You’re Never Too Late

1 John 1:8-9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This week, our small group Bible Study continued in our video series by Pastor Louie Giglio titled “The Comeback”. Louie used the analogy of the visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the first time and standing on the rim looking at the magnitude and expanse chasm of that mile deep and wide gorge, realizing the power of what happens over time. That is how the enemy works in our lives. That is the nature of temptations. It is not likely that we are going to be “taken out” by Satan in a day. It’s more likely that we are going to take little steps, day by day, to construct a path and build a habit that paves a highway that is going to lead us to a place that we never really intended to be in our lives.

John 10:10-11 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

We have to be honest and ask : “What is the river running through my heart?”, meaning what is the temptation that potentially, over time, is going to “take me out”.  Is it a “River of Life” that is leading me to abundance? Or is it a “River of Deception” that is ultimately going to steal away from me my very life? We are not going to wait until the end of the day, when the collapse comes, to say, “God, I need a Comeback.” We are going to ask for the Comeback now, right in the middle of the story. The “Comeback of God” awakens us to a new path; to a path that leads to life.  

Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

A lot of times in our life, we need a “Comeback” because of the circumstances that we find ourselves in, or because of the decisions of other people. Maybe, it’s a diagnosis that we did not see coming. Maybe, someone else made a choice that affected our life, one way or another, and we need God to intervene. Not because of any decision of our own necessarily, but of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. But, there is a different set of variables! We talk about that place where we are, exactly where we are, because of the decisions we have made. And we pray that there is a “wake up call” for all of us, so that we can ask God for His miraculous power and mercy to intersect us right where we are; especially if we are in a place that nobody else really knows about and a place that ultimately is going to lead us to a major collapse.

That’s what we see in Holy Scripture with Sampson in the book of Judges, chapters 13-16. Samson was a leader of God’s people and one of the judges of Israel. He had great strength because of God’s power on his life. He was a huge warrior for God, but Samson had a weakness. Outwardly, he had great strength, but, inwardly, he had a weakness for women. He fell for Delilah (which her name literally means “low hanging fruit”). In Samson’s weakness, the enemy (the Philistines) put Delilah.

Let's continue this great study by Pastor Giglio on a comeback from temptations on the next post. In Christ, Brian

The Engrafted Word

Hebrews 12:1 says, “WHEREFORE seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” 

This week, Michael writes that only Israel and America declare themselves to have been created by God.  We look to the witness of the believers who have gone before us. They have given us an example of revival in service to the Lord. God places opportunities in front of each man and woman to serve Him from a heart of love. The first step to serving God is to acknowledge that "in my own flesh dwells no good thing."  Humility is the requirement to serve God.  

Psalm 16:2 says, "I have no good in me apart from you Lord."  

To stand firm in the freedom that we have in Christ, according to Galatians 5:22, we must defend the freedom. The freedom is the grace and mercy to serve Him by serving His people from a heart of love. Real grace is not to dwell on our shortcomings, but to move in light of the freedom wherewith He has set us free. We've been saved by grace. However without working for the Lord, faith is dead and of no effect. Only use not freedom as an occasion to sin, but in love serve one another. The grace we have been given is so that we can accomplish that which He has called us to do. For by grace are ye saved through faith, not of works lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, (His magnum opus), created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He hath foreordained that we should walk in it.

Legalism is contrary to the grace of God. Legalism is "the law of sin and death" and is the consequence of sin. Legalism demands performance and results in guilt for failure to perform according to the law. Legalism is the result of the bondage of the flesh and of the sin nature.  Any law that requires "perfecting the flesh" results in the bondage of legalism. Fear, guilt, pride, and shame are the types of bondage the adversary uses to enslave people.  

James 1:20-22 says “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Meekness is the key to receiving the engrafted word. Meekness is to place ourselves in a position that we acknowledge that God knows more than we do. Meekness is strength with quietness and confidence in the power of God. The engrafted word is grafted into the living branch and the life source of the word will flow through believers who are grafted into the living Word. As Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches”. Jesus Christ himself is the Word of God and the meaning of the Word. What is the gospel message, the good news of Christ?  Jesus said in Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

How close is the Kingdom of Heaven?  It's "at hand." Kingdoms move when the king moves.  Kingdoms move either to conquer or to make war. Jesus' kingdom moved to make war against the powers of darkness. According to 1 John 3:10, Jesus came to destroy the world of the devil. The “good news” is the message of repentance: to turn your hearts from darkness unto the light of the good news of the grace, mercy and deliverance of God.  

