Others May — You Cannot
As I pondered today while listening to a couple of videos concerning a very controversial subject, the thought of the title for this article came to the forefront.
The power of culture continues to escalate as the power of sin deepens.
My mind traveled back in time some fifty years plus when there were less people in the world, there was minimal technology. The telephone party lines were a source of continual gossip. The radio and tv were our main sources of progress. And even in those there were certain limitations to their effectiveness. The news media was unbiased, traveling the world to report the events at hand as they were transpiring, without personal opinions injected.
I can remember how the tv would make a sound and show a blank screen at midnight or thereabouts when the channels would sign off for the night. I seldom got to stay up that late so it wasn’t a common thing for me to know about.
The era of feminism had begun. Women were voting, smoking, and not ashamed of promiscuity if they so chose. Abortion came into play, thus opening a whole new era of free sex without the responsibilities. Drugs, alcoholism, and sex trafficking began to rise.
The family was, and continues to be, under attack. How did we allow such atrocities? All in the name of progress is one answer.
The church stood strong in its interpretation of the gospel. Many were viewed as legalistic, as man made doctrines were attached to the Word of God. These were guidelines to be adhered to, but in spite of many guidelines, entered the rise of adultery and divorce within the confines of the church body. Homosexuality was not allowed to exist in the body. Transgenderism wasn’t even a consideration at that time. Child abuse had nothing to do with disciplining a child.
Sermons became difficult to preach as some church leaders even became embroiled in being statistics of such, yet not wanting to lose their positions of authority. The old saying “As goes the church, so goes the world” began to reveal the depths of such truth on the horizon.
When the church lowers its standards, the world lowers its even more.
This is a very evident reality in today’s society. Sadly, we are watching both crumble before the judgment of God. As John MacArthur states, we aren’t waiting for the judgment of God to fall, we are in the midst of it.”
Then the various “interpretations” of the Bible began to become a thing of interest.
The purpose of this was to verbalize the scripture in such a way that anyone could pick up certain translations of the Bible and read it, just as they would a novel or an editorial in a newspaper, and understand it. In some translations in the process, though, certain scriptures were eliminated, or misconstrue d from their original meanings. And some translations totally refute the actual meaning of scripture. (The devil is in the details) applies, because he knows scripture better than a lot of so called Christians, and thus can twist or deceive the unlearned. Although many attempts have been made with varied verbalizations of scripture, the fact that the only One who can internalize the power of the gospel is the living Word Himself, Jesus Christ, through the power of Holy Spirit.
Here’s what the apostle Paul stated concerning the scriptures in
1 Corinthians 2:
1 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Notice here, he explicitly states the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God…because they are spiritually discerned.
We are living in an age of deception unlike any that has been experienced in the last century, and as it spills over into the twenty-first century, it is snowballing like a bat out of hell.
Social media has opened a can of worms unlike anything the world has ever known. It’s as if ‘everybody wants to be somebody at anybody’s expense.’
To destroy our fellowman to exalt ourselves is the theme. This mindset is totally against the teachings of Jesus in scripture. Thus, confirming the power of sin that is running rampant throughout the world.
Many years ago as a young Christian I was very tract oriented. I loved reading them and they were very prevalent back in the day. Anywhere, anytime, I would share them with whoever would accept my offer.
One day I saw one entitled, Others May, You Cannot, by G. D. Watson. I share it here now-
Others May, You Cannot!
—G.D. Watson (1845-1924)
If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to measure yourself by other Christians; and in many ways, He will seem to let to let other good people do things which He will never let you do.
Other Christians and ministers, who seem very religious and useful, can push themselves, pull wires and work schemes to carry out their Christian goals, but these things you simply cannot do. Others may boast of their work or their writings or their success, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you ever try it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, but most likely God will keep you poor, because He want you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence on Him and the joy of seeing Him supply your needs day by day out of an unseen Treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden and unappreciated because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work on and on without others knowing how much you are doing; and then, to make your work still more precious, He may let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.
The Holy Spirit will rebuke you for little words or deeds or even feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem to be concerned about, but you must make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and He has a right to do whatever He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in the way He deals with you, but if you will just submit yourself to Him in all things, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and bestow upon you many blessing which come only to those who are very near to His heart.
Settle it then, that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that your secret heart becomes pleased and delighted with this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, then you will have entered the very vestibule of heaven itself
This tract was an eye opener to me. It made me realize my walk with the Lord was not going to be a ‘walk in the park’, or as some say, ‘a piece a cake’!
Others May, You Cannot…
There was going to be a cross to bear, thorns in the flesh which would buffet my soul, weaknesses which would all but destroy me…but only if I allowed them to remain in my heart instead of at the foot of the cross in repentance. I learned early on the importance of the altar, the necessity for daily searching my heart and repenting when I sinned. And believe you me, I did sin, and continue to. Like Paul, I am the chiefest of sinners. Thus, the repenting process helps us grow, not to justify sin, but to justify our knowledge of how not to sin.
No one is above sin, except Jesus. No one can live a perfect life, even if they have outstanding morals. The internal sins of pride, jealousy, envy, malice, gossip, strife, etc. have to repented of just as much if not more than the outward sins of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, transgenderism, murder, etc.
Sin is sin in God’s eyes, and He is no respecter of persons. He will judge one sin just as harshly as another, if it is a transgression of His laws outlined throughout the pages of the Bible. That’s why it does matter which translations you adhere to.
Signs of a Liberal Translation
Here are some common signs of a liberal translation:
- Political correctness towards gender by using "gender inclusive" language[1]
- Downplaying the existence of Hell and God's judgment
- Downplaying the deity of Jesus
- Downplaying the power of the Holy Spirit
- Denying the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus
- Downplaying the prohibition on homosexuality
- Downplaying the differences between men and women
- Editorializing on passages to push a liberal point of view
- Adding content
Examples of Liberal Translations
We are going to see an uptick in deception no longer “creeping” into the religious world, but blatantly exposing itself. If you don’t believe me, just go on YouTube and watch some of these videos of the deception going on in mega churches in the name of God, but not the one true living God.
The prophet Jeremiah, who was referred to as the weeping prophet, dealt with remorse and agony for the sins of his people in his day. As he would prostrate himself before God many times, God would speak to him in stern ways and assure him of impending judgment. We are seeing how history repeats itself, but in different and greater measures today. Does this not sound like something you could read in the morning newspaper? Only if you had an unbiased journalist who would report truth and not his own opinion or feelings!
Jeremiah 6:
15 “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.”
As your walk with the Lord in these perilous times continues, be reminded daily that “the obvious is seldom the actual.” What you see or hear may not be the truth, even though it seems obviously to be. Others are doing it, others are going there, others are calling it right.
Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Others May—You Cannot…as Paul exhorted his listeners in 1 Cor. 11:1, “be ye followers of me, even as I am also of Christ.”
Others may follow Zen, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and a lot of other isms, or they may be agnostics or atheists, all of which are man made religions. Many have no clue why they choose to follow these religions or ideologies, but the fact remains, if you have knowledge of Jesus Christ, you can not follow after anything but Christ.
Don’t be swayed by the progressives of the day—the naysayers, the rebellious, the degenerates, the reprobates, the delusionalists. They will mock and ridicule, point their fingers of accusations when you take a stand against the obvious.
Again, the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:12, “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
Be brave!
And lastly, as the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Cor. 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Others may—choose to follow the ways of the world—you cannot.
Time is ticking…make every minute count!
D. S. Mullis
copyright .Feb. 20, 2024
https://youtu.be/9lJCJZdAtaI?si=-6Hty9ZQ-ttLd8pq
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