COME LET US REASON TOGETHER

WHAT ARE JESUS' COMMANDMENTS?

2011-11-30T09:26:00.007-05:00

John 14:15 – The Commands of Jesus

If God loves us unconditionally, how do we account for those scriptures that link His love with our obedience, like this one:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)

A legalist reads this backwards: “You will keep my commandments if you love me.” In other words, we must prove our love for God by doing what He commands. Commandment-keeping is our duty, a condition we must meet if we are to enjoy His love. But someone who is walking in grace reads it just as Jesus said it. He understands that keeping His commands is a by-product of love. Paul explains this in Romans 8:3-4, but let me give you an everyday example inspired by something I read from Steve McVey:

Here in New Zealand we have a big problem with domestic violence. Consequently, there are many laws governing the responsibilities of fathers. Break any of these laws and you might go to jail or have your kids taken away. It’s a serious business. But to be honest, I couldn’t tell you what these laws are. I’ve never read them. Yet I can confidently declare that I am keeping every one of these laws. How do I know? Because I love my kids. I don’t keep the laws to show the authorities that I love my kids and I don’t relate to my children on the basis of these laws. I relate to them on the basis of love and keeping the laws of the land flows naturally from that love relationship. I know the laws serve a good purpose, but they weren’t written for me. They were written for fathers who don’t love their kids.

Similarly, the laws found in the Bible were not written for those who love Jesus (1 Tim 1:9). Contrary to what the legalist may tell you, keeping the laws to earn what He freely offers is a surefire sign that you don’t know the love of God. A legalist reads the words of Jesus above and sees a threat. Do the commandments or else! But love makes no threats. Jesus is returning for a bride and it won’t be a shotgun wedding.

What are the commands of Jesus?

The next time someone tells you that you must keep the commands of Jesus to prove your love, ask them, “what are the commands of Jesus?” They will probably respond with the greatest commandment which is, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul” (Mt 22:38). This is fine, I guess. But if you insert that command into the phrase above it becomes, “If you love me, you will love me with all your heart, mind and soul,” which is kind of redundant.

If you read John 14:15 in context, you will see that on this occasion Jesus is referring to two specific commands. Here’s the first:

“A new command I give you: Love one another….” (Jn 13:34)

And here’s the second:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me… Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves” (Jn 14:1,11)

How can we be certain that these are His commandments? Because John – who was there when Jesus spoke these words – says so in one of his letters:

“And this is His command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.” (1 Jn 3:23)

What does it mean to keep His commands?

Lest we dilute His commandments to accommodate our experience, Jesus outlines His expectations of obedience for both. Here’s what He expects from the first:

“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jn 13:34)

How did Jesus love us? By laying down His life for us (Jn 15:3). That’s a high standard of love! Indeed, there is no greater love. And what are His expectations regarding the second commandment:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…” (Jn 14:12)

Believe in Jesus and you will do the works of Jesus. Put it altogether and Jesus is saying this:

“If you love me, you will love one another as I have loved you and your faith in me will lead to miracles like I have been doing and greater miracles still.”

If you’ve been in any church for at least five years, you will know that Jesus’ first commandment is pretty much humanly impossible to keep, while the second commandment is definitely impossible. So the next time someone tries to lay a heavy burden on you by telling you that you must keep Jesus’ commandments to earn God’s love, just ask them how many people they’ve raised from the dead! When they look puzzled, tell them that Jesus commanded us to believe in Him and He said that those who did would do the same works He did and greater works besides!

Now that we begin to understand what Jesus wasn’t saying – He wasn’t saying that we need to keep His commandments to prove our love – we’re ready to dig deeper into what He was saying.

What Happens to Unfruitful Branches?

Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). In the hands of a religious person this becomes a conditional statement: You have to keep the commands of Jesus to prove your love. The problem with that, however, is the commands of Jesus are impossible to keep. Jesus said anyone who keeps His commands, “will do what I have been doing and even greater things.” Well Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. Can you? On your own it’s impossible, but that’s okay because you know what? Jesus has a plan. In the very next verse He begins to tell us what it is:

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.” (Jn 14:16)

Who is the Helper? He’s the Holy Spirit, the One who empowers us to show and tell the gospel of the kingdom. (Romans 15:19). (Note that the Holy Spirit doesn’t come and go. Jesus said He will “be with you forever”!) Jesus then tells the disciples that on the day that the Holy Spirit is given,

“… you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (Jn 14:20)

This is the most awesome, incredible thing in the world! This is the mystery that Paul sought to make known to the Gentiles – Christ is in you! And you’re in Him! Do you need a picture to help you see this? Then look at the picture:

Jesus said He is the true vine and we are the branches. Look at the picture and draw a mental circle around the vine. Do you see any branches that are not part of the vine? The vine is bigger than any branch but there’s no branch that is not also vine. Touch any branch and you are touching the vine. This is how Hudson Taylor describes it:

“Here, I feel, is the secret: not asking how I am to get sap out of the Vine into myself, but remembering that Jesus is the Vine – the root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit all indeed… I have not got to make myself a branch. The Lord Jesus tells me I am a branch. I am part of him and I have just to believe it and act upon it.” (Quoted in The Normal Christian Life, pp.56-7)

Now Jesus knows that you can’t bear fruit – “no branch can bear fruit by itself” (Jn 15:4) – but He plans to bear His fruit through us. What’s our part in this? He wants us to abide in Him, which means to dwell or stay put. It means don’t run off and try to do your own thing in your own strength. What’s His part? He plans to live His life through us and go on healing the sick and delivering the oppressed and doing all the other heaven-on-earth things He did when He was here in the flesh (Mk 16:17-18).

Are you a branch with no fruit?

What happens to unfruitful branches? Jesus said the branches that don’t bear fruit are "lifted up" (Jn 15:2). They are not cut off – that is a bad translation that would’ve made no sense to a Mediterranean listener! A viticulturalist would never throw away a branch for that would be like amputating part of the vine. (See my note in the comments for more.) Unfruitful branches are lifted out of the dirt and re-dressed so they can be nourished by the sun. Sticking with that metaphor, the reason why some Christians are barren is that they’re facedown in the dirt and not looking at the Son. They’re busy, distracted, stressed, and have wandered from their protos agape, their primary love. When believers lose sight of Christ's love they tend to become religious, just like the Ephesians. The next thing you know, they’re thinking that they have do stuff like obey His commandments to prove their love or earn His.

What is the remedy for unfruitful branches? God is. He is the Gardener who does the lifting up. He is not there to slash and burn but to prune and lift. As you begin to bear fruit it will be for His glory, not yours. If you’ve been distracted doing the dead works of religion, just stop and come back to your first love which is His love. His love is like food for us. We are energized by it. I might tell myself that I am writing these posts because of my love for Him, but in truth, it’s His love for me that compels me to tell others the good news. I would not love Him except that He has first loved me (1 Jn 4:19).

When Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments,” He was not making a threat but a promise! He was saying, “If you love me you will do the works and greater works that I have done because I’m the one who’s going to do them through you. Trust me! Believe in me! Abide in me!” Why does Jesus say we will do greater works? Because 2000 years ago there was only one Christ, but now there are millions of "Little Christs." Back then He was just a tender shoot (Is 53:2), but now He’s a mighty vine with branches reaching into every place. Back then God lived in just one man, but now He lives in millions of men, women and children all around the world and He wants out! What are the greater works? They are the works of Jesus done millions of times over, every day, all over the world by ordinary branches like you and me.

Aren’t you amazed that God operates this way – through people? Carnal religion says it’s all about you and your faith so you’d better perform, but the gospel of grace declares it’s about Him and His faith so rest! Paul understood this which is why he said, “the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me” (Gal 2:20).

Branches can not bear fruit but vines can and do so naturally, without any effort. As a branch you carry the nature of the True Vine in you and He will bear His fruit through you. He promised! Do you believe Him?

At this point you probably want me to tell you what to do. “What’s the takeaway? What must I do?” We Christians are so hung up on working for God that we don’t know what to do with Jesus when He says, “just abide!” Okay, here’s something you can do. Write this down. The next time you’re faced with a problem or trial, take a moment to let Jesus love on you. Allow the Lifter of your head to turn your gaze from the dirt back to Himself and then bask in His love. He is already shining on you. He has already been gracious to you and blessed you and given you His peace. Receive it!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9)

---Paul Ellis

CHRISTIAN KVETCHING?

2011-11-22T22:01:00.002-05:00

We may know it by different terms -- such as griping, grumbling, whining, or belly-aching. In the King James version of the Bible, the common term used was “murmuring.” But regardless of the word we use to describe it, complaining always has the has the same syptoms. The dictionary defines it as “an expression of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or discontent.” Complaining is the outward expression of discontent from within.

As we look back into the Old Testament and see how God dealt with the Children of Israel, we discover that the Lord always considered their complaints as an act of unbelief directed toward Him. When they complained about their circumstances, their type of food, and even at Moses, God was displeased because they weren’t thankful for what He had provided them. He was disappointed that they refused to trust in Him to provide, protect, and direct the order of their lives. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).

Complaining is Evidence of Unbelief

Regardless of whatever circumstances may cause discontent or dissatisfaction, complaining is always an expression of unbelief toward God’s order in our life. You see, the whole premise of Christianity is that Jesus becomes the Lord (boss) of our life and our circumstances. They are in his hands. Thus, if believers complain, it really becomes an accusation against our Lord, in whom we’ve trusted our lives. “...for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD” (Ex. 16:8). (See also Psm. 106:24-26)

Complaining is unbelief in God’s Word which says “...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). If the Christian really believes that the Lord is in control of their life, and is working “ALL THINGS together for our good,” he will stop complaining and start thanking the Lord for the plan He is working together for us.

Even when the Devil comes against our faith with trials that are “not so good,” God will even turn these situations around and “work them together for good” as we remain steadfast in faith. Don’t become bitter and start complaining, but continue to praise God and give thanks to God “in spite” of all things. This will prevent the Devil from overcoming you with discouragement and will send him fleeing. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Thanksgiving is the expression of gratefulness and faith in God, and is the very opposite of complaining. Giving of thanks expresses appreciation for what God has done, what He has promised, and the confidence that He is directing our life with His order and provision. God will answer prayers and work in the behalf of the thankful (Psm. 50:14-15).

Complaining gives Place to the Devil

The Apostle Paul warned Christians to avoid the danger of complaining. “...nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). In this Paul indicated that complaining actually gives place to the Devil in our lives and opens the door to destruction by Satan (the destroyer). The Devil thrives in an atmosphere of complaining. Complaining can literally invoke a curse of destruction as it did in the lives of the Israelites who were destroyed in the wilderness.

The Israelites kept complaining that they were going to die in the wilderness (Num. 14:2-3), so the Lord finally got fed up with their whining and actually allowed their complaints to come upon them. He said, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, As I live, says the LORD, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above” (Num. 14:27-29). The Lord allowed the Destroyer to answer their complaints with the very destruction that they confessed and predicted.

Complaining is Not for Christians

The Apostle Paul tells Christians to do all things without complaining (Phil. 2:14), and the epistle of Jude places complainers in the same category as ungodly sinners who will inherit judgment: “...to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds... These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts...” (Jude 1:15-16). Complaining is common-place in the lives of unbelievers who have no trust in God, but Christians should be people of faith, filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving.

Besides this, the Bible teaches all believers to dwell upon the “good and virtuous” things (Phil. 4:8). So if all Christians obeyed this scripture, what would they find to complain about? Complaining is evidence of not obeying God’s Word.

What about the root of complaining? As said previously, “complaining” is an expression of discontent. Therefore, if Christians were “content” in Christ Jesus as Paul said we should be, they wouldn’t have anything to complain about. “...for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). (See also 1 Tim. 6:8, Heb. 13:5)

I use to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord (which God hates - Prov 6:16-19), and can invoke an invitation for the destroyer to cause havoc with our lives.

How important it is that believers guard the words of their mouth! The scriptures tell us that our words are literally the basis for whether we are justified or condemned. Realizing this, we should eradicate negative words, griping, or grumbling, and fill our mouth with praise and thanksgiving!

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37). --from Dr. Dale A. Robbins

TIME WITH DADDY

2011-11-05T15:42:00.006-04:00

My daughter is a college sophomore and for the last fourteen months I've noticed her need for regular "Mommy time" is not as imperative as it once was, much to my dismay. I have raised her to live her own life and when I begin to feel neglected I recall my primary function in her life: to raise her to become an upstanding member of our community, give her principles to live by, and offer advice when needed and wanted. But still, those heart-pang moments are difficult. And when all of our communications are while she is running between classes or when she is among others chatting in her dorm, it is easy to feel less like a priority to her and more like a duty, an obligation, an after-thought. While I know this is not the case and it is just her busy life right now, still the feelings come.

I recently realized it is quite like that with our Father God. We live such busy lives and, much like my daughter, we can forget to sit down and spend time with the One Who loves us. I was reminded of that as I lay awake in my bed in the wee hours two nights ago, thinking about how much I missed my daughter filling me in on her thoughts, her plans, her day. How she was developing into this amazing young woman and I was missing out on the little steps getting her there. And during that early morning hour He gently whispered, "I miss you, too. It's just like that for Me."

Now, we know God is omnipotent and knows us, our lives and everything in them. But even Jesus made time to be alone with God. Earlier that very day I had asked God how to find time to "Be still and know that I am God" in our crazy busy world. Granted, I talk to Him constantly-- while driving, doing the dishes, taking a walk, studying the bible, shopping, even while showering! Multi-tasking. But months ago the practice of sitting down with Him regularly gave way to the busyness in my life.

And now God was showing me through a glaring example: just like I crave time where the ones I love actually want to visit with me, want to share their lives with me, and want to find out what I'm doing these days; so does God. As this revelation cast it's bright light into my brain, I realized that God was showing me how to "be still and know" in the way He does best: through a life-application demonstration. God desires what any parent desires: for their child to want to include them, seek them, love them.

The message was received. And when I rose that morning and began to make my way with a cup of tea and journal to visit with my Heavenly Father for a bit, I checked my text messages first. There, in tiny font, posted some time late in the night, was a note from my daughter that made my heart burst open with happiness. It read: "I'm gonna call tomorrow morning at like 10! Is that okay?" And I felt my Daddy quietly say, "Yes, it feels just like that for Me, too!"

ONE

2011-10-24T09:36:00.006-04:00

One of the most heart-wrenching discussions for Christians is

"Can Christians divorce or remarry?"

Particularly for those in an awful marriage.
Particularly for those already divorced.
Particularly for those who have already remarried!

I believe the church started -- out of the compassion of their hearts -- to try to find a way around the 'rules.' Here are some things I've been told from loving, well meaning Christians:

"God's grace covers it all."
"You are a 'new man' in Christ."
"You became new in Christ when you got saved so it is like you were never married the first time."
"God forgives all."
"If your spouse cheated on you, it's okay to divorce and remarry."
"If your unbelieving spouse left you, you are no longer bound."
"It is under the blood of Christ."
"How you come into the church is how you stay."

But what does the BIBLE, our authority, the Word of the Living God, have to say about it? Do the scriptures those well meaning friends use in their consoling words apply to divorce and remarriage? Does anyone really want to take what our compassionate brothers and sisters in the Lord say about marriage and adopt that as our standard? Or do we want to know what God has to say about it? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to make our lives easy? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to twist the scriptures into saying what we want them to say in our situation?

So here are the hard facts: There is no divorce for Christians. As Jesus said "From the beginning, this was not so." Since there is no divorce, there cannot be remarriage. The only way someone can marry a second time is if their spouse dies.

This is not easy to hear. Especially for those who are in relationships at this very moment. And our compassion MUST be extended to these individuals. They want to believe the easier teachings. Some will find teachers who say that there are exceptions --- but are they just finding someone to scratch their itchy ears? And those that are comfortable in their existing relationships: do they need to seek repentance from God?

Many feel that this too harsh. How can we expect people to go for the rest of their natural lives without the companionship of a spouse? What about love? But let's face it -- There are people right now who are giving up their actual lives for Christ. There are people who are sacrificing their jobs, their friends, their extended families, their comfort, their hobbies... what sacrifice is "too much"? Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for us. Can anyone really say that staying unmarried is too much of a sacrifice?

BUT WHAT ABOUT "EXCEPT FOR FORNICATION"?

Upon careful examination of the texts in Matthew 19 and Mark 10, we see "except for fornication" in only one of the discussions written for us.

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. " They said unto Him, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away [apoluo] your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery and whoso marrieth her which is put away [apoluo] doth commit adultery." -Matthew 19:4-9

And he saith unto them, "Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away [apoluo] her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery." --Mark 10:11,12

So did Jesus contradict Himself? Or in Matthew saying there was an exception to the rule of God? Perish the thoughts. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus is merely stating a fact. That if your spouse commits fornication (or sexual immorality), then they have ALREADY made each of you adulterers. Married people are one flesh. 1 Cor 6:16 states

"Or do you not know that he who is joined [kollao] a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

Jesus is saying that if you divorce your spouse and marry another you will be an adulterer, UNLESS THAT SPOUSE HAS ALREADY MADE YOU BOTH ADULTERERS WITH THEIR INFIDELITY. Additionally, the poor person who marries the cheating spouse becomes an adulterer because that spouse is STILL MARRIED IN GOD'S EYES! ("Kollao" means "cleaved.")

It is very hard for us to believe that God would not allow divorce in the case of a wronged spouse. Our society bristles at the thought of the betrayal. How painful a situation to go through! Yet, God had Hosea marry a prostitute. And God has a thing for forgiveness. We are the Bride of Christ and look how many times He has forgiven us our sins! God would prefer that the married individuals work it out with forgiveness at the core. Who are we to say what God will use for good?

