You are Blessed!

"The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him."
(Proverbs 18:17, NKJV)

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
(Proverbs 25:2, NKJV)

Oh, you kings, you don't realize how blessed you are! Go back to the dark ages and see what would happen to you if you sought out a matter. Tell the Pope that perhaps the earth was not the center of the universe and feel the flames licking up your flesh! Go back to Martin Luther's time in Germany and tell Reverend Luther you wish to re-evaluate the concept of infant baptism and you will find yourself permanently baptized in the Elbe River. Invite yourself into John Calvin's Geneva Switzerland to discuss with him the concept of the trinity. You would find yourself on slow burning wood as a sacrifice to Protestant ignorance!

Ahh, but we needn't go back that far to see how blessed we are. Go into Roman Catholicism today. They still have censors! Roman Catholic books still have the Imprimatur seal in the front pages of books as a sign that someone of God's approved priesthood has authorized this book for use for the "common folk."

Recently, some Jehovah's witnesses stopped at my home to give me some of their literature. I took their material and in return handed them some of the literature we have published. The woman, who was the wife of one of their higher-ups in the county would not take the literature. She said there was so much apostate literature out there that they were forbidden to take anything from anyone else. As she spoke, her fear was self-evident.

Talk to a Southern Baptist about the possibility that there might be no rapture and watch their minds just shut up. Talk to a Pentecostal about the security of a believer and the conversation will end. They have all been bound up with the religious ropes of fear.

But you, oh, how blessed you are! You live in a country in which one currently isn't burned to death if they are found with a Bible. You can walk into any church, denomination, or religion and not be threatened by their beliefs because your salvation isn't dependent upon what you know, but Who revealed Himself to you. You, who are grounded in Him, who cannot be shaken or rooted up, count your Blessings. Go into some of these religious groups and ask the hard questions and discover how bound up they are. Be thankful for your freedom!

No, you don't know everything, but even that is great! There will always be surprises. We can be like little children again waiting for our heavenly Father to show us something new and exciting. But the poor religious man, to him "new" is something to fear. They have defined God and He cannot deviate one jot or tittle from their definition.

You cannot give your freedom in Christ away, but you can display your freedom. The joy should be evident. Our peace should manifest itself. Our free white robes of righteousness should be worn in such a way that those whose tightly bound religious robes of self-righteousness should begin to be seen for what they are . . .death! Display your garments, ye Saints of the Most High. Dance for the king that the world may be captivated by your loveliness and be taken away from the flashy short-lived stars of Hollywood.

Can you shout a Hallelujah!? Give Glory to your King, oh you kings! We are a blessed nation drawn from every nation and race. We are a holy people and we should begin to walk in that holiness, not religiosity, piety, self-righteousness. No, but as a people purchased with a very special price, the price of a Son. Give thanks for the wonderful freedom to hear or read what someone else has to say and not be threatened by it. It is a precious liberty for which we should truly be grateful. If you need a reminder of how precious your freedom is, a few evenings in the book entitled Martyr's Mirror should sober you up. It gives very graphic accounts of hundreds of believers who were killed for many of the things we today in the Western world often take for granted. It is 1100 plus pages long available from Heritage Press for $44.95 U.S. and $64.95 Canadian. Their telephone number is 1-800-245-7894. The book was written originally in 1660 in Holland by Thieleman J. Van Bracht. It covers the time period of the first century through the middle of the 17th century. It is a great book to remind one that things could be much worse.