Live Like Jesus - Part 4

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

 

Every person whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life has an obligation to do what Jesus would do if He was here, because He is... as He said in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Ambassador for Christ, do what He would do, be what He would be, say what He would say, love as He would love, and forgive as He would forgive. 

 

Some people read the Bible to discover and know everything they can of God’s Word in obedient application and growth. Some people read the Bible and pretend not to understand so that they don’t have to observe everything that He has commanded.  Some people choose not to read the Bible for themselves and just rest on what little bit they hear on Sundays in church in the sermons, if they show up at all. There is nothing like Christian Fellowship, being in the body of Believers in Christ, life on life. Some people never know what God’s will is because they are never in His Word. Some people have two masters with one foot in the secular world and one foot in the church. Let go and let God. Some people go to a church that caters to fun, being popular, cool, trendy, exciting, entertaining rather than preaching God’s Word the way that God meant it to be preached and living like Jesus. Some people choose the pleasures of this world and interpersonal relationships rather than spending time in prayer, being closer in relationship to God, who loves them, cares for them, provides for them and protects them, whether aware or unaware of it. Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you? 

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

 

What does it mean to live like Jesus in this world?  His entire time on earth was spent helping others. What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to live like Jesus in this world? 

Matthew 25:35-36 says, “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” God anointed Christ with the Holy Spirit and power then Jesus went around doing good. Help people where you see them needing help.

Romans 12:17 instructs us, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” 1 Peter 3:8-9 confirms, “all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this.” We are supposed to live like Jesus and touch lives in our sphere of influence for God’s glory. 

 

It is not about us; it’s all about God. Show the love of Christ to those around you. True Christians have been blessed and called to be a blessing to others. Called to pray for others. The Holy Spirit dwell within every “born again” Believer. Does everyone see Jesus in you? We have no Right to hide the Savior of the world, who came to seek and save the lost. We are supposed to show Jesus Christ to others., who do not know Him, so that they too may find forgiveness of sin and salvation at the foot of the Cross. God says, “Be like Jesus in essence and character, and live like Jesus. I want people to see Jesus in you.” God is saying this to you and I. He wants us to be an example for Christ. Though we may not be the “best” example, that should not stop us from trying to be the “best” example that we can be. The Holy Spirit helps us and prepares those in advance that we are ministering and being an example to. Try living like Jesus. Be salt and light, letting people see Jesus in you. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you and guide you.

This fallen world will never see Jesus until we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Stop doing what you want to do, and start doing what we need to do for Christ’s sake. Are you wanting to do what God wants you to do? Be people of faith and prayer. Prayer changes things. Don’t be afraid to talk to God in prayer. He wants to hear from you, His child. Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, so live like Jesus. 

 

In Christ, Brian  

Live Like Jesus - Part 3

Pastor Herk continues: The passage proclaims that "All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." The Almighty, Creator Father God must be at the center of your life as Lord, not out at the edges or in the back seat. The Word of God tells us to share the Good News Gospel message of Jesus Christ with others. God wants us to confess that we are Christians, that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is Lord and we are obedient Christ-followers, because God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father - Philippians 2:9-11.  

It is so easy for us to sit with a friend and talk with them about what God has done in our life, telling how God has worked in us personally. They what to hear our personal experiences and will listen to what happened to us because of God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus. In a world of turmoil, stress, strife, anger, and uncertainty, people are seeking foundational truth and stability of love, joy and peace, which they do not know, but is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Believers and available to them. We need to be able to proclaim that we trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our Blessed Redeemer from Sin and Eternal Damnation, that He is the Son of God and the Light, the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Resurrection, and people need to see that in us. 

 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

  

God’s Word tells us to be “salt and light” and illuminate the darkness of sin and unbelief in this God-rejecting world with godly gospel truth. We have to keep aware and inform where the darkness of Sin and unbelief are tempting, spreading lies, distracting, deceiving, and enslaving in this world to stand against the enemy with the full armor of God, defend the faith and with the power of God, save the lost. We have to stay faithful to God as salt and light in the world. We cannot behave like the lights are on, but nobody is home. We know that God loves us and put our trust in that fact. 

 

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. But, maybe we assume that since God loves us so much, that we have an excuse not to be obedient and that He’ll forgive us if we do not do what He asks us to do; we have our salvation guaranteed anyway. Believing that we don’t have to be “salt & light” in the world because that is a private choice between God and I. No, that is not the way it is. 

