Belief Salvation

Romans 10:9-13 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

As Pastor Giglio stated before, sinners cannot keep the law of God perfectly, and this is why the law’s promise of justification for those who keep it can never be fulfilled by our own obedience. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “justification” in theology as: remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ. Justification, therefore, must be by faith in Jesus Christ alone; a faith that looks outside of oneself to the promises of the Lord and not to any goodness we can achieve even with His help. I read that "Justification by faith alone" acknowledges that we are no more deserving of salvation than any other sinner, and it recognizes that God alone must do the work of salvation, because He is the only one who can.

Romans 5:15-21 “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which  came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s

offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Yet this does not mean that the righteousness based on faith is entirely removed from the law of God. In fact, the righteousness by faith is a righteousness that comes from keeping the Lord’s commandments perfectly, although it is not we who have kept them. The One who has kept them is Christ Jesus our Lord, who obeyed the law perfectly unto the justification of sinners. The righteousness that is by faith is indeed a legal righteousness, but we have not achieved it. It has been achieved by Christ, and it is imputed to us when we trust in Him alone by faith.

This lesson states that in Romans 10:9–13, Paul continues his argument that the righteousness that is by faith—which is nothing less than Christ, the end or goal of the law—is antithetical to the righteousness that is based on keeping the law. He does this by emphasizing the ease with which this righteousness of our Savior is received. All that is required is belief—specifically, the belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Of course, Paul in the same verses also mentions the confession of Jesus as Lord with one’s mouth, but he does not thereby make verbal confession something that we add to our belief in order to be saved.

The Apostle is paralleling the simplicity of the righteousness of faith with the fact that one does not have to go looking high and low for the gospel. Paul is stressing the nearness of the gospel message. The message of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is not so far away intellectually that one must exert great effort to bridge the gap between present knowledge and “gospel knowledge.” It is so easy to understand that it is right at hand even for the unlearned. Paul wants us to know that righteousness by faith is ours via a gospel that anyone can understand. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Jew or Gentile, learned or unlearned, male or female—the gospel is no respecter of persons.

The emphasis on believing with the heart shows that “faith is a firm and effectual confidence and not a bare notion only.” Saving faith is not simply knowing the truth about Jesus or believing the facts about His life, although these things are necessary. Saving faith also requires personal trust in Jesus for salvation, the belief that His work and promises apply to us specifically. If we believe such things, we are saved.

Blessings in Christ

Passing the Test – Part 2

Michael continues his massage of God’s testing, stating that in Numbers 13, God placed the giants in the land to test Israel. God tested Israel because He had their best interest at heart. Unfortunately, Israel also tested God, thinking that they had their own best interest at heart. They resisted God and submitted unto their own will. They disagreed with the definition of "Israel's best interest." Our trial, like Israel’s, is to subject our will to His will and come to the conclusion that "Father knows best."

According to Genesis 22:1, God tested Abraham. The Hebrew root word for "test" is the word, "smell."  God needed to find out if Abraham would pass the "smell test." God wanted to know: "Abraham, where's your heart?" Do you love me above all? Do you believe that Isaac is indeed the promised seed through whom I will keep my promise of the coming Messiah?" Often God will allow the enemy to overcome His people when they turn their backs on Him. This is the theme of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. When things are dark and there seems no escape, God will make a way, when there is no way. God never honors fear, but he always honors faith.  He is faithful to His word. He is a God of love, mercy and grace.

God intends for us to spend our time in this fallen world preparing our hearts for our homeland in heaven. According to Hebrews 11, Abraham lived by faith in foreign land, because he was looking toward a city whose architect and builder was God. As Paul said, I count the suffering of this present time of little value in light of the value of God's eternity:  “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

The theme of Hebrews 11 is, "have I put down roots in this world, or am I living for eternity in my heavenly homeland." The Believers in the “hall of faith” received the promises of God knowing that they were exiles in this world. They longed for their home in heaven. They desired a better country that God had prepared for them in eternity.  

