A Tall Order

Friday, October 17, 2014, 4:44 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 5:22-33 (ESV).

A Bit Daunting

A “tall order” is a task or a requirement that is difficult to achieve; impressively large; powerful; and overwhelming. Today the lesson is on the topic of marriage, between a man and a woman, but it is also on the topic of Christ and his church, and it parallels the two. Yet, what is being taught here can seem a bit daunting in that it seems like an impossible assignment to achieve. And, yet, we don’t have to do this in our own strength. For those of us who are in Christ Jesus by God’s grace through faith, we have the power and strength of the Spirit of God within us to give us all we need in order to do what this scripture says.

As To The Lord

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ~ Eph. 5:22-24

Many people hate that word “submit,” for it conjures up all sorts of images of abuse, but it doesn’t have to be that way at all, nor should it be. In fact, in the previous verse we read that, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. So, what does it mean to “submit”?

The word “submit” basically means to “yield,” i.e. to yield to the authority, opinion, or to the will of another person. To “yield” means: “to surrender or relinquish to the control of another” (Merriam-Webster). I think of it a lot like a “yield” sign at a fork in a road, which can be taken literally or figuratively, meaning either a point at which a road splits in two, or “a deciding moment in life when a major choice of opinions is required” (Wikipedia). On the literal side of the meaning, think of how, when we are married, we become “one,” and thus we would be like the single road. But we are still two separate individuals with differing thoughts and opinions, and sometimes we might be divided, like this fork in the road. For us to continue to be “one” and in harmony with each other, one of us must yield and give the other the right of way. The wife or the husband could be the one to yield, but if the two cannot reach an agreement, scripture teaches that the wife is to yield to her husband.

But, here is the clincher. We, as wives, are to submit to our husbands “as to the Lord.” So, what does that mean? I believe it means that we are to submit to our husbands in the same way in which we submit to the Lord, meaning we lovingly yield to his loving authority. I believe it is critical that we understand that, because many wives have permitted abuse, even the abuse of their children, or have submitted to sin, thinking they were doing right. In other words, wives are not slaves, at least not here in America. God took woman out of the side of man to be his helper, not to be his slave, not that a slave should ever submit to sin.

The point here is that, as wives, we should never subject ourselves to nor should we submit to sinning, nor should we be party to our husbands sinning, i.e. we should not enable them to sin. So, if your husband requires you to do something you know is wrong, you can say “No.” Or, if he requires your participation and/or willingness to allow him to do what is wrong, you can also say “No.” Other than that, if it comes down to a difference of opinion, we should yield to our husbands, even if we disagree with them.

The Head

You cannot have two bosses. It doesn’t work. Someone has to be over the other. God designed it that the man is to be over the woman. Some women may not like that, but there is good reason for that order, and if properly understood and exercised, this should bring much security to the woman. On the other hand, there are men who do not want to have that duty and who shirk their God-given responsibility, and who place that burden upon their wives to make the decisions, raise the children, and lead the family spiritually.

So, what does it mean for the husband to be the head? Is he to be domineering, harsh, controlling, and tyrannical? No! – Absolutely not! Yet, some men think that is what it means, because they don’t understand the concept that they are to treat their wives like Christ loves and treats the church. The husband is to be the head of the wife in the same way in which Christ is the head of the church, his body, and he is her Savior. A savior is one who rescues, protects, and is “a knight in shining armor;” a deliverer and a redeemer. Jesus Christ willingly suffered and died for us so that we could be delivered from the curse of and the control of sin, and that is how a husband should be the head of his wife, too! He should love her more than he loves his own life, and he should willingly give himself and his rights up for her in order for her to be the woman of God whom God would have her to be.

As Christ Loved

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. ~ Eph. 5:25-33

Continuing on that same train of thought, Jesus’ purpose in dying for us was not just so we could escape hell and have the hope of heaven. He died so that he might free us from the punishment of and bondage to sin and that he might make us holy. What this means for the church is that Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15). He died so we would no longer be enslaved to sin but that we might now become slaves of righteousness (See: Ro. 6-8). He died that we might die with Christ to our old sinful lives, so that we might be transformed in heart and mind – away from sin and to God – and so we might have new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24). To be holy means: to be separate (unlike; different) from the world and set apart to (like) God, and to his service.

So, how does that translate over into marriage? Jesus Christ wasn’t thinking about himself. He was thinking about us and what is best for us. That is why he died. He wanted what he knew was in our best interest, and so he sacrificed his own comfort, his own position in heaven, and he humbled himself in order to identify with us, to show us mercy and grace, and to give us freedom, peace, joy and hope. And, that is how we should all treat one another. And, yet, scripture designates this particular responsibility and obligation over to husbands to love their wives in this way, in sacrificing their own selfishness for the betterment, security, hope, joy, peace, freedom, happiness, fulfillment, and encouragement of their wives. As well, they should also be leading their wives to love and to serve Jesus.

As We Love

When we are born physically, we are born into sin. We have sin natures. So, we are selfish at birth. This is evident in the lives of children from early on, although some children seem to be more naturally selfless than others. What this means is that we naturally love and care for ourselves, though not all do. We make sure we are fed, clothed, provided for, etc. We think about ourselves, by nature, first and foremost. Yet, it is not entirely selfish to love and care for ourselves, for we are God’s created works, and as children of God, we are children of the King of kings. We are loved by God, so why should we treat ourselves less? Certainly we should be humble, but humility does equal self-abasement. Since we are instructed to love others as we love ourselves, we should love and care for ourselves.

Now, in a marriage, we are one person, although sometimes that is most difficult to comprehend or to achieve. So, we are one body, like the church is one body, which is another challenging concept. So, in a marriage, when we love and care for our spouse and we meet his or her needs, we are doing so as to our own body. The same is true if we abuse, neglect, mistreat or cheat on our spouse, i.e. we are hurting ourselves, too. I think if we could get this mental picture that truly we are one, perhaps it would help us to rethink how we treat one another. And, this applies to the church, as well, and I am not speaking merely of just our local fellowships, but of the body of Christ as a whole. We should love one another as we love ourselves, and regard one another as though we truly are one.

