For Your Progress and Joy

Philippians 1:12-14 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

When we commit ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, to follow him in his ways, to do what he says, and to share his gospel message with others, we are going to gain enemies. It is just the reality of the situation. For, Jesus said that we, as his followers, will be hated as he was hated, and that we will be persecuted as he was persecuted. So, when this happens, it should not surprise us. Therefore, we should not let it take us out.

In America, so far, most of us have not had to face physical persecution for our faith in Jesus Christ. Most of us have not had to face beatings and imprisonments and death just because we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. But, that doesn’t mean that American Christians do not face persecution. For, there are followers of Jesus Christ in America who are serious about their walks of faith, who are spreading the truth of the gospel, who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

And, the biggest persecution is not coming from the world. It is coming from the gatherings of the church, or what is falsely called “church.” But, isn’t that what Jesus faced? His biggest persecutors, and those who called for his death on a cross, were not the people out in the world. They were the leaders – the rulers in the temple of God who knew and who taught the scriptures. They knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah, and yet they rejected, persecuted, hounded, falsely accused, flogged and killed him.

And, in today’s modern church here in America, which is largely market-driven businesses of human making, not only is the gospel, that was taught by Jesus, being replaced with humanistic philosophy and a cheap grace message, but there are those who are serious about their walks of faith who are being silenced, and who are being pushed out of these fellowships by those who don’t want them to say anything that might offend anyone.

For, so much of today’s church in America has gone the way of the world. They have adopted the ways of the world, too, in how they conduct “church.” So, they use human-based business marketing schemes for how to draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings.

And, in order to draw in these large crowds, they make “church” entertaining, fun, casual, non-offensive, pleasurable, comfortable and inviting to the flesh. And, they dilute the gospel message to make it more acceptable, too. For, they are hoping that people will come back to their gatherings.

Yet, persecution has its benefits. It is painful, for sure, but it helps us to grow in our faith, and to be even more serious about our Lord. And, it motivates us to get out his gospel message, too. It draws us closer in our walks with the Lord, and it moves us toward holiness, righteousness, and purity, too. And, then we are able to encourage others, too, who are going through times of persecution and/or trials, for we are able to empathize with them in their suffering. And that helps strengthen them in their faith, too.

Philippians 1:21-26 ESV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Persecution, too, has a way of making us deeply serious about our Lord. It pushes us into the arms of our Lord for our help, strength and comfort. We realize, too, that we must make a choice. Either we are going to live to please humans, which will never happen, or we are going to live to please God. And, if we live to please God, truly, we are not going to make a lot of people happy with us. It is just the reality of it all.

So, we have to go to the cross. And, we have to choose Jesus and his righteousness above human approval and acceptance. And, we have to be willing to be hated, rejected, falsely accused and ill-treated because we stand on the Word of God and we don’t compromise with the world of sin. And, we do this not only because we love our Lord, but because we love our fellow humans, too.

So, we speak the truth in love to them, because we want to see them rescued from their sinful lifestyles, and we want them to have hope, and we want them to have eternal life with God. And, we know this is only going to happen if they hear the truth, and if they believe the truth, and if they act on the truth they have received. And, the truth is that they need to die with Christ to sin that they might live with him to his righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

Philippians 1:27-30 ESV

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

“The Good News” of Jesus Christ is not merely that we can be forgiven our sins and have the hope of heaven when we leave this world. It is that we can be rescued out of the darkness, that we can be delivered from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin, and that we can walk in holiness and righteousness, living lives which are pleasing to God. And, this is all because of God’s grace to us, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us.

And, our goal, as followers of Jesus Christ, and as ministers of the gospel of our salvation, which we should all be, ought to be that we and others might walk in holiness. It is that our manner of life, i.e. it is that what we practice might be worthy (commendable) of the gospel of Christ. And, this means that our lifestyles should coincide with the teachings of the gospel of Christ. Thus, we should be living holy lives surrendered to the Lord, and we should no longer be living our lives to fulfill the lusts of our flesh.

And, we should be courageous in sharing this gospel message with others so that they, too, can be delivered out of their prisons of sin, and so they can walk in purity and holiness before God. For, this is where they will find true peace, in submission to Christ as Lord. And, this is where they will find true salvation from sin, in surrender to Christ and to his will for their lives.

