vigilant, lest you, too, be deceived.  God has not changed.  The worldly heart is ever changing because it rebels against God's Holiness and Righteousness.  Be ye steadfast my brothers and sisters--immovable--unshakable.

Exercise the love of God, knowing and believing its power and strength can keep and sustain you, throughout the storms to come.

As the powers of darkness move against us, we cannot be caught unaware.  We cannot accept it as defeat.  NEVER forget that the victory has already been won.  Each strike from the enemy is in vain.  Their weapons cannot pierce the Armour of God.  We can walk away giving God glory!  As we fight each new battle, we are in the world, but not of the world.  We are Spiritual Walkers and Soldiers of Light, upholding Christ's victory, as we uphold one another; accountable to one another; accountable to Jehovah God.

It is no wonder that institutional churches and places of worship, steeped in religion open their doors to accept worldly practices and lifestyles.  Those, content with religion, in lieu of a relationship with God, see nothing wrong with compromising with the world.  They cannot see beyond their flesh and life in the world.  In their eyes, their religion sanctifies them.  Their fear is of the world.  They lack fear of Jehovah God.  They write their own doctrine.  They preach the Word of God, while they practice the works of the world. Yet, we must not give up on them; for God never gives up on us. Although, Christ told us to wipe our feet when the Word of God is rejected, He may be preparing another time and season for them, another chance, and even another Disciple to knock on their door.

Jeremiah 2:19
Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

We must learn from the mistakes of those who turned their back on God in the past.  We must grow beyond their boundaries, breaking the chains that would enslave us, also.  We must truly repent lest we also succumb to deception.

My brothers and sisters, do not mistake the weaknesses you see in the world for love and compassion. Those who are of the world do not live for the glorification of God, but for the satisfaction and idolatry of the flesh and self.

Jesus has true, perfect love and compassion for us, which enabled Him to suffer and die for us, that we may conquer ALL things of this world, including those of the flesh.  If we truly love God and our brother, then, let us teach Christ and follow in His footsteps.  Let us carry His cross.

Our commission is to spread the Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, here on Earth.  What is done in Heaven, shall be done on Earth--MUST be done on Earth, without COMPROMISE.

Through Jesus, we are free from sin, if we abide in Him and God's Holy Spirit.  Jesus washed and cleansed His disciples, forever changing their lives.  We must teach and exemplify what Jesus meant when He hung upon the cross and said, "It is finished."  When Jesus washes and cleanses us of our sins, it is finished!  He tells us to, "Go and sin no more."

Those in the world have been overtaken by a compromising mindset that allows them to continue in their sin. They believe that since sin is sin, their sin is no worse than that of anyone else, hence, they will continue in their lying, stealing, cheating, murdering, whoremongering and so on; not heeding the Word of God to GO AND SIN NO MORE.

They do not know the Word of God, Who keeps us from sin, nor that our Father said that there is sin punishable by death. What is the sanity of sinning for the sake of sinning, knowing that the wages of sin is death? Can one say that they are truly a Believer? Their pride, arrogance, love of the flesh and world has aided the enemy in blinding them and they grope blindly through life, unaware, for lack of the Light of God.

Sin is like a cancerous disease that always leads to death.
Like cancer, sin does not remain contained within one part of the body.
It has no respect of person.
There is no compromising with sin.
Like cancer, it must be rooted out or it will destroy the whole body; for sin has no compassion and no mercy.

As we lead others into the fold, we help prepare them to be cleansed--free from sinning--changed forever to live a life, of holiness and righteousness, in the image of God.  When we fill our church pews and other worship places with those who are: spiritually, physically, and mentally diseased; wounded; in bondage; and broken, we tend to their wounds, cast out their diseases, and help them break free from their bonds and walk in holiness.

God cannot use us when we are covered in sin and darkness; for those who are blind cannot lead others out of darkness.

The Apostle Paul had to have the scales removed from his eyes to become a useful vessel for God and an ambassador for Christ Jesus.  Even with all his social status and extensive knowledge of Jewish law, he was not a worthy vessel until God cleansed him of worldly thinking and renewed his mind. A RENEWED MIND, this is TRUE Christianity--a transformation to THINK like Christ; rebirth through God's Holy Spirit and renewing of the mind to BECOME like Christ, who reflected the image of God.

The only thing we can offer God is ourselves. God has everything.  Everything belongs to Him. 

Our talents, gifts and contributions are in vain, if we have not given ourselves, wholly to our Lord, God and Savior.  God wants TOTAL surrender. 

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Children, the gatekeepers of hell are amongst us.  With open arms, they will welcome you.  With greedy hands, they say they will accept you just as you are, because you have gifts and contributions to offer.  They open wide the gates of hell and beckon you to enter.  They wave a sanctimonious hand over you giving you a false sense of redemption, as you continue to sin.

Sin cannot be coddled, nor can it be accepted.  Sin is not of God and cannot abide with Holiness.  The wages of sin is death and if I condone the sin of my brother, then, I, too, am a murderer.  I too, become a transgressor and betrayer, trying to serve two gods, hating one and loving the other.

There are blind men amongst us who have crept into the House of the Lord and defiled His temple.  There are gluttonous men amongst us who think only of feeding themselves and have sold their souls to whore-mongers, liars, thieves, adulterers, murderers, homosexuals, idol worshipers and lovers of the world, in order to fill their storehouses and esteem themselves. They have made themselves idols, become lovers of themselves; for to love God is to obey Him. They have no love for the sinner. They have no mercy for the sinner. They have no hope for the sinner.

There are charlatans amongst us who deceive, yes, even themselves into believing that they know the Word of God.  There are perpetrators amongst us taking on the authority of God, believing in their own self-made righteousness, believing they can make decisions for the Almighty God, Who must then abide by their ruling.  My brothers and sisters, be not deceived by these lovers of the world, who are enemies of God; who have led themselves into eternal damnation and beg you to follow.

Jeremiah 5:3 King James Version (KJV)
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

In times like these, if we are to help our brother, we must stand upon the Word and Promises of God.  His Word and Promises are unfailing and unchanging! Saints of God, by the Living Word of God, we were delivered from darkness, directed and encouraged to Stand and not be swayed! Go and sin NO MORE!

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (KJV)

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

These men and women of the world, who call themselves men and women of God, are of little faith and of little understanding.  They lack a relationship with Abba Father; for they know not the love of Jehovah God, which does not yield to carnal knowledge and flesh.  His is a fatherly love, which knows what is best for His children and His creation.  These men and women of the world act contrary to the Love and Word of God, which instructs, reproves, and corrects to purify and strengthen; that we may conform to the image we were made in--the image of God, Who is Holy and Righteous!

To the Gentile, who by grace was grafted into the Vine and to the Jew, Be ye Holy, saith the Lord; for I am Holy!

Leviticus 11:45
For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 19:2
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

By the Grace and Mercy of Jehovah God,
Your servant and soldier, united with the One,

mishael

Revelation 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

Related Scripture: Romans 9, Romans 10