No Longer I Who Live

Friday, June 10, 2016, 3:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Seek the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Galatians 2:11-21 (ESV).

Acting Hypocritically (vv. 11-14)

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Cephas is another name for Peter. It is generally believed that, here, Paul was referring to the Apostle Peter when he used the name Cephas. Peter had been one of Jesus’ disciples when Jesus walked the face of the earth. Peter was impulsive and emotionally driven, and several times Jesus had to correct him. Once it was because Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus was talking about his future death - at the hands of the priests and elders - and of his future resurrection. Peter said, “May this never be!” Jesus responded by saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” As well, when Jesus informed Peter that he would deny Christ three times, Peter said, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” Yet, Jesus’ words rang true, for Peter did deny his Lord three times, and because he was afraid.

Another time it was when Jesus visited Peter in a vision. Peter saw a sheet containing all kinds of animals being let down from heaven and he was told to eat. But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven (Ac. 10:14-16). Then Peter was perplexed over what the vision meant. Yet, he soon learned that the Lord was telling him that he was not to regard Gentiles (non-Jews) as unclean, but he was to show them the same love and care as he showed to his fellow Jews. Peter 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” (Ac. 10:34-35).

Because Peter, although he initially resisted the vision, learned the lesson God had for him, many Gentiles came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Once again, though, we have Peter here setting his mind on the things of man instead of on the things of God. We have him also denying his Lord and his gospel message, and again out of fear of what humans might do to him. Even though Jesus had clearly taught him not to show partiality to any group of people, and not to treat Gentiles as though they were inferior to the Jews, he showed favoritism to the Jews, and he treated the Gentile Christians as though they were of less value. He used to eat with the uncircumcised believers, but now he did not. Not only was he being hypocritical in living and acting in a way contrary to what he espoused, but he was being unloving and was acting in disobedience to God in following the rules of men over Christ’s commands and teachings.

So, what about us? Do we live in accord with what we say we believe? Or, are our actions being determined by the company that we keep? Are we one way with one group of people, and another way with others? And, if those we wish to impress and to please are around us, and we know they don’t like a certain group of people, will we snub those whom they shun, or will we be faithful in all our friendships, not showing partiality to any group of people?

As well, will we deny our Lord and his gospel if we are with those who might mock us or reject us for our faith? Will we show greater concern for what humans think of us than what God thinks of us? And, will we seek the favor of humans over the acceptance of God in order to be liked by humans or to not be rejected? Or, will we stand strong on what we believe no matter who we are around? Will we be faithful to God and to our brothers and sisters in Christ even if it costs us our reputations, rejection and/or persecution? Or, will we compromise with the world around us so everyone will like us? Bottom line: Will we walk with integrity or will we live wishy-washy hypocritical lives, professing one thing while living another? We need to be people of integrity who don’t fold (bend) when under pressure.

Justified Through Faith (vv. 15-16)

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

All of us have sinned. We have all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval in our own fleshly works. Not one of us can do anything to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Jesus died for us, not because we were worthy, but because he loved us. No amount of good works will ever outweigh our bad deeds. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. It is only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, that we are able to be forgiven of our sins and be delivered out from under the control that sin previously had over our lives. We can only be made righteous because, through faith in Christ, Jesus’ righteousness is credited to our accounts. So, not one of us can brag that we are saved because of our own righteousness and good deeds, or because we follow a set of rules.

Crucified with Christ (vv. 17-21)

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Yet, when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, if our faith is genuine, 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). The old has gone. The new has come. Our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want. We have been born anew of the Spirit of God, and God’s Holy Spirit now dwells within us – comforting, encouraging, teaching, convicting, exhorting, leading, guiding, counseling, strengthening and empowering us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. God’s grace is not a free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

In other words, dying to the law does not mean freedom to live however we want. God still demands our obedience. He still requires us to walk in his Spirit and to no longer gratify the desires of our sinful flesh. He still commands us to obey his teachings and to walk in his love, and to no longer live sinful lifestyles (to walk in darkness). Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). And, Jesus died that the righteous requirement of the law might be met in us who walk not according to the flesh but who walk (conduct our lives) according to the Spirit. If we walk according to the flesh, we will die (spiritually), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live eternally with God (See: Ro. 8:1-14; cf. Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24).

A saved life is a crucified life in death to sin and living to righteousness. A saved life is also a life surrendered to our Lord Jesus Christ and submitted to his will for our lives. It is not a perfect life, but lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for us to live in willful and continued sin against God. Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity. But, if we lose our lives (are crucified with Christ in death to sin), then we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). Yet, this is not us in our flesh trying to earn or to deserve God’s divine approval, but it is us, having died with Christ to sin, submitting to and allowing Christ to live his life out through us. His sheep listen to his voice and they follow (obey) him (Jn. 10:27-30).

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you,

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/114870641

Of Men or Of God?

Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 4:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Believe Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Galatians 1:1-10 (ESV).

Not from Men (vv. 1-2a)

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me…

Not many professing ministers of the gospel today in America could say this, it would appear. So many, many of them are following their human trainers and books (or courses) on how to grow their churches, i.e. their businesses, over or in place of Jesus Christ. They are relying on the wisdom and counsel of humankind over the Word of God, and over the leading and witness of the Holy Spirit. Entertainment has become the focus of what is commonly referred to as a “worship service.” And, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted to make it more palatable and acceptable to the world. It appears that those who stand on the Word of God and who get their wisdom and messages from the Lord, rather than from humans, are becoming more and more rare.

Yet, all of us who are believers in Jesus Christ are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to us by the Lord Jesus to guide, lead, counsel, teach, instruct, convict, encourage, strengthen and empower us in the faith and in our witness for Jesus Christ. It is also the Holy Spirit who gives us spiritual gifts to be used for the edification and building up of the body of Christ. And, it is God who assigns each one of us our roles (parts) within the body of Christ, which we are to fill for the encouragement and strengthening of Christ’s body, his church. So, we are to get our direction, teaching and assignments from God, and not from men. And, we are to follow Jesus and his Spirit’s leading in doing and saying what God directs, and in being who God wants us to be. Our primary teaching, as well, should come straight from God’s word and not from books written by mere humans.

To Deliver Us (vv. 2b-5)

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

So many professing ministers of the gospel are also teaching a gospel message absent of the cross of Christ in the life of the individual believer. They are teaching their followers that they don’t have to repent (turn from sin), and that they don’t have to obey Christ and his commandments, even though the NT books teach that we must. Basically, what they are teaching people is that faith in Jesus Christ gets them out of hell and into heaven when they die, but they are not teaching them that Jesus died that they might die to sin and live to righteousness. They are not teaching that he died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. And, they are not teaching that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk (conduct our lives) not after the flesh, but who walk according to the Spirit (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Ro. 8:1-14).

Yet, Paul makes it clear here that Jesus died on a cross for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age. In other words, he came to deliver us not only from the curse of sin, but also from the control and influence of sin over our lives. He died so that we would no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but so we would be transformed in heart and mind away from living to sin and self to living for God and to walking in his holiness and righteousness. Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin and self), we will gain eternal life (See: Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Ro. 8:1-14). He said his sheep listen to his voice and they follow (obey) him (See: Jn. 10:27-30).

A Different Gospel (vv. 6-9)

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

The manner in which the gospel was being distorted among the Galatians was that there was a group of people who were trying to bring Christians under or back under the rule of law of the Old Covenant. More specifically, to the best of my understanding, they were trying to instruct them that they had to be circumcised and practice Jewish religious rites and follow some of their customs and/or participate in some of their religious festivals. And, they were requiring that they do this in order to be saved, so they were adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ what God did not require of followers of Christ.

I believe we have the opposite problem these days. I believe the way the gospel is being distorted today is in the removal of critical components of our faith and salvation, as required by God/Jesus for our salvation and eternal life, and to do so in order to appeal to human flesh and to teach a broad road to heaven rather than the narrow road that Jesus taught. Yes, it is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith, and this not from ourselves – not of human works lest any of us should boast (See: Eph. 2:8-9). Yet, it is also true that Jesus taught repentance for forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. As well, it is true that he and his NT apostles taught that if we continue living sinful lifestyles, and/or if we do not obey Jesus Christ and his Word, we don’t know God, and we don’t have the promise of eternal life with God – although they did not demand sinless perfection.

So, we need to make certain that the gospel message we are hearing and receiving is the one Jesus and his NT apostles taught. This means that we need to search the scriptures for ourselves and see what was taught, instead of following the teachings of humans who often hand-select the scriptures that fit with their philosophy while ignoring the bulk of teachings which don’t agree with their lifestyles. And, this means that we need to read all of them in context, and compare scripture with scripture so that we are not guilty of taking scripture out of context and of making it say what we want it to say in order to fit with our own chosen lifestyles. In other words, we need to be seekers of truth, and be willing to obey what the Lord teaches us, and not try to fit God and his Word into our own lifestyles.

Whose Approval? (v. 10)

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

This is really the bottom line of it all. Are we living to please ourselves and other humans, or are we living our lives to please Christ in all that we do and say? Do we make decisions in our lives based on human approval, or on God’s approval? Do we ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit out of fear that we will be rejected, or are we willing to be persecuted for our faith in order to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his will for our lives? Do we live in fear of what humans may do to us, or are we walking in the fear of the Lord? Do we allow our circumstances to dictate our actions, or do we walk by faith, believing God in all things, even when our circumstances are questionable or it looks like all is going to fail?

Jesus is asking us to trust him fully with our lives and with our circumstances. He wants us to believe him, and what his word teaches us. And, he is asking us to live our lives to please him, and not ourselves or other humans, even if it means we are mistreated in return. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and he will work out all things for our good. We just need to submit to him and surrender our lives to him, and walk in his truth, in his love, and in obedience to his instructions. A saved life is a crucified life. It is a surrendered life to God.

Believe Him / An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me

Seeking You for the answers

To my heartache and questions

I have concerning my life?

Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me

With your life’s circumstances?

Give your all on the altar

In submission of your will

To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely

To your Lord and your Savior.

He has all things planned for you

For His glory and honor.

He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all

Of His promises to you

For your life and your future.

Trust Him. Rest in His love.

He’ll give you peace from above.”

https://vimeo.com/115945593

The Sufficiency of God's Grace

Monday, June 6, 2016, 5:32 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “All Through the Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 11-12 (Select vv. ESV).

Hardships and Persecutions (11:24-29)

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

False apostles, who were “deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ,” were trying to discredit Paul and his ministry. They were influencing the people, and they were bringing into question Paul’s apostolic authority, as well as they were teaching “another Jesus.” So, Paul felt the need to defend his ministry, his teaching, and his apostolic authority so that the gospel itself would not be brought into disrepute and the people led astray from their pure devotion to Christ to follow after what is false. So, included in Paul’s defense, he spoke of all the difficulties and persecutions he faced for the sake of the gospel and because of his love and concern for the people’s spiritual condition (See: 2 Co. 10-11).

When we follow Jesus Christ with our lives in pure devotion to him, and we forsake other gods of this world, we also will be hated and persecuted. When we trust in God’s word, and we stand strong on the truths of scripture, and we do not compromise with the world of sin, we, too, may face much rejection and false accusations. When we care about people enough to tell them the truth of what God’s word teaches us regarding holy living, repentance and obedience to Christ and his word, we, as well, may face much in the way of people trying to discredit our message and ministry in the hope that they can lead people to what is false. And, much of this persecution may come from within the church and its leadership, too.

Not many Christians in America (the USA) have faced a great deal of physical persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ in comparison to what Christians in other countries have had to face, but I believe it is coming to America. It is just a matter of how soon. Yet, we are already beginning to see the groundwork being laid for the persecution of those who stand on God’s word and who do not compromise with the world. We are being tagged as intolerant, bigoted, hateful, fear-mongers, crazy, and as extremists who must be silenced or reprogrammed, and this coming from leaders within our nation and the church at large. For many years this has been building within the church as many leaders are being trained to disregard those who have strong spiritual convictions, in favor of the naïve and moldable.

The closer we get to our Lord in our walks of faith and obedience, the greater our concern for the churches must be, as well as the more sensitive we will be to the Spirit’s voice in seeing all the junk that is going on within the church being done in the name of Christ. We will begin to see with spiritual eyes in much discernment, and we will start to see through our Lord’s eyes, and will feel what he feels. And we, as well, will have ardent concern for the churches of today and for the people of God who are being led astray from their pure devotion to Christ to follow after “another Jesus” other than the one of scripture.

His Power made Perfect in Weakness (12:7-10)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Not only did Paul face much persecution for his faith and testimony for Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the gospel of Christ and his love and concern for the church, but God gave him a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass him, in order to keep him from becoming conceited because of all the great revelations God was giving to him.

Now, there are many speculations concerning what Paul’s thorn may have been, but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we understand that God may give or allow afflictions in our lives, in addition to persecution, in order to keep us humble, and to keep us calling on him for help, so that we don’t get big heads or begin to think we are “hot stuff” because of all that God is doing through our lives. We have all sinned. We have all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval in our own merit. Not one of us is deserving of God’s grace. We are who we are, and we are able to do what we do for the glory of God only because of God’s grace, and not because of our own greatness.

Yet, we must understand that God is completely sovereign over every aspect of our lives. He is in complete control of all that he allows or causes to come into our lives. If we go through persecution and/or affliction of any kind, it has a purpose in our lives and in the lives of others who are touched by our lives for Jesus and for his gospel. God disciplines us for our good, “so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (See: Heb. 12:3-11). Paul realized that this thorn was for his good, because through this weakness God’s power was manifested. When we are weak, and God does something powerful through us, it becomes obvious that only through his power could this be done, and thus he gets the glory instead of us, which is how it should be. As well, it keeps us humble because we know that only God could do this.

Paul resigned himself to accept not only this weakness (this thorn) into his life, knowing it was for his good, and for the glory of God, but he also accepted persecutions, insults, hardships and difficulties, knowing that through his weaknesses God’s power is made manifest. Yet, not only did he resign himself to these, but he delighted in them. How many of us can say that and mean it? I admit I don’t always delight in them, but God is working on me in that area still, and I am growing. Yet, I have learned to accept much in the way of persecution and difficulties, knowing that they are for my good and for the glory of God. And, I pray that God will mature me through them, and that he will teach me whatever it is that he wants me to learn through them, so that I may grow in him and be transformed into his image, and that he may use me for his glory in the lives of others.

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

A Divine Jealousy

Sunday, June 5, 2016, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Seek the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 11 (Select vv. ESV).

Being Led Astray (vv. 1-6)

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (master-owner) and Savior of our lives, we die with Christ to sin and self and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). Jesus bought us back for God with his blood, shed on a cross for our sins, so our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). He is our husband and we are his bride. We are to live our lives wholly devoted to him, and he is to be our only Lord. We are to have no other gods. And, we are to be faithful to him, not running after the gods of this world in order to satisfy the deep longings of our souls.

We serve a jealous God (See: 1 Co. 10:14-22; Jas. 4:4-5). He is jealous for us with a divine jealousy, which Paul also experienced for the believers in Christ. God knows what is best for us, which is himself, and which is living in freedom from slavery to sin, and it is walking in Christ’s holiness and in the Spirit of God. When we lived in slavery to sin, we were free from the control of righteousness (See: Ro. 6:1-23). But, now that we have been freed from sin, we are to come under the control of his righteousness, and we are to live holy lives, separate from (different, unlike) this sinful world because we are being made into the image of Christ. We should no longer conform our lives to the patterns and ways of this sinful world, but we should be living in surrender and in submission to God’s purposes and to his will for our lives. And, he is to be our only Lord (master-owner).

Yet, not many are teaching this type of teaching these days. The vast majority appear to be teaching a social gospel free from the cross of Christ in the lives of his followers. They encourage a prayer to receive Christ that has nothing to do with forsaking sin or living in holiness, and they tell their adherents that they don’t have to repent, and they don’t have to follow Jesus in obedience, and that they can continue in sin and still have the hope of heaven when they die. But, this is not the gospel according to Jesus and his NT apostles. It is a man-made gospel intended to appeal to human flesh that will not offend anyone, and that will make the gospel message more acceptable to the world, in order to gather followers for human businesses, called “church,” but not to gain true followers and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity. But, if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). Paul reiterated this when he said that Jesus died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us who walk (conduct our lives) not after the flesh, but according to the Spirit. He said if we walk after the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (See: Ro. 8:1-14; cf. Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24). John said that if we say we have fellowship with God but we walk in darkness (live sinful lifestyles), we are liars and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6).

So, don’t accept this social gospel which feeds you lies. Believe the word of God, and the teachings of Christ and that of his NT apostles, and walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, and you will live eternally with God!

Disguised as Apostles (vv. 12-15)

And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

There are many false teachers in today’s Christian church, especially within the institutional church here in America, which is incorporated as a business under the authority of the Federal Government of the USA. When the vast majority of church congregations here in America incorporated under the 501c3 not-for-profit under the authority of the USA government, they made the government the head over the church instead of Christ. They agreed to abide by the rules set forth by the government, by which the US government can dictate what can or cannot be preached from their pulpits. And, we are beginning to see that the tentacles of such a government’s control over the church here in America is spreading even further. I believe this was the plan from the beginning, back in the early 1950’s when the 501c3 was first proposed to the Christian church. And, it is all leading up to the rule of the beast over the apostate church, and to God’s judgments on such a church.

Again, we serve a jealous God. We were promised to one husband, Jesus Christ, not to Jesus Christ and the federal government of the USA. We can’t serve two masters. The church is a living organism with Christ as its head. It is not a business or a corporation of human-origin under the headship of the federal government. Thus, there is a distinction to be made between the institutional church, which is not the true church, and the body of Christ, which is the true church. They are not one and the same. As well, Jesus has promised judgment on this false church which has humans as its head in place of Christ, and which has deserted its first love, unless they repent of their spiritual adultery. And, he is calling out to his true church to come out from “Babylon,” and to be separate, so that we don’t share in her sins, for her sins are piled high to heaven (Rev. 18:4).

Many false teachers have come into the church, as well, some of whom I believe were generated by this unholy union with the federal government. And, some of these are on a national and even global level. They have taught pastors and church leaders in the ways of the world and of big business, and of marketing schemes and gimmicks used to attract the world to the church. Many church meetings are not about honoring God as holy or about walking in his holiness, but they are about entertaining the world with worldly means and methods, as well as they are about demoralizing the church so that it no longer walks according to the Spirit, but according to the flesh, in many, many cases.

So, the Lord Jesus is calling his church, his bride, back to himself in revival, for he wants to be her only Lord and husband, and her only head. He wants her to find her satisfaction in him, and in him alone, not in her “Egypt,” which she has turned to in place of Christ.

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you,

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/114870641

Giving Generously

Saturday, June 4, 2016, 5:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 9 (ESV).

The Grace of Giving (summary 2 Co. 8:1-9:5)

Paul addressed the Corinthian church here in the matter of giving generously to fellow believers in Jesus Christ (See: 2 Co. 8-9). He told of how Jesus, although he was rich, for our sakes became poor, so that through him we might become rich. Now, here he was not speaking of financial riches, but of spiritual richness in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ, although he was God the Son, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered like we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. There were those who followed him, but many rejected him. The religious leaders in the temple were jealous of him and they hated him, so they had him crucified on a cross, although he had done no wrong. But God the Father resurrected him from the dead.

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, separate from God, without hope and destined to spend eternity in punishment. We all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval. So, that is why God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth, to die on a cross for our sins. When he died, our sins died with him and were buried with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, Satan, hell and death. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be delivered from the curse of sin, be set free from the control of sin over our lives, and have eternal life with God beginning now and forevermore. When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) 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).

Because of what Jesus Christ did for us in giving up his life so that we could go free, we are to have this same attitude toward other people, especially in the family of God. We are to willingly give up not only our material possessions to help others in need, but we are to give our entire lives to God to be used for his purposes and for his glory. When Jesus died for us on the cross, he purchased us back for God with his blood. Because he redeemed us, we are no longer our own, to live life for our own purposes and glory, but we are now his servants and witnesses, and he is the owner-master of our lives. And, we are now to live according to God’s will for our lives, and to give up our own selfish desires in order to please our Lord in all that we do, including in the ministry of giving financially to the needs of others. The principle here is that we help others when we are given plenty, and then when we are in need, others will help us.

Sowing and Reaping (vv. 1, 6-9)

Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints…

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

    his righteousness endures forever.”

I don’t believe that this is teaching that we give to others in order to get back. That, to me, seems like the wrong motive for giving. We should give to others, whether it be of our time, talents, gifts or finances, because we care about them, and because we want to help them, whether or not we ever receive anything in return in this life. Yet, I do believe God will bless us for our generosity, whether it be financially or spiritually, or whether in this life or the next. To me, one of the greatest blessings of ministry is first of all in knowing we are walking in obedience to our Lord, and then it is in knowing that we are making a difference in other people’s lives, whether or not we are able to see the results in this life. I enjoy blessing others, but not because I am hoping to get something in return, but because I see what a difference it makes in their lives, and what a blessing it is to them, yet I do so even when I can’t see what difference it has made. And, that brings me joy.

Yet, there is a principle here that states that if we invest little in other people’s lives we will not see much of a return on our investment. The main return I am interested in is seeing people’s lives changed by the power and working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. So, I want to obey my Lord by investing my time and talents and gifts in ministering to the needs of others so that other people can come to know Christ or so they can be encouraged in their faith and grow in their relationships with Jesus Christ to spiritual maturity. So, I know that if I invest little time and talents and gifts in other people’s lives I am not going to see much of a return on my investment, which means I will miss out on the blessing of seeing lives transformed by the power of God because of my obedience to my Lord, as well as I will miss out on the blessing of just knowing that I am following my Lord in obedience because I love him, and because I am so grateful for all that he has done for me.

A Harvest of Righteousness (vv. 10-15)

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Yet, all this comes from the Lord, and not from ourselves. If we are operating in our own flesh, and if we are doing what we do for our own glory and praise, then it doesn’t amount to much, does it? The blessing is in knowing that we are operating in the power and working of the Spirit within us, and we are under his leadership and guidance, and so all we do is just follow his lead. He is the one who opens the doors and who presents us with divine opportunities in other people’s lives. We just have to be willing to obey and to do what he says when he says to do it. We also need to be walking in close communion with our Lord so that we can hear his voice speaking to us, and so we can be sensitive to his leading, so that we can walk in obedience and do what he calls us to do when he sends us.

I find this passage of scripture so encouraging to my heart. I don’t have to worry about where the resources are going to come from, or what I am going to do, or how I am going to figure it all out. If I operate in the power of the Spirit within me, and I am open to hearing my Lord’s voice, and to following his lead, he will present me with those opportunities, and then I just have to obey him, but only in his power and strength within me, and not in my own flesh. He is going to supply all that I need. Amen! And, he is the one who is going to bring the increase, and who will enlarge the harvest of my righteousness, which is really his righteousness credited to my account because of his death on a cross.

Not only will we be a blessing to others through our generosity, but they, in return, will give thanks and praise to God, as well as will others who witness God’s grace at work in their lives. Amen! And, they will praise God for our obedience to him, too. Yet, we should not do what we do to receive praise from men or even acknowledgment of what we have done for them, for we may not receive praise, or we may not even see people praise God or give him the glory, but we may, instead, be rebuked, mocked and rejected in return. That is why we have to serve God and others without expecting anything in return, and then we leave the results up to God, believing him to bring the increase.

The main thing to remember here, though, is to follow the lead and example of Jesus Christ. He didn’t do what he did out of selfishness, but he did what he did because he loved us, and he wanted what was the very best for our lives, which is himself, and it is salvation from sin. He did what he did for us whether we loved him in return or not. And, we should love and serve and minister to others whether they acknowledge or thank or appreciate us or not, and even if they hate, reject, despise and mistreat us in return, as they did to Jesus. We need to be completely unselfish in all that we do, thinking only of pleasing our Lord and of ministering God’s love and grace to others in its various forms.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

Through Honor and Dishonor

Wednesday, June 1, 2016, 10:36 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “All Through the Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Co. 6:3-7:1 (ESV).

As Servants of God (6:3-10)

We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

We, who are in Christ Jesus by faith, are all servants of God and ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and we are to be our Lord’s witnesses throughout the earth, and to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Christ commanded us. As well, we are to proclaim the excellencies of him “who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Thus, we all need to watch our lives carefully so that by our conduct we do nothing to discredit the gospel of salvation or the cause of Christ in the world, which is to bring people to salvation.

Instead, we are to live such lives in this world that we will end up being hated and persecuted for our faith and testimonies for Christ because we don’t compromise with the world of sin, but we live as though we are separate from (different, unlike) this sinful world because we are becoming like Jesus. And, because we live separated lives, and we follow our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives, even those who call themselves fellow believers in Christ will think us strange and will try to get us to participate with them in ungodly activities or in twiddling our days away in useless and meaningless activities so that we appear more “normal.” And, if we resist their suggestions, and we remain committed to following our Lord in obedience, we may be slandered against and mistreated because we don’t join in with those who do not honor God for who he is.

Yet, we are not to fear their mistreatment or their opinions of us or even what they might say about us to others. We are to remain true to God and to his word, to live in purity and righteousness, and to be truth tellers and ministers of the gospel. We must realize that our lives are not our own to be lived for our own self-pleasure, for we were bought back for God with the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Lord (owner-master) and we are his servants. Our lives are to be lived for him, doing what he has called us to do. And, we are to make no compromises with the world of sin. We are to live such godly and holy lives among the people that there would be no question as to where our loyalties lie. Our lives are to be living examples of what it means to be crucified with Christ so that we no longer live but it is Christ who lives in us, and of what it means to walk by faith and in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh. Then, no real fault could be found with our ministry.

Open Your Hearts (6:11-13)

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

God has given us his word to speak his truths to our hearts and to teach us what all he has for us and commands us to do. He has loved us freely, and has given his grace to us although we are so undeserving of such grace. Yet, not everyone is a willing recipient of such love and grace. They may be willing to accept God’s forgiveness for their sins and the freedom from eternal damnation and the promise of heaven when they die, but they may not be willing to receive the fullness of his love and grace into their lives and to appropriate it to their lives (lifestyles). In other words, God’s grace is not a free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). To truly receive his love and grace into our lives, thus, means that we turn from our lifestyles of sin, and we choose to walk with him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives.

Be Separate from Them (6:14-7:1)

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

    and I will be their God,

    and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst,

    and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

    then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.”

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

The phrase “unequally yoked” is “used figuratively of Christians wrongly committed to a partner holding very different values (priorities), i.e. that run contrary to faith (the kingdom of God)” – biblehub.com. A partner is a spouse, a companion, a friend, and/or an associate; “someone who participates in an activity or game with another person” (M-W Dictionary). So, we are not supposed to enter into marriage or a business partnership or a close friendship with someone who is an unbeliever or who lives like an unbeliever, i.e. who does not share the same spiritual values and biblical convictions as we share, and who lives contrary to what we believe and practice.

If we are already married to one who is an unbeliever, I don’t believe scripture teaches that we are to divorce that person, for we can be a light to him or her for the gospel. Yet, we should not participate with that person in what is ungodly, unholy and sinful. Also, we should not knowingly enter into such a union, for there can be no fellowship between light and darkness. We should also not enter into business partnerships or close relationships (friendships) with people who live contrary to God’s word. Instead, we should come out from among them and be separate and not get caught up in what is ungodly, unholy or in what is just a general waste of time and which pulls us away from service to our Lord and to our fellow human beings. In other words, we should not live for what is self-serving and for our own self-pleasure, but we should live holy lives, pleasing to God, which is our reasonable and acceptable worship of him.

When we decide that we want to live for our Lord and not for ourselves and not for self-pleasure, and we make the commitment to live separated lives away from the world of sin and to God, to walk in his holiness and righteousness, we will be hated and persecuted. We will be rejected, made fun of, mocked, slandered, and treated unkindly. We may even face pressure to join in with them in their sinful and/or wasteful activities. Yet, we must choose Jesus, and we must choose to walk in holiness and not to spend our days on this earth doing what pleases us, but we should live for our Lord and do what pleases him. When we do, and we are persecuted, we are blessed, and we should rejoice. We must also remember that God is with us, and that he will never leave us or forsake us, so we can rest in his love.

All Through the Night / An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

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

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above.

https://vimeo.com/112899981

Now is The Time

Wednesday, June 1, 2016, 5:36 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Seek the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 (ESV).

The Fear of the Lord (5:11-15)

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Do you know the fear of the Lord? This is all but lost in today’s modern Christian world. To fear God is to honor, value, esteem, respect and obey him. It is to believe his words, to take them seriously, and to follow them. It is to not take God and his grace for granted, but to allow his grace to transform our lives. It is to value the spiritual over the physical, the eternal over the temporal, and what is internal (the heart) over what is external. It is to desire God and his Word above all else, and to want nothing more than to serve him all of our lives, being his servants and witnesses. It is also to consider that our lives are no longer our own, because we were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood, so therefore we are to no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus Christ, God the Son, who gave his life up for us.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that when he died our sins also died with him, and were buried with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death on our behalf. By God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be delivered from not only the penalty of sin, but we can be set free from the control of sin over our lives so that we no longer are under the power of sin, but we are now slaves of righteousness. For when we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (master-owner) and 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; cf. Ro. 6).

In other words, God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. No! His grace 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). We died with Christ to sin. How can we live in it any longer? We can’t, and be saved, too, for Jesus said that if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). Paul said that if we walk in the flesh we will die (spiritually), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (eternally) with God (Ro. 8:1-14). And, John said that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk in darkness (live sinful lifestyles), we are liars and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6).

Be Reconciled to God (5:16-21)

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Believing in Jesus Christ is not just an escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die. It is not entry into a religious social club, called a church, either. It is not just so we can be forgiven of our sins. We believe in Jesus Christ because we no longer want to live a life given over to sin and self, but we want him to transform our lives and to conform us into the image of Christ. We also don’t believe in Jesus just so we can slightly clean up our old lives of sin at our own pace and according to our own will and purposes. Believing in Jesus Christ means we die with Christ to sin so that we can live with Christ to righteousness (See: 1 Pet. 2:24). The old has gone, the new has come. We are now new creations in Christ Jesus, our Lord!

There are many people today within the institutional church who will try to convince you that if you forsake your old life of living for sin and self (if you repent), and if you choose to walk in obedience to Christ, believing that these are essential elements of believing faith, based on the teachings of scripture, that you are trying to earn your own salvation, but that is a lie. Not one of us can do anything to earn or to deserve our own salvation. It is by God’s grace, through faith, and not of ourselves that we are being saved. Yet, faith in Jesus Christ means that we die with him to sin and we live with him to righteousness, but not in our own self-will or power, but only because of what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins, and only in the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit now living within us. Even faith and repentance are gifts from God, but they are ones we must appropriate to our own lives.

After God created man and woman, they sinned against God. Thus, when we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, separate from God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in eternal punishment. What Jesus did for us in dying on the cross for our sins is that he made the way for us to be reconciled to (to be reunited with) God. All of us have sinned and have come up short of attaining God’s divine approval. So, through faith in Jesus Christ his righteousness is now credited to our accounts so that we now have our relationship with God restored. This is not automatically applied to all people, though. We must each individually accept God’s invitation to his great salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, and each one of us must submit our lives to God in surrender to his will for our lives, forsaking our former lives of living for sin and self, and allowing the Spirit of God to give us new lives in Christ to be lived to righteousness now in the power of God’s Spirit within us.

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, though, it does not mean that we are instantly perfect or that we never sin again (See: 1 Jn. 2:1). Yet, this is never to be used as an excuse for continued willful sin against God, for if we continue living in sin we do not have the hope of eternal life with God. Yet, when we do sin, it does not mean we lose our salvation. But, I do believe it breaks our fellowship with God, and that, although we have been reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ, and we have the hope of eternal life with God, we need to daily die to sin and self, and daily we need to confess our sins and to choose to not walk in them (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). So, I believe this should not apply only to those who have never believed in Jesus, but also to those who have trusted in Christ, but who have strayed from their pure devotion to Christ, and who need to be reunited in faith with their Lord in their commitments to live crucified lives in Christ Jesus in the power of the Spirit within us as we yield to God.

The Day of Salvation (6:1-2)

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

If we receive something in vain, what does that look like? It means it is pointless, empty, worthless and/or unproductive. So, what would it mean to receive God’s grace in vain? I believe it means to accept, at least emotionally or intellectually, what Jesus did in dying on the cross for our sins so that we can be forgiven our sins and have the hope of eternal life with God, but to never let his grace transform your life, and thus it is ineffective in your life. If there has been no heart transformation, there is no new birth of the Spirit, and thus you are not saved. If we do not cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives in putting sin to death so that we might live to righteousness, then we are not saved.

On the other hand, I believe there are people who are genuinely saved, who have been born anew of the Spirit of God, and whose lives began to be transformed of the Spirit of God, but who have since drifted away from their pure devotion to Christ, and they need to be brought back to the Lord in revival so that God’s grace in their lives is not without effect. So, in either case, God is making the appeal to seek him, and to follow him in surrender.

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you,

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/114870641