And, we also should not be afraid of what others will do to us or say about us when we do step out in faith, and when we do get serious about God, and when we tell others the truth of the gospel. For, suffering for our faith is part of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. So, we should be thankful to God that we do suffer for his sake.

Thus, we should rejoice in our sufferings, for it means we are being made to be like Jesus, and it means that we will be encouraged to tell others about Jesus, too. And, that means that people will be saved from their sins and grow in their walks of faith with God and that they will walk in ways which are consistent with the gospel of our salvation, too. And, that they will, in turn, help the body of Christ to grow to maturity in Christ.

The Lord’s Anointed  

An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to

Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to wear,

As the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior,

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness,

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations.

https://vimeo.com/114836524

The Affection of Christ

Philippians 1:1-6 ESV

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

All those who are in Christ Jesus, by God-given faith in him, are called to be saints. And, the word “saint” means “set apart by (or for) God, holy, unlike (different from) the world,” and “likeness of nature with the Lord” (1).

This means that we shouldn’t blend in with the world. We shouldn’t talk and act just like the world does, doing the same stuff they do, listening to the same music, and watching the same TV shows, movies, and videos, too. We should stand out as different. They should consider us odd, even peculiar, because we aren’t like them. And, in fact, we should be hated and persecuted for being different, too, and for standing on the Word of God.

But, this isn’t just about not thinking and acting like the world does, but it is about being likeminded with Christ Jesus, our Lord, and it is about thinking and acting like him, doing the kinds of things he did, and taking on his heart, his mind, and his character. But, this is not done in our flesh. This can only take place via faith in Jesus Christ and in his power and strength at work within us, as we cooperate with that work and submit to him.

And, as believers in Jesus Christ, and as saints of God, we should also be partners in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, that gospel teaches us to forsake our idols and our former lives of sin, and to follow Jesus Christ with our lives in obedience to his commands. As partners with this gospel, we participate and we partake of this gospel in death to sin and in living to righteousness through our faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; Lu. 9:23-25).

And, we also share this gospel of our salvation with others so that they, too, can be saved from their sins and have eternal life with God. And, it is God who works in us who gives us all that we need to live holy lives for him, too. He is the one who strengthens and who empowers us to live for our Lord and to forsake our former lives of sin, but we have to surrender to him.

Philippians 1:7-8 ESV

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

There is a spiritual and an emotional bond among those who are in Christ Jesus, by faith in him, and who are living holy lives, separate from the world and unto God. And, that comes from the Spirit of God who is living within us. When we are partakers of the gospel of our salvation with other believers in Jesus Christ, we sense that bond in our spirits of the Holy Spirit of God.

For, we are likeminded with Christ and with his Word, and so we are also likeminded with other believers who are also likeminded with Christ. And, I find it often to be true that when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us that he will often speak similarly to several of us all at the same time, and that just encourages our hearts to share together in what the Lord is teaching us.

And, I want to note here that not everyone who claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ has that kind of fellowship in the Spirit with other believers in Jesus Christ. Many who call themselves Christians are really not much different from the world, and they don’t hear from the Spirit of God, and they don’t really share in the gospel of our salvation, for their minds are set on worldly things, and that is what they mainly think about.

Thus, it is not unusual at all, at least here in America, to gather together with others who say they are Christians, and the name of Jesus isn’t even mentioned except in a prayer of thanksgiving for food. All the conversations are the same as conversations you would hear among those who profess no faith in Jesus Christ. It is all worldly, so there is no spiritual fellowship.

But, to be in fellowship with other believers in Jesus Christ who also are following Jesus Christ with their lives, and who desire to share with one another from the Word of God and from what the Holy Spirit is teaching them is awesome! There just isn’t anything like it! We can minister to one another through prayer, through sharing God’s Word, and through encouraging one another in our walks of faith to maturity in Christ.

Philippians 1:9-11 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The love that we have for one another in the body of Christ should not be just human love. For, many who call themselves Christians like to get together with others who call themselves Christians, but Christ is not what binds them together. It is usually some common interest or fun or entertainment or food that brings them together, but not Jesus.

True fellowship within the body of Christ should love one another as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us that we might be delivered from our slavery to sin and live for him and to his righteousness. Thus, our love and concern for one another should also be like Jesus’ love and concern for us. We should care about one another spiritually and not just physically.