It is a hard teaching. And that is why the disciples bristled at it and commented that if that was the way it was going to be, it is better to never marry.

WHAT IF THE SPOUSE DIES?

Romans 7:1-3 states it very simply:

Do you not know, brothers -- for I am speaking to men who know the law -- that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound [deo] to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released [katargeo] from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released [eleutheros] from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

If your spouse dies, you can remarry and you will not be an adulterer. "Until death do us part" is in every marriage vow. "Katargeo" means abolish, cease, loose. The remaining spouse is loosed from the law of marriage. "Eleutheros" also means free, exempt, not bound.

1 Corinthians 7:27,28 has more to say about this:

"Art thou bound [deo] to a wife? Seek not to be loosed [lusis]. Art thou loosed [lusis] from a wife? Seek not a wife. But and if thou marries, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh, but I spare you."

The apostle Paul was saying very simply that if you are bound, ("deo": tied, knitted) to a wife, do not seek to be untied ("lusis": divorced, released, loosed.) If you are untied (and how does that happen biblically? As we have already stated: only through death) you should not seek a wife. But if you DO marry, it is not a sin. And if you marry someone who previously was not married, you are not causing her to sin. But Paul states that you will have trouble in this union and his advice is merely to spare you from the trouble. What trouble he does not say--- perhaps just the strain the memory of a beloved deceased spouse can have on a marriage? But I do not wish to insert something into the text that is not there--- where the scriptures are silent, we are best to stay silent.

WHAT ABOUT IN CASES OF ABUSE?

Earlier, in the very same chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul discusses this. In 1 Cor 7:10-11 he states:

"And unto the married I command, YET NOT I, BUT THE LORD, Let not the wife depart [chorizo] from her husband: But and if she depart [chorizo], let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away [aphiemi] his wife." (emphasis mine)

Clearly, Paul is saying, under the authority from the Lord, that the wife is not to depart from her husband, but if (for what reasons we can only imagine) she does, she is to remain unmarried or seek reconciliation with her husband. Scripture here permits a wife to leave a marriage. Again, not to insert into Holy writ, but perhaps in the case of abuse? And the husband is not to divorce his wife if she leaves.

For clarification: The word used here "depart" in the Greek is "chorizo," which means "separate." Not divorce. The word "put away" in the Greek is "aphiemi," which means leave, send away, divorce. Previously discussed here in Mark and Matthew, the word for divorce was "apolou," meaning "depart, dismiss, divorce." Both apolou and aphiemi come from the same root word that is "apo" which, as a prefix, means a cessation, reversal, departure.

WHAT ABOUT UNBELIEVING SPOUSES?

Here it is very important to delve into the original language. I suggest E-Sword.net. You can download a remarkable FREE study source that has a great word-by-word dictionary and Strong's concordance.

I preface this to say that a professing Christian, a true-believing follower of Jesus Christ, must never marry an unbeliever. A Christian does not belong even dating an unbeliever. One could argue that a believer does not belong even being close friends with an unbeliever. Yes, we need to preach the Word to the lost but the Word of God is very strong regarding believers not being unevenly yoked. Yoking is when one is linked, joined, united or connected together. Very simply, like when animals are yoked together to plow a field. The yoke is a bar or frame of wood that is put over two animals' necks to keep them together. 2 Corinthians 6:14 is clear:

"Do not be unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? What fellowship has light with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"

We need to be teaching our children this Biblical basic. There should be absolutely no compromise. If you saw your child slipping into any other sin, you would intervene. You would do everything you could to prevent them from taking a path into a sin-filled existence. Dating an unbeliever is just as dangerous as dabbling in any other sin. We need to make that clear to our children. We need to set unmovable standards for the protection of our children's future.

But what happens if a person comes to the Lord already married and their spouse does not? Should they divorce the unbelieving spouse?

First, let's note that the word "bound" in the last scripture's examples here is "deo" in the Greek. It means to bind, to tie, to knit. In some marriage ceremonies, the couple has their hands tied together to illustrate this concept. Pretty, right? I love the thought that I am knit together with my husband. Of course, something knit could be unraveled. Something tied could be untied. And the Bible states that the only way it is done is by death. Again, "until death do us part" is in every marriage vow.

But now, back to 1 Corinthians 7. After the discussion about a woman leaving a spouse, the apostle is now clear that leaving under the reasoning of the spouse's unbelief is not an option for a Christian.

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away [aphiemi]. And the woman which has a husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him [aphiemi]. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean; but now they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

Here Paul is saying that HIS advice to those with unbelieving spouses is that you should not leave or put away your spouse since because of God's involvement in the believer's life, the unbeliever will be affected positively toward sanctification-- as will your children! Both words translated "leave" and "put away" here are "aphiemi"--- leave, send away, "divorce." And since we do not know what will begin to lead an unbeliever to the throne of Christ, remember 1 Peter 3:1 :

Likewise, ye wives, be in Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands, so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

So what if the unbeliever says they want out of the marriage? Tired of the "God stuff." Not wanting to be subjected to prayers at meals or bedtimes. Definitely not wanting to put up with going to church. In fact, probably trying to force the believer to stop with all the nonsense, for crying out loud! What then?

1 Corinthians 7:15 states: But if the unbelieving depart [chorizo], let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage [douloo] in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

If the unbeliever departs-- chorizo in the Greek: place room between or separate -- the believer is to allow it. They are not bound to force the unbeliever to stay. God has called us to peace.

The important distinction here is that the word "bound" is not the word previously used so beautifully in regards to a marriage. This word in the Greek is "douloo" which means bondage, enslaved, servant. It is to indicate that one make a slave of or reduce to bondage. Now, we can do this ourselves, willingly, as we believers do to Christ. But here Paul is showing that being married to an unbeliever is like being enslaved. You are bound as well as any other married person, but this time it is not pretty.

And it does not mean you are loosed from the marriage and able to remarry as one is when their spouse dies. It only means you are not subjected to the negative influence of your unbelieving spouse. God has called us to peace.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?
CAN YOU REMARRY NOW?

Many people use the argument that you are a "new man" in Christ once you are saved, and that is very true. But in this case, you are a "new but previously divorced man." One does not escape the consequences of our past except in the realm of the eternal. If you are on death row for murdering someone and you get saved, you will still be put to death. God has forgiven you for the sin, the earthly consequences still remain. If one contracts HIV and now has advanced AIDS, yet gets saved, barring a healing miracle from the Lord this person will still most likely die. Salvation alters our eternal destination and begins a sanctification process but does not erase the consequences from our past. The divorced person is still divorced. If they repent of their sin of divorcing their spouse, they will be forgiven-- Hallelujah! But they are still divorced and cannot remarry.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED and
REMARRIED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?

This is a delicate issue. Some denominations would have the couple separate. It is true that you cannot walk in darkness, willingly stay in a lifestyle of sin, and walk with God. 1 John 1:6 puts this very clearly:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

However, being married is not a sin. Marriage is a covenant of God between a man and a wife. If a person has divorced-- this is a sin. If a person has remarried after a divorce-- this is a sin.

There must be realization of these transgressions and sincere repentance to God for these sins. Then God is just to forgive the sinner. The situation now would be a married person who was forgiven for previously divorcing and remarrying. The person has been forgiven for the transgressions and may walk in grace in the second marriage, since marriage itself is not a sin. Obviously, divorcing a second marriage would be yet another sin!

There are two passages of scripture that can give comfort to those in this situation. The first is Jesus speaking with the woman at the well in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus is at the well with the Samaritan woman and in verse 18 tells her that He knows the man she is currently living with cannot be called a husband. She is not married to him, yet she's been married five times previously. Jesus illustrates He knows the difference between living together and a marriage by saying this. The second is in all of the synoptic gospels (Mark 10, Luke 16, and Matthew 19): Jesus says if one divorces and marries another, it's adultery. But notice: Jesus says "marries." Jesus Himself calls it a marriage. You are now married -- a union between a man, a woman and God. After asking for forgiveness, walk in the beauty of marriage.

--------------------

In conclusion, we must remember that this life is but a fleeting moment in eternity. To tell someone that they must remain celibate is a hard teaching. But better to pluck out one's eye, than have two eyes in hell. To tell someone that they need to work on a terrible marriage and seek God for restoration when it would be easier to just erase the marriage and start over is a hard teaching. But there is nothing impossible for God. To allow God to work and show His glory through these circumstances is what the believer ought to be striving for. Not for easy justifications for the things we desire. Please pour out compassion on those caught in the worldly web. But also pour out truth.

WHAT IS A CULT?

2011-10-13T08:32:00.011-04:00

Very simply stated, a Christian cult claims to have the truth of Christ and salvation but they deny one or more of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. A doctrine is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted as authoritative. One cannot call themselves a Christian and twist that to mean whatever they want it to mean. Denial of one or more of the essential truths of doctrine would compromise the religion and would exclude one as a genuine follower of that faith.

If a religious group does not follow the core doctrinal beliefs of Christianity, they are simply not Christians. Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith. Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian. Only in non-essential, peripheral doctrine can there be divergence. Different denominations can legitimately disagree on peripheral issues, such as method of baptism, spiritual gifts, or end times events, and yet still hold to the objectively recognized core of fundamental doctrine which constitutes the Christian faith. One way that early Christians sought to delineate what beliefs are necessary for calling oneself a "Christian" was by establishing "creeds." These state some of the core beliefs of the faith. The Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed listed below are two examples of creeds that lend clarity on the beliefs of those who call themselves Christian.

Additionally, with most any church or religious organization, you can refer to their "Statements of Belief" for a more exacting representation of what beliefs are held by that particular organization. Be careful to examine these, however, since they vary from organization to organization -- and therein lies the ability to veer from the central beliefs previously established and agreed upon by early church leaders in the faith.

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and all Protestant denominations adhere to this central belief system. Although not all denominations chose to be creedal, all Christian denominations hold to these core beliefs. If a group claims to be Christian and does not hold to those doctrines, they are simply not included in Christianity and they are classified as a “Christian cult.”

Lastly, those in these cults require our prayer and compassion. They need to hear the truth in love in order to bring them to a realization of the error they have placed themselves under. We must always remember: they love God yet are being deceived. Pray for them to be enlightened.

APOSTLES' CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.

THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

***Note: 1. The word "catholic" with a lower case 'c' does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the universal Christian Church as a whole. 2. The word "baptism" refers to the spiritual baptism since no earthly water could ever wash away sins.

GOOD ENOUGH?

2011-08-13T11:36:00.003-04:00

I spoke with someone last night who told me she believed that all the "good people" go to heaven. This always sends my mind into a flurry of questions:

-What is "good"?

-How "good" is good enough?

-What is the tipping point; the point where you do ONE THING that tips you over into the "good" area (whew!), or the one thing that tips you over into the "not good" area (oh no!)?

-How could anyone ever live without anxiety wondering if they are one of the "good" or not? Or if they have now done something to cause their rank to change?

And after thinking a while on that point, my mind goes to Jesus' claims. He claimed that He alone was "the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:16) The Bible says that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Note, it doesn't say "that whoever is good will have eternal life."

There are many more examples in scripture where we are told to obey His commands, love others, love God -- but for eternal life the key is to believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation.

Jesus warned us: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matt 7:13-14) Perhaps one of the signs on the wide and easy road is "be a good person."

If you are a Christian, you simply can't cling to the belief that "good" people will go to heaven. In that, you are denying what Christ did for us-- the very thing you are clinging to for your own salvation! To say anything else is to preach another gospel-- one that doesn't have the power to save anyone from destruction. If you love God you are to love your neighbor. Giving them comfort by telling them their wide and easy way is fine is not loving them, but allowing them to continue on that road that leads to their eternal destruction! We need to shout it out to everyone who will hear:

"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT SAVES! Christ's work, not ours. His sacrifice and obedience, not our own. His goodness, not our sad attempts at staying within the boundaries of the shifting boundaries that we declare "good."

Spread the word, Christian, Jesus is the only way.

A PLACE OF TRANSFER

2011-07-13T12:46:00.004-04:00

FROM A FRIEND'S BLOG:

"This summer, like I’ve said before, has brought on a lot of change in my life. Right now I don’t know what the future holds. A common saying that’s been floating around my house is that I’m “waiting in the hallway…” I was pushed out of one door, and now I’m waiting for the next one to open. I know that as long as I trust Him that every thing will work out. The only problem is that the wallpaper is starting to get really ugly, the lighting is poor and it smells. However if the lighting wasn’t poor, it didn’t smell, and the wallpaper was pretty, I wouldn’t mind the hallway. If I didn’t mind the hallway, then I wouldn’t have to depend and have faith in God to get me out of." -- Stephen Davalos

Insightful. The hallway isn't an entirely pleasant place to be. Yours may be decorated with Pottery Barn frames around pretty pictures and a gorgeous light with plush carpeting --- but it's still a hallway. A place of transfer. We aren't meant to live there. We need to progress.

But our reliance on God and His care for us will be nurtured there. We have to keep walking down that hallway, trusting God in each step that a door will be opened by His all-knowing hand. As each step we take requires us to remove our supporting foot from the solid surface it was enjoying to be lifted into the unfirm of air, we breathe "I'm trusting You."

Be assured: God is in the hallway. But like the Israelites in the dessert, He does not intend for you to live there. If you follow, He will lead, and a door will open when His time is right. He will lead you out.

But have you convinced yourself that it's comfortable in your hallway? Is the hallway your home? Child, Jesus has more for you than that narrow corridor! The manna He supplies for you there is nothing compared to the feast that awaits your arrival. Take the trust step. Lean fully into His capable arms. Don't settle for the hallway.

God assigned someone from each tribe of Israel to scout out what lie through the doorway. The Israelites did not think the space on the other side of the doorway was better than the hallway. They did not trust in God's ability nor His direction. Caleb and Joshua were the only scouts that insisted they were able to take the land. Though God then refused to allow the remaining Israelites to enter through that door because of their unbelief, God allowed Joshua and Caleb, of whom He called "His servant," because "he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully." Caleb's faith in God's ability and His willingness to follow whole-heartedly set him apart. He was from the tribe of Judah, from whence would come our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Follow God fully. Have a "different Spirit" than others. Have the confidence in God to lead you out of that hallway and into something better than you can imagine. And speak it out. Your time in the hallway has an expiration date.

As Moses said to Joshua in the sight of all Israel : "Be strong and courageous, .... It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:7,8)

IS GOD ANGRY AT SIN?

2011-06-08T10:28:00.006-04:00

"So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia." Revelation 14:19-20
"He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:15-16

For those few of you not familiar with him, Rob Bell is one of the leading spokesmen of the emerging (t) church and was featured in a recent Time magazine article. He prides himself on teaching a God of love and not one of condemnation. But his recent “The Gods Are Not Angry” tour, as one blogger pointed out, sounded more like Oprah's god than any semblance of one which represented Christ. Unlike Oprah, whose followers are mostly women over 50, Bells' disciples are predominately young 20-something males.

One of the main messages that Bell is communicating to his audience, for which he gets standing ovations, is that 'God is not angry because God is love'. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It should because it is the vision of god which we hear from pop-culture every day. So from all appearances, Bell is essentially saying is that we should abandon the God of the Bible for a more user-friendly version. How is this different than the anti-doctrinal tactic already used by today's mega-churches? Well, not much except that it is dressed in postmodern garb. It avoids doctrine and goes straight for practice (not orthodoxy but orthopraxy). In other words, it is just 19th & 20th century liberalism refashioned for the current age. Jesus without content and thus Jesus without grace.

It is not Christianity. How do I know? Consider the following question:

Do you believe you justly deserve the wrath of God save for Christ's mercy alone?

Can someone even be a Christian if they cannot unhesitatingly affirm this?

This is and has been a historic confession of the church (based on no small number of Scriptures) for those who come to faith in Christ. Anyone who cannot affirm this, we must boldly affirm, has not even understood the most basic truth about Jesus and the gospel. Fact is, a person cannot truly know themselves unless they have encountered the majesty of God Almighty. If His holiness, sovereignty, and wrath are not preached together with His mercy, and love then the true God has not been preached at all. Bell and others appear to be merely adjusting their idea of god to their their desires and perceived needs.

Perhaps they are worried that many are preaching in a way that will offend especially if we speak of God's wrath. But if we have a robust gospel which includes ourselves among those who have worshipped false gods and continue to fall short, and if we affirm that we are no better ... and but for the grace of God we would be worse, then there is little to no danger of a message that unnecessarily offends. If we are fellow beggars just pointing the way to bread then it is the opposite of self-righteousness. This means we need to take our cue, not from fundamentalists or from the purpose driven movement, but from the Reformed tradition. Many in the emergent movement are reacting to an Arminian or semi-pelagian fundamentalist preaching of the wrath of God, not a Christ-centered, gospel-driven one. I would agree that they re right to react against what they were taught in legalistic, fundamentalistic churches, but rejecting the plain Text of Scripture is not the answer. A robust understanding of the sovereign grace of God is the answer.

