The Foundations of Halloween

 

1 John 3:8 “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

I posted this message a couple years ago, but I think about it every year at this time, so let's revisit the origins of Halloween again. It's that important! `Tomorrow, we celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes, going to parties, playing games and “trick or treating” for the little kids. But when I ask people what is the significance of the "hallow" eve and what exactly are we celebrating on this “second most popular” holiday in the United States of America?, the answer always seems to be the same: “I don’t really know.” Let's take a look at what it truly means.

I've listened to a couple Pastors this week explain that there is a confluence of three streams that flow together to form this modern celebration. The first goes back to the Druids, who were the pagan inhabitants of pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland. The Druid or Celtic year began on November 1, which was called “Samhain”. This was their New Year’s day, and consequently, October 31 was “New Year’s Eve”. It was also a combination of a “Harvest Festival” and thought of as a “Festival of the Dead”, for it was said that it was this night that the Earth came to its closest contact with the unseen and spiritual world. Consequently, ghosts, goblins and witches terrified the populous, supposedly destroying crops, killing babies, stealing farm animals, and reeking all sorts of havoc on the people. Bon fires were set upon the hills, either to keep the ghosts away, or perhaps to guide the spirits of the dead back to their homes, where it was believed that the spirits of the deceased on the eve of Samhain find warmth and good cheer in the home of their kinfolk before the onslaught of winter. Therefore, we see a lot of the folk custom of Halloween has come from this Druid celebration.

Another one of them is the custom of “Trick or Treat”. It originated when the people of Ireland went around to homes asking for various treats for the celebration which was to follow later in the evening. Then, when the belief in the reality of goblins and ghosts began to decline, and it was no longer believed that they were really doing these mischievous things, the children decided to help out. So they dressed up in various costumes and put on masks, then went house to house asking for treats, but adding a little something extra … threatening also tricks if they failed to be generous. And so, there were garbage cans upset, gate posts found in trees, and all sorts of pandemonium that took place on that night, supposedly attributed to the ghosts and goblins, but, of course, wrought by the dressed up children.

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”

The second stream that flows into the modern celebration of Halloween comes from Central Europe, when the Christian church made its attack upon the pagan bastions, destroying the temples of the various heathen gods and goddesses. But it was never able to completely eradicate the pagan worship which reappeared in the “Dark Ages” in the form of witchcraft. One of the important aspects of witchcraft are a number of celebrations each year, which are called “Witch’s Sabbaths”. One of the highest witch’s Sabbaths, the “Black Sabbath” of witches, occurred on October 31. This was a night of feasting and revelry, and imagery includes themes of death, evil, the occult, black cats, bats, mythical monsters and other related Halloween paraphernalia. The source of much of our Halloween folklore today stems from the high witch’s Black Sabbath of October 31 celebrated in Central Europe in the Middle Ages.

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

The third stream that completes the modern concept of Halloween comes from the Roman Catholic Church. The church was engaged had been engaged in appointing certain days to honor and reverence certain Saints that the church had appointed or declared. There had become so many of these days that it became impossible to have a specific day for each Saint, so they decided to have one day in which they would remember all of the Saints, called “All Saints Day”. In the 700’s A.D., Pope Gregory III changed the date if “All Saints Day” to November 1, and in the year 834 A.D., Pope Gregory IV extended this celebration to the entire Roman Catholic Church. There was a celebration associated with this, on the evening before called “All-Hallows-Mas” or “All-Hallows-Even” on October 31 and it is from these two words that we have the contraction “Halloween”. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a non-biblical two-day festival originated and observed in Mexico that takes place every November 1 and 2 for Mexican Catholics celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar for honoring and celebrating the lives of the deceased family saints (those who have been sanctified) and their souls. 

Here you see the three-fold origin of the celebration of Halloween. Are you still excited to celebrate this holiday? Well, unrelated, on October 31, 1517 @ noon in Wittenberg,
Germany, a young professor of Theology by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the University door that sprung into existence the Protestant Reformation and churches. So October 31 is the birthday of Protestantism and the Evangelical faith. Saved by grace alone, saved by faith alone, saved by Christ alone. Now that’s no trick, but the greatest treat of all.