May our prayer be, "I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ. Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.  As Pastor Chuck Smith once said, "The world has yet to see what God can do with a person who is totally surrendered to Him."  O Lord, let me be that person.

May God richly bless you!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Eye Has Not Seen

1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Bondage and Freedom

1 Samuel 7:1-3 Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after theLord. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for theLord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

This exhortation from Samuel to Israel could also apply to God's calling to Christians today.  Culture matters in every era. As Christians, we're encouraged to live apart from godless, worldly philosophies. God says, "Follow the Lord with all your heart and all your soul." When Israel deviated from the Lord's path, God had to correct them. The most important thing is to follow the Word of God (the Holy Scriptures of the Bible) and not cultural norms. The traditions of mankind develop "legalism" (the strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code). Legalism claims that certain things are part of God's law. However, legalism is contrary to God's heart of love, grace, and mercy. Legalists love themselves and "perfecting the flesh," but they don't really love God. When they concentrate on keeping the law, they are under the devil's control and God cannot deliver them. God's deliverance is conditional on our dependence on Him. Cultural norms should be subject to the Word of God in order to find freedom in Christ.  Legalism, or "working out our own salvation through perfecting the flesh", separates us from the grace of God and dependence on Him. As Paul said, "in my flesh dwells no good thing." All good things come from God according to His grace, mercy, and love. Humility is required before we can receive his grace.

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

There are four areas of bondage: Fear, pride, guilt, and the bondage of the law of legalism. This is the viscous cycle the enemy uses to imprison and defeat God's people. The antidote to these areas of bondage is to "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God." The freedom to walk in Christ is to walk righteous in his presence because of the price Jesus Christ paid in our stead. For he who knew no sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.  The finished work of Christ covers every area of bondage. When the spiritual leaders fell in 1 Samuel, the priestly tribe of Eli was wiped out. God himself takes over when his priests fail in their commission to represent the people to God. God promised Israel, If you forsake your false idols, I will deliver you.

The freedom that we have in Christ is the freedom to walk in the light as he is in the light. The kingdom of darkness assaults the kingdom of light in the midst of the spiritual battle. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Is it Christ who died, whom God has raised from the dead? As it is written, “Are we killed and cast down all the days of our lives?  Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is our freedom in Christ: “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

May God richly bless you,

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Asleep at the Switch – Part 2

James 4:3-8 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Dr. Willie Nolte continues his sermon on "Asleep at the Switch" by pointing out that Jesus said in John 10:8-11, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” No Satan, know Jesus.

(2) Strengthen what remains. God has started a work in us, but it is not done yet. Our goal is to grow and mature into what God has in mind for us. We tend to think of unholy godlessness as being “sin-sick”, but Ephesians 2:1-3 explains that in Christ - “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.” We are all sinners that were “dead as a door nail”, but now alive in Jesus for good work purposes, living for the Lord and walking with Him daily. He gives us gifts and things to do in the use of them, remembering that we are all saved by grace.

(3) Remember what you have. It’s not like you haven’t heard and received the gospel before. Ephesians 2:4-8 says that, “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.” The “born again” transformation, experienced when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, gifts us with forgiveness of sins, regeneration of the spirit, restoration of our relationship with Creator father god, salvation from eternal damnation unto eternal life, adoption into the family of God, citizenship in Heaven and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Never forget and always rejoice.

(4) Obey it! Just do it and keep doing it! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 explains, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Being a Christian is not what you do, but who you are ... a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. The Lord desires our obedience.

Revelation 2:5a says, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.”  

(5) Repent. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “repentance” as: (a) Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life. (b) Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. (c) Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God. We have life in Christ, nowhere else. So, when going off the straight and narrow, down some rabbit trail, some side road or any wrong path away from the Lord’s perfect Word, Will and Way, remember what you have in Jesus and make a u-turn back towards Him. Do it now or it isn’t going to go well for you. Stop thinking, saying and doing "wrong" things (as defined by God) and start doing “right”; what Jesus wants for us.

Revelation 21:23-27 describes heaven as, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

Dr. Nolte listed two things that Jesus wants for us - (1) Presence, (2) Security. To experience Jesus’ presence in relationship whenever, wherever and whatever we are doing. Work with the Lord in everything that you do, knowing that your name is written in the Book of life. That is true security and life assurance. Asleep at the switch is not what the Lord had in mind for us. We have been designed and created for communion with Almighty God. God created us for eternal life and God loves us eternally. He invites us to be connected. I choose to believe that Father God loves us, that Jesus Christ died an atoning death on a cross for my sins, and this child of God is going to heaven. There is pure joy in knowing and being “awake at the switch”.

In Christ, Brian  

Asleep at the Switch – Part 1

Revelation 3:1-6 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

This last Sunday, guest preacher Dr. Willie Nolte continued our sermon series on the “Seven Churches of Revelation”. He explained that the letters to the seven church, as a whole, gave us (1) the highest view of Jesus Christ because He knows what’s going on and will conquer, (2) urge us to be encouraged, even in hard times because at the end of the Bible – we win, and (3) seeks to correct by pointing out “you are nevertheless …, or “I hold this against you …”.

The city of Sardis was a “rich’ and “affluent” metropolis because it was located on a protected high bluff, off the crossroads of two main trade routes in modern day Turkey. Yet, such prosperity and protection tended to create a “nothing’s worry/everything is good”, “no worries”, lazy, fat, dumb and happy attitude that caused its inhabitants to live unaware, and “asleep at the switch”, which led to their being conquered … twice. The term “asleep at the switch” was an old railroad term, where the RR Switchman would switch in-coming and out-going trains to their proper tracks and ensure that no two trains were on the same tracks going head-on towards a collision. Trains run 24 hours-a-day/7 days-a-week/365 day-a-year, so in the dead of night, if the Switchman fell asleep, then the switch would not be thrown and a train would be on the wrong track, headed to disaster. 

Dr. Nolte states that this “asleep at the switch” attitude has permeated the Christian church today also. Sardis and the modern Western churches do not suffer persecution, nor commits heresy; they are just lazy. American churches today are secure, rich, happy, and not paying attention; melting into the lifestyle of the unchurched. There is very little differentiation between the Christian church and the secular world around them. Because the Christian churches are not required to stand up for their faith, they have turned soft. As Jesus says; they have a reputation of being alive, but they are dead to Him. They show up and go through the motions, but have been lulled to sleep because everything is going well. The church, the body of Believers, cannot afford to go to be “asleep at the switch” with easiness that leads to a lazy “easy believism” and a false sense of secure peace.

1 Peter 4:1-6 “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, intoxicating parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

Jesus gives us five imperatives (essential and present orders and directions to keep doing) to correct the church and restore it to an upright position before the Lord. (1) Wake up! Start pay attention and stay watchful. The enemy (Satan) is looking for a little foot-in-the-door to wreak havoc in our lives.

Let’s continue Dr. Willie Nolte’s message on “Asleep at the Switch" and see the other five imperativees in the next post

The Foundation of Knowledge and of Wisdom

Colossians 2:2-3 “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Read that one of the most amazing of the divine attributes is God’s omniscience. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “omniscient” as: Having universal knowledge or knowledge of all things; infinitely knowing; all-seeing; as the omniscient God. He not only understands all the complexities of relativistic science and higher mathematics, He ordained them in the first place! The same applies to every other discipline of study and activity. And He knows all about each of us!

Psalm 139:1-2 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

As far as finite human knowledge is concerned, it is vital to know that “the (reverential) fear of the Lord” is the very foundation of “knowledge” and of “wisdom”. All the greatest scientists of the past acknowledged that they were seeking merely to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” How foolish it is to ignore or to oppose God! There are only four places in the Bible that speak of God laughing, and each of them describes His response to such folly. Instead, we should marvel at all the wonders of His creation and providence.

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

Colossians 2:2-3 is actually referring explicitly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten and eternal Son of God. It is He who has given us access to the Creator God and therefore access to the divine knowledge and understanding. Part of the still-effective dominion mandate is to learn what we can about God’s creation, always remembering that Jesus insisted that—no matter what unbelievers say—“the holy scripture cannot be broken”.

Knowledge and wisdom in Christ.

America’s Thanksgiving Day

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.

Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings. --William Bradford, Ye Governor of Ye (Plymouth) Colony, November 29, 1623

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WHEREAS, It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;

WHEREAS, Both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. --George Washington - October 3, 1789

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The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience. --- President Abraham Lincoln - Oct. 3, 1863

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Psalm 100 – "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

I included the original three proclamations by Bradford, Washington & Lincoln to remember the original intent of this holiday that we set aside in America. We live today in a very egocentric and materialistic world, society and culture (and maybe it has always been that way in varying degrees due to human nature). Americans have freedoms and blessings in abundance that most other nations and peoples never know.

I love President Lincoln’s assessment “To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come. Do we take our lives for granted and neglect the freedoms and liberty that we enjoy, our families and loved ones, the bounties of our possessions, and the source of them all (Almighty God)? We need an “attitude of gratitude” towards God, not only for the things that happen in our lives but also for the things that did not happen by His providence. We need to give thanks in the “good” times and the “bad” times, in all places and in all things despite our current circumstances because of who He is, what He does, how He loves us, what He did for us in Jesus Christ, our adoption into the family of God and our eternal home in Heaven to come.

Do we thank God for our faith, for the gift of Heaven and eternal life? Is it not Jesus Christ who loves us, seeks us, guides us and protects us as the “good shepherd? Despite our faults and failures, God still loves us, still accepts us; we are still his child, and still His desire. We can come to Him with our dreams and our problems without fear because of our relationship, our standing and our position with God. Our decision to salvation through Jesus Christ brings hope, forgiveness, prayer, peace, blessings, holiness, and an eternal prospective of the world to come in Heaven.

Are our lives in conformity with His will? Do we desire and strive to live a life pleasing to Almighty God? Do we claim to be a “Child of God”, and give no thanks? The sin of ingratitude displeases our Holy Father in Heaven. Where our heart is at, this is where our treasure is. Where is our treasure? Where are our hearts? We need to begin each day with thankful gratitude, end each day with gratitude and fill in the middle with thanksgiving. We are not lucky, but blessed and need to thankfully rejoice as Christians! What do we have that we didn’t receive from God? May the gracious name of God have all the praise! This is Thanksgiving Day, but every day should be Thanksliving Day!

Psalm 136:1-3, 26 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever."

I wish you and your families a blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day.

In Christ, Brian

Letting Go and Letting God

This week, Michael writes: There's a story about a young amateur photographer who wanted to make a name for himself by photographing the Grand Canyon. He got up early and set up his tripod, his camera and equipment. As he walked around looking for the best lighting and perspective for his landscape shot, he backed up and tumbled over the edge of the cliff. On his way down, he was grasping for shrubbery, bushes or any outcropping he could grab and luckily caught on to one. As he was hanging on for dear life he yelled, "Can anyone hear me?" He heard an answer, "I'm here to help you."  "Who are you," he replied.  "I'm God" came the answer. "What do you want me to do?"  God said, "Just let go!"  The man replied, "Is any one else up there?"

The question is, "Are we willing to let go and let God?" According to Romans 8:28, in the Amplified Bible, "We are assured and know that God (being a partner in our labor) will cause all things to work together (fitting into his plan) for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose (and his design.)”  The order of priority should be God, His glory, and then me. This priority is reversed for most people. In the midst of trials and tribulations, men and women often ask themselves, "What was God thinking?" In Old Testament times, philosophers know as the Stoics (Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished throughout the Roman and Greek world until the 3rd century AD.) thought that people should restrain themselves from feeling, emotion, and passion. This was contrary to the teachings of Jesus. However, the Stoics got some things right.  They believed in the mind of God, His reason and His all-inspired Word. They believed that God was Sovereign and in control of everything. The sovereign is the one who exercises supreme authority. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “Sovereign” as: Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe. Supreme; superior to all others; chief. God is the sovereign good of all who love and obey him.

The son of an evangelist wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.  But when he saw the suffering of the people around him, he didn't understand the motives of a holy God. He denounced his faith and became an atheist. Each man must decide, "What is truth?" To what and to whom are we willing to commit?  Jesus said, "He who shall lose his life for my sake shall save it. For what shall it profit a man to save his life but lose his soul." Life is full of traumatic experiences. As the late Christian minister and teacher Oswald Chambers said, "God requires extreme service from you with no explaining on his part and no complaining on yours."  We must settle in our minds whether God is Sovereign or not.  Am I answerable to God or is he answerable to me?

There's a parable in Luke 17 about a servant who after working all day in the field, came into his master's house. His master said, "First prepare my meal and then after I have finished you can sit down and eat." The humble servant served as his master commanded. He did not expect to receive praise for performing his duties in service to his master. The stoics believed that the duty of every man was acceptance: to endure without questioning; to defer, acquiesce and to resign oneself to the inevitable. Jesus reminded us that we all live in a sin-sick fallen world. He said, "In this world ye shall have tribulation. However, be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world." Natural disasters are inevitable. According to Romans 8:22, "The whole world groans and travails like birth pains until now." How close together are the birth pains? As the time between contractions decreases, "the redemption of our bodies" when Christ returns draws nearer. Nothing happens in this world without God allowing it to happen. The scripture says, "Happy is the man who condemns not himself in that thing which He alloweth."  

In Romans 8:28, what is it that we know with great confidence? We know that to those who love God and who are called according to his purpose, all things work together for good. Jesus said, If you love me, you'll let go.  This is the only way we'll see everything working together for good. Ephesians 4 says, "Walk worthy of the calling wherewith you are called." In loving the Lord by obedience to His holy Word, we will learn God's purpose for our journey in this life. When we give God permission to help himself with our lives, we can continue in his blessed Word as Christ's disciplined followers. And then we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. The irony is that to be set free means to surrender to His will. "Hands up, I surrender," is not a confession that comes naturally for most men and women.  However, surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ is the requirement for a life lived more abundantly. He does all things well. For all things work together for good to those who love God ... to those who are called according to his purpose. It just takes letting go and letting God.

May God richly bless you! 

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Show Me Jesus - Part 3

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Kyle suggested three things to anyone whose private live is not lining up with their faith. (1) Remember, you can be “saved” and still act “stupid”. The devil paints a pretty picture of the “pleasures of sin for a season”, but intentionally leaves out the “fine print” of the consequences for those sinful practices and lifestyle … there’s hell to pay. (2) Renounce and repent of it. There is accountability to God for our sin and a judgment to come. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Admit your sin and call it “wrong”. Make a u-turn, out of darkness and into the light, repenting to freedom and a “right” relationship with the Lord and a clear conscience, for in John 8:31-32, Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Ephesians 2:1-5 “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 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 flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving 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.”

 (3) Get more serious help than a prayer. God made people and families in community for interpersonal relationships, so the healing process takes loving others involved. The church is just such a place, where the requirement to join is that you must be a sinner. We are all sinners saved by the grace of God. Faith is like the unworthy hand of a beggar receiving the gift of eternal life from the King of the kingdom of Heaven, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:8-9 “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Those who overcome the sin nature of the flesh, the egocentric God-rejecting world system and the devil’s temptation to take our heart’s eye off of the one true God and Lord of our life - His gospel work of salvation (His holy Word of truth and His absolute righteousness), confess, align and reflect the light of Jesus Christ in His way, His truth and His abundant and eternal life, and willfully (led by the indwelling Holy Spirit) take up their cross daily and follow Him, will inherit a crown of life in the kingdom of Heaven. For a life and purpose purposes that lines up with the Lord’s is one that centers on “Show Me Jesus”.

In Christ, Brian

Show Me Jesus - Part 2

Pastor Kyle explained two clear lessons about God from the church in Thyatira. (1) God recognizes our progress, no matter how small it may be. The Lord acknowledges when we are doing “right”; knows when we are working hard on our life, aligned with His perfect Word, Will and Way. (2) God is sickened by half-hearted Christianity. There are no half-hearted versions of Christianity. The person who tells people what they want to hear becomes popular, even if they are wrong. The fact is that it is better to be “wrong” with the people and “right” with God, than it is to be “wrong” with God and “right” with the people. But make no mistake, we all are being distracted, enticed and tempted into sinful desires of the flesh and damning behavior still today. Galatians 5:16-17 tells us, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” The light of true Christianity cannot mix with the sinful thoughts, words and deeds of darkness, yet they are taught. The sovereign Maker of heaven and earth, who has purer eyes than to see “evil” and cannot look at “wrong” shall not bless such mixing, which is spiritual adultery against Him.

Romans 1:24-32 “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Many sinful practices are the false teachings of the deep things of Satan, believing that Creator Father God is holding out on and keeping “good things” from us, which was the original lie of the devil that lead to original sin (doubting God) in the Garden of Eden. The quest for hidden secrets of God or hidden knowledge that our Maker is keeping from us is a cheap trick and lies from the enemy, the father of lies, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t fall for the deceiver and accuser, who distracts and derails us with lies that create distrust and sickens our loving Father God.

Proverbs 12:15a “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.”

Our sinful culture says: “I decide what is good and right for me”, putting God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in an imaginary box, places them (they do not really know) on a shelf in the closet of their mind and shuts the door ... in the attempt of silencing what they do not want to hear. God’s holiness cannot co-exist in the presence of sin. He knows the truth and the true love, joy and peace that “the lost” are missing. 

Jeremiah 4:22 says, “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.” 

Let's conclude Pastor Kyle's message from the church in Thyatira on the next post.
In Christ, Brian

Show Me Jesus – Part 1

Revelation 2:18-23 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

This last week, Pastor Kyle continued in our Sunday Sermon series on the “Seven Churches of Revelation”. He stated the obvious, that we live in a “fallen” in sin, sick, chaotic and fearful world today, which needs Jesus Christ. But, our Creator father God does not want us to live in fear. Satan wants us to live in fear. It is impossible to mingle light and darkness, likewise it is deadly to mingle Christianity with sinful pagan practices.

Isaiah 9:2, Acts 26:18 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Jesus).”

Jesus, in his “high priestly prayer” in John 17:15, prayed to Father God: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” The reason being that the child of God shows Jesus to the society and culture in which they live  and have a sphere of influence within; picking up and carrying the torch of “the light of Christ” to a lost and dying world to point the way to the “foot of the cross” for forgiveness and salvation, shining the light and sparking a flame in their heart for the Holy Spirit, who is working and preparing. The Lord’s message starts with His authority, then encouragement, moves to admonishment, then ends by challenging us, as the method of reaching people. The Lord’s church is exactly where He wants it to be in society and the culture, like a city on a hill. Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Revelation 2:24-29 “But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on our next post.

In Christ, Brian

God’s Will Hunting

  

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “This is the will of God, your sanctification”

Seeking God’s holy will in our lives and the specific details daily is a priority of every child of God. How to go about it hunting for and finding it is a virtuous and rewarding pursuit. I read that though Paul was an Apostle, he did not have automatic insight into all of the plans of God and His will in each specific situation. Life presents us with many opportunities for trying to discern God’s will for us. We face many situations in which we must make a choice between two good options, and we are unsure which one is what the Lord has willed for us. This is especially difficult when neither option seems to be more advantageous than the other. At such times, we often ask God to intervene in a special way to show us the way forward. Most of us, of course, can think of times when the Lord seemed to give us special aid. One of the good opportunities might inexplicably vanish. Maybe we get an unexpected phone call from a friend and the conversation turns out to have bearing on the matter even if we never mention it. Still, even though such things may happen, they are extraordinary. The Lord does not ordinarily guide our decision-making in such ways. We need to know how to make God-pleasing decisions when no special providence is forthcoming, and we need to know how to distinguish what seems to be providential direction from our own imagination.

The first place to turn when we must make a choice is our Creator’s wisdom in Scripture. His Word says that above all, His will for us is our sanctification. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “Sanctification” as: The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Thus, anything that works against our personal holiness is to be rejected. If we are fretting about God’s will for us in a particular situation and one of the options available is ungodly, we may fret no longer. We are never allowed to disobey our Creator’s revealed standards, and if one of our options would require us to do that, we must immediately choose otherwise. The Lord’s will for us is our sanctification, so we must study Scripture diligently in order to know His will and to understand what the holiness He demands looks like.

Blessings in God’s Will

The God of Peace

Romans 15:33 “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

Here is a little thought to ponder today on "Peace".