One Flesh

Scripture teaches that a marriage is between a man and a woman, not between two women or two men. Homosexuality is sin in the eyes of the Lord Jesus, our God, who is the Son of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit (See: Ge. 2:18-25; Ro. 1:18-32; 1 Co. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 1:10-11; Mk. 10:6-9; Jude 1:7; Heb. 13:1-25; Matt. 10:15; 2 Pet. 2:6). God created woman to be man’s helper. This was his design from the very beginning of creation. As well, it is his design that man and woman should become as one flesh, meaning that they should not be united with others sexually, intimately, or romantically in any way. They are to be united in mind, purpose, will, faith, and commitment, etc. They are to no longer be under the authority of their parents, but they are to now become independent of Mom and Dad. A man’s and a woman’s devotion, heart, and desire should now be solely for one another.

Nonetheless, this teaching is to be understood also in relation between Christ and his church. Both men and women are considered to be the “bride” of Christ, with him as our husband. What this means is that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, it is a lot like entering into a marriage relationship, which includes the marriage vows of love, fidelity, and faithfulness, etc. As the church, we are to love Christ as a bride loves and adores her groom. We should long for him in the same manner, and desire nothing more than to be with him forever, beginning right now. We should become one with him in mind, heart and purpose, and we should yield to his will and purposes for our lives, because we love him, and because we want to do what pleases him.

As well, just as newlyweds want nothing more than to be together forever, to share their lives and experiences with one another, and to tell each other their thoughts, feelings, joys, pains and experiences, we should also want nothing more than to be with our Lord always, to spend time with him each day listening to him, talking with him, and doing what pleases him. We should give all the respect and honor which he so deserves by making him truly the Lord (master) of our lives. Wives, as well, should treat their husbands in a way that shows them that they are valuable, important and that they matter to them.

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

Devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/a-tall-order/

How We Walk

Thursday, October 16, 2014, 6:30 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 5:1-21 (ESV).

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ~ vv. 1-2

The word imitate can have more than one meaning. In one sense, to imitate can mean merely to mimic another’s actions, mannerisms and behavior, which can be used to mock or to make fun of the person, or it can be used to deceive others into thinking we are something we are not. In another sense, which is the one being used here, it has to do more with following the example of another and/or to actually be or to become like another. Thus, if we are to be imitators of God, it means that we are to be like him in thought, word and deed, taking on his godly character and applying it to our own lives. We cannot, however, do this in our human flesh or outside of faith in Jesus Christ. We must first of all accept God’s invitation to salvation and to faith in Jesus Christ, and then through the infilling and indwelling person and power of the Holy Spirit, we can come to be like Jesus.

Then, we are to walk in love. To walk has to do with lifestyle, i.e. how we conduct our lives each day, moment by moment. It has to do with how we live – think, speak and act. We are to live our lives in the love of Jesus Christ, and his love should then be lived out through us into the lives of others. Christ Jesus is both our example for how we should walk in love, as well as he gives us the power, wisdom and strength to walk in his love. So, what is love?

In today’s culture here in America, via the influence of cultural tradition, peer pressure, society, and the media, I believe people, in general, and even believers in Jesus Christ have gotten somewhat of a skewed notion as to what love, in general, or even Christ’s love should look like. Oftentimes, for instance, sexual attraction or emotional infatuation is mistaken for love. As well, we have this idea of love as it being merely the act of being nice to people, giving them what they want, catering to them, and making them feel good. Yet, that is not how Jesus loved others. He gave his life for us so our lives could change.

Yes, he did wonderful acts of kindness in healing people of their diseases, and he demonstrated awesome mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Yet, he was more concerned about what was best for them than he was with whether or not he made them feel good about him or themselves. Jesus cares about what we do and about how we live our lives. He cares about how we treat him and others, and it concerns him when we ignore him and his word and we decide to go our own stubborn way and/or return to sinful behavior. It bothers him when we profess one thing but live another. So, not only is he always with us - cheering, comforting, healing, encouraging and giving us hope - but he also with us urging, exhorting, correcting and sometimes chastising us, too, so we will walk in the right way.

So, to love like he loves means we give our lives fully to God in submission, surrender and obedience to his will and to his instructions for our lives, walking in his ways, and in his truth, and in the power and working of his Spirit. As well, it means we give ourselves to meet the legitimate needs of others, which involves both encouragement and correction, comforting and exhorting, healing and rebuking. Needs are more important than wants. What is best for us is more important than making us feel good. We can do acts of kindness, and be healing and compassionate, but if we don’t give our lives to see people free from the control of sin over their lives, walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, obeying our Lord and walking in his ways, then we are not truly walking in Christ’s love.

Not a Hint

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ~ vv. 3-6

I think sometimes we get the idea that if we don’t commit physical acts of immorality that we are not guilty of impurity. Yet, that is not what this teaches us. There should not even be a hint of immorality in our lives. We should avoid and abstain (stay away) from even the appearance of evil (See: 1 Thess. 5:22 KJV). This word translated as “appearance” also means “visible form, shape, kind, outward show, sight,” etc. (Source: Biblehub.com).

I believe that to apply this truth to our lives in all honesty, sincerity and with a heart desire to obey our Lord and his word, and to live lives pleasing to him, holy and upright, we must examine our lives, our thoughts, our actions, our words and all our daily activities to see whether or not we are participating in any form of evil or immorality and impurity. I believe that if we are honest with ourselves and with God, and that we examine all that we do, think, and say against this Biblical principle, and against the teachings of Christ and the apostles, that it should radically transform our lives.

I also believe that if we truly are seeking to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience, and we do this heart examination, that we will have to cut a lot of things out of our lives which we have passed off as either innocent or as “not so bad,” thinking that if we didn’t go out and do the deed that we were ok. Yet, we should not lust in our minds or hearts after another with whom we are not married, whether of the opposite or same sex; we should not listen to songs which have suggestive lyrics; and we should not watch TV shows or movies which have sensuality and sexually suggestive material, and/or which involve sexual promiscuity or perversion of any kind, not even romance movies which hint at adultery.