 

The Bible is not a menu to go through to pick and choose what you will follow, saying “I will do this teaching, statute, law or commandment, but not follow and do those others. I’m going to pick the things that I like, go by that and that should be enough.” To say “No Lord” is an oxymoron. We cannot pick the parts of the Word of God that we are going to follow. The kingdom of Heaven has a King. If God is King, Lord, and Master, and we put our full trust in Him with total dedicated and devotion then His statutes and commands must be our heartfelt desire, willfully obeyed, served and followed. Two things I know for sure: There is a Lord of my life and it is not me; He is the Almighty Lord Father God, my Maker, Providence and Sustainer. Not my will, but God’s will be done.

 

So, we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”  If you really wondered what it means to follow Christ and be a Christian, live like Jesus here in this world. If you do not remember another thing from this message, remember that we are to live like Jesus wherever we are in this world. We are supposed to have His attitude and heart. Is it easy? No, it is sometimes difficult, but never impossible because God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. We have to live this life with the assistance and power of the Holy Spirit. We have to walk in the Spirit, giving Him permission and submissively allow Him to work in us. We have to be people of faith and prayer, people of the Word of God, people of the Way, to live like Jesus. 

Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Live Like Jesus - Part 2

 

 1 John 4:10-17 “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”

 

Pastor Herk continues that this is an amazing passage of Scripture and we understand its truth, depth, and application, yet we never truly grasp the depth of what God has done for us. We know that God loves us and that agapē love is an attribute of God, but do we really comprehend and understand how much God loves us?  God Word is truth and we can trust God. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. We may never fully comprehend how high, wide and deep God’s love is for us, but we know that He loves us. John 3:16a “For this is how God loved the world: He gave.” Because God loves us, He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. He wants to hear from us about what’s going on in our lives. Knows He our prayers before we offer them up, but He desires us to bring our prayers before Him to share. 

 

As Christians we trust that Jesus came, lived and died, then rose again to conquer sin forever. That is the Gospel joy of our salvation in God’s love and grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can be grateful and thankful for our Savior’s atoning sacrifice in our place on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin. It is the most wonderful thing imaginable! How exciting it is when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord! When we repent and believe, Jesus comes into our life, it is transformed from the inside out as our spirit is regenerated within us, we receive a new heart and we are reconciled to God. We do not deserve God’s grace or salvation, it is the free gift of God offered that must be received by faith, Jesus Christ – Savior and Lord of my life.

 

We have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.But, we may say: I don’t know if I like all that the Bible says to do. It would take a lot of work. This “Great Commission” of going out and making disciples of all nations, that’s just not me … I can’t do that. It’s too hard and difficult. That is selfish pride talking. It’s easy to say “God loves you.” That is what God wants. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. We need to love each other with God and His holy Word in us and express through us. There is a lot of hate in the godless world being expressed today. Loving each other includes praying for each other; not just when they ask for it, but spontaneously for their health and wellbeing. Tell them that you are going to pray for them, in love pray then and there, plus continually then on because God hears them and loving prayer is powerful. 

 

God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. When human words escape us pray for the words, the indwelling Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:23, 26), if the Helper don’t give you the words to say. People can get a glimpse of Christ through us by seeing the presence of God working in your life. If you were arrested for being a Christian and a child of God, would there be enough evidence to convict you or is the Jury still out? Is there proof that the Holy Spirit lives within you and continues to move in your life as you walk in the Spirit or is the sin nature of the fallen flesh lustful passions and desires in control. 

Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish ... And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Are you growing and maturing in Christ in the sanctification process of walking in the Spirit for all to see or so you have a sign on your shirt that says “Party on, Rebel”? 

 

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on living like Jesus in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Live Like Jesus - Part 1

 

Last Sunday, up at Bass Lake’s Little Church in the Pines, Pastor Herk gave a sermon message on Christian living instructing us, “Don’t make God wait on you”. When we should pray and ask God to speak, act or move, it seems like we can be just too busy to. We have too many things going on in our lives. Ask yourself if God is a priority in your life or do you make Him wait. Distractions and disturbances occur daily that demand your time, draw you away and cause you to miss out on many matters. In this busy cycle, it doesn’t take long to get out of the habit of accomplishing what needs to get done. You miss once, you miss twice and before long, it is hard to get the routine back. It is extremely import to get into a disciplined spiritual routine, block the time out and stay in it. Whether in a time of joy or trouble, we have to make time for our relationship with God, especially in prayer. 

