SALT
& LIGHT
December,
2005
The
Meaning Of Christmas
Christmas
is a celebration of the historic moment when God came to earth in the person of
Jesus Christ for the purpose of redeeming sinful man. The Christmas story begins
not in a manger, but in the garden of Eden. There, God initiated a genealogical
line through Adam and Eve that would remain unbroken, throughout centuries of
slavery, famine, and turbulence, ultimately leading to the Messiah.
Meanwhile,
God begin preparing the world for Christ's arrival. Roman conquests placed men
like Caesar Augustus in charge; his call for a census served God's purposes by
leading Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where the birth of the Messiah had been
prophesied. (Micah 5:2) Rome's influence also led to a network of roads, which
would eventually allow Paul and others to travel the then known world preaching
the Gospel.
God
arranged all of this so that at just the right time, Jesus Christ could arrive
on earth as a baby who would grow up to be our Savior, dying for mankind's sins.
Child of God, we cannot allow ourselves to drift into a materialistic view of
Christmas along with the rest of the world. In a month of colored lights and
glowing candles, we should be burning brighter than ever as His lights to the
world. You think about that.
December,
2005
What is
a Christian ?
What is a Christian?
The question can be answered in many ways, but the best answer I know is
that a Christian is one who has God for his Father.
But cannot this be said
of every man, Christian or not? Emphatically no! The idea that all men are
children of God is not found in the Bible anywhere. The Old Testament shows God
as the Father, not of all men, but His own people, the seed of Abraham. [Israel
is my son, even my firstborn; and I say unto thee, Let my son go...Exodus
4:22]. The New Testament has a world vision, but it to shows God as the Father,
not of all men, but of those who, knowing themselves to be sinners, put their
trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their divine sin-bearer and master, and so
become Abraham's spiritual seed. [Ye are all sons of God, through faith, in
Christ Jesus... ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed... Galatians 3:26]. Sonship to God is not, therefore,
a universal status upon which everyone enters by natural birth, but a
supernatural gift which one receives through receiving Jesus. [No man cometh
unto the Father- In other words, is acknowledged by God as a son-- but by
me... John 14:6]. The gift of sonship to God becomes ours, not through being
born, but through being born again. [As many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God... John 1:12].
My question to you dear
friend, have you been born again? Have you been washed in the blood? Are you a
son or daughter of the living God? If you cannot answer yes to these questions,
then my friend you are facing a devil's hell, separated from God for all
eternity. The Bible says "today is the day of salvation," also
" there is no other name...(Jesus) under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved." Will you not receive Christ today, as Lord
and Savior? And settle the issue once for all. Your very life depends on what
you do with the Son of God; Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in Me will never die." He died for my sins, as
well as your sins friend. You think about that.
Wednesday,
November, 30, 2005
Discipline Your Thought
Life
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- thank about such things. (Philippians
4:8)
The Bible teaches that the Christian is responsible for
what he receives in his mind. Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the earth." On the same order James 1:21
tells us, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,
and receive with meekness the implanted word." Question! Have you
cultivated the habit of holy thinking? It takes a conscious decision on our part
to do that.
May I suggest some principles that will help you set your
mind on heavenly things, and not on the things of this world. (1) Confess any
sins hindering your soul. If you look at impure images that stimulate your lust
and desires, confess it as the sin it is. If you are listening to language that
is not fit for a Christian to listen to, ask God for His forgiveness.
Remember lust and pride are two major sins that most believers struggle with.
You need not only to confess the sins that are enslaving your thinking, but you
need to repent of them, and ask God for the grace to overcome.
(2) Be cautious about the television you watch, the movies
you go to, the music you listen to, the magazines you read, the computer games
you play, the websites you visit. Your mind can be corrupted by any of the
above.
(3) Memorize Scripture that relate to the temptations of
the eyes. Here are some good starters: Psalm 119:37 "Turn away my
eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way." Job
31:1 "I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon
a young woman?" Psalm 101:3 "I will set nothing wicked before
my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me."
Matthew 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye
is good, your whole body will be full of light." 1 John 2:15-16
"Do not love the world... for all that is in the world-- the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- is not of the Father."
Finally: We need to shift our minds from focusing on the
images and ways of the world, to the thoughts and ways of the Master. That means
more Bible study, more memorized Scripture, more Christian music, making new
friends, getting involved in volunteer work, ministering in your church. The old
saying that an idle mind is the devil's playground is true. So stay focused on
what pleases the Savior.
Tuesday,
November, 15, 2005
What
God Says
We say; "It's
impossible." God says; "All things are possible"(Lk.18:27)
We say; "I'm too
tired." God says; "I will give you rest"(Matt.11:28)
We say; "I can't
do it." God says; "You can do all things"(Phil.4:13)
We say; "I'm not
able." God says; "I am able"(2Cor.9:8)
We say; "It's not
worth it." God says; "It will be worth it"(Rom.8:28)
We say; "Nobody
really loves me." God says; "I really love you"(Jn.3:16)
We say; "I can't
go on." God says; "My grace is sufficient"(2Cor.12:9)
We say; "I can't
figure things out." God says; "I will direct your
steps"(Prov.3:5-6)
We say; "I can't
forgive myself." God says; "I forgive you"(1Jn.1:9)
We say; "I can't
manage." God says; "I will supply all your needs"(Phil.4:19)
We say; "I'm
afraid." God says; "I have not given you a spirit of
fear"(2Tim.1:7)
We say; "I'm
always worried." God says; "Cast all your cares on Me"(1Pet.5:7)
We say; "I don't
have faith." God says; "My Word gives faith" (Rom.10:17)
We say; "I'm not
smart enough." God says; "I will give you wisdom"(Jas.1:5)
We say; "I feel
all alone." God says; "I will never leave you or forsake
you"(Heb.13:5)
It is easy to get
discouraged when things go wrong, but we must not lose heart. Remember God is at
work in our world and He is in control. Even in the midst of pain and trial. He
has promised to always be with us and to never leave us. The outline above
points out that for any negative thing we say to ourselves, God has a positive
answer for it. Child of God, do we not serve an awesome God? One who loves us
unconditionally? Who proved His love at Calvary? This being true, we of all
people should be encouraged and not discouraged, no matter what the
circumstances. Give Him praise and thanksgiving today, for who He is and what He
has done and will do. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Sunday,
October, 30, 2005
PSALM
100:1-5
Shout for joy to
the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with
joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
The Lord should be praised and worshiped
joyfully. Notice! He is Sovereign, He is the Creator, and those who trust Him
are His possession. They follow Him, for they are the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates
with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise
His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness
continues through all generations.
God's people need to praise the Lord for
His goodness, love, and faithfulness. These blessings endure from generation
to generation. Every generation of believers are called to express their
feelings of gratitude and praise to God.
Worship is central
in the Christian life; Christ is central to worship; joy is the right attitude
to bring to worship, and a fuller knowledge of Christ is the expected result
of worship. May I say acceptable worship is based on God's Sovereignty and
centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John
4:24 that we are to "worship in spirit and truth." To worship in
spirit means to worship from a consecrated heart, a heart that is
committed to Christ. To worship in truth means to worship honestly and
biblically, with our worship focused on Christ who is The Truth. May we
be encouraged to worship the Lord with gladness; to enter His presence
with thanksgiving; for He alone is worthy of our worship.
Saturday,
October, 15, 2005
Measure
Your Obedience
Do
what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you.
(Deuteronomy 6:18)
It's
easy to talk about obedience in general terms; but when it really comes down to
it, where do we stand? Are we obedient children or disobedient children? Do we
take God at His Word or just play the game? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, contains as
many as twenty five separate commands, each given for our good. Why not turn
that chapter into a test to measure your obedience.
