The Exchange

Philippians 3:7-11 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

For those of us who are now followers of Jesus Christ, our former lives were lived by the flesh, whether in false self-righteousness or in gross immorality (wickedness), or both. But, when we trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, he exchanged our old lives of living for sin, and for the pride of the flesh (for fleshly works), to new lives in him, empowered by the Spirit of God to live lives which are holy and pleasing unto God.

For, coming to faith in Jesus Christ means we die to those former lives of living to the flesh, and we count them loss for the sake of knowing and obtaining (changing to) Christ, and for now gaining a righteousness not of the flesh, but the righteousness from God that depends on faith.

For, Jesus Christ, God the Son, gave his life up for us on a cross one day many years ago in order that we might be rescued out of lives controlled by the flesh and Satan, and so that we might walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. For, in his death he became sin for us that he might put sin to death, so that, by faith in him, we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 4:17-24).

So, what is this righteousness that depends on faith? It isn’t just that Jesus cleanses us from (forgives) our sins so that we are now freed from the punishment (eternal damnation) of sin, and so we can go to heaven when we die. But, it is that we may also become like him in his death, and share in his sufferings, and know the power of his resurrection in our own lives.

For, the two are inseparable. They come as a pair, this death to sin and living to righteousness. For, Jesus had to first put our sin to death on that cross, which meant he had to die, and then he was resurrected to new life in victory over death and sin and Satan, so that we can live in victory, too.

And, because he did this for us, by faith in him we are also able to die with him to sin and be resurrected with him to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And, this is called applied faith, or faith in action, which is true faith. It is applying to our own lives what Jesus did for us on that cross, but in his power at work within us.

Philippians 3:12-16 ESV

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

But, it isn’t as though we instantaneously arrive at perfection and that we never sin again. But, we don’t use lack of perfection as an excuse for continued willful sinning (in practice) against God, either. Instead, we are in the process of growing in our faith, moving forward with God, and walking by the Spirit and no longer according to (in agreement with) the flesh.

Therefore, we die daily to sin and self, and daily we put on the armor of God with which to fight off the temptations of Satan and his evil schemes against us. By the Spirit, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and we are following our Lord in obedience to his Word, as we yield our lives over to his control day by day. And, the Lord is conforming us to his likeness, but this is an ongoing process, which many call the process of sanctification.

So, in this process we daily put behind us what is of our old sin nature and we labor in the strength of the Lord in applying his righteousness to our lives on a day-to-day basis. We don’t give up and go back to our former way of living before we believed in Jesus, but we press on in moving forward, growing in Christ and in our walks of faith, maturing in him.

And, we press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, that we might be a holy people unto him, unlike who we were before we believed in Jesus. And, we hold true to his Word being lived out in our lives on a daily basis.

And, we do this without wavering, i.e. without being tossed here and there by various winds of teaching being brought to us by wicked people in their pride, manipulation, and wicked scheming. And, we grow to maturity in Christ Jesus, our Lord, all in the power of God’s Spirit at work within us.

Philippians 3:17-19 ESV

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

We are not to be followers of man (the flesh), but followers of God. Yet, we can learn from the example of others how to live or how not to live, too. But, we need to make certain that we are following the right kind of examples, and not the wrong kind, for there are many people out there who put on a show of righteousness, but who are wolves in sheep’s clothing leading multitudes of people away from the truth of the gospel to the lies of men.

For, another exchange is presently going on, which exchanges what Jesus did for us on that cross for a lie. And, it is pushing aside the truth of the gospel of our salvation in order to make a deal with the flesh. For, it is a cheap grace gospel which is now replacing the true gospel, which so many people are now buying into, because they can continue in their sinful practices without guilt, while consoling themselves in their sin with the belief that God no longer sees their sin and they still have heaven as their destiny.

This cheap grace substitute (exchange) for the true grace of God is teaching people that all they have to do is acknowledge Jesus and what he did for us on that cross, and accept his gift of grace into their lives, and then they are good to go. There is no repentance, submission or obedience to Christ required for their eternal salvation, only that they “believe,” with some nondescript faith that sounds more like an intellectual assent to something or like an emotional one-time decision made at one time in their lives.

There is no counting everything loss for the sake of Christ. There is no becoming like Jesus in his death (to sin), or sharing in his sufferings, or knowing him and the power of his resurrection (his victory over sin) in one’s life, with this cheap grace substitute. There is no pressing on to the upward call (a call to holiness) in Christ Jesus or putting our past lives behind us. And, there is no growing to maturity in Christ and holding on to the truths of His Word in this cheap grace substitute, either.