 

Romans 12:10-12 “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.” This is an essential formula for us to follow, but we get distracted. Yet, we need to maintain our personal relationship with the Lord, for He is our constant hope. Our worship and praise together in the house of the Lord, our desire to know God and draw closer to Him is proof that we have hope in God. Some good questions are: (1) Do we just want to believe in God or do we what to have a real relationship with Him for Christ followers? Going to church alone doesn’t make you a Christian; just like going into a garage doesn’t make you a car. Actually following Christ is a daily journey in personal relationship with the Lord. How has your relationship with God been lately? 

 

(2) How much time do you spend reading the Holy Bible (the Word of God)? Reading and studying holy Scripture is another way of close communication with the Lord. Sometimes, you get reading a Bible passage and God speaks to you through that Scripture because it is the living Word of God, so we have to be careful to listen. We may not completely understand some of the deep spirituality and complex theology in particular passages. Some parts we read but don’t totally comprehend. We get the jest of it and believe it as truth because it is coming from God, but don’t fully grasp the complete concept. We don’t always know and understand everything that we read in the Word of God because the finite is searching the infinite God. The context is supernaturally revealed to us as the Spirit deems our maturity and readiness. That is God speaking to you also.

 

(3) How much time do you spend in prayer with God? Our heavenly Father wants our commitment and to hear from us every day. He hears every one of our prayers. God wants us to trust Him, to serve Him, to learn more about Him and to think about the things of God every single day. When our lives feel a little bit empty, we should put Christ in it. Pray and fill your mind regularly with the Lord. Individually, parts of the Bible we love to read; they give us encouragement, promise, comfort, assurance and hope. 

 

1 John 4:10-17 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Hallowed by Your Name

Matthew 6:9-13 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

Pastor J. Vernon McGee in his booklet “Let Us Pray” unpacks what we call “The Lord’s Prayer. In it, he turns to the last great statement made in the introduction of the prayer”: “Hallowed be Your Name.” More correctly translated from the Greek, it should read, “Let Your name be made holy.” The name of God stands for all that God is. That means all that God is – all that God stands for – is in His name.

 

The name of God (Yahweh) was so reverent, so sacred to the nation of Israel, they dared not even pronounce it. Today, there is such a familiarity with the name of God, even in conservative circles, that ought not to be. We’ve become too accustomed with the things that are sacred and holy, and we need to be very careful in this. Certainly, it’s tragic when someone takes God’s name in vain, using it in a meaningless or profane manner, but more tragic is the blasphemy of the sanctuary. I remember one church member asking me how I thought of Jesus Christ. She told me that she best thought of him as her friend (John. 15:13-15). I replied: Holy Lord. We brush against holy and sacred things so constantly in the church that they can become commonplace. And you who come to the church worship service and Bible studies – you do well to be reverent in His presence in the house of worship dedicated to Him. God deliver us from treating as commonplace the things that are sacred before You!

 

How can we make God’s name holy? Can we add to that which is already infinitely holy? Certainly not. Then what did our Lord mean by the statement, “Hallowed be Your name?” He meant that by our lives we are to make God’s name holy. Two men in the book of Genesis: one was a disgrace to the name of Gods and the other commended the name of God. Everywhere that Abraham went, he built an alter to God. And the Canaanites found him to be honest. Surely, the name of God, who Abraham worshipped, was made holy because of the life of Abraham. But, two things always marked the path over which Jacob had gone – he built an alter and he defrauded someone. The first part of Jacob’s life held only dishonor and God told him that he could not continue conducting himself in the manner, for the name of God must be made holy. 

 

McGee appeals: My friend, let us go to the top of yonder mountain where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount – we need to go there. We must have men and women who name the name of God and whose lives correspond to it. We must be willing to stake the eternal destiny of our soul upon the accuracy of the Bible, believing the Word of God with all our heart. We cannot profess to know of God but blaspheme that name in our living. Go to the mountain and listen as God reveal His will.

 

We are not saved by the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), but you and I can make His name holy by reading it and abiding therein. I know that it is a ministry of condemnation, but it will cause us to flee to Jesus Christ for refuge, for salvation, deliverance, and power; and we will become God’s child by faith in Jesus Christ that we might be enabled to make His name holy in our living. Are you hallowing God’s name in your daily life?

