Carried Away

The Lord Jesus led me to read 2 Peter 3 (Select vv. NASB).

When we, as believers in Jesus Christ, trust in Him to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are delivered both from slavery to sin and the punishment of sin, which is spiritual death, which is eternity without God in the fires of hell (or in the lake of fire) where there will be eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. And, we are given the hope of eternity with God in heaven. Amen!

As well, at the end of time, God’s wrath will be poured down upon the earth, the earth will be destroyed by fire, and the ungodly will be no more.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Yet, so far, our Lord has delayed this destruction of the earth with fire because it is not his will that anyone should die without him and face eternal punishment, but it is his will that all should come to repentance, i.e. that they should all turn from their lives of sin to God, to follow him in his ways and according to his Word. For, Jesus died on that cross, not just to deliver us from hell and to promise us heaven when we leave this earth, but he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

The purpose of our salvation, thus, is not just to forgive us our sins so that we are no longer under condemnation, but it is to free us from addiction (slavery) to sin so that we can walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness the rest of our days on this earth.

Too many people these days, nonetheless, cut that message short, and they focus entirely on God’s forgiveness of our sins, but they fail to teach holiness and godliness as a direct result of having been delivered from our sins.

But, God’s Word teaches us that his grace to us is not just freedom from the punishment of sin, but it is freedom from bondage (addiction) to sin so that we can now walk (in lifestyle) in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. His grace, which brings salvation, in fact, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return.

So, if our conduct is to be holy, it means we are to live our lives separate (unlike, different) from this sinful world, because we are being conformed to Christ’s likeness. So, we should not participate in ungodly practices, including we should not be allowing ourselves to be entertained by them, either. We should not do anything that our Lord would not do, and we should be doing what Jesus did when he walked this earth, in showing kindness and compassion to others, in bringing healing to their hearts and lives, and by speaking the truth in love so that others can be saved from their sins, too.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Again, the goal of our salvation is godliness and holiness, being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. He is our model for how we should be conducting our lives, in the power and working of his Holy Spirit now living within us.

So, if anyone is telling you that your salvation, or that God’s grace to us, is merely about Jesus taking your punishment for your sin so that you can escape hell and go to heaven when you die, then they are only telling you a half-truth. Don’t accept their lies which tell you that all you have to do is repeat some words after someone in a prayer or that all you have to do is to merely accept God’s grace and that you have heaven guaranteed.

The truth of the matter is that coming to faith in Jesus Christ involves us dying with Christ to sin so that we can be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We must forsake our former lives of living for sin and self, and daily, by the Spirit, be putting sin to death, and we must be walking (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh if we want to have eternal life with God (Rom. 6:1-23; 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24).

This is not to say that we will never sin (1 Jn. 2:1-2), but that sin should no longer have mastery over our lives. We died to sin, if we are truly in Christ Jesus by genuine faith in Him, so how can we live in it any longer?

The joy of our salvation is that we have been delivered out of slavery to sin, and out from under the control of Satan over our lives, so that we can now walk faithfully and steadfastly in Christ’s holiness and righteousness, and so we can be growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, becoming like him in his death, in order that we may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11).

Gracious Father / An original work / April 6, 2011

How great are You Father;

how great are You, Lord.

My heart so adores You;

Your mercy outpour.

Your love and your kindness;

Your gracious reward

Are treasures from heaven

that we can’t afford.

So, freely they’re given

and humbly received

When we bow before You

on penitent knee.

O gracious Redeemer;

my Master and King,

To You I owe everything –

my offerings I bring

With whole heart devotion,

to honor and praise

My loving companion

and friend for always.

It’s You I serve only,

to walk in Your ways,

So I have your promise

for all of my days.

https://vimeo.com/115878674

Thursday, November 30, 2017, 5:05 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for your truth, for your Words, and for your grace to us which delivers us not only from the punishment of sin, but from our addictions to sin, too, and which sets us free to now walk in your holiness and in all godliness before You.

Thought-Provoking

The Lord Jesus led me to read 1 Chronicles 16 (Select vv. NASB).

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek His face continually.

I know that, for me, I do not thank the Lord nearly as often as I should. I am thankful for all that he has done, and for who he is, and for his grace and salvation and compassion, but I am very aware whenever I read something like this that I do not verbalize my thanks to the Lord as frequently as I ought. So, I know that I need to do this more.

I also don’t sing as often as I should, either. I do in my spirit, but not out loud. I am a singer, so I don’t know why I don’t do this much. I have songs in my head all throughout the day, which the Lord places there, and I do sing them in gratitude to the Lord in my head, and in my heart, but I do not often sing out loud, so I know I need to do this more, too.

So, we need to verbalize our thanks to the Lord, and we need to sing his praises out loud, but also in our hearts, but we also need to call on his name, and his name is his divine character, i.e. it represents who he is. We need to call on him, cry out to him, make our appeals to him, and seek his face continually. We need to talk with him, but we must also listen to him, but not just listen, but we must also obey him and do what he says.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

He also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and joy are in His place.

And, then we are to speak of him to others, and tell them all about him and who he is and what he has done, and what he will yet do. We must tell others about our Lord’s saving grace, for many yet must be saved before our Lord returns. We ought to be regularly telling others of Christ’s love for us and of his death on a cross for our sins, and of his resurrection, which was so that we could be set free from our sin and have eternal life with God.

We are to walk in the fear of the Lord, and then we are to teach others to fear the Lord, too. And, to fear him means to revere, respect, honor and obey him. But, not too many preachers of the Word are teaching this these days, but rather they are painting God as soft on sin, fun-loving, light-hearted, carefree, unconcerned about our sin, and there to grant our every request while requiring nothing of us in return. They cheapen his grace, and make it out to be license to continue in sin without guilt or remorse all the while they teach or imply that we do not have to repent of sin or obey God.

So, we must tell others that God’s grace is not free license to continue in sinful practices (addictions), but that his grace teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). We must tell them that faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness and walking in the Spirit and no longer according to our sinful flesh. We have to tell them that if we conduct our lives according to (in agreement with) our sinful flesh, that we will die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity, for their eternity depends upon them believing the truth.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him;

Worship the Lord in holy array.

Tremble before Him, all the earth;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

We must assign to the Lord our God what is due him, not credit him with the attributes of the god man has created in his mind, which suits his purposes and his lifestyle. Our God is a holy God, completely righteous and just, who not only saves, but who also judges. He does see when we sin against him, and it grieves him. So, he does not delight in us while we ignore his commands and do what is opposing him. He is not pleased with us no matter what we do. Thus, we need to learn what pleases him, and then do it.

As well, not all people of all religions worship the same God, the one and only true God. Not even the Jews, who were once God’s chosen people, worship the one true God, if they do not worship Jesus Christ and accept him as their Messiah, Lord and Savior. The Bible says that if they do not believe in Jesus and accept him as their Lord and Messiah, that they are themselves antichrist. So, the only way to worship the One and Only True God is to believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives via being crucified with him in death to sin and being resurrected with him to new life in Christ Jesus, to be lived to his righteousness.

We also need to credit God with complete sovereignty over all which he has created and fully capable to do all that he said he would do, and not act as though he is impotent (powerless) rather than omnipotent (all powerful). And, then we need to place our trust in his sovereignty over our lives and rely fully on his strength instead of taking our lives into our own hands or doubting his ability to work his will and purposes in our lives in all our circumstances.

We must, too, yield our lives completely to the Lord, believe him, follow him, and pray for his guidance, power and strength to do everything which he requires and desires of us. For, he will give us all that we need to live godly and holy lives pleasing to him until the end of time.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

As the Deer / Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You…

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

Tuesday, November 28, 2017, 2:44 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging and thought-provoking words. May we all take them to heart.

What is Your Calling?

The Lord Jesus led me to read varied scriptures on the subject of our calling.

Do you know what your calling is? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Have you been born again of the Spirit of God? Are you indwelt with the Holy Spirit? Then, you have been called of God to be someone in particular, and to do something very specific, some of it uniquely designed just for you.

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NASB

This was written to the church, so this is speaking to all believers in Jesus Christ. In Christ Jesus, by faith in him, and by the power of the Holy Spirit now dwelling within us, we are enriched in Christ in many ways. We have been gifted with the knowledge of Christ and the supernatural ability to speak in proclamation of him and of his word. The church has also been richly blessed of the Spirit of God with many spiritual gifts, such as knowledge, wisdom, helps, faith, healing, prophecy, service, teaching and mercy, etc. (Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4). The Spirit gives these gifts to us, as individuals, as he wills, and yet we are taught to seek the greater gifts.

So, we are to exercise (put into practice) all that God has given to us, while we await his return. To this we were called. Our lives are to be committed to him and to his service. Our hearts should be united with him, too, as we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. And, Christ Jesus will confirm us, who are believing in him, to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord.

For, we have been called into fellowship with Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are called into participation in his death and resurrection, via death to sin and resurrection to new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived to his righteousness. We are to share, also, in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. We share in common with Christ his heart, his passions, and his desires. We prefer what he prefers, and we love what he loves and hate what he hates. We also, through divine discipline, share in his holiness. And, holiness means to be set apart (unlike, different) from the world because we are being made to be like Jesus in true righteousness and holiness.

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Tim. 1:6-7

Our primary gift which we have received from our Lord is our salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, i.e. new birth (new life) in the Spirit. And, then the Holy Spirit gives each of us, individually, spiritual gifts.

Sometimes, over time, we may get lazy about our spiritual walks, or we may not be as passionate about our new lives in Christ as we once were. Other things may distract us or take priority, and thus we need to “kindle afresh” the gift of our salvation, and the infilling of the Spirit, and the gifts God has given us to be used for his glory and for ministry to the body of Christ. We do this through confession of sin and yielding our lives completely to our Lord in every respect, being willing to be used of him however he desires.

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1:12-14

Since we have been called with a holy calling, according to God’s purpose and grace, we should not be ashamed of the gospel of our salvation, but we should willingly suffer rejection, persecution, and false accusations for the cause of Christ and for the sake of his gospel (See vv. 8-9), for to this we were called. We should not be afraid to have people mock us, ignore us or misjudge us because we tell them the truth of what God’s Word teaches. We, too, should not fear them not liking or accepting or including us, either. Their salvation is of far greater concern than whether or not we are liked.

We should, instead, be confident in what Christ has done for us and in us. We ought to be assured of his promises, and not waver back and forth in opinion regarding what we believe, depending on who we are with. We should not let rejection dissuade us from telling people the truth of the gospel, either. But, we should stand firm on the Word of the Lord and not cave to persuasion to compromise truth in order to be accepted. God has entrusted us with his Words which we are to share with others, and so we must remain faithful to that trust, for many yet need to be saved.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB

We who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are chosen by God to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation, yet not a physical nation, but a spiritual nation. We are to yield our lives to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God. And, we are to be ministers of our Lord in sharing his gospel, in ministering to the needs of the saints, and in praying for one another. And, we should be actively encouraging one another, too, in Christ Jesus, through his Word, through song, and through loving acts of kindness.

We who are his people are his own possession. He is our God, our Lord (owner-master), and we are his bondservants. He owns our lives, so he should have full say in who we become, what we do, what we say, and where we go. So, we should seek him out with regard to what his specific calling is upon our lives, for him to show us, so that we can follow him wherever he is leading us.

We were called by God, too, out of darkness (sin, wickedness) into his marvelous light (truth, righteousness). So, we should be living our lives like this is true, all in the power and wisdom and strength of our Lord now living within us. And, we should stop making excuses for why we can’t walk in victory over sin. Then, we can proclaim the excellencies of him who brought us out from underneath bondage to sin, and who set us free to now walk in victory over sin and in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We will, then, be sharing what is reality in our lives, both in words and in practice.

The Peace of Christ / An Original Work / October 31, 2011

Based off of Col. 3:1-17; Eph. 5:19-20

Let the word of Christ dwell in you,

As you teach with all wisdom,

Teaching one another to not

Think on earthly things;

Think instead on things above,

Where Christ sits with God, in love,

Saving us from all of our sins,

Cleansing us; made new within.

Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts,

As you sing songs unto Him;

Speak to one another with psalms,

Hymns, and spir’tual songs;

Always giving thanks to God,

In the name of Christ, His Son,

Who gave His life up for us all,

And gave us eternal life.

Let the love of Christ within you

Rule in your hearts; grace within,

Purifying you from your sin,

Make you whole within.

Forgive as the Lord forgave.

Show His kindness ev’ry day.

In word or deed, whate’er you do,

Glory give to Jesus Christ.

https://vimeo.com/125863950

Monday, November 27, 2017, 8:59 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word today. It has blessed my heart! 

Birthrights for Sale?

The Lord Jesus led me to read Hebrews 12 (Select vv. NASB).

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

In our pursuit of peace with all people, we must remember that peace with all people is not to exclude peace with God. In other words, we do not pursue peace with all human beings at the cost of compromise of our faith in Jesus Christ and the forfeiture of his gospel of our salvation.

The pursuit of peace with all people, thus, must also include the pursuit of sanctification (purification), “without which no one will see the Lord.” So, if our quest for peace with all humans in any way contradicts our peace with God, and our pursuit of his sanctification, then we should not go after that kind of peace.

For, there are many political and religious leaders today who are pushing for world peace, but at the sacrifice of our faith in Jesus Christ, though they don’t exactly word it that way, and so it is deceptive in the way in which they present it. They are busily making a case for unity of all people of all walks of life and of all religions. And, they are doing this by trying to prove that humanity, as a whole, is broken and is need of repair, which certainly has an element of truth to it. But, their solution is man-made, not of God.

For, they want us to rid our lives of everything which divides us as the people of this world, and the gospel of Jesus Christ divides. Remember Jesus’ words when he said that he did not come to bring peace but a sword; to turn even family members, one against another. He said this because, when we turn our hearts to Jesus Christ, to follow him in his ways, and we stand on the truth of the gospel of our salvation, it will turn people against us, even from within our own families. So, we must resist the urge to compromise with the world in order to be accepted by other humans.

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Inside the walls of institutional Christianity many are being invited to forsake the “whole counsel of God” for a watered-down, diluted, half-truth gospel message intended to tickle itching ears and to appease human flesh. This, in essence, would be the selling of our birthright in order to satisfy our flesh.

It is the giving up of what is eternal for what is temporal. It is the sacrifice of holiness, purity and righteousness for what is entertaining and pleasing to the flesh. And, if we go this direction, it will mean our fall, our decline spiritually, and will result in hearts resistant to sanctification, rather than resulting in hearts willingly and joyously pursuing purity and righteousness.

When we, the church, gather together, it should be for the communion (spiritual fellowship) of the saints, the teaching/preaching of the Word (the whole counsel of God), the remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and of what that means for our walks of faith and our salvation, and it should be for prayer, one for another, and for the people of this world, too.

But, the church at large has turned this “house of prayer” into a marketplace (a business of men), and is busily marketing it to the world just like any other business. The “customer base” that much of the church is trying to please is the world, and so they have patterned their gatherings after the ways of the world in order that the world will like “going to church.”

But, this is all backwards. We should gather as the body of Christ in order to be strengthened in our walks of faith, and to be encouraged in our Lord, so that we can go out to the world with the full gospel message of salvation.

But, for those who have bought into this diluted gospel, and have sold their birthrights in order to satisfy the cravings of their flesh, and are entertaining the world instead of telling them the truth about their sins, you will not inherit the blessing of eternal life with God, no matter how much you desire it, because you did not repent of your sins nor turn to your Lord in obedience, but you took the easy way out, the broad road which many are traveling, but which leads to destruction, not to eternal life with God.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

Thus, there is a warning here and a strong urging that we not follow in the way of the ungodly and in the way of so many who have abandoned the tenets of the Christian faith in order to market the church to the world. But, instead, we should clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ and with his righteousness, and we ought to put on the armor of God daily, with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes, tricks and deceptions aimed at destroying our faith and our witness for Jesus Christ and for his gospel. We must resist the devil, flee sinful practices, and draw near to God in full assurance of faith.

We must remember that God has called us to holiness and purity. In him, we are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. His grace to us is not a free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return.

The warning here is that, if we continue in sin, i.e. if we make sin our practice and we walk in it, pursuing it, and are addicted to it, that it will result in death, not in life. It will result in the judgment of hell, not the promise of the blessing of eternal life with God. So, we need to pursue sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord. And, this will mean going against the flow, even the flow of thought, belief and practice within much of today’s Christian world, which has become so worldly.

So, this will also mean taking a stand for Christ Jesus and for his Word, being willing to be hated, rejected, mistreated and misunderstood, even by people within the church, and even by those in positions of spiritual leadership, and by members of our own families and communities, too. So, we need the strength of the Lord and courage and determination to stand tall when so many are following the downward path toward destruction.

Oceans / Hillsong United

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

Sunday, November 26, 2017, 5:44 a.m. – Thank you Jesus for these reminders. Thank you, too, for your love and grace to us, your people.

Persuasive Arguments

The Lord Jesus led me to read Colossians 2 (vv. 1-7 NASB).

We have been instructed in scripture to expect to be opposed, if we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives. But, it isn’t just us who are being opposed, but it is the gospel of our salvation which is coming under fire, and from enormous opposition, too.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

As a servant of the Lord, I also struggle in defense of the gospel and on behalf of all those who believe in Jesus Christ or who would yet believe in him. I am concerned, as well, that many are being persuaded to turn away from the truth, and by clever enchanters who are twisting the truth to their advantage, in order to gain followers after themselves, but not after Christ.

I am concerned that so many people are being persuaded to accept a false grace gospel rather than the true gospel, and thus many are buying into a false hope of salvation and eternal life with God, based on half-truths or twisted truths, both of which are still lies. And, if they believe the lies rather than accept the truth, they are in danger of the fires of hell.

What I mean by this is that many preachers and teachers today are telling people that they can be assured of heaven when they die by merely accepting Jesus’ forgiveness of their sins, i.e. by accepting his grace, and through a mere acknowledgment that Jesus exists or of what he did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, so that we could be delivered from the punishment of sin and have the hope of eternal life in heaven with God.

Many of them are telling the people, too, that all they have to do is repeat some prayer after them, after which they congratulate them for having accepted Christ as their Savior, and for having secured heaven as their final resting place, which, they say, can never be taken away from them.

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died, too, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk (in lifestyle) no longer after the flesh, but according to the Spirit of God.

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. What this means is that repentance and obedience are part of the gospel message. Jesus said that, if we want to hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them (for eternity), but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin) for his sake, then we will save our lives (for eternity) (Lu. 9:23-25).

Paul reiterated these words of Jesus when he said that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness. He said that Christ delivered us out of slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin, so that we would now be slaves of his righteousness. He said, too, that if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh (sin), we will die (in our sins), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (with Christ for eternity). For, when we believe in Jesus, we are given new lives in Christ, created to be like God (in his likeness) in true righteousness and holiness (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

So, the point of our salvation is not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we leave this earth. We are also not forgiven our sins just on the basis of Jesus’ death on a cross for our sins, but on the basis of our faith in Jesus Christ, which involves both repentance and obedience. And, Jesus didn’t die just to forgive us our sins, but to deliver us out of slavery to sin. He didn’t die just to save us, but to transform us.

So, on the basis of what Jesus did for us in becoming sin for us on that cross so that he put our sin to death, and in being resurrected from the dead, so that we can born again and live new lives in him, we should walk (conduct our lives) according to the Holy Spirit, and no longer according to our flesh.

But, this shouldn’t be just because we have to, or because it is expected of us, but we should be so thankful that Jesus set us free that we want to live for him. We should be so thankful that he delivered us out of slavery to sin that we won’t want to walk in sin any longer. And, we should be so in love with God, with Jesus Christ, that we desire him above all else, and we want to obey him.

For, when we are born again of the Spirit of God, he changes our hearts. We are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, if we pray the prayer to receive Christ, or if we say we believe in Jesus, but nothing changes, i.e. our hearts are not truly turned from darkness to light, but we continue living just like we did before, then, according to scripture, we are not truly saved.

Another thing to know here is that our salvation is not a one-time experience and then we can live however we want and that one day we go to heaven. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present) and we will be saved when Jesus Christ returns (future). Our eternal life is also guaranteed only on the basis of present tense belief, not on the basis of past belief. And, our walk in Christ is also critical to our assurance of eternal life with God (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Heb. 9:28).

So, when people tell you that you can merely accept God’s grace or repeat some words in a prayer and that heaven is guaranteed you, but that you don’t have to turn from your sins or obey God, don’t believe them. They are trying to persuade you away from genuine faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

That Man / An Original Work / May 23, 2013

Based off John 3:22-36

An argument between some men

Erupted out of resentment.

They came to John and said,

“That man is baptizing everyone.

They’re going to Him.”

So, John replied, “A man can

Only receive what is given him.

You yourselves can testify that

I said, ‘I am not the Christ.

I’m sent before Him.’”

The bride belongs to the bridegroom.

His friends await and watch for Him.

They are full of joy when they hear

His voice speaking words to them.

That now is our joy!

Jesus, the One who comes from heav’n –

He testifies of forgiveness.

Yet, so many do not trust in

His words, and do not repent.

They will face judgment.

The one who trusts in Jesus Christ

Has certified that God is truth.

Jesus Christ speaks the words of God.

Those who put their faith in Him,

Eternal life gain!

https://vimeo.com/116487342

Friday, November 24, 2017, 6:19 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these words which you have spoken to my heart to day. I love you, and I praise you!

If You Have

The Lord Jesus led me to read Colossians 3 (vv. 1-4 NASB)

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ…

That word “if” is a big word, although it often goes unnoticed. When we see this word “if” show up in scripture, we should take notice, for it implies uncertainty, the unknown, or that something is conditional.

Basically, by wording this sentence this way, in this first verse of Colossians, chapter 3, it is not assuming that everyone who reads this has, indeed, been raised up with Christ, i.e. that we have first been crucified with Christ in death to sin and then made alive in God through Christ, by the Spirit of God, through genuine faith in him. Often, too, when this word “if” is present, there follows some instruction which tells us how to know if we are truly born again of the Spirit of God, and how to know if we are not. And so it is in this third chapter, although I am not quoting the entire chapter here.

Basically, we must understand that Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is the essence of the gospel of our salvation, that Jesus died to free us from slavery (addiction) to sin, and to free us to be bondservants of him and of his righteousness. So, if we have died with Christ to sin, and if we have been resurrected with him to new life in Christ, then that should be reflected by how we live our lives.

Thus, we should be walking (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to our sinful flesh. What does this look like? Well, it doesn’t mean we will never sin again (1 Jn. 2:1-2), but it does mean that sin should no longer be our master, so that we obey its lustful desires. Things such as rage, immorality, greed, lies, adultery, gossip, slander, idolatry, and the like, should be put aside, i.e. they should be out of our lives. We should no longer make any of these our practice, including we should not be entertaining ourselves by such sins via what we watch on TV, for example.

Instead, since we have put on Christ, if we have done that, at which time we were created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, then we should be walking (conducting our lives) in such a way that reflects Christ in our lives in all humility, kindness, and compassion, forgiving others as Jesus Christ has forgiven us. And, we should be thankful for all that God has done for us, not just in saving us out of bondage to sin, and for giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, but for all the many ways in which he has richly blessed us with so many spiritual blessings, and for all the many ways in which he daily provides for all of our needs.  

…keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

As followers of Jesus Christ, and because we still live in these flesh bodies, and because we still live in this world, I think we need these reminders, from time to time, that we are to keep our minds focused on what is eternal rather than on what is temporal, i.e. of this world.

Yet, every day our physical eyes see what is going on all around us. Every day we experience things in this life, on the planet earth, both good things and bad things. We have houses to clean, yards to mow or snow to shovel, jobs to work, bills to pay, children to care for, and/or relationships to build, etc. So, by necessity, our minds must be focused, to some extent, on the things of our earthly lives. But, even these things should be viewed from an eternal perspective. When we do any of these things, we should do so as unto God, with joy in our hearts, being thankful, giving praise to God.

We should live our lives throughout our days on this earth continually with this eternal perspective in mind. We ought to be continually in an attitude of prayer to where our Lord can speak to us any time of day or night, and to where we can hear him speak. Then, we need to be receptive to his voice, and to obeying what he says. We should always have our hearts and ears open to the voice of the Spirit of God guiding and directing our paths.

This means we need to be in his Word each day, learning what it teaches us we must do, and how we should live, and growing in our walks of faith, and getting to know our Lord and his will for our lives. But, then we must adhere to his teachings, and allow him to conform us to his image by obeying what he shows us, either with regard to what we must put off, or with regard to what we must put on.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

For, if we truly have been born again of the Spirit of God, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have died to sin and self and our lives are now safeguarded in Christ, who is now our life, and we have the hope of eternal life with God. But, they are not safeguarded in Christ by a mere confession of faith. For, if we continue to walk according to our flesh, the Bible teaches, we will die in our sins, even if we prayed a sinner’s prayer, or even if we did make a profession of Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.

So, how do we know if we are in Christ Jesus, by faith in him? We should be conducting our lives according to the Spirit of God and we should no longer be captivated by the ways of this sinful world, to where we follow after the world and not after Christ. But, Christ Jesus should truly be our lives, i.e. our lives should be about him and his Word and his will and his ways, and we should walk in them, by the Spirit, and in his power and strength, and we should no longer live our lives according to our sinful flesh.

That Man / An Original Work / May 23, 2013

Based off John 3:22-36

An argument between some men

Erupted out of resentment.

They came to John and said,

“That man is baptizing everyone.

They’re going to Him.”

So, John replied, “A man can

Only receive what is given him.

You yourselves can testify that

I said, ‘I am not the Christ.

I’m sent before Him.’”

The bride belongs to the bridegroom.

His friends await and watch for Him.

They are full of joy when they hear

His voice speaking words to them.

That now is our joy!

Jesus, the One who comes from heav’n –

He testifies of forgiveness.

Yet, so many do not trust in

His words, and do not repent.

They will face judgment.

The one who trusts in Jesus Christ

Has certified that God is truth.

Jesus Christ speaks the words of God.

Those who put their faith in Him,

Eternal life gain!

https://vimeo.com/116487342

Thursday, November 23, 2017, 6:06 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for all that you taught me today through your word. Help me always to implement these truths to my daily life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

The Easy Life?

The Lord Jesus led me to read Psalm 95 (vv. 7b-11 NASB).

Has God blessed us today with life? Is there food in our stomachs? Do we have roofs over our heads? Do we have warm places to sleep? Are we adequately clothed? Not everyone is so blessed!

How often do we, who are so blessed, take these blessings for granted? And, how often do we grumble and complain because what we have is not as good as we would like, or because we don’t have more or better?

Today, if you would hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

The Israelites were so richly blessed of God. They were his chosen, his select people, for his very own. He had just miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt, and had defeated their enemies who were hotly pursuing them. The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. So, they were under his protective care.

But, once delivered from slavery, the people began to grumble and complain. In fact, they wanted to go back under slavery in place of being delivered, because there they were well fed. Then, God rained down manna from heaven so the people could eat. Then, the people had no water to drink, and so they grumbled against God and his servant Moses yet again. They questioned even if God was among them. Then, God gave them water from a rock, in order to quench their thirst. He took very good care of them.

Today, believers in Jesus Christ are the people of God. God also delivered us from slavery, only not from physical captivity, but from spiritual bondage. We were all born into sin. We, thus, came up short of attaining God’s divine approval. So, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth, took on human flesh, and eventually was put to death on a cross, although he had done no wrong. But, when he died, he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus took our place on that cross so that we could be delivered from both the punishment of and our bondage to sin.

So, when we put our trust in him, we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to new lives in him to be lived to his righteousness. Now sin should no longer be our master, for Jesus set us free. We are, thus, born again of the Spirit of God, and now God, in the person of his Spirit, lives within us. The Spirit, thus, leads us in the way that we should go. Our Lord provides for our needs, comforts and encourages us, and he strengthens and empowers us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. He takes really good care of us, too, but he also allows us to be tested.

So, when we are tested, do we grumble and complain against God? Do we charge him with abandonment? Do we wish he had never set us free, and think how we were better off when we were still under slavery to sin? For example, maybe when we were still addicted to sin people liked us, and things seemed to be going well for us, and we were not having to suffer like we are now. Have you ever felt that way? And, do we want to go back? Or, did we go back? Have we returned to walking in the ways of the flesh instead of walking according to the Spirit? Because we feel it is easier?

But, easy is not always best. And, easy in this life does not get us comfort in the next life if we are still bound in our sins and living to please ourselves.

“For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.

There is a popular teaching today that says that God is pleased with us no matter what we do, even if we are engrossed in sinful addictions. But, this is just not biblical. The Bible teaches us to find out what pleases the Lord and to do it. We are to make it our goal to please God. We are to please God, who tests our hearts. We’ve been instructed in how to live, in order to please God. As well, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8; 2 Co. 5:9; Eph. 5:10; 1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Thess. 4:1).

So, God can be displeased with us when we choose to follow after the flesh rather than to follow after the Spirit. It is possible for us to quench and to grieve the Holy Spirit, too, by our refusal to listen to God’s gentle prodding, urging us to throw off those sins which entangle us, and to cut out of our lives those things which continually lead us into sin.

And, there are many warnings written to believers in Jesus Christ, and to professed Christians, cautioning them against hardening their hearts against God and against falling away from pure devotion to Christ. And, warning them, too, as a reminder, that if they continue in a course of sinful practice that they should know that those who practice such sins do not have the hope of eternal life with God (1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-6).

“Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Too many people get this idea that our salvation (our deliverance from slavery to sin) is merely about God’s forgiveness of our sins so that we can go to heaven when we die. But, they forget that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. They forget that scripture teaches that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. And, they often ignore the scriptures which teach that if we walk in the flesh, we will die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity.

And, that is why this warning from Psalm 95 is repeated for us, the church, in the NT in Hebrews 3. And, we need to take this seriously! We need to know that scripture teaches us that if we walk (in lifestyle) in disobedience to God, in in our flesh, and in sinful practices, that we don’t know God, we don’t love God, and we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God.

So, make sure today of your salvation. True faith in Jesus Christ wants to please God, not the flesh. This is not to say you will never sin, but that sin should no longer control you. But, when we believe in Jesus, we die to sin so that we might live to righteousness. So, true faith involves both repentance and obedience. If you are being told otherwise, you are being lied to. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; Lu. 9:23-25).

My Jesus, My Savior / Michael W. Smith

My Jesus, My Saviour,

Lord there is no one like you,

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqSQvoinDE4

Monday, November 20, 2017, 8:02 a.m. – Thank you, Lord, for all your bountiful blessings which you have bestowed upon us, your people, in forgiving us our sins, and in giving us new life in Christ, abundant life in him, to be lived for his purposes and for his glory. Amen!

Our Only God

The Lord Jesus led me to read Psalm 95 (vv. 1-7a NIV).

Do you ever feel saddened by circumstances or by how people respond to you? You know what God has called you to do. You know the words of encouragement he has whispered in your heart. You heard him clearly. There is no doubt about it. So, you stepped out in faith, even at your own personal risk of being rejected, and you did what you knew he said to do.

But, then, you got attacked for it. Wham! You got told that you weren’t listening to God’s voice, or that your motives were all wrong, or that what you said or did was not in line with scripture, although it clearly was. And, the opposition did not come from just one source, but from several or from many, with little to no words of support or encouragement.

So, maybe you began to question if you heard God right, and if you truly did what he said to do. So, you went back to the source. You went back to what you know God said, and you prayed it through, and then he assured you that you did the right thing. He assured you through his Word, and through his Spirit speaking gentle words of reassurance to your heart. And, then he said, “Don’t be afraid of the people, but say, ‘Here is your God!’”

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

    and extol him with music and song.

Satan does not want us to extol God. He doesn’t want us joyful and singing about our Lord. He wants us discouraged, doubting ourselves and doubting God. So, when we step out in faith, and we obey our Lord, and we give praise and glory to God for what he has done in and through our lives, Satan is going to throw his fiery darts our way to try to get us down, to try to get us to fail, and he will attempt to convince us to just give up altogether.

But, no one ever said that following Jesus Christ (God) was going to be easy. No one said that if we obey the Lord Jesus in saying what he tells us to say that everyone is going to be happy with us, or that what we do will meet with their approval. In fact, Jesus said, that if we follow him, we can expect to be mistreated, misjudged and persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

Yet, none of this takes God by surprise. He knew this was going to happen. So, we need to submit to his sovereignty over our lives, rest in him, listen to him speak, obey him, and keep on giving him our praise and thanksgiving.

For the Lord is the great God,

    the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth,

    and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it,

    and his hands formed the dry land.

I love that song that Veggie Tales sings, God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man (1). Sometimes children’s sermons or children’s songs touch my heart in a much greater way than do those intended for adults. Perhaps it is because they are so simplistic, down to earth, and often so practical, too. This song, and another like it from Patch the Pirate, My Very Best Friend (2), have often encouraged my heart to know and to believe with all my heart that my God is above all gods, so I never have to be afraid!

Come, let us bow down in worship,

    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

for he is our God

    and we are the people of his pasture,

    the flock under his care.

There will always be people who won’t like what we do, and who won’t approve of us or the ministry God has given us. But, if we want to be servants of Christ, then we need to be those who are pleasers of God instead of being people pleasers. We need to give God our worship and our praise. And, the worship that he approves is that of us giving our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and to walking in his righteousness and holiness.

If he is truly our God, and we are the sheep of his pasture, under his care, then we should be following him and what he says, and not be swayed back and forth by the opinions and judgments of men (or women). Yet, we should always be open to have what we say examined biblically to see if it agrees (is in line) with the teachings of God’s Word, like Paul did. And we, as well, should examine whatever we hear from other people against the Word of God to make certain we are not buying into lies, and that we are not being led astray.

But, we will have people who will judge us falsely, just as Jesus did, and as Paul often experienced, yet we have to stand on the Word of Truth and keep obeying our Lord, even if humans disapprove of us based on their own perceptions of our actions. But, if we are assured that we are acting in good faith, and that we are in line with the Word of God, then we should stay the course. We should not let humans be our gods, in other words, for our Lord is to be our ONLY God, and he alone deserves our worship and our praise.

Here is Your God!  

An Original Work / July 18, 2012

Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV

You who bring good tidings to Zion,

Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,

And do not be afraid of the people.

Say, “Here is your God!”

See how the Lord God comes now with power.

His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.

He tends His flock just like a shepherd,

His lambs in His arms.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from beginning?

Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.

None to Him compare.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?

Because of His great power and strength,

All accounted for.

Why do you say, “My way is hidden

From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord, He is your God.

He will not weary. He gives us power.

Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings just like eagles;

Walk and do faint not.

https://vimeo.com/125488095

Sunday, November 19, 2017, 8:13 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for bringing this song to recall this evening, and for the words you spoke to my heart today through your Word. I praise you, and I thank you!

(1)       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jd4qnxj7D0

(2)       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gDeYuckXgQ