As the song says, "This world is not our home, we're just a-passing through; Our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue." At the end of our life in this "foreign land," we live to hear our Father say, "well done thou good and faithful servant:  ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

May God richly bless you,

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Passing the Test – Part 1

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

This week Michael writes: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways than our ways. Tests in this life are inevitable. A test is to put through a critical examination, observation, or evaluation to determine what is true, present, and real. A trial is given to diagnose. When we put our hands to the plow as fellow laborers with our Lord, the tests of faith will reveal His truth in us. At times we may not understand the purpose of the test. Jesus himself faced a tough test in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked His Father to remove the "cup" of separation, sin and death. However God answered three times, "no." Jesus came to the conclusion, "Not my will but thine be done." Hebrews 2:12 reveals the answer to Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus aligned His will with his Father's will. He endured the cross with joy for your salvation and mine.

Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 

Jesus once marveled at the faith of the Roman centurion who believed for his daughter's healing, Jesus said, "I have seen no greater faith, no not in Israel."  God's "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11 exemplifies believers who passed the tests.  

Jesus said in John 15, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing", including without our Lord we cannot survive the slings, arrows, and fiery darts of the "wicked one." Even though we may not understand the purpose of God's test, we can trust God's heart. During times of trial, God will teach us that "this is our finest hour." The true purpose of life will be revealed through the trials of life. If power, success, fame, reputation, and wealth are our goal, they will take wings and fly away because they are temporal. The test will reveal that which we value in life.  

When Paul asked God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" God answered "no" three times. The third time God answered Paul’s prayer when Paul understood that "thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me." When God led Israel to the Promised Land, there were "giants in the land." Ten of Israel's twelve spies said that they are too big for us and we can't fight them.  However, Joshua and Caleb said that we can defeat them in God's power.

Let's continue Michael's message on the testing of our faith in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Covenant Kingdom

Matthew 11:4–6 “Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”.

I read that the Jewish interpretation of the messianic prophecies of the old covenant in the period leading up to the birth of Christ was one-sided, emphasizing the political nature of the kingdom of God at the expense of the spiritual. That is why so many Jews were unprepared for Jesus when He came preaching the kingdom of God.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,

preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

In a study of this Matthew 11:4-6 passage, it points out that few things are taught more clearly in the New Testament than the fact that Jesus brings the kingdom of God. However, He brought it in a manner that many of His contemporaries were not expecting. It did not come all at once with a crushing display of military might; rather, it began small, with only a handful of disciples, and even now continues to grow to fill the whole earth. This kingdom is the fruit of the covenant of grace, which finds its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:4-6 teaches that Jesus fulfills the restoration prophecies that are part of the covenant of grace. Our Lord’s description of His draws from Isaiah 35 and its promise of the glory of restored Israel. Notably, Jesus does not quote Isaiah 35:4, which predicts the vengeance of God in the restoration. His point is that there will be an extended period of time during which the kingdom becomes present in the new covenant administration. First, the Lord will show mercy and bring healing so that people will be drawn into His kingdom, and then vengeance—the final consummation of this kingdom and destruction of His enemies—will come after this period of growth.

Christ Jesus has brought the kingdom and in this age of Grace, we now await that final Day of Judgment. The lesson reminds us all that at that point, our bodies will be made alive in the resurrection of the dead, and our foes and the enemies of God will be cast down forever. If we are in Christ by faith alone, we already enjoy new spiritual life, and this spiritual life will one day bear fruit in renewed physical life. In the new covenant, God restores the cosmos, and we will one day enjoy an embodied existence in the new heavens and earth. Christ kept the covenant of works to this end—that we might enjoy eternal life as a gift of the covenant of grace. Let us never cease to rejoice and to praise our Lord for this blessing.

Blessings in Christ

Five Lessons from Amos – Part 2

Amos 5:12-15 “For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: afflicting the just and taking bribes; diverting the poor from justice at the gate. Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

The third lesson is that God’s Word and His church take on supernatural power when we stop being superficial about our problems. The family of God is held to a higher standard. The Lord God wants better for us and better from us. The saints (those who have been sanctified) are special because they have been supernaturally redeemed by salvation in Christ, forgiven by Jesus’ atoning blood. They are given the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and Christ in them as they receive eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. Heed the Word of God and avoid false worship. Seek the Lord and live. Encounter and experience God’s power, not counterfeit religion with their “going thought the motion” traditions and “check off the list” rituals that do not affect us on a personal godly level. There is a difference between authenticity and transparency; between the genuine and the “putting it all out there”. Relational depth for Christians comes at the “right” setting, so get plugged in.

