Ron Graham was called home on March 14, 2013. He began writing this commentary before his death and had asked me, Nathele Graham, to continue his service to our Lord by finishing what he began.

---

“That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous… But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it” (Proverbs 2:20, 22).

There is an attitude of denial among the brethren. It is denial of God’s Word being inerrant. God’s Word is never to be taken lightly or to be considered as irrelevant. God’s Word never changes no matter how much society may think it has advanced. Even the minutest detail in God’s Word has not changed because God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

His Word is proclaimed to be profitable, for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. Why then is His Word ignored and denied by so many Christians today? It’s bad enough to hear this denial from atheists, but worst yet it is heard from those who claim kinship with Him. Christians should know better.

How can you defend your faith when you don’t believe God’s Word? When confronted by those who hate God and who disparage His Word do you stand your ground and intelligently defend your God? Or perhaps you’re one of those who lose their temper and turn to insults as they go off half-cocked.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:15-16).

You must study God’s Word to understand God’s Word. Thus, your faith will be strengthened.

Studying God’s Word is very important, but applying that knowledge to everyday life is vital. Do you talk the talk but trip and fall when walking the walk? Walking the walk means we know and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are determined that God’s will is reflected in our daily lives. We grow in our relationship to Christ as we study His Word. The more diligent our study habit, the closer is our walk with our Lord. The closer our walk with the Lord, the easier it becomes to maintain the pace.

Walking the walk of a born again believer should be in line with the talk. In other words, you can say that you are a Christian all you want, but unless you live accordingly you aren’t walking with Christ. Sadly, many of today’s professing Christians just use words and not actions. What do I mean?

Well, if you study your Bible and profess to your friends and family that you are a Christian but find yourself walking in the way of the world you are not walking a Christian walk. Do you gossip? That’s not walking the walk, nor is it showing Christ to others. Do you treat others poorly?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

If you had studied your Bible and applied it to your life you would be treating others better. You would be walking the walk. As we draw closer to the Rapture it will become ever more difficult to put Christ first. Unless you study God’s Word and apply it to your life you will be duped into representing the world instead of Jesus. We are never to compromise our faith simply because life seems to be getting difficult.

Yet it seems that compromise is the flavor of the day. Relaxation, comfort, and complacency have become the norm. Instead of watching yet another re-run of a TV show, turn it off. That show will only promote the world. Your time will be better spent in the study of God’s Word so that you can defend your faith with words of wisdom.

Our entertainment options are, for the most part, worldly. Just like cheerleaders create excitement for a football team, magazines, music, movies, etc. become cheerleaders for the world and create a false impression that perverted lifestyles are acceptable. The teen idols and superstars of today need our prayers. They sing of hate and all things abhorred by God. Even Christians listen and watch these ungodly forms of entertainment and worldly ways become acceptable to them. What does God’s Word say?

The apostle John tells us:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

When you study this verse and apply it to your life you may lose a friend or two, but you will gain so much more.

Satan has always tried to pervert God’s Word. In the Garden of Eden he had a chat with Eve. God had told Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said if he ate the fruit of that particular tree he would die. That seems very clear and easy to understand. Yet Eve was unable to defend God’s Word against Satan.

He planted doubt in her mind and she ended up compromising God’s Word. Guess what…God was right. He’s always right. Since that day death is very real to each of us. Some questions that come to my mind are why was Eve walking so close to temptation and why did she even engage conversation with Satan. Why did she believe his lies instead of God’s truth?

Satan did not stop in the Garden of Eden. No, he is still trying to corrupt God’s Word and as we get closer to the end of days his lies are getting more blatant. As a Christian can you defend the fact that God created everything in six literal days? Or have you bought into Satan’s lie of evolution? Not only do we read God’s description in Genesis chapter one, but God wrote it in stone with His own finger when He gave Moses the Law.

[God wrote,] “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:17-18).

That’s undisputable evidence, yet Satan has been chipping away at God’s truth and even Christians are being deceived. Study God’s Word so you can defend your faith. Why would God have declared each day of creation good if sin and corruption were already there? If the world is right and death had been around for millions of years, why would God have had to have a plan for redemption?

Another issue that every Christian needs to be clear on is the issue of homosexuality. This isn’t a small thing to God.

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).

God sounds serious to me. Why is it that so many Christians are unable to take a stand against it? The wages of sin is death but Christ’s blood covers all sin and homosexuality is a sin that can be forgiven. Study His Word and apply it to your life. Don’t compromise. Walk the walk.

There are many other topics that God’s Word is clear on but Satan and his lies can muddle the mind of a person who has not studied. The Trinity, Christ’s Deity, the Rapture, baptism, the events surrounding the flood, abortion, do all roads lead to heaven… the list is endless. It seems as if secular man, prompted by Satan, questions God’s Word and instead of studying and standing firm Christians willingly compromise God’s truth.

The result of that compromise is clearly seen today. Pastors teach heresy from the pulpit; Christians behave in an ungodly manner (except on Sunday mornings) because they don’t really know what God’s Word says. If an atheist brings God’s truth into question, why do we even listen to them? Christians need to stop listening to satanic lies and dig into God’s truth. Then they need to apply that truth to their lives.

What I’m getting at is the fact that until our Lord takes us home, Christians need to be very strong in the faith. Instead of compromising God’s Word we need to understand what God says and then defend our faith. Persecution is on the horizon, and many Christians around the world are facing torture and death for their belief in Christ. If you’re a true follower of Jesus Christ, which means you put Jesus first in your life and there is nothing more important than Jesus Himself, then you need to act like it. Study God’s Word and let it be your guide. You will never regret it.