We should, thus, desire to encourage one another, as the scripture says, by speaking to one another in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” We should desire, too, to speak to one another the truth of God’s Word, in love, for the strengthening and spiritual maturity of our fellow Christians. We should use the gifts God has given us, and fulfill the parts in the body he assigned us, and for the spiritual growth and encouragement of one another.

Yet, this just doesn’t seem to be happening much in today’s modern church, at least here in America. For, we are told often to “stay in your own lane,” and to not saying anything that might offend anyone, and to just go around “blessing” everyone via “good deeds” and via blending in with the world, too.

So, if our love for one another is going to “abound more and more” in the way this describes for us here, then we need to love each other as Jesus loved and still loves us, by caring about one another, not just physically, but spiritually, too. And, we need to take off those masks and break down those barriers and be honest, and speak the truth in love to one another, and talk about Jesus and what his will is for each one of our lives, and help one another to walk in holiness and to forsake lifestyles of sin, too.

For, to love one another as Christ loves us is to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, pure, upright, honest, and moral. And, it is to help one another, too, to walk in that love.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

*copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSnBbgsecD4

Monday, September 30, 2019

(1)       https://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm

Who Hates the Light?

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Our God is a triune God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – three distinct personalities in one person, one Godhead. They are all one God who has always existed. Jesus Christ, God the Son, always existed with God, and he is God, as well as he is the only begotten Son of God. And, he is our creator God, as well (See: John 1; Philippians 2; Gen. 1:26).

When God (they) made human beings, the humans were without sin. But, when Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve to disobey God’s command, she sinned against God, and then her husband Adam followed suit. Since that time all human beings have been born with sin natures, separate from God and unable, in their own flesh, to be acceptable to God.

But, from the beginning of creation God had a plan for how he was going to save us from our sins – to deliver us out of our bondage to sin. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to take on human form, to be born of a human mother as a baby, and to suffer like we suffer, and to be tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin.

But, when Jesus began his earthly ministry as an adult, and he began to preach the gospel of our salvation to the people, he was hated by many. He was rejected, despised, falsely accused, ridiculed, and hounded continuously, and attempts were often made by the religious rulers within the temple of God to trip Jesus up with his words.

When that didn’t work, they plotted and carried out his death on a cross. But, this was God’s will that Jesus should die, for in his death he put our sins to death, and when he rose from the dead, he rose in victory over the grave, sin and Satan. So, through faith in him, we are able to die with Christ to sin and to be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

By God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, thus we are able to be delivered from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we can now, in his power and strength, live righteously before our God. But, this faith, this belief is present tense, not past tense, and it is continuous, and it must endure to the end of time if we want to have eternal life with God (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Heb. 3:6, 14-15).

John 3:17-18 ESV

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

When Jesus Christ came to the earth the first time, he did not come to judge humans, not in the sense of passing judgment on them in condemning some to die without hope of salvation from sin. He came to save them from their sins and to give them hope of eternal life with God.

But, he did talk about judgment, and he did talk about hell, and he did warn people that judgment would await those who refused to believe him as their Lord and Savior. So, he made judgments. He judged people’s sins, and he told them that they would die in their sins if they did not repent of their sins and if they did not follow him in obedience to his commands.

Yet, one day he is going to return, and he is going to condemn to death those who have refused him and his salvation. And, the sad reality of it all is that many who profess to know him are going to one day be surprised to hear him say, “Depart from me, I never knew you!” And, that is because they did not submit to him as Lord, they did not repent of their sins, and they did not follow him in obedience, but they went their own way instead.

So, what we need to understand about this “belief” is first of all that it is God-given and divinely persuaded, and if persuaded by God, it submits to Jesus Christ as Lord, it repents of sin, and it follows the Lord in obedience to his commands, all in the power and strength of God’s Spirit alive and at work in the hearts of those trusting in him as their Savior and God.

Secondly, we need to understand that this faith is not a one-time experience, then we live however we want, and one day we die and go to heaven. This faith is present tense, and it is ongoing until the day Jesus comes back to take us home to be with him forever. It must endure to the end of time. And, it must walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to our sinful flesh (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

So, if our belief in Jesus is just superficial, or intellectual, or if it is a false belief based on a lie, and it doesn’t submit to Christ as Lord, or repent of sins or follow him in obedience, then it is the same as those who do not believe in Jesus, and who stand condemned already for their unbelief.

John 3:19-21 ESV

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Many people make professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and they claim that they are now saved from their sins, and that heaven is guaranteed them, and yet they have no sense of loyalty or devotion to Jesus Christ at all. He was just the means for them getting a “free ride” into heaven, but they feel no obligation whatsoever to leave their lives of sin behind them or to follow him in obedience.

So, their “salvation” is false, because it is of their own flesh and not of God. And, this is because they created their own gospel to suit their own lifestyles rather than to submit to the truth of the gospel as taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles. Thus, they did it by themselves, on their own, their own way, without God, because they refused to submit to God.

It is false, as well, because they took the truth of what the scriptures teach regarding our salvation, and they removed from that truth what didn’t fit with the way they wanted to live. They just deleted, ignored, or attempted to discredit what they didn’t want to accept or yield to. Or, they twisted it to make it say something else – something more soothing, comfortable, and appealing to their flesh. Then, they could go on in their sin without guilt.

They reduced our salvation from sin to mere forgiveness of sins and escape from punishment in hell. But, they deleted that part about being delivered from our slavery to sin and dying with Christ to sin and living with Christ to his righteousness. Or, they made it optional. And, that is because that doesn’t fit with how they want to live. For, they want to believe they can be saved from their sins, go to heaven when they die, but that they can still live for the flesh and not for the Spirit. Thus, they refuse to come to the light.

For, the light is the truth of the gospel. And, they want to continue in their evil ways. So, they just don’t come into the light, and they remain in the darkness, and yet they console themselves with God’s grace, believing they are saved and forgiven and that their sins no longer matter to God. And, many have gone so far as to discredit the light so that they can remain in the darkness guilt free. But, that doesn’t change the truth. For, if we want to have eternal life with God, we must live by the Spirit of God in holiness.

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018

Your bond is broken

With your Lord and Savior

And, your testimony is

Separate from Him.

Your words not matching

Your actions today.

Repent of your sin and

Bow down and pray.

Live what you testify

In truth always.

Purity’s lacking in

Your life and witness,

For you profess one thing,

But other you do.

Not moral, spiritual.

Still of the flesh.

Not living in truth to

What you confess.

Lying about it

Puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice,

‘tis true of you.

Masquerade righteousness –

None of it true.

Your heart is not given

To your Lord God.

Because of how you live,

You are a fraud.

Turn from your sin and

Give your life to God.

https://vimeo.com/287303934

Wisdom of God, Not Man

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

As Christian authors, writers, bloggers and/or writers of devotionals, we must be so careful to not write in our own wisdom, with lofty or flowery speech intended to impress others with our knowledge. We should not be trying to win people to us, but to Christ Jesus. And, we definitely should not ever dilute the gospel of our salvation to gain followers for ourselves.

Before we sit down at a computer or a typewriter, or with pen and ink and a piece of paper, we must spend time with God in his Word and in prayer, seeking him, his wisdom, and his guidance in what he wants us to write. For, he has messages he wants to give through us, which is why he gifted us in this way. So, we need to inquire of him as to what messages he wants us to share in writing, and for his honor, glory and praise.

This way, what we write will not be of our own flesh, but it will be with a demonstration of the Spirit of God and of His power, not ours. For, it will be the Holy Spirit of God leading us into all truth. But, we must be receptive to this in our spirits. We must be walking according to the Spirit and not according to our own flesh if we want to be led of the Spirit of God in what we write. That way we will not be hypocritical in what we write, too.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8 ESV

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Paul did not merely impart wisdom to the mature. He taught the truth to everyone, no matter who they were, what rank they had, or whether they had little knowledge of God or they were walking in obedience to his commands. He shared the gospel message with the unsaved, and he taught the walk of faith to those who were in Christ Jesus, by faith in him. For, if he had only imparted wisdom to the mature in Christ, then he would not have been persecuted as he was for his faith and for his testimony for Jesus.

So, I take from this that this “wisdom” he is speaking of has to do with the “meat” of the word which the immature are not ready to receive. Yet, we must be careful here that we don’t equate the “milk” of the word with a diluted gospel message absent of true repentance and walks of obedience to our Lord. For, Paul made it clear that the gospel message includes leaving our lives of sin behind us to follow our Lord in obedience (Eph. 4:17-24).

Jesus taught deep truths, too, to the crowds, which is why many deserted him because they said his teachings were “too hard.” He told them that, if they wanted to come after him, they must deny self, take up their cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. For, if they held on to their old lives, they would lose them for eternity. But, if they lost their lives for his sake (died with him to sin) their lives would be saved (Lu. 9:23-25).

So, it isn’t that Paul watered it down for the immature. He didn’t. And, that is why he was persecuted. And, Jesus didn’t water it down for anyone, either, which is why they hated him, and why they put him to death on a cross, because they didn’t like his message. For, it confronted them with their sinful lifestyles. And, his message called them to repentance and obedience to Him, and they didn’t want to let go of their sins.

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,    nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

There are people who profess faith in Jesus Christ who have no comprehension of the Spirit of God at all. They don’t hear the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts through the written Word of God, or in their minds and hearts. And, so they end up operating in the flesh, some of them trying to “do good” and trying to not “do bad,” but to little avail.  

So, if we want to understand the things of the Spirit of God, then we need to have the Spirit of God living within us. Yet, this is not to say that we are going to understand everything. We won’t! For, while we live in these flesh bodies, our understanding is going to be incomplete, and we won’t know fully until the time we go to be with our Lord forever (1 Co. 13:9, 12).

So, how do we get the Spirit of God living within us? By God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ – a faith that is divinely persuaded, and thus it submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in following him in obedience. Thus, it leaves the old life of sin behind, and it follows Jesus in surrender to his will – all by the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit, and not of our own flesh (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

For, notice with me here that it says, “what God has prepared for those who love him.” And, to love God is to do what he says, to obey his commands he has given to us, his church (Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; 1 Jn. 3:24).

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

There are a lot of people, too, professing the name of Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives who do not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to them. And, that is because they have not ever truly been born again of the Spirit of God, and so they don’t have the Spirit. And, so they have no comprehension of the Spirit of God. But, they are still walking according to the flesh, doing what their flesh desires.

Many of them bought into a lie which told them that all they had to do was to repeat some words after someone else supposedly in a prayer to God, or all they had to do was to acknowledge what Jesus Christ did for them on that cross, and they just had to accept his gift of grace into their lives. But, there was no repentance, no turning away from sinful lifestyles, and no submission to Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. So, they are void of the Spirit of God, and they don’t understand the mind of God at all, or little.

So, again, in order for us to have the Holy Spirit of God living within us, teaching us all things with regard to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and all things regarding holiness, righteousness, godliness and walks of faith, we have to be in Christ Jesus by genuine faith in Him. And, this faith requires that we turn away from our lifestyles of sin and that we walk in obedience to our Lord according to the ways of the Spirit of God, and no longer according to the ways of our sinful flesh. Then, we will have the mind of Christ.

Full Release  

An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus;

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence,

oh, what peace.

From my self-life

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort,

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully,

oh, what love

That He gives me

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above.

Loving Father; precious Jesus,

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit,

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered

So that we might be alive.

https://vimeo.com/115169203

Saturday, September 28, 2019

He's Got It Handled

Do you ever feel afraid? Do you ever begin to feel anxious over circumstances in your life? Do you ever get trapped in the “What ifs”? When someone does or says something to hurt you, do you worry about the repercussions? Do you fear what he or she might do next?

Do you fear what someone might say to someone else about you? Do you fear rejection? Do you worry about finances, your future, your provisions, retirement, and/or the economy? Do you also fear what crazy things people in high places might do that might impact your safety and wellbeing?

Are you afraid of trials and tribulations? Do you fear persecution? Are you afraid to speak the truth in love, when necessary? Do you fear sharing your faith, because you are worried what people might do to you in return? Are you more concerned about what might happen to you than you are concerned about others’ real needs and their salvation and eternal life?

I admit I have to fight off fear on a regular basis or it will take hold of me for sure. I am continually having to surrender my life, and people in my life, and my circumstances over to God, praying for wisdom, for understanding, and asking him, too, to search my heart, and to show me what in me needs corrected; what needs changed; what needs surrendered to God.

Matthew 6:25-29 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Although the counsel here appears to be primarily focused on our basic physical needs for food, drink, and clothing, the biblical principles here apply to any areas of our lives where we might feel anxious. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, should not feel anxious about anything in our lives, for our Lord will provide for all that we need, for he values us, he loves us, and he cares.

And, which of us by worrying has ever improved our situations at all? If we are honest, we will say that worry only makes matters worse, never better.

Worry is not the same as concern, though. Concern shows caring. It is the opposite of complacency. Concern shows alertness to danger. It shows empathy to others. The Apostle Paul often expressed concern for the believers in Jesus that they not get off course, and that they not follow after another gospel, and that they not be duped by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

So, concern can be a good thing, but it can turn to worry if we don’t take it to the Lord in prayer, and if we don’t trust him with our concerns, and if we don’t seek his counsel and guidance in what to do, and if we take matters into our own hands, perhaps because God is not moving fast enough for us.

Matthew 6:30-32 ESV

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

When we get anxious, and we allow fear to overtake us, and we begin to worry about the kinds of things talked about here in the beginning of this writing, we are doubting God’s ability to provide for us and to work in our circumstances. And, it shows that our faith in God is lacking (little), as is our faith in his love, and in his grace, and in his power to move mountains and to perform miracles.

It is like Peter, by faith, stepping out of the boat and onto the water to walk towards Jesus. As long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus, he was able to rise above his circumstances. But, as soon as he got his eyes off of Jesus, and onto the wind whirling around him, then he began to be afraid. And, when fear overtook him, then he began to sink until he reached out to Jesus to rescue him and to pull him up out of his difficulty (Matt. 14:28-33).

Matthew 6:33-34 ESV

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Our Lord knows what we need physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. He knows our needs for love, for support and for encouragement. He knows the counsel that we need, and the discipline, and the training, and the pruning we need, too, in order to conform us to his likeness and to prepare us for what he has called us to do, as well.

He not only knows what we need, better than we know it ourselves, but he provides what we need, but not necessarily what we want, and not necessarily what we think we need, either. For, his thoughts aren’t like our thoughts, and he knows the end from the beginning, and we can only see what’s in front of our faces. So, we have to learn to trust him in all things.

So, we need to seek him, his kingdom, and his righteousness. We need to pursue our Lord and his will for our lives. We need to go after what is holy, righteous, pure, honest and moral. We need to forsake our sins and our idols, and we need to make him truly our only Lord (owner-master). And, we need to walk in obedience to his commands one day at a time.

We should not worry about tomorrow, or what is going to happen to us, or to the world, or to our nations. For, our God has it all under his control. He is completely sovereign over all that he has made. He has our lives fully in his hands. He is still God! He is still on the throne! He is still all powerful! He will never leave us or forsake us! So, we have to trust HIM with our lives!!

We are not going to get everything we think we need or that we want, though. We may get more, or we may get less, because God knows what we truly need, and he knows, too, what we can handle. And, so we should also not compare ourselves to others or feel that we were slighted while others got more than us. For, again, God knows best. And, he will provide.

So, no matter what our needs are, and no matter what difficulties we may be facing, God will provide what we need to endure, to persevere, to survive, and to do what he has called us to do. We just need to trust him one day and one situation at a time. And, when fear roars its ugly head, we need to reject it, renounce it, and we need to pray and commit it all to Jesus. And, then we need to leave it there, believing he has it handled.

Courageous!  

An Original Work / December 24, 2013  

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard, but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth;

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance.

https://vimeo.com/112338495

Trampled Underfoot

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who would not listen to what you said, but who decided what you meant, without discussion, and then went on to blast you with all kinds of false accusations?

Did this person attack you personally, making false assumptions about your intentions, your character, and the meanings of your words? Did this person misconstrue everything you said, and then stoop to name calling? And, did you try reasoning with this person, kindly and thoughtfully, trying to answer his or her concerns, and yet he or she still went on the all-out attack?

Well, if you have experienced this in your relationships with others, know that the Lord understands how you feel, because they did the same thing to him, and they are still doing the same thing to him. And, who are “they”? They are those within the family of God or those within the gatherings of the church who declare faith in Jesus Christ but who deny him by their actions, and who deny him, too, by how they respond to His Word.