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The fourth lesson is that opposition should be expected when a person is doing God’s will. Satan, the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy who make the decision and walk with Jesus; he doesn’t need to attack those who reject the Savior of the world, he already owns them. Likewise, when you knock on a hornets nest, expect to get stung by this God-rejecting world system which is living in darkness. So, first expect opposition coming from the outside. But secondly, due to our sin nature of the flesh desires, expect opposition from the inside. Beware of dangerous lies that say: “I don’t feel like giving up drugs and addictions, our sinful pleasures, egotistic power and pride or sexual immorality.” Maybe saying, “I don’t feel like doing what the Bible says, going to church, witnessing for Jesus, loving my neighbor, putting others before me.” Do not be surprised. This is all opposite from inside our fallen nature. Take a good hard look and press on towards God’s goals. Do not stop at the first sign of trouble. Stay faithful, listening to the voice of God, but expect opposition in this life.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The fifth lesson is that we need to always remember that prayer is most powerful when it is directed at changing me, not just my circumstances. Prayer warriors are needed in this day and age. In our sin nature, none of us measure up to God’s plumb line standards of living as the Lord desires us to live, but Christ in us does, and the Holy Spirit will show us what to work on when we soften our hearts. Don’t feel sad; change. Jesus, our intercessor, is here to illuminate and activate Christian walk this side of eternity. Rejoice in this truth: Seek the Lord and live.

In Christ, Brian

Five Lessons from Amos – Part 1

Amos 5:6-9 “ Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel—You who turn justice to wormwood, and lay righteousness to rest in the earth!” He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning and makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth; the Lord is His name. He rains ruin upon the strong, so that fury comes upon the fortress.”

At our church, the pastors have been preaching through a Sunday sermons series through the books of the Minor Prophets. The other week, Pastor Kyle gave a message on five lessons which we learn from the prophet Amos. He stated how much he loves to be at a high vantage point which allows people to get a panoramic prospective of their surroundings. In the book of Amos, we see God’s plumb line view of how people do not measure up true to the perfect Word, Will and Way, and teachings to be understood and applied in our daily lives in this foretelling of destruction and restoration. Almighty and sovereign Creator God, sometimes, must judge and tear down our present in order to rebuild to secure our future. The complacent fallen nature of mankind can become proud, thinking that nothing bad would ever happen and believing that they never need to change their way. But, what we need is a heart for our heavenly Father God, a willingness to go wherever he tells to go and eager to say or do whatever He tells us.

Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The first lesson is that God loves to use the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. Ordinary obedience to God in our life will lead to an extraordinary impact for the kingdom of God in the long run. The second lesson is that God deals with His family’s problems first. Sometimes, we believe that being in the family of God means that we are exempt from the consequences of our own foolish or poor decisions, but God will bring our problems into our mind to work on and work out. Believers are forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Holy Scriptures for understanding and application in our lives or change personally in love and care.

Amos 5:12-15 “For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; diverting the poor from justice at the gate. Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord

God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on the 5 lesson from Amos in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory – Part 3

Colossians 2:6-15 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Pastor Giglio continues that some Christians believe that they are living in sin and some believe that sin is living in them. You’ve probably heard the saying that we are just sinners saved by grace, or that faith is like the hand of a beggar receiving the gift of a King. But, the Word of God in Colossians 1 tells us that we are saints, consecrated and sanctified and holy by the grace of God in Christ, in us. That is what God is doing. Something powerful has happened. By His grace, God rescued us from sin and changed us, transformed us to “Christ in you, the hope of glory”; a new identity in Christ; a new you. It’s a whole new way of looking at life. Not only is that true, but you are in Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit.

John 17:20-23a “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one.”