And, we should do this heart examination and allow the Spirit of God to work these changes in our lives because we love our Lord, and we want to please him in all that we do. Yet, there is another principle at play here that must be taken into consideration, as well. There are people among us who profess Christ as Savior, but who are still living sinful lifestyles without qualm, conviction, guilt, or any sense that they are doing wrong. Yet, if the Holy Spirit is truly living within us, we should feel conviction when we participate in things that are clearly evil (immoral, et al), even if we are just being entertained by evil. The Bible is real clear on this subject. If we say we love God, but we continue to live sinful lifestyles, then we are liars, and we don’t live by the truth (See: 1 Jn. 1-5).

Not Partners

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

    and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.” ~ vv. 7-14

A partner is someone with whom we closely associate, affiliate, collaborate and/or unite. He or she can be a person with whom we have an actual physical (in person) relationship, or he or she can be someone we know only via networking and/or by socialization on the internet. Or, the person can be someone with whom we have no direct relationship, but can be, for instance, a media figure, such as a newscaster, an actor, a politician and/or a sports figure whom we follow closely, agree with, adopt their stance and character, emulate, support, and/or find pleasure in and are entertained by their actions, words, etc. When we partner with people we participate or share with them in thought, word or deed (activity).

So, what this is saying is similar to what we are instructed in 2 Corinthians 6 where we are told to not be yoked (partnered) together with unbelievers. When we enter into relationship with Jesus Christ by faith we are now yoked with Christ, so we should not allow ourselves to be partnered with people or with philosophies, teachings, values and/or entertainment which stand in opposition to Christ, his character, his will and his teachings, even if they claim to be Christian. Bad company corrupts good character. There is no fellowship between light and darkness. We are not to be partakers with the things of this sinful world, but we are to come out from the world and to be separate (set apart to God). Instead of being entertained by the “unfruitful works of darkness,” we should expose them.

How You Walk

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. ~ vv. 15-21

We need to look carefully at our lives and how we are living them. If we are wise, we will follow the teachings of Christ and those of the apostles, and we will not join with the world in their sinful pleasures. If we are unwise, we will continue to do what we want without regard for God and for what his word teaches us with respect to holiness. To make the best use of our time means we use it to live for our Lord and to walk in his righteousness, no longer conformed to the ways of this world, but transformed in the renewing of our minds so that we can discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God (See Ro. 12:1-2).

We should not live out-of-control lives following after the lusts and pleasures of sin, but we should continually be being filled with the Spirit of God and with all that he has for us. In other words, we should put off living for self and sin, and we should put on Christ’s righteousness and holiness (See: Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24). As we forsake and throw off the sins which so easily entangle us, so we can run the race set before us with perseverance, and as we yield more and more control over our lives to our Lord, then we give the Holy Spirit more room to work in and through our lives for his purposes and for his glory.

Instead of involving ourselves in the junk this world has to offer, we should be engaged in holy living, drinking in the Word, and following in the ways of our Lord. And, our concern should be for the salvation of souls and for the encouragement, nurturing, strengthening and spiritual growth and maturity of our fellow believers. As well, we should be living our lives for the praise and honor of our Lord, being thankful for all he has done for us.

My Jesus, I Love Thee / William R. Featherstone / Adoniram J. Gordon

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

for thee all the follies of sin I resign. 

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.  

Devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/how-we-walk/

Not Like Them

Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 4:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 4:1-16 (NIV84).

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴

There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Humbling Ourselves

We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are being urged here to live a life worthy of our calling - The reason? Each one of us who is in Christ Jesus, by God’s grace through faith, has been called of God to belong to Jesus Christ, to be God’s holy people, and according to God’s purpose. We are called to one hope, which is faith in Jesus Christ, and to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. We are also called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to live in the grace of Christ, to be free in Christ from slavery to sin, and called to the hope of our heavenly dwelling. We are also called to eternal life, and to a holy life; called out of darkness into his wonderful light, and called to suffer for doing good and to endure it. And, we are called to live God-empowered godly lives, to be faithful followers of Christ, and we are called to peace.

So, what does it mean to live a life worthy of our calling? I believe it means to be and to do what God has called us to. So, this would mean that, by God’s grace and in the power and working of his Spirit within us we should be separate (unlike; different) from the world in our thoughts, actions, words, values and philosophies, and we should be set apart to God and to his service, and to be like him in living holy (upright, godly and self-controlled) lives, pleasing unto him. And, we should be humble – not thinking too highly or too lowly of ourselves. In other words, our thoughts should not be so much self-focused, but we should be thinking about how we can love God and love others with his love. As well, we should exercise patience with one another, bearing with one another in love.

Tossed Back and Forth

The Lord Jesus gave me an example this morning of this “bearing with one another in love.” He said it is a whole lot like shouldering the responsibility of something for someone. What I mean is, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be concerned about one another’s spiritual development, and we should not look the other way when a brother or sister wanders off from the truth and/or falls back into sin (kind of like falling off the wagon). We should not ignore sin in each other. We should be nurturing, encouraging, and helping our fellow believers to develop close walks of faith with our Lord Jesus.

We should be particularly concerned for those adult believers who still act like infants with regard to their spiritual walks, i.e. who are immature, naïve, easy to bend, mold and influence, and who are lacking in strength of character, perseverance and endurance. They are the ones who are easily tossed back and forth by various winds of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of humans in their deceitful scheming.

We should also be concerned that much of the church here in America shows little concern about these immature believers and their spiritual development, let alone shows genuine concern that the leadership within our churches, in many cases, are the ones who are tossing them back and forth, and are the ones who are involved in the cunning, craftiness and deceitful scheming in leading these naïve and easily influenced believers to follow after them and their humanistic philosophy, and to forsake their “first love.”

Since so many of our leaders within today’s church, particularly here in America, are operating outside the control of the Holy Spirit, are flesh-driven, and are treating the body of Christ, the church, just like another business of humans, and thus they are not fulfilling their God-given responsibility in seeking after those who have “fallen off the wagon,” spiritually speaking, and in helping them to grow and to mature in their walks of faith with Jesus Christ (See Ez. 34), I believe God has called and has chosen those who are not in leadership roles to call God’s people back to him, and to lead them to maturity in Jesus Christ. And, these whom he has called are willing, and have obeyed their Lord in being his servants and messengers to the church in helping them to get back on track with God.