When we teach the gospel, if we do not point out sin, our idolatry and moral rebellion against a holy God then we are not doing anyone a favor, but are harming them and ourselves. Christ is the remedy for sin, and if we merely preach him as a nice example who teaches us to do nice things to others then we misrepresent him and, in fact, teach legalism again. A true Christian is one who has “no confidence in the flesh”. This means a person who has utterly despaired of themselves. When the Holy Spirit does a work of grace in someone in the hearing of the Law, He convicts them of their sin. Not just sins, but convicts of the fact that they are sinners by nature and can do nothing to save themselves. There is no pride in physical decent or in natural abilities. This means one who is brought to faith, repents of both their good works and their evil works. Both are equally worthless to God. False teaching, on on the other hand, glories in something other than in Christ alone, always pointing to something that we can do; a resumé we can bring before God to curry His favor, not realizing that He has already adopted us as sons. Not unlike the older brother in the Prodigal son who glories that he has worked for his father all his life, not realizing that God does not first ask us to meet conditions to obtain his love. Those who have confidence in the flesh also tend to believe in Christ PLUS this or that. That Christ saved them, but they must maintain their justification before God by doing something. Glorying in Christ is the antithesis of glorying in the flesh. Pharisees boast before God of what they have done for him. The Christian is one who has empty hands every day and can only thank God for His mercy. He thus relies solely on the righteousness of Christ and realized they would be dead but for HIs mercy.

Again, in light of revelation, can someone even be a Christian if they cannot affirm that they justly deserve the wrath of God save for Christ's mercy alone?
..............................................---www.reformationtheology.com

JESUS: GOD AND HIGH PRIEST

2011-04-23T08:17:00.004-04:00

Mark 14:61-65, Matthew 26:62-67
"...Therefore, in the evil of his heart, Caiaphas asks, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
JESUS' RESPONSE:
In verse 62 Jesus said, “I am….” Jesus accepts these words, for that is exactly who He is. He is the Messiah sent from God, who is God in the flesh. Jesus was not going to deny who He was. He was not going to deny the role that He had to accomplish. We could rationalize and say that if He simply refuses this title, He could have lived a long life on the earth and think about all the good works and teachings He could have done. But He was not going to resort to deceit. Jesus was not going to deny who He was and the mission He had to accomplish.

But Jesus does not simply give a two-word answer. Jesus has more to say. “I am and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus not only answered Caiaphas, but went a whole lot further in His declaration.

First, Jesus seems to draw an allusion from Psalm 110:1-2. For Him to be seated at the right hand of the Power is to say that He will sit at the right hand of God. This means that He has authority, rule, and power of God. This is the point of Psalm 110:1-2. “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion ; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.”

Jesus further establishes His Messianic claim by alluding to Daniel 7:13-14. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

The Son of Man is not simply a Messianic reference, but carries the power of the office. He is God and has rule and authority from God.

TEARING OF THE ROBE
The High Priest was consecrated by God via the anointing oil, and if his sacred garments became torn (among other things), he was considered to be defiled. (Leviticus 21:10-12) To prevent this from taking place, the ephod (which the High Priest wore around his neck), had a collar made with mail (tiny bits of metal), so that it wouldn’t fray and tear (Exodus 28: 31-32 and Exodus 39: 22-23):
“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it. It shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear.” (emphasis mine)

When Caiaphas intentionally ripped his priestly garments, he should have been laid hold of by the Sanhedrin; dragged out of the Temple court to the city gates; and there be put to a slow and very agonizing death by stoning! In fact, not only was Caiaphas worthy of the death penalty, but through his unlawful actions, he actually brought down a curse upon the entire nation of Israel (Leviticus 10: 6-7):
"Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded."

In the tearing of his priestly garments - before the Lord Jesus Christ – he was prophetically signifying that the old order of the priesthood was about to change! For according to the Old Covenant Law, the priesthood was to be selected out from the tribe of Levi. But now our new High Priest, Jesus Christ, is not descended from the tribe of Levi, but rather from the tribe of Judah, as we read in Hebrews 7: 11, 14, where Paul writes:
“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the Law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, and not in the order of Aaron? For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.”

God the Father allowed Caiaphas to rend his garments. In that simple prophetic act, Caiaphas was tearing up the old order of the priesthood (under Aaron) … because a new order of the priesthood (after Melchizedek), was standing before him! The old order of Aaron is gone. The new order of Melchizedek has come!

By the tearing of his ephod – in reaction to Christ declaring himself to be the promised Messiah – Caiaphas was publicly declaring before the entire Sanhedrin - “This One standing here before me is the new and living way! To Him alone belongs the royal priesthood. My time is done. It is finished!”

The imperfect Mosaic Law, by which not one single person in all of history had ever been made righteous before God (not even Moses, who gave it), was about to pass away!

Surprisingly, many Christians don’t realize that the Mosaic Law was never intended to last forever. God had only designed it to last for a very short period of time (1,400 years); under very limited circumstances (i.e. given only to the nation of Israel); until the One whom the Bible refers to as ’THE SEED‘ (Jesus Christ), finally came (Galatians 3: 19, 21-24):
"What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until THE SEED, to whom the promise referred, had come. Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the Law. But scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law – locked up – until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was put in charge of us until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.”

Paul tells his listeners twice … first in verse 19, and then again in verses 23-24, that the Mosaic Law was only given until the arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), by whom we would be made righteous and justified, not by works of the Law, but through faith in His finished work at the cross, alone!

Yet again, in Hebrews 7: 12-13, 28-29, Paul tells us that since the order of the priesthood has changed from the order of Aaron (tribe of Levi), to the order of Melchizedek (based on the tribe of Judah), that the Law must also be changed. In fact, he also states that not just for this reason alone must the Law be changed (removed), but because it is useless!
“For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He [Jesus Christ] of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe [Judah], and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. The former regulation is set aside, because it was weak and useless. For the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”

We now have a far greater, and more reliable hope, than Israel ever had while under the impossible demands of the Mosaic Law.

For you see, Jesus was bound, that we might be free!

Jesus was smitten, that we might be healed!

Jesus was rejected, that we might then be accepted by God the Father!

We are not under the unforgiving law of Moses, but the wonderful grace of God, as plainly shown through Jesus Christ! We are not under the order of Aaron, but the order of Melchizedek, whose very name means: ‘King of Righteousness‘. Jesus is the King of Righteousness!

He is our new and better High Priest, whose garments were not torn. Let me prove it to you, by turning to John 19: 23-24, where Jesus is hanging naked on the cross, just moments away from death:
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the tunic remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it”, they said one to another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said: ‘They divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.’ So this is what the soldiers did."

Note that Caiaphas (prophetically), announced that his role as high priest, was passing away, while the Roman soldiers – through their refusal to tear the tunic – were (prophetically) validating that Jesus Christ was indeed the new and better, eternal High Priest!

Finally, we see yet another confirmation that Jesus Christ is our new and better, eternal High Priest, just as He took his last breath on the cross, and died (Matthew 27: 50-52).
“And when Jesus had cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.”

When Jesus cried: 'IT IS FINISHED!' and died, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom! The veil was in place to separate man from God, who dwelt in the Holy of Holies (the most sacred part of the Temple).

The veil represented the barrier standing between God and all of mankind, namely sin. It was precisely because of sin, that man could not enter into the presence of God, and even the high priest could only do so one time per year (the Feast of Atonement), and only under certain conditions.

THEREFORE:
First we have Caiaphas tearing his priestly garments, prophetically stating that his time was done, now that the new and better High Priest - the new and living way - stood before him, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, there were the Roman soldiers, who, after they crucified Christ, prophetically validated his role as our eternal High Priest, by their refusal to tear his garments.

Finally, we now have God the Father, giving his seal of approval to Jesus, by tearing the veil of the Temple – from top to bottom – effectively saying: ‘It indeed has been finished, and that which separated God from mankind (sin), has been permanently removed. Now the entire world, and all of its people may freely come into my presence, without fear of condemnation and judgment.’

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE JESUS!

-----excerpts from westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com and evaggelion.org

Understanding the New Covenant

2011-03-22T09:09:00.004-04:00

I believe that without the understanding of sin as a noun you cannot understand why 'sin' is only punished once. You cannot understand why you are no longer a sinner but a child of God. You cannot grasp why chastisement was punishment under the law and instruction and training of a child under the new covenant because you don't know that you really are a child of God.

Another reason it is so hard to grasp is because we forget the triune nature of man. Spirit Soul Body. Our Spirit is made completely new when we are born again 2 cor 5:17. Our Soul and Body contend against the Spirit, which is why we don't believe we are new sometimes. We are imputed righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). If we cannot believe we have the righteousness of God then we cannot profess to believe He was the sin of man on that cross. It's a false humility that keeps us saying we ARE sinners saved by grace. We WERE sinners saved by grace, we are now sons and daughters of the King, being sanctified and transformed into His image to rescue those still living in the kingdom of darkness/prisoners of sin noun. When He looks at us, He sees His children, not sinners. As Paul stated in Hebrews, the heroes of the faith, as well as ourselves, are aliens in this world because once we come to the faith of Abraham, we are no longer citizens of the prison of sin(noun) that all are born into, but have a transfer of citizenship.

When we come to the cross, there is a transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light(Col 1:13) We do not have dual citizenship. Under our birth right, we were born into sin(noun) and therefore 'sinners'. Under our adoption/covenant into Abraham, we are now children of God(John 1:12) . We now belong to the King of the Kingdom of light, as heirs.

Now, to bring that home to chastisement. The word in Hebrew is Yacar, to chasten or admonish; punish. The word in the new Covenant is Paideuo, to train up a child. Since we have become His children(transferred kingdoms), it is no longer punishment, but training for us to become like Him, to rescue the lost, to glorify His name. Since this transfer took place out of Sin(noun) and into His Kingdom, we are children, therefore, we get training, not punishment. (american citizenship = american, zambian citizenship = zambian, sin(noun) citizenship = sinner)

Another problem we face with understanding this is we don't really know what took place at the cross. Atonement/remission in the Hebrew is to cover, but in the NT the word changes to mean 'to remove'. It's not the same word. And therefore, there is more confusion b/c we think it is just the atonement of sins(covering)as in the OT sacrifices, but it is not, it is the remission of sins - complete removal! Where the word atonement appears in Romans 5:11 is also not the same word as in the OT, in that case it means exchange. AGAIN!! an exchange our sin for His righteousness. So, Jesus did not COVER our sins......HE REMOVED THEM. (are you also seeing why there is so much confusion in the church regarding the greatness of grace?)

So then, if we are the righteousness of God, and the full wrath of God fell upon Jesus, how can there again be punishment? In Rom 3:25 it says He was the propitiation for our sins...........that's AN APPEASEMENT..TO APPEASE THE WRATH OF GOD!

God cannot punish sin(verb) twice. If Jesus took the sins of the whole world, past, present and future upon himself in that exchange, then for God the Father to punish sin again is to turn His back on the cross and to not accept His Son's sacrifice as sufficient. Most times, the consequence of our sin is chastisement enough. Almost always, hearing the HG say, "What are you doing?" very gently, is enough to stop you dead in your tracks!

Now, to bring this all home, if I can, without causing confusion, We are justified in Christ. Dikaioo in Acts 13:39, Rom 3:24, Rom 5:1 means to render righteous. We ARE the righteousness of God. BUT...we are being sanctified! Not the same thing. Only our Spirit is righteous. The word sanctification, sanctified, sanctify in the NT is also different in the OT. In the NT it is purification and consecration of the heart and life (#38) and (#37 in reference to rendered(imputed). So, we are not punished for sin, because Christ bore the full wrath of God on the cross. We are sons and daughters of God, fully justified but being sanctified in our hearts and lives to glorify Him.

So, for God to NOT impute our sin against us is not honoring us as children, it is honoring the CROSS and honoring JESUS and what HE did. God the Father is bound to honor the cross and it's ability to REMIT(remove) sin past, present and future. He is bound to honor the cross in it's making us children to be taught and not sinners to be punished. If He imputes our sin to us, then the justification, propitiation, remission of that precious blood would have to be rejected, and since he cannot reject Jesus (our covenant representative) he cannot reject us.

sin

chastise

remit

justify

sanctify

all of these changed when the high priest changed.

--- Jude Iannone

WELCOME TO THE PERILS OF THE DESERT

2010-12-29T08:51:00.002-05:00

Taken out of captivity by a savior and now living in the desert on the way to the Promised Land. That describes the Israelites of the Exodus. That also describes us as believers!

One significant thing that happened in the desert was when God gave Moses the law. Once the law was given, men now had a set of standards in which to judge what was right and what was wrong. Now they knew what God considered sin.

Certainly sin was in the world before the law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no law.- Romans 5:13

And the law caused the sin and rebellion in man to rise. Tell anyone that there is something they can’t do and the immediate reaction is “Oh, yeah? I can do what I want.”

For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. -Romans 7:5 (emphasis mine)

So the law is what causes our ‘sinful passions’ to arise! Before the law was given, there was sin in the world (Ro 5:13) but God kept no record of it. And people didn’t know it was sin. But once the law came, the sin in us rose to it’s full height. And in that height, in that craving and desire, there is the danger of being over-filled.

But here’s the good news:

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more – Romans 5:20 (emphasis mine)

No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (emphasis mine)

Yes, as we walk in the desert we have the law that was given to those ancient desert-walkers that causes the sin in us to arise. But we also have GRACE, abounding all the more, and a God-provided way out to every temptation! Plus we modern-day desert walkers have something our ancients didn’t have: Jesus Christ and His work on the cross!

The International Standard Version best states God’s answer to our problem:

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. -Romans 7:24,25a

PRIDE + TIME = JUDGEMENT

2010-11-22T08:52:00.002-05:00

"Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, 'Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar answered and said, 'My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw... it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.' " - Daniel 4:19, 20, 22

Pride plus time equals judgment. Always. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). You cannot change that law. Pride is the attitude of heart which exalts itself above others and above God.

That's the application of Daniel's words to King Nebuchadnezzar, "The tree you saw... it is you, O king." You're the tree about to get chopped down. Daniel goes on to basically tell him, "You're gonna go insane. You're gonna lose your mind and act like an animal, sir." Those who study these things believe that Nebuchadnezzar actually developed a form of mental illness where he believed himself to be an ox. And it was a judgment from God.

Daniel 4:27 records Daniel's counsel. He says, "Dude, if I was you, I'd humble myself before God right now! Maybe God will give you a little bit more time before you lose your mind and start living like an animal." The next verse tells us a year later the dream came due. Nebuchadnezzar didn't do anything with the warning! And twelve months later he’s walking in the palace, talking pride-fully to himself (see v.30–31). "While the word was in the king’s mouth" (v.31). How sudden is that? One moment boasting; the next, out of his mind. A voice breaks into the palace declaring all the details of the dream are now a done deal.

Fast-forward seven years. We can laugh about this crazy picture of the king turned ox, but this guy is one of the greatest leaders known in human history. He eventually gets his kingdom back. Verses 34–37 record the king's personal, humbled testimony. The climax comes in v.37: "And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." God is able to (and will) humble those who walk in pride. Every person needs to hear this, "God is able to humble those who walk in pride." It's not a problem for Him. He's not stretched in any way.

Why is this crucial? Because as long as we walk in pride, we can't walk with God. We are never commanded to be humble. We're commanded to humble ourselves - the lesson all of us, even a king, need to learn. And we will; one way or another. --- James MacDonald

But the Lord's portion is His people - Deut 32:9

2010-11-15T08:09:00.006-05:00

How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election.

They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing, hence about his title there can be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord’s portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord’s freehold forever. See the blood-mark upon all the chosen, invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for “the Lord knoweth them that are his”; he forgetteth none of those whom he has redeemed from among men; he counts the sheep for whom he laid down his life, and remembers well the Church for which he gave himself.

They are also his by conquest. What a battle he had in us before we would be won! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent us terms of capitulation! but we barred our gates, and fenced our walls against him. Do we not remember that glorious hour when he carried our hearts by storm? When he placed his cross against the wall, and scaled our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood-red flag of his omnipotent mercy? Yes, we are, indeed, the conquered captives of his omnipotent love. Thus chosen, purchased, and subdued, the rights of our divine possessor are inalienable: we rejoice that we never can be our own; and we desire, day by day, to do his will, and to show forth his glory.

--from Charles Spurgeon's Morning by Morning.

2010-10-07T15:38:00.001-04:00

Day in and day out, we find ourselves in the monotony of life; self help books, work, family, friends, cars, house, medications. Most of us are simply trying to life a "normal life." Have you ever found yourself wondering whether or not the goal of life should be normalcy?

Now is the time to Stop and Think. (click here)

2010-10-03T14:38:00.002-04:00

All humanity will display God's glory:

You will either be
a trophy of His grace and mercy
or
an object of His justice

5 Classic Bible Twists (And How To Correct Them)

2010-09-07T17:55:00.004-04:00

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The Wrong Application: God loves you and has an adventurous plan for your life. Quit living the same-old boring life of just going to church, and go do something great for God.

The Problem: If you zoom out and look at this verse in context, you see the background. Look at verse 4: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon…” These verse are not written about you. They are written about the Jews during the exile in Babylon and thus when God says that he knows the plans he has for “you” he was not speaking about the general reader of the book of Jeremiah.

The Right Application: God disciplines his covenant people when they engage in idolatry by delivering them into the hands of their enemies, yet faithfully promises to rescue them according to his predestined plans to bring them to repentance and bless them by grace.

Of course, we are now His covenant people and we know that God is no respecter of persons. If He has plans for one, he has plans for everyone. And the hope is Jesus Christ.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Wrong Application: Your marriage, your finances, your relationships, your children, your health and everything else in your life may be ok, but couldn’t it all stand to be a lot better? The enemy wants you to give up and give in to just living the normal life, but God doesn’t want you to be mediocre. He wants to give you life abundantly. By applying biblical principles to our lives we can learn from Jesus how to quit being average and live the abundant life God has for us.

The Problem: With Jeremiah 29:11 we saw that the context and the audience make a big difference when it comes to biblical interpretation. Based on the wrong application above, who would you guess Jesus is speaking to? His disciples? A blind, lame, or leprous person that Jesus is about to heal? No, at this point Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees. If anyone applied biblical principles to their lives, it was the Pharisees. They also were rich, in places of honor, and seemed to generally maintain decent relationships with people. By most people’s standards, the Pharisees applied biblical principles to their lives and were living the abundant life as a result. Yet Jesus is in the middle of arguing with them.

The Right Application: Jesus is the great shepherd of his people. He lays down his life in order to save his sheep, because he knows his sheep, he loves his sheep, he gathers his sheep, and he has received the charge from his Father to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus wants to give his people abundant, eternal life where he may dwell with all who have entered through the door: faith in himself. Any who enter another way have come to steal people away from the joy of life with Jesus.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The Wrong Application: If you have never accepted Jesus into your heart to be your personal Lord and Savior, know this: Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, asking you, begging you to let him in. If you have never done that before in your life, I want you to pray this prayer with me. Just repeat after me. “Lord Jesus…”

The Problem: In chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation, Jesus is dictating letters that are to be sent to the churches of Asia. This particular portion is written to the church in Laodicea, a church with a reputation for well-being. By all appearances Laodicea would be a church where Jesus had been invited in a long time ago. Jesus is not knocking on the door of anyone’s heart, but knocking on the door of the church.

The Right Application: The reason that Jesus is at the door knocking is because the church has effectively removed Jesus. He is no longer present at the church and they are only keeping up appearances. Jesus is highlighting the irony that a church with a reputation of spirituality is a church where he needs to knock on the door and wait for it to be answered. Therefore, today we must recognize that outward growth and spiritual reputation can be present when Jesus is not. We need to bring Jesus back into our church by preaching the gospel and performing works that are worthy of the gospel of God.

Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Wrong Application: The Bible is not a book all about rule-following and keeping every “i” dotted or every “t” crossed. The Pharisees were experts with their traditions and kept thousands of man-made laws thinking that this made them right with God. God says this, “You want to know what the whole Bible is about? You want to know how to please God? You want to know how to live a life of meaning and purpose? Love God, love people. That’s it. This is the whole Bible whittled down to 4 verses.”

The Problem: It is certainly true that the entire law is summarized and fulfilled by the two commandments to love God and love people. In fact, it is even perceptive to notice that the commandment for us to love our neighbor is in fact a commandment to love mankind in general considering that Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan in response to the question “who is my neighbor” and furthermore Jesus has also said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Having stated this, the problem with the wrong interpretation is that the commands “Love God, Love People” are an adequate summary of the law, but not the gospel! See Romans 3:20 – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” So the incorrect application of this passage actually teaches salvation by works rather that salvation by faith!

The Right Application: Since the entire law is summarized by the commandments “Love God and Love People,” consider the full scope of how gravely we break this every day. The requirement of this law is absolute, uninterrupted love for God. That is a terrifying thought. With or every action that does not stem from absolute love of God we are guilty of breaking the greatest commandment. The very commandment that seemed to be life-giving has actually condemned us! Yet thanks be to Jesus, who did in fact keep this commandment perfectly! Jesus always loved his Father and neighbor with perfect and unfailing love. Meditate on 1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Through faith in Jesus, we are counted as if we lived Jesus’ life of perfect love. We are counted as if we loved God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. From this righteousness that comes from outside of us we can learn to actually obey Jesus. We learn that there is no sin that loves God and there is no good work without loving God.

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision the people perish.

The Wrong Application:Your local mega-church pastor has been reading books by business gurus again and announces the newest topic of a sermon series: Vision-casting. When you totally surrender your life to God he will make a vision for your life to well up within you until you just can’t help but do something about it. This church was born from a vision we had a few years ago and if you’re not on board with the mission and vision of this church then it’s not you who is going to perish, but everybody else. This is a church for the unchurched, and if you’re not on-board with the vision of this church, you need to leave and find another church. Preferably one who doesn’t care about reaching the lost.

The Problem: Most fundamentally, the verse itself is quoted wrong. The verse actually says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” The proverb is not talking about a church’s vision or mission statement but about God’s legal revelations.

The Right Application: If you are familiar with the Book of Concord’s (Confessions of the Lutheran Church) three primary uses of the law, the correct use for this proverb would be the first: to curb sin in society. When there is no revelation from God concerning his moral law sinful human beings do whatever they consider right in their own eyes causing absolute havoc. When the God of Love reveals a law, it truly is good for society for that the law be kept and enforced.

---from Perpetual Flogulance, by Scott K. Schultz

SERVICE OF PASSIONATE DEVOTION

2010-09-04T09:28:00.007-04:00

"Lovest thou Me?....Feed My sheep." (John 21:17)

Jesus did not say, "Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me." We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him.

Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or a creed. "If any man come to Me and hate not, ... he cannot be My disciple." There is no argument and no compulsion, but simply, "If you would be My disciple, you must be devoted to Me." A man touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, "Now I see Who Jesus is," and that is the source of devotion.

Today we have substituted creedal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offense to the educated mind of today that does not want Him in any other way than as a comrade. Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father.

If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a doormat. The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of the life is its unobtrusiveness. It is like a kernel of wheat, which falls into the ground and dies, but presently it will sprint up and alter the whole landscape (John 12:24)

----- My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

STAY OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE

2010-08-14T17:47:00.009-04:00

THE TERRIBLE TRIAD:

DESIRE

TEMPTATION

OPPORTUNITY

Each one in itself can be resisted without great trouble.
But when the three get together there most definitely can be HUGE trouble.

EXAMPLE:

You can be a chocolate lover and someone offers you twenty chocolate bars to eat....but just ate a huge meal and have a full tummy. No opportunity. No problem.
You can have a chocolate craving and haven't eaten since breakfast....but you don't have any chocolate. No temptation. No problem.
Someone can offer you twenty chocolate bars when you are hungry...but you don't like chocolate. No desire. No problem.
BUT if you have this craving, haven't eaten since breakfast AND someone offers you twenty chocolate bars.... you are in big trouble!

...... DESIRE + OPPORTUNITY + TEMPTATION =....... BIG PROBLEM!

A silly illustration but it shows how we need to be very aware when we are in a danger zone.

We need to regularly examine the areas that we allow opportunity in our lives and to pray not to be led into temptation. We are new creatures in Christ but we have the same personality and DNA as before. We each know our weaknesses and what we are capable of. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Remember: you can build a reputation in thirty years and destroy it in thirty minutes.

Reference text:
2 Samuel 11
Psalm 51

2010-08-01T08:56:00.003-04:00

Quote in Newsday August 1, 2010 from John Acquaro of Ronkonkoma, NY, regarding his recent status as a heart transplant recipient:

"ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS FOR ME
IS TO REALIZE
THAT SOMEBODY HAD TO DIE
FOR ME TO RECEIVE
THE GIFT THAT I GOT."

It is for everyone, John, it is for everyone.

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

2010-07-30T12:32:00.005-04:00

"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." -- 1 Peter 5:5-7

How do people do it? How do they withstand the Katrina-like blows that pummel their lives? The wind, the waves, the surges of heartbreak one after another. How do they survive . . . and still lift their faces to the Lord? How can they be so strong at their extreme weakest?

Today was an awful day. Some very heavy things hit me off guard. But somewhere in the middle of that storm, God's voice was telling me that He provides sufficient grace for this trial, and when I am weak He is always and still very strong. So I want to say to the glory of God that if there is anything in this ministry that is powerful, it is from weakness. Trust me on that.

"Therefore I will boast of all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-1). Well, here I am --- present and accounted for. It's the hard times and the unhealthy times and the hurting times that reveal my weaknesses. And it's also during those times that God shows up strong.

We often treat suffering like a dodge-ball game. Anytime anything painful comes at us, we jump out of the way. We spend our whole lives trying to avoid anything that will hurt or be hard. But there's a better kind of life -- a deeper, more fulfilling kind of life-- that isn't about avoiding every pain. It's about finding God faithful and powerful in the midst of whatever thorns He allows.

There's something about our weakness that opens the flow of God's strength.

When you are in the midst of a trial, there's a power coming into your life that you've never experienced before. When you see a hard thing coming, try saying, I may not want this, but I know I 'm going to see Christ working in my life in an incredible way.

God never allows a thorn but that he provides sufficient grace and strength in our weaknesses. Sufficient grace is not just enough to survive, but enough to have supernatural joy in the midst of anything He allows us to go through.

---James MacDonald

2010-07-30T09:25:00.008-04:00

I think what's more heartbreaking is that we unwittingly surrender our sovereignty over these things...

... so in the end it's not thievery at all, it's more like a case of us delegating undue authority unto demons who have no right nor position over us until that moment when we actually open the door and lay out our welcome mats to them.

This unseen war between the dying flesh and the newborn spirit is an all-too-real one, with casualties far beyond our capacity to understand. Far too often it is our joy and our dreams that lay battered by the wayside, victims of unholy cunning and wit.

I say, enough.

I will delight over you with joy, calm you with my love, and rejoice over you with singing... for you are my beloved who has stolen my heart, my sons and daughters who have captivated my thoughts...

Thievery ceases in the presence of awakened identity."

...............--- Sam from Jesusbranded

THE BIG PICTURE

2010-07-30T08:42:00.005-04:00

"Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." -- John 4:31-34

"What is the will of God for my life" is a common question but it is not a good one. I have had many discussions around that question, but it is a flawed question and can only lead to a flawed answer. It is flawed because the focus is on the wrong place. It is about

me
and my life
and my future.

That is a legitimate concern, of course, but the real question to concern ourselves with first of all is, "What is God's will?" Not His will for me, but His will --- period! There the focus is on God,

His interests,
His will,
His agenda,
His purpose

on the bigger scale than how it affects just me. His personal will for my life may only be found in the context of His general will of which we are privileged to be a part. When someone joins a new company, in order for their own personal job description to make sense, they must first ask the bigger questions: What is this company doing? What are its objectives? How does it measure success? It is only in that context that a personal job description has proper meaning.

To know the personal will of God, we must first understand the general will of God for all people. We need to know that through His people God is continually at work on earth and we have the privilege of a particular personal role to play, but it is in the context of a bigger picture. Our personal lives must align completely with what God is doing in the world at large. It will include an upward look to the Lordship of Christ in seeking and saving the lost, and an outward look to the people being brought into our lives in whose heart God is at work and giving me the privilege of participating in.

The context in which Jesus said to His disciples, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work," (John 4:31-31) was when His disciples had busied themselves with a legitimate human function in going into Samaria to buy food. But, they cast only a cursory glance at a woman from Samaria going the other way to draw water and completely missed the harvest of a seeking thirsty soul. Jesus later rebuked them for missing the harvest He had sent them to reap. Why? Because they were preoccupied with the "my life," "my needs," "my agenda," instead of asking the question, "On my way into Samaria does God have something in mind that is bigger than just me and my food?" Never disconnect God's will IN you and FOR you from God's will THROUGH you to enrich other people. Sensitivity and obedience in the general purposes of God will ensure the outworking of His personal guidance in every other area.

-- Charles Price

your future

2010-07-27T21:08:00.003-04:00

It is always a mistake
to decide what you want to do
before you decide
who you want to be."

-Andy Stanley
at Passion 2010
every single college student should watch THIS video

LEGALISM & LICENSE

2010-07-25T17:42:00.005-04:00

They seem so different. One person lives his life striving for moral perfection. The other person doesn’t try that hard. The first is convinced that he can avoid sinning, if he tries hard enough. The second is equally convinced that he can’t avoid sinning, so why try at all? After all, He says, “I like to sin; God likes to forgive; that’s a pretty good deal.” The first is all about keeping the rules; the second is all about breaking them.

The first is a legalist. The second is licentious. They seem very different, don’t they?

Here is a twofold truth, seemingly paradoxical, yet thoroughly Biblical. It’s a great way to diagnose yourself, and determine if you are a legalist, or if you are licentious:

We are never permitted to sin.
We cannot avoid sinning.

If you’re a legalist, you will affirm the first part, but deny the second part. You will say, “We are never permitted to sin. We can avoid sinning.” If you’re licentious, you will affirm the second part and deny the first part. You will say, “We cannot avoid sinning. We are permitted to sin.”

Now that you know which one you are, consider this: While at first glance they appear to be polar opposites, Legalism and License are really very much alike. Legalism and License have several, very important things in common.

Both Legalism and License share a common, false assumption.
Both Legalism and License seem perfectly logical in their respective conclusions. Legalism reasons,
- God forbids me to sin.
- God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid.
- Therefore, I must be able to avoid sinning.
On the other hand, License reasons,
- I cannot avoid sinning.
- God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid.
- Therefore, I must have permission to sin.
Although they come to completely different conclusions, both Legalism and License share the assumption, “God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid.” This assumption isn’t Biblical. God’s commandment doesn’t imply your ability to obey. Your inability to obey doesn’t nullify God’s commandment. St. Paul says that God’s commandments are there to show us our inability to obey, and still hold us accountable for our disobedience:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)
Both Legalism and License underestimate sin.
Legalism underestimates sin’s depth in the Christian’s life. License underestimates sin’s danger in the Christian’s life.

Legalism stems from a misunderstanding of how pervasive sin is in our lives. The legalist thinks of sin atomistically, that is, he thinks of sin as a set of individual, discrete actions he either does or doesn’t do.

The legalist thinks, “There are thoughts, words and deeds that I do that are sins; and there are thoughts, words and deeds that I do that are sinless.” The legalist’s goal is to decrease the sinful thoughts, words and deeds in his life, and increase the sinless thoughts, words and deeds in his life.

The legalist thinks that if he could break up his life up into individual seconds, he could identify the seconds when he was sinning, and the seconds when he was sinless.

Of course the Bible doesn’t support this view of sin at all. The Ten Commandments in particular, show us that there is nothing we think, say or do that is sinless. Everything we do is stained by sin, even our good works: “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (Isaiah 64:6)

The devil loves it when the legalist strives for sinlessness. It means he’s trying to achieve a righteousness of our own that comes through the Law (Galatians 2:16). The Old Adam thrives on the legalist’s rule-keeping, it is his lifeblood, it makes him very strong.

License stems from a misunderstanding of how dangerous sin is in our lives. The licentious person views sin as harmless, and without serious consequences or penalty. The devil loves this too. It means that the licentious person no longer fears sin or its penalty. Of course, the licentious person must ignore the constant drumbeat of the Bible, warning of sin and divine judgment. From Genesis to Revelation Scripture warns that sin is dangerous and incurs God’s wrath.

The devil also loves it when a licentious person ignores sin’s danger and penalty. It means he’s ignoring God himself and living in open rebellion against Him (Psalm 36:1; Romans 3:18). The Old Adam hates God and His commandments.
Both Legalism and License prevent the Christian from struggling against his sin.
The legalist thinks that he is struggling against sin successfully, more or less. The licentious person has given up the struggle against sin altogether. Neither the legalist nor the licentious are able to avoid sin or its penalty. This is because neither is really struggling against sin at all.

Isn’t the legalist at least struggling against sin? No. The legalist thinks he is struggling against his sin; but he is only struggling to keep the rules, God’s rules, house rules, etc. Struggling to keep the rules isn’t the same as struggling against sin.

In fact, the legalist’s rule-keeping is no better than the licentious person’s rule-breaking. St. Paul says, “through the commandment [sin] might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:7-13; 5:20) The legalist’s rule-keeping and the licentious person’s rule- breaking only increase sin and its power in their lives.

The Christian struggle against sin is not done by rule-keeping, but by repentance.

Some Christians think that to avoid the error of License, it’s OK to be a little legalistic. Other Christians think that to avoid the error of Legalism it’s OK to practice a little License. Both are wrong.

As you can see, Legalism and License are not two different errors. They are the same error expressed in two different ways. Whether you travel the path of Legalism or of License, you come to the same, inevitable end.

Both the legalist and the licentious, whether they deny sin’s depth or sin’s danger, ultimately ignore the saving work of Jesus Christ.

The assumption Legalism and License share, “God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid,” undermines both Jesus’ sinlessness, and his sacrifice for sin. The legalist believes he can avoid sin, and manage (if only occasionally) to live sinlessly. If he is right, then the legalist doesn’t need the sinlessness of Jesus, or if he does, he only needs it when he fails to avoid sin. The licentious person believes he has permission to sin. If he is right, then the licentious person doesn’t need Jesus to suffer the penalty for his sin.

If Legalism and License are really the same error, is there one answer to both? Yes, first the Law.

The legalist needs to see that he is totally sinful, from top to bottom, from beginning to end. The legalist needs to see himself as total sinner, and say along with St. Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells in me,” and, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:18, 24)

The licentious person needs to see his sin for what it is: open rebellion, enmity and insult against God. Though he may take his sin lightly, God does not. The licentious person needs to answer along with St. Paul, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” and, “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2, 15)

The first answer to both Legalism and License is God’s Word of Law. The proclamation of the Law leaves the legalist with no place to stand; no thought, word or deed –no second of his life– that he can call sinless. Likewise, the Law leaves the licentious person on God’s enemies list; an impudent creature, spitting in God’s face with every sin. The first answer to both Legalism and License is God’s Word of Law that condemns sin completely; but we can’t stop there.

What comes next is counterintuitive. Many preachers think that they can cure people of licentiousness by preaching the Law more. This is a good first step, but the Law is only the diagnosis and prognosis. The Law alone isn’t the cure for licentiousness. Preachers sometimes think that Legalism can be cured by really driving the Law home to those who think they are keeping it. Again this is a good first step, but the Law alone cannot cure Legalism either. Why are our churches filled with both the legalists and the licentious? Because our pulpits are not filled with both Law and Gospel.

The Law destroys the common, false assumption of both Legalism and License: “God cannot forbid something I cannot avoid.” The Law says to the legalist, “You cannot avoid sin.” The Law says to the licentious, “There is a penalty for your sin.” However, this is all that the Law can do.

Only the Gospel gives both the legalist and the licentious freedom from their error, not by avoiding sin, nor by indulging sin, but by forgiving sin. Only the Gospel shows the legalist the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, and the licentious the penalty Jesus paid for sin.

Some pastors are hesitant to preach the Gospel to the legalist and the licentious –especially to the licentious. They reason, “If I proclaim the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, this legalist will only use that forgiveness to go and start sinning; or this licentious person will only use that forgiveness to go and sin even more.”

These pastors understand nothing about Law and Gospel. They mistakenly think that the Gospel needs to be “balanced” or tempered with a dose of the Law, or Christians will become lax about sin or lazy in doing good works. By doing this, pastors only reinforce the error of both the legalist and the licentious.

The Gospel says, “Yes, God always forbids sin, and you can never avoid sin. But the very sin you cannot avoid, Jesus avoided for you. The very sin God forbids and condemns, Jesus took to the Cross in his body for you.”

Theologians call it the active and passive obedience of Christ. The Gospel replaces all the legalist’s efforts to be sinless with the sinlessness of Jesus. The Gospel shows the licentious person the true penalty for his sin, taken entirely by Jesus.

The continual proclamation both of Law and Gospel is the only cure for Legalism and License. Not only that, but only the continual proclamation of Law and Gospel engages the Christian in the true struggle against his sin, the very sin that God forbids, the very sin that cannot be avoided.

The licentious person thinks that the struggle against sin is unnecessary. The legalist thinks that the struggle against sin is all about rule-keeping. Both are wrong.

Scripture is clear. God never gives us permission to sin, but we can’t avoid sin. If you can’t avoid sin or its penalty, there is only one thing to do: repent. Repentance is the true struggle against sin. Repentance kills the Old Adam. The devil hates it when we repent. It means that we, like St. Paul, are seeking the righteousness of Jesus Christ that comes by faith:

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. (Philippians 3:8-9)

Once the legalist finds his sinlessness in Jesus alone, and once the licentious person finds the penalty for sin paid in Jesus alone, then the struggle against unavoidable sin can really begin. The former legalist will now struggle like he’s never struggled before. Because now, he won’t be able to take a breather and say, “OK, right now I’m not sinning, if only for this one second.” No, there won’t be a single second in his life when sin will not be there, close at hand (Romans 7:21). The former licentious person will struggle against sin, perhaps for the first time. Now, he won’t be able to sin without hearing the Law’s condemnation; he won’t be able to ignore sin’s penalty.

Now, both will struggle against their sin by repentance every second, in every thought, every word and every deed. Under the proclamation of Law and Gospel, their lives will become lives of constant repentance and faith in Jesus’ all-sufficient sinlessness and sacrifice.

You may have noticed as you began reading that it was difficult to diagnose yourself as either a legalist or as licentious. That is because we are all both. We go back and forth between the two every day. We think we can avoid sin sometimes, we give ourselves permission to sin at other times. But God’s Word will not permit our Legalism or our License.

God’s Word puts us in the impossible position of struggling against our sin, the very sin that God forbids, the very sin that we cannot avoid. This position is impossible for us, but not for Jesus Christ. Jesus has taken our sin, the very sin that God forbids, the very sin that we cannot avoid. So, whether you’re a legalist or licentious, repent and trust Him...---------Todd Wilken, Brothers of John the Steadfast

HOW TO BECOME A LEGALIST

2010-07-25T17:32:00.004-04:00

1. Make rules outside the Bible

2. Push yourself to try and keep your rules
3. Castigate yourself when you don't keep your rules
4. Become proud when you do keep your rules
5. Appoint yourself as judge over other people
6. Get angry with people who break your rules or have different rules

2010-07-17T08:44:00.016-04:00

"IT IS A POVERTY TO DECIDE .....THAT A CHILD MUST DIE..... SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE ...........AS YOU WISH." ...........
........................................................---Mother Teresa

Talk to someone about the tragedy of abortion.

IS YOUR BLOOD HEALTHY?

2010-07-17T08:02:00.010-04:00

A while ago I heard a sermon about our blood: diseases of the blood like anemia (spiritual weakness, not feeding ourselves), leukemia (allowing the cancer of sin to take hold), and Hemophilia (the inability to forgive) and how they correspond to the Christian life. You can hear the three sermon series here. But there was an additional bit of information the pastor placed on his blog that I found interesting. The first:VIRUSES

There are thousands and thousands of different types of viruses that we know about, and scientists believe that most are still undiscovered. They are found in every ecosystem on Earth and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. Some viruses make you sick for a while and leave. Some are lethal.

How does one avoid contracting a virus? By staying out of unhealthy environments. If you spend all of your time in unhealthy environments, you will become unhealthy. Even the most fit person will eventually succumb to a virus through continued exposure.

So look around you. Where are you spending most of your time? Is the environment healthy? Does it energize you or drain you? Are you encouraged or discouraged? Are the people healthy or sick?

We need to make wise choices about where we spend our time and who we surround ourselves with. Our souls have an "immune system," and that immune system has a breaking point.

No, we don't need to isolate ourselves and retreat from the world. We are in the world but not of it. But we need to be wise about how much time we spend in places where we could contract a virus and then balance out the time spent in unhealthy environments with time spent reviving our souls.CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING

This comes from not taking in enough oxygen and inhaling too much carbon monoxide. We have all read stories about people sleeping while the deadly gas was spilling into their homes. It usually isn't a very good outcome. It is a toxic gas but it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating. People are poisoned without even knowing it.

Want to check your life for spiritual carbon monoxide poisoning? Check your iPod, your Netflix queue, your bookshelf and your DVR. What have you been taking in lately? What are you breathing? Are you taking in something that is poisonous to your spiritual life?

We don't want to become closed-minded either. Sometimes we need to ventilate things a bit. Sometimes read or listen to different views, not to anger or frustrate, but to understand and respect the views of others. Study God's word using different teachers. Don't let your brain become stagnant.

LOVE146

2010-06-28T11:10:00.005-04:00

HOW WE LIVE OUR DAYS
IS HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES
---Annie Dillard

Rob Morris from LOVE146 was at True North Community Church in New York yesterday morning. There is not any way that one could listen to this gentleman and not want to help. Please take a moment and click on the LOVE146 logo above to watch a video about their mission. Just click to watch the video.

LIVE WITH INTENTION

LOVE INTENTIONALLY

2010-06-05T19:31:00.005-04:00

J. Sidlow Baxter--
twentieth century Australian pastor and theologian:

Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread". He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light". He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door". He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd". He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life".
- Baxter's Explore the Book (1987) p. 308.

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.
- Reported in Charlie Jones, Bob Kelly, The Tremendous Power of Prayer (2000) p. 46.

2010-06-04T10:23:00.006-04:00

Two natures beat
within my breast

one is cursed
the other blessed

one I love and
one I hate

whichever I feed
will dominate

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." --Galatians 6:8

2010-06-02T21:00:00.018-04:00

There are times in life where you can be in such a place that you find yourself saying

"This is not who I am."

It is a crucial thing to remind yourself periodically who you are. You could define yourself by your roles in life: husband, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son... You could define yourself by your job or your accomplishments. You could even sadly define yourself by your tragedies or past failures: orphan, abuse victim, college dropout, recovering alcoholic....

But as a Christian you are to define yourself by the Word of God.

Who does GOD say you are?

In case you are having a bout of spiritual amnesia and have forgotten who you are:

Who I Am In Christ

I am accepted...
I am God's child. -John 1:12
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. -John 15:15
I have been justified. -Romans 5:1
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.-1 Corinthians 6:17
I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.-1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I am a member of Christ's body. -1 Corinthians 12:27
I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.-Ephesians 1:3-8
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.-Colossians 1:13-14
I am complete in Christ. -Colossians 2:9-10
I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. -Hebrews 4:14-16

I am secure...
I am free from condemnation. -Romans 8:1-2
I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. -Romans 8:28
I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God. -Romans 8:31-39
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.-2 Corinthians 1:21-22
I am hidden with Christ in God. -Colossians 3:1-4
I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me. -Philippians 1:6
I am a citizen of heaven. -Philippians 3:20
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. -1 John 5:18

I am significant...
I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life. -John 15:5
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. -John 15:16
I am God's temple. -1 Corinthians 3:16
I am a minister of reconciliation for God. -2 Corinthians 5:17-21
I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.-Ephesians 2:6
I am God's workmanship. -Ephesians 2:10
I may approach God with freedom and confidence.-Ephesians 3:12
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. -Philippians 4:13
-------------------------------------------- Freedom in Christ Ministries
*****
for a terrific audio series on your identity, click here: IDENTITY THEFT

Unnecessary Tensions in Relationships

2010-05-06T18:06:00.002-04:00

From MAD CHURCH DISEASE: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic by Anne Jackson

Better to live on a corner of the root than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. –Proverbs 21:9

For some reason, this verse always makes me laugh. And whenever I get an attitude with Chris, I think of him camping out on our roof. It cracks me up every time. Maybe God’s intent for painting such a vivid picture was to help us loosen up when we begin to take ourselves too seriously.

Stress and burnout can cause us to project our pain and exhaustion on others--- usually on those closest to us. Some people respond to burnout by lashing out in anger – stomping around in a rage as their lives are falling apart.

Exhaustion can cause us to shut down and stop communication with our spouse or our friends. And by communicate, I mean both talking and listening. We no longer feel connected to those around us, and we begin to not care about nurturing those relationships God has placed in our lives.

After not communicating for a while, resentment can develop. Our spouses or friends may not feel comfortable opening up to us anymore, and bitterness can be formed and directed toward us, toward the church, and even toward God.

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus directs us to be “peacemakers” (in Greek, eirenopoiai, from eirene, which means “peace,” and poieo, which means “to do or to make”). It will take effort and intentionality on our part to bring balance back into our relationships. We are to make peace and strive for unity.

WHY DO YOU PRAY?

2010-05-04T17:37:00.011-04:00

"I PRAY

1 ...BECAUSE JESUS DID..........
.................................................
2 ...BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS TO .........................................
3 ...BECAUSE OF COMING TEMPTATIONS AND TRIALS ....
4 ...BECAUSE THE SPIRIT NEEDS TO." ..............................

Why should we pray? Is it really important? Sometimes it doesn't even feel like anything is getting accomplished, and isn't that the big question in today's world---
"What have you accomplished?"

So why should a Christian pray?
First off, because Jesus did. All throughout the Gospels we see Jesus
--- getting up early to go off and pray (Ref. Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, 6:46, Luke 5:16).
--- thanking God for provisions (Ref. Matthew 14:19, 15:36, Mark 6:41, 8:6, Luke 9:16, John 6:11)
--- taking himself away from others to pray (Ref. Mark 6:45-46, Mark 14:32-34, Luke 4:42, Luke 5:16, )
--- praying all night long (Luke 6:12)
--- praying for others (Ref. Luke 22:32 and John 17)
--- praying during agony (Ref. Matthew 26: 36-46 and Mark 14:32-42)

and of course, Jesus taught his followers to pray in Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:5-15)

Secondly, we should pray because the bible tells us to. It tells us to pray continuously without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Acts 6:4, ) We read of Daniel refusing to give up prayer when the decree banning prayer was instituted. (Daniel 6:10) Numerous places in the bible mentions prayer and stresses the importance of prayer. We are told not to be anxious about anything but in everything we should pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is essential to the believer's life.

The third reason we should pray is crucially important. We need to pray because trials and temptations will come in this life. The word of God is plain on this. And it shows us that we need to be "prayed up" before trials and temptations come. The Holy Spirit took Jesus to the desert for 40 days before Satan tempted him. Jesus took Peter, John and James to the Garden with Him to pray before the events that led to the crucifixion occurred-- before the trial that Peter was about to go through (and subsequently fail in!) They kept falling asleep and He kept waking them up because He knew what they were about to go through and that they needed prayer. At the time the soldiers were coming to get Him, He saw them asleep and let them sleep--- because the moment was upon them and time to pray beforehand was over! We need prayer to strengthen us and shore us up BEFORE temptation rears it's ugly head! As he taught in Luke 11, we need to pray that God not even allow temptation in our lives!

Jesus prayed before all the big life crisis moments: He prayed before choosing the twelve disciples; before the sermon on the mount; before starting out on an evangelistic tour; before His anointing with the Holy Spirit and His entrance upon His public ministry; before announcing to the twelve His approaching death; before the great consummation of His life at the cross. (Luke 6:12-13, Luke 9:18-22, Luke 3:21-22, Mark 1:35-38, Luke 22:39-46) Remember to do like Jesus also and pray after the crisis is over to give glory to God for His hand in getting you through it!

Lastly, we need to pray because our spirit needs to. Your spirit needs to talk with God. It's as simple as that. Three places in the New Testament refer to "praying in the spirit." (Jude 20, Ephesians 6:18, and 1 Corinthians 14:15). Our spirit needs to communicate with the Spirit of God!

We pray because Jesus did, because the bible says to, because of coming temptations and trials, and because the spirit needs to. That simple.

-----thanks to Pastor John for his sermon on this subject. I pray I conveyed it properly!

ONE FLESH

2010-05-04T17:10:00.005-04:00

The subject comes up again and again: marriage, divorce and remarriage in the Christian church. Our hearts break for those who find themselves in a terrible situation. But are we to react as the world reacts or as Jesus would? Jesus had compassion towards the adulterous woman, but told her to "go and sin no more." We should have compassion, yes, but we are helping no one if we go along with the world and merely tell people what they want to hear. We need to speak the truth in love. We cannot sit by and watch others fall into this trap.

THE BIG FAT FACT:
God never intended for divorce to happen. And if it does happen, the only recourse left for a Christ follower is to either try reconciliation or remain celibate.

Dean Taylor's booklet, Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage, was recommended and approved by my Pastor recently. I believe it explains this reasoning far better than my previous post. You can download the entire booklet by clicking on: ntchurchsource.com

May God help you see His truth in this difficult subject.

A LETTER TO ROB BELL

2010-03-16T14:40:00.007-04:00

Dear Rob Bell,
You are a fantastically gifted and clever speaker with a very catchy way of explaining biblical concepts. Your Nooma series are excellently produced and enjoyable to watch. Even your longer video, Everything is Spiritual, has remarkably memorable concepts regarding that first chapter in Genesis.

Yet you are being called the "GNOSTIC HIP HERETIC" by many in the Christian faith. You must ask yourself: WHY? Biblically, we are to examine ourselves regularly. The cautions against preaching untruths are plentiful. As much as I want to embrace the gospel you are preaching, someone needs to tell you that you are, indeed, preaching a false and heretical gospel. I pray you listen to your critics carefully because the bible is very clear on the subject of false teachers preaching false gospels.

You have the ability to bring the gospel and love of Jesus to so many people. It is imperative that your doctrine be correct. I need to tell you that it DOES matter "what trampoline" you are jumping on-- not just that you are jumping. Your gospel is radically different than what the bible states.

Please take time to seek the truth of scripture. What you say will have eternal implications for many people. Some starting points:
--it DOES matter if Joseph was really Jesus' biological father. It would make the gospel untrue.
--it DOES matter if Mary was not a virgin. This also would make the gospel untrue.
--God did NOT give us the right to create and then take "great risk" to see if it would veer off course. This is a Deist version of God and incorrect. God is not surprised by human events. He is omniscient.
--It truly IS vitally important that a person believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, not just live like Jesus. One can do all the good works they want, it will not give them salvation.
--You DO have to preach the gospel with words. Yes, show it in your life, but it is only HIS word that does not return void. (Is 55:11)
--We do NOT all have the "spark of the divine" in us. That would be called pantheism, and it's biblically wrong.

I could go on, but this is a good place to start. Be wary of pride. You must examine yourself. (2 Corinthians 13:5) True knowledge comes from God alone, not from seeking within ourselves.

Sincerely, your sister in Christ

2010-02-27T08:44:00.004-05:00

Now is the time to Stop and Think. (click here)

2010-02-27T08:14:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered if we're missing it?

It's crazy if you think about it. The God of the universe — the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and e-minor — loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.

Whether you've verbalized it yet or not . . . we all know something's wrong.

Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts — it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love you will never be the same.

Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

--- CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan

2010-01-21T22:32:00.014-05:00

"IT IS A POVERTY TO DECIDE THAT A CHILD MUST DIE SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE AS YOU WISH."

...................---Mother Teresa

January is International Quality of Life month.
Talk to someone about the tragedy of abortion.

ARE YOU HIS DISCIPLE? (Luke 14)

2010-01-02T15:35:00.008-05:00

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." ..................................--Luke 14:25-35

There are many believers who have had a relationship with Jesus Christ for years, and yet have never grown up. They aren't feeding themselves or feeding others spiritually. Instead, they still need everything cut up and fed to them like an infant.

Scripture tells us that we need to grow in our faith, maturing from just being a believer to being a disciple. Jesus lays out the characteristics of a disciple in Luke 14:26-35.

PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES

1. A DISCIPLE MUST LOVE JESUS CHRIST MORE THAN ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE. The idea is that our love for Christ should be so strong that our love for our family members and loved ones would seem like hatred, in comparison. This also means not letting your relationships with others get in the way of our relationship with God.

2. A DISCIPLE MUST DENY HIMSELF, TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW JESUS. The idea of denying yourself means surrendering your claim to your possessions, being willing to let them go for the sake of Christ. Taking up your cross means swallowing your pride and doing what God would have you do, rather than what you want to do.

3. A DISCIPLE MUST COUNT THE COST. Few people start a project without examining whether they have the resources or the fortitude to see it through to the end. In the same way, a follower of Christ needs to understand that the life of a believer is not easy. You will have to give up a lot, maybe everything, to be a Christian. That said, whatever you give up to follow Christ will be more than made up in the end.

4. A DISCIPLE WILL IMPACT THEIR CULTURE. We should live our lives in such a way that people can tell there is something different about us. We are to be salt in the lives of otehrs: valuable (salt is the root word for "salary"), making a difference (preserving and flavoring food), and stimulating a thirst for God (causing a desire to know more).

RELEVANT REMINDERS
Not only are Christians supposed to be salt, but we are supposed to be light too. Someone who is bring salt would be an individual who is living their faith, stimulating a thirst in others. Someone who is being a light would be someone who is proclaiming their faith. Don't just live out your faith, share it. Don't just share your faith, live it.

APPLICABLE ACTIONS
The question is, ARE YOU A DISCIPLE? Perhaps you have done one or two of the things listed above, but not all. Maybe you haven't done any of them. If you are ready to stop being a fair-weather follower, a spiritual baby, then why not take the opportunity to commit yourself to being a true disciple of Christ?
.....................................-----from Greg Laurie "Greg's Notes"

HOW TO SPOT A FALSE TEACHER

2009-12-18T13:42:00.006-05:00

1. THEY WILL DECEIVE MANY, EVEN THE ELECT OF GOD (if it were possible).
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. Matthew 24:24

2. THEY WILL SEEK THEIR OWN HONOR
Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." John 1:16-18

3. THEY PREACH A DISTORTED JESUS
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough....For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:4, 13

4. THEIR TEACHING ENSLAVES CHRISTIANS
This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. Galatians 2:4-5

5. THEY INTRODUCE HERESIES
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3

6. THEY DENY THAT JESUS TOOK ON A HUMAN BODY
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3

Be wise, Brethren. Check what you hear according to God's Holy Word. Test to see if what they say and what they do are in line with God's Word.

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

BE A BEREAN!

ARE YOU A CAVEMAN?

2009-11-30T07:40:00.010-05:00

The concept is fabulous.

. . . If we CHRISTIANS only trade a worldly thing for a Christian thing..... it's not a renewal ...

It's like dressing up a CAVEMAN in a suit.

Maybe that's why there are so many Christians that disappoint people by occasionally acting in an "unChRistiAN" way--- maybe because they are just the same old worldly person dressed in a Christian suit?

The Bible promises RENEWAL.
Colossians 3:10-17 says to PUT ON the new self.

And nothing about just switching from worldly music to Christian music, going to church on Sunday morning instead of sleeping late, or just wearing a cross instead of a peace sign! - - - RENEWAL, not mere SUBSTITUTION!

Col 12-15: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."

That should be our prayer.
That should be our desire.

Here is a biblical paraphrase by Sam from Jesusbranded:

"Be changed by the renewing of your mind, for it does not have the things of God but rather is concerned with the affairs of men; men who come near to me and honor only with their lips, but whose hearts are distanced from me, whose worship is comprised only of rules taught by themselves- As far as the heavens are from the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts greater than your thoughts; so give ear and hear me, that your soul may live:
THIS IS LOVE: NOT THAT YOU LOVE ME, BUT THAT I LOVE YOU- you are my child, with whom I am well pleased."
(Romans 12:1 / Matthew 16:23 / Isaiah 55:3, 9 / 1 John 4:10 / Luke 3:22)

2009-11-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR CHOICES

CHOICE
made often enough becomes
A HABIT
which reaps
A PERSONALITY
which reaps
CHARACTER
which determinesDESTINY

THE PARADOX OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

2009-11-19T15:20:00.012-05:00

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY IN MY LIFE

+
RESPONSE OF MY OWN WILL

ARE YOU AUTHENTIC?

2009-11-19T11:34:00.003-05:00

The Bible says in 1 John that followers of Jesus are increasingly known by five “marks”.

An authentic Christian increasingly

loves deeply,

obeys faithfully,

lives authentically,

knows completely and

believes confidently.

How are you doing?

WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?

2009-11-18T13:19:00.007-05:00

Ah, the good old King James Bible. What could sound more beautiful? But many don't seem to have an ear for it. Go to any Christian bookstore--- or any bookstore, for that matter-- and you will find many translations of God's Holy Word.

But are they all the same? Obviously not. There have been many translations written for many different purposes. For example: We see in the KJV a "formal equivalence," which means a word for word translation. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is also translated word for word, but it's authors sought to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English terms.

The New International Version (NIV) is a dynamic equivalence, or "thought for thought" translation. These translators made more of an attempt at interpreting the meaning for the reader, while the translators of the KJV and NASB leave you free to make the interpretation yourself.

Another translation of the Bible would be the "paraphrase." Into this category are the translations The Living Bible, Phillips Paraphrase, and The Message. These were written by men in an attempt to contemporize the Bible. For example, Kenneth Taylor wrote the Living Bible so his children would more easily understand the Bible. A paraphrase of the Bible should not be used as a Christian’s primary Bible. We have to remember that a paraphrase is what the author thinks the Bible says, not necessarily what the Bible says. In fact, often we find in these books that they can be very misleading and actually not what the original texts intended.

I am disturbed at how much New Age terminology and obvious occult references are in The Message Bible by Eugene Petersen. I have read that people who have been brought out from New Age beliefs have said that if they had read Mr. Petersen's version of the Bible, they would have never left those practices for the salvation of Christ because they would have thought they were on the correct path. Mr. Petersen also waters down the condemnation on homosexuality, the submissive role of a wife, and the place of Jesus as Lord. These are things to beware, Brothers and Sisters!

As for me, I can not see where these is any value in The Message for serious students of the Word. And I cringe at the thought of this book being read from the pulpit. God's word does not need help from us. It is the Living Word of God that alone has the ability to transform lives!

For further information on The Message:

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/smith-deceived_on_purpose.htm

http://www.morethancake.org/2007/09/the-message-is-not-a-bible-translation-part-1.html

http://www.bible-researcher.com/themessage.html

2009-11-18T12:57:00.022-05:00

RE-IMAGING GOD
IN THE SHACK

• By Mary Kassian •
....April 6, 2009

WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

This week, Christians around the world will commemorate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It was at a Maundy Thursday service at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, in 1984, that a four-foot bronze statue of Jesus on the cross was unveiled. But to the shock of the congregation, the image of Christ on the cross was, in fact, an image of Christa. It portrayed Christ as a woman, complete with undraped breasts and rounded hips.

Betty Friedan, the main force behind modern day feminism, predicted that the question of the eighties would be: “Is God HE?” The Christa sculpture was the liberal church’s response to the question. And although Evangelical Christians have been much slower to consider female gendered God imagery, the recent phenomenon of the multi-million best-seller, “The Shack,” indicates that Evangelicals, too, are succumbing to the feminist pressure to image God in feminine ways. It’s a scenario that I predicted almost 25 years ago.

If you haven’t read it yet, and are amongst the un-Shacked evangelical minority, here’s the story in a nutshell. Mack’s youngest daughter Missy is kidnapped and murdered in a remote mountain shack by a serial slime, called the Daisy Bug Killer. Mack goes through a denial-grief-anger-bitterness cycle until he receives a letter in his mailbox from God who tells him to go back to the shack to confront his point of pain and suffering. When Mack gets to the shack he blacks out and awakens to find himself in a cabin complete with a manifestation of the Godhead. But this is no ordinary Godhead.

God the Father, called “Papa,” is a She. An Aunt Jemima pancake cooking Mother. Think Whoopee Goldberg in an apron. And Sarayu, the Holy Spirit with an Assyrian name, is a wispy ethereal female. Think life-sized Tinkerbell emitting rainbows and sparkles. Jesus is a human “male” - the one the three members of the Godhead collaboratively spoke into existence as the Son of God (umm… go figure). Then, in a bizarre twist that defies the orthodox image of the pre-incarnate Christ, another woman, “Sophia” appears as the divine personification of God’s wisdom. And in the end, Papa contributes to the gender-bent confusing mess by setting aside his/her female cross dressing persona for a slightly more familiar masculine one- a grey haired man with a hip ponytail.

Forgiveness and healing from pain is a valid biblical motif - one to which I am profoundly committed. But the way we heal is by running toward the God of the Bible, not by killing off or altering the parts of his character that we find politically incorrect. Not by coming up with an image of a God that is more palatable to our modern-day sensibilities. Not by altering God-revealed truth about the Trinity. Not by thinking we need to “help” God with his image. Over the years, I’ve witnessed thousands of women come to a place of healing and wholeness through the redeeming power of the unvarnished foolishness of the gospel.

The Shack contains terribly wrong concepts about God. Plain and simple. If you think it doesn’t, then you’re well on your way to accepting the image of the Christa on the cross. In a few years, you might be hanging her up in your church. I don’t think I’m overstating the case. In my book I’ve carefully documented the way it happened in mainline churches. The arguments used to justify their feminist Christa are the same ones the Shack uses to justify its feminized version of God. In essence, there’s no difference between the artistic image of a feminized Jesus (a.k.a. “Sophia”) hanging on a cross and the artistic image of a feminized Aunt Jemima Papa god in a book. If the latter doesn’t offend you, then the former really shouldn’t.

I’ve had good friends tell me that I’m missing the point of the Shack. Maybe I am. But maybe, just maybe, they are. Maybe they are getting caught up in the emotion of a heart-wrenching story and are failing to notice the horrendous theology that under girds it. The authors claim that “at its core the book is one long Bible Study.” This isn’t an ordinary story book. It’s a book that seeks to transform people’s ideas about God. The fiction is merely a vehicle for the theology.

How we image God matters. So the image of God the book presents matters. It matters a great deal. I seem to recall that God wasn’t terribly amused when his people imaged him in the wrong way, as a golden calf. If you’re not convinced that we should refrain from imaging God as female, and are interested in understanding more about the feminist theology rampant in the Shack, check into my book, The Feminist Mistake. If you take the time to understand the impact that feminism has had on society and church, then maybe you’ll understand my distaste for the Shack’s feminine god rendition.

When it comes down to it, my primary interest is not to engage in a debate about the merits of the Shack. It’s OK if you liked the book. There are some good messages in it, and parts that I liked very much. And it’s apparently helped people in some significant ways. So that’s the good part. But I do want you to think about the false gender-blended image of God this book insidiously presents. And I do want you to base your thinking about God and masculinity and femininity on Scripture, and not on the spirit of this age. The thing that bothers me the most about the Shack is that it wraps destructive ideas up in an appealing package and feeds it to people who have neither the discernment nor the desire to carefully separate truth from error. Most Shackites don’t have a clue about the magnitude of the implications of messing with Trinitarian imagery.

Here’s the thing. In the Old Testament, God instructed his people to reject female goddess images and images of God as a bi-sexual or a dual-sexual Baal/Ashtoreth-type collaboration. God hated this imagery so much that he had his people destroy it and all those who promoted it. The New Testament Church also fought hard against teachings that sought to incorporate female images of God alongside the male images - the Gnostic heresy, in particular. And now, it seems that the same ideas are knocking once again…. and many are throwing the Church doors wide open and welcoming them in.

What’s the big deal? Why can’t we image God as female? The main reason is that God defines who God is and how we are to image him and relate to him. God has chosen to reveal himself with male imagery. Father is HE. Son is HE. Holy Spirit is HE. That’s not to say that God is male. He encompasses everything that is good about masculinity and femininity. But that doesn’t mean that we have the liberty to think or refer to him as female. That’s crossing a line we have no right to cross.

The gender imagery that God has given us is highly important. It reflects critical truths about the nature of the Trinity. Calling him “she” violates his character and important imagery about the nature of our relationship to him. As C.S. Lewis observes,

Common sense, disregarding the discomfort, or even the horror, which the idea of turning all our theological language into the feminine gender arouses in most Christians, will ask “Why not? Since God is in fact not a biological being and has no sex, what can it matter whether we say He or She, Father or Mother, Son or Daughter?”

But Christians think that God Himself has taught us how to speak of Him. To say that it does not matter is to say either that all the masculine imagery is not inspired, is merely human in origin, or else that, though inspired, it is quite arbitrary and unessential. And this is surely intolerable: or, if tolerable, it is an argument … against Christianity. It is also surely based on a shallow view of imagery. Without drawing upon religion, we know from our poetical experience that image and apprehension cleave closer together than common sense is here prepared to admit; that a child who has been taught to pray to a Mother in Heaven would have a religious life radically different from that of a Christian child. And as image and apprehension are in an organic unity, so, for a Christian, are human body and human soul.

The innovators are really implying that sex is something superficial, irrelevant to the spiritual life… [But] one of the ends for which sex was created was to symbolize to us the hidden things of God. One of the functions of human marriage is to express the nature of the union between Christ and the Church. We have no authority to take the living and semitive figures which God has painted on the canvas of our nature and shift them about as if they were mere geometrical figures… [God images himself as masculine because]…we are all, corporately and individually, feminine to Him.

…The male you could have escaped, for it exists only on the biological level. But the masculine none of us can escape. What is above and beyond all things is so masculine that we are all feminine in relation to it.

(Quotes from C.S. Lewis Essays Notes on the Way and That Hideous Strength.)

There’s a whole lot more to be said about the importance of accurate gender imagery and the importance of honoring and preserving masculine imagery for God. But I’ll leave it at that for now. Hopefully this post has alerted you to some popular false ways of thinking that are both insidious and dangerous. The nearly universal frothing of the Christian community over the Shack shows me how very much the philosophy of feminism has influenced even the Evangelical church.

For those of you who are interested, here’s a more detailed critique of the Shack by renowned Christian reviewer, Tim Challies

About the Author: Mary Kassian, the founder of Girls Gone Wise, is an award winning author, internationally renowned speaker, and distinguished professor of Women's Studies at Southern Baptist Seminary.

MAINE MARRIAGE VOTE

2009-11-07T08:53:00.013-05:00

By now it is no surprise that gay marriage was defeated in Maine on election day. Here are some thoughts as I go through the various websites and the comments written there:

This is not a civil rights issue. I am truly sorry that so many people are so wounded about this, though. My heart goes out to those who are in this situation. But that doesn't mean that I agree with changing the definition of an established institution to cater to the desires of one group of people.

You don't have the right to have something that belongs to someone else.

You don't have the right to change the definition of something that has existed for thousands of centuries.

You don't have the right to redefine my relationship to validate your own.

To change the entire meaning/purpose/definition of marriage to suit one group of individuals is obviously going to upset the people who have vested interest in that union.

I am so tired of all the belittling and hate-filled talk from the gay community against people who simply don't want their sacred institution changed. Since when can't there be a civil disagreement? You can't marry just anybody. There are parameters. You can't marry your mother, father or grandmother. You can't marry your sister, brother or first-cousin. You can't marry a child. You can't marry someone of the same sex. You may WANT to. You may feel it is your RIGHT. But that's not the purpose/meaning/definition of marriage.

From Dr. James MacDonald's weekly online devotional:

2009-08-31T07:53:00.006-04:00

Jesus Listens

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16

What do you think about prayer? Do you think that God really wants to talk to you? Do you think He really wants to hear what is on your heart?

The answer is, yes, He really does. He is an attentive counselor who listens to you. You understand this picture if you know what it's like to sit and talk to someone who really knows how to listen. They hear you. They get it. You can see in their eyes that they're tracking with you. Psalm 116:1-2 tells us "I love the LORD, because He has heard my cries. Because He bends down and listens." Picture your closest friend, turning his ear to you, and you cup your hand around your mouth and whisper your need. That's the picture.

God knows exactly what's going on in your life. He’s aware of your needs and your heartaches and your worries about the future. God totally gets it - that one truth has inspired and comforted and ministered to God's people through thousands of years of history.

Not only is God listening to your prayer, but He will give you wisdom about the difficult season of your life if you ask Him for it. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." That phrase "without reproach" means literally that God won't sink His teeth into you. God won't be like, "What? What are you asking Me that for!?" He's not the impatient parent who doesn't have time for you or the irritable boss who snaps back. No, He's the attentive counselor, listening to you. Hebrews 4:16 assures you to, "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Take to heart the comfort of Psalm 62:8: "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."

click here to go to Walk In The Word

HAPPINESS IS MORE THAN A STATE OF MIND

2009-08-24T07:54:00.013-04:00

Happiness is a State of Mind

--- Mark 1:29-38

Muhammed Ali is the unprecedented three-time world heavyweight boxing champion. His picture has appeared on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED more times than any other athlete – including the likes of Tiger Woods and A-Rod. At the height of his popularity he "floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee." Everywhere he went reporters, trainers and his staff followed him. A number of years after he quit boxing, sportswriter Gary Smith, interviewed Ali about his life after boxing.

As they were visiting, Ali showed the sportswriter his gym, masquerading as the barn next to his farmhouse. In there, on the floor leaning against the walls, were pictures and framed newspaper articles from his prime. There were photos of the champ punching and dancing. There was one picture where his fist was punching the air. There was also a picture of Ali holding his championship belt high in triumph. A framed poster read "The Thrilla in Manilla".

As the sportswriter looked at the pictures he couldn't help but notice they were covered with white streaks - bird droppings. Just then the champ looked into the rafters at the pigeons who had made his gym their home. Then perhaps as a statement of despair, Ali walked over to the row of pictures and one by one turned them over. Then he walked to the door and stared out at the countryside. He mumbled something so low the sportswriter had to ask him what he said. "I had the world," Muhammed Ali repeated, "and it wasn't nothin'. Look now."

What would it take to make you happy?

Wealth?

Fame?

If wealth and fame and acceptance don't bring happiness, where is it to be found? Some say happiness is just a state of mind, you know – “don’t worry, be happy.” But let me offer you another perspective – A Biblical Perspective.

Ha Happiness begins with a touch

Jesus was visiting in the home of Simon Peter. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. Without anyone saying a word about her illness Jesus went over to her, touched her, and lifted her up. Immediately she was healed. Notice that Jesus never said a word; he just touched her. We are not told how long she was sick in bed, or her condition. All we are told is that Jesus touched her and made her well. It was a miracle.

Notice what happened next. She immediately got up and began serving Jesus and his disciples. How many of the women today can identify with that picture? Having been sick in bed she was probably weak, but when Jesus touched her she felt a new strength she had never felt before. She got out of bed and began serving him. This was her way of saying thanks. It was her response, but it began with the Master's touch.

Happiness is not simply an option we exercise. People who buy self-help books on how to be happy are going to be disappointed. True happiness, lasting happiness begins with a touch - a touch of the Master's hand.

W. E. Sangster was once asked if he would find time to cheer up a young man who was recuperating from a nervous breakdown. Sangster promised to do his best. He sought the young man out and began to try to help him, but it was hard work. "This is a gray world," the young man said. "I see no purpose in it. It is dull, meaningless and evil. Its pleasures soon pass. Its pains endure. I seriously ask myself the question: 'Is life worth living?'"

Sangster saw him once or twice a week for nearly two months. Every conversation was the same - nothing seemed to improve. Then something happened to that young man. He fell in love. Head over heels in love! On the day his engagement was announced he came to see Sangster and began the conversation with words something like this: "This is a lovely world. Come out into the garden and listen to that little bird singing fit to burst its heart. Isn't it a glorious morning? How good it is to be alive!"

That young man did not will himself to that change of attitude. It was not a choice he made. Something happened within him. He fell in love.

So it is when we experience Christ's presence in our lives. The world seems to change. But it isn't the world at all. We are changed by the Master’s touch.

Ha Happiness comes when we discover the power of prayer.

An unwritten motto in our culture is that the busier we are, the happier we are. So we strive to be busy. It's a mistake. Consider Jesus' approach.

By night fall word had spread throughout the town that Jesus was there and that he had the power to heal people. By dusk Mark says the whole city was at Simon's house looking for Jesus. They brought their sick, "with various diseases," hoping that he would be able to heal them. The disciples had never seen such a crowd. With all those people Jesus must have been exhausted. It was probably late when they all left. Yet early the next morning, before anyone in the house woke up, Jesus left in search of a lonely place, a place where the crowds would be unable to find him, so he could be alone to pray.

Jesus, who had given so much of himself to others, needed some time alone with the Father. He who had given all that he humanly had to give, also needed His Master’s touch.

That's true of us also. Some people really don’t understand prayer. Listen to this story:

"Hey, Father," said a man talking to a priest. "You got it all wrong about this God stuff. He doesn't exist. I oughta know."

"Why's that, my son?" asked the priest.

"Well," the man said, "when I was ice-fishing in the Arctic far from the nearest village, a blizzard blew up with wind and blinding snow. I was a goner. So I got down on my knees and prayed real hard, begging God for help."

"And did He help you?" asked the priest.

"Heck no," said the man. "God didn't lift a finger. Some Eskimo appeared out of nowhere and showed me the way."

Prayer is a potent force in the life of the believer. It is where we each make ourselves available to experience the Master’s touch. He doesn’t just reach out to us once or twice. He touches us over and over in response to our honest and humble need.

Recently my burden was lifted from me through prayer. Sylvia hinted at it last week, so let me share it with you.

At Boeing where I work, reductions have been announced… up to 10,000 employees. Well, my work group will cease to exist next week. That means that everyone in that work group, including me, needs to find someplace else within Boeing. This is at a time of budget cuts when other work groups are reducing their head count. I have been fearful of losing not only my job, but the income that came with it. I could not get past my whining “What am I going to do?” I’ve been having a real pity party for myself the past couple of months.

As some of you know, on Friday’s I go to McNeil Island and assist the Chaplain with what ever he has for me to do. Usually this means ministering to the men as well as running errands. But this past Friday, he asked me to pray. He specifically requested that I pray against the strongholds that are within the prison system. After instructing me, he left and I went into the sanctuary and obediently started praying.

I prayed for over two hours. God touched me during that time. He told me not to worry; He is in control. These are words that I know in my head, but God made them real in my soul. He also directed my path in a very specific direction. He asked me to do three things:

• Assist the institutional chaplains transition inmates from prison to the community.

• Support and prepare community leaders so that they can, in turn, support the men as they adjust from incarceration to community.

• And finally, God told me to be an encourager and witness to the ex-offenders.

I shared this with Sylvia and together we are developing an action plan for me to transition into full-time ministry, specifically to work with male offenders in the process of re-entry.

Since that dedicated time of prayer, where I made myself available for the Master’s touch, my burdens have been lifted. My excitement and joy have returned. I don’t know all the details yet. I don’t need to. God is in Control

Happiness is experiencing the Master's touch. Happiness happens when we run out of us and call out to Him.

Fi .. Finally, happiness is getting our priorities in order.

We need to take inventory of our lives to determine what's important and what is not. Jesus did.

That next morning when Simon and the other disciples awoke, they discovered that Jesus was nowhere to be found. Perhaps they panicked a bit. They actively searched until they chased him down. They interrupted his prayer time. "Everyone is searching for you," Simon told him. To this Jesus answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." Jesus would not be side-tracked by the adulation of the crowds. He knew where he was headed. He may not have been consciously aware of every detail, but in prayer his energy was restored and he knew what direction to go. Nothing else mattered.

Gorman Williams spent most of his life as a missionary to India. In 1945 he purchased tickets for a long-awaited vacation back to the United States. He had counted down the months and days until he would be home. A few days before he was to leave he heard about some Jews who had escaped the wrath of the Nazis. They had traveled by boat to India seeking refuge. Since it was a time of global war, the Indian government denied their request to immigrate. They were granted permission to stay for a short time in the lofts of the buildings near the dock. Their living conditions were wretched. But it was better than being sent to a concentration camp in Germany.

It was Christmas Eve when Gorman Williams heard about the plight of these Jews. Immediately he went to the dock, entered the first building and called out, "Merry Christmas! What would you like for Christmas?" The response was slow. "We're Jewish," someone called out. "I know," Williams said, "but what would you like for Christmas?" The weary Jews, fearful for their very lives, replied, "We would like some German pastries."

At that point Gorman Williams sold his ticket to the United States and purchased more German pastries than anyone had ever seen. He brought lots and lots of them and carried them in large baskets.

Later he told this story to a group of students. One brash, judgmental young man reprimanded him. "You shouldn't have done that," he said, "they were not even Christians."

"No they weren't," the wise missionary quietly replied, "but I am." Gorman Williams, having been touched by the Master, had his priorities in order. He knew what direction he was to go.

What would it take to make you happy? Every study I have seen on the subject indicates that people who are actively engaged in serving God are far happier than the general population. That does not surprise me. Happiness is more that a state of mind. Happiness is birthed in the touch of the Master's hand. Happiness becomes a possibility when we open ourselves to God through honest and humble prayer. Happiness is having our priorities in order. We are headed in the direction God has chosen for our lives, and nothing else is quite as important as that journey.

....................................---www.devotions.net

2009-08-14T07:28:00.017-04:00

And in the morning, rising a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and prayed. ..... --Mark 1:35 KJV

It seems that we have an unwritten motto in our culture that says, "The busier we are, the happier we are." So we strive to be busy. But I think it is a mistake for us to be too busy for people, quietness, or conversation with God.

Consider Jesus' approach. By night fall word had spread throughout the town that Jesus was there and that he had the power to heal people. By dusk Mark says the whole city was at Simon's house looking for Jesus. They brought their sick, "with various diseases," hoping that he would be able to heal them. The disciples had never seen such a crowd. With all those people Jesus must have been exhausted. It was probably late when they all left. Yet early the next morning, before anyone in the house woke up, Jesus left in search of a lonely place, a place where the crowds would be unable to find him, so he could be alone to pray. Jesus, who had given so much of himself to others, needed some time alone with God. He who had given so much; needed some time to receive. That's also true of us. We need to take time to talk with God, so that we gain energy and strength to face the challenges of our lives.

I remember a story of a man who was talking to a minister. The man said, "Hey, you got it all wrong about this God stuff. God doesn't exist. I ought to know."

"Why is that?" asked the minister.

"And did God help you?" asked the minister.

"Heck no," said the man. "God didn't lift a finger. Some Eskimo appeared out of nowhere and showed me the way to the village."

What this man didn't seem to understand is that God works through you and me. There will be times when our prayers will not be answered the way we want them to be. But prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "no." And another important thing--we should not allow our prayers to become a time when we list all of wants from God.

Prayer is powerful. Prayer is a time to connect ourselves to God, and that which is sacred, and prayer does bring us greater happiness and faith.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your example of prayer. Move me daily to spend time talking to our Father. In Jesus Name, Amen.

..........................--- from Today's Devotions, Ron Newhouse

2009-08-04T21:30:00.004-04:00

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him." --Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

FAITH

2009-08-03T09:06:00.020-04:00

Faith. We all have it. It is hard-wired into us. The Bible tells us we can ask the Lord to increase our faith (Luke 17:5), but we all have faith. You get into an elevator and you have faith it will go either up or down when you press the button. You go into the bathroom, turn on the faucet and you have faith that the water will come out. You go into your den at night, click on the light switch and you have faith the light will come on. We are creatures of faith.

But sometimes when it comes to God, we don't operate in faith. We HOPE. We THINK. If you "think" God is going to work in your life; if you "hope" something will happen-- that's not faith. There is a difference between hoping God is going to do something in your life and having faith that it will happen.

Now we're not talking about wanting a Mercedes or for that "cute boy in English class" to notice us. We are talking about things that are in God's will for our lives. Of course, there has been some prayer involved, seeking what God's will is for us. But once that has been established: the Bible tells us to walk in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Here are seven key words Charles Stanley uses to help you understand if you are walking in faith.

#1 ASSURANCE. Assurance that God is going to keep His word. God has many promises in the Bible. Many are applicable in our lives. What He says He will do, He will do. Mostly, if you aren't seeing God manifest Himself in your life, there are two simple options: a) You need to wait on God. Keep waiting. b) there is something in your life inhibiting the flow of God's grace. The problem is always on our side, never on God's side. Some searching and praying for insight might be necessary. Remember sin inhibits our communication with God.

#2 ANTICIPATION. When you anticipate that something is going to happen, you make plans, you prepare. I heard a great example of this: If you said to me that you were going to Europe tomorrow, I'd say "Great! Are you packed? Do you have your tickets? Do you know where you are going when you get there?" If you answered "No" to all my questions, then I'm afraid I have to say, "You're not going to Europe tomorrow." We need to be prepared for when God answers our prayers.

#3. AWARENESS. The sensitivity to see that God is already up to something in the circumstance you are concerned about. To watch for every little divine movement. To see the divine plan at work step-by-step. Once you set yourself to be aware for these "God moments," you will see them more and more. We have to start looking for these things.

#4. ACCESS. The use of the gift of prayer to access the Father at any moment, any time, any where. We have in prayer the best thing that could be given to us: unlimited access to the Father. From the the first waking moment of our day we should be addressing Him, thanking Him, and glorifying Him. Reviewing our day with Him. Asking Him for guidance. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Our first line of defense in every situation is prayer--- not our last resort. Christians should never say "Well, all that is left to do now is pray."

#5. AUTHORITY. The recognition of the authority given to us by the Lord. The scriptures say "ask and it shall be given..." Jesus said "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:14). We have been given authority simply by who we are in His kingdom. Are you walking in this authority?

#6. ACTION. The acid test of your faith is your obedience to the Lord. Noah was told to build an ark, he started building. "I believe" and "I serve" are actions words. A person of faith DOES. Jesus said "If you love me you will obey me" (John 14:15). Faith-filled people are obedient people.

#7. APPROVAL We gain God's approval through our faith Romans 5:1 tells us that we have been justified by our faith. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, biblical greats are innumerated for their faith with the final verdict being that they gained approval through their faith. "...having gained approval through their faith" (Hebrews 11:39). These illustrations in Hebrews 11 only go to show that God wants to bless you when you obey Him.

The ultimate reason God will honor your faith is because others will see and be in awe of what He is doing in your life and in turn place their trust in Him. "I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear; And will trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:1-3).

2009-07-31T16:36:00.007-04:00

CRISIS?
#1. Whenever you face difficulties, remember that God is in control of all your circumstances (see Romans 8:28-29).
Psalm 103:19 declares, "The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all." This is why believers can be sure that we will overcome every obstacle and problem---because God can handle whatever happens and is responsible for leading us to victory. Though He may not have initiated our trials, He allowed them. That means He can bring good out of them and teach us powerful lessons if we trust Him.

#2. Remember that the Lord takes full responsibility for all your needs when you are following Him in obedience (see Romans 8:31-32).
Paul confirmed this principle when he wrote, "God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). The Father is faithful to provide for you, even when you cannot see how He will do so (Psalm 37:25). After all, He provided His very best---His only begotten Son ---to save you from your sins. Of course, this does not mean that God will give you everything you want. Sometimes the things you desire do not fulfill His purpose for your life. But you can be sure that whatever the Lord offers you--and even in what He withholds-- He always has your best interest at heart (Matt. 7:9-11)

#3. Remember that if you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Lord is always with you (Romans 8:35-37).
You are not alone. No matter where you go or what you go through, God will never forsake you (Deut 31:6,8; John 14:18; Hebrews 13:5). David testified to this when he wrote, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4). Though others may abandon you or leave you for some reason, the Lord won't. He can't because as a believer, you are sealed with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). This means that you always have the most powerful Friend, Counselor, and Advocate with you to heal you, help you, and lead you when the road of life grows lonely and confusing.

#4. Remember that the Lord loves you with an eternal, irrevocable love (Romans 8:38-39).
You cannot lose God's love. It is unconditional, sacrificial, and based on His unwavering character--not on your behavior (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7-10). That does not mean He condones sin. Oh the contrary, ungodly behavior is destructive to you, so He despises it. Rather, it means His affection for you is not based on what you do. You don't have to earn it or work to keep it. When you fail, you do not forfeit it. And no one could every convince Him to care for you less. His love is freely given and all you have to do is open your heart to receive it.

We cannot escape the changes and trials of life, but believers can have confidence no matter what we face. Look to God no matter what your circumstances are. Rejoice that He is in control, provides for your needs, is always with you, and loves you. Because that, my friend, is the way to have peace, strength, and assurance through even the most troublesome times.
---Charles F. Stanley

MOMS IN TOUCH

2009-07-31T16:07:00.010-04:00

Are you a mom who deeply loves her children and longs for them to grow up to be loving, confident and successful? Do you fear that influences outside your control will steal their hearts? You are not alone …
Moms In Touch International is:

Two or more moms who meet regularly to pray for their children, their schools, their teachers and administrators.
Mothers, grandmothers or anyone who is willing to pray for a specific child and school.
Moms who believe that prayer makes a difference.
Please consider joining a MITI group. We pray for one hour once a week. I guarantee you will see God working in amazing ways. To find out more about this wonderful ministry, go to momsintouch.org.

"pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children," --Lamentations 2:19

SYATP

2009-07-31T16:02:00.004-04:00

See You At The Pole will be on September 23rd at 7am. This is where students (and invited guests) go to the flagpole of their public school and pray and worship. You should inform the Principal of the school in advance. See their site at SYATP.com for resources, information, and planning. Every school should be bathed in prayer for the coming year!

ΙΧΘΥΣ

2009-07-31T09:51:00.017-04:00

The "Jesus fish." What really is it? The fish symbol by itself was used to identify oneself as a Christian. Following Christ's crucifixion when Christians were persecuted and even killed, it was a symbol that fellow Christians would understand and recognize but non-Christians would not. Christians could connect to each other with this symbol without revealing themselves to their oppressors. At that time, the cross was not used as a Christian symbol-- probably due to the fact that the early Christians needed no reminder of how Jesus died; they saw it in its most hideous form all too frequently.

ΙΧΘΥΣ is the Greek word for fish (pronunced ik-thiss). The English spelling is Ichthus or Ichthys. The addition of ΙΧΘΥΣ inside the fish stands for Jesus.

Ι Iota	Χ Chi	Θ Theta	Υ Upsilon	Σ Sigma
Iesous	Christos	Theou	Yios *	Soter
Jesus	Christ	God's	Son	Saviour
			(* pronounced Iios - with emphasis on the 'o')

The "Darwin Fish" that is seen in the cartoon and on the backs of many cars is the owner's belief in the absurd theory of evolution. Plus, they get in a little dig at Christians. How sad that so many are deceived. And that they would mock something that represents Jesus. Please pray that everyone who sports one of these on their car has their eyes opened to see the truth.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." -- Galatians 6:7

TO MY JEWISH FRIENDS

2009-07-23T21:13:00.014-04:00

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. For I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more."-- Jeremiah 31:31-34

THOUGHTS TO PONDER
What is this "New Covenant?" What would be the basis of atonement under it? Atonement requires the shedding of blood (Leviticus 17:11). Since the Temple no longer exists, it is impossible to sacrifice. Prayers cannot take the place of a sacrifice-- there is no shedding of blood. Besides, if prayer could suffice, why would God have ever instituted sacrifice to begin with? Would God have allowed the Temple to be destroyed and stay destroyed for so long without another way? Click on picture for more information.

STAR OF DAVID

2009-07-23T20:28:00.007-04:00

On July 22, 2009 over Asia and India there was a total eclipse. As the sun was starting to peek out again it resembled the Star of David. Cool, huh?

A STUDY ON THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL

2009-07-20T18:14:00.039-04:00

There are astounding correlations between the feasts God covenanted with Israel and Jesus Christ's first and second coming events.

PASSOVER---->JESUS CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION

FEAST OF THE UNLEAVEN BREAD----> JESUS CHRIST'S BURIAL

FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS----> JESUS' RESURRECTION

PENTECOST---->SENDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ROSH HASHANAH---->RAPTURE

YOM KIPPUR----> JUDGMENT DAY

FEAST OF BOOTHS--->MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

For anyone who is interested in this I have written notes at GOING DEEPER IN HIS WORD.

YOUNG LIFE

2009-07-18T08:56:00.012-04:00

I once heard someone say that we are so concerned with the type of learning our children are receiving in the education system, what they are watching on TV or in the movies, what they are reading, etc...but are we as careful with what their spiritual leaders are teaching them? Just because someone calls themselves a Christian---well, we all know that doesn't make them a Christian.
Young Life is a youth ministry that goes to where adolescents are and builds relationships with them while presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I recently had reason to check out their Statement of Faith. And I found it pretty comprehensive. No prosperity gospel. No emergent church babble. No New Age hype. Just straight forward principled beliefs. Do they line up with yours?

PREAMBLE: We the members of the Young Life mission join together in our affirmation of the following articles and our central purpose of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and introducing adolescents everywhere to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
ARTICLE I
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments being given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
ARTICLE II
In the Scriptures, God reveals Himself as the living and true God, Creator of all things. Perfect in love and righteous in all His ways, this one God exists eternally as a Trinity of persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
ARTICLE III
God made man and woman in His image that He might have fellowship with us. Being estranged from God by our disobedience, we are, as sinful people, incapable of a right relationship to God apart from divine grace.
ARTICLE IV
The only Mediator between God and all human beings is Jesus Christ our Lord, God's eternal Son, who as man fully shared and fulfilled our humanity in a life of perfect obedience.
ARTICLE V
By His death in our place, Jesus revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having risen bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, He rules as Lord over all and intercedes for us as our great high priest.
ARTICLE VI
The Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the Gospel, renews our hearts, persuading us to repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord. By the same Spirit, we are led to trust in divine mercy, whereby we are forgiven all our sins, justified by faith through the merit of Christ our Savior, adopted into God's family as His children and enabled so to live in the world that all people may see our good works and the Gospel of grace at work in our lives and glorify our Father who is in heaven.
ARTICLE VII
God, by His Word and Spirit, calls us as sinful people into the fellowship of Christ's body. Thus He creates the one holy, catholic and apostolic church, united in the bonds of love, endowed with the gifts of the Spirit and summoned by Christ to preach the Gospel and to administer the sacraments, to carry on the ministry of reconciliation, to relieve human need and strive for social justice.
ARTICLE VIII
God's redemptive purpose will be consummated by the return of Christ to raise the dead, judge all people and establish His glorious kingdom. Those who are apart from Christ shall be eternally separated from God's presence, but the redeemed shall live and reign with Him forever.

PRAISE TO THE KING

2009-07-17T15:01:00.011-04:00

How amazing God is. Really. I have been contemplating the "first Adam--last Adam." The similarities. The polar opposites that open the door to redemption. I think of all the people before Christ that through the centuries were told the story of Adam and Eve--- never knowing that much later on the timeline God Himself would step into time as the last Adam. And how privileged we are to be on this side of the incarnation. To be able to see it accomplished. To hold in our hands the very words describing both men. How God's plan, God's will, God's purpose was carried out. Who could have guessed? Who could have known? Only El Elyon. Praise to the King. .......................***click here

FIRST ADAM--- LAST ADAM

2009-07-16T23:10:00.019-04:00

First Adam—last Adam
Both are vital to the Gospel ... but exactly how? (click here)

Once again I am amazed at the depth of the written Word of God. As such a simple thinker, I tend to take things at face value and not probe deeply. Obviously, therefore, when a complex doctrine is presented to me I am astounded. Here is a link provided to share this astonishment with you.

2009-07-16T22:44:00.003-04:00

click on the picture to find out!

THIEVERY CEASES IN THE PRESENCE OF AWAKENED IDENTITY

2009-07-16T08:42:00.014-04:00

"Thievery is a horrible crime... it's mind-numbing how much is stolen from us on a daily basis: the spoils of victory, the comforts of joy, the grandness of redemption- all of it seemingly so accessible to the thieves that stalk us from their dark alleyways and cowardly hiding places.

I think what's more heartbreaking is that we unwittingly surrender our sovereignty over these things...

... so in the end it's not thievery at all, it's more like a case of us delegating undue authority unto demons who have no right nor position over us until that moment when we actually open the door and lay out our welcome mats to them.

This unseen war between the dying flesh and the newborn spirit is an all-too-real one, with casualties far beyond our capacity to understand. Far too often it is our joy and our dreams that lay battered by the wayside, victims of unholy cunning and wit.

I say, enough.

I will delight over you with joy, calm you with my love, and rejoice over you with singing... for you are my beloved who has stolen my heart, my sons and daughters who have captivated my thoughts...

Thievery ceases in the presence of awakened identity."

...............--- Sam from Jesusbranded

2009-07-15T12:18:00.019-04:00

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Somehow the Washington D.C.'s Capitol Visitors Center was
finished without any reference to our Christian heritage.
No "In God We Trust."
No mention of a pledge that contains the words
"one nation under God."

It literally took an act of Congress to get those words etched on the building. There were 410 U.S. Representatives that voted for the passage of HCR131 (House Concurrent Resolution 131) that directed the architect of the Capitol to etch in stone the motto and the pledge. There were 8 that actually voted AGAINST and 2 that only were recorded as "present," apparently not wanting to weigh in 'for' or 'against.' Here are their names:

those that voted AGAINST
JOHN CONYERS (D) Michigan

DONNA EDWARDS (D) Maryland

MAZIE HIRANO (D) Hawaii

MIKE HONDA (D) California

JIM MCDERMOTT (D) Washington

RON PAUL (R) Texas

BOBBY SCOTT (D) Virginia

PETE STARK (D) California

those that were merely "present"
SAM FARR (D) California

JIM MORAN (D) Virginia

If you know anyone these Congressmen & women represent, please let them know so that it can be remembered in November!

2009-07-08T07:23:00.004-04:00

HUMAN BEINGS NEED TO BE KNOWN
TO BE LOVED.
GOD MUST BE LOVED TO BE KNOWN.
--- Blaise Pascal- 17th century mathematician & philosopher

4 FALSE GOSPELS

2009-07-08T07:00:00.009-04:00

1. RELATIONAL GOSPEL:
"Be my friend, let's have fun, oh, hey, let me tell you about Jesus."
2. RELEVANCY GOSPEL:
"Hey, look at who's a Christian! It must be right!"
3. RESOURCE GOSPEL:
"God wants you to prosper and be wealthy! Just believe it!"
4. REASONABLE GOSPEL:
"When you think about it, gee, doesn't it make so much sense?"

do not be misled!
Serve God without shame-- retain the standard of sound words.
Have faith that God will use the message
and have love for the people.
PREACH:
-repentance to sin
-broken before God
-ask Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself

***PROTECT THE GOSPEL***

abortion

2009-07-02T18:39:00.006-04:00

A woman who sets her rights, the supposed right to privacy or right over her own body, above the life of another human being is saying that a woman's rights are superior to human rights. She has put herself above the human race, she has made herself the executor over life and death. Is that a woman's right? -- Dr Janet Smith

2009-06-29T17:22:00.020-04:00

farrah fawcett
michael jackson
billy mays

just three people in the last few days
that made news with their deaths.

funny,
one thing that we all have in common
is that we will not make it off this earth alive.

............................Rich
............................Famous
............................Beautiful
............................Talented
............................Poor
............................Wise
............................Powerful

It doesn't matter.

.........Death is no respecter of persons.

What is important is that these three people
.............have gone on to eternity.
Their eternity. The one they chose.
..................Because that's what it's all about, folks.
The bible says "choose for yourselves this day
whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15)
Will you choose the Lord?
............................Then your eternity will be in heaven with Him.
Will you choose to turn your back on the Lord and embrace

this world
yourself
karma
the golden rule
your best idea
???

Bad choice. Because the Bible says that there are only two options:
heaven
or hell
............................period.

farrah fawcett
michael jackson
billy mays

I pray your eyes were opened to the truth
I pray you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior
I pray your choice was LIFE

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
"... I have set before you life and death,
................................................blessing and cursing;
..........therefore choose life,
that both you and your descendants may live;
.....that you may love the LORD your God,
.......................that you may obey His voice,
.................................and that you may cling to Him..."

May you all be resting in peace

WAKE UP!

2009-06-28T00:06:00.023-04:00

A shocking wake-up call to all Believers.
ARISE & AWAKE, SLEEPERS!!!

FOR THE EYE OPENING LECTURE, CLICK HERE

It may be that in a very short time,
speech like this will be illegal in America.
Christians need to
INFORM THEMSELVES,
PRAY and . SPEAK OUT!

HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED

2009-06-27T08:51:00.020-04:00

THE CONTACT LENS
A true story from Brenda Foltz of Princeton, Minnesota
written by Elisabeth Elliot

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me." Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it.

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words,
........ "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing.
......... I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy.
..........But if this is what You want me to do,
..........I'll carry it for You."
I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil 4:13

just shadows

2009-06-24T21:59:00.007-04:00

All that meets the bodily sense I deem
Symbolical -- one mighty Alphabet
For infant minds! And we in this low world,
Placed with our backs to bright Reality,
That we may learn with young, unwounded ken
The Substance from the Shadows!
-- Oswald Chambers

By faith we understand the the universe was formed at God's command,
so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible --Hebrews 11:3

God's material creation is an allegory to illustrate spiritual reality.
The spiritual realm is eternal; the material realm is temporary.
The spiritual realm is the substance; the material realm is the shadow.
The spiritual realm is the reality; the material realm is the picture.
-- Jennifer Kennedy Dean

MARRIAGE

2009-06-19T16:14:00.002-04:00

FIRST:
let's commit to loving our spouses and our children.
SECOND:
lovingly remind others and our government
of the truth of God's word
and the many reasons for upholding marriage.

This isn't to be mean. It's not to offend.
Nor is it meant to be a stand for bigotry.
I AM A CHRISTIAN. We have a motto/saying/phrase
LOVE THE SINNER- - - HATE THE SIN

The Long Island Family Coalition (with it's Chairman Pastor Bruce Bennett of Grace Gospel Church, Patchogue, NY) has put out a pamphlet that enumerates reasons same-sex marriage should not be allowed.

THIS IS NOT "HATE SPEECH"
THIS IS MY FREEDOM TO RELIGION
THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE AS GOD DICTATED

1. It violates the essence of what a wedding and marriage mean. God defines the meaning of such a relationship. Scripture begins with a wedding and ends with a wedding. The relationship between Christ and his people is described as a "marriage between a groom and a bride." (Eph 5:32)
2. It violates natural law and prevents the full complement (biologically, psychologically, and sociologically) of God's image to be fully expressed. God made man in His image, male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27)
3. It degrades the time-honored institution of marriage, thus destroying a foundational pillar for any society. History bears witness to the fact that no society has survived, that has re-defined marriage or allowed marriage-like relationships outside of the man/woman bond for a lifetime.
4. It denies a child a mother and a father. The optimal and standard scenario for child-rearing is to have the child's biological father and his masculine view of life, and his biological mother and her feminine view of life, as the foundational context for their family life, so they develop with a healthy and balanced view of themselves and of the world around them.
5 It allows for any assemblage of people as marriage. Using the logic that is foisted by special interest groups that marriage is a right of any two consenting individuals, one must logically conclude that any number of consenting people including brothers marrying brothers and mothers marrying daughters must be permitted.
6. It redefines and belittles the civil rights movement by equating a behavior (homosexuality) with the indigenous and immutable characteristics of race, ethnicity, and gender, thus sanctioning a behavior that has always been considered immoral in Western Civilization since its inception. If taken to its logical conclusion, theoretically a rapist or thief could simply say their behaviors should be approved of as well.
7. It redefines the mission of civil government. Historically our civil government upheld the Biblical ethical paradigm whether consciously or unconsciously; this would be an obvious example of violating this standard. young people especially equate the laws of the land with what is ultimately ethical. What lesson would this be teaching our youth?
8. It will open the floodgates of persecution against the people of God. Already in states where same-sex marriage has been legalized, Christians and those people who hold to marriage as sacred between a husband and wife have been threatened and jailed for not accommodating or supporting homosexual marriages or unions. Recently, a Massachusetts father was arrested for simply telling his kindergarten son's principal not to expose him to homosexual "families" in his son's curriculum.
9. It misleads people into thinking that a privilege is a right. Obtaining a marriage license is like obtaining a driver's license; certain conditions must be met and the privileges granted by the civil government can be enjoyed only within certain parameters to insure the common good.

Show of hands: who loves the Bible?

2009-06-19T08:28:00.008-04:00

Does one ever get blase about it?
Or become apathetic about it?
Can a true believer ever read a portion of Scripture and declare 'ho-hum'?

Acts 1:11
Jesus ascends into heaven leaving His followers gazing up.
Two "men in white" appear to say (my paraphrase here)
........ .....whatcha lookin' at? This same Jesus is gonna
..............come back the same way you saw Him leave!

So they leave the Mount of Olives and go back to Jerusalem to wait like He told them to.

............................... .Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Outstanding, no? Supernatural, no? Jesus is COMING BACK and these "men" said the way the disciples saw Him leave is the way He will be coming back! Hallelujah!

But wait, it gets better! Cross-reference to Zechariah 14:4, written some FIVE HUNDRED years before Jesus walked the earth. This prophet is talking about the day when the LORD will come back in glory. He states:
On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south

Over five HUNDRED years before Jesus was born, baptized, ministered, died, resurrected, and ascended... over five HUNDRED years before two 'men in white' appeared to tell a group of followers that their leader (who just left in a very unique way) would be back the same way... God, through Zechariah, told us that when Jesus comes back, He will be coming back and stand on the Mount of Olives----
..................----the same place He left from.
Which is what the 'two men in white' said.

Isn't that amazing?? Praise God!

2009-06-17T22:07:00.008-04:00

RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN
after awhile it doesn't even make sense anymore. Long Island, NY has been under water for weeks and weeks. I can't get my mind off it. ...................................................... RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN Mercy Me sings a song where the chorus goes:

I KNOW THEY'LL BE DAYS
WHEN THIS LIFE BRINGS ME PAIN BUT
IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO PRAISE YOU,
JESUS BRING THE RAIN.

I wonder about the people who are having a season in their lives where they feel like us Long Islanders do - - - "not ANOTHER day of rain!!!" How daunting. How depressing. How exhausting. And I just want to SHOUT to them to lean on Jesus! Because just like God rained manna down on the Israelites in the dessert to sustain them day after day after day.....He will pour out His mercy every single morning to give you enough to sustain you day after day after yet another rainy day.

2009-06-16T18:09:00.008-04:00

If We Really
Believed in the Power of God

We would come to Him in prayer first

If we really believed God is omnipotent, we would come to Him in prayer first, not as a last resort after having tried every other means and failed. We would forsake trusting in the idols of our day and trust in Him. We would humbly acknowledge that all the blessings we have are a gift of His grace and the result of the working of His power. Our prayers would be filled with praise and thanksgiving, seeing God as the Source of every blessing.

We would be filled with faith and hope, knowing that no purpose of God can be thwarted (2 Chronicles 20:6) and that every promise God has made will be fulfilled, in His time, and exactly as He has promised.

We would not give so much credit to Satan

If we really understood the power of God, we would not give so much credit to Satan. We would not look at Satan as though he and God were closely matched rivals who have battled for centuries. We would not dare suppose that in the end God will barely defeat this one who is our deadly foe. We would realize that God is the Creator, and Satan is but a creature. We would know that God’s power is infinite, while Satan’s is finite. We would not minimize Satan’s power, but neither would we overstate his power. God is not battling with Satan with the hope of defeating him; Satan is already a defeated foe, whose final demise is certain (John 12:31; 16:11; Luke 10:18). In the meantime, God is using Satan and his rebellion to achieve His purposes (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

We would not believe the lies of the “good-life gospeleers”

If we really understood and believed in the power of God, we would not believe the lies of the “good-life gospeleers,” those hucksters who line their own pockets by assuring donors that God is standing by with all His power, eager to do their bidding. They lay claim on God’s power by “faith,” by claiming certain possessions like money and healing. “God doesn’t want us to suffer,” they say, “but to prosper.” If they really believed in God’s power, they would know God’s power can just as well sustain us through suffering and affliction as it can deliver us from suffering and affliction. They refuse to accept that God often works through suffering to sustain and purify the saint and to demonstrate His grace and power to a lost and dying world (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

We would not be so reluctant to obey

If we really believed in the power of God, we would not be so reluctant to obey those commands of God which seem to leave us vulnerable (like, “sell your possessions and give to the poor,” or see 1 Corinthians 7:29-30 for a more general version). And we would not excuse ourselves from obeying the “impossible” commands like, “love your enemy.” We would live our lives much more dangerously if we really believed God is omnipotent.

[I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might . . . that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God..... (Ephesians 1:18-19; 3:16-19).

http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=249

2009-06-16T17:35:00.002-04:00

. . . . .. GOD'S GOTTA CHANGE YOUR HEART
. . . . .. . BEFORE HE CHANGES YOUR SHIRT
. . . . . .. . .. . . . . .- - What This World Needs by Casting Crowns