But, this cheap grace substitute for the true gospel is at enmity with God and with His Word. For, it glories in the flesh of man (humans), and makes room for wickedness to abound and to thrive. It sears consciences, too, and lies to people and tells them that God is ok with their continuing in their sinful practices, for God’s grace covers it all.

It stands in direct contrast to the true gospel as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles, so it opposes the truth, and it speaks against the truth, and it exchanges the truth for a lie of Satan. For, its mind is set on earthly things, on what is worldly and sinful.

So, let me close here with a word of caution. The Bible is real clear on this subject. If we walk (in lifestyle, in practice) according to the flesh, we are going to die in our sins, no matter what we profess with our lips, and heaven is not our eternal destiny. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death (in practice) the deeds of the flesh, and we are walking (in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God, then we have eternal life with God.

For, we are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from that flesh we will reap destruction (decay, death). But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. So, faith is not just something we proclaim, but it is what we do in action, as lived out in our daily lives, by the power of God’s Spirit living and working within us.

[Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8.]

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263

Sunday, May 5, 2019

The Temple of God

2 Chronicles 7:12-16 ESV

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”

In Old Testament times, up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the temple of God was a physical building built by human hands. Inside that building was the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was housed, and where only the high priest could enter into the presence of God. The Ark of the Covenant housed the ten commandments, the law of God. A very thick veil hung in front of the Holy of Holies so that no one could see inside. It was there that, once a year, only the high priest would enter and would atone for his sins and those of God’s people.

But, when Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on a cross to put our sins to death, once for all, that veil that stood between humans and God was torn in two so that now, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can enter into God’s holy presence. In his death on the cross, Jesus not only became our sacrifice for sin, once for all, but he served as our high priest in offering that sacrifice for sin, too. He became our mediator between us and God via his blood which was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, that we might be reconciled (reunited, restored) to God. So now, by faith, we can go directly to God in prayer and we need no other mediator other than Jesus Christ.

Now the temple of God is no longer a physical building, but a spiritual building, and it is made up of those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. For, when we died with Christ to sin, and we were resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, by faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God came to live within us, so that the Holy of Holies now dwells within us. God’s laws are now written on our hearts. And, collectively we are called the church, which is not a physical building or an organization or a denomination, but the people of God in whom God dwells.

Yet, (we) the temple of God is still a house of sacrifice. The sacrifice, though, is no longer that of the blood of animals, or that of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood on that cross once for all for our sin. But, it is that of us, God’s people, giving our lives to God as living sacrifices to him, holy and acceptable to him. This is our spiritual worship of him, that we surrender our lives to God to be his forever to walk in obedience to his commands, and to follow him wherever he leads us, and to no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world (See: Rom. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

Yet, although we are now God’s temple, in whom God dwells by his Spirit, we still live in flesh bodies. We are mere clay in the Potter’s hands, and he is still molding us and conforming us to his likeness. We are still a work in progress. So, we also still have the propensity to sin against God and to wander from his ways and from his truth. We can fall back into sin, and we can become rebellious, at times, and we can return to idolatrous ways, for a time, and need to be brought back into fellowship with our Lord.

But, if we become stubborn, and we close our eyes and ears to his pleading with us to return to him as our only Lord, he may have to exercise some divine judgment (discipline, correction) with us in order to get us to return to him as our only Lord (See: Rev. 2-3; Heb. 12; 1 Co. 11:32). But, the purpose of that judgment is to move us to repentance (turning away from sin) and to renewed faith in Jesus Christ as our only Lord (God) and master, so that we now walk in his ways and in his truth for the rest of our days.

2 Chronicles 7:19-22 ESV

“But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”

Faith in Jesus Christ, though, does not give us license to live however we want. Yes, as followers of Jesus Christ we are imperfect people, for if we could be perfect in and of ourselves, Jesus Christ would not have had to die on that cross for our sins. But, lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for continued and willful sin against Almighty God.

For, even under the New Covenant with God, our Lord demands obedience to his commands and that we forsake our sinful ways and our idols. For, this is why Jesus gave his life up for us, that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Rom. 6:1-23; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Eph. 4:17-24; etc.).

And, again, if we, the temple of God, his body, his church, wander off from the commands of the Lord to follow after other gods, and the gods of man, and we go our own way, instead of the ways of the Lord, he will discipline us, if we are truly his, in order to bring us to repentance so that he may restore us back to fellowship with him (Rev. 2-3; Heb. 12; 1 Co. 11:32).

But, let me add a word of caution here. Some people think that faith in Jesus Christ requires no repentance or obedience to Christ and that they can now live however they want, free from guilt, and still claim heaven as their eternal destiny. Or, they think that repentance is only necessary one time and that obedience to Christ is optional, for once they are in, they are in, and it can never be taken away from them, or so they believe.

Scripture is real clear on that subject. Faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness, not a one-time belief that now guarantees us heaven as our home while we continue to live in sin without regard for God and his commands. Faith in Jesus Christ means walking according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, so faith is proved genuine by our actions, by our lifestyle (our practices).

If we, thus, make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but we continue to walk (in lifestyle) in sin, the Bible says we are liars who do not live by the truth, and that we will not inherit heaven as our eternal destiny, nor are we truly saved from our sins (1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 8:1-17).

So, although it is possible for true followers of Christ to still sin, from time to time, and to even wander off from their pure devotion to Christ, for a time, and will need to be brought back into fellowship with God, it is not true that faith in Jesus Christ means we can continue living in sin and that our sin no longer matters to God. For, we are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction, but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8).

Living Sacrifices  

An Original Work / September 14, 2012

Based off Romans 12:1-2; 6:11-14 NIV

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,

In view of God’s mercy,

To give yourselves to God in love

As living offerings,

Pleasing to God, holy in love.

This is your true worship.

Do not conform to worldly lives.

Let God transform you today.

Then you’ll be able to

Test and approve of what

God’s will is – His pleasing

And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Do not be conceited.

Humble yourselves before your God.

Do not be self-righteous.

The strength you have to live in love

Comes from your Lord God, so

Live your new lives in pow’r of God.

Be changed in heart, mind and will.

Do this because of what

Christ did for you when

He died on the cross to save

The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Count yourselves dead to sin,

But be alive to God in Christ.

Do not let sin reign in

Your earthly lives so you

Obey its evil desires.

Offer yourselves unto your God

As those who’ve been born again.

For sin shall no longer be

Your lord and master.

Give of yourselves to God

For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.

https://vimeo.com/118480946

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Total Surrender

“The doctrine of justification by faith—a Biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effort—has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such manner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be "received" without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is "saved," but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little.” – The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer, chap. 1, par. 5. Pub. 1948

A. W. Tozer was a man of God, and a preacher of the word of God in the same church denomination which I grew up under (C&MA). In fact, as a teenager he came to faith in Jesus Christ in my home town of Akron, Ohio. And, I grew up under preaching such as his back in the 50s to the late 70s.

I think my maternal grandmother, Jennie Jones, who I never knew, because she died when I was just two years old, if she had been a man, might have done as Tozer did, too. For, in discovering her journals in 2004, for the first time ever, what I read of her writings expressed so much of what was also in the heart of Tozer, which was the heart of God.

What amazes me is that Tozer penned these words and others like them back in 1948, before I was even born. One of my favorites of his writings is The Old Cross and The New (1), which was first published in 1946 in the Alliance Witness, which was the magazine of that church denomination, which was a very strong evangelical church denomination of that time. Holiness and sanctification were very strong themes taught in my home church on a consistent basis back in those earlier days of my life.

What amazes me about this quote (above) is that Tozer was seeing then, in 1948, what I didn’t begin really seeing in its fullness until God called me to this present ministry in 2004. And, another amazing God-thing about this is that my grandmother preached the same message in her journals, and God has called me to give out this same message, too, on the internet. For, what Tozer said in this quote has been the central message of the ministry God has given to me in these last days before the return of Christ.

And, that message is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that is that Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and that we might live with him to his righteousness, and that is the essence of the gospel message.

Romans 12:1-2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul was a “Tozer” of his time. Although he did not live in modern-day America, and he didn’t see then the transition that Tozer described, which has taken place in the church in America, still he continually taught holiness and sanctification. He taught the crucified life for the believer in Jesus. And, he didn’t teach it as optional, either, for our eternal salvation.

The message then, which is the same message God has always been giving any who would call on him for salvation, is that, because of God’s grace to us, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice of his life for us on a cross, we are to give our lives to God wholly unto him. We are to hold nothing back. We are to surrender our lives to the Lord to follow him in his ways and in his truth.

And, this surrender to Jesus is to be holy and acceptable to God, too. In other words, this is not about us giving up some things for God, or us doing “good deeds,” thinking we are pleasing God. It is not about us giving the Lord some of our time, either. We don’t just set aside time for God each day while we spend the rest of the day doing whatever we want. He gets it all!

Also, holy means to be set apart (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus. So, this means total surrender to our Lord 24/7, not just in some areas, and not just during part of our days or weeks. And, it means we no longer think, speak and conduct our lives like those who make no profession of faith in Christ at all.

And, what is acceptable to God is that we die with him to sin that we might live with him to his righteousness – all in his power at work within our lives as we yield to his Lordship over our lives. And, it is that we walk in obedience to his commands as a matter of our life’s course, not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection, but daily, by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and walking according to (in agreement with) the Spirit.

Romans 12:3-8 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Some people falsely accuse the “Tozers” of this world today, who are still teaching the message of the “Old Rugged Cross,” of being legalistic and of teaching works-based salvation. And, too, they may accuse them of being self-righteous and prideful because they talk about our need to be holy, and to live righteously, and to be set apart from the world and unto God.

Granted, there are people who are self-righteous who, like the Pharisees, teach a legalistic Christianity of works of the flesh, while behind closed doors they are living in sinful addiction and doing some things much worse than many who never believe in Jesus would ever think of doing. And, they do give a bad name to Christianity and to holiness.

But, it is not conceit that leads us to follow our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. It takes much humility to surrender our lives to the Lord and to forsake the ways of our flesh in order to follow our Lord in obedience. And, it is not self-righteousness or a sense of superiority that leads the Lord’s true servants to teach on holiness and sanctification, either. For, we get beat up on when we do that, and we get rejected, ignored, mocked and ridiculed, so there is no pride in that.

But, what Tozer was seeing 70 years ago, and what many of us are seeing today, is this shift in evangelical Christianity away from holiness to tolerance of sinful practices in the church. It is a shift away from godliness and purity to license to continue in sinful addictions without guilt. And, it is a shift away from the gospel Jesus taught, to a gospel of human-making which now appeals to and placates (coddles) the flesh, so that no one will feel offended or uncomfortable with the preaching of truth, or feel guilty about their sin.

So, they are teaching that people can “receive” Jesus Christ into their hearts and be “saved” from their sins and nothing really has to change in their lifestyles. It is just a matter of acknowledging what Jesus did for us on the cross, or saying some words after someone in a prayer, and accepting God’s grace and his forgiveness of sins. But, they skip a very important step.

What they leave out is that we must die with Christ to sin and we must be transformed in our thinking away from sin to God and to righteousness. And, we must now apply Christ’s righteousness to our lives, not superficially, but in practice in our daily walks with him.

The “New Birth” is not just some stamp of approval God puts on our lives now that we “invited him into our hearts,” but it is a radical transformation (metamorphosis) by the Spirit of God that turns us (our hearts) from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18).

Yet, this message is meeting with much resistance these days in institutional market-driven “churches,” which are businesses of men being passed off as the true church. But, the true church is not a building or a church denomination, although all my life that has been called “church,” and it is hard to know how to make that distinction exactly. But, the true church is the body of believers in Jesus Christ, with Jesus Christ as the true head.

So, many of these modern-day congregations, which are often a mixture of the world and professing Christians together, are saying to parts of the body, “We have no need of you,” because our “parts” are now being excluded from much of the gatherings of the body, which are really gatherings of the world mixed in with professers of faith in Jesus. Some of us have even been instructed to “go someplace else” where we will be “a better fit,” because we don’t fit in with today’s market-driven church.

But, that’s ok, because God has called us to come out from Babylon so that we don’t share in her sins and in her punishment, and the Lord has sent us out into the highways and byways of life to call in all who will come to the wedding banquet, and who will be accepted by God, because they are wearing the right wedding garments. But, our hearts’ desire is that all of our loved ones might genuinely turn their hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ.

My Heart’s Desire  

An Original Work / June 29, 2013

Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire

Is that you might come to Jesus.

Many appear zealous for God,

But they do not trust in Him.

They have not submitted to the One

Who saved them from their sins;

Not forsaken their sins,

Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:

The word of faith we’re proclaiming:

That you must confess your faith

In Jesus as your Lord and King:

Believe in Him as your Lord,

And follow Him where’er He leads.

Share the gospel; be a witness,

And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those

Who bring the good news of Jesus:

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself today;

Die to sin and self, and

Let the Spirit transform you in heart;

Put on your new self in Jesus,

Yielding to the cross.

https://vimeo.com/115643303

Friday, May 3, 2019

(1)       The Old Cross and the New http://www.ldolphin.org/oldcross.html

For Our Good

Romans 12:9-13 ESV

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

This word “love” is thrown around rather loosely in the world, it seems. For, it can mean so many things, but usually it is associated with human feelings. And, it is usually based on what makes us feel good. For, in the flesh, we tend to love those who make us feel good, or we tend to love things that bring us some type of pleasure, even sensual pleasure. But, even there, “love” can mean “lust,” or it can mean “like, enjoy, or take pleasure in.”

But, this kind of love mentioned here in this passage of scripture is not based on feelings or on what makes us feel good. It is divine love which prefers what God prefers, for it centers in moral preference (1). So, it prefers (chooses, upholds) what is holy, righteous, honest, and pure, etc. And, it loves even when people revile us. And, it loves our enemies and our persecutors, too. For, this love is based on God’s love for us and us loving others with the kind of love he has for us. So, it is shown through actions, i.e. in how we treat people, rather than being based on feelings.

But, evidently this kind of love can be faked, for the encouragement here is that we let this agape (divine love) be genuine (real, honest). For, sadly enough, there are those out there in this world of ours, and even among the gatherings of the church, who are faking their faith in Christ and their love for others. So, they will show kindness and goodwill, and they will do things for people, but not from truth, but from selfish motives, in order to fool people, and to try to make themselves appear good, either as a cover-up for evil, and/or in order to try to make others look bad by comparison.

But, if we are truly loving others with this divine love, which centers in moral preference, we are not going to lie to people, and we are not going to try to trick them or give them a false impression of us or try to make ourselves appear righteous and try to make others look bad by comparison. But, we are going to be honest and sincere in showing love to others. And, we are going to hate what is evil and cling to what is good in how we show love to others, too. For, we will be loving others like Jesus loves us.

Yet, even if our love for others is totally sincere, and even if we are truly loving others like Jesus loves us, it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to love us back. And, it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to feel loved or that they are going to recognize our actions towards them as though it is genuine love, because this word “love” has been so distorted. For, many people have the idea that love is about making people feel good rather than it being about doing for them what is truly for their good, for their benefit.

For, lies can feel good to us, if we believe them, if they are flowery and flattering, etc. But, lies are not kind, and they are never loving. So, if we love others with God-like love, which truly prefers what God prefers, then others may not see it as love, and they may reject, hate and persecute us, in return. So, we need to be patient in tribulation, and keep on praying, and keep on loving people, even if they return our love with hate and rejection.

Romans 12:14-19 ESV

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

This word “bless” is another word that is often loosely thrown around, and is often misused or misinterpreted. For, there is a popular movement right now in the Christian world which is leading professing Christians to go around “blessing” people, yet in the name of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, in many cases, these “blessings” are more about making people feel good, and they have nothing or little to do with actually sharing the gospel message of salvation (deliverance from our slavery to sin). And, there doesn’t have to be anything particularly “Christian” about them, either.

But, this word “bless” really means “good word” or “good reason,” and it has to do more with speaking this good reason to others which then confers benefit to them, i.e. what is beneficial to them (in God’s eyes), i.e. what is for their good, i.e. what is God’s best for them (2). So, it will never be anything contrary to what God prefers, and it will never be ashamed of the true gospel of salvation which delivers people out of their addictions to sin. And, it won’t have as its goal to make people feel good, but to lead them to Jesus as their Lord and master.

So, if we are truly blessing those who persecute us, we are going to say to them and do for them what is absolutely for their best good, and we are not going to trade tit for tat, or try to get even with them. But, what is best for them is Jesus and his gospel message for how they can be delivered out of their slavery to sin and be empowered to walk in his holiness. And, it is meeting their legitimate needs, such as for clothing, food, etc. But, sometimes it is counsel and encouragement to spur them on to do what is right and to not be lazy or rebellious, but to walk in the fear of the Lord.

And, as far as living peaceably and in harmony with others goes, we must know here that this never means compromising our faith, or our morals, or the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to live at peace and in harmony with others. For, we can’t be truly harmonious, in all respects, with those who are opposed to our Lord, but we can live peaceably with them, as much as it is within our power to do so. But, we never sacrifice truth or righteousness in order to be at peace with others, but we can always show kindness and love.

Romans 12:20-21 ESV

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So, if people treat us wrongly, we treat them the right way. If they speak evil against us, we say to them what is for their good, in a way that is loving and kind. If they are mean and hateful to us, we do good to them in return. We don’t let them get to us. We don’t let their treatment of us take us out. Yes, it hurts to be mistreated. But, God can take that hurt and he can heal it. We just have to keep trusting our Lord through it all, believing that he is sovereign over our lives, and he truly is going to work this all out for good.

Pray, Pray, Pray  

An Original Work / September 6, 2012

Based off Various Scriptures

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,

So they may know Christ.

Pray that they may Him better know,

Strengthened by His pow’r.

Pray that they may grasp

How wide and long

And high and deep

Is Christ’s love.

Pray that they may be filled

To the fullness of God’s love.

Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,

So I may share Christ.

Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –

Shared with clarity.

Pray words are given me so

I declare the gospel fearlessly.

I pray for you to be active

Sharing your faith, too.

Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,

So we ask for help.

The Spirit intercedes for us –

Words cannot express.

Just keep on praying for the saints

With all kinds of requests to God.

Pray they may have faith to

Please their God in ev’ry way.

Pray with joyfulness.

https://vimeo.com/119259373

Friday, May 3, 2019

(1)       https://biblehub.com/greek/26.htm 

(2)       https://biblehub.com/greek/2127.htm

Testing the Spirits

I John 4:1-3 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

What is a spirit? It can be an angel or a demon or a ghost. But, it can also be a human soul, the inner self, i.e. a person’s heart – attitude, character, nature, determination, personality and temperament. So, in essence this is saying that we should not believe everyone’s personality, character and heart, i.e. who people proclaim to be in the very center of their being.

But, we are to test these spirits, these characters and hearts of people, to see whether they are from God or not. Why? For many false prophets have gone out into the world. For there are many liars, deceivers and manipulators in the world who will try to convince you that they are one thing while they may be entirely another. But, they lie and deceive in order to trick you into believing them so that they can catch you in their trap.

And, just because someone confesses to be a follower of Jesus with his lips does not mean he is a follower of Christ, either. For, true confession of Christ is not with the lips, but with the heart, with the very essence of who we are down to the very depths of our souls. It is who we are when we think no one else is looking. It is what comes out of our lips, too, when we are under pressure or when we are around certain people we want to impress.

This is not saying that any one of us has to be absolutely perfect, though. Not saying that at all! But, our true character will be revealed by who we are consistently, over long periods of time, no matter who we are with, and no matter the circumstances we are going through. For people can perform, and they can put on facades, and they can play act, and put on a righteous appearance, but it will have holes in it which will be revealed when put to the test. So, we need to not believe that everyone is who he says he is.

I John 4:4-6 ESV

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

There is such a thing as people who are chameleons. They are those who often change their beliefs or behavior, depending on who they are around, in order to please others, or to succeed in some goal or purpose. For, they have a tendency to blend in to their environment and to be like whoever they are around at the time in order to be accepted or to deceive, or both.

So, these liars and deceivers may not always speak from the world, depending upon who they are with or what goal they are trying to achieve. With their lips they may speak righteousness. They may even preach great sermons on holy living, for they know the Bible and what it teaches, and so they can perform well for an audience when it suits their purposes. But, behind closed doors they may engage in all sorts of wickedness.

But, in essence, they are speaking from the world, because one of the things the flesh of humans likes to do is to impress people, and to make people like them. So, they will become whatever they think others want them to be, but not in reality, but in façade only, if they think it will get them accepted, and if they think they can fool people into believing them. And, this is the very essence of what it means to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

But, they are charmers, manipulators and deceivers, and they can be very convincing, and this is why we need to exercise much spiritual discernment all the time. If we are to overcome them, thus, we can’t believe every spirit which comes to us in the name of God, and which proclaims to be a servant of the Lord. For, they are really good at blending together lies and truth, and good and evil, but making it all appear as truth and as righteousness.

Ok, so this says that whoever knows God will listen to us, but whoever does not know God will not listen to us who are from God. Here I must offer a word of caution that we don’t wrongly interpret these words. I believe what this is saying is that if we are truly speaking from God the truths from his Word, in teaching what Jesus and his NT apostles taught, that others who are also from God will listen to us, i.e. there will be a witness of God’s Spirit in their hearts that what we are saying is indeed from God.

But, those who are truly from the world, who think and speak from the world, even if they are putting on a righteous front, won’t really listen to the truth. They may listen with their ears, and they may even give some acknowledgment as to what we are saying, that it is true, or they may not. But, even if they do listen, but their actions reveal they didn’t truly listen, then, at least, it reveals their hearts are not in a right place with God.

But, if what we are speaking is the truth, in love, and if that truth is being lived out in our lives on a consistent basis, but we are being ignored (truly ignored), and if our words are being met with rebuke, criticism and disdain, instead, then that certainly can be an indication that those who oppose us are not truly listening to the Lord, though they may believe that they are. So, we should not take their rejection as a rejection of us, but of God, if they are truly rejecting and responding with disdain to his truths, not ours.

I John 5:2-5 ESV

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

And, this is truth! Yet, many of these liars and deceivers are trying to convince the masses that obeying God’s commands is works-based salvation, and that God requires no obedience of us. Thus, they are reducing love for God down to some mere acceptance or acknowledgment of Jesus and of what he did for us on the cross, but absent of any true submission to his Lordship over their lives.

And, they are reducing love for others down to just doing “good deeds” and making people happy and entertained, and just saying what makes them feel good about themselves, even if they are in the depths of sinful addiction. And, this is why you see so many “Christian” gatherings that are not much (or any) different from those of the world, but are like those gatherings of people who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

For, these manipulators and deceivers are convincing Christians that they need to blend in with the world and become like the world in order to “win” the world. But, what are they winning the world to? Just more of the world.

And, they are winning them to these institutions of men which are being called “church,” but are human businesses being marketed just like any other business. Thus, these market-driven institutions are working to please man, not God, so what they are producing is sheep for them, not for the true shepherd.

But, if we are true followers of Jesus, then we should be winning hearts for him and for his kingdom, not for our earthly kingdoms. And, we should be telling people the truth of what God’s word teaches us, and not watering it down so that people will like us, and so they won’t be offended. But, we do need to be speaking in love, and with compassion and mercy. But, true compassion and mercy do not lie to people in order to make them feel good.

And, the truth is that Jesus died on that cross, not merely to forgive sins and to promise us heaven when we die, but that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 2 Co. 5:15).

So, when we truly believe in Jesus with childlike and God-given faith, what that faith will produce in us is that we will leave our old lives of sin behind us to follow our Lord in obedience to his will and to his ways. And, if we are truly following the Lord in obedience, we will love others with his love, too. And, this is the truth!

Living Water

An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

https://vimeo.com/113088324

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Faith in Action

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible… And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

When we believe in Jesus Christ, to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are trusting in someone we can’t physically see or touch. We can’t audibly hear his voice speaking to us. We can’t see his eyes, or his body language, or his smile, at least not physically with our eyes.

So, faith is not something tangible. It is something spiritual, through which we see with spiritual eyes, not physical ones. Through faith, which is God-given and divinely persuaded, we can trust in what we cannot physically see, touch, hear, smell or taste. It is divinely (spiritually) perceived, which is a gift from God to all who will embrace all that his gift of grace has for us.

As we read further on in this “faith” chapter in the Bible, we will learn more of what all faith means. What we will learn primarily is that faith is followed up with action, if it is true faith. For, if I say I believe that Jesus died to set me free from my sins, but then I continue to live no differently than I did before, then my faith is empty. For example, if I say I believe a chair can hold me up, but I refuse to sit in it, then where is my faith? It is lacking.

So, if we want to please God with our lives, which should be the goal of everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, then we need to have the kind of faith that truly believes Jesus for who he said he is, for what he did for us, and we must believe in his teachings, his warnings and his promises. And, the way that faith is realized is in who we become and how we think and act.

Hebrews 11:7-10 ESV

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

So, what if Noah didn’t build the ark? Did he still have faith? What if Abraham didn’t go where God was leading him when he called him? What if he just stayed where he was because it was more comfortable for him there? What if he felt going where God was leading him was optional? What if he thought that “faith” was just some acknowledgment of God, but it didn’t require that he obey the Lord? Where would his faith be?

Why is it that so many people today, who profess faith in Jesus Christ, will acknowledge Hebrews 11 as the “faith chapter” of the Bible, but then feel as though obedience to God is optional? Or, even that it is not required at all?