 

In Christ, Brian

Kingdom Living

This week, Michael writes that Jesus came to introduce his disciples to a new kingdom ... a kingdom that is not of this world. The standard of Christ’s new kingdom is the unconditional love of God ... to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  

According to 1 Corinthians 13, Love is patient, love is kind, is never selfish, rude, or proud... it never demands its own way. The unconditional "agape" love of God is not of this world. It is one of the qualities of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. The love of God is not touchy or irritable. It is not resentful or bitter. The love of God rises above human frailty ... it transforms and transcends worldly standards, morals, and conventions. The love of God suffers injustice, always thinks the best of others, never holds grudges ... it never fails to bless, to encourage, and to edify. Love never fails.

The devil is the accuser and the deceiver. He reminds us of our fallen nature and the things we’ve done that fall short of God’s righteous standard. However, even while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. For even though our heart condemns us ... God is greater than our heart and knows all things ... that our righteousness is in Christ.  

What calls a man and woman to repentance ... to turn from darkness unto light? Is it the threat of death and eternal damnation? Is it guilt, shame, pain, and suffering? Romans 2 says, it is the goodness, kindness, love and mercy of God that calls a person to repentance. The love of God is what attracts a child of God to run to the Lord and not away from Him.  

Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus responded, “You said it.” Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” He could not perceive that he was looking the truth in the eye ... for Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life.  

After Jesus healed a man born blinded, the religious leaders asked the blind man, “Who healed you?” He said, “I don’t know who he was, but this one thing I know, I was blind, but now I see.” Jesus came to open the eyes of those born blind ... physically and spiritually. To perceive truth, we must be born again ... to see and perceive from Christ’s eyes behind our eyes.

Many men and women hear the truth about the Gospel and casually agree with it. However, they are not willing to commit their lives to Christ. They want to be their own master and are unwilling to subject their hearts in submission to the Lord. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. When a person repents, God brings them to the realization that, “I have found the enemy and it is me.”

The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. When the devil attacks, this assault is either an invitation to join the devil’s pity party, or the point of repentance to turn from the darkness of this God-rejecting world unto the glorious light of the gospel of salvation through faith alone by grace alone in Christ alone.

Living the Christian life gets the attention of this world. The love of God is not of this world. Jesus said, blessed are they when people shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. The love of God turns the other cheek and gladly goes the second mile. It does not return evil for evil. It is full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The love of God is the nature of God himself ... for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Christianity is not about the cost. Rather, it’s about the value. What is it that you value most? The valuable things of this life are priceless ... we could not afford either the payment for sin or for eternal live. Therefore, we have been bought with a price ... the priceless and precious blood of God’s only begotten Son. Because Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin, we can live in the glorious light of the gospel of peace. For He who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus said, I always do my father’s will. His father’s will was your redemption and mine. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, not my will but thine be done. The answer to Jesus’ prayer in the garden is in Hebrews 11, Jesus Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God... God showed His Son the joy of your redemption and mine.

We love Him because He first loved us. Because God has given us His Spirit of life in Christ, we can Love God above all. Then when we love others, Jesus said, in that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. To love others, we love Jesus himself.

Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives and to set free them that are bound. In an upside down in priorities world, the greatest freedom is to subject ourselves captive to Christ ... casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. According to Galatians 5, stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage of the law of sin and death. Only use not liberty as an occasion to sin, but in love, serve one another.

That in loving God above all, we may live according to the His kingdom’s purpose ... that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael

A Holy Longing - Part 3

 

Is the Christian church today good at doing church services on their campus, but lost their holy sense of longing to reach others for Christ? Hell is real and Jesus says in John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Have we lost our sense of urgency to save family, friends, neighbors and everyone in our sphere of influence?

Ephesians 2:1-3 explains that before repenting and accepting Jesus Christ, “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” There is a world still full of people who do not know Christ and are dead children of wrath for their sins. The house next door is (figuratively) on fire with people in it asleep in unbelief and (with the Gospel) we have a fire engine in our driveway. Will we not save them?

The most dangerous villain in all of our spiritual lives will not appear as a sin or even as the devil; it is distractions and busyness. Those two things will keep showing up, sucking away our holy longing for the things that God wants us to be a part of. Repent of these demons and keep focus and balance in control. Scrolling, playing and mere surviving is not how God wants us to live or how churches grow. Step up and step out for God. Let’s see Jesus reach the ends of the world.