On this side of heaven, in the life-long process of sanctification (maturing and growing into the likeness of Christ), we still have problems with our fleshly mind desires, but God is changing that with “Christ in you” and “you in Christ”. Our live is now covered by God. But, how do receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our life. Ephesians 2:8 tells us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Grace is God at work; faith is us believing and receiving. Grace says, “I didn’t do it, God did”; faith says, “I believe in what God did.” It is the gift of God, by grace through faith, so continue to live in Him. We did not find it within ourselves to break free from all the sin and associated dilemmas. We got our of sin and sin got out of us by God’s grace, through the power of the risen Son of God and our faith in that grace alone. It s the only way that we are going to get out of there.

God rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and transformed us into the dominion of His beloved Son, by grace through faith. The way that you “live in Christ” is the same way you got “in Christ”; by grace through faith. Quit trying harder and promising things that you cannot produce in your own strength. All of the fullness of God is in Christ, who is the head and authority over everything that exists. So, what am I supposed to do? For the issue of living in Christ, we do nothing, except believe in faith. That is how to respond. The new confession is: “I can’t, but God can.” When it comes to being the person God wants us to be, die to self: self-ability, self-achievement, self-power and self-pride. Instead, of “try”, I’m going to “die” ... die to self, live in Christ.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Believe that the Lord can do anything through you. Step with trust into the new you "in Christ". Step forward in faith that Christ is going to do in us, the very thing He desires to do in us. There are neither barriers nor chains holding us back. Stand in faith and take that step of faith in trust that Christ is doing something glorious in us. The renewing of our mind is walking in freedom, in Christ. Grace is not just the thing that gets us into heaven when we die. Grace is the power of God to live in us every moment of this life. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Amen.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In Christ, Brian

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Part 2

Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

If you do not know Christ, you have no chance of getting back into the presence of our just and holy God. If you do not have Christ in you, then you have no chance to be what the Lord desires you to be. Grace is most often defined as the unmerited favor of God. Practically, grace is receiving from God something that we do not deserve. Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us, 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). Essentially, grace is God at work doing what we cannot do. On the cross, Jesus Christ did do what we could not do, when He gave His life as a payment for our sins; making peace with God, so that we be called “sons and daughters of God” forever. Christ did that by His choosing and by His power, by His grace.

When we repented of our sin and accepted the gift of Salvation, God also gave to us the very person of Jesus Christ to live in us, so that we could be what we could never be on our own. So, when we die, we know that we are going to heaven, but also, as long as we are living on this side of eternity, we can have confidence that we have the risen Lord Jesus Christ taking up residence, indwelling, abiding and living inside us; to be in us, to live through us, to do inside us what we cannot do by ourself. The reason why they call it “the Christian life” is because He is the only one who can make it possible and make it happen. By the power of God and by the gift of grace, Christ lives in us. How do we pull off living the Christian life? Colossians 3:4 is the hinge. It’s not when Christ our Savior appears; It’s not when Christ, our payment for sin appears; but, when your life is hidden with Christ who is our life because of Christ living inside of you, then, we will appear with Him in glory.

Colossians 1:24-29 “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”

It is Christ in you that changes everything. He is the difference-maker in the whole equation of living the Christian life. For the kingdom of heaven to advance, for the grace of God to be heard, for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be given to everyone on earth, to have churches that worship the risen Savior and Lord planted in every community, present the Word of God in it’s fullness, so that nobody gets only half of the gospels. Those redeemed in Christ are saints by grace, Christ in you, the hope if glory. It’s not Christ and you, the hope of glory, like some powerful “you a little and Christ a little” combination that can conquer the world thinking prevalent today. The Lord Jesus is in you and you surrender your life to Him, so He does great works through you. This is a huge shift of truth. But, don’t just sit back in your big “grace” easy chair recliner. We joyfully labor, we are the body of Christ in action and in motion, in church and in the community working with high energy and godly sweat, presenting Jesus to the whole world, in His power which works in us as we live for Him.