Faith results in action, if it is true faith. It is often stepping out into the unknown, doing what our Lord commands, even when we can’t see what lies ahead or where that may land us, or how that might be received by others. For, I imagine that Noah faced a lot of mocking and criticism and false accusations against him while he spent, perhaps, 100 years building that ark. People must have thought he was crazy.

The main thing we see here about these men’s faith is that they put action to what they said they believed. They trusted God, even when they couldn’t see where it was going to lead them. And, they did what the Lord said, even against all human logic and reasoning. For, it wasn’t logical or practical for Abraham to just pick up his family and possessions and just go with God, not having a road map all laid out and no GPS to lead the way. And, it made no human sense at all for Noah to spend all that time building a big boat, either. But, they believed God, and so they did what God told them to do.

Hebrews 11:24-26, 29-30 ESV

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward…
 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

Faith also involves doing what the Lord says to do even against great obstacles and even when what is before us seems absolutely impossible. For, nothing is impossible with God, that is nothing that is in accord with his divine will, purpose and character. No mountains are too high to climb nor oceans too vast to cross over. For, he is the God of the impossible!

Faith means stepping out with our Lord in doing what he says even if emotionally we are trembling in our boots. It means we go against our fears and we even do what we fear the most, because we believe God. And, we believe he is with us and for us, and that he will not leave us or forsake us, and that if he has called us, that he will give us all that we need to accomplish what all he has planned for our lives.

But, that means that we live holy lives, pleasing to God, which are lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin and set apart unto God and to his service. So, we don’t do what the world of sin does. We don’t watch TV shows, movies, and videos filled with the filth of the world. We don’t listen to music with raunchy lyrics. We don’t get on Facebook and fight with people over politics and religion, with biting tongues. And, we don’t take pleasure in gossiping about others or mocking them, either.

But, when we do this, we have to accept the fact that some people are going to reject us. Some people are going to mistreat us, mock us, falsely accuse us, ridicule us, snub us, gossip about us, and the like. And, they may even call us names and misjudge our motives, too, because they are judging us by themselves and by human standards, rather than by God’s standards. And, Satan is going to hotly pursue us, too, for he wants to take us out. But, in all this, we must remain strong in our faith and keep on loving others.

Hebrews 11:35b-38 ESV

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Many Christians throughout the world are being severely persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, and for their testimonies for him and for his gospel. In America, we have faced little of this kind of severe persecution, but it is coming, for the Bible says it is (Matt. 24; Rev. 2-3, 6, 12-14). And, we are already beginning to see the beginning stages of this here in America, too.

What we are seeing now, at least here in America, is not yet severe physical persecution, but it is more along the lines of censorship, i.e. of a silencing of the message of the gospel of our salvation. Political and religious leaders in our nation and across the globe are talking much about how we all need to throw off all that divides us as the people of the world so that we can all come together in unity as one voice, with one heart and with one mind.

Political and religious leaders in our nation and across the world, too, are making a hard case to prove that “religious extremism,” which includes following the scriptures and doing what all God says for Christians to do, is evil, and that it is a hate crime. For, they consider it hateful to say that Jesus is the only way to God the Father and to heaven, or that the Christian faith is the only true faith, or that God requires us to leave our sinful lifestyles behind us in order to follow him in obedience to his commands.

So, we need to be in much prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ all throughout the world who are suffering persecution for the name of Jesus. But, just remember that emotional persecution is still persecution, too. And, censorship of the gospel as taught by Jesus is also persecution. For, abuse comes in many different forms. We don’t have to be physically hurt at all to suffer abuse, for much abuse can’t be seen with eye. So, pray for all your brothers and sisters in Christ to be strong in their faith, and to not give up.

Pray, Pray, Pray  

An Original Work / September 6, 2012

Based off Various Scriptures

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,

So they may know Christ.

Pray that they may Him better know,

Strengthened by His pow’r.

Pray that they may grasp

How wide and long

And high and deep

Is Christ’s love.

Pray that they may be filled

To the fullness of God’s love.

Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,

So I may share Christ.

Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –

Shared with clarity.

Pray words are given me so

I declare the gospel fearlessly.

I pray for you to be active

Sharing your faith, too.

Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,

So we ask for help.

The Spirit intercedes for us –

Words cannot express.

Just keep on praying for the saints

With all kinds of requests to God.

Pray they may have faith to

Please their God in ev’ry way.

Pray with joyfulness.

https://vimeo.com/119259373

Wednesday, May 1, 2019