If You Would Never Do Anything Terribly Wicked

2nd Corinthians 10:4-6, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” ...Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

If you want to never do anything that is terribly wicked, then you never do anything that is slightly wicked. You'll never hear a better statement. What a great truth! I learned that truth from Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), a quote from his sermon titled: 'Unjust In The Least.' Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) wisely said: “Behind every tragedy in human character is a slow process of wicked thinking.” Last year I watched several dozen TV episodes of 'Forensic Files.' There are about 400 of them total. Those shows are heartbreaking, but sobering and educational. Like any normal person, I watch those shows in horror and say to myself, “My God, I don't ever want to do anything really evil like that!” 

I decided to study the series, to see what the little sins were that led to the horrifying evil deeds. In almost every case there was booze, hanging out in bars, going to strip-clubs, lying, adultery, envy, greed, and the common sins that so many people take for granted. In other words, if those people hadn't been hanging out in bars, going to strip clubs, drinking booze, taking illegal drugs, and doing dishonest and illegal things in the first place, they never would have ended up on Forensic Files! Whatever a man thinks in his soul, that is who and what he is. Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”

Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” That is why the Bible teaches in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” That is my favorite Bible verse. I am scared to death of ever becoming an evil person! I love God and people, and don't ever want to hurt anyone, for any reason! 

“I believe any man in this world, can love any other man in this world, if he thinks right! The reason you hate is because you think hate. The reason you love is because you think love.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “What The Law Could Not Do”

Amen and amen! I have received some really depressed emails and facebook messages from miserable Christians. They talk about committing suicide. I can relate to hurting people, because I have been hurting for decades, both physically and emotionally. I have suffered so much in my life, losing my marriage and home, and have enduring a miserable life of loneliness. But I choose to place it all into Jesus' hands and simply trust Him. Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Some people refuse to walk with God, and they are depressing to be around. I get down and depressed almost daily, but I live above the clouds and rejoice with thanksgiving in God my Savior. There is a night and day difference between my attitude and theirs. I am not boasting at all, I am simply teaching you dear reading that YOU CHOOSE the attitude you have! You attitude determines you altitude in life!

I suffer in constant chronic neck pain, which radiates in my arms and legs. The whole right side of my body always feel half asleep. It is the “new norm” for me since 2004 when my neck pain started. In 2009 and 2010 I underwent two neck surgeries, the second of which made me worse, leaving me with constant burning throughout my nervous system. And if that's not bad enough, the local Harvest Baptist Church on Guam won't even let me attend their church services, because of my fundamentalist Baptist beliefs. They are neo-evangelical yuppie types, and they couldn't care less about the purity of the Bible nor the accuracy of the Gospel. But I still love them! I have to love them. I choose to love them. I want to love them. Since I refuse to let my mind hate, I do not hate. I choose to love at all times. I can do that because I do what 2nd Corinthians 10:4-6 teaches:

2nd Corinthians 10:4-6, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

I could very easily become a bitter man. I have suffered much because of people and my own family. Human beings are not very nice people when they choose not to be! Pastor Jack Hyles preaches a helpful sermon called: 'You Can Choose Your Own Temperament.' It is a precious sermon that will absolutely change your life, if you'll listen to it and take these truths to heart. I love Brother Hyles. You know, that godly man knew a thing or two from pastoring people for 55 years! You would be wise to hear what he has to say, as I do regularly. The people on the Forensic Files, and also Cold Case Files, didn't just wake up one day and decide to go murder, rape, torture and destroy somebody's life! It all started with small thoughts, which were allowed to go unchecked. Our text Bible passage teaches us to BRING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY, FORCING IT INTO SUBJECTION TO OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST! I feel so sorry for people who reject the dear Savior. There is no friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one! Do you know him as your Savior dear reader? 

I live right because I choose to think right. That means abiding in the King James Bible. I don't listen to the Bible every day, but I am always thinking about the Bible, and verses, and the meaning of the Bible. Psalms 1:1-4, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.” David was a man after God's own heart because he was a man after God's own thoughts. Psalms 139:17, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” There are Christians who read the Bible every day, but have little to show for it; but I meditate in God's Word therein day and night, thinking about how it applies to life, doctrine and everything, and it blesses my soul continually.

I already know that the people who email me, complaining about their miserable life, bellyaching that their neighbor has it better than they do, upset at the whole world, DON'T WALK WITH JESUS!!! I walk with Him, which is why I am bold to preach THE TRUTH. I walk with Jesus, which is why I wave at my Harvest Baptist Church neighbours every time I see them, and pray for them, and love them with all my heart. I walk with Jesus, which is why even though I am so lonely without a wife, I can face tomorrow! Brother Lester Roloff said: “You will never know down here that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have left.” He says that quote in his printed sermon titled: 'How To Go On When You Can't'

I don't know about you, but I don't want to do anything terribly wicked, so I must guard my mind against wrong thoughts that fester and take root. I refuse to allow hatred to have a home in my mind and heart. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:27, “Neither give place to the devil.” That would be a great Bible verse to memorize right now! It's just six words: NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL!!! We are what we think. That is why I am always sharing Bible sermons with my web visitors. By the way, I have listened to every one of them that I share. I share them because I have heard them, and the Lord's Holy Spirit burned a truth in my heart. I love having spiritual heartburn! 

Sadly, very few of my web visitors listen to the sermons I promote, which explains why they write to me with all their problems. Some people are just hateful and don't have any desire to walk close to the Lord. They are like the Israelites in Moses' time, who literally told Moses to put a bag over his head, because they could not behold his holiness after spending time alone with God...

2nd Corinthians 3:13, “And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.”

Most people today have a veil over their heart. That includes the Bob Jones University crowd, who refuse to heed the truth that Lordship Salvation is a false gospel, and refuse to heed the truth that the modern Bible revisions are corrupted by Satan. Great evil always starts as small sins. 

“All things truly wicked start from innocence.” ―Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)