Living Hope Fellowship Church

THE STANDARD

Training Material

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

Preface

opinion versus the Word of God

          In Isaiah 59:19 says, “. . . When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

          To savor is to cherish or to value something.  People who do not savor the things of God have lost their desire for God

          We must walk in holiness before the Lord, in order to raise the standard of holiness in our lives, in the church, and in the world before Jesus comes!   

THE STANDARD

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

          Isaiah 59:19 says, “. . . When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

          We see that there is a great rushing in of the devil.  We see chaos and trouble among nations, churches, and people all over the world.  However, where the enemy, Satan, has begun to come in like a flood upon mankind, the Bible declares that the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him!  Glory to God! 

          There is going to be a revival, a mighty move of God, one more time before Jesus returns for the church.  God is going to raise up a standard.  God is going to show it all over the world that all flesh will see the salvation of God.  Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

          We understand by the Word of God that there shall be a standard raised up, even in the last hour.  It is a standard of holiness and righteousness.  People seem to have a problem with this.  Some use the old term, If it feels good, do it.  Some say to do whatever you want to do, as long as it doesn’t bother anyone else.  I want you to realize that everything you do will affect someone else somewhere. It even has the possibility of affecting large numbers of people. 

          What you do does matter, and it does affect other people.  The lying devil promotes the loose thinking that is in the world today.  This is why some children and young people don’t even know who their parents are.  They haven’t had any standard raised up before them.  They don’t know what truth is.  They may hear someone say, That’s the truth, but it’s not always according to what the Word of God says.   

          Some so called religions declare that it is alright to sin and you can still go to heaven.  They say that it is alright to be lukewarm, and you can still go to heaven.  They are truthfully reporting what others have declared, but they are not truthfully reporting what God has said!

           God has declared that He shall raise up a standard against the devil.  The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is supposed to raise up the standard.  1 Timothy 3:15 says the house of God, “. . . is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”  However, if the church does not operate in the truth of the Word of God then they have ceased to be the pillar and ground of the truth.  Some have changed the truth of God into a lie, and have worshiped the creation of churchy things rather than the Creator, who is God.  (See Romans 1:25.)

          If this were not the case, there would not be all the confusion over literally hundreds of diversified religions and denominations in the world today.  If the truth was really being expounded upon by a set few, many would either have to turn to it, or at least declare that it is the truth, even in their rebellion.  Many know the truth, but they don’t want to live the truth.

          We are coming to the key point now.  Many who know the truth do not savor or enjoy the truth.  They do not live or appreciate the things of the truth of God.  How can the church raise a standard for Jesus Christ, if they do not savor the things of God?  How can a hypocrite preach the truth?  A hypocrite cannot preach true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.  (See Hebrews 12:14.)   How can those who are not living the life of Christ declare the life of Christ?  It is impossible.  The world sees this and knows it. 

          A majority of the church world today declares that there is a holiness which Christ has imparted, but then they falsely say, Christ has done it, so we don’t have to walk holy; just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  They believe on what Christ has done, yet they do not obey what God has declared is holiness, according to HIS statutes and commandments in the Word of God!  Most of the church world today is not teaching truly what God’s Word says to do. 

          We are to savor righteousness if we expect to be able to have a standard of righteousness.  We see very little godly standards in the world today, where righteousness is declared.  It is just, Well, that’s okay over there for you, and this is okay over here for me.  There is almost no preaching against sin.  Preachers need to get into the depths of the Word of God to show that sin is wrong.  They need to preach against cultism, false religion, foolishness, and vain thinking of men.

          You need to read every jot and tittle of the Word of the Lord.  You need to live, and preach, and teach holiness.  Hebrews 12:14 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” We need to get to the finer points of walking with Christ, and get into the depths of the Word of God.

          The people need to come out of foolishness and false teaching before they are completely ensnared.  It is high time that the church lifts up the standard of the Lord before the enemy, so that he will cease to profit in this world.  The church should come out from among the world and be separate, be different, and walk uprightly before the Lord. 

          Jesus made a declaration in Matthew 5:13.  He was talking to us as Christians:  “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” 

          The truth today has been cast out of churches and programming in many instances.  The truth is cast out and trodden under foot of men.  Tradition and the minds of men have “reinterpreted” all the things that should be “expounded” on in the Word of God.  They have now made the Word of God of none effect by their tradition.  There is no savor for the Word of God and no love for God.  There is no desire to walk holy or to crucify self.  There is no desire to walk in self-denial.

           There is no desire to live for God, because the church at large has lost it’s savor, it’s saltiness, according to the scripture.  If you don’t have salt, sooner or later you will die.  It is a necessary ingredient for your life. 

          Salt brings a reality to what it is placed on.  Salt also stings when it is put in an open sore.  It purifies and keeps uncleanness away.  It is a preservative.  It is also that way with the salt savor of the things of God.

          A Christian should desire to be the salt of the earth for the sake of others that they might see Christ.  Sometimes you will be in pain, as the salt savor cuts things not pleasing to God away from you.  You will certainly be different from the world.  Many people have lost their savor for the things of God, and literally millions do not know that they are cast out from the presence of the Lord! 

          There is no anointing, nor blessing, nor power of God demonstrated in most churches.  There is only vain religion and a form of godliness which denies the power thereof.  There is no savor for the truth, nor depth of the holiness of God’s Word, nor desire for His will in their lives.  Because of this, the world can look at it and not be brought under conviction.  They say that there is nothing to it.  They see that the church is so worldly and the world is so churchy, that it is very difficult to tell the difference between the two! 

          Jesus declared that the only way that we can do anything for God is to keep our savor and to keep our lights shining bright.  We must speak the truth of the Lord without fear of persecution.  Before it happened, Jesus talked about His crucifixion, telling how He, the living Word of God, would come under condemnation from the religious world of that time.  Jesus prophesied in Matthew, Chapter 16, that they would literally crucify Him and cast Him out of their city and out of their lives.  Peter actually rebuked the Lord for preaching this way.  He did not believe that the way of the cross, the walk of holiness, was the right way.  Peter later repented and became a great apostle of God.

          Many people in the church world today rebuke those who preach that we have to come into self denial, but Matthew 16:24 says, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” 

          Jesus answered Peter’s rebuke with a declaration.  He declared to this disciple who was listening to the devil, and to anyone else who is offended against a holiness walk of crucifixion, this statement in Matthew 16:23:   “. . . Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”  People who do not savor the things of God have lost their savor for God.  They aren’t walking with Him, and they don’t even know it.  They rather savor the things that be of men and tradition. 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PASTOR KEVIN BADGLEY

LIVING HOPE FELLOWSHIP, P. O. BOX 111, GRAND CHAIN, IL  62941

CHURCH / FAX (618) 634-2541

E-mail  livinghope@hughes.net

livinghopefellowshipchurch.org

These condensed Bible studies have been published to help new Christians in their new walk with the Lord.  Kevin Badgley, the author, is the pastor of Living Hope Fellowship Church.

This is a Living Hope Fellowship publication.