A Different Gospel

So, how are these immature believers being tossed back and forth by various winds of teaching? What are the signs of this cunning, craftiness and deceitful scheming in today’s church here in America? The Lord Jesus gave me a picture of that this morning. What I believe the Lord Jesus is showing me, and has been showing me for some time, is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is being divided in half. The half that they have no problem showing people is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth, took on human flesh, died on a cross for our sins, rose again, ascended to heaven, sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of Christ’s followers, and one day he is coming back to take us home to be with him forever. As well, they will, in most cases, teach that we are saved by God’s grace, and not of our own doing, but our salvation is a free gift from God which we must receive by faith.

Yet, that is only one half, and it does not represent the full gospel message. The other half of the gospel is covered up with lies, deceptions, manipulations of truth, manipulations of people, and false accusations. They don’t want people to know the second half of the gospel, and so they also gloss over the truth, trying to make things appear different from what they are, because they want the gospel to be attractive to the world, so that the world will “accept” it and thus will “accept” the “church” and will want to come to their meetings. They are also giving false images of who God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit truly are, i.e. they are “white washing” the truth about God’s divine character to also make him more acceptable to the world, but they are not accepting the true God!

So much of what is falsely called “the church” today is really just businesses of humans with religious fronts, but Jesus is not the head of these churches, and the Holy Spirit has been quenched (put out of their meetings), because they can’t control him, and they won’t let him be in control, and they must be in control. So, they keep the atmosphere in “the church” friendly, non-threatening, happy, fun, exciting, entertaining, humorous, playful, light and fluffy. They don’t want it to ever get too heavy or too serious. And, they don’t want to talk much or any about sin, or they will soften sin by using terms such as “I messed up.” Repentance and obedience are not only excluded from the gospel presentation, but they are discouraged and are falsely called “works-based salvation” or “legalism” in order to dissuade people from going that direction - Speaking of cunning and craftiness!

All this fluff and these lies and misrepresentations of the true gospel serve to keep people from hearing and from believing and trusting in the truth of the full gospel message. So, who do you think is behind all this? Satan, of course! He has servants, too, within the church, who masquerade themselves as “angels of light,” when in fact they are wolves in sheep’s clothing whose mission is to kill and to destroy true faith in Jesus Christ.

They also work hard to discredit the Lord’s true servants, and in particular those who have answered the call of God to go after these immature believers and to help bring them back to the truth of the gospel. They work hard to block the minds and hearts of these naïve “Christians” from hearing the truth, so they will even go so far as to make up lies about the Lord’s true servants and witnesses so that no one will listen to them. They even have people in positions of power on the global scene who have the power and ability to block people from particular websites, for instance, so that they cannot get access to the truth, or to cut off their means of hearing the word of God in hopes that they might discourage young Christians, and included in this can even be threats against their lives.

Not Ashamed

Yet, no matter what they do to us, we should not be ashamed of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his gospel of salvation, but we should shout it from the mountain tops for all to hear!

The truth which these false leaders of the people have been keeping hidden via lies and deceptions is that the other half of the gospel teaches that faith in Jesus Christ means we die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we must now walk in the Spirit and in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, for that is why he died for us (See: Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14 and 1 Jn. 1-5). It is not freedom if we are still in slavery to sin, and it is a false promise of heaven if we have not truly been crucified with Christ in forsaking our lives of sin, and if we are not now living in the Spirit and no longer living to gratify the desires of our sinful flesh.

These false leaders in our church would have you believe the lie that it is hateful to tell people the truth, and that it is selfish to want to see people free from their sin, and that we should only say what is pleasing to people, and what makes them feel good. They will tell you that we should hide the truth of the gospel from people, and that we should not declare openly our love and devotion to our Lord, for it might offend people, and that would not be “nice.” They will even give you a false picture of Jesus which paints him as someone who just went around “loving on” everyone and that he never confronted people with their sin, called them to repentance, or commanded of them that they must believe on him or face eternity in punishment in hell. So, don’t deny your Lord. Stand firm in your faith!

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

Devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/not-like-them/

Who Gets The Glory?

Monday, October 13, 2014, 7:40 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Bring Back the Glory.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV).

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ~ Eph. 3:14-19

The Riches of His Glory

Glory here can be defined as “magnificence, splendor, excellence, beauty, wonder, infinite and essential worth, and/or substance,” etc. In other words, this word here describes God’s divine qualities, the essence of who he is. He is love, mercy, grace, kindness, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and faithfulness. He is all powerful, all knowing, and he is everywhere at all times. He is compassionate, comforting, nurturing, and forgiving, but he is also a just God and thus also can display his wrath and his righteous anger. As well, he is truthful, demonstrating complete integrity, and so we can take him at his word forever and always.

Because of God’s great love and mercy to us in sending his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, we can be forgiven of our sins, and set free from the control of sin over our lives, as well as be set free to walk daily in his righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us. Amen! All we have to do is to accept by faith what Jesus Christ did for us in dying for our sins. Yet, this faith is not an intellectual assent to what he did for us nor is it an emotional one-time experience at a church altar. This faith is described for us in the word of God in terms of us submitting to the cross of Christ and in surrendering our lives to God by us willingly dying with Christ to the sin which once enslaved us; by yielding to the transformation of heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and by us allowing the Holy Spirit to make us into new creations, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; & 1 Jn. 1-5).

Through our faith in Jesus Christ we can now come before God with boldness and confidence, as well as we can share his gospel of salvation throughout the world with that same boldness and confidence in our relationship with God through our faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to wonder if we are going to heaven when we die. We don’t have to guess and just hope that we are forgiven of our sins and that Jesus has truly set us free. We can know this without a shadow of a doubt. I love the old song that says, “You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart.” Amen! Our faith is not a religion or a set of religious rules and practices. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have been given new lives in Christ, and our faith is now a relationship (intimate) with Almighty God, whom we serve.