Let's continue this amazing message of grace by Christ in us on the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Part 1

Our church's Wednesday evening small group Bible Study is currently going through the Pastor Louie Giglio video series on God's Grace. The session this week was a life-changing way to focus on our Christian faith, that transforms the way we live out that faith daily. How? It is essential that we understand the whole gospel; not being a half-gospel type of person. I know that Christ died for us, and that it great news in and of itself. Jesus died to pay our debt of sin. Because of Jesus Christ, we can have eternal life with God forever. Up until salvation, life was about what He did for us, then the rest of life is about what we can do for Him … right? But, guilt-trips can be produced from such theology, that our Savior saved us to go to heaven when we die, but until then we must find a way to spiritually live out this amazing Christian life. Good luck with that.

Colossians 3:5-16 says, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth:  fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man  who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor  free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

As a Follower of Christ, how do you live this Christian life out? When we repented of sin and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, we knew that you were a Christian because we understood that Christ died for us. We know that if we were to die tonight, that we’d go to heaven and be with God. But the problem is, how do you do it? That Colossians 3:5-16 list is fearsome and formidable. We read and hear the words of the Bible, but we see ourselves so far away from that description. We know that the Word of God tells us how we are supposed to live, but we are nowhere near that person. So, we continually rededicate ourselves t God, promising that “from here on out” it would be different. It is a bitter pill to swallow when it is not different. As a Believer, one of the worse things to do is to rededicate your re-dedication, saying: “This time, I mean it!”

There are two certain impossibilities in the Christian life. (1) With a just and Holy God, because of our sin, it is impossible to make it to heaven on our own strength and merit. (2) Because of our sin nature, it is impossible to live out the Christian life in our own strength and will. Truth be told, it is not "difficult" to be a Christian and live it out; it is impossible, in our own strength, to be what Christ is asking us to be. We need the grace of God.

Let's continue this message of God's grace in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Be On Your Guard

God teaches people of God lessons through the journey of life. He especially teaches us through trials and tribulations. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 God says through the apostle Paul to be vigilant and on your guard:  "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." To stand firm in the faith we must be watchful with Christ's eyes behind our eyes. We cannot resist temptation on our own. The devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

The "Human code”, which we learn from the world and the culture of our times, tells us that we must be "self sufficient." It says, we cannot ask for help or admit that we can't do it on our own. However, Jesus says, "come unto me all who are weak and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

God is raising up men and women of God for such a time as this. When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his people to be the reliable ones.  According to Oswald Chambers, Christians will be shipwrecked unless men and women of God throw themselves recklessly upon the calling and will of God.  

It's easy to become distracted, turn “lukewarm” and then allow our hearts to turn cold toward God. It takes initiative and deliberate action to stay on guard and walking in the spirit. Our calling is to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of the heart are the issues of life. Our responsibility is to " conduct yourselves like God’s men and women” ...  people of God in whom the spirit of the Lord is in.

We trust others in all phases of life. We trust that things in our technologically complex world will work as they have been designed. However, people will let you down. Things will break and wear out. People are insecure because they have put their faith in people and things that can and will be taken away. People lose their confidence due to trials and tribulations. Every relationship in this earthly life will end in pain except for one. Our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ is the only relationship that will last into eternity.

For a man and woman of God, there are four foundational truths: (1) Life is hard.  (2) It's not about me. (3) I'm not in control. (4) This life will end.  Since it's not about me, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The blessing of life is to give glory to our Heavenly Father.

The children of God need to stay in close proximity with their Lord Jesus Christ.  Citizens of the kingdom of heaven must counter the indoctrination of our culture's human-code. The people of God are called of God to shatter our secular culture's definition of what it means to be a man and woman.  Encourage others to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. One of the greatest lessons of life was summarized by a quote from Jim Elliot, a missionary, who was martyred in South America for his faith:  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Therefore, be on guard, “watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like children of God, be strong.”

May God richly bless you!

Your brother in Christ. Michael

Pride Fuels the Family Feud – Part 2

1 Corinthians 3:19 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness.”

Continuing Pastor Obie’s massage on the sin of “pride”, based on the minor prophet Book of Obadiah, he first explains how selfish pride is deceptive, meaning that the pride in our heart deceives us with (1) false security, (2) false allies, and (3) false wisdom. It is said that egocentric “pride” is the ground that all other sins grow out of. Logically speaking, know-it-alls cannot learn anything new. What causes us to think pridefully, that we believe that we do not need God in our lives? Where exactly do we put our pride – self or God?