When people are God-fearing and stand together against evil, right has more than a good chance of prevailing. If those who claim to be Christians don’t hold God’s Word to be true, then we have betrayed our Lord and we have stumbled in our walk. Studying His Word and making it a part of us will keep us strong and enable us to be a firm witness to others.

The upside is this. The workers of iniquity, the followers of their father the devil, will not prevail against the children of the King of kings.

“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28).

Our confidence is in the Lord and His abilities. We who stand firm with our Lord (walk the walk) will have nothing to be ashamed about when Jesus appears to take us home.

For those professing Christians who talk the talk but who have no intention of walking the walk, the world loves you – you have made this world your home. Compromising your faith has become commonplace for you and many others. Enjoy your home – while you can.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

Ron Graham was called home on March 14, 2013. He began writing this commentary before his death and had asked me, Nathele Graham, to continue his service to our Lord by finishing what he began.

---

The Psalms are probably one of the most read books of the Bible, but the least studied. King David wrote most of them and he was a man who took his joy, sorrow, anger, and confusion before the Lord. Many, many centuries have passed since the Psalms were written, but we still find strength and guidance in them.

When we are in need of comfort we go to the 23rd Psalm. When we commit sin and fall short of what we know God expects of us we humbly turn to Psalm 51. One of my favorite psalms is the first one:

“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” (Psalm 1:1).

The word “blessed” is translated from the Hebrew word, esher and it means happiness or blessedness. The psalmist tells what a blessed man doesn’t do. He doesn’t take advice or follow in the steps of someone who doesn’t love God. He also doesn’t stand in the way (follow) of sinners.

This means we are to be careful who you go through life with and the friendships we make. If we join ourselves to non-believers they will have a strong influence upon us. The “seat of the scornful” is the atheist mocker. Atheists not only deny the existence of God but also harass and make fun of believers.

We all need advice once in a while but if we go to someone who does not base decisions upon God’s ways we will get ungodly answers. The apostle Paul wrote many letters and one was written to Titus and it was written to advise him on how to be a better pastor. Paul had left Titus in Crete to bring order to the Ekklesia there. Crete was a rather wild place and Paul’s advice echoes Psalm 1:

“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

From there he goes on to tell how to advise older men:

“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience” (Titus 2:2).

This is the kind of advice Christians need to take to heart. How about the women?

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).

This doesn’t sound like advice you will get from “Dear Abby.” This is solid Christian teaching. Next he tells Titus how to advise the young men.

“Young men, likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:6-9).

People who do not know God cannot give godly advice, so to be happy one must walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly or follow their ways. Even believers can be walking outside the will of God and their counsel should be avoided.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

Although the word “meditate” is used, this isn’t talking about the eastern religions that encourage you to empty your mind and allow whatever demon happens to be passing to fill the void. This means to study God’s Word and think about it day and night…to chew on it in order to understand and take delight in it. If you are following worldly ways you will never be truly happy.

When you please God, you find His peace. Sure, you may look at worldly people you know who seem happy and think they have things pretty well figured out, but do they have God’s peace? So many celebrities have fame and fortune, but the reality is they are not happy. So many take many drugs or drink to excess, always searching but never finding the blessed happiness they think money can buy. They are walking in the counsel of the ungodly. It would be so much better to delight in the law of the LORD.

“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” (Psalm 1:3).

Trees grow strong and tall. A tree that is near the water has an abundant supply of water and nutrients. We take shelter under its limbs, we cool in the shade of its leaves, and we are nourished by its fruit. Christians have a source of water that will never fail.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

The more we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us the more fruit we will bear.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is not law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

If we stand in the way of sinners or sit on the seat of the scornful we will never be like the tree planted by the rivers of water. We will not bear the fruit of the Spirit.

“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (Psalm 1:4).

The chaff is the part of the wheat that is useless. The wheat is gathered from the fields but before it is able to be used for flour the chaff has to be removed. John the Baptist used the chaff as an example when he was asked if he was the Christ.

“John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:16-17).

There will come a day when Jesus will call His followers Home, and those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior will be left behind and burned in the fires of damnation. It will be their choice, because today is the day to make a decision to accept Christ’s free gift of salvation. The offer is there for everyone, but it will not be forced upon anyone. It is a choice each individual has to make.

“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (Psalm 1:5).

Ungodly people cannot stand upright before Jesus. Judgment will come all too soon.

“For it is written, ‘As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Romans 14:11).

Saint and sinner alike will bow before Jesus. The truth is, we are all sinners and no one is righteous. As Christians we know that our righteousness is only through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The ungodly have a choice and can accept Him or reject Him. The sad truth is that many will never accept Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and will be as the chaff thrown into the unquenchable fire.

Christians must stand strong on our faith and allow our example to influence those who have not found salvation. The lost of this world need to come to us for advice rather than us going to them. We need to take our advice and guidance for God’s Word.

“For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1:6).

Jesus made it very clear that He is the way:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

That means that a guru cannot lead you to heaven, nor Mohammed, Joseph Smith, or a New Ager. There is only one way. Jesus is the Way. Do you know Him? If you are concerned about where you will spend eternity, don’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Their counsel will only lead to you to choose to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Turn to God for guidance; seek the counsel of a Christ centered Christian. Our righteousness only comes from Jesus and our joy is sharing Christ’s finished work on the cross.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham