Where Righteousness Dwells

Just to give a quick background to what follows next, let me state this:

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – created the world we live in. He created all human kind and all creatures on this earth in which he breathed the breath of life. So, this means that the Son, Jesus Christ, is God, he was with God in the beginning, and he created us (See: Genesis 1-2; John 1).

When God created mankind (Adam and Eve) they were in perfect fellowship with God. They had not yet sinned against God. But, then the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve and she sinned and Adam sinned, too, and so God banished them from the Garden of Eden (See: Genesis 3). And, from that point forward, all humankind has been born into sin (See: Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-22, 42-49).

But, God had a plan for how he was going to deliver us all from our bondage to sin, which he then put in place 2,000 years ago. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to take on human form, to suffer as we suffer, and to die on a cross for our sins. In fact, in his death he became sin for us so that when he died he put sin to death, and when he rose from the dead, he conquered sin and death on our behalf (See: Is. 53; Phil. 2; 2 Co. 5:21).

But, God’s plan meant that, in order for us to be delivered from our bondage to sin, and to be returned to fellowship with God, that we had to believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith. And, that faith in Jesus must be continuous to the end of time, and it must entail us leaving our lives of sin behind us and daily putting sin to death. And, it means that we now walk (conduct our lives) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to the ways of our sinful flesh (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-25).

But, that is not where it all ends. For, Jesus promised that, when he left this earth, that he would send his Holy Spirit to indwell the hearts of all his followers, so those who believe in Jesus now have God living within them teaching them, encouraging, counseling, strengthening, empowering and guiding them in the way that they should go (Jn. 14:15-21, 26; Acts 1:8).

And, he promised that one day He would return for us, his bride, and that he would take us to be with him forever. But, that has not yet taken place because he is patient with us, for he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (See: 2 Pet. 3:9). And, so we wait for his return, and while we wait we live godly lives, pleasing to him (Tit. 2:11-14).

2 Peter 3:10-13 NIV

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

From what I understand of the teachings of scripture, as a whole, on this subject, Jesus’ return will be like a thief to those who are not watching for him, but for those of us who are ready and who are watching, it will not come as a surprise at all. Now, we don’t know exactly when he is coming back, but scripture does say that we should know when the time is near by the signs which are being fulfilled before our very eyes (See: Matt. 24).

Also, from what I understand, there will be a time of tribulation on the earth prior to his return, at which time the gospel will go forth throughout the world, and the Lord’s bride will make herself ready for her husband, and many people will come to faith in Jesus Christ (See the book of Isaiah and the book of Revelation, in particular).

Also, from what I see, much of what was prophesied in scripture with regard to these last days is already being fulfilled in our day and time, so it is possible that the seven years of tribulation are not a literal seven years, though I don’t know that with any certainty (See: Rev. 13).

During this time of tribulation, God is or will be judging the earth and the people who live on this earth, and so he will allow a beast, which I believe to be a one-world totalitarian government, and a second beast, which I believe to be a one-world all-inclusive religion, to have the power to deceive, to control and to conquer people, and even to conquer the saints of God via persecution and murder. And, these things are already taking place.

At the end of this time of tribulation, the earth and everything in it will be destroyed, but I do believe some of that takes place during the tribulation, as well (See the book of Revelation). But, all of this will take place, and then there will be a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. Amen! Oh, how I look forward to such a place where wickedness no longer has any place at all!

2 Peter 3:14-18 NIV

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Many people teach our salvation as though it is a one-time event that takes place in our lives, then we live our lives, and then one day we die and we go to be with Jesus. But, that is only partially true, i.e. that is a half-truth cheap grace gospel which permits its followers to continue living in sin without guilt and without remorse while promising them heaven as their eternal home.

But, that is not the gospel according to Jesus or according to the prophets of old or according to the New Testament apostles. For they taught that we must die with Christ to sin and live with him to righteousness, not just one day, but every day while we wait for Jesus’ return. They taught that we must forsake our former lives of living to sin and self and that daily we must take up our cross and follow (obey) Jesus. They taught us that if we hold on to our old lives and we conduct our lives according to our sinful flesh, and not according to the Spirit, that we don’t have eternal life with God.

So, we must understand, from what scripture teaches us, that our salvation is ongoing until Jesus returns, when our salvation will then be complete. So, we have to keep believing, and we have to keep following Jesus and obeying him, and we have to not go back to living for sin and self if we want to have eternal life with God. Thus, we will reap what we sow (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).

But, this is not to say we will never sin again (See: 1 Jn. 2:1-2), but that sin should no longer have dominion over our lives. We should no longer be enslaved to sin. For, Jesus delivered us from our slavery (addiction) to sin so that we can walk with him in his righteousness, in his power, and in his strength now at work within us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24).

So, please take this seriously, for your life depends on you knowing the truth and you obeying the truth. If we live in sin, we will die in our sins. If we live to righteousness, we will have eternal life with God. Plain and simple.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, pub. 1880

Music by John R. Sweney, pub. 1880

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell how the angels in chorus,

Sang as they welcomed His birth,

“Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Fasting alone in the desert,

Tell of the days that are past,

How for our sins He was tempted,

Yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore;

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

Writhing in anguish and pain;

Tell of the grave where they laid Him,

Tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see;

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

“Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell how He’s gone back to heaven,

Up to the right hand of God:

How He is there interceding

While on this earth we must trod.

Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit

He has poured out from above;

Tell how He’s coming in glory

For all the saints of His love.

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

*copyright status is public domain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJRmzK2KJM

Friday, November 30, 2018

He Alone!

Psalm 136:1-9 NASB

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who made the heavens with skill,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who made the great lights,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

The sun to rule by day,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

There are many gods in this world of ours, but there is only ONE TRUE GOD – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who is the creator of the world and of living creatures and of human life. He alone is ruler over all that he has made.

And, He is the only One, the only God worthy of our praise, thanksgiving, honor and worship. So, to him alone should we give such reverence and veneration. To him alone should we commit our lives and our service. And, to him alone should we pledge (vow) our allegiance (fidelity) with hand over heart. For He alone is worthy, and he alone is True and totally Righteous.

He alone is truly and wholly good, who always has our best interest in mind. He alone knows us from the inside out, because he is the one who made us; who formed us in the wombs of our mothers. So, he alone should be the one to direct our lives and to lead us in the way that we should go.

Psalm 136:10-22 NASB

To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And brought Israel out from their midst,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And made Israel pass through the midst of it,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who smote great kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And slew mighty kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And Og, king of Bashan,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And gave their land as a heritage,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

Even a heritage to Israel His servant,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

The slavery in Egypt of God’s people of old, and their deliverance, and their wilderness journey, and their entry into the Promised Land, for those who made it there, are a prefiguring of what Jesus Christ did for us in shedding his blood for us on a cross so that we, through faith in him, might be delivered from our slavery to sin, and so that we might walk righteously before him, and so that one day we will be with him forever in glory.

For, when we came into this world, we were born in sin, separate from God, and not able to be for the praise of God. In our own flesh there was nothing we could do to please God or to be acceptable to him, or to earn or to deserve our own salvation from slavery to sin. Thus, we were under judgment, bound for hell, except for the grace of God.

But, God, who is rich in mercy, sent His only begotten Son into the world to give his life up for us on a cross so that we, by faith in him, could be set free from our bondage to sin, and so that we could live to his righteousness, and so that we could have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God.

Yet, we are still on this earth, for a time, and we still live in flesh bodies, and this world is still under the curse of sin and death. So, while we still live on this earth, we will still be tempted to sin, and we will have pain and sorrow and difficulties and trials and tribulations. Satan will come against us in many ways, and his many hordes will also viciously attack us and persecute us and do all manner of evil against us.

And, so we must walk by faith and not by sight. We must depend on our Lord to help us through every situation which presents itself to us. And, we must trust in what he did for us on that cross to keep us walking in purity and to keep us from giving way to the flesh. For, the Christian life is a life of putting to death the deeds of the flesh, by the Spirit, and putting on Christ and his love, his purity, and his righteousness.

And, we must remain faithful to him, and we must endure with him to the end if we want to receive eternal life and enter into our “Promised Land.” For, many who God delivered out of slavery to Egypt did not enter into the Promised Land because of disobedience. And, throughout the New Testament, we are warned that if we follow their example that we, too, will not inherit what has been promised to those who love God.

Basically, what the scriptures teach us is that if we walk (in lifestyle; in conduct) according to our sinful flesh, that we will not have eternal life with God. If we make sin our practice, we don’t have eternal life but a fearful expectation of hell. If we don’t leave our lives of sin behind us and take up our cross daily and follow Jesus, but we hold on to our old lives, this will end in death, not in eternal life (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:19-21; Lu. 9:23-25).

We need to take this seriously, for scripture also teaches that we will reap what we sow. If we sow to please our sinful flesh, from the flesh we will reap decay (destruction, death). But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8).

So, don’t think that some decision you made at some point in your life to believe in Jesus guarantees you heaven as your eternal destiny. Our belief in Jesus has to be present tense, and that belief has to entail repentance and obedience to Christ and to his commands or we don’t have eternal life with God. And, one day many will hear, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”

Psalm 136:23-26 NASB

Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And has rescued us from our adversaries,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

Who gives food to all flesh,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Yet, we can’t be rescued if we don’t want to be rescued. Although Jesus paid the penalty for our sin so that we would be free of that penalty and free of bondage to sin, by God’s grace, through faith in him, that grace presently only applies to those who are truly trusting in the Lord Jesus with their lives.

God’s grace to us applies to those who have put their absolute faith in him and who are walking in his holiness and righteousness and who are no longer conducting their lives according to the flesh.

This is not to say that we will live in absolute perfection, though (See: 1 Jn. 2:1-2). But, it is saying that sin should no longer be what controls our lives. It should no longer be our master. We should no longer be enslaved to sin, but we should be servants of righteousness. And, if we do sin, we should confess it and repent of it and then keep on in walking in obedience to our Lord.

For, God’s lovingkindness to us was not just so we could be forgiven our sin, be free from punishment, and have the hope of heaven when we die. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s soon return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

So, just know that if you profess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, and you, thus, claim to be in fellowship with him, but you continue to conduct your life in the darkness (in sin) and not in the light (righteousness), that the Bible says you are a liar who does not live by the truth (See: 1 Jn. 1:5-9; cf. Eph. 4:17-24).

So, know the truth, believe the truth, live the truth, and the truth will set you free, and you will be free indeed!

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting 

Hymn lyrics by Jean Sophia Pigott, 1876

Music by James Mountain, pub.1876

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,

Vaster, broader than the sea!

O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,

Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings:

Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory,

Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting,

Fill me with Thy grace.

*copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztxL1ljMOCU

Thursday, November 29, 2018

New Vision

An Original Work / November 28, 2018

Walking wounded,

Are you listening?

Truth abounding,

Ever glistening.

Jesus Christ

Is your salvation.

Learn of Him

In revelation.

Holy Bible,

Word of living,

Grace of God

To us is giving.

Jesus Christ

Gave His life for us,

So through faith

We’d be forgiven.

Turn from your sins,

Trust in Jesus,

Follow Him where’er

He leads us.

Peace of God you

Now have in you.

Holy Spirit

Comfort to you.

Grace abounding,

Be His witness,

Telling others

His blood frees us.

No more trapped by

Superstition.

Jesus Christ gives

Us new vision.

Feel His loving arms

Around you.

He is love,

By His grace found you.

Rescued you from

Hell’s dominion.

Freeing you to

Walk in freedom.

Praise to God for

How He leads us,

Gently, lovingly

He feeds us.

Save Us, O God!

1 Chronicles 16:8-14

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

    make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Seek the Lord and his strength;

    seek his presence continually!

Remember the wondrous works that he has done,

    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,

O offspring of Israel his servant,

    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He is the Lord our God;

    his judgments are in all the earth.

Where are we spiritually as the church in today’s culture? Are we, the church, blending in with the culture, engrossed in its entertainment, daily consuming what is antichrist in nature? Are our conversations primarily about what is worldly and fleshly and even what is immoral and impure?

And, what about our children and our grandchildren? What are we teaching them? Primarily, what are we modeling to them with regard to what a Christian should be or how a Christian should think or speak or act? Also, what are we allowing to come into their young minds via TV, movies, games, and the internet? Is it for the glory of God, or for the glory of flesh? Or, is even some of it demonic?

Is our praise and worship of God only something we do in a song service in a building called “church” once a week, which may be in form only, or which may be just an emotional high? Or, do we truly worship our Lord in spirit and in truth every day of the week, all throughout the day, by how we live our lives for his honor, glory and praise?

Please know this! Our worship of God and our singing of songs to him in praise and worship of him is not something we do only once a week, nor is our singing and our praise something we do with our lips only. Our hearts and our minds must be fully engaged in our worship of God, as must be our lifestyles and our attitudes and the things we think about and talk about throughout each and every day.

If all we do is occasionally sing praise and worship songs, but Jesus is not on our lips and in our hearts and minds continually, which is revealed in our attitudes, our words and our behaviors, then we are not truly worshiping God.

For the worship that he requires first of all is to give our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. He requires that we no longer be conformed to the ways of this world, but that we are to be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin, and away from worldliness, and to Christ’s righteousness (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 12:1-2).

1 Chronicles 16:23-27

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

    Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

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

    and he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and joy are in his place.

As Christ’s followers, if that is truly who we are, we are to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9). But, we can’t proclaim what didn’t happen. We can’t proclaim, in all honesty and sincerity, what is not a reality in our lives. There will be those who will fake it, surely, yet if we are truthful, we should only proclaim what is true in our lives, not what should be true (not theory only).

So, first of all, we must die with Christ to sin. We must come out of the world and be separate (unlike and different from the world). And, we must turn away from sinful practices and idolatry, and we must make Jesus Christ our only Lord; the only one to whom we give our worship. And, we must then follow Jesus Christ with our lives, doing what he says and obeying his commandments.

And, then, Jesus will be in our hearts and on our minds continually, and we will be giving him honor, glory and praise by how we live our lives daily. And, we will want to share him and his gospel of salvation with others so that they can also be set free from their slavery to sin and be able to walk with Christ in his righteousness and holiness.

Then, too, we will be sensitized to the voice of the Holy Spirit now living within us, and we will be grieved over the spiritual condition of the world and of the worldly church, too. And, we will be sensitized to what is evil, immoral, wicked, perverse and demonic so that, not only will we NOT want to participate in any of what is against our Lord, but we will grieve and pray over those who are trapped by sin’s deceitfulness and by what is of Satan.

I have just recently been exposed to the world of “Pokemon,” which is a game, but which also has trading cards for children, and which has become an idol in the hearts and minds of many children throughout the world. I have been sensitized of the Spirit of God to the evil lurking in this game and in these trading cards, which also seems to invoke little demons and which glorifies violence. I don’t completely grasp it yet, but I am in the process of doing research on it. But, the Lord has put a burden in my heart for all the children (including my own grandchildren) who are hypnotized by this game.

But, this is just one small example of the kinds of things which have become idols in the hearts and minds of children and adults alike, and among many who also profess faith in Jesus Christ. But, these things, like this game, pull people away from Jesus and, in fact, seem to be very antichrist, which is what idols are. Idols, whatever they are, are intended to distract us and to lead us away from God, not to him. So, we need to be sensitized to this, and we need to pray and ask God what idols exist in our lives, and then we need to surrender those idols to the Lord so that we can worship him 24/7.

1 Chronicles 16:35-36

Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,

    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name

    and glory in your praise.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting!”

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

If we are honest, especially for those of us who live in America, we will admit that the church is in a sad state of affairs these days. We will confess that the church, overall, though not including everyone, is far from the God they profess, and is caught up in the world and in entertainment, and even in what is immoral and wicked, and also in what is clearly involving demons.

So, the worldly church of today, which is so engrossed in the world and the flesh and in immorality and even in what is demonic (of demons) needs to be rescued! So, first and foremost we must grieve over the spiritual condition of today’s worldly and fleshly church, and we must begin to pray for revival in our nation (or nations). But, we must realize that the only way the church is going to be revived is if something happens to get the church’s attention and God brings her to her knees in repentance and in obedience.

The church needs to be delivered from the nations (from the world) where they have been scattered via idolatry, witchcraft, demonic influences, and the like. And, they need to be gathered together in humility, in repentance and in true faith and obedience to Jesus Christ as her only Lord. Then, they can, in truth, give thanks and praise to God, not in lip service only, but by how they live their lives day in and day out for the glory and praise of God.

We, who are believers in Jesus, and who have come out of the world, and who are not living in idolatry, to the best of our understanding, need to be daily lifting up the church to God in prayer. We need to pray for her deliverance from the nations, i.e. from worldliness and godlessness, and from idolatry and what is demonic, and from what is fleshly and immoral.

But, we need to be praying for ourselves, as well. For, not one of us is perfect, and we must be careful if we think we stand, lest we fall. We must, too, have our hearts guarded against idolatry and immorality, and against following after the thinking, values, attitudes and behaviors of the world. And, daily we must put on Christ and his holiness and righteousness, and walk in his Spirit, so we don’t gratify the sinful cravings of our flesh.

My Prayer 

An Original Work / May 30, 2011

“Fill me with Your Spirit;

help me to love others;

Let me know Your power;

be an overcomer.

Show me how to follow

Jesus Christ, my Savior;

Be His faithful servant

to obey Him always.

“Lead me with Your presence;

help me know the right way;

Teach me love and kindness,

generous compassion.

Give me grace and courage

to be Jesus’ witness,

Teaching His salvation

to a world who needs Him.”

Won’t you come and follow

Jesus Christ, your Savior?

He died so you’d be

free of control of your sin;

Free to follow His ways

in complete surrender;

Living sacrifices –

let His grace transform you.

https://vimeo.com/122052093

My Delight

An Original Work / November 26, 2018

Your Word, Lord,

Is my delight.

By it I learn

Day and night.

Watchfully

I pray to You,

Now abiding

In Your truth.

Gently You speak

Words to me,

Open my eyes

So I see,

Tell me what

I need to hear,

Help me know that

You are near,

Comfort me when

I am down,

Help me smile and

Not to frown.

Thank You, Jesus,

You’re my friend.

Life with You

Will never end.

Put These On

Colossians 3:12-13 ESV

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

As God’s chosen people, holy and beloved of God, not only are we to rid our lives of all that is earthly, and that is of the flesh, but we are to put on what is godly and holy. For, this is why Jesus died on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but that we might live for him. For, he gave his life as a ransom for us to buy us back for God with his blood, so that we would no longer be lord of our own lives, but that we would now be his possession, for his praise, honor and glory.

But, we can’t put on love, compassion, kindness and the like if we are harboring hatred, bitterness, or unforgiveness in our hearts towards others. We also can’t put on love and humility if we are full of pride, and if we are living in immorality and impurity, still living to fulfill the lusts of our flesh. For, the two don’t mix, i.e. righteousness and wickedness do not mix.

Thus, the whole process of the Christian life, and of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus, is a life of putting off what is of the flesh and putting on what is of God. Yet, we don’t do this by ourselves. We can only do this by God’s grace, and in his strength and power, as daily we yield to his Lordship over our lives, and we let go of what is sinful, so that we can put on what is godly and holy.

Then, God’s love, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and forgiveness can shine through our lives into the lives of others.

But, we need to understand that his love, kindness, and compassion, etc., are not necessarily according to what humans determine these are, but they are according to God. For, God’s love being lived out through our lives will be pure, righteous, honest, and holy, and will be for the benefit of others as God determines, not as humans determine.

In kindness, Jesus spoke the truth in love to people. He never lied to people in order to make them feel good about themselves nor did he withhold the truth when it was necessary for people’s salvation and for their healing. He did not say what people wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear. Thus, he was not concerned about being “polite,” according to our culture of today, but he was concerned about people’s souls and their eternal security.

Colossians 3:14 ESV

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

This kind of love is not the mushy-gushy type. It is not based on our feelings. And, it is not determined by the kindness of others towards us, either, for we can love even our enemies, i.e. those who do us harm.

This kind of love, as well, is not necessarily intended to make others think well of us or to feel good about themselves. This is the kind of love Jesus had for us when he humbled himself, and he became a man, and he died on a cross for our sins so that we could be delivered from our slavery to sin. So, this kind of love is self-sacrificial and it thinks of others’ true needs, and it is willing to even be hated and rejected in order to meet others’ true needs.

This love, too, prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, good, beneficial, pure, and honest, etc. Therefore, if we truly love people with this kind of love we will do them no harm. We won’t lie to them or gossip about them or slander them or cheat them or commit adultery against them or lust after them, etc., or use them in any way to satisfy the desires of our fleshly appetites, but we will do what is for their good.

Colossians 3:15 ESV

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

I am reminded here of Jesus’ words when he said that he did not come to bring peace but a sword, and to turn family members one against another. But, in other scriptures he is described as the prince of peace. He also said that he gives peace, but not as the world gives.

So, what we need to understand here about the word “peace” is that there is “the peace of Christ” and there is the peace that the world gives, and that they are not one and the same. For, the peace Jesus gives is an inward peace, and it is peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

But, the kind of peace the world talks about is the kind where we all think alike and talk alike and where we don’t have differences in beliefs but we all come together as one. And, this kind of peace (unity) is being forced upon the world and strongly encouraged within much of today’s institutional church, too. But, it is peace (absence of conflict) with man, not with God.

So, we need to know the difference. For, as followers of Jesus, if we are truly doing what our Lord says, we are not going to be at peace with all people, for many will hate us, reject us, persecute us, falsely accuse us, and betray us, etc., because we are teaching what Jesus taught, and because we are walking the walk that he walked, too.

So, rather than seeking after peace as the world gives, we need to be seeking to be at peace with God in our hearts, and that will only come when we yield our lives over to him, and we have our minds and our hearts centered in him and in his Word and in obeying what he says.

Colossians 3:16-17 ESV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Today’s modern church has gotten so far away from the model of how the church is supposed to function. Our gatherings are not supposed to be about a few people up on stage doing all the singing or all the preaching or even deciding what songs or what messages should be shared.

We, as the body of Christ, are to teach and admonish one another. We are to encourage one another and build one another up in the faith. We are to use the gifts God has given us and we are to serve in the areas of ministry God has assigned us (not as man has determined). And, every one of us is necessary to the proper working of the body that we might all reach unity with Christ and maturity in our Christian lives (Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4).

The songs we sing or speak to one another also don’t have to be professional sounding or have great instrumentals or vocals or be only “praise and worship” songs. For, we are to speak to one another in songs which are instructional to the body of Christ, and which teach and exhort one another to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God.

For example, God has given me many songs to write, but they are simple in nature, sung by a woman of 68 years whose voice has seen better days, and the instrumentation is computer generated, and not always the best sounding, either. Yet, he has given me these songs for my own encouragement, but also to speak God’s messages to the body of Christ to encourage their hearts and to help strengthen them in their walks of faith. So, the purpose of them is not to entertain, but to build up the body of Christ in faith and in maturity and in unity with Christ. And, I share them as he determines, not as I determine.

So, if God gives you a message or a song or a poem to share with the body, then share it. If your church does not provide a place for you to share what the Lord is teaching you, or if your friends and family don’t want to hear it, then share it on the internet, while we still can, for here on the internet, at least for now, the body is able to function like it is supposed to, for it is here that we are each empowered to share whatever it is God gives us to share for his praise and glory and for the strengthening of our fellow Christians.

And, in everything we do, we should be doing it for the praise, honor and glory of God and for the benefit of others, that they, too, may know Jesus in his fullness, and that they, too, might find freedom from their bondage to sin and be able to walk in the light and love of Jesus Christ.

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The Finish Line

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I am not a runner. Are you? I mean, I don’t physically run in races. I prefer walking, and I do really enjoy walking, too. But, I am a runner spiritually. Yet, the race I am running is not to win a trophy in this world, which I would then just put on a shelf, and then I would just have to keep dusted.

The race I am running is the race called life, but it is in honor of my God, and it is for his praise and his glory, and the goal of it is holiness and godliness. And, the purpose of this race is that I might live in freedom from the control of sin over my life, and that I might conduct my life in the ways of my Lord, in his righteousness, and in his power at work within me. And, the end result is eternal life with God (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

But, I am not running this race on my own, in my own strength and willpower, nor did I even initiate this race. The Lord Jesus called me to run this race, by his grace, and in his power and strength. And, I am only able to be in the race because he already won it for me. So, by faith in him, I am putting my life in his hands, and I am surrendering my life to him. Thus, I just have to follow his lead, and do what he says, and he gives me everything I need to keep running until the day he takes me home.

But, what if I get sidetracked? What if I see something on the sidelines that I want, and so I take that on myself, too? And, then, what if later on I see something else off to the side, and I take that on, as well? Am I going to be able to run like I did before? Not likely! For, those things will weigh me down and they will slow me down, plus then my focus will be on those things rather than on my Lord and on running the race he set out for me to run.

Thus, I must shake off those extra weights, whether they be distractions which keep me from obeying the Lord, or other good things that I think I should be doing, but which also hinder me in running the race, or whether they might be anything that pulls me away from the race that God has specifically called me to run. I must lay these down, and keep running.

Sometimes the things that weigh us down are hardships, rejections, persecutions, and heartaches. Thus, we get our eyes off Jesus and on to the waves crashing all around us, and we lose our focus.

Sometimes, too, they may be sinful thoughts or behaviors which we have not surrendered to God, and they, as well, will keep us from walking in purity and in holiness. So, we must throw those off, too, so that we can live the lives God has called us to live, and so we can be the light of Christ to the world around us.

So, when we are struggling with whatever, and we begin to have a “woe is me” attitude, or when we allow ourselves to get off course or to take upon ourselves things God does not require or permit, we must look to Jesus. And, we must bring to recall all that he endured for you and for me so that we can walk (or run) in freedom from slavery to sin and so we can walk in his holiness and righteousness. And, in his strength, we must keep going.

Hebrews 12:3-11 ESV

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,    nor be weary when reproved by him.For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,    and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Our Lord allows us to go through difficulties. He allows us to be mistreated, rejected, lied about, and betrayed. And, although he does not tempt us to sin, he does allow Satan to exist, and he does allow him to tempt us, within limitations. He permits us to suffer, to grieve, to hurt, to have pain, to be troubled in our spirits, and to be strongly opposed by the enemy. Why?

Our God allows suffering and temptation in our lives to humble us, to get us to call on God, to help us to realize we can’t go it alone, and so we will turn to him for help and for strength and for guidance instead of doing it ourselves. Through our troubles and difficulties, when we turn to him, he is making us holy, set apart for God, and set apart from the world of sin.

All of these troubles and hardships are part of his plan for our lives. And, they serve his purposes, and they are for our good. They are part of that race of life we are called to run.

So, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not let these trials and temptations take us out. We have to give them all to Jesus, and take his yoke upon us, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Yet, not “easy” because life will now be “easy street” for us, but because he is the one carrying the load for us, and we are learning to rest in him.

The whole purpose, too, of trials and temptations is to test our faith, and to teach us endurance and perseverance, and so we will comfort others with the comfort we receive from God.

And, they are for the purpose to train us in godliness, for when life is smooth with no bumps in the road, it may be easy to drift away and to become self-sufficient rather than to find our dependency in the Lord and in his strength. So, they help us get refocused, and to get back on course, and to keep our eyes on the finish line.

Hebrews 12:12-17 ESV

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

So, this is a call to us to come out from under yokes of slavery. It is a call to us to be strengthened spiritually in our inner being in the ways of the Lord and in walks of purity and godliness. It is a call which says to us to get rid of all the things in our lives which are distracting us or which are keeping us from walking in obedience to our Lord. And, it is definitely a call to purity, to holiness, to righteousness, to honesty, to integrity, and to a life of love.

The holiness without which no one will see the Lord is the holiness of God in our lives because of what Jesus did for us on that cross, and by God’s grace, and through faith in our Lord Jesus. But, that faith is God-given, thus it is divinely persuaded as to God’s holiness and righteousness and of our need to walk in holiness and righteousness and to forsake our former lives of living for sin and self.

This holiness which comes from God, though, must be applied to our lives through what we practice. For, scripture commands that we be holy in our conduct, which means to not be like the world, because we are being conformed to the image of Christ. For, if we continue living our lives for ourselves, and we don’t obey our Lord by walking in his ways, then we won’t have eternal life with God (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 6:7-8).

We have to know here that our salvation is not just forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven when we die. Faith in Jesus Christ means we die with Christ to sin that we might live with him to righteousness. So, if we keep walking according to the flesh, know that 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.

For Our Nation 

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

Monday, November 26, 2018

Gospel According to Jesus

Without Commentary

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ~ Matt. 4:17

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ~ Matt. 4:19

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” ~ Matt. 7:13-14

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” ~ Matt. 7:21-23

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ~ Matt. 7:24-27

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” ~ Matt. 10:34-39

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” ~ Matt. 12:30

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” ~ Matt. 16:24-26

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Matt. 18:2-4

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” ~ Matt. 22:37-40

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” ~ Matt. 23:25-26

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ~ Matt. 24:45-51

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ~ Matt. 25:10-13

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ~ Matt. 25:41-46

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Matt. 28:18-20

*All scripture references are taken from the Gospel of Matthew, English Standard Version.