Proverbs 16:18-20 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.”

Secondly, Pastor Obie explains that pride is destructive and to our downfall, because it is unfaithfulness to God. (1) Pride destroys our ability to improve. We have to come to the reality that we are a work in progress. (2) Pride destroys our ability to adjust and change. We must also realize that we have not arrived; life is a journey. (3) Pride destroys our ability to love. Our first responsibility is our family. We need to love when it is inconvenient. 

Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” 

Romans 12:9-13, 16-21 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;  distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” We are all in a position to help, so give of yourself. “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance Is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Thirdly, in terms of pride, you reap what you sow. Every sin has a consequence and a judgment for justice. The Lord is the judge that casts judgment justly. Galatians 6:7 spells it out, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Maybe you have been wronged by others. Leave the wrath and revenge to God because God opposes the proud. God’s Word stays true and He takes care of His people because the mercy of God will take care of the humble. James 4:6 tells us, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The key word is “humble” and is defined as: Low; opposed to high or lofty; opposed to lofty or great; mean. In the evangelical sense, having a low opinion of one's self, and a deep sense of unworthiness in the sight of God. Humility brings healing, pride does not. Be humble and be healed by God. Swallow your pride and humbly live in Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Pastor Obie concludes that Almighty God desires to heal our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. May God reveal any pride in our heart, mind and soul, to rid of it now. Father God, speak to our hearts. Take control of our lives; guide our steps and lead of upon the path of righteousness, to your glory. Amen.

In Christ, Brian

Prides Fuels the Family Feud - Part 1

Obadiah 1-4 Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, “Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”): “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.

This last Sunday, Pastor Obie gave a message from our Minor Prophets sermon series in the Book of Obadiah. Today’s youth use the acronym “FOMO”, which means “Fear of missing out”. This is a serious concern of the “Me, Myself and I” Generation that is conditioned to get whatever they want, whenever they want, but has it’s roots in “good old-fashioned” pride. Obadiah was an old Testament Prophet of God. His name literally means “Servant of God” or "worshiper of Yahweh”. The nation of Edom was actually blood relatives of the nation of Israel. Edom being the descendants of Esau and Israel being the descendants of Esau’s brother Jacob. The feud goes back to their patriarch’s sibling rivalry over the family birth-right. But, came to a head when Edom decided to join the Babylonian attach against the nation of Israel, so the Lord God Almighty intervened for His people.

Obadiah 17-18 But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” for the Lord has spoken.

Pastor Obie exclaimed that the lesson for all of us today is to make better decisions by thinking about the Long-term benefits, not the short-term gains. Every time we make a decision, we are making a trade. Delayed gratification is giving up something now for something bigger later. The root of “instant gratification” is pride, whether in corporate business, possessions, activities, food, entertainment, travel, pleasures or relationships. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “pride” as: Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. The remedy is to use the acronym RAD method, meaning “repeat, add or adjust, or delete; each requiring careful examination and godly thought. Live a “RAD” life.

Let's Continue Pastor Obie's message on "pride" in the next Post.

In Christ, Brian

Founding Father of America Quotes - John Jay

America was founded as a "Christian Nation". Our Founding Fathers validate that fact.

By conveying the Bible to people, we certainly do them a most interesting act of kindness. We thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced. The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed – that this Redeemer has made atonement “for the sins of the whole world,” and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy, has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve. The Bible will also encourage them with many explicit and consoling assurances of the Divine mercy to our fallen race, and with repeated invitations to accept the offers of pardon and reconciliation. They, therefore, who enlist in His service, have the highest encouragement to fulfill the duties assigned to their respective stations; for most certain it is, that those of His followers who participate in His conquests will also participate in the transcendent glories and blessings of His Triumph.

John Jay - First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America

An Instrument of Evil

Revelation 13:4–7 “The beast . . . opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them”.