For this reason, i.e. because of this confidence and boldness in our relationship with our Lord, we can come to the Father with our prayers and requests, believing that he hears us, that he cares about us, and that he will answer us. And, included in our times of prayer with our heavenly Father should be prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as we should be praying for the people of the world and our unsaved family members to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, to know how to pray for the church, the body of Christ, which is our family through faith in Christ Jesus, we need to be made aware of their spiritual needs, so we know how we should pray for them. So, if we ask the Lord to show us, he will.

This prayer of Paul’s is a wonderful prayer for the church which we can incorporate into our own times of prayer for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Because God is all powerful, full of grace and mercy, and he is love, he is anxious to meet our true needs, and he is fully able to meet them, as well, for his resources are unlimited. They know no bounds. Amen! If we ask, he will empower us with inner strength through his Spirit to live godly and holy lives pleasing to him, to be his witnesses throughout the world, to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, and to boldly defend the truth of his word against all opposing forces. No matter how timid we might be by nature, and no matter how many times we have been shot down for our faith, he will give us the boldness and confidence in Him we need to keep on speaking his truths, and to keep on telling people about his wonderful love and grace to us.

When we walk by faith, and not by sight, and we allow the Spirit of God free access to our lives – our time, emotions, intellect, reasoning, thinking, money, possessions, etc. – and we allow him to empower us with inner strength through his Spirit, then Christ Jesus can feel at home and he will make himself at home in our hearts, because we made the room for him. When we willingly let go of all the junk in our lives which is crowding him out of our lives, and we yield control of our lives over to him, then he is free to rule and to reign in our lives. When this happens, then we can grow in our faith, and then our commitment and allegiance to Christ and to his word will deepen and will become stronger and more secure, and we will be confident in his love and his care for us, and thus we will trust him even more.

Be Glory in The Church

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ~ Eph. 3:20-21

Glory can be defined here as “honor, prominence, popularity, recognition, value, worth, praise, fame, admiration, stardom, credit and/or approval,” etc. So, in our churches here in America, who truly gets the glory? Who gets the prominence? Be honest! It is easy to mouth the words, “God does,” because we know he should, but is that true? - Really? We may sing praise and worship songs in which the words give God glory, honor and praise, but are we truly giving him top billing in our churches, in our public meetings, in our personal times of worship with him, and most importantly, with our lives (with our whole being)?

The scriptures teach that, because of God’s great mercy to us, we are to give our very lives to God, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable and acceptable service of worship of him. Included in that is that we are to no longer be conformed to the ways (patterns; behaviors; philosophies; and values) of this world, but we are to let God transform us in our minds (thinking) so that we will learn to know (discern) God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for us. In other words, we should no longer live like the world does by copying their behavior and customs (See: Ro. 12:1-2). The word “holy” means to be set apart (be separate; unlike; different) from the world, and to be set apart to God and to his service.

So, again I ask, “Who gets the glory in our churches?” I believe, from what I have personally experienced in churches here in America in the past 15 years, and from what I have observed from conversations with others, from what I have read in books and in blogs, and on Christian discussion and social media sites, or in published articles, and from what the Holy Spirit of God has impressed upon my own heart, that God is not truly the one getting top billing in our churches, in our public or private meetings, and not in many of our lives personally, either.

Instead, I believe human beings are the ones getting the bulk of the honor, recognition, praise, prominence, and admiration from us both in our personal lives and in our churches. Don’t believe me? Examine your own lives and see who it is you are honoring most by what you think, do, believe and say throughout your day. Is Jesus truly your all in all? Is he truly Lord (master; ruler) of your life? Pay attention in church. Is the Holy Spirit the one truly leading and guiding your times together, or are your meetings all orchestrated of humans in order to be appealing to other humans? Who is on stage? On whom is the primary focus? Who is the one discussed after the service is over? Jesus? - The band? – Or the preacher?

Testing Ourselves

When you are on social media or on Christian or other discussion sites, who or what do you primarily speak about? When you are with friends and/or with family, who or what is the main topic of conversation? When you make decisions for your life, who do you consult first and foremost for counsel? When you plan out your day, do you take God into consideration in your plans? Does he enter into your thinking throughout your day? Do you converse with him during the course of your day? Do you sense his presence with you always, guiding you, leading you in the way you should go? Do you consider whether or not he would approve of your entertainment choices? When you are watching or listening to something, and it has something obviously offensive in it, do you turn it off or walk away, even if you are with your friends, or do you continue so as not to cause embarrassment to anyone?

In your churches, what is the main source for the teaching? You say, “The Bible.” - Really? Are you sure? Does you pastor teach chapter by chapter and verse by verse, and does he cross reference the verses with other verses, and does he explain what these verses mean in context, and does he then apply the core meaning of the passage to your lives? Or, does he teach topically and jump around? Topical studies are not bad, mind you, but there is a danger with them in that scriptures are taken out of context and they can be made to mean anything. So much of what is being passed off as teaching from the Word today is really humanistic philosophy with scriptures thrown in there to give it credence. So, test everything you hear, read or see, to make sure that what is being taught is the truth.

Bottom line: We need to bring back the glory of God into our lives and into our churches by following the teaching of Romans 12:1-2 in giving our lives wholly to God for his service, living holy and pleasing lives unto him, no longer behaving just like the world around us, but truly being transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God. For, Jesus died so that we would die to sin, be changed, and be given new lives to live in the power and working of the Spirit within us (See: Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24). He died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15). And, his grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present age while we wait for his glorious return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

Bring Back the Glory / Wm. Gaither, Gloria Gaither & Bill George

Bring back the Glory

Won't you show us what life is for

Bring back the Glory

Make us open once more

Bring back the music, the trust, the wonder

That's just like a child who has never known pain

Bring back the Glory

The Glory again

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fCu75wSFNlA

devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/who-gets-the-glory/

I Became A Servant

Sunday, October 12, 2014, 6:26 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “In Keeping Them.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 3 (NIV).

My (Our) Calling

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Each one of us who is in Christ Jesus, by God’s grace through faith, has been called of God to belong to Jesus Christ, to be God’s holy people, and according to God’s purpose. We are called to one hope, which is faith in Jesus Christ, and to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. We are also called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to live in the grace of Christ, to be free in Christ from slavery to sin, and called to the hope of our heavenly dwelling. We are also called to eternal life, and to a holy life; called out of darkness into his wonderful light, and called to suffer for doing good and to endure it. And, we are called to live God-empowered godly lives, to be faithful followers of Christ, and we are called to peace [Source: Various NT scriptures].

We are also commissioned by God to be Christ’s Holy-Spirit-empowered witnesses to the ends of the earth, and, on the authority of Christ, to make disciples (followers) of Christ of peoples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Jesus Christ has commanded us. As well, we are to be his light to the world and the salt of the earth in spreading the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ by life example, in word, and in deed everywhere he leads us and he takes us. And, we are to love the people of this world with God’s love, as well as we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in like manner.

We are to be partakers in the Body of Christ in helping to encourage, cheer, strengthen, exhort, counsel, instruct, urge, warn, enlighten and give hope to our fellow believers in Christ, and in ministering to their legitimate needs. We do all this in the power of the Spirit within us, through the ministry of the gifts of the Spirit given to each one of us for the common good, and through fulfilling the part within the body the Spirit has assigned each one of us to be and to do. Yet, these gifts and these body “parts” are not of human origin, nor are they assigned by humans, so we must be in fellowship with our Lord, listening to his voice, and obeying what he shows us if we want to hear his voice clearly, and know what our gifts are, and what he has assigned us to do and to be within the Body of Christ.

As I was having my time this morning with my Lord in the Word and in prayer, he reminded me of his calling upon my life specifically. I am to follow his teachings and I am to follow him wherever he leads me in helping those who are in slavery to sin to be set free from their chains. I am to show compassion to people who are hurting and to minister to their legitimate needs. I am to help those, who in their attempts to live uprightly, or to appear uprightly, are operating in human flesh. They need to see that it is only by aligning ourselves with Christ, his word, and his principles for godly living; it is only with him as our foundation and our support; and it is only in his power and strength within us that we are able to live uprightly. And, I am to use whatever gifts he has given me for his honor and glory and to help others, and to do so humbly and reverently, giving God all the praise.

My (Our) Perspective

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

We don’t take on this responsibility to be servants of the Lord and ministers of his gospel in our own human flesh, though many have. We become his servants and messengers only through the calling of God on our lives, by the gifting of God’s grace by his Spirit, and through the working of his Spirit in our lives in spiritual ways. For instance, I don’t do what I do each day because some humans asked me to do this or because one day I woke up and just decided that I was going to do this each day. This specific calling of God on my life was not at all on my radar at the moment he called me. I was in his Word daily, in tune to the voice of his Spirit, listening to him speak, and obeying what he said to me to the best of my understanding, so I was ready to hear and to follow, i.e. I was receptive to his call, but this was not something I chose to do of my own thinking or decision or will.

When God calls us to a specific area of ministry, and we know this is his voice, and this is what we are supposed to do, we should respond to that call humbly, realizing that we are not worthy to be called to such an awesome task and responsibility.

For example, when God called me by his Spirit to the ministry with which I am now involved, I knew I was not worthy for such a task, as I knew the things I had done in my past. I was just so grateful for God’s forgiveness, for his restoration, and that he would even want to use me again. So, I was in awe of him, and I was humbled by his love for me, and by his grace to me. I knew full well that I was not being called to this because I had always lived an exemplary life, but because of his grace to me, and because I had humbled myself in confession and repentance, and I had chosen to walk in faithful obedience to him once again, so I was willing to be used of him for his purposes and for his glory.

My (Our) Concern

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s intent was that, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known, though not only for the benefit of rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, but for the praise of God’s glory, for the salvation of human lives, and for the nurturing, encouragement and strengthening of the body of Christ. This commission of God to the church is not to be accomplished, nor can it be, in the flesh of human beings, but only in the power and working of the Spirit of God, who is within us.

Yet, so much of today’s church, particularly here in America, operates almost entirely in the flesh of humans, with human strength, and with the wisdom of this world. Marketing schemes, movies, secularism, humanistic teaching and philosophy, sensuality, appealing to the flesh of human beings, trickery, lies, deceptions, and manipulations of people’s emotions have replaced the power of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the Word of God and the awe, respect, reverence and glory of God within the church. Almost everything which goes on in the name of God in today’s modernized “worship” services is completely orchestrated by human beings to appeal to the flesh of other human beings.

Yet, for all their human efforts of trying to act or appear righteous, many of these churches and church leaders, who are supposedly ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, are not living uprightly, and they are not leading their congregants to live uprightly. They are on sinking sand, they are being tossed back and forth by various winds of doctrine, and they are not trusting in the Solid Rock. Thus, the Word of God and Christ Jesus himself are not their source of strength, support, wisdom and counsel. Because they are operating in the flesh, they have diluted the gospel of Christ to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world, so they are not teaching that we must die to sin, be transformed of the Holy Spirit, and live holy lives pleasing to God.

So, God has placed this concern within my heart, and he has called me to speak with the church concerning his calling upon their lives, and to show them that the way to holiness is only through the cross of Christ, death to sin, transformation of the Spirit, and Spirit-empowered godly and upright living. The only way in which the church can fulfill her God-given mission and responsibility to make known the manifold wisdom of God is to cease reliance upon humans, marketing schemes, human methods for reaching the world, and dependence upon human strength and wisdom. We, as the church, must forsake our idols and we must return to reliance upon our Lord, and to trust in HIM, his strength, his support, his wisdom, and the foundation of the Word of God. We must align ourselves with Christ, with his word, with his teachings, with his morals and with his purposes for our lives.

My (Our) Attitude

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

When we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, become members of the Body of Christ with other believers, are called of God to live holy lives, and are called to his service, and when we follow him in obedience in becoming ministers of his gospel, we will suffer for the sake of his name, for our testimonies for him, and for the sake of the gospel. Even fellow believers in Christ, or those who profess his name, will reject us, falsely accuse us, ostracize us, ridicule us, hate us, shun us, certainly not choose us for ministry to the body, and may even reject or disbelieve God’s calling upon our lives. So, we may get excluded from the fellowship of the church, we may even be asked to leave, or we may be kicked out because our body part doesn’t fit in with humans’ marketing schemes.

Yet, we are to not let that discourage us or to weaken us in our faith or to get us to give up and fade into the background. God has chosen us even when mankind has rejected us. Amen! We are to continue in our walks of faith, convinced of the Spirit in our calling, faithful in service to our Lord, filled with his Spirit, empowered by his love, and we are to keep pressing on in doing what he has called us to do.

We may get down sometimes emotionally, but we need to get back up, move beyond our feelings, and to not let the opinions, rejection or mistreatment of others dishearten us and keep us from doing what we are called of God to do. We need to follow His word, follow Christ’s leading and do what he says. We need to daily put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us. We need to realize this world is not our permanent home, but we are just here temporarily, so we need to keep our focus on Jesus and not on this world. And, in all that God accomplishes in and through our lives, we are to give him all the praise and glory. Amen!

In Keeping Them / An Original Work / June 3, 2014

Based off Ps. 111:10; 19:7-11

Stand in awe of your Lord.

Harken to His teachings.

Follow where He leads you.

Live for Him today.

Through Him you gain wisdom;

Knowledge; understanding.

To my Lord belongs all

Worship and my praise.

Perfect is the Word,

Refreshing souls in His love.

His commands are faithful,

Guiding us each day.

Joy comes to the heart of

Those who love His teachings;

Follow His instructions.

He will light their way.

Abide in the Lord, and

Obey His commandments.

His Word is more precious

Than all of our gold.

By His Word He warns us,

Comforts, and implores us.

When we follow His Word,

There is great reward.

http://originalworks.info/in-keeping-them/

devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/i-became-a-servant/

Alive With Christ

Friday, October 10, 2014, 9:44 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “In Keeping Them.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 2 (NIV84).

Made Alive

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Eph. 2:1-10

All of humankind is born into sin. Spiritually we are dead, and we are alienated from God. We are controlled by our flesh and by the power of Satan and sin over our lives. In this sinful state we follow the ways of this sinful world and the ways of Satan, though we may not recognize that is what we are doing at the time. Our desires and passions are thus for the things of this world and are not for the things of God, and so we seek after and we make it our practice to indulge in what our fleshly nature craves. By nature we lie, steal, cheat, hate, disobey, deceive, mistreat others and then try to cover up our sin so no one sees. And, so, we don’t deserve God’s grace, but we are deserving of his wrath, instead.

As followers of Jesus Christ, this should speak of the way we USED to live, and should no longer be representative of our lives now that we have been crucified with Christ by God’s grace through faith. This is not to say that, in Christ, we will now live in absolute perfection and that we will never sin again. We will! But this should no longer characterize our lifestyle, i.e. how we conduct our lives on a day to day basis. This should no longer be the standard operating procedure for us, but it should be the exception to the rule. Daily, by God’s grace, and in the power and working of the Spirit within us, we should be putting to death the misdeeds of the body, and we should be walking in the Spirit and no longer fulfilling the desires of our flesh (See: Ro. 6-8).

Thanks be to God, by his great mercy, he provided a way for us to be saved from this slavery to sin and for us to walk in Christ’s holiness and righteousness. God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to take on human flesh, to suffer as we suffer and to be tempted in like manner as we are tempted, yet without sin. He was hung on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong. Yet, in his death he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. He crucified and buried our sins with him, and he rose from the dead triumphant over sin, death, hell and Satan. Amen!

Thus, by God’s grace, he made a way for us to be set free from the curse and punishment of sin, and slavery to sin, and he set us free to come under the control of his righteousness, instead. It is by his grace, through faith, that we are saved. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve our salvation. It is not by our own works that we are saved, lest we should boast that somehow we attained it by our own human effort. Our salvation is a gift from God, paid for by Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for our sins. Yet, we must receive this gift by faith. This faith involves submission to the cross of Christ in allowing the Spirit of God to transform us in heart and mind so that we willingly die with Christ to our sin, and so we are given new lives in Christ to be lived in the power and working of his Spirit within us.

Being Built

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. ~ Eph. 2:19-22

Although, at one time, we were separate from Christ, and excluded from the body of Christ - the family of God - and we were without hope and without God in the world, we have now been brought near to God by the blood of Christ (See: vv. 12-13). Amen! So, we are no longer alienated from God and his people, but we are fellow citizens with his household, i.e. with his family members who are comprised of all the other children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. So, we now have family all throughout the world. That’s a HUGE family!

This household is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone. So, what does this mean?

A foundation is a basis (main component) upon which something is built. The apostles and the prophets were men in Biblical times who were called of God to be his messengers in teaching his truths, in instructing the people of God in righteousness and holiness, in calling people to repentance and to faith (or renewed faith) in God, and in warning God’s people against wandering away from their faith, of false teaching, and of judgment. The words they were given to speak from God were written down for us and are the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so they are the words of God, and are included in the Bible.

So, the basis for what we believe, and for our standards and morals by which we live our lives, and what gives us our messages of hope, counsel, instructions, corrections and encouragement for daily living are God’s words, which were written down for us by the apostles and prophets. His words lead us in the way we should go. Through them we gain wisdom and understanding, and we learn to be discerning about good and evil. Sometimes his word chastises us when we have gone astray, and at other times his word refreshes our souls when we are saddened or weary.

So, since our Christian lives are built (shaped; formed) on the basis (source) of God’s holy word given to us by God via his messengers, we need to be in his word daily, reading and studying the scriptures, listening to God speak to our hearts, and then we need to do what his word teaches us, for it is not just in the knowing that we develop in our walks with Christ, but in the doing of what his word instructs us to do.

This spiritual building would not exist, though, without Jesus Christ who is our chief cornerstone. He is the basis for our faith, the one who holds us together, and who is central to our lives and to our salvation. Without his shed blood on the cross for our sins there would be no building. Our very being depends completely on him. Without him the building would collapse. He is the heart and the center of our lives. Yet, He is not just the guiding principle for our lives, but HE IS our lives! So, we must honor him in all that we do.

In Keeping Them / An Original Work / June 3, 2014

Based off Ps. 111:10; 19:7-11

Stand in awe of your Lord.

Harken to His teachings.

Follow where He leads you.

Live for Him today.

Through Him you gain wisdom;

Knowledge; understanding.

To my Lord belongs all

Worship and my praise.

Perfect is the Word,

Refreshing souls in His love.

His commands are faithful,

Guiding us each day.

Joy comes to the heart of

Those who love His teachings;

Follow His instructions.

He will light their way.

Abide in the Lord, and

Obey His commandments.

His Word is more precious

Than all of our gold.

By His Word He warns us,

Comforts, and implores us.

When we follow His Word,

There is great reward.

http://originalworks.info/in-keeping-them/

Devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/alive-with-christ/ 

A New Creation

Thursday, October 09, 2014, 10:33 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind this song:

Saved by the Blood / S. J. Henderson and Daniel B. Towner

Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!

Now ransomed from sin and a new work begun,

Sing praise to the Father and praise to the Son,

Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!

Glory, I'm saved! Glory, I'm saved!

My sins are all pardoned, my guilt is all gone!

Glory, I'm saved! Glory, I'm saved!

I am saved by the blood of the Crucified One!

And, I am so glad! Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Galatians 6 (NASB).

Restore Them

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load. ~ Gal. 6:1-5

To be caught in a sin can mean either to be found out, i.e. to be discovered, and/or it can mean to be trapped in sin. If we become aware that a brother or sister in Christ is trapped in sin, or has sinned grievously, and has not repented, then we have an obligation to lovingly, humbly and gently go to this fellow believer to confront him or her with the sin, and to give him or her the opportunity to repent and to be restored in fellowship with his or her Lord, and with the body of Christ. Yet, we must first of all make sure we are not caught in sin ourselves, but that we are walking in obedience to our Lord, as far as we know.

There is a caution here, though, which is worth noting for several reasons. If we have just recently indulged in or were trapped in sin ourselves, and we ourselves are in the process of being restored, then we must especially be aware that helping another out of their pit could lead us right back to where we were, if we are not careful. For instance, if we were addicted to pornography, trying to help another with a similar addiction could potentially tempt us to return to our sin. So, we need to be wise, and we need to not think that we stand lest we fall. In other words, if we think that we are incapable of being in that other person’s shoes, then we need to watch out! Not one of us is above sin. We are all vulnerable to temptation.

Another thought on this idea of being realistic about our own vulnerabilities, and on the subject of wisdom, is I would caution against a woman confronting a man or a man a woman unless they are related to each other, or they are in a relationship, or unless it is in a protected environment of some sort, because there are just too many temptations.

Reap and Sow

The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. ~ Gal. 6:6-10

All people need encouragement, and most especially those who have given their lives to share the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and who face much rejection, false accusations, abandonment, and strong opposition to the full gospel message. Theirs can be a somewhat lonely life filled with misunderstandings, jealousy, hatred and mistreatment coming from others. Those who faithfully bring forth the full gospel message, thus, are not usually voted most popular. They are not the ones bringing forth smooth, pleasing, feel-good messages which tickle the ears of those who listen, and so they often lack in close friendships, and frequently are not wanted at all, even by other believers in Christ. So, it is good of us to share with them all good things for their encouragement and strengthening in the Lord.

Yet, they are to be encouraged, because they will reap what they sow. In other words, they can be heartened in knowing that, even if the harvest has not yet come, it will, and one day there will be fruit (good results) for their labor in the Lord. The seed of truth which they have sown into people’s hearts and lives, and the love they have shown them will not return empty. Hearts are being changed, and they will be changed, and in that we can rejoice! So, they should not grow weary in doing good, for in due time they will reap a harvest of souls if they do not give up. So, we need to keep on doing good to all people.

On the other hand, those who broadcast, disseminate and scatter around them what is evil and is of the flesh will produce only what is evil and corrupt. They will have nothing good to show for their lives on this earth other than selfish acts which lead them to eternal damnation. Yet, those who scatter or spread what is of the Spirit, and to the Spirit in obedience to God and to his word, will gain eternal life with God in heaven. This is not works-based salvation. We are saved by God’s grace, through faith, and yet that faith shows itself to be genuine by what we do in response to what Christ did for us. In other words, coming to Christ means we die to sin, so how can we live in it any longer?

In The Flesh

See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. ~ Gal. 6:11-16

The situation of whether or not circumcision is necessary for salvation is not something most of us face in today’s world. Yet, there is a Biblical principle here we can learn from this, and that is that we are not saved by works of the flesh, but only by God’s grace, through faith. In other words, there is not anything we can do to deserve or to earn our salvation. It is a free gift of God. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin so we can go free. Yet we must accept this gift by faith, and this faith involves dying with Christ to our old lives of living in sin, and it involves becoming new creations in Christ Jesus, and walking in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives (See: Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24).

Yet, there will be those among us who are more concerned about appearance, i.e. with how things look, and with the acceptance of other humans, so they may try to persuade us to not take our “religion” so seriously. They may try to convince us that it is crazy to take God at his word and to follow him in obedience, or they may twist scripture to try to convince us that we are trying to earn our salvation when we believe God’s word and we follow what it teaches us. They may, as well, try to talk us into becoming more worldly, and to involve ourselves in more of the practices of the world at large or of society as a whole, thinking that will make us appear more “normal” and acceptable. And yet, God’s grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and upright lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See: Tit. 2:11-14; cf. 2 Co. 5:15; 1 Jn. 1-5).

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, and we die with Christ to our old lives of sin, our perspective on life changes. No longer should we fear human’s opinions of us or cave into pressure to becoming just like them just so we can be liked and accepted. The world of sin should have no more attraction for us, but our heart’s desire should be for our Lord and to live holy lives pleasing to him. All this external and fleshly stuff profits us nothing. What matters is that we have been born of the Spirit of God, and that we now live our lives for HIM. Our lives are no longer our own to do with them what we want, for we were bought with a price, which was the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for our sins. Amen!

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

devotional on audio: http://originalworks.info/a-new-creation/