The Apostle Paul had a plan to visit Rome after his church-planting mission in the eastern part of the Roman Empire was finished. This announcement of his plan, of course, follows Paul’s exposition of the gospel and its consequences for the life of the believer. Having communicated all the doctrine and personal information he wanted to communicate to the Roman Christians, Paul writes a concluding wish for peace to finish his epistle. This concluding wish is not actually the end of his letter. He adds an entire chapter of greetings and a doxology, but this passage (above) does mark a significant break. Paul has explained all that he has needed to explain with respect to doctrine, ethics, and his plans, so it is fitting to conclude his message with a hearty “amen.”

We would miss much, however, if we were simply to move on immediately from Paul’s

statement. In light of what the Apostle has said elsewhere in Romans and what the rest of the Bible teaches us, the little phrase “God of peace” carries great significance. In context, Paul likely intends his statement to mean, primarily, “the God who gives peace.” Almost everything the Apostle says in the section of his letter leading up to Romans 15:33 involves Jew-Gentile relations, and elsewhere in his writings he speaks of Jesus—who is God Himself—as our peace, the one who unites Jew and Gentile together in harmony. He is the God of peace because He makes peace between Jews and Gentiles in the church.

Revelation 14:6-7 “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Let us not forget that peace between Jews and Gentiles is meaningless if Jews and Gentiles are not at peace with God. When mankind fell and the relationship between Creator and creature became characterized by war, men and women were set not only against the Lord but also against each other. Thus, in early human history, Adam attempted to blame Eve for his sin and Cain murdered Abel. Relationships between people that are fully characterized by the biblical notion of peace - wholeness, harmony, and the other blessings of the world to come - are impossible until such peace is established between God and His people. Only when we are at peace with God can we truly make peace with others. In Christ, we are at peace with the Lord, and this is the peace that God Himself provided by sparing not His Son in order to save us. He is the God of peace because in Christ He makes peace between Himself and us.

Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

Many well-meaning people seek world peace, but as Christians, we know that this will not be possible until all the world is at peace with God. The only way to bring about lasting peace between people and nations is to proclaim the gospel. As this happens, the truly “born-again” and transformed Christian will repent and believe in Jesus, and once at peace with God in Christ, they will begin to seek peace where they are. Let us pray for peace and preach the gospel so as to be instruments of God’s peace.

The peace of God in Christ, Amen

Choose Joy – Part 2

1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Michael continues: Suffering is a gift from God for those who want to glorify their Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest witness is when we have peace despite suffering.  We have been called, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His name.  They cause us to turn your heart to God. In times of tribulation, as the Apostle Paul said, "to you O Lord I lift up my soul.  O God I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed." We want to glorify the name of the Lord despite the pain of this world.  

It's difficult to endure pain...to crucify the “old man” of the flesh by living according to nature of the resurrected Christ in us. Our calling is to point others to Jesus by the way we respond to adversity. God warns us that we will become what we focus on. If we focus on resentment and hatred for the pain that others have inflicted, we will poison our own hearts. However, the love of God is not burdened by bitterness and resentment.  Through our suffering, then we can identify with Him.  As Paul said, "that I may know him and the fellowship of his suffering." 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

The calling of God is to mold us and shape us after His will. Either we deliberately choose to let God help himself to our lives, or the devil will have his way with us. When we choose to walk according to the Spirit of life in Christ, the Holy Spirit will check us in our thoughts and actions. His spirit will admonish us to seek the Lord and not the comfort of our own flesh. He will call us to a more worthy endeavor ... to let go and let God. The heart of a disciple says, "Show me your ways O Lord.  Lead me to your paths.  On you I wait all the day long.  For thou art the God of my salvation.  That I may live for thy honor and glory.  O Lord, remember your tender mercy and loving kindness...Remember me for your goodness sake."

Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed for all men once to die. And then comes the judgment. Christians will be judged righteous because of the righteous payment Jesus made on the cross for sin on our behalf. By His wounds we were healed. God gives us an open invitation to surrender our lives to Him. He will teach us through trials abandon self and to turn to Him. The question is not whether we will suffer.  Suffering is inevitable. We can choose to understand suffering as a gift to prove that joy is not the absence of pain. Rather, that true joy is to walk in His presence. For thy grace is made perfect in my weakness. Thy grace is sufficient for me.

May God richly bless you!

Your brother in Christ, Michael