If we are not praying for and strategically reaching out to people in our world with the Gospel right now with the intent for them to come to a “saving” knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are not likely to see anyone come to faith in our world. John 13:35 tells us, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Is it love to allow the “dead in trespasses and sins” not know the truth about the Gospel message of forgiveness and Salvation in Christ. How can they choose when they do not know the choices concerning freedom from or bondage to sin or spending eternity in Heaven and Hell? It has got to start with love.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Step up your holy longing for God by strategically engaging with the people that you are praying for to find salvation in Christ at the foot of the Cross. Prayer is great, but prayer should always drive us to godly action. Later in Romans 10:1, the Apostle Paul asks, “How then will they call on him [Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world] in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Tell others about what God has done for you in your life and how Jesus died for your sins so that you were forgiven and now going to Heaven. You are the one that God is sending to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. But, you are not alone; Christ is with you always, to the end of the age. Listen to the concerns of others and keep showing up, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

You want to see God move in your life in your loved ones life and in society. We need to be the church reaching our culture and talked about as a being people of faith, honesty and integrity; a child of God. Differences are being made for kingdom of Heaven impact in your local community. Your holy longing for God and holy longing for others reflects that you are not ashamed of the Gospel (the power unto Salvation for everyone who believes). Fan the flames of the holy fire of God as you advance and expand the Kingdom. Long for it.

In Christ, Brian 

A Holy Longing - Part 2

 

Pastor Kyle continues that we want to be a part of the Christian community that’s faith is being talked about all over the world. We want to be the kind of Christian that inspires the faith of others around us to better know, follow and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Along with your fervent prayers to the Lord, what holy longing are you feeling and what amazing things are you doing for the Lord and the Gospel to reach and bless the lost in sin today and in all your tomorrows in this season of life? 

There are different spiritual gifts and each part in the work of the kingdom of God is equally important in a shared load of ministry. When you serve Jesus Christ, you will be a blessing to other people though the power of God. Jesus invites us all through our journey through this life with Him from come and see, to know and grow, to go and tell, to serve and give while standing in awe of His sovereign Majesty and infinity magnificence.

Mark 4:28-29 “The earth produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head [of grain], then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop ripens, he immediately puts in the sickle [to reap], because [the time for] the harvest has come.”

To serve and give is ministry, but another part of the ministry is sharing the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ, because there may be some in your midst that don not know the Savior of the world, or have not fully converted and fully committed their lives in their heart to the Lord. The Good News for the Gospel must spread like wildfire to every community and nation. As the Apostle said, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” You never know what could happen through the simple act of reaching out in hope and faith for the power of the Gospel. That starts with a holy longing for God on the inside.

Every Christian’s holy longing for God is the foundation that is to be laid for every other longing that we have in life. Each Christian’s holy longing for God is the filter which we are to process every human longing due to our sin nature. That is why Galatians 5:16-17 says, “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.” Without a growing longing for God in each of our hearts, we will never feel an urgency to obey the Lord. It is helpful to take stock of where we are in our own soul today.

We are not talking about behavior modification, but heart transformation; meaning, not just I won’t do what is wrong in the eyes of the Lord (action), but I don’t even desire to (thought). Luke 6:45 states, “The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and

moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart].” Everything that we think, speak and do comes from the heart. God knows our hearts.

Nobody’s holy longing for God is where it needs to be on this side of Heaven. We are growing in our longing through the process of Sanctification, becoming more and more like Jesus. This journey is a daily walk, with daily growth. What path are you on, where are you now on the journey and what are the steps to keep moving forward? But also, how would you rate your longing to see the Gospel reach others right now?

Let's conclude Pastor Kyle's message on having a holy longing in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

A Holy Longing - Part 1

 

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle at our local church in Anaheim, California USA preached a sermon on “longing” (the mindset of earnestly desiring; having a craving or preternatural appetite) from Romans 1:8-16. He stated that in life, we live in a constant state of longing because there is an incompleteness in just about everything that happens on this side of Heaven. Some longings are good, like longing for God, for becoming a better person, or being a good spouse and parent. Irresponsible longings have been described as an unquenchable hunger, a ravenous itch, insatiable unfullfillment or unappeasable discontentment. In the words of that great philosopher Mick Jaggar, “I can’t get no satisfaction”. Life always feels incomplete when we live for the longing, not the fulfillment.

Romans 1:8-16 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

For those who live in a lifestyle of never-ending secular flesh desires and constant psychological longing, lacking the peace of contentment, it is like climbing a mountain to find that there is another mountain over and over again and can lead to fatalism (giving up/unfruitful). In Ecclesiastes 1:14 ,Israel’s wise King Solomon said of this irresponsible lifestyle of longing (which he experienced firsthand), stating: “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.” The chase may be the goal, not the object of the chase or the actual getting of the object. There is always more to desire and chase.

And in the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:20-22, the Lord Jesus describes this “rat race” lifestyle as: “he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” It is not so much what we long for, as why we long for them that is the problematic issue. The gnawing sense of incompleteness and unfullfillment in continual longings

Fatalism says that there is no point to any longings on this side of eternity because it is not going to lead to a sense of fulfillness anyway. It says that nothing is worth the effort. Do not buy into any of this rhetoric. Christians know what existential secular hedonists don’t. This world is not heaven. So, for the Christian, this life is as close to Hell as they will ever get. Sadly, for those who choose not to know of follow Jesus Christ, the Lord of all and Savior of this fallen world, this is as close to Heaven as they will ever get. From a biblical perspective, every earthly longing will not be completely fulfilling and we hunger again for more.

I fear that we are becoming a generation of Christians that are losing their sense of holy longing. We believe in God and try to obey His Holy Word found in the Bible to the best that we can, but we are floating through life with the same gnawing sense of unfullfillment that everyone else in the world has and abandoning God’s great holy longing for Him, His Word, His Commandments and the desire to seek and save the lost neighbors and friends beside you.  

Let's continue pastor Kyle's message on having a holy longing in the next post. 

In Christ, Brian

Powerful Prayers - Part 3

In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would greatly bless me and extend my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm so that it would not hurt me!” And God brought about what he requested.” Oh God, please bless me. How many times have you prayed that petition, for God to grow your life and expand your godly territory beyond the horizon (beyond our near sight and comfort-zone) to impact the kingdom of Heaven? This is the desire to reach out beyond yourself and expand your sphere of influence for Christ’s work and reach many with the Gospel salvation in this lost and dying world. Do you desire that right now? If we are Christ-following disciples, that should be our wish. God, guide my life and bless me to be a blessing to You, to those around me, and to those beyond my sight. Be with me in all that I do and keep me from trouble that I may be all that You want me to be.

In John 14:23, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.” In times of trouble and pain, know that God is with us, having the peace that surpasses all understanding that only God can give us. Feel God’s presence, for He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is with us every moment of our lives. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Lord is with us when we are weak and when we are strong. We must realize the need the power of God in our lives to accomplish God’s will.

Powerful prayers have powerful life-changing results. We need to strive to do more of that. Do not be afraid of God, but know that He created you, knows you, loves you, and wants to hear from you. Do not be fearful of what others who do not know the Lord may take offense to. Prayer is a key part of every Christian’s life. Please allow those powerful prayers to be a part of your life.

Believing in God, that our almighty Maker is holy and just, that we have sinned against this Supreme Being of Heaven and Earth, who is perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character, yet out of His love, mercy and grace sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay for our inequities with His life on the Cross as an atoning sacrifice to give us salvation, is justification and just the beginning of our walk with the Lord on this side of eternity.

Ephesians 1:19-2:10 explains, “what is the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Follow Jesus and grow more and more into the likeness of our Lord and Savior through the process of sanctification. Take the good news of the Gospel of Salvation within and beyond your boundaries as a child of God and an Ambassador of the kingdom of Heaven. Pray without ceasing. Bless others with the love of God and expose the darkness of sin by shining the light of Christ that those who do not know the Lord may find forgiveness at the foot of the Cross.

In Christ, Brian

Powerful Prayers - Part 2

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

God wants His people to be powerful prayers praying powerful prayers to Him and desires to hear those prayers. The Bible teaches that the Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our omnipresent God never loses His power or sovereign reign over His creation and will always hear our prayers. Do not forget that fact or lose sight of Him. Sometimes, it may seem that our prayers are void of power, but that is generally our problem and not His.

The miracle-working God in the Bible works supernaturally in this natural world that He created today. James 4:3 tells us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” We need to expect that when we pray, that God is going to hear and answer that prayer. Maybe, we need to trust God more. God can work miracles in our lives and in the world; we need to trust Him and in the power of our prays. Trust and obey. Our prayers do not seem feeble to Him because He sees our heart and knows what we are trying to accomplish.

Every single one of us has the potential in faith to pray a powerful prayer. Faith in God’s promises and power to accomplish anything and everything we pray for with the right and godly motive; powerful prayers to a powerful God. There are times when God tests us to see if we are sincere in our prayers and faith. We are more than flesh and blood (which you can see), we have a soul and spirit (which you cannot see, but experience). Our prayers are in the presence of our ever-present living God, though we do not see Him face-to-face in this side of Heaven as He is spirit (yet created and maintains the physical world). Nothing is impossible for God. Through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross for our sins in god’s plan of Salvation, we who repent and believe have been reconciled and restored to our heavenly Father God on that soulful spiritual level. We can trust Almighty God and His promises.

Being a child of God, we need to be persistent in our righteous prayers. Our heavenly Father wants to see that we are serious in our prayers. Persistent praying help develop and strengthen our faith. The patriarchs of the Bible sought God in prayer and so should we. We should come to God humbly, but boldly approach the throne of Heaven with our prayers. We know that God loves us, cares for us, and listens to us. Perhaps, we need to be more reverent in humble adoration of Him when we pray.

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

We need to be humble before God, pray fervently, diligently seek His face and His will for our lives, then turn away from anything and everything that is wrong in the eyes of God. Arrogance and pride have no place in our lives. We all have things that we think, say and do that are wrong; we all know that fact. We need to see their wickedness, repent of them, then ask God to forgive us, to help us to turn away from those things and walk in the Spirit. For Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.” God is holy and just; perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character. Mankind is sinful by nature through original sin; God is sinless. God’s will is perfect, all-knowing and flawlessly wise. In Joshua 5:14, Joshua said, “I am at your command, what do you want your servant to do?” and we should prayerfully ask that too each day. 

Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on prayer in the nest post.

In Christ, Brian

Powerful Prayer - Part 1

 

This last Sunday, Pastor Herk of Little Church in the Pines began a sermon series on Prayer. There is so much more to prayer than we imagine or practice. Prayer is defined as a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed.

Prayer is nothing difficult because it is just having a conversation with God, whether brief, long, light, heavy, joyful or sorrowful. It is just talking with our heavenly Father. In public or in private, the Lord wants to hear our situations and circumstances, cares and concerns, good times and bad. Many are intimidated by others who pray with beautiful biblical words and terms, but that is not what it is about. It’s just about letting God know what’s on your heart. Our omniscient Lord knows what we are going to say before we say it, but want us to tell Him and He hears our words from our lips. We may not know what to say, but we find that the words come when we start because the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) is our Helper.   

How often have you experienced the power of prayer in your life? Prayers may be answered quickly or over many years; it’s all in God’s perfect timing. Continue in your prayers. The Almighty created the Cosmos, the heavens and the earth, but you are a child of God. He hears all of our prayers, listens and responds (yes, no, later or I have something better in mind). All prayers are powerful and prayers change things. Prayer is one of the greatest blessings that God has given to every single person. Jesus instructed us in Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”

Prayer is such a powerful instrument. Yet, the circumstance may require listening, sympathizing, silent prayer for everyone (God help them) and just be present as a comfort, cry with them, showing that you care until a more appropriate time to talk and pray. God may be with them and going to get them through the situation, but they have to be in the emotional state to hear it. In these circumstances pray for yourself that God lets you know what to do in the moment. The day will come when they are ready and ask for prayer.  

Prayer is the mot important thing in a Christian’s life. The knowledge that you can pray to God and He is hearing you and that He is with you is foundational comfort, stability and peace. Jesus said in John 10:27-30 “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” God wants prayer to change every one of His people. Even if you are a “prayer warrior” already, God wants to continually improve our prayer life and make it better and better as we grow. Move forward in your prayer life as you mature as Christians. The Lord wants to hear more from you, more often.

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on powerful prayer in the next post. 

In Christ, Brian

Kingdom Living, Life Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount

This week, Michael writes: Jesus said, I’ve come to introduce you to a new kingdom. The children of Israel thought that Jesus would not just be their spiritual messiah delivering them from sin and hell, but would also be their political messiah ... the one sent to deliver them from under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire. However, His new kingdom was not of this world ... but from heaven above. This kingdom was not founded on worldly political power and the might of earthly armies. His was a kingdom based on the love of Almighty God. 

From the world’s perspective, the kingdom of our Lord is an upside down kingdom. The world taught that you should hate your enemies and seek retribution against those who wrong you. However, Jesus said in John 13:34-35, A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

The Church, the converted body of Jesus Christ, is the transformed abiding temple of God, God’s dwelling place. The journey to the inner chamber is the journey to the heart of God. Jesus came to live with us and within us He dwell ... that we would be born again, not of corruptible seed inherited from Adam, but of God’s Holy Spirt. To live the Christian life is to live from the heart, of Christ’s heart behind our hearts. Believers who enter into the inner chamber of God’s Holy Spirit come to the understanding that His spirit of life in Christ has cleansed us and delivered us from the sinful darkness of this world. 

Jesus taught the sermon on the mount so that those who follow Him would live according to His righteousness, godly in this present age according to the blessed assured hope of His return. He taught His disciples by His example how to live with Him and within Him (God with us) .... motivated by the love of God.

The first lesson of the sermon on the mount is the absolute need for His Holy Spirit living within us. When we are "born again" (reborn, converted, transformed from above) of God’s Holy Spirit, we can see and perceive with godly spiritual discernment from Christ’s eyes behind our eyes. Though Him gospel message of salvation is clearly broadcast to all, Jesus did not come to minister to the unbelievers who would reject him, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel who would choose to accept spiritual life on God's terms, not the God-rejecting world’s. Without being born of God’s Spirit we cannot love God because love is beyond our own natural ability ... love is empowered by His gift of the Holy Spirit, therefore supernatural ... spiritual.

Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

The second message of the Sermon on the Mount is that those who are blessed live according to the beatitudes .... Jesus Christ’s blessed beautiful attitudes. The blessings are “the kingdom of heaven” for those who are meek to receive His word. The blessing is in God’s comfort for those who mourn. It is in God’s mercy and grace for them who are merciful. The blessing is in seeing God and being called the sons and daughters of God for peacemakers and those who are pure in heart. The blessing is for those who have been persecuted, wounded, reviled and slandered for Jesus’ sake, for great is their reward in Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

The third message of the Sermon on the Mount is our witness of evangelism ... the good news of the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, in Christ alone. Living the gospel message is the way of an evangelist. Disciples make disciples that make disciples sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul said, you are our epistles, God’s love letters, known and read of all men and women.

Even though the Christian church looks for better methods, God looks for better men and women. The best evangelistic method is to live as a testimony for the Lord ... to live according to the sermon on the mount as an example of God’s love made manifest and tell your personal story of finding and living in the love of Jesus as Savior and Lord. Instead of praying for revival, we need to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer ... that God sends us as laborers into His harvest, making disciples of all nations through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. God send people to tell the world about You, your love, your mercy, your grace, your Gospel of Salvation with forgiveness of sin through the atoning sacrifice of your Son Jesus Christ, and may the first one you send be me.

Christianity is a rescue mission for desperate men and women. When men and women come to the place that they are starving, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, then God can fill them with the power of His Holy Spirit. When men and women become desperate enough to to forsake the pain, suffering, strife, contention and confusion of this world and run to the Lord for deliverance, Our loving Heavenly Father will run to embrace them.

You can’t have a testimony without a test. We are saved from something, to something. The trials and tribulations of this world bring us to the place where we understand that we cannot overcome the pain and pressure on our own. Christianity is a rescue effort for desperate men and women. When we approach God's throne of grace with a broken and a contrite heart of repentance, He will save us, rescue us, and deliver us from trials and temptation ... from the darkness and depression of this fallen world. Yet, we grow and mature by having experienced and gone through them.  

When others see the God’s transformation in our lives ... when we turn around from the inside out and live according to Christ’s heart behind our heart, this will win others to the Lord ... for it is God who works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Be sure to tell those others the source of your love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that they see in you. Everyone longs for the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

In an upside down world, what the world meant for evil, God meant for good. When we see things from God’s perspective, we realize that He’s concerned for our honesty, integrity and righteousness as we set our affections on things above and not on the things of this world. When we live according to the blessed attitudes of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, we will live according to His purpose in order to live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael