Saturday, January 30, 2010

COMMITMENT

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "What does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees?”
Fear meaning not wanting to dishonor, disrespect, disobey, and not let Him down or make Him sad at what we think in my mind inwardly, say to others that is not appropriate for a Child of God and the outward actions that I do that are contrary to God's Holy Word, Holy Will, and Holy Way for my life, on Earth as it is in Heaven, by His teachings, decrees, statues, and commands; only the godless are to fear God's wrath to come. Commitment.

With this Holy Scripture passage from the Word of God in mind, now ask yourself, "What does the godless heathen secular world culture ask of you and me"? Compare the two. What does God tell us and why? What does this pagan society tell us and why? See how darkness tempts you & I with sinful pleasures and distractions, but in reality deceitfully lures us to reject and turn our backs on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The question truly is not "How much can I get away with and still be a Christian, or still go to Heaven?" The true question is, "When is it right to disobey God?", believing that there are no consequences for our thoughts, speech and actions. This is the lie of Satan in Genesis 3:4-5, “You won’t die!” (You won't be punished for your sin) the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” It is also the way of Satan in Isaiah 14:12-14, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’"

The question is not, “At what age is it 'right' to get drunk, take recreational drugs, become sexually active, use the 'F' word, look at pornography, et cetera.” Do people really believe that saying, "Hey, we're all adults here. we choose what we want to see, hear, say & do.", frees us to do what our Creator tells us not to do or what God expects His Child to do? What are the priorities that we live for? Who do we live for? Again, the question truly is "When is it right to disobey God?" There is no grey area here. Who are we committed to: God or God-rejecting people & Satan? It can not be to both the light & darkness, the truth & the lie, righteousness & Sin. Joshua's message is true today. Joshua 24:14-15, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

I pray that the answer that we give today is the same as the people of God in that day: Joshua 24:16 So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods". To abandon God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is "spiritual adultery". May we commit ourselves to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, follow His holy Word, Will & Way, repenting and rejecting the sinful pleasures, greed, lust and pride of the secular world that does not know the Lord. May we be "Salt & Light" to the world (Matthew 5:13-16) that they too may come to a "saving" knowledge of our Lord. Glory to God alone.

Hosea 10:12 “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground (unseeded heart): for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Spiritually Blind

2 Corinthians 4:3-5If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

I was talking to a good friend of mine this week about the obvious lack of morals, ethics, honesty, respect, honor, purity, et cetera in our society today. I remember when I was in the Cub Scouts program, I memorized the Scouts Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent - Judeo-Christian values that set a foundation of values to live by that looked outside of self. It seems so far from the godless self-centered values we see today. My friend told me a little story about himself that shed some light on how blind the unregenerate heart can be.

Matthew 15:13-14 Jesus replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

He told me that though he was raised in a major denominational church, baptized as a youth, went to Sunday school weekly, served as Acolyte/Altar boy, went through Confirmation, but didn’t know one thing about salvation. His church never talked about sin and he had no idea that he was a sinner; never knew that he was lost in sin, so didn’t think that he ever needed to be found or saved. “Chasing girls and girls chasing me, I never heard the word ‘fornication’ once. Sex is what we did.” He said that his world compass was set on this life (human existence) – girls, playing games, and having fun, but a moral & spiritual compass did not exist. “Jesus was just a man on a Cross and meant nothing to me”. God was not a personal God at all. It was meaningless. Church was an okay thing to do; you could take it or leave it. His family went to church, so he felt that they were Christians. Life was totally self-serving. He did whatever he wanted to do and there was a lot to do, with many distractions, to where he didn’t think about godly living at all. Raising hell was his way of life. Take up your Cross and follow Jesus? What did that mean? He didn’t get it ... yet.

John 3:3-6 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.]" "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

Praise the Lord, this story does not end there. Many years later, my friend knew a Christian man that kept telling him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though he was blind to the truth, seeds were being planted into his hard heart. One day as he had finish visiting this friend, the man (concerned about his soul) tuned his car radio to a local Christian station and asked him to listen to it on the drive home. The Pastor preached a message that we have all sinned against a just and holy God. The words cut straight through his heart, and the veil that blinded him from spiritual truth was lifted. “God is holy and just!” “I have sinned against God!” “I am in big trouble!” Then and there, he repented of his godless and sinful life, asked God to forgive Him by the atoning blood of Jesus taking his place on the Cross and accepted God’s free gift of eternal life in Heaven. He now lives a godly life, instead of a godless lie. This truly is a testimony to us all. Glory to God!

John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Brothers & sisters, we have a spiritually blind world out there, needing us to point to the loving Lord and Savior. Praise God for that man that led my friend to the foot of the Cross. May you and I do the same for someone who has not come to a “saving” knowledge of Jesus Christ and make a godly difference in this world.

In Christ, Brian

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Lamb's Book of Life

Revelation 20:10-15The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Many years ago, the company that I work for would hold an annual meeting of the managers to present the results of the prior year’s achievements and set goals for the current year for the business. Each year the event concluded with a motivational speaker to build enthusiasm and rally the troops for success. One particular year, the guest speaker was Coach John Wooden of UCLA fame, winning 664 games in 27 seasons and 10 NCAA titles during his last 12 seasons, including 7 in a row from 1967 to 1973. His UCLA teams also had a record winning streak of 88 games and four perfect 30–0 seasons. Coach Wooden shared the life lessons learned and the true meaning of success, presenting his “Pyramid of Success” and “12 Lessons in Leadership”. But then this admirably successful man rose off his stool, walks to the front of the stage and said, “And I would give everything that I have ever achieved in life away to know that my name was in the Lamb’s Book of Life in Heaven!”

Hebrews 9:26b-28He (Jesus) has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

Coach had saved the best message for last. Mark 8:36For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Everyone has a “Come to Jesus” appointment someday at the “Great White Throne” judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), and whoever thinks that Hell is a “party place” had better get a reality check. To be tormented day and night forever and ever, and cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth is no party. This is no fairy tale nightmare or doom & gloom story to scare people into believing in God, but simply the truth of what the penalty and cost of sin is ... what a person is saved from, if and when they lay their sins at the foot of the cross and repent. Isaiah 55:6-7Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.2 Corinthians 6:2For He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Just as you can not rescue a person who does not believe that they are lost; you can not bring a person who does not believe that they are lost and dying in their sin to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Savior.” There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. Where will each of us spend eternity?” is the “Ten Ton Elephant in the Room” that is being ignored today. Have the passion and compassion to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 3:14-15). Souls are at sake!

Revelation 21:6-8 & 27And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, January 16, 2010

BLESSED

Ephesians 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His (Jesus’) blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

The joy of our salvation comes from knowing what we have been saved from and what we are saved to. One of the major problems that we have in society today is the lack of recognition that we have sinned, and continue to sin daily, against a ‘just’, ‘holy’ and ‘sovereign’ Creator God. How many of us can say that we have loved our Father God in Heaven with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, or our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31)? How many can truly state that they obey God’s commandments or Jesus’ teachings (John 14:23-24)? Can any of us say that the Beatitudes or the godly attributes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) describe the thoughts, words, and deeds of our life? We need to come to the realization that by our sinful disobedience to God’s perfect Word, Will and Way, we do not deserve a blessing (that invocation of happiness & love) by God, but His wrath and punishment. But thankfully, God grades on the cross, not the curve. The first step to appreciating what God did for us in His Plan of Redemption, Salvation, and Eternal Life in Heaven is to understand that it is totally undeserved, unearned, and can not be purchased outside of the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on that cross, in our place. The best mathematical equation I have ever seen is: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

1 John 2:16 tells us, “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the prideful boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the godless world.” Ignorance of our unholy and unrighteous state before our holy and righteous Creator God produces darkness and blindness in a life seeking happiness, but never finding it on the highway to Hell; that wide road to destruction (Matthew 7:13), oblivious to the light of Truth. This is what we are saved from! This is what we have to rejoice about! Sovereign is your loving Savior! From this prospective of salvation by grace through faith, the blessings of God (blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved), allows us to more fully comprehend what we have been saved to. Tell someone that you love today about what God has done for you, and them.

Ephesians 2:1-9 “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Blessed in Christ, Brian

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Redefining Life

2 Corinthians 4:17-5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

I have always enjoyed the old English Hymn “Amazing Grace”, because the very first lines of this beautiful Christian song by John Newton (1725-1807) spoke to the transforming power of Christ in the regenerated heart. The lyrics go: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see. When I first started going to church, spiritual blindness was foreign to me because I didn’t even know what I was missing. That quickly changed as the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the truth when I accepted Christ as Savior & Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I came in thinking that I was a “pretty good” guy and just needed to clean up a few of the loose ends with a few changes to the way I was living to improve, but I was wrong. I didn’t understand that eternal life was neither earned nor deserved, but a free gift of God through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:5-7 “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'” The redefining of my life was not made by my efforts, outside of accepting the free gift of salvation, but completely by the renewing of my mind by God.

Romans 6:5-7 “If we have been united with Jesus like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” ” The old man was crucified, and though I was free to do what I wanted to do by the forgiveness of sin, my heart no longer wanted to sin. Lord Jesus was inside me and my desire was to please and serve Him ... never to grieve or dishonor Him again, though the carnal flesh tempted.

Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Righteousness and holiness becomes the desire of our heart as light is shined into the darkness of our former blind state toward sin and the disgrace of our earthly nature in the eyes of the Lord.

Colossians 3:4-10 “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” How embarrassing to have the pride of life to think that I was “good enough” without the Lord in my life. But it is God’s intent to open our eyes to our sinful and lost state before Christ, in order to provide the need and desire to ask for mercy & grace that is only given by the Creator of Heaven & Earth. We are pretty big on boasting and thinking highly of ourselves. We are good at doing things for ourselves and defining our lives, but when we take an honest look at ourselves, we realized that there is a God and it is not me. It is the Lord that transforms our hearts and redefines of lives; changing us from the inside out to become new people of God; The Child of God.

Galatians 6:14-16 “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.”

In Christ, Brian

Sunday, January 3, 2010

New Year's Resolution

Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The beginning of the last year of the first decade of the third millennium since the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been celebrated. I watched as the world celebrated with giant firework shows, starting from the International dateline in the Pacific and progressed westward in praise and thanksgiving for the love of God (our Maker) in the coming of “God among us” (Jesus Christ) two thousand and nine years ago. But how many truly know what they are celebrating and who they are honoring at that stroke of midnight on January 1st each year? 2010 A.D. - Anno Domino literally translates “In the Year of Our Lord”, because Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world from Sin & Death, by his atoning sacrifice on the Cross in our place offers salvation from Hell and eternal separation from God to Heaven and eternal life with God beginning the moment that we believe and accept the free gift of Jesus Christ. St. Augustine once said that we were created with a “God-shaped” void in our heart. Only God can meet the deepest longings of our hearts. We live in a fearful time, but there is no need to fear when we are in the hands of God (Creator of Heaven & Earth). With God, there is love, there is purpose and security.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5b-6 - “...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

That purpose is not about compromising God's Word, Will & Way to “get along with” those who are perishing (those who do not know the Lord and dying in their Sin), but, in holy obedience to the Lord, saving them and helping to fill that God-shaped void in the their hearts by bringing the gospel (the good news) of God sending His Son (the promised Messiah – the Christ) into the world 2009 years ago to pay the price of our Sin with the Just and acceptable death on that Cross. Britain's great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Young men and old men, and sisters of all ages, if you love the Lord, get a passion for souls, Do you not see them? They are going down to hell by the thousands." Do we have a passion for lost and dying souls?
John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” That is the love of Jesus. Psychiatrists say that the greatest need we have is not material but the ability to love and to be loved. And the Lord has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Meaning that God will never, ever abandon, desert, or give up on you. God is ever-lasting love.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit that fills and dwells within the heart of the Child of God produces the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that is desired and sought by all, but can not, and will not, be found apart from God through Jesus. Satisfaction and contentment in this life is to know, do, and love the will of God! But so many people walk through life void of this truth, seeking fulfillment apart from Christ and through every imaginable wrong path, simply because they either do not know or do not believe.

The Hymn that reminds me of our commission by Jesus to “Know God and, speaking the truth in love, make Him known to everyone" goes “Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, Till all the world adore His sacred Name.” It is my hope and prayer that this Blog and the consistent, determined, firm, steadfast and unshaken resolution of every Christian in 2010 is to live-out the words of this song, based on the Great Commission of Christ (below); to reflect the Light of Christ and bring that light of spiritual truth & life into the darkness of humanistic ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus and unbelief. Send me; send us!

Matthew 28:18-20And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In Christ, Brian