Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"


I once heard the late Pastor D.J. Kennedy broadcast where he explained the origin of the modern American celebration of October 31. He explained that Halloween came from three streams.

(1) the Druid or Celtic New Year/Harvest festival called Samhain that included belief that on that New Year's eve,the earth came closest to the unseen spiritual world and believed that ghosts appeared. The Irish went to homes and asked for treats for the celebration. Later children dressed as ghost asked for the treats and if not generous, tricks by these ghosts would result.

(2) Secondly, Midle Ages Central European witchcraft celebration of the High or Black Sabbath of Witches on October 31 with feasting and revelry. this is where witches on flying brooms, black cats, skulls and pumplin heads came from.

(3) Thirdly, Pope Gregory III of the Roman Catholic church appointed November 1 as "all Saints Day, called Allhallowmas. The celebration associated on the evening before, on October 31, was called All Hallow E'en. All Hallow meaning all hallow ones ... the saints (the sanctified church). Hallow E'en contracted, we get the word Halloween.

Of course, in 1517 Martin Luther's 95 Theses were nailed to the church door in Wittenberg and sprung into existance that October 31 as the birthday of Protestantism, or the Evangelical faith. Soli gratia (sloely by grace), Soli Christus (only by Christ), & Soli Fides (only by faith) constituted the three streams of eteral live that flow from the throne of God. Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world is the gift of all gifts. Happy Halloween because, not dressed up children, but Jesus Christ, stands at the door and knocks.

Blessings, Brian

Saturday, October 30, 2010

I’ve Got Some Good News & I’ve Got Some Bad News

Ephesians 1:18-2:5 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he (Father God) has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air (the Devil), the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Going through this great epistle of Ephesians by the Apostle Paul, wonderful foundational truths come clear; truths that the world system contrary to God does not know or understand, and that our hearts need to be enlightened to daily, as a reminder in a culture of contradictory humanistic ideas. A world that claims tolerance, community and peace, but is either ignorant of or rejects God and is indifferent or hostile to their Maker. And this Creator God has a hope to which He has called us, knowledge of His glorious inheritance to His children and of His incomparable great power for us; power immeasurably more than, beyond and above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given forever and always. And with this supreme power, God the Father placed all things under the authority of God the Son (Christ Jesus– God incarnate) and appointed Lord over everything for the body of Believers – the church, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. What “good news” this is! But there can not be “good news” if there isn’t some “bad news”. And this is what the world is missing and not seeing.

When we hear someone say: “I have some good news and some bad news”, we reply: “Give me the bad news first”. Here is the truth: As for you (and me and everyone), you were (Spiritually) dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live; gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. We were by nature objects of wrath. All have sinned and fell short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In willful disobedience to the sovereign rule and authority, power and dominion of Almighty God, we have crossed the line, fell into Satan’s trap and missed the mark set by God by putting ourselves before Him, and our desires before His. And in doing so, broken relationship with Maker and placed ourselves in the position of paying the price for it. Strange how we want to break the rules and then not want to pay the penalty for breaking them. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) … Spiritual Dead … the death of the Spirit (as I explained in “The Three-fold Nature of Mankind”). In John 14:23-24 Jesus said to him, `If a person loves me, he will obey me. My Father also will love him. And we will come to him and will live with him. The person who does not love me does not obey me. The word which you hear is not my word. It is my Father's word. He is the one who sent me. Who do we really, truly love and obey? The bad news is that in our love of ourselves and the lawless world, which led to our willful disobedience and violation of God’s rule and authority, our Spirit was dead. We were by nature objects of wrath.

But there is “good news”! Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Though we were spiritually dead in sin and hell bound for it, loving Father God, in pure mercy and grace for us, sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the price and penalty for our sins, forgave us, saved us and gave us eternal life, regenerating our Spirit, giving us a new heart bent towards God and against sin, restored our relationship with our Creator, changed our destiny from Hell to Heaven, through the Savior as a free gift – not earned, not purchase, and not deserved by us. We have nothing to give to pay what Jesus paid. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. We have something to praise the Lord about everyday and all day long, because the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23-24). Something to shout about!

Glory to God and peace on Earth, through Christ! Mercy & grace, Brian

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Sharing Faith Begins at Home

Psalm 78:1-7 “O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past— stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.” (NLT)

I was listening to one of the local Southern California Christian radio stations today (KWVE 107.9) and the Pastor was talking about how our society has digressed in character and morals today. As the culture has taken its focus off God and Christ and the Bible for its moral compass and guide, the nation and the world has lost its way and its identity. This is not a surprise; just about everyone I know thinks that the populace is in the worse state of disorder they have ever seen and in need of revival. The radio pastor spoke about times past, not so long ago and that I remember, where the virtues of courtesy, politeness, honor, respect, modesty, purity, honesty, patriotism, faithfulness, loyalty, hospitality, integrity, thoughtfulness, and spirituality were the standard and acceptable manner of daily live. Children and adults were offended, confronted and corrected improper and unacceptable behavior because we followed a biblical morality and our parents taught us this in our daily upbringing. Today, the vices of pride, lust, vanity, profanity, lewdness, promiscuity, envy, willful disobedience, malice, strife, deceit, lying, stealing, cheating, and lawlessness stand unchecked and unabated. The answer is clear, but being missed. Jesus Christ changes hearts, that in turn changes lives.

I heard that Satan baits the hook and the god rejecting world dangles the bait in front of the flesh, but it is the flesh (our carnal mind, will and emotions) that ignores the hook and takes the bait. How are we to “walk in the Spirit” if we do not abide (live) in the word, will and way of God; if we do not read and study the Bible, seriously pray in commune with our heavenly Father, hang and worship with brothers and sisters in the faith, parents that teach their children about the Lord and hold them accountable, and Christians that stand up for virtues and stand against vices in the eyes of God Almighty. John 3:17-18 “He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” What the world, the society and the culture needs is faith in Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. There can be revival in America today. And sharing faith begins at home, then out to the community, the state and nation. Unbelief is big, but belief is bigger and God is in control.

In Christ, Brian

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Unity in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The joy of our salvation stems from looking back and remembering the deplorable state that our soul was without Christ Jesus. We must know what we have been saved from before we can realize what we have been saved to. We must be lost before we can be found. Our Bible Study group was wowed by this lesson. My Matthew Henry commentary states that the natural, unregenerate man (prior to conversion and transformation) is destitute of faith with no saving knowledge or interest in Christ. We were aliens of Christ’s church, with on in the Mediator of the covenant and partake in none of the promises. We had no hope beyond this life, no hope in God, no hope of spiritual and eternal blessings. We were in a state of distance and estrangement from God, without any due regard for Him, nor any acknowledged dependence on Him. We were far off from Christ, from his promises, from the Christian hope, and from God himself; and therefore from all good. Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance from God, and God puts them at a distance. This is the state of the unregenerate “fallen” mankind.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. In the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus our sins are paid, our relationship with God reconciled & restored, our spirit is “born anew”, eternal life through Him is given, the ceremonial laws were abolished, uniting God’s chosen people (the Jews) with the Gentiles under one Savior and Messiah and establishing peace in the through Himself. No longer foreigners, but fellow citizens of the household of God in the kingdom of Heaven. Fitted together perfectly by God’s design to work together to grow into a holy temple in the Lord; a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. It is no small privilege to be placed in the church of Christ, and to share with the members of it, near to God. (Matthew Henry) There is unity in the body of Christ; in the Believers and disciples of Jesus. Are we living it out today? Remember!

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Three-Fold Nature of Mankind

1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

At our Wednesday night Man’s Bible Study, the discussion came up about the difference between the Believer and the Unbeliever, the regenerate person and the unregenerate person and the apostate; the saved and the unsaved. In our study of Ephesians 2: 1-3, it was brought up that mankind is a tripartite creature; created by God from the earth with a three-fold nature of body, soul and spirit. What died when Adam & Eve sinned was the "Spirit" nature of man. Genesis 2:15-17: Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee of “Thru the Bible Radio” (www.ttb.org) explains: The first nature is the physical, the Body with natural senses and biological functions and processes to function and preserve that need and desire to be cared for and maintained. Food & hunger, water & thirst, air & breath, tired & sleep, et cetera. When this life is over, that 15 element body returns to the earth – dust to dust. Genesis 2:7 “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
The second nature in mankind is the Soul, our Psuche (where we get our word psychology). The soul is the psychological nature (mind, will & emotion), which directs us in our approach to the physical universe today. The soul is self-conscious and carnally sensual in behaviorism that uses the mind, will & emotion to fulfill desires for physical and psychological needs (actual & perceived), as well as desires for beauty, music, entertainment, including the immoral sin nature (adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like - Galatians 5) of the natural man, lacking the Spirit and walking after the flesh. The natural man (in body & soul nature only) is a sinful nature because it controls the body & soul. Those of the flesh think and seek after the physical and sensual desires, which is carnality and death, because living in the “lower” nature (without the spiritual nature) has no relationship with God. The carnal-minded man can not be reformed because the psychological nature cannot be brought into obedience to God. Fellowship is broken. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Romans 7:24 to 8:1-14 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons (and daughters) of God.”

The third nature in mankind is the Spirit, the Pneuma (where we get our word pneumatic), God’s breath of life. The spiritually-minded nature that longs for God, that seeks the Lord, thinks after the Spirit of God, and desires to worship. In the “Fall of Man” in the Garden of Eden, Sin caused the spirit nature of Adam to die. Because of “original sin”, we walk around physically alive, but spiritually dead. You are in the spirit when the Spirit of God dwells within you. At conversion, while spiritually dead in trespasses & sins, we hear the gospel of Jesus, by the grace of God the Spirit of God applies the gospel to our heart and we trust & believe in Christ. Being “born again”, born of the Spirit, our Spiritual nature is reborn, regenerated, quickened, given life by the Holy Spirit and we have a capacity for God. There is no power in the new nature, but the Holy Spirit now dwells within the Believer, to help us, teach us, mature us in sanctification, and interpret the Word of God for us. There will be conflicts and struggles between the spirit (fruits of the Spirit) and the soul (the desires & works of the flesh), this side of Heaven. The flesh pulls man down and the spirit pulls man up. But if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Jude 1:17-21 "But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

In Christ, Brian

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Rightly Dividing - Part 2

2 Timothy 2:9b-17a “The Word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer.”

Just last week at my Men's Bible Study, an 18 year old asks "Can you believe in God & Heaven, but not believe in Satan and Hell?' Why doesn’t he know? A college aged young lady, that was raised in the church, asks me, "Since Jesus died for the sins of the world, isn't everyone going to Heaven, whether they believe in & follow Him or not?" Why is this not known? A famous Talk Show host says: "I am a Christian who does not believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven", when in John 14:6 Jesus clearly says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” It's tough when everyone is now being indoctrinated with a flawed "all roads lead to Heaven" Theology, and have totally wrong views and perceptions of Christianity, Christ, and God. I love Theology - the study of God, and feel that it is a natural affect of sanctification (growing, maturing, learning and applying faith)."

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NKJ) says: I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I've never taking a "Comparative Religion" college course, but have heard from many that it has changed from examining the "truth claims" of the world religions, to now “embracing” the truth claims of all religions and “accepting” them on the same level us your own. All roads lead to Heaven? Sounds like "Universalism" and a globalist world view by secular humanism. A "There is not us and them, there is only us" One-world type thinking that rejects the God of the Bible. As the popular phase goes "we have a God-shaped hole in our heart." But trying to put anything beside Jesus Christ in to fill our heart desires, because the Lord is the "uncommon" denominator – the only way in God’s Plan of Salvation for us. This is the message of eternal life that God has put in each and every heart, that the unknowing world does not see and the unbelieving world does not want to hear.

We need to recognize that though God wishes none to perish, many make the personal choice not to accept the free gift of salvation by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins, and some are even hostile toward God & Christianity. But we also need to realize that there are many in this lost & dying, prepared by the Holy Spirit of God, that are just waiting to hear about the Lord’s salvation from us … and that begins in our own families. Pastor Gregg states that Christianity contains very specific beliefs or doctrine, feelings and emotions that are to be utilized for God’s glory and the good of others, and a pattern or lifestyle of living. Walking in the Spirit, Living for Christ, Seeking the Lord, Looking at the world through the Biblical Christian world-view, Staying devoted in the Holy Word, Praying continuously, Loving God & love others are specific out-pouring from the regenerated heart. But isn't the transformed heart by the Holy Spirit by way of redemption through the blood of Christ, that leads to a restored relationship with Father God though the finished word of the Lord Jesus, the root goal?

Lord Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJ) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." I want people that are blindly going down the wrong road to see that the wide road of unbelief and other gods leads to “their” destruction (meaning that they are on it and not going to heaven), to repent of their sins, reject the sinful world system, get off that broad road and separate themselves from all that which does not please God. To seek, find and follow Jesus, the Savior of the world, through the narrow gate of salvation by grace through faith, and thereby find the true love, joy and peace in their heart, spirit and soul that they've been missing and looking for in all the wrong places; a restored relationship with their heavenly Father God and eternal life. To stop living egocentric lies that leads to death and start living the abundant life in the TRUTH. Jesus Christ came to give His life, to be “life giving”. Popular or not, it is the gospel truth, the way and the life … and must be told to all. Not just for this side of Heaven, but for eternal happiness.

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Rightly Dividing - Part 1

Jude 1:1-4 “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Reading a Blog post from fellow ministry writer and friend Pastor Gregg Metcalf on the subject of Religion @ http://www.gospeldrivendisciples.blogspot.com/, it came to mind how biblical terms have been hijacked by the world system that is contrary to God’s sovereign rule and order, to twist and bend the meaning of words (like religion, spirituality, and Christian) to distort and deceive; to state that what is wrong in the eyes of the Lord is right, and vice versa, in an attempt to psychologically escape the consequence of unbelief. Not only does such practices affect the things that we do, but also, the way that we think, our relationship with our Lord God, and harms others. Pastor Gregg is right in saying that we need to seek, learn, & know the holy scriptures that we may rightly divide the word of truth and live out these biblical terms daily, as intended by the Lord; not being deceived, but standing firm in the true faith of God’s truth. The term Religion, for example, in the public square has taken on a humanistic definition today that attempts to find common ground between all World Religions, where the Word of God tells "Followers of Christ" to be holy, meaning "set apart" from sin & unbelief . The unregenerate soul, whose Spirit is dead in sin, is spiritually blind and does not understand the gospel. Christians are “In the world, but not of the world”, as a disciple of Christ, A child of God, a citizen of Heaven, Ambassadors from the Kingdom of God to minister in this lost and dying world. To be a light on the hill for all to see in the darkness of unbelief and ignorance of the truth, pointing the way to the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ in love and compassion. Christianity is the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus - Romans 3:21-24. The entire world, all of mankind, has sinned and continues to sin against the “just & righteous” Creator God of the Universe. But God’s love found a way to settle the debt, forgive the sin and redeem us.

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Above All

Ephesians 1:15-23 “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; 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 exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

One of the greatest issues in the world today is of the erroneous view of Jesus, were Christ is not the sovereign Lord & King of their life. Views range from Jesus as merely a “good” spiritual man to a Savior that “forgives sin” only, to “a way” but not the only way to Heaven. Why? Because the Word of God is not known and understood in full context of the gospel message for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life by God’s one and only Plan of Salvation. What Jesus did for us, in taking our place on that cross to pay the price for our sins, was to forgive our sins, redeem us from eternal damnation, change our destiny to eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven, and restore our separated relationship with our Creator Father God as beloved children, starting the moment that we believe and accept the free gift found only in the Lord, who is above all. Do you realize the magnitude of what God did, out of pure love, mercy and grace, for you & me?!

John 3:31-36 John the Baptist said, "The one who comes from above (the Lord Jesus Christ) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

The Holy Trinity is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and are one. Jesus Christ is God, our Lord King, and above all. The Lord of lords & King of kings, who is over & above all, voluntarily died for you and for me. To say:”No Lord” is an oxymoron, because one can not disobey the command of a king. To be a Christian is to be “Not of this World” any longer, our citizenship is in the kingdom of God. We are Ambassadors (the highest ranking diplomatic representative of one government to another) bearing witness to the politics of Heaven from our Lord to a lost and dying world. Why? Because we love our Lord God, who desires none to persish, but to come to a "saving" knowledge of Christ, therefore, we love the saints (our brothers & sisters in Christ), we love our neighbors (those who do not know the Lord and His gospel of Salvation yet), and above all, we love Jesus, who is above all.

“Above all” by Michael W. Smith : Above all powers. Above all kings. Above all nature and all created things. Above all wisdom and all the ways of man. You were here before the world began. Above all kingdoms. Above all thrones. Above all wonders the world has ever known. Above all wealth and treasures of the earth. There's no way to measure what You're worth. Crucified. Laid behind a stone. You lived to die. Rejected and alone. Like a rose, trampled on the ground. You took the fall and thought of me “Above all”.

Revelation 19:16 On his (Jesus’) robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Is His holy name written upon your heart? The Christian world view is through he eyes of Jesus, our Lord, our King, our Savior. Glory to the King!

In Christ, Brian