Ask
yourself: Am I honoring the leaders at my church (v. 12)? Contributing to
the unity of my church (v. 13)? Warning the unruly (v. 14)? Being patient with
everyone (v. 14)? Refusing to get even with those who hurt me (v. 15)? Rejoicing
always (v. 16)? Praying without ceasing (v. 17)? Giving thanks in all
circumstances (v. 18)? Abstaining from every form of evil (v. 22)?
Vance
Havner once said, "If we are professors of His Name without being partners
of His nature, we are hypocrites." You think about that.
Friday,
September, 30, 2005
A
Word on Sanctification
Most
Bible students know that in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures the word
holiness and sanctification, with scarcely any exceptions have the same meaning.
In the Old Testament both words come from the same Hebrew root; likewise in the
New Testament, both words come from the same Greek root. The Hebrew and Greek
words for sanctification and holiness simply mean to set apart as sacred, to
consecrate, to dedicate. May I say that both in our salvation and in our walk
with the Lord, it has been God's purpose, not merely to set us apart from the
world, but to set us apart as sacred to Himself. Sanctification speaks of God's
love to us more than of our love to Him.
God
wants us for Himself. He considers us His hallowed possession, much as a
bridegroom considers his bride his very own, sacred to himself. This shows how
precious the believer is to the heart of God and makes our separation from the
world and sin the natural result of our consecration to Him. Paul says in
1Thessalonians 1:9, ...."you turned to God from idols...." notice he
did not say you turned from idols to God. Child of God, true Scriptural
sanctification, or holiness, does not consist in dos and don'ts, nor sinless
perfection. It is rather a consecration to God which results in a closer walk
with Him. You think about that.
...."from
the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the
Spirit and through belief in the truth." (2Thes. 2:13)
"To
God's elect,....who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus
Christ and sprinkling by His blood:" (1Peter 1:1-2)
Thursday,
September 15, 2005
WHAT
HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL?
If
Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to those who’ve never heard the
gospel, but follow their own religions? Can they be saved?
“Isn’t it unfair for God to send people to hell even if
they’ve never heard about Him or His Son, Jesus Christ?” Whether it’s
asked with the utmost sincerity or used as a convenient excuse to reject God, we
must realize that Christianity’s truthfulness depends not on how this question
is answered, but upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor.
15:13-19).
While the Bible affirms that Christ is the only Savior (Acts
4;12), it also states that God is truly just (Gen. 18:25; Job 34;12; Acts 17:31)
and he loves us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3; John 3:16; cf. 2 Pet. 3:9).
He continues to demonstrate this by making Himself known through His handiwork
in creation (Rom. 1:19-20), but he also inscribes his knowledge on the very
tablets of our hearts, or conscience (Rom. 2:14-15). Because no one has been
kept in the dark about God, we’re all accountable to Him (Luke 12:47-48).
In spite of this, man has answered God’s love with
rebellion, repeatedly rejecting what God has revealed (Rom. 3:10-18). All of us
deserve to be sentenced to hell. But despite our depravity, God has mercifully
chosen to provide a way to save us.
Although God is sovereign and he can deal with individuals
in extraordinary ways, He tells us in the Bible that there’s no other way to
reach Him except through His one provision — the Lord Jesus Christ (John
14:6). From this, we can only conclude that those who have never heard of Christ
are indeed lost. They’re lost as a result of their own actions, and not
because of God. People don’t end up in hell because of what they haven’t
heard; they get there because of their failure to act responsibly on what God
has already revealed to them — whether through creation in Romans 1, through
their conscience in Romans 2, or through the light of Christ in Romans 3. Let
us, therefore, labor all the more to bring God’s message to a world in
desperate need of salvation (Rom. 1:16; 10:13-15). And remember that if those
who’ve never heard the gospel are indeed going to go to heaven, why should we
even be involved in foreign missions? Let’s just keep everyone in the dark. In
fact if you really draw this argument out to its logical conclusion, Jesus
Christ did not come to seek and save those who are lost, he would have come to
seek and lose those who are saved. He would then not be the great savior of the
world, he would become it’s great destroyer.
Tuesday,
August 30, 2005
God
prepares the way
It
is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way- a voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight paths for Him." (Mark 1:2-3)
As
the passage above teaches, preparation is important to God. May I say God has
nothing for the church or for individual Christians for which He has not made
adequate preparation. You can raise all kinds of questions, like how will I face
death when it comes? What if I lose my job? What if I get sick? What if my
children turn away from me? What if I don't have enough money to pay the bills?
What if my wife or husband leaves me? What if a family member gets sick with a
terminal illness? And it can go on and on, you get the picture.
Child
of God, while I don't know if you will be faced with any of these struggles, I
do know one thing, that if you are, you will have been adequately prepared by
the God of the universe. When and if it happens, you will find that God is there
and that you have been adequately prepared.
You
didn't become a Christian out of the clear blue. Pascal's comment, "I would
not have searched for Thee unless Thou had already found me," is true. You
are the child of the King, so relax, knowing that He will prepare you for
anything you have to face. You need not worry, just stay close to the One who
does the preparing. You think about that.
Saturday,
August 20, 2005
God's
timing is perfect
Now
after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God and saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15).
This
passage and others, (Ecclesiastes 3:1,17; Habakkuk 2:2-3; John 7:6; Galatians
4:4, for example), teach that God has a time table for events to happen, and His
timing is always perfect, without exception. The incarnation was perfect in timing. If
Christ had come fifty years earlier, or fifty years later, you would have never
known His name. May I say God has a perfect timed plan.
Because
God's timing is perfect, because there is a time for everything, and because
God's plan will come at the right time, you can trust Him without reservation.
Child of God, if you are going through some bad times right now, and you have
pleaded with God for deliverance, He knows what you can take. Believe me, He
will give relief and His timing will be perfect. You can count on that. Give Him
praise and glory now, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Wednesday,
August 10, 2005
Teaching
Truth
Therefore,
rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of
every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you
may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1
Peter 2:1-3)
Regular,
consistent teaching and preaching of biblical truth is what every Christian
needs, not clever talk, not flashy techniques, not new methods, or culturally
relevant sermons, but divine truth, honored, studied, taught, and
re-taught. Why? Because God's Word is timeless, dynamic, and fundamental to
godly living. No one ever outgrows it or exhausts its immeasurable depth.
Scripture,
when energize by the Holy Spirit, is the source of our spiritual growth.
Expository verse-by-verse Bible teaching and preaching is how God uses His
faithful pastors to build His church, and we best not forget that. Internalizing
spiritual truth so that it shows up in our lives can only happen child of God,
when proper
attention is given to God's Word. May I say, ever believer needs to be under
good sound Bible teaching, anything less is shameful and a disgrace. You think about that.
Saturday,
July 30, 2005
The
value of a promise
Question!
What has God promised you? For starters, He has promised never to leave or
forsake you. The God of the universe has promised that His grace will be
adequate and you will live forever. He has promised you strength in the midst of
troubles. And He has promised to back up those promises with unlimited resources
and absolute integrity. So why do you worry so much? May I say God has promised.
That settles it, so don't worry about it.
Do
not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go. (Joshua 1:9)
For
He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we
may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to
me?" (Hebrews 13:5)
Wednesday,
July 20, 2005
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for
they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every
day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11, NIV).
Unfortunately
many people blindly follow religious leaders,
never
questioning what they really believe and teach. This is especially
true in the various cults. It can be so in any church
or group, especially where legalism and false teaching exists.
Can you imagine questioning the Apostle Paul, the most powerful Christian leader
in the early church? But the people
of Berea in ancient Greece did this to make sure that what
he was teaching was in line with God's Word.
And they were commended for it.
It's
important that we, too, learn to study and know the Scriptures for ourselves,
and question or review everything we are taught to make sure it is what God's
Word teaches. While we need to respect faithful leaders, we must make God's Word
our "final voice of authority" and not the words of men, some of whom are fakes and frauds. You
think about that.
Sunday,
July 10, 2005
Jesus
is the Judge
All
who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior will one day face Him as their Judge.
"God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He
has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man
whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the
dead" (Acts 17:30-31).
2
Thessalonians 1:7-9 says, "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do
not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And
these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of His power."
The
Bible also says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Dear friend are you in Christ Jesus? Have you
been truly born again? Have you repented of your sin? Only you know the answer
to these questions. May I say, if you have not received Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior, you face an eternity separated from God. In a place the Bible
says, "was prepared for the devil and his angels." A place described
as a lake of everlasting fire, "where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."
Note!
God's perfect Word concerning salvation; "that if you confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation....For whoever calls on the name of
the LORD shall be saved." (Romans
10:9-10,13) You think about that.
Saturday,
June 25, 2005
Our
Attraction to Self Righteousness!
The clearest indication of the fall of
Adam and therefore the greatest danger to Christians, I believe is found
primarily in our attraction to self-righteousness. It is not the lack of
obedience or commitment; it is not bad theology or the violation of the commands
of God. No, it is our need to be right; to appear to be good and to correct the
sin of the world. That child of God is the clearest sign of our sin nature. May
I say it was not the prostitutes or the winos that received Jesus’ harsh
words. It was the religious people of that day whose purpose was to be good and
to be perceived as good.
Jesus
said to them in Matthew 23; “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within
are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly
appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness” (verses 27-28).
It is so easy to forget where He found us. It is
also easy to forget how He loves us. Peter wrote, “Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you
have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). In other words, child of God don’t
forget, where He found you, and don’t forget that He loves you. You think
about that.
Friday,
June 17, 2005
Take
It Off
To
Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us
kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever
and ever, Amen. Revelation 1:6
But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 1:9
The
High Priest of Israel wore holy garments of blue and white, a breast plate of
twelve precious gems, and a white turban framed by a golden crown with a golden
plate on the front which read, "Holy to the Lord." On the one day of
the year that the High Priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies, he had
to strip himself of all his garments, and wear instead a simple covering of
white linen. May I say, there is a lesson here for us, as we follow our
calling.
Note!
The
quoted Scripture above, teaches that all believers, are a royal priesthood. As
called out priest, we need to strip ourselves of all ego and pride. If you
really want to enter God's presence and find freedom, joy and peace, then take
off status, achievements, pretenses, defenses, ect. and come just as you are, just you, as His
child. Be real to God and you will find God as He is, for real. You think about
that.
Friday,
June 10, 2005
The
Never-Ending Banquet
In
Proverbs 15:15 it says: "All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who
is of a merry heart has a continual feast." The Hebrew word translated
afflicted can also be translated downcast, and refers to people who look down.
You could paraphrase Proverbs 15:15 to read; (All the days of those who look down
are bad, but for the happy heart, life is a never-ending banquet). May I say, we
tend to put greater focus on the quality of the days, the circumstances if you
will, rather than on the quality of
the heart.
We
seek good days, we want good things to happen in our lives. We believe if good
things happen, our lives will be full of joy and peace. This is not true. Child
of God, the truth is in the proverb, your life is not in the hands of your days
or circumstances. Your life is in the hands of a loving Father who is Sovereign
over His creation....a heart committed to Jesus, filled with the love of God
will make your days a never-ending banquet. If you look down all the time, your
days will be evil, but if you look up, in faith, hope, love and worship, your
days will be full of freedom, joy and faithfulness to Christ. You think about that.
Friday,
June 3, 2005
Serving
False Gods
There
were many pagan altars in the ancient world, and the worship of false gods, was
common. Even in Israel there were pagan altars, located
on mountain tops, on hill tops, by trees, and in sacred groves. Those Israelites
who turned away from the living and true God, to worship these pagan idols, offered up sacrifices, to include
even their own children.
May
I say; There is a cost to not following the true God. Indeed the god of money, the god of
lust and sexual immorality, the gods of alcohol, drugs, ambition, success,
status, popularity, materialism, self-centeredness, self-pity, spite, and fear
all have their altars, and they all exact heavy prices. They will demand that
you sacrifice your peace, your joy, your marriage, your family, your health,
your dignity, your reputation, even your life.
Dear
friend, turn
to the altar of the living God, on Calvary, where the true God, in love, offered
up His life for you. Give your life to the God who gave His life for you. All
the other gods are not worth it. You think about that.
Monday,
May 30, 2005
The
Practice of Joy
One
of the greatest arguments against atheism is the atheist. Think about it: Have
you ever met an atheist who's really happy over atheism? In fact most atheist
will admit, that deep down in their hearts they are not happy at all over their
belief in no God. May I say, atheism produces no joy, no cleansing, no freedom,
and no love. The very word atheism is not a positive statement but a negative
one. It comes from "A THEOS" and means "without God." To be
without God is to be without joy, period.
Child
of God, don't ever forget the darkness that God saved you from. And don't forget
that, no matter what you don't have, if you are in Christ, you have salvation, freedom, joy, hope, and love. Atheism is manifested by the absence of
salvation, freedom, hope, joy, and love. But dear friend, God is manifested by its presence.
Remember, when you have Christ you have everything.
Throughout
your day today, think of all the things you can thank God for and be joyful
about. "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"
(Philippians 4:4)
Monday,
May 23, 2005
Never
to Old
Moses
grew up in Egypt as an Egyptian prince. When he was forty he lost his
privileges, all his status, and riches, and became a fugitive, a wanderer in the
desert. He reached age fifty, then age sixty, then retirement age, in the middle
of nowhere, a nobody, washed up, former Egyptian prince, now an old has been,
his life almost over. Finally, he reached the age of eighty, and then God called
him into ministry, and the rest is history. In fact almost all we know of Moses
happened after he was eighty.
May
I say; you may also have felt that your best days are past, that you have wasted
to much time, that life has passed you by, that your greatest moments and
usefulness to God is behind you and gone. But for the greatest servant of God in
the Old Testament, life and ministry began at eighty. God is the God of the now,
and there is no such thing as lost time. Dear friend, He will restore the years
the locusts have eaten. You just have to rise to the call. You think about that.
Sunday,
May 15, 2005
The
Believer's Resurrection With Christ
Question!
How can one die to the old life and be raised to walk in newness of life? The
answer is: -(by grace through faith). What Christ has done for us by grace, we
must receive and appropriate by faith. Jesus by an act of infinite grace,
identified Himself with us, dying our death. We by an act of simple faith, must
identify ourselves with Him, confessing "I am a sinner, it is my death He
is dying. I will accept His grace and commit myself to Him for salvation."
The moment this is done we become one with the once- crucified, ever living
Christ.
May
I say; Calvary is the meeting place where the identification is effected. No man
was ever made one with Christ without being made one with Him in His death. The
apostle Paul says in Romans 6:3-4 "Or do you not know that as many of us
as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we
were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life.
Child
of God, When the sinner acknowledges Christ death as his own and trust Christ
for salvation, not only does he receive a standing before God as having been
crucified, buried and raised with Christ, but the Spirit seals the transaction,
uniting him in a vital, living relationship with Christ. The believer actually
becomes a partaker of Christ resurrection life.
If
then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not
on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God. Colossians 3:1-3
Monday,
May 9, 2005
Examine
Yourselves
Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your
own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2
Corinthians 13:5).
Paul
is not saying that we should check our works to see if we are saved. Surely the
carnal Corinthians would have failed any such test! Rather the context tells us
that when Paul told the Corinthians to "examine" themselves,
he was responding to those who would "examine" him (1 Cor. 9:1-3). He
did not doubt their salvation; they doubted his apostleship (2 Cor. 13:3). Paul
argues that if they were in the faith, it proved that he was an apostle indeed,
for he had led them to Christ (1 Cor. 4:15). In his first epistle to the
Corinthians, Paul put it this way.
If
I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine
apostleship are ye in the Lord (1 Cor. 9:2).
The
fact that the Corinthians were in the Lord and in the faith, was proof of his
apostleship (2 Cor. 13:3), and should have removed all doubt.
May
I say; to remove all doubt about our salvation, we must never look to ourselves,
we must always look to God's Word, which assures us that while we are
unacceptable to God in ourselves, we who are saved are ever and always accepted
in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). You think about that.
Thursday,
May 5, 2005
Grace
& Freedom
John
Newton was a slave trader. Then he had an encounter with the Lord and gave his
life to Jesus. He renounced his sinful lifestyle and the enslaving of human
beings. He wrote, "Amazing Grace." His friend, William Wilberforce,
another believer, became an influential member of Parliament. John Newton
encouraged his friend to do everything in his power to abolish slavery in
England. So Wilberforce labored tirelessly to end slavery, and in 1833 succeeded
in having the English Parliament abolish slavery throughout the empire.
The
abolition of slavery and Amazing Grace go together. May I say that if you are a
believer, the Amazing Grace of God is so powerful it ended your slavery to sin.
So praise Him with your lips, but also praise Him with your life. Let His love
bring freedom into your life and lead you to bring freedom to the lives of
others- for God's Amazing Grace sets the prisoner free. You think about
that.
Saturday,
April 30, 2005
Seeing
with Joy
There's
a secret to finding real joy, and it's found in the Hebrew word (ra-ha). The
interesting thing is that this same word for joy is rooted in the Hebrew word
that means "to see". In Hebrew, to be joyful is to see and to
see is to be joyful. So what is there to see, that would give real joy? May I
say that if you are a child of the King, then real joy is seen in truth, in the
truth that God is love, that He has redeemed you, paid your sin debt, and
forgiven you. that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, that you are His
workmanship, in the world but not of the world.
If
you see His love, His purity, His compassion, His grace, His fullness, you have
no choice but to be joyful. Open the eyes of your heart. See with faith. Take
God at His word. Believe Him, trust Him, love Him, worship Him. You have more
reasons than you can ever imagine to rejoice. You just have to start seeing it.
Don't
be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting
shadows. He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a
kind of firstfruits of all He created. JAMES 1:16-18
Monday,
April 25, 2005
Man's
Freewill--- Lost in The Fall
No one can come to Me, unless the
Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. [John
6:44]
Just as He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before Him, in love. He predestined us to adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, [Ephesians
1:4-5]
For many are
called, but few are chosen. [Matthew 22:14]
Augustine said;
“We have a free will, but we have lost our liberty.” (The freedom to choose
Christ as our own)
Edwards said; “as fallen human
beings we retain our natural freedom (the power to act according to our desires)
but lose moral freedom.” (Disposition or inclination and desire of the soul
toward righteousness)
May I say God must change our heart. At
conversion we are given a new nature that enables us to love God with all our
heart, mind and will. God changes the disposition of our heart and plants a
desire for Himself within us, which we otherwise would not have. Then we choose
Him out of the desire that is within. We freely choose Him because we want to
choose Him. That is the wonder of His grace. Thank God for His mercy, His love,
and His grace. The Father selects, the Son saves, and the Holy Spirit seals.
Give Him praise and glory. Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
WHO IS
JESUS
"But what about
you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:29a) With this
question Jesus confronted His followers with the most important issue they would
ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about who
He was. About His identity, about His authority.
Now the time had come for
them to make a decision; either believe (place their trust in Him) or deny Him.
Dear friend; Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not
only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well. May I say that
only Jesus can redeem you, free you from the power and penalty of your sins.
Jesus is the living God, the Holy One, the Savior, the only valid object of
saving faith, the sovereign Lord, and the righteous Judge. If you have never
received Christ as your Lord and Savior, will you repent and receive Him now?
Your eternal future is in the balance. You think about that.
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