For, they are those who are spiritually void or on a spiritual decline. They are living in violation of God’s standards, in open defilement against his instructions to us, his church. They have sunk low down in their blasphemies against God’s holy Word and against his gospel of salvation.

They have broken through his barriers which he set up for us for our protection, without conscience, and with little to no regard for his holiness and righteousness. Thus, they live in a spiritual vacuum with a declaration of faith in Jesus Christ which is hollow, and which is self-fulfilling and self-sufficient. For they want to have it their own way, not God’s way.

*Note: This is not describing anyone in particular. So, this is not an attack against anyone’s character. This is just saying that there are people like this who are treating God in a similar manner as we are sometimes treated by others, and it is because they are living in open defilement against Him.

Hebrews 10:28-31 ESV

Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This morning the Lord is paralleling the situation described above with the relationship that some (or many) people have with him. They are not listening to what God is saying through His Word, because their minds are already made up. They have already decided God’s intentions and his character, but what they have decided comes from their own minds, their own prejudices, and from their own lifestyle choices, too.

So, they are misconstruing his Word to their own advantage, to meet their own requirements or their own selfish desires. They want to continue living in sin and so they twist the scriptures to give themselves permission to keep on in their sinful practices, while consoling themselves with God’s love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and promise of heaven when they die.

They give the impression or they say directly that one can believe in Jesus Christ, have the promise of heaven when he dies, and yet keep his sinful practices. For, they say it is now all covered under God’s grace. Some go so far as to actually state that we don’t have to repent of our sins, we don’t have to obey Jesus Christ or submit to his Lordship, and to even falsely identify such submission to the Lordship of Christ as works-based salvation.

So, the Lord has stopped communicating with them, for they refuse to listen to him, for they are choosing to go their own way, instead. For, they are blaspheming the Word of God by twisting what it says to satisfy their own sinful cravings, and by attacking the truths of scripture and assigning to them false notions, which are of the flesh of man. So, the Lord is going to bring judgment upon them for their actions which are against Him.

Hebrews 10:19-25 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Nonetheless, God’s plan of salvation for us is not merely forgiveness of sins and a promise of heaven when we die. It is not free license to continue in sinful practices, without guilt, while claiming heaven as our eternal home.

God’s grace, which brings us salvation from sin, instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (fleshly desires) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. For, Jesus Christ, God the Son, gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Tit. 2:11-14; cf. Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

We are not saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life with God via a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, either. Our faith must be present tense. It must be continuous. And, it must remain steadfast until the end of time. For, we were saved (past), we are being saved (present) and we will be saved (future) when Jesus returns to take us to be with him. It is then that our relationship with Jesus Christ will be consummated, and our salvation will then be complete.

For, scripture teaches, with regard to our salvation from sin, that we must walk (in practice, in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God, and not according to our flesh, if we want to have eternal life with God. Over and over again in the New Testament it states this. And, it says that if we walk according to the flesh, that we will die in our sins, without hope of heaven, no matter what we profess to believe with our lips (Rom. 8:1-17).

Scripture also teaches that faith in Jesus Christ is God-given, and it is God-persuaded, and thus it submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and it follows him in obedience to his will and to his ways. For, when we believe in Jesus, with genuine faith, we die with Christ to sin, and we are raised with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; Lu. 9:23-25; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

So, we need to be spreading the message of the true gospel of our salvation, and we need to not be teaching “gospel lite,” or a “cheap grace gospel” absent of true repentance and walks of surrender and obedience to Jesus Christ. For, many people are going to come before God, fully convinced that they deserve heaven only to hear, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

So, we need to be telling them the truth, and first and foremost, we need to be living the truth before them so that they can see that we live what we say we believe, and that we are not all talk, but that our walks match our talk.

For, when Jesus died on that cross, he delivered us from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin. He died that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness. He shed his blood for us that he might buy us back for God, so that now, by God’s grace, we might honor God with our lives, and no longer live to please ourselves (1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).

Full Release 

An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus;

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence,

oh, what peace.

From my self-life

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort,

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully,

oh, what love

That He gives me

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above.

Loving Father; precious Jesus,

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit,

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered

So that we might be alive.

https://vimeo.com/115169203

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Love, Obedience & Forgiveness

1 John 2:1-2 ESV

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on a cross one day many years ago so that we could be delivered from our slavery to sin, and so that we could walk righteously before our God. He who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross that we might become the righteousness of God, and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us.

The whole point of Jesus’ love offering to us via his death on a cross was not just to forgive us our sins so that we could go to heaven when we die. For, he died that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. Thus, when he took our place on that cross, he bought us back for God with his blood so that we would now be God’s possession, and so that we would now honor God with our lives – minds, hearts, and bodies.

So, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. The old has gone. The new has come. But, it doesn’t end there. Now we are to daily die to sin and self, and to daily live for Jesus in obedience to his commands – all in the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit now living within us.

Nonetheless, we still live in this world. We still live in flesh bodies. We still have the propensity to sin against God, and we are still tempted to sin. Our flesh is at war with the Spirit, and the Spirit is at war with the flesh. So, although Jesus died to deliver us from sin, and he empowers us to live free from sin, it doesn’t mean we will never sin. But, when we do sin, Jesus’ blood sacrifice still covers that sin, and he will help us to not sin, too.

1 John 2:3-6 ESV

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Yet, lest we begin to think, now that Jesus forgave us our sins, that we can go on sinning, making it our practice, and that it won’t impact our eternal life, we need to take in the reality of what John just said here.

True faith in Jesus Christ involves both repentance and obedience to Jesus Christ. It does not mean we will never sin against God. But, it does mean that we now make it our lifestyle, our practice to live for our Lord and to do what he says. If we make it our practice to follow our Lord in obedience, in his power and strength, then this is how we know that we have truly come to know him.

And, the opposite of this is true, as well. If we do not make it our practice to follow our Lord in obedience, and/or if we have this attitude in our hearts that says we can keep on sinning, now that we are under grace, and yet we claim to know him, we are liars (See also 1 Jn. 1:5-9). For, to know him is to walk in obedience to his commands.

Jesus said that his sheep listen to him and that they follow (obey) him. He said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily and follow (obey) him. And, to follow him means not just to do what he says, but also to walk like he walked, doing the kinds of things he did and said, following his example for how to live and to love others.

1 John 2:7-11 ESV

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Love and hate are opposites. We can’t love and hate at the same time, unless it is that we are loving righteousness and we are hating evil. But, if we are making hate our practice towards other human beings, then we are not walking in love. And, here it says that if hate is what we practice, that we are not walking in the light, but we are still walking in darkness.

This is not to say that we will never get upset with other people when they sin against us, or that we won’t have to confront others with their sins against us. For love for others does not pacify or placate sin. True love speaks the truth in love. True love helps others out of their sinful addictions. It does not pat them on the back to try to console them in their sin.

True love also forgives others for their sins against us. Yet, forgiveness does not mean we then turn a blind eye to further sin. Forgiveness does not give permission for continued and willful sin. It doesn’t ignore sinful patterns of behavior, and it doesn’t put the innocent in harm’s way. It is gracious, and it is loving, but it is also wise and discerning. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.”

Also, if we make it our practice to sin against others via lies, deception, manipulation, trickery, adultery, stealing, cheating, false accusations, slander, gossip, spite, and abuse, then don’t call it love. That is hate. And, Jesus said that to hate is the same as to murder.

So, when you lust after that other person and/or you go to that porn site, don’t make light of it, or think it is no big deal, and don’t call it entertainment or relaxation, or justify it in any way. If you are married, it is adultery. If you are not married, it is still adultery against God.

Remember that the scriptures teach that love does no harm to its neighbor. It doesn’t take advantage of others to fulfill its own lustful desires. True love does what is in the best interest of others, what is for their good, as God defines good. It is concerned for the welfare of others, for what is beneficial to them, which is foremost that they know God, and that they walk in holiness in His power and strength, and that they are free from their slavery to sin, and that they have true hope of eternal life with God.

There is a lot of hate in the world, though, and in the hearts of many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, too, because they are still holding on to their sinful practices, and they have not truly submitted to Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. And, those who hate will also hate those who are walking in righteousness and holiness, and they will persecute us. But, we need to forgive them, and we need to return their hate with love.

All Through the Night  

An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

Yet, do not fear what humans may do to you,

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above.

https://vimeo.com/112899981