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A THREEFOLD CORD

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A THREEFOLD CORD
By Ken Blue

“A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ec 4:12. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1Jo 2:16.

The “cord” is used several ways in Scripture; some are positive, some are negative. A threefold cord consists of three smaller cords braided together to make a strong rope. Obviously, it would have three times the holding power of a single cord.

John says all the sins of the world are classified in three categories; they are the flesh, the eye and pride. Any one of these cords is strong enough to subdue the strongest of men, but when a man is bound by all three, only God’s power can release him.

The lust of the flesh: The word “lust” speaks of desire, or the object of desire. It is anything which pampers the appetites, or indulgence animal tendencies. Our culture lives for this, and it is the lowest form of worldly indulgence. It includes comforts, food, sex, alcohol, drugs and a host of other addictions. This cord has most of the world in bondage.

The lust of the eye: Not everything pleasant to the eye is sin. God has made the eye with the ability to appreciate the beautiful. God made trees that were “pleasant to the sight”. The cord here is that which is intended to gratify the sight only. Examples of this are costly clothing, jewels, elegant furniture, impressive palaces, etc. Peter speaks of those having eyes full of adultery. Sadly, most women and young girls dress with the intent to have men lust after them. Many of the great men in the Bible were shamed or destroyed through the lust of the eyes. No wonder Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin.”

The pride of life: The meaning has to do with boasting of one’s talents, accomplishments, appearance and ambitions. Pride can manifest itself in many ways, it is impossible to list all of them. The one thing that keeps the lost man from salvation is his pride. Pride can be laid at the feet of most arguments, divorces and wars. God hates a proud look; no doubt because we have nothing to be proud of. It was this sin that caused the fall of Satan. Pride always precedes a fall; yours and mine.

Any one of these cords is more than enough to bind men and women and send them to hell. However, the three combined create an impossible situation. The only hope of release is to humble yourself and turn to Jesus Christ as your only hope. He came to set the captives free! A threefold cord is not easily broken; but He can break it!

HOW TO BE BLESSED

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blessedHOW TO BE BLESSED
By Ken Blue

“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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 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. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalms 1:1-6.

To be blessed, there are three types of people you must avoid. They are the ungodly, the sinner and the scornful. These are known by their advice, their actions and their attitude.

The ungodly will give counsel or advice that conforms to this world’s philosophy and goes counter to the Word of God. This person is the most dangerous of the three and must be rejected. (Examples: Oprah Winfrey, The view, Ellen DeGeneres etc.).

The sinner is more evident. You can identify him by his actions. You can see that his behavior is sinful and that he is going in a direction away from God. Run from this person.

Then there is the scoffer. This person ridicules you and your desire to please the Lord. Many times this person was raised in a Christian home or brought up in church. His chosen rebellion is justified, in his own eyes, by showing scorn or disdain toward those who chose to live for Christ. This man or woman cannot conceal their amoral attitude; avoid them.

Not only are we to make right choices regarding the people to avoid; we must also make wise decisions about what produces a life of blessings. Isolation is not the answer. The first thing we must do is develop a hunger for God’s Word. This is done by reading, by prayer and by meditating on its teachings.

The promised blessings are stability, productivity, affectability and prosperity. These can be seen in the similitude of a tree located by a river. The key words are planted, fruit, leaf and prosper. These are the blessings that result from meditating and obeying the Scriptures. Most of the heartache, sorrow, anguish, misery and pain, in this life, is the direct result of someone’s disobedience and rejection of God’s Word. The unsaved are compared to chaff which is worthless and unstable. They are driven by the winds of a wicked society. The blessings, the promises and the warnings are all in the text. If you want to be blessed, apply God’s Word to your life now.

OUR BEST ≤ 0

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OUR BEST ≤ 0
By Ken Blue
“Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.” Psalms 39:5.

It is difficult, if not impossible for us to accept that there is nothing good in any of us. We believe there must be something deep inside that is noble and acceptable, at least, some of the time. But, the writers of the Scriptures contradict those self-righteous thoughts, and your own experience will confirm this truth when you are brought face to face with God and self.

The best example of this truth is Job. Humanly speaking, Job was better than the best. Even God attested to his character. But, the issue before God was not how He saw Job, but how Job saw himself. It is one thing to give mental assent to the indictment, but quite another to experience and feel the weight of the truth. Have you come to the place where you know that your best is corrupt? If not, you do not understand God or yourself.

Job said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6. There is a world of difference between hearing and seeing. We have heard, but do we see? Peter confessed this when he said, “When… he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Luke 5:8. Paul acknowledged the same truth. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” Romans 7:18.

Blessed is the believer who has been enabled by God’s Spirit to experience this truth. The process is painful and fearful, but the realization is liberating and wonderful. The outcome is one that casts the believer wholly on the mercy and love of God. So, accept the fact that your best is less than vanity and allow it to teach you God’s wonderful love and grace.

A WAR WITHOUT DISCHARGE

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A WAR WITHOUT DISCHARGE

Wheelchair By Ken Blue
“There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war…” Ecclesiastes 8:8.

This war for my life started about three years ago when I was diagnosed with the deadly neurological disease, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. I thank God for the hundreds of believers who have and are praying for me daily. However, the war goes on and each month I lose some ground. It has now reduced me to a walker, a wheelchair, and it seems it has begun its attack in my throat.

Each night is filled with interrupted sleep caused by back pain and lower body spasms. My own prayers and those of my friends do not appear to lessen the strength of my Enemy. I am not confused; there is no discharge from this war.

However, while there is no discharge, God does send in His comforters to support me. These consist of the excellent doctors and support staff that treats me. My wife assists me in every way she can by helping with my daily needs. Then, there is the knowledge that you are praying for me while I fight this battle. Although there is no discharge, these are God’s gifts of grace for this present war. Even today, I thanked God for the handicap bars in a public bathroom to assist those of us who need them.

If the Lord tarries, I will continue to lose in this battle, but I shall have been blessed because of you. This is not an attempt to seek sympathy, but rather to praise God for His comforters and a thank-you note for all who work to comfort me in this war, from which there is no discharge. Please continue to pray for Joyce, my dear wife and for me. Lord willing, I will keep you updated on this battle.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD IT

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A LITTLE BIRD TOLD IT

 little birdBy Ken Blue

“…A bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Ecc. 10:20.

There’s no lack of little birds these days waiting to wing the message to willy and willing ears. That ought to put the fear of God in us when tempted to gossip. Rest assured you will be quoted no matter where you are or what you say. Remember, your best friend also has a best friend who also has a best friend and on and on it goes.

There is also a warning to those of you who are eager to hear the latest gossip. You need to be certain when a little bird delivers some juicy tittle-tattle, it wasn’t a cuckoo bird you were entertaining.  You wouldn’t want to destroy someone’s life and reputation by listening to a cuckoo, would you?