I came across this article on the separation of light and darkness. It stated that several principles, such as the separation of powers and our possession of certain inalienable rights apart from government say-so, formed the basis of the constitutional vision of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Two of these ideas, which motivated many people to flee Europe for America, are the freedom of religious expression and the separation of church and state. Rightly understood according to the U.S. Constitution itself and the Founding Fathers’ writings, the original intent of separation of church and state means only that the federal government may not establish a state church. Yet over the past century, godless judicial and legislative actions have often intentionally misapplied church-state separation as an instrument of evil to mean no one can speak of God in a public, secular setting, and that the church has no right to be heard except by its members. In God We Trust?

“The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of man. The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses. I am a Christian in the only sense in which He wished anyone to be: sincerely attached to His doctrines in preference to all others.” President Thomas Jefferson

When the Constitution’s disestablishment clause is properly understood to mean the civil government may not establish a state church, the separation of church and state is a net positive. The history of the Church of England in Great Britain proves this by way of a negative example. Union of church and state in Britain today is essentially true only on paper, but history shows that the established Anglican church often used the state to accomplish religious conformity, and to squash political dissent. In fact, many early Americans were Puritans who fled England to escape persecution from the established church when their consciences were bound by God’s Word. Because this history is frequently overlooked today, church-state separation is regularly perverted into the separation of God and state, in effect banishing religion from the public arena. In a country with Right to free of speech and freedom of religion, who would take away those liberties for restriction of speech in conformance and freedom from religion, except the established state church of humanistic naturalism in America?

“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company: I mean hell.” President John Adams

Those who seek to separate the state from Almighty God and His authority are bound to fail. No matter how the government rails against our Sovereign Creator, it never escapes accountability to Him for fulfilling its responsibilities. Yet the separation of church and state, rightly understood, has been good for the church. Today’s passage indicates that the state can become a force for evil when it abandons its God-given responsibilities, and established churches have often compromised their witness of the kingdom of Heaven by supporting or refusing to stand against such evil.

The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ. This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government. The moral principles and precepts found in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible. The Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Noah Webster 

Everything is defined by and measured against God’s definition of terms. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “wicked” as: [The primary sense is to wind and turn, or to depart, to fall away.] Evil in principle or practice; deviating from the divine law; addicted to vice; sinful; immoral. This is a word of comprehensive signification, extending to every thing that is contrary to the moral law, and both to persons and actions. We say, a wicked man, a wicked deed, wicked ways, wicked lives, a wicked heart, wicked designs, wicked works. The wicked, in Scripture, persons who live in sin; transgressors of the divine law; all who are unreconciled to God, unsanctified or impenitent. Wicked men do at times reject God’s purpose for the state, transforming the good of civil government into an instrument of evil. The Christian church must never forget this, lest it be used by the state for wicked ends.

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. President George Washington

The only being to whom we owe unquestioning allegiance is God Himself, and

confusing the roles of church and state can result in the church supporting and following the secular state in places where it should not. However, that does not mean the church is to be silent. Christians have a prophetic role in society and must speak out when the government becomes an instrument of evil by not protect the innocent, attach the godly and rewards wickedness. May the light of Christ shine into the darkness of sin and unbelief.

Full Pool

Ephesians 1:1-14 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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 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 we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Our Wednesday evening never-ending small group Bible study has been going through a 5 lesson series on God’s Grace. Pastor Giglio explains that there are two spiritual impossibilities in life. One being that nobody can approach our holy God in our state of sin and two being nobody can maintain fellowship with God in our state of sin. Confession and repentance of sin is the step that leads to accepting the gift of redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration of relationship with God through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Confession to God is more than the dictionary definition of the acknowledgment of a crime, fault or something to one's disadvantage; open declaration of guilt, failure, debt, accusation. Avowal; the act of acknowledging; profession. The act of disclosing sins. The word literally means to agree with and speak the same thing according to God’s Word. The word “Lord” means “owner”, a master; a person possessing supreme power and authority; one whose word must be obeyed. So confession to Lord God Almighty is making the God’s Word, our word.  

In the gospel of redemption, by God’s grace and our by faith, we have justification and salvation in Christ where our sin is placed upon Jesus and through His sacrifice on the cross , Christ’s righteousness is credited to us (making us holy and blameless in the sight of God). We also receive regeneration of our spirit, transformation of our heart, eternal life, become a child of God and a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven, receive the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us, and are blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. But, our complete transformation is not instantaneous. There is a process of “Sanctification” to transform from the image of the sinful flesh to the image of the spirit of Christ according to the Word of God. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at the moment of salvation, we are sanctified and He equips us everything spiritually that we need to accomplish this lifelong process. Our challenge is to trust and think according to the truth that we’ve already received. We do not have a “low pool”; we have a “full pool”. Live it out daily.

In Christ, Brian

No Escape – Part 2

Philippians 2:3-5 says, "Do nothing through selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind consider others more important than yourself.  Do not merely look out for your own personal interest but look out for the interest of others.  Have this attitude which was also in Christ."

Michael continues that Philippians' theme is the Joyful mind.  You can't choose your circumstances but you can choose your attitude.  Philippians 2:6-8 continues about Jesus Christ:  “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus gave up the right to Himself and relinquished His own will to obey His Father's will. We may not know the purposes for God's plan for our lives, but we understand that He's a good and holy Heavenly Father. He has a better plan for us than we could ever imagine. The bond-servant is not bound by law or obligation; rather he is bound by love to willingly serve his master with joy and rejoicing. Jesus Christ emptied himself and became obedient to death on the cross. In His obedience to His Father He who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

According to Philippians 3:9-10, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth.”

What God really wants from me and you is obedience. What we do for God is to glorify God and not our ourselves. We have been called "to the praise of the glory of His grace, who has made us acceptable in the beloved." The old human code says, "I want praise and glory for myself." However, as stated in Pastor Herk’s post on Tuesday, humility is the antidote to pride. Let all things be done to God’s glory and not our own. Obedience to God means that our heart is subject to His will. Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" Do you love me more than your fishing business and your fishing buddies? "  

You are servants of whom you obey. We, who have been “born again” of God's spirit, can choose whom to serve: our own ego or our Lord Jesus Christ. Our calling is to serve our Master from a heart of humility and love. As Oswald Chambers said, Humility defeats the "insidious preoccupation with self." Jesus said, “Whoever keeps his life shall lose it, but whoever gives his life for my sake will save it."  The antidote to an insidious preoccupation with self is, "humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and in due time he will exalt you." There is no escaping our sin nature on our own. But, though we may not understand what the Lord is doing in our lives, we understand His heart ... for He is a good and holy Father; an Almighty God of loving kindness, tender mercy and gracious love.

May God richly bless you!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

No Escape – Part 1

This week Michael writes: Wherever you go there you are. You can't escape from yourself. The Apostle Paul said, "In my flesh dwells no good thing."  As Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry said after a naval battle in the War of 1812, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Reality is that if you think of yourself, you'll be depressed, if you think of the circumstances, you'll be stressed, but if you think of the Lord, you'll be blessed.  

Without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, men and women can't escape the insidious preoccupation with self. The basis of the sin nature is egocentric pride. The devil beguiled, enticed and lured Eve in the Garden of Eden when he appealed to her pride. He said to her, "If you eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, you'll be like God." He was backhandedly saying to her, you won't need God. When Adam and Eve doubted and disobeyed God, they lost their innocence and astronomically much more. First, their eyes were opened to the nature of sin, guilt and the associated shame, but also ushered in death into the world. God had said, "On the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die." They died spiritually that day... sin in doubt and disobedience separated them from God. Later, they physically died. We inherited Adam's sin nature, his DNA, the genetic "man code" ...  a code without God and without hope. The sin nature makes men and women fearful, lonely, inadequate, and insecure. Where is hope?  

According to Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Verse 15 says, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Most men and women don't like themselves because of sin in their life. As Paul said, "The things that I don't want to do I do, and the things that I want to do I don't do.  O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this dead body."

The self absorbed man and woman says, "I may not be much, but I'm all I think about." Egotism is excessive preoccupation with “self”. The world's human code says "I'm capable of meeting my own needs." Self confidence is confidence in my own abilities.  The world repeats the devil's original lie:  You don't need God...you can do it all by yourself. However, Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  

Let’s continue Michael’s message on “No Escaping ourselves” in the next post.

In Christ, Brian