In Christ, Brian

No Evil

 

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

 

As we approach the American traditional holiday of Halloween, images and imaginations gravitate to evil witches (by definition, a woman who by compact with the devil, practices sorcery or enchantment), spooky ghosts and ghouls (by definition, the soul or spirit separate from the body; an apparition), but what does the word “evil” truly mean? Webster's 1828 Edition  of the American Dictionary of the English Language states that Moral evil in a person is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to him by God, or by legitimate human authority; or it is any violation of the plain principles of justice and rectitude. Having sinful qualities of a moral kind; wicked (departure from the rules of the divine law; evil disposition or practices; immorality; crime; sin; sinfulness; corrupt manners. But wickedness expresses also the corrupt dispositions of the heart); beliefs, words and actions which are corrupt; perverse; wrong; as evil thoughts; evil deeds; evil speaking; or an evil generation. All wickedness, all crimes, all violations of law and right are moral evils. Divine Creator God determines what is right or wrong and his Moral Law, his holy Word, his perfect Will and his righteous Way is the standard of life and by which all is measured – our heavenly Father and His Word is our moral compass to keep up on the right heading. 

 

Deuteronomy 30:14-16 tells us, “the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you.” Free will given by God working with the knowledge of good and evil means that we have a choice in life to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord and walk in the Spirit in light and life or to do wrong in the eyes of God and walk in the darkness of sin, self and waking 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, conducting themselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, which means death (Ephesians 2:1-3). Evil is only one letter short of devil.

 

Job 28:28 says, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’” Proverbs 9:10 confirms, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. A fallen world has strayed from our Creator God’s Moral Law results in chaos, broken relationships and heartache. But, our eternal and almighty Maker is sovereign, His grace is real, restoration is His goal and transformation is what He does. This transformation begins with seeing sin as evil which leads to true repentance, heartfelt regret and real penitence; a genuine sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of His holy Law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence, and is accompanied and followed by accepting Jesus Christ by faith as their person Savior and Lord, being born-again of the Holy Spirit, obtaining eternal life and receiving a transformed heart, mind and soul for an amendment of life.

 

Then we can say with the Psalmist in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

 

In Christ, Brian

What in the World is Going On?

  

Matthew 24:3-14 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

When my father reached 95 years old, his memory and physical abilities had declined to the point where his primary care physician and the state Adult Protection Services agency determined that living alone and driving had come to the point where it was detrimental and potentially dangerous; he could no longer live on his own with merely part-time home health aide care and relocated into a deluxe Assisted Care Living facility near me that provided a spacious living apartment, with maid services, a medical team for his medicines, health monitoring and care, excellent meals prepared three times daily, a physical therapist to exercise him for strength, flexibility and agility, and multiple group activities. But, since I noticed that there was a lack of spiritual opportunities, I volunteered to start a weekly Bible Study and have been teaching through the Gospel of John to residents, including my father.

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people”.

 

One of the resident member of this Bible Study was also a member of a Prayer group that met weekly, and discussed the possibility of combining the two groups with me leading the Bible Study portion of the Christian gathering. In a preliminary meeting with the Prayer group leaders, I enquired on what their desire would be for their study, since any book of the Bible or any biblical topic could be taught upon. Their answer was based upon what was going on in the world today [the wars in the Ukraine and Israel, the mass-murder shootings, the concerted effort to eliminate God and the spreading of the Gospel in Public life, the teaching of immoral sexuality, unnatural gender mis-identification, increased violent crimes and ungodly protests against established social orders based upon godly principles and standards, increase in drug abuse and chemical dependency, increase in human trafficking and pornography, the blatant disregard of parental rights over their children and indoctrination of globalist agendas; they wanted to be taught lessons on the End Times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ found in the Word of God. 

 

2 Timothy 4:3-5 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

 

I talk to fellow residents while going door-to-door weekly in our church’s Saturate USA evangelism outreach program and my fellow citizens voice their concerns about the decline of society and our culture in the same issues that the Prayer group members. The moral majority desires godliness, holiness, righteousness, God’s Moral Law and law-abiding citizenry for stability and security of society – a country where “In God We Trust & Obey". Ungodliness, unholiness, unrighteousness, godless secular humanist rule and the chaos of no moral compass that leads to cultural instability, insecurity, fear and social decline in society. It is Christ’s church that must be salt and light in society, spreading the Gospel of Jesus, going out and making disciples of Jesus to all nation, pointing to the only Way, the Trust and the Life unto Salvation and Eternal Life and advancing the Kingdom of Heaven. Repent and follow Jesus for the Kingdom is near.

