Through Many Tribulations

Monday, April 11, 2016, 4:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “All Through the Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 14 (Select vv. ESV).

Poisoned Minds (vv. 1-7)

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

The Holy Spirit had set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work to which the Lord had called them. So, the two of them were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. Wherever they went, they proclaimed the word of God. Nearly everywhere they went there were people who listened to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there were those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner/master) and Savior of their lives. Yet, nearly everywhere they went they also faced much opposition, and persecution, too.

When we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, and we come out from the world and are separate, and we give testimony to God’s saving grace, and we teach the whole counsel of God, there will be those who will be encouraged to believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives, and/or who will be encouraged to return to their Lord in full assurance of faith, if they have wandered off to follow after the gods of men. As well, others will be strengthened and encouraged, in their walks of faith, to persevere and to not give up. Yet, because we are opposing the work of Satan, and we are working against him, and we are exposing his lies, and we are telling the truth, he and his followers will come against us, and they will oppose what we are doing. Satan will do everything within his power to poison the minds of those who might listen to the gospel so that they will turn a deaf ear, and so they will refuse Christ or will adopt a false grace gospel, absent of the cross of Christ in their lives, instead.

Yet, we are to be encouraged, and we are to persevere and to not give up. Even in the face of much opposition and severe persecution, we are to keep on sharing the whole counsel of God and to keep on telling people about God’s saving grace. We are not to shrink back out of fear of what humans might do to us, but we are to continue speaking boldly for the Lord. Sometimes the Lord will encourage us to remain right where we are, and to continue sharing the gospel, even in the face of a vast array of threats against us. Other times he will tell us to leave where we are and to go someplace else. Either way, we are to obey him and to do what he says, and we are to never cave in to the pressures put on us by other humans to soften the message or to change the message to “gospel lite.”

The Good News (v. 15)

“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”

In Lystra, Paul was instrumental of God in the healing of a man who had been lame from birth. When the people saw the miracle of healing in this man’s life, they declared Paul and Barnabas to be gods in human form, and they wanted to offer sacrifices to the apostles. Yet, the apostles were greatly troubled by this, and so they explained to the people that they were just humans like them.

They also explained to the people that they were there to share the good news with them. What was this “good news” they were telling them? It was that they were to turn from worthless things, like false gods, to the living God, to love and to serve him with their lives. This was the same gospel Paul had been called to by Jesus Christ when he told him that he was sending him to open blinded eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they could receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Ac. 26:16-18).

This, which Paul told the people, is the essence of the gospel message, for Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). The “good news” is that Jesus came to set us free from lifestyles of sin and to free us to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us. When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

Strengthened Disciples (vv. 19-23)

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

One moment the people were calling the apostles gods, and they were wanting to sacrifice to them. The next moment they were swayed in their opinions by Jews from Antioch and Iconium to oppose the apostles and to persecute them severely. And, we may face similar situations, too. People are human, and they sometimes can easily be swayed by the opinions of others and may even change sides several times, depending on the argument presently set before them, and their desire to be accepted by those with whom they are presently in their company or under their persuasion. In other words, even those we think are on our side and those we think are supporting what we do may one day turn against us if they are the types of people who fall easily enough to manipulative tactics and persuasive voices. So, don’t be surprised if even your closest companions end up betraying you.

When we are beaten down by the opposition of sinful human beings, and even when those who are closest to us end up betraying, rejecting, hating, abandoning and/or otherwise mistreating us, we must never give up! We need to get back up on our feet, and we must continue in the work to which God has called us, because many people need to hear the gospel message so that they can be saved, or so that they can be revived in their walks of faith. And, we need to do this whether or not we have anyone standing with us and encouraging us, because God is always with us, he is on our side, and he will never leave us or forsake us. We must find our strength in God alone! He must be our all sufficiency, for humans may fail us, but God will never fail us. He is completely faithful in all that he does.

Jesus said that if we follow him we will be hated and persecuted as he was. He does not promise us that faith in him means that everything in our lives will go smoothly. Sometimes it does. Sometimes God has everything go like clockwork for us because he has a timetable he wants to meet, and so he orchestrates everything to go according to a particular schedule which just so happens to coincide with our schedule. But, life is not always like that. Many times we face obstacles and hurdles along the way. There are times when we will experience delays. Some doors will be opened for us, but others will be closed. Some people will like us, while others will hate us. But, even all of that is in God’s perfect plan and purposes for our lives, and according to his timetable, although it may not jive with the timetable or the situations we had envisioned for ourselves all the time. Yet, in whatever God brings our way, we must praise him, thank him, and continue in him until the end.

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

Freedom from Sin

Sunday, April 10, 2016, 5:56 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Near the Cross.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 13 (Select vv. ESV).

The Message of Salvation (vv. 26-33a)

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus…

We have also been given this message of salvation from sin. Jesus Christ, God the Son, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, was born of a woman, and lived as a man. When he walked this earth, he was fully God, yet fully man. He suffered as we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. During his years of ministry on the earth he healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, and taught repentance for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God in heaven. He said that if we want to come after him we must deny self and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them, but if we lose our lives (die with him to sin), we will gain eternal life (See: Lu. 9:23-25). Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

When Jesus died, our sins died with him and were buried with him. Yet, God the Father raised him from the dead. When he was raised, he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death. Through faith in Jesus Christ and in what he did for us in dying for our sins, we can be delivered from the curse of sin, and slavery to sin, and we can be given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived in his righteousness, by the power and working of his Spirit who now lives within us. When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner) and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, of the Spirit, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24; cf. Ro. 6:1-23). If we say we have fellowship with God, but we continue living in sin, we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6).

Forgiveness of Sins (vv. 38-41)

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:

“‘Look, you scoffers,

    be astounded and perish;

for I am doing a work in your days,

    a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”

Jesus Christ forgives the sins of all who put their faith and trust in him. It is not enough, though, just to mouth the words, “I believe,” or to go through an emotional experience at a church altar, or to just repeat some words after another person which, at the end, you are congratulated and told that you now have eternal life with God and the hope of heaven when you die. Believing in Jesus Christ means that we participate with him in his death to sin (Ro. 6:1-23), for that is why he died, to free us not only from the penalty of sin, but from its control over our lives. It is not true freedom if we are still under the control and weight of sin, is it? Paul said that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. If we still live our lives according to our sinful flesh, we will die. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (Ro. 8:1-14), which is basically the same thing Jesus said.

There is a warning here for all who scoff at the message of the cross of Christ, and I believe the warning is extended to all who deride the full gospel message, and who only accept a diluted version absent of the necessity of the cross in our individual lives. If we do not believe that Jesus died for our sins, and that he offers us the hope of salvation from sin to all who believe, we will perish in our sins. Yet, if we do not accept what the Bible teaches regarding what takes place in the life of someone who truly believes in Jesus Christ, and we think we can just get by with some intellectual assent to what Jesus did for us, and we believe that nothing has to change in our lives, then not only are we missing the whole point of why Jesus died in the first place, but we will also perish in our sins. It is what Jesus said, and it is what the apostles reiterated time and time again (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). If we continue living in sin, we don’t really know God (See: 1 Jn. 3:6-9).

Continue in God’s Grace (vv. 42-43)

As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

We are not saved from sin just so that we can escape hell and go to heaven when we die. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). We hear a lot about God’s grace these days, but much of it preaches a grace which does not put sin to death in the life of the believer, but which still leaves him bound in slavery to sin’s deceitful ways. Yet, God’s grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). God has called his followers to be holy, set apart from (different, unlike) this sinful world, because we are becoming like Christ. Our salvation gives us the empowerment to live free from the control of sin because we are now under the control of Christ’s righteousness. This is true freedom!

We are also not saved from sin, and that is the end of it until we die. We are saved (past). We are being saved (present-continuous). And, we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns for us and our salvation is complete. God is making us holy. He is transforming us into the image of Christ. He is maturing us and he is helping us to grow in our walks of faith and obedience to him. Our salvation is not just about forgiveness of sins, but it is a lifestyle change, and we keep on changing and growing until we die or until Jesus returns. We grow in our faith through daily time with our Lord in prayer and in his word, in listening to him speak his truths to our hearts, and then in obeying whatever it is that he teaches us. The more we obey, the more he teaches us. And, all this is done in the power and strength of the Spirit living within us as we cooperate fully with God’s work of grace in our lives.

Opposition to Belief (vv. 44-48)

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

When we truly believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness,” the devil is not going to like it. So, he will do everything within his power to try to stop this work of grace in our lives, from trying to draw us back into sin, to persecuting us for holding to the truths of scripture and for living the life God intends for us to live for his glory. And, if we are sharing the full gospel message with others, so that their lives can also be transformed of the Spirit of God in death to sin, and in living to God and to his righteousness, then we will be persecuted, rejected, hated, mistreated, falsely accused, ostracized, and even put out of some church gatherings because of our “strong convictions.”

Yet, we are not on this earth to live to ourselves and to do what pleases us, or in order for us to be liked by others. We, as followers of Christ, are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and we are to let our lights shine before humankind. We are to be Christ’s witnesses to his salvation throughout the world. And, we are to make disciples (followers) of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all of Christ’s commandments (his instructions to us) (Ac. 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20). Even if we don’t presently see the results of our labors, we can be confident that our Lord will “supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Co. 9:10). Amen! We just have to obey our Lord, do what he says, and leave the results with him.

Near the Cross

Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and mercy found me;

There the bright and morning star

Sheds its beams around me.

           

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,

Hoping, trusting ever,

Till I reach the golden strand

Just beyond the river.

         

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever,

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BasJqHsCIo4  

Peace Through Jesus Christ

Saturday, April 9, 2016, 5:32 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “His Name is Wonderful.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 10 (Select vv. ESV). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10&version=ESV

Summary (vv. 1-33)

A non-Jew, named Cornelius, and his family were devout and God-fearing people. One day God, via one of his angels, appeared to Cornelius in a vision. God had noticed Cornelius’ prayers and his gifts to the poor. They came up as a memorial offering before God, i.e. they were like acceptable sacrifices on an altar before God, and God remembered them. So, God had Cornelius send for the Apostle Peter so that Peter could share with him and his family the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, Cornelius sent two of his servants and a devout soldier to Joppa to get Peter and to bring him back to Caesarea and to the home of Cornelius.

The next day, while these men were still on their way to see Peter, God/Jesus visited Peter in a vision. Peter saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet containing all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds being let down to earth. He heard a voice from heaven telling him to kill the animals and to eat them, but Peter replied, “Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice from heaven responded, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened to him three times. Then, the men Cornelius had sent to get Peter showed up at the house where Peter was staying. The Holy Spirit told Peter not to hesitate to go with the men, for God had sent them to him.

Cornelius invited his friends and relatives to come to his house to hear what Peter had to say, i.e. to hear what message God had to give to them through Peter. When Peter went inside the house, he thus saw a large crowd of people gathered together. He was completely transparent and honest with them regarding his previous beliefs concerning the Jewish law calling for non-association of Jews with Gentiles, yet how God had changed his heart and mind and had showed him that he should not call any people impure or unclean just because of their heritage, race or culture. He then asked the reason for why they had sent for him. Cornelius then relayed the story of his visitation by an angel of God, and then he invited Peter to speak to them whatever God commanded him to tell them.

Anyone Who Fears Him (vv. 34-35)

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Peter declared that he now knew that, in every nation, anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God. So, what does it mean to fear God? Fear, in this sense, has to do with honor, value, respect and reverential awe of God. When we have this kind of reverential fear of God, we follow him in obedience, and we accept into our lives his plan and purposes for our lives. We trust in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, to be Lord and Savior of our lives. We turn away from living in sin, and we submit to God’s will. We choose to walk in his ways, according to the Holy Spirit, and empowered by the Spirit. We value what God values. What is important to him is important to us. We believe what he says, and we take him and his word seriously. We abide by his Word, and we comply with his instructions to us.

So, what does it mean to do what is right? Right is the opposite of wrong. It is what is righteous and upright by God’s standards. So, how can we do what is right? We can’t do it in our own human flesh. We can only do what is right through submission to God, and only through his calling, leading and empowering. Not one of us is righteous in our own merit. All of us have sinned. We all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval. This is why Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins so that, through faith in him, we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). As well, not one of us can even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless the Father first draws us (Jn. 6:44). Even the faith to believe and the ability to repent come from God (Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Tim. 2:25). Yet, we must submit to God, yield to his purposes, trust in His Son, and walk in the Spirit so we don’t gratify the flesh.

Everyone Who Believes in Him (vv. 36-43)

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

So, what is this good news of peace through Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He left his throne in heaven, came to earth, was born as a baby, and grew to become a man. When he walked this earth, he was fully God, yet fully man. He suffered like we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick, raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, and delivered people from demons. He preached repentance for forgiveness of sins, and he taught that if we want to be his disciples that we must deny self and daily die to sin and self, i.e. we must take up our cross daily and follow (obey) him.

He was put to death on a cross, although he had done no wrong, but this was all in God’s plan and purposes for human kind. When he died, our sins died with him, and were buried with him. Yet he rose victorious over sin, Satan, hell and death. Because Jesus shed his blood for our sins, and because he came back to life, through faith in him we can be forgiven our sins, be delivered from slavery to sin, have the debt that stood against us cancelled, and have the hope of eternal life with God both now and forevermore.

When we truly believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). Now that we are in Christ, by faith, we have peace with God, i.e. our sins are forgiven and we can now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, and no longer after the flesh. We are no longer destined to spend eternity in hell, but we now have the hope of eternity in heaven with God when we leave this earth.

Yet, this peace is not just about escaping hell and going to heaven when we die. It is about a relationship with Almighty God, in daily communion with him, in the reading of his Word, in listening to him speak his words to our hearts, and in walking in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. It is about God’s love for us, and us loving him in return, and our desire to please him now in all that we are, and do and say. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. Having peace with God means we no longer walk according to our sinful flesh, but we now conduct our lives according to the Spirit who now dwells within us. We love God, because he first loved us. Amen!

His Name is Wonderful / Audrey Mieir

…His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord;

He is the mighty King, master of everything…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSNef0F_9PI

Transformed Lives

Friday, April 8, 2016, 4:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “He Reached Down.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 9:1-19a (ESV).

Getting Our Attention (vv. 1-9)

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Saul (Paul) was a religious man. He was a Pharisee. Pharisees were a Jewish sect. They were religious leaders in the temple, and they were extremely legalistic. As a Pharisee, Paul knew the scriptures, for he had studied them. Yet, he was convinced that Jesus and his followers were a threat to the Jewish faith and that what they were teaching was against God, so he, with great zeal, persecuted all those who professed faith in Jesus Christ.

For those of us who have grown up in the church or in any particular religion, we have most certainly been indoctrinated with a particular way of thinking and believing. Yet, not every way is the right way, and even within the right way there are many different ways of interpreting scripture and practicing what it teaches. Thus, even though we may be devout about what we believe, and we may follow it with great zeal, it is possible that we have been taught wrongly. And we may even be found guilty of acting in opposition to God and to his Word, because we follow what we were taught by humans, instead of by God himself.

Yet, if God wants to correct our faulty thinking, and if he chooses us to be his servants, he may do something to get our attention, too, like he did with Saul, so that we can hear him speak clearly to us, and so that we will listen to what he says. Nonetheless, Satan also wants to correct our thinking and believing because, if we are truly following Jesus Christ, we serve as a threat to him and to his kingdom, because we are working in direct opposition to him. So, he will try to get us to listen to what he says, and to follow him. He will do so through attempting to deceive us, or through persecuting us, as Paul did to the believers in Jesus in order to get them to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

So, how do we know if what we are following and believing is false? How do we know if our zeal for God is misdirected, as was Paul’s? For one, we need to stop listening just to humans, and we need to not let humans be our soul source for biblical interpretation. We must not let a religious sect or a church denomination determine our beliefs for us, either, because they could be wrong, and they could be leading us astray. So, how do we know? We know by praying to God, by asking for his guidance, direction and wisdom, and by asking him to lead us into all truth. We also know by studying the scriptures intently to learn what they teach, but by being careful to interpret scripture in context, and to compare scripture with scripture, because many false doctrines stem from taking scriptures out of context and developing entire belief systems around one or two disjointed scriptures.

A Chosen Instrument (vv. 10-19a)

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.

God’s grace is amazing! Not one of us deserves his grace. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have all sinned, and we all come up short of attaining God’s approval. No matter how religious we are, or we think we are, or how righteous we think we might be, because we think we don’t do really bad things like murdering others, we all begin the same. Every human being on this earth is born with a sin nature, without God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in hell. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s sight. We can never be good enough. Only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, can we be saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven.

No one is too bad to be saved, because we are all bad from birth. I think we often look at Paul’s life and think, “Isn’t God’s grace amazing?” because even Paul, who was persecuting and murdering Christians, was saved. But, in reality, it is a miracle of God’s grace that any of us can be saved, because it has nothing to do with our own goodness or merit that we are saved. Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth to die on a cross for our sins, because not one of us could ever obey God’s commandments with absolute sinless perfection. We cannot even come to Christ unless the Father first draws us to him. And, even the faith to believe and the ability to repent of our sins come from God (See: Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Tim 2:25). Yet, we do have to cooperate with and participate in that work of grace in our lives. We do have to willingly turn from our lifestyles of slavery to sin to follow our Lord in obedience (See: Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Pet. 2:24 & 2 Co. 5:15).

God’s grace is amazing, too, that he would take sinners like us, and not only choose to save us by his grace, and to transform our lives away from sin to faith in Jesus Christ, but that he would choose us as his servants and messengers. Other humans might not choose us, and they may reject and persecute us. Even others who profess to believe in Jesus Christ may reject us because we are not like them. They may not choose us because they don’t like our personalities, or because we are too serious about our faith, or because of past sin in our lives, or for whatever reason. And, so we may feel dejected or even as though we are useless and non-essential in God’s plan and purposes for humankind. Yet, God doesn’t see us that way. If we are in Christ, by faith in him, He sees the “parts of the body that seem to be weaker” as “indispensable,” for it is his grace working in us that makes us fit for his service, and not our own righteousness. Nonetheless, we do need to be walking according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, for if we live by the flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live. Amen!

He Reached Down / An Original Work / February 3, 2014

Based off Psalm 18

How I love You, Lord,

My Rock and my strength.

My God is my fortress;

I hide in Him.

He is my shield and the horn of

My salvation, whom I praise.

I have found my refuge in Him.

He reached down from heaven

And rescued me;

Drew me out of waters

So deep, I’d sink.

He delivered me from Satan

And my slavery to sin;

Gave me hope of heaven with Him.

My God turned my darkness

Into His light;

Opened up my blinded eyes;

Gave me sight.

As for God, his way is perfect.

He gives strength to stand secure.

I have found my vict’ry in Him.

My Lord lives!

Praise be to my Savior God,

Jesus Christ, who died

On a cruel cross.

He is my Rock and the source

Of my salvation, whom I trust.

I will give praise always to Him.

https://vimeo.com/86346545

Counted Worthy

Tuesday, April 5, 2016, 7:32 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “All Through the Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 5:17-42 (Select vv. ESV).

Jealousy (vv. 17-18)

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

When we love and serve our Lord, and we walk in his Spirit, and obey his teachings, and we give witness to others of his love and grace, and tell of his marvelous salvation, there will be those who will be resentful and jealous of us, not because they want something we have, necessarily, but because we have something they don’t have, and that something offends them or makes them uncomfortable. It may also be because we don’t do the things we once did, and perhaps it might be because they are the ones we once did those things with, and so they will see God/Jesus as their rival. Or it may be that by our witness that many others will be led to leave their lives of sin behind them and to follow the Lord in obedience, and that may serve as a threat to those who have had a hold on those people’s lives in the way of power and influence, but now God is the one influencing and controlling their lives. They, too, may be jealous of our peace and joy, not because they want it, but because misery loves company and they don’t want us to have what they don’t have.

Go and Speak (vv. 19-21)

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Jealousy of the apostles led the religious leaders to place them under arrest. But, the Lord sent one of his angels to let them out, because God had a mission for them. They needed to keep preaching the gospel, and God’s purposes can never be thwarted. And, this should serve to encourage our hearts!

God/Jesus is absolutely sovereign over all things. He is completely in control. Satan can do nothing unless God gives him permission or the freedom to do so. And, God has a purpose for what he allows Satan to do, as well. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing takes God off guard. When the apostles were persecuted for their faith, it was for their spiritual strengthening and maturity, and it was for the advancement of the gospel and the salvation of many lives. Think about all that Joseph went through (Old Testament), and how he was mistreated by his brothers, and sold into slavery, but how this was God’s plan for Joseph, to send him ahead of his people to prepare the way for them in order to spare their lives. When we are going through hard things, too, God is using them in our lives for his good purposes, which is for our spiritual maturity, and may be for the salvation of many lives.

We Must Obey (vv. 27-32)

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

We are always going to have enemies. Some of us will have more than others depending on who we are, what we stand for, and how verbal and bold we are about our beliefs. The more we obey the Lord in being his witnesses to the ends of the earth, the greater threat we serve to Satan and to his many hordes, and the harder he will work against us to try to silence us. If you are facing no opposition to your Christian life, then something is terribly wrong. Jesus said we would be hated and persecuted as he was, so if everyone likes us, then we need to find out why. God did not put us on this earth to see how many friends we can get to like us. He put us here to make a difference for his eternal kingdom, and to turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.

Wise Counsel (vv. 33-39a)

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

We are not always going to have people who will stand up for us, and who will try to persuade our enemies to not harm us. But, what Gamaliel said is so true. If what we are doing is of human origin, it will eventually fail, but if it is of God, nothing can thwart God’s plans and purposes. No enemy will be able to stop the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. The more they try, the more that people will get saved, and will turn their lives over to Jesus Christ, so it will only backfire on them. We need to keep this always in mind, because Satan likes to whisper in our ears that he can stop the work of God in our lives. He likes to try to make us afraid, and to doubt God and his Word, and to believe the enemy’s lies, instead. No sickness, no hardship, no famine or sword can overrule God or halt his plans and purposes. He will always prevail. His Word will live on forever.

Counted Worthy (vv. 39b-42)

So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

Jesus said we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. I think we are blessed in several ways. One of them is with the earnestness, maturity, perseverance, and the love for God/Christ and for others that such suffering produces in our lives.

Another is with the effectiveness that our lives and testimonies has on the lives of others when they see our responses to our suffering, and how we do not let it discourage us, but how we allow it to help strengthen us in our faith, and in our resolve to keep obeying our Lord, despite being treated poorly, and perhaps even though we are being accused falsely of things we did not do. When we bear up under such treatment with grace, and with love and with kindness, others see that, and that serves as a testimony of God’s saving grace in human lives.

And, yet another is with the accomplishment of encouraging others in their walks of faith, and leading others to faith in Jesus Christ, because we did not give up, but we continued to obey our Lord despite our suffering, and/or as a direct result of that suffering and the determination that it instilled inside us to keep going. To me, I am blessed when I feel my life has been a blessing to others, and when I see others’ lives transformed by the power of God; when I see them turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

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

We Must Speak

Sunday, April 3, 2016, 5:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 4:1-22 (ESV).

Opposition (vv. 1-12)

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus said that just as he was treated, so we will be treated. If they hated and persecuted him, they will hate and persecute us. Yet, who were Jesus’ strongest opponents? They were the religious leaders in the temple of God. Likewise, our fiercest opponents may be those in leadership within the institutional church, or those in leadership within the government who claim to be Christians. Such is the case today here in America and in other parts of the world, too. Many church leaders, and professors of Christianity within our human governments, presently stand in strong opposition against the gospel as taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles, and thus they are opposed to all who propagate such a gospel as what Jesus and his NT apostles taught.

The message these false shepherds are spreading is one which unites all religions and all people of all walks of life together as one body, but not the body of Christ. They preach a message of tolerance, but not tolerance toward those who stand on the Word of Truth, who do not deny their Lord, and who preach the gospel of death to sin and living to righteousness. If we preach that faith in Jesus Christ means being crucified with Christ in death to sin, and being resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness,” then we are called hateful, bigoted, intolerant, selfish, unloving and extremists who must be silenced. The same is true if we preach that Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father and to eternal life in heaven, and that it is only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved.

Yet, we must be encouraged. If we are being led and empowered by the Spirit of God in the preaching of the full gospel message, God will use his message to reach people’s hearts, and to produce a harvest of righteousness. During times of great persecution of the church, both past and present, people are humbled before God, they realize their need of a Savior, and they trust Jesus with their lives. So, God will turn what Satan meant to harm us into something good to effect lives for his eternal kingdom. And, that gives us cause to praise!

Recognition (v. 13)

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

People are going to watch our lives, and they will judge us based on our profession of faith in Jesus Christ. They will be looking to see if we should be numbered among the hypocrites or if our walk matches our talk. Now, I know that some people think that a claim to faith in Jesus means a claim to sinless perfection, and so if we fail to meet that expectation, they will automatically tag us as hypocrites, but we shouldn’t let that disturb us. Being a follower of Jesus Christ does not mean we now live in sinless perfection, but what it should most certainly mean is that we have been crucified with Christ so that WE no longer live, but it is Christ who lives in us. In other words, there should be evidence in our lives that a spiritual transformation has actually taken place, and that we are no longer living our lives to please our sinful flesh, but we are now conducting our lives according to the Spirit (See: Ro. 8:1-14). If we do sin, we should confess it, then turn from it, and continue walking in the Spirit.

I have always loved this passage of scripture. It is one of my favorites. I like how the religious leaders recognized that the apostles had been with Jesus. Isn’t that how it should be for us, too, that people should be able to recognize by how we live our lives that we have been with Jesus? Now, I know there are people who know little about Jesus, and many have their own concepts of who Jesus really is, and so they may not recognize that we have been with Jesus, even if we have, and for lack of knowledge or because they have the wrong notion of who Jesus is and what he is about. But, shouldn’t our lives reflect Jesus so much that if the people did know who Jesus was, and what he was really about, that they would see Jesus in us? Shouldn’t our lives be so different in stark contrast to the people of this world that the people of this world should be able to tell that there is something about our lives that identifies us as followers of Christ? This should serve to challenge our hearts.

Persecution (vv. 14-22)

But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Remember with me here that these were not agnostics who were persecuting the apostles, but they were leaders in the temple who claimed faith in the same God whom the apostles served. And know, if you don’t already know this, that there are religious leaders today within the Christian church who are trying to silence those who are preaching the full gospel of salvation. Why are they doing this? Because we serve as a threat to their human kingdoms. We are telling people that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to God and to heaven, and we are telling them that faith in Jesus means death to sin and living to righteousness (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24; and Gal. 2:20). And, that doesn’t work with their modern church growth marketing schemes. They don’t want to offend people, and so they dilute the gospel message to make it more acceptable and pleasing to the people of the world, so the world will want to come back.

So, we may even be asked to leave some church congregations under the guise that we just “don’t fit,” and they think we should find someplace else to go where we might be a “better fit.” Or, they may just threaten us in some way or another to try to intimidate us into compromising the gospel message. One of the big tactics today is to teach that holiness, godly living, living to please God with our lives, and walking in the Spirit is works-based salvation, and thus it must be discarded. They even teach against repentance and obedience to Christ, because they say that is works-based salvation. Basically, they have reduced faith in Jesus Christ to a mere intellectual assent to what Jesus did in dying for our sins or to a get-of-jail free card which leaves the sinner still dead in his sins. They have forgotten that James said that even the demons believe, and they shudder.

Yet, we should not fear their threats or their expulsions or rejections, but we should keep on preaching Christ crucified, buried, risen from the dead, ascended to the Father, and coming again one day to judge, to receive his bride, and to reign on the earth. We should continue preaching salvation in no one else but Jesus Christ. And, we should keep on teaching that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. We should teach that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ that we die with Christ to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to new lives to be lived in his righteousness. We should tell them that if they continue living in sin, that they don’t know God, and they don’t have the hope of eternal life with him in heaven. And, we should not be afraid to preach that if we continue in sin we will die without Christ, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live. Bottom line is, we must obey God rather than man, too. So, don’t give in to threats!

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken / Henry F. Lyte / Mozart/ Arr. Hubert P. Main

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;

Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.

Perish every fond ambition, all I've sought, and hoped, and known;

Yet how rich is my condition, God and Christ are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;

Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue;

And, while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,

Foes may hate, and friends disown me; show Thy face, and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me – ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.

Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;

Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!

In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor loss is gain.

I have called Thee, Abba, Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee;

Storms may howl and clouds may gather; all must work for good to me.

In His Name

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 2:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “All We Like Sheep.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 3:11-26 (ESV).

The Author of Life (vv. 11-16)

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Peter had just been instrumental of God in the healing of a man who was lame from birth. The people who witnessed this miraculous healing were filled with “wonder and amazement” at what had just happened to the man. So, the people ran to Peter and John. Peter then took this opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people. Peter explained that it was not by human power or piety that this man was healed, but it was by faith in the name of Jesus Christ that he was made completely well.

So, who is this Jesus? Peter used several terms or phrases to describe who Jesus was and is. He is a servant of God (the Father). He is the “Holy and Righteous One.” He is the “Author of life.” He is the Christ of whom the prophets of old foretold of his coming and of his suffering and death for the sins of the world. He is the Christ appointed for us who will one day come again to restore all things. He is a prophet of the Lord God. And, he is the promised seed of Abraham through whom all the nations of the world will be blessed.

Yet, what does all that mean? Jesus was perfect in nature, pure, and innocent of the charges that stood against him. He was the only man to walk this earth who never sinned. They crucified not only an innocent man, but one who had never done any wrong. He did only what was good and just. As well, Jesus was the originator (creator) of life. But, how can that be? It is because he is also God the Son, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He was with God in the beginning and he is God. All things were created through him (See: Jn. 1:1-18).

Jesus is the Christ, our Messiah, the promised King of Israel, and our deliverer from sin. He speaks the very words of God because he is God, and because he is a spokesman (prophet) for God the Father, to whom he is in full submission. When he came to earth, he came to serve God the Father and humankind. Because of his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, and his resurrection back to life, in conquering sin, hell and Satan, the people of this world can now be delivered out of slavery to sin, and can be given new lives in Christ to be lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Amen!

Repent and Turn Back (vv. 17-26)

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world, thus putting our sins to death with him, we are to forsake our lives of sin, and we are to turn to God to follow (obey) him with our lives. Although the word “repent” literally means “a change of mind,” it is nearly exclusively used in scripture in reference to humbling ourselves before God in the forsaking our sins and our idols to follow God with our lives, living and walking in his purity and righteousness. We cannot do this in our own flesh, though. This is the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives which we agree to and cooperate with when we believe on Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives.

There are many people today, though, who will try to convince you that you do not have to repent of (turn from) your sins, and that you do not have to obey God, but that you can still be saved and have the promise of heaven when you die. They ignore the fact that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). They must not believe the teachings of Christ and those of his NT apostles who taught death to sin and living to righteousness as evidence that we have truly been regenerated of the Spirit of God (See: Luke 9:23-25; John 6:35-66; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24).

They will teach you that God’s grace to you means all your sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed, so it doesn’t matter what you do from this point on. But, that is not what scripture teaches. God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in sin. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). The Word of God teaches that if we continue living in sin, walking according to our sinful flesh, we don’t know God, and we will die in our sins (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14; 1 Jn. 3:6-9). Yet, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (Ro. 8:13).

Jesus said that his sheep (his followers) know his voice, they listen to him, and they follow (obey) him (Jn. 10:27-30). According to the words of Peter here, in this passage in Acts 3, we must listen to our Lord in whatever he tells us. If we don’t listen, we will be destroyed. Implied here is that “listening” involves much more than just hearing his words with our physical ears. To listen to his words means to attend to them; to heed them. It means to pay close attention and to take note of what he says, and to do (follow) what he says to do. Jesus said that if we love him, we will obey his teachings. As well, we know that we have come to know Jesus/God when we keep his commands (Jn. 14:23-24; 1 John 2:3-6).

Jesus was sent by the Father to us to “bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” This is why Jesus died, not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die, but so we would die with Christ to sin and be raised with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). So, turn from your sins today, and obey Jesus Christ with your life. Your life depends on it.

All We Like Sheep / Don Moen

O Lord show us

Your mercy and grace

Take us to Your holy place

Forgive our sin

And heal our land

We long to live

In Your presence

Once again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuCbAy9NnvA