Feel Good Messages

When is a lie not a lie? Never! Is it really kind to tell people lies? No! So, should we be telling people what they WANT to hear, even if it is lies, or what they NEED to hear? I believe the answer to that one is obvious.

The Lord Jesus led me to read several scriptures on the subject of “Feel Good Messages.”

I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 2 Co. 11:1-4

The church, the body of Christ, has been promised to one husband, Jesus Christ. He is not only our Savior and Lord, but he is our husband and we are his bride, but husband and bride in relation to Jewish culture of biblical times where an engagement was a marriage contract, but the marriage was just not consummated until the husband had time to build a house for his bride. The same is in our relationship with Christ in that our marriage won’t be consummated with him until he returns for us and takes us to be with him.

When we are promised to Christ to be his bride, just as it was in Jewish culture, it is a marriage contract. We are now to be faithful to him as our only Lord and husband, and we are to no longer have any other “lovers.” We are his now, bought with his blood, and our lives are no longer our own to be lived however we want. Now we are to live to please our husband-master. We are to no longer live as though we are single, but as though we are married. So, we should remain faithful to him in all that we are and do and say.

But, in a marriage between any husband and wife, it is possible that one spouse may be tempted, at some point, to be unfaithful, and to go after “other lovers,” rather than remain faithful to his or her spouse. So, it is with us who are the bride of Christ, his church. We may also be tempted, by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming, to stray from our pure devotion to Christ, and to follow after humans and humanistic philosophy which teaches what is contrary to God’s Word, although it may be disguised as biblical truth. So, we need to be discerning, so we aren’t led astray.

So, how do we recognize when someone is teaching “another Jesus” or “another gospel” other than the one Jesus and his NT apostles taught? We have to test what they are teaching against scripture, but not against just a few select scriptures taken out of context, but against the New Testament, in particular, as a whole, and within the context the scriptures were written.

For example, we cannot take Romans 10:9-10 out of the context of the whole of Romans and build our doctrine of salvation around those few verses, especially if we interpret those words based on our own culture and day and time. We are not saved from our sins, in other words, on the basis of a mere verbal confession of Jesus as Lord nor on the basis of a mere acknowledgment of belief in his bodily resurrection. James said that even the demons believe, and they shudder, but they are not saved.

So, what is the truth? It is that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is the essence of the gospel message, that salvation from sin means we are delivered out of (turned from) darkness (sin), and we are brought into God’s wonderful light (truth, righteousness). We die with Christ to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, when we truly believe in him. Now we walk (in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Holy Spirit, and no longer according to our sinful flesh. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God.

“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them,

Everyone is greedy for gain,

And from the prophet even to the priest

Everyone deals falsely.

“They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,

Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

But there is no peace.

“Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done?

They were not even ashamed at all;

They did not even know how to blush. Jer. 6:13-15

Many of these modern-day preachers will preach “another Jesus” and “another gospel” other than what scripture teaches because they are greedy for power, prestige and/or wealth. They know that, if they are telling people the truth, it will not gain them popularity. And, so they tell people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear, even if it is lies, because they want to please their customer base and their target audience.

Instead of confronting sin in sinful humans, they pacify sin and they console the sinners in their sin. They tell them that they can be saved, sealed and going to heaven no matter how they live their lives once they are “saved.” And, they tell them that God is pleased with them no matter what they do. In addition to this, they also tell them that God requires nothing of them at all – no submission, no repentance and no obedience. All they have to do is confess with their mouths “Jesus is Lord,” and believe God raised Jesus from the dead, and they are saved, and nothing can take that away from them.

But, that is not what scripture teaches us. The Bible clearly teaches that if we walk according to our flesh, we will die in our sins. If we live sinful lifestyles or if we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of heaven when we die. If we want to have the assurance of heaven as our eternal home, we must turn from our sins and follow our Lord Jesus to walk in his ways and in his truth. If we do sin, we repent, and we keep following our Lord in obedience to his Word. We don’t make sin our practice and then excuse it away by saying our sin is now under grace.

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Tim. 4:1-5

So, we need to believe what is truth, and then we need to teach what is truth, and we need to stop telling people lies just to make them feel good.

For example, not everyone goes to heaven when they die. Although it sounds good, and it makes people feel good to believe their loved one is now in heaven, free from suffering, and at peace, it profits no one to console those left behind with lies, for then they have a false sense of security that when they die, they will also be in heaven, regardless of what they did with Jesus or with his gospel, or regardless of lifestyle.

So many people these days are teaching or preaching feel good messages because that is what people want to hear, but we do them no favors if we do not tell them the truth. We are NOT being kind or polite if we lie to them, just to make them feel good about themselves. Yes, we will most likely face rejection when we speak the truth in love, but it is far better to tell people the truth so that they can be genuinely saved, rather than tell them lies so that we save our own reputations and so that people will like us.

Many people have bought into this false grace gospel which appeases sin rather than eradicates it from the life of the believer. And, largely that is because they feel they have the promise of heaven when they die while they also have the sense that nothing really has to change in their lives. And, this stems from an entitlement mindset, which says that God does it all and nothing is required of us. Yet, while it is true that we can do nothing to earn or to deserve our salvation, we must understand that salvation is freedom, not just from the punishment of sin, but from slavery (addiction) to sin, and it is freedom to now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness.

ONLY IN HIM / An Original Work / February 19, 2014

Based off Isaiah 30

Woe to those who look to man’s help;

Who turn away from Jesus Christ;

Forming an alliance not in step with God;

Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,

They close their ears to what is right.

Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;

Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.

Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.

Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.

Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.

He cares all about you, ‘tis true.

He forgives you all of your sin

When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be

When you bow to Him on your knees;

Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.

He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.

He delivered you from your sin.

You’ll tell others now of His grace,

So they may see Christ face-to-face.

https://vimeo.com/87181019

Thursday, December 7, 2017, 1:27 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. I pray that you will drive these truths home to our hearts so that we would walk in your ways and in your truth and be faithful to you in all things. Amen!

Church of The West

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 10 (Select vv. ESV).

Is the western church in these last days what God intends for his church? Are we living up to the potential for which he created us and saved us?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” vv. 1-5

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (Jn. 14:6). He is the true shepherd, and we who follow (obey) him are the sheep of his pasture. He is also the door (the gate) through which we must enter if we want to have eternal life with God.

There are many people who are trying to enter into eternal life with God by a way other than Jesus Christ. This other way has the appearance of being the right way, for it has many truths contained within, but they are half-truths. They cut short the true message of the gospel, and thus they give people a false hope of salvation and of eternal life with God.

Many of these who are trying to enter into eternal life with God, or who are giving the appearance of such, are false shepherds of the people who have infiltrated the church by a way other than the true gospel of Christ. And, they are leading many people away from the truth and away from what God intends for his church, the people of God, to be.

Jesus’ true sheep should recognize these shepherds of the people as false, and as strangers, and they should not follow them.

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’” vv. 7-10

So, what is the true way to eternal life with God? Well, it is first of all that Jesus Christ, God’s Son (and God) left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, died on a cross for our sins, was resurrected from the dead, and ascended back to the Father in heaven. Then, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers.

It is that Jesus Christ, when he died, became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. It is that he died, not just so we could escape hell and have the hope of heaven when we die, but in order that we, who are his, 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.

For, you see, the life he gives us in the Spirit is not just so we can have eternal life with God after we die, but so we can have abundant life in Christ while we still live on this earth. He didn’t save us just to forgive us our sins, but he saved us to eradicate sin from our lives. He died to transform us away from lives of living for sin and self to lives which are faithful to our creator, who walk not after the ways of our flesh, but who conduct our lives (our lifestyles) according to the ways of the Holy Spirit of God.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” vv. 11-15

So, who are these hired hands? They are paid professionals, business men, whose goal is to build businesses called “church,” and to market them just like any other business. So, they partnered the true church with the government in an unholy union, and they incorporated Christ’s body under the headship of the federal government, which is against God’s will.

Since the church, Christ’s body, was now being marketed like any man-made business, it came under man’s control and guidance, rather than under God’s control and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Thus, the Holy Spirit got kicked out of most of these churches. And, they started following marketing books and humanistic teaching, instead of following God’s Word, his truth.

In their departure from the purity of God’s Word and the purity of their relationships with Almighty God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – much of the church also departed from the true gospel, and as a means of attracting the world to the church, and as a way of not offending the world so that the people of the world would want to come to the gatherings of the “church.” So, they removed the offensive parts of the gospel to make it more appealing to human flesh.

So, what are these “offensive parts”? They are that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. They are that he died that we might no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. They are that genuine faith in Jesus Christ means we die with him to sin and we are resurrected with him to new lives in Christ, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And, they are that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk in darkness, that we are liars. For, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to our flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting these evil deeds to death, then we have eternal life with God.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” vv. 27-30

In today’s modern western church, so many have departed from, not only the gospel of our salvation, so that they teach a half-truth diluted false grace gospel, but from who God intended his church to be and from how they are to function under the headship of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So many have lost the fire of the Holy Spirit and are following a man-made gospel and man-made formulas for how to build Christ’s church. So, they have put out the Spirit’s fire, because the fire offends, because it convicts hearts of sin and of judgment and of righteousness. And, that just doesn’t fit into their business and marketing plans, for they want to do what pleases their target audience, i.e. their customer base, not offend them with truth.

So, this modern western church has become lukewarm, where God is concerned. They are neither on fire for the Lord nor are they opposed to him. So, he is about to spit them out of his mouth.

Not only this, but they are not utilizing all his body parts in the way in which God arranged them, but they are dumping many of them in a cluster, stored away, because the gifts of the Spirit and God’s assigned roles for his body parts also do not fit in with modern business models for how to do “church.”

But, those who are truly following Christ, although we may be few in number, are listening to his voice, and we are following him in obedience to his will for our lives. We are using the gifts he has given us, and we are fulfilling our God-given roles within HIS BODY, even though our parts have largely been rejected within the business-model church.

And, this is God’s will for all of his church, that we would all listen to him, and that we would follow (obey) him. This is not to say that we will never sin against him or that we will have perfect obedience, but it is to say that listening and obeying are essential to our faith in Christ. For, it is us who listen to him, and who follow him in obedience, who by the Spirit are putting sin to death, who will have eternal life with God, and who will not be snatched out of the Father’s hand by the enemy of our souls.

My Jesus, I Love Thee

William R. Featherstone / Adoniram J. Gordon

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

For thee all the follies of sin I resign.

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

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

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

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

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

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

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

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

In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

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

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

Tuesday, December 5, 2017, 5:00 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. I pray for all of us that we would listen to you and follow you in obedience to your will for our lives. Revive our hearts, I pray.

Though a War

When we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, and we teach what is truth, from God’s Word, although some people will welcome the truth, some will not, and they may even strongly oppose us.

This is not to say that we will always get everything right, though, for we are not God, although God is living within us. But, if we are truly following the Lord with our lives, he will guide us into truth, if we are willing, and if we will obey.

And, then we should share that truth with others, even if they reject us, and even if they strongly oppose us, or even falsely accuse us.

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 8 (Select vv. NASB).

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” v. 12

Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God) is the way, the truth and the life. He is love, and he is righteousness and holiness. He is the only way to God the Father and to eternal life with God in heaven. Only through faith in Him can we be delivered from our sins and have the hope of eternal life with God.

But, this faith in Christ is not a mere intellectual assent to who he was and is, nor is it mere words we repeat after someone else in a prayer, nor is it a mere acceptance of God’s grace, i.e. of what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins. It is also not a one-time emotional decision we make at an altar, and it is not joining membership in an institution of men.

Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily and follow (obey) him. He said that if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives, i.e. if we die with Christ to sin, we will save our lives for eternity (Lu. 9:23-25).

So, if we want to have the light of life, then we must follow (obey) him, and then we will not walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (sin, wickedness).

Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” v. 19b

Some people will say they believe in the One True God, and yet they reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord. Yet, we can’t know God the Father if we do not receive Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. And, we can’t know Jesus Christ, if we are not willing to walk in his ways and in his truth.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” vv. 31-32

Belief in Jesus Christ, as I stated already, is not a one-time event in our lives, then we live our lives, and one day we go to heaven when we leave this earth. The Bible clearly teaches us that it is those believing (presently) in him, and it is those who continue in him, and in his word, and it is those who walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit, in obedience to him, who are in him, by faith, and who have the hope of eternal life with God.

This is not to say that we will never sin, though, but that sin should no longer have mastery over our lives. We should no longer engage in sinful practices, for the Bible teaches that if we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life. So, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we are putting sinful practices to death, then we will live with Christ for eternity (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17).

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” vv. 43-47

Many people who call themselves followers of God and who claim to believe in Jesus Christ, will reject the truth of scripture, or will only accept parts of it, while they will ignore whatever does not fit within their own belief system. They will pick and choose the scriptures which agree with what they want to believe, and even if you show them what the rest of scripture teaches, on the same subjects, they will stubbornly hold on to just those few verses, and will not accept the rest.

But, if we are to be followers of God, of Christ, then we need to listen to all of scripture which applies to the lives of believers in Christ, even if it doesn’t fit with what someone taught us previously. We should always be growing, always learning, and always open to hear whatever the Word teaches us we must do. And, we must be willing to change our way of thinking or believing if what the Bible teaches says differently.

I think many people today have bought into a diluted gospel message, for instance, because they want to continue in sin without guilt or remorse. They want to believe that all they have to do is say some magic words or merely acknowledge who Jesus is and what he did for us, and that heaven is guaranteed them, no matter how they live from this point forward.

But, the bulk of the New Testament scriptures debunks that notion. All throughout the New Testament we read that we must walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, if we want to have eternal life with God. We must not practice sin, and we must not hold on to our old way of living for sin and self, but we must continue in Christ and in his Word in in obedience to him and to his Word if we want to have the promise of heaven when we die. This is the truth! So, why do so many who call themselves Christians not believe this?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” v. 51

So, if we want to have eternal life with God, and have the hope of heaven when we leave this earth, then we need to walk in obedience to our Lord and to the truths of his Word, and not pick and choose only the scriptures we like because they fit with our lifestyles or with what we want to believe.

We should read scriptures in context, too. It is good if we can read chapter by chapter and book by book so we understand the context of what is being taught so that we don’t err in our interpretation. Many false beliefs come about because scriptures are pulled out of context and are made to say something which they are not teaching at all.

And, if we are among those who are willing to listen to the Lord and to his Word and to change our thinking and believing, if the scriptures clearly show us where we are wrong in our thinking, then we should also be prepared to face the kind of opposition which Jesus faced, and even from within the church, too. For many people are set in their ways and are ensconced in their traditions, and they will not be moved. But, we should find our strength, hope and confidence in our Lord, and we should rest in Him.

Hear my Voice  

An Original Work / July 9, 2012

Based off Psalm 27

The Lord is my great salvation.

He’s the stronghold of my life.

When my enemies attack me,

My heart will not fear at all.

Though a war break out against me,

Confident in Christ I’ll be.

Of the Lord, I ask that I may

Live with Him eternally.

Hear my voice, Lord, when I call you.

Merciful to me You’ll be.

Though my relatives forsake me,

My Lord God will receive me.

Teach me Your way, O my Jesus.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

I will sacrifice to my Lord.

I will sing with joyfulness.

I am confident that I will

See the goodness of the Lord.

All the richness of His blessings,

My Lord has for me in store.

He asks me to be of courage;

To be strong and to take heart,

Patiently as I wait for Him,

And from Him to ne’er depart.

https://vimeo.com/119813963

Monday, December 4, 2017, 1:30 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging words which give hope, courage, and strength to your servants.

A God Void

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures. We all fall short of attaining God’s divine approval, in our own flesh, because we have all sinned against God (Rom. 3:23). Thus, there is a God void in our lives.

Although Adam and Eve, when first created by God, were in perfect fellowship with him, they sinned against God, and thus that fellowship with God was broken. And, since then, all humankind has broken fellowship with God. And, there is nothing we can do, in our own flesh, to mend that.

Thus, humans will often seek after many things in this life to fill that void, that emptiness they feel inside of them. They will hunger and thirst after many different things or people or relationships to try to fill that void, but will always come up empty, unless they fill that void with God himself.

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 6 (Select vv. ESV).

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” v. 35

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life… If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” vv. 47-51

Jesus says, to those who are looking to fill that emptiness inside of themselves, that they are to come (presently) to him, for He only is the one to fill that void. Yet, I believe he is saying this, not just to the unsaved, but to the saved, some of whom still have a tendency to seek after the things of this life to fill whatever emptiness they feel they have inside themselves, rather than to seek after God to complete them.

Jesus says, if we are looking to him to fill the hole inside of us, that we will never hunger and thirst, because we will be filled. But, we must seek first his kingdom and his righteousness always. We should seek after the interests of Jesus Christ, not our own. And, we should set our minds on things which are from above, not on the things from this earth.

Jesus says, whoever believes (believing) in him has eternal life. This belief is present tense, not past tense only. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present), and we will be saved (future), when Christ returns. Belief in him, too, is divine persuasion as to the will of God for our lives. It is not just intellectual assent to Jesus’ existence or even mere acceptance of his gift of grace to us, but it is taking hold of what he did for us and applying it to our lives, participating with him in his death to sin and resurrection to new life.

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. vv. 52-59

Have you ever tried putting yourself in the place of the people who listened to Jesus’ words which he spoke here? A few years back I watched a movie called “The Gospel of John,” and for the first time in my life, I believe, I could truly feel what the people must have been experiencing as they listened to these very difficult to understand words. And, I can imagine, if any preacher of the Word were to share these words today, that these words might be met with a similar reaction, even within the church.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus’ words must be spiritually discerned. So, when we read this, we must ask the Lord to give us understanding. Also, individual words do really matter, so we must look at what they mean.

For example, to “eat” or to “feed” means to take in (assimilate), to partake (participate), to ingest (absorb) and to swallow (believe, accept, buy into). It means to involve ourselves in something, to take hold of it, and to apply it to our lives, presently and actively.

We must also understand what Jesus’ flesh and blood represent. From scripture we can read that these represent Jesus’ body and blood given for us in his death on a cross so that we can be delivered from both the punishment of sin and bondage (slavery, addiction) to sin. They also represent his life, not just given for us in death, but in his resurrection, so that we, too, may have life in God through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, what Jesus said here, in essence, is that, unless we participate with him in his death and resurrection, via our dying with him to sin and our being resurrected with him to newness of life, in Christ, that we can’t have eternal life with God. But, it isn’t a one-time event. Literally, it is the one “eating” of his body and “drinking” of his blood who has eternal life with God, which goes right along with the one “believing” in him having eternal life.

And, this also fits with Jesus’ words when he said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily, and follow (obey) Jesus. 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 him to sin), we will have eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25), which is what he is saying here, too (See also: Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” vv. 60-65

This death to self is a daily occurrence, or it should be. And, each situation or circumstance we face in this life presents us with a challenge to either deny self or to yield to the flesh.

God allows difficulties in our lives, too, often times to humble us, to grow us in our faith, to prune us, and to mature us in him. So, when these difficulties present themselves, or when temptation raises its ugly head, we need to come to the cross, deny (or die to) self, and follow (obey) our Lord.

When something seems too hard, as well, and we lack understanding as to why these things are happening to us, we must seek God’s face, trust in his love, rest in his promises, and trust in his sovereignty over our lives. Instead of rejecting our Lord, or running away from what we feel is “too hard,” or trying to resolve it in our own flesh, we need to come to him, believe him, and then obey him. Only in Him will we find perfect peace and rest.

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

Sunday, December 3, 2017, 5:50 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these words you have spoken to my heart today. Thank you for the encouragement I received from them to keep trusting you in all things. Amen!

Because of What He's Done

The Lord Jesus led me to read Hebrews 2 (Select vv. ESV).

Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God), and creator of the world, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, and suffered like we suffer. He was also tempted in like manner as we are tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, drove out demons, comforted the sorrowful, ministered to the weak, and fed the hungry. And, he preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God.

He was loved by some, but he was hated by many because what he spoke was truth, and many of them didn’t want to hear it, because they did not want to change their beliefs or their practices. He and his messages were, thus, an offense to them. They also didn’t like it that he was not bound to their human traditions or to their interpretations of God’s commands. And, they were offended by him proclaiming himself, not only to be their Messiah and Lord, but that he was, indeed, God in the flesh. So, they killed him.

But, it was God’s will that Jesus Christ should die on a cross for our sins, for he who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died, too, that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. In his death, he put our sin to death, and in his resurrection, he rose victorious over sin, Satan, hell and death, on our behalf. So, when we trust in him to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

What we have heard, thus, must be what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught regarding our salvation and eternal life with God. Jesus taught that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self and take up his cross daily and follow (obey) Christ. He 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), for Jesus’ sake, then we will save our lives for eternity, i.e. we will have the hope of eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25).

The apostle Paul reiterated Jesus’ words when he said that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk (in lifestyle) not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, he said, if we walk (conduct our lives) according to 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 (with Christ for eternity). John said something similar when he said that if we claim to have fellowship with God, but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we are liars who do not live by the truth (See: Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

So many preachers today are preaching a half-truth gospel which requires no repentance, no submission to Christ and to his cross, and no obedience to Christ and to his commands. Their idea of faith in Jesus Christ is a mere acknowledgment of who he was and of what he did in taking our place on that cross. And, their idea of what he did for us on that cross is limited to him merely taking the punishment of our sin so we don’t have to be punished and so we can go free. But, they leave out the part which says he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness or that we must walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh, if we want to have eternal life.

So, we must pay closer attention, not to what humans are saying, but to what the Word of God teaches. This means we need to be reading our Bibles every day, diligently and prayerfully, seeking God’s face, and praying for the Spirit of God to guide us into all truth. We must read scriptures in context and compare scripture with scripture to make certain we are interpreting what we read in the correct context, too. Too many false beliefs stem from people taking scriptures out of context and then building entire doctrines around them, while they often ignore the bulk of other scriptures teaching on the same subjects.

So, we must know what the Word teaches so that we can walk in the truth, and so that we don’t drift away from it, potentially via the cunning and craftiness of humans in their deceitful scheming, who may have convinced us that we can have the hope of eternal life with God without repentance, submission or obedience to Christ. And, they call it “grace.” But, God’s grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). So, know the truth, and the truth will set you free!

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior, and we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, his Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He is our helper, our counselor and our comforter, whom Jesus promised his followers before he left this earth to return to heaven. He guides us into all truth, and he teaches us everything of Jesus. He also empowers and strengthens us to walk in holiness and righteousness, to resist Satan and to flee temptation and sin.

Because Jesus took on human flesh, and not just so he could be our sacrificial Lamb in taking away the sins of the world, he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He knows, from personal experience, the pain of suffering, even unjustly, and he knows what it is like to be tempted to sin. So, he is able to help us to resist Satan, to flee sin, and to draw near to God. We do not need to do this in our own strength, in other words. So, we never have an excuse for willful and continuous sinful practices, because Jesus set us free from addiction (slavery) to sin, if we are truly in him, by faith.

So, because of all that Jesus did for us in dying on that cross, and in being resurrected from the dead, so that we can die to sin and live to righteousness, we should commit our lives to our faithful creator and we should follow him in all his ways. If he is truly our Lord, that means he is our owner-master and we are his bondservants; servants of righteousness. Our lives are no longer our own, because we were bought back for God with the blood of Christ shed on a cross for our sins. Therefore, we should honor God with our lives from this moment on in all that we do.

You are Loving and Forgiving

An Original Work / February 19, 2012

Based off Psalm 86

You are loving and forgiving,

Jesus, Savior, King of kings.

You provided our redemption.

By Your blood You set us free.

You are gracious; full of mercy.

No deeds can compare with Yours.

Great are You; there is none like You.

Glory be to Your name.

Teach me Your way, and I’ll walk in it.

O Lord, I will walk in Your truth.

May I not have a heart divided,

That Your name I give honor to.

I will praise You, O Lord, my Savior,

For great is Your love toward me.

You have delivered me from my sins.

Your grace has pardoned me.

You, O Lord, are full of compassion,

Slow to anger, bounteous in love;

Faithful to fulfill all You promise;

Glory be to Your name above.

Hear, O Lord, and answer Your servant.

You are my God. I trust in You.

Turn to me and grant Your strength to me.

You are my comforter.

https://vimeo.com/117066958

Saturday, December 2, 2017, 4:37 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for what you taught me today through your Word, and for the time of fellowship with you this morning. I love you and I praise you!

Please Don't Hate Me!

Please don’t hate me because I think differently from you on some things, or because I don’t celebrate Jesus Christ in all the same ways in which you do, or because my understanding of what scripture teaches may be a little bit different from yours. For, we both claim to believe in Jesus Christ, and in God the Father and the Holy Spirit. We both believe that Jesus died on a cross to save us from our sins; to free us from sin, and to give us eternal life with God. And, we both desire to see others come to faith in Christ, too.

So, why do you get so angry when what I believe is different from what you believe? Why do you “slam the door in my face,” defriend or deride me on Facebook, perhaps unfollow me on Twitter, ignore me and avoid me out in public places, or treat me like I just committed some horrible crime? Why do you mock me, gossip about me behind my back, and make false judgments about me just because I believe differently from you? Have I now become your enemy by proclaiming the truth as I believe it to be, and as I believe scripture teaches it? Aren’t you are my brother or sister in Christ?

…

The Lord Jesus led me to read Galatians 4 (vv. 8-11 ESV).

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

There are multiple lessons the Lord has taught me, in particular over the past 13 years, regarding “weak and worthless” principles of the world which were ingrained in my life from childhood and which he wanted out of my life. So, with each revelation he gave me regarding these ingrained principles, I listened to what he taught me, and I obeyed him, but sometimes to the strong disapproval of other Christians who still hold strong to some of the things which God has removed from my life.

Flag-Waving

For one, I was a flag-waving, flag-pledging patriot who sang the national anthem with hand over heart, with great enthusiasm. I believed the USA was a Christian nation, and I believed what I saw and read in the news, that it was true. I believed what the Republican political platform said I should believe, and I voted according to that platform, that is, until…

The Lord opened my eyes, and he showed me the real truth about the US government, and what they are doing across the globe in conquering other nations, killing innocents, and confiscating and destroying property not their own. He showed me that I could not trust our leaders to tell the truth, or the mainstream news media, either. He taught me that our government works for “the beast” and that they are instrumental in bringing “the beast” to the world throne. And, he taught me that to pledge allegiance to the US flag is to vow fidelity to this evil government, which I should not ever do.

So, I no longer pledge to the flag of the USA, and I don’t vote in our elections, because our votes don’t count anyway, because our government is not the real government of the USA. Rather, a shadow government of the Elite of the world run these United States of America, and they choose which puppets to put in office, anyway. And, I no longer believe what is in the news, but I ask the Lord to show me what is true and what is false.

Institutional Church

I also was a member of more than one institutional church over the years of my life, and my husband and I were even church planters twice, and we did the 501c3 not-for-profit tax exempt incorporation of our fellowships, because that is what we were told we needed to do to become a “church.” We also followed our leaders’ advice in using marketing schemes in order to gain people to our church fellowships, but all the work we did in marketing our “church” never led anyone to faith in Jesus Christ, and it only convinced one person to join our fellowship, in this last church-plant effort.

Then, the Lord Jesus opened my eyes to see the institutional incorporated church from his vantage point. He sees it like he saw the money-changers in his temple, who were turning the house of God, which was to be a house of prayer, into a place of business. And, that is exactly what has happened to so much of the church here in America. By incorporating under the federal government of the US, the body of Christ has been turned into a business and is marketed just like any other business, using human techniques, and often ignoring the Holy Spirit and his guidance.

Not only this, but by incorporating, the church has partnered with this evil government which is working for “the beast,” and in doing what we read about in Revelation 13. But, even if they weren’t working for the beast, they are still the ungodly, and we are not to partner with the unrighteous, but we are to come out from among them and to be separate so that we don’t share in their sins or in their punishment, and because there is no fellowship between light and darkness (See: 2 Co. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4-5).

So, I did what God said for me to do, and I came out from the institutional church which is married to the US government, and I fellowship with other believers outside the walls of institutional Christianity. And, I share what the Word teaches on these subjects of not being unequally yoked together with unbelievers and of not turning the body of Christ, the people of God, God’s house, into a business of human-making.

Holidays

I used to celebrate all the American holidays or traditional celebrations, but we never did the Santa thing. But, we did celebrate Halloween, 4^th of July, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. We eventually phased out Halloween, because of the evil in it, but we still held on to all the other celebrations.

Then, as I became aware of the true roots of our nation and of the true nature of our government and what all they are doing throughout the world, I could no longer celebrate the 4^th of July, nor could I pledge allegiance to the flag nor sing patriotic songs.

Then, the Lord began to make me uncomfortable about celebrating Christmas and Easter. I began to see how Jesus Christ was being upstaged by Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny on these holidays or celebrations. And, Jesus began to open my eyes to see how he sees these celebrations, which are a mixture of pagan celebrations and religious celebrations, which God forbade his people from participating in all throughout biblical history.

I began to see how these celebrations were not really about Jesus Christ but they were about buying gifts we couldn’t afford to give to people who didn’t really need or want them, in many cases. And, there was so much greed and commercialism involved in this celebration of Christmas, in particular. And, Easter was more about getting new (or used) clothes and Easter baskets and eggs than it was about giving honor to our Lord who died on a cross for us.

So, my husband and I evaluated all of this together, and together we made the decision to stop celebrating these holidays, too. We have not yet made a decision about Thanksgiving, although, in my experience, that one seems to be more about people stuffing their faces full of food, oftentimes until they are sick to the stomach, and it often seems to have little to do with truly being thankful to the Lord, yet I realize that not everyone has the same experiences.

Conclusion

As I have become aware of these various institutions of men which were ingrained in me from childhood, and of what my Lord wanted my response to be concerning them, and I have obeyed him, I have also been faced with rejection, anger, rage, and even hate from other believers in Jesus for whom these institutions are sacred.

Not everyone has responded this way, mind you, but there have been quite a few who did. And, this is what prompted my opening statements. I have just seen so many Christians (or professing Christians) react so angrily to anyone not following these traditions, and I don’t believe that we, as Christians, should treat one another that way.

Not worshiping the government is not to be equated with not worshiping God, although many Christians do equate these. Not celebrating Christmas or Easter is also not to be equated with not celebrating my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I celebrate him every day! And, not attending an institutional church is also not to be equated with forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, for we can and should assemble together outside the walls of institutional religion.

So, you can choose to judge me, reject me, hate me, unfriend or unfollow me or whatever, but I must obey my Lord and do what he says. I hope you will stick around, though, and that we can still enjoy fellowship together. For, our goal together should be the salvation of souls for Jesus Christ and to see the church walking in the ways of the Lord, following him in all his ways.

For Our Nation / An Original Work  

September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

Friday, December 1, 2017, 3:34 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for what you have taught me over the years regarding obedience to you.

Are You Crucified?

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 1 (Select vv. NASB).

Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God) is the Word of which this passage speaks. This fact will become clear as we near the end of this scripture.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was with God in the beginning, and he was and is God, the second person of our triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He always existed with God, and all things which were created were made by him, i.e. He is our Creator God, and not just our Savior.

Jesus Christ is the Word of God, thus he speaks the very words of God. Our written Word, the Bible, was authored by him, by God, who breathed his words into godly men who then penned the books of the Bible.

Jesus Christ is life, he is the author of life, he gives the breath of life to all living beings, and he gives eternal and abundant life to all who believe in him as Lord and as Savior of their lives.

Jesus Christ is also the Light of men, i.e. he is the way, the truth, and the life. He is righteousness and holiness. Jesus, the true Light, shines in the darkness (wickedness). He lets his truth known. But, the lost world has not taken hold of that truth, i.e. they have not accepted and received the truth which has been revealed. In fact, many people who claim to be Christians have also not eagerly seized and applied the truth (the Light) to their lives.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because of the sin of humankind, came to earth, took on human flesh, ministered to the needs of the people, and preached repentance for forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life with God. Yet, the people of the world did not recognize him as the Son of God, and neither did most of the Jews, who were then the children of God.

Even many of his own family members, and the people of his hometown, did not receive (accept, take hold of) him as their Messiah and Lord. They also did not take hold of him and his truth as the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture, and as coming from God the Father. In addition to this, Jesus said that if we follow him, we should expect to be treated the same as he was. We will also have our testimonies rejected and not believed by many.

But, to any who receive him and his truth into their lives, by faith, taking hold of it, and making it their own, by applying it to their lives, actively believing on him, they will become the children of God, born of the Spirit of God.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Yet, not everyone rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord. He had followers, although they were few in number in contrast to the majority who rejected him. Those who were his true followers saw Jesus for who he was and is. They saw his holiness, his righteousness, and his divine qualities and nature, although they didn’t completely understand him when he walked this earth. But, their understanding became more complete after Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead, and after he reappeared to them.

Now speaking of John the Baptist…

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

John the Baptist, not the apostle John, was called of God to testify to Jesus Christ and to prepare the way for him, to make a straight (upright, pure) path for him, for the people to receive him. So, he preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and he baptized with a baptism of repentance.

Here John declared that Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. He also declared him to be the Son of God, who existed before him. John also came to make Jesus Christ known to the Jews as their Messiah and Lord, and also as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. So, what does that mean, to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

Well, Jesus Christ came to the earth, not just to do what he did during his earthly ministry, but to die on a cross, to become sin for us on that cross, and to take our punishment for sin so that we could go free. He died on that cross, nonetheless, not just to take our punishment for sin, but so we could die to sin and live to righteousness. This is the essence of the gospel message. And, this is what our water baptism represents (symbolizes).

Yet, this baptism with the Spirit is not with water. John had made that distinction between his baptism with water and that of Christ Jesus, which is baptism with the Spirit and with fire. Thus, it is spiritual, i.e. it is our new birth in Christ Jesus, of the Spirit, via dying with Christ to sin and being resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

When this takes place in our lives, the Spirit of God comes to live within us, to strengthen, to teach, to counsel, to guide and to empower us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. Thus begins the process of the Spirit conforming us to the likeness of Christ, as we yield our lives over to God for him to work his will and his purposes in our lives. All glory to God!

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

https://vimeo.com/89237609

Friday, December 1, 2017, 6:18 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these words from John, chapter 1, and for how you have spoken to my heart through them. And, thank you for the encouragement they give to us to follow you in truth.