 

2 Timothy 3:12-17 “Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted because of their faith. But evil men and impostors of the faith will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced and holding tightly to the truths, knowing from whom you learned them, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (the Holy Scriptures of the Bible) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness. All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction of sin, for correction of error and restoration to obedience, for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

I am told over and over by these residents that they are glad to see the local church out in the neighborhoods doing what the church is supposed to do, making an impact on society for good, for God, and for salvation in Jesus Christ. Be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. That is what in the world is going on!

 

In Christ, Brian

Part of That World

  

Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

 

Britannica defines the American Dream as the ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed. That is true but there must be balance without greed or thievery, and God’s Word, Will and Way involved. The roots of the American Dream lie in the goals and aspirations of the first European settlers and colonizers. Most of these people came  to the North American continent to escape tyranny, religious and political persecution, or poverty. The purposes of God for our life and the “end game” are the true goals. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 tells us that “godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God]. For we have brought nothing into the world, so it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it, either.” There are no U-Haul trailers behind a Hearse. You cannot take it with you when you go, so what are you living for really?

 

I remember a friend who spent his life running to one thing after another that he believed would bring him happiness. But, he found that once he achieved the possession which he was striving for, “the thrill of the chase” was gone, so he’d immediately find something else he desired and start striving to possess. The Little Mermaid Ariel said it well: “Look at this stuff; Isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything? Look at this trove; Treasures untold. How many wonders can one cavern hold? Looking around here you'd think, Sure, she's got everything. I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty. I've got whozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty! But who cares? No big deal. I want more!" It reminds me of when John D. Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire, answered the question, “How much is enough?” with “Just a little bit more!” He, unknowingly, made a profound statement about the sin nature of the human condition. Our minds are wired to want. There is never enough. We want more.

 

In Luke 12:15-21 the Lord Jesus warns, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Where is your heart? Luke 12:34, rightfully states: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

Yesterday, I received an unfounded threat from an irate relative who literally has a net-worth in the multi-millions of dollars over an issue concerning a tiny amount of inheritance in comparison which they demanded in advance. Why? It reminds me of Israel’s wise King Solomon’s conclusion on the pursuit of worldly riches in Ecclesiastes 6:2 “God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.” Acquiescence in life is found in godliness, holiness, righteousness, the pursuit of God and a life pursuing the godly American Dream while following Christ, which produces a quiet assent; a silent submission, and a life with apparent content in all. Be discontented with anything else. Because, one day I want to be strolling along down the, what's that word again? Streets of Heaven. Up where they walk, up where they run; Up where they stay all day with the Son. Wanderin' free, wish I could be, Part of that World. 

In Christ, Brian

The Power of the Resurrection

Philippians 3:8-11 “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

If your prayer is to know the Lord Jesus Christ, this is a prayer that God will answer. To know Him is to spend time abiding with Him in a personal relationship. He will reveal himself when we trust Him, obey Him and follow in His footsteps. When we abide with Him and become His humble abode [Christ in our heart], the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter will come along beside us and will teach us all things pertaining to the knowledge of His will.

The power is not in His crucifixion, for all men have an appointment with death. Everyone is deserving of death because the wages of sin is death and all have sinned as a result of the sin nature we all inherited from Adam’s fall. A perfect, sinless life is what God intended, however, only Jesus Christ lived a life without sin. This makes Jesus the only acceptable Savior of the world, and because of His atoning sacrifice as payment for our sins by the shedding His innocent blood in exchange for our guilty blood, we who have repented and by faith confessed Jesus as Lord, having believed that God raised Him from the dead [conquering sin and death], are made the righteousness of God in Him. That is the power of the resurrection. This is “saving faith” and is one of the conditions of salvation.  

As we follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we will partake in the fellowship of His suffering and baptism. Through the trials, tribulation, and testing of this life, the Lord will teach us what it means that He may increase that we may decrease, casting all our care upon Him, for He cares for us. In the midst of the heat and pressure of life, He will prove His quality within us. for the melting pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but God purifies the heart. For tribulation, the pressures of life, works patience. Perseverance and long suffering, and patience worketh experience. Proven character of God in Christ within us, and proven character that yields hope … the hope of the resurrection and eternal life, and hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

 

In Galatians 5:16, 24-25, the Apostle Paul instructs us us, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  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. Even though we will stumble in this life, for we continue to carry the sinful flesh nature in my flesh and in it dwells no good thing. When we’re tested and rely on the Lord, He will deliver us from the Evil one. He will teach us through the trials of life that even though he may not deliver us from the storm, he will deliver us through the storm. The knowledge of Christ is through the power of the resurrection. And through the power of the resurrection, God has conquered the power of sin, guilt, shame, condemnation and death. In the fellowship of the resurrection, we can live in the newness of life in Christ. The power of the resurrection is the power of God’s Holy Spirit, the power of the Spirit of the life, of Christ in me the hope of glory.

In Galatians 2:20 Paul says, “I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” That in the power of his resurrection, we may live in the newness of life in the Holy Spirit, of God in Christ with in us the hope of glory that together we may glorify him, to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Your brother in Christ, Michael

The Way

  

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

This last week, our weekly Bible Study group continued in our video series “Knowing Christ” by Theologian RC Sproul on the “I Am” statements on Jesus in the Gospels. This verse has always been a foundational profession  that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of that sin is justify and deserved death, separation from God and eternal damnation in Hell, but also (1) there is a way to forgiveness, (2) a way to redemption, (3) a way to reconciliation, and (4) an atonement to pay for that sin by one way in Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. The amazing thing is not that there isn’t multiple ways to get out of Hell and get into heaven, but that there is any way at all. Our Creator was justified to condemn sinners for their sins, because all sin must be paid for and were by nature children of wrath. 

 

Ephesians 2:4-8 declares, “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.” God is love and God is merciful, therefore God gives grace (which we do not deserve) by sending His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world, offers salvation to those who repent of sin, trust as truth, believe by faith and cleave as the only Way, because no one comes to the Father except through Him alone. 

 

In Matthew 7:13-14, the Lord Jesus instructs us all to: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Jesus Christ is the narrow gate to access heaven. Jesus Christ is the only path to the kingdom of heaven and God, and Jesus Christ is the Way to get there; the One Way, the only way provided by the grace of God to Believers. Jesus Christ is the Gift of God given freely, but must be accepted and received willfully and whole-heartedly. Jesus Christ is the truth, the Gospel truth because He is truth itself; the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And Jesus Christ is the life; He came to conquer sin and death that the saved by faith may have life, and have it to the full, for He is life itself.

Jesus proclaimed in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” By no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In Christ, Brian

Incompatibility

 

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

 

Dr. Robert J. Pacienza, pastor of Coral Ridge church points out that in recent years, there has been a growth in Socialist Marxist ideology in America, and even in the church. This socially destructive belief system is often designated by the term “woke.” But there is a deep problem with this ideology, and at its core, it's incompatible with Christianity. 

 

America’s Gospel-believing first Vice-President and Second President John Adams stated that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Why? Creator God is the sovereign cosmic Lawgiver over all His Creation. Sin is the conscious or ignore willful violation of our Makers perfect Moral Law over all God’s nature, because of the human sin nature. Sin is cosmic treason against our just and holy heavenly Father. The American Declaration of Independence specifically declares: “to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And ends with, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” 

 

America’s Founding Father and Gospel-believing first President George Washington wrote: “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 labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.” The religion that President Washington is referring to is the belief in the being and perfections of God [Nature’s God, our Creator], in the revelation of His will to man, in man's obligation to obey His commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. godliness or real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men, in obedience to divine command, or from love to God and His law. 

 

This nation’s Pledge of Allegiance, which is to God and a country under God, recited by all its citizens proclaims: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Darkness and light are incompatible. Faith in God and Unbelief are incompatible. Godliness and ungodliness are incompatible. Righteousness [which is purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion] and is incompatible with unrighteousness [a violation of the divine law, or of the plain principles of justice and equity; wickedness - the departure from the rules of the Divine Moral law and the Divine Lawgiver; evil disposition or practices; immorality; crime; sin; sinfulness; corrupt manners; Moral evil is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to him by God]. We pledge allegiance to God and a godly country.

 

Pastor Rob explains that by definition, atheistic Marxist ideology is divisive [creating two incompatible nations under man] and teaches to see ourselves as victims looking for someone to blame, punish and plunder. Secular humanism is not about “one Nation under God, an indivisible nation, with liberty and justice for all." It’s an anti-God rebellious appeal to our sinful natures, and the reality is, once we indulge our capacity for egocentric pride and envy, it can’t be fulfilled, and there is no true Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That is not what God intended or desires; the Lord is restoring a fallen world.

 

Bottomline: For the wages of sin is death [physical, moral, spiritual and eternal], but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.- Romans 6:23. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the precise opposite of godless and lawless ideology. In the Gospel we discover that we are not victims because as repentant Believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we’re forgiven of our sins with liberty and freedom. In our sins, we have committed crimes against the just and holy God of creation, the true judge of the universe and our soul. Of course the ungodly [those who are dead in their trespasses and sins against Almighty God] will be offended and object. But He offers us grace through saving faith in the Lord and Savior of the world  - Jesus Christ and with this redemption we have true life, love and peace as “One nation under God”, compatible and indivisible in unity. Praise and glory be to God.

In Christ, Brian

God Works Best With Nothing

This week, my Christian friend Michael writes that Scottish Baptist evangelist and teacher Oswald Chambers’ wrote in a devotional about Matthew 5:39: When someone humiliates you by slapping you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek. The world says that to retaliate and hit back is the right thing to do. However, Jesus said, it’s a blessing to subject ourselves under his control when we’re humiliated according to the world’s standards. Humiliation teaches humility. We need to forsake our pride in order to approach the Lord’s throne of grace. To honor Him, we need to dis-honor the things of this world, especially selfish worldly pride, arrogant self-sufficiency and egocentric self-justification. I must decrease so that Christ may increase. Lord, Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.

To approach the Lord, we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. When we come to understand that “I have found the enemy and he is me”, then we can lay down our burdens, take up our cross and follow Him. The cross of Christ crucifies our selfish pride, guilt, and shame. The Lord’s way is contrary to the world’s way. He is the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to the heart of God. Jesus said, I am the way the truth, and the life ... no man cometh to the father except by me. When we forsake our pride to follow Him, He blazes the trail to God’s heart.

Jesus said, Blessed are the poor in spirit. Poverty is either the bare subsistence of a working man or it can also mean those who are absolutely destitute of spirit. In order to come to Christ, a man or woman needs to come to an understanding that he or she is desperate... that they are  poor in spirit. The world praises natural ability ... those who are naturally talented, wise, and affluent in the things this world holds dear. However, when a person comes to Christ they realizes that there is more to this life than the secular humanistic material world can offer. They are convicted by God’s Holy Spirit of falling short of the glory of God, their Maker. The Spirit of God afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted in order to restore them back to an upright position.  

The prophet Isaiah needed to be brought down by a fantastic vision to realize that he was destitute and insufficient to approach the Lord. According to Isaiah 6:1-7, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

The word of God reflects who we really are without God and without hope in a world of darkness. For those who are poor in spirit and who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the Word of God and the Spirit of God convicts us. Then when the Lord purges us and fills us with His Spirit, we can perceive the Word of God with Christ’s eyes behind our eyes. His Word will reflect who we really are ... for we all with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of God’s Spirit) by the spirit of the Lord. The kingdom of Heaven is high above any worldly perception. It is not bound by earthly time, place and space. The kingdom of Heaven exists in the eternal now, for there is no time in eternity. Therefore Jesus Christ, who was without sin, was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him ... now and in eternity. In Jesus Christ’s presence, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the (eternal) kingdom of heaven.  

Humility is the characteristic of Jesus Christ himself. He took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death upon the cross. After Mother Theresa had spoken to congress, a senator seeking publicity approached her while the TV cameras were rolling. He said, “On behalf of my constituents, I’d like to present you a check for one million dollars for your foundation, the Sisters of Mercy.” She replied, “God has taken good care of us and will continue to do so. Thank you but keep your money. God works best with nothing. Please go home and become nothing so you can serve the people you represent.”

God doesn’t call the equipped and qualified, he equips and qualifies the called. He doesn’t need our sacrifice. He doesn’t need our natural abilities. He needs our obedience. Then when we obey His Word, it is God who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Humility teaches us that life is not about us. Christianity is not about who we are but rather, whose we are. For He alone is worthy. Blessed are the poor in spirit. God works best with nothing ... its none of me and all of thee Lord. When we love God above all, He is the object of our affection, our obedience, our all in all so that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Your brother in Christ, Michael

 

Communion Koinōnia - Part 2

 

Continuing, the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10: 21 clarifies, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” Meaning that you cannot have it both ways; you cannot be in, of and for Christ, and be of the sinful, God-rejecting world at the same time. You either walk away from God in the rebellious sinful desires of the flesh or you walk towards God in the Spirit following Christ, Jesus Christ died and paid the price for the remission of the sins of the world to those who believe in God as all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present sovereign Creator and Divine Sustainer of all, see their sin as cosmic treason against this just and holy God, repent of their grave sin, believe that penalty for sin is eternal damnation in Hell and justified, believe that Almighty God in Heaven is merciful and sent sinless Jesus Christ as a free gift to redeem all repentant sinners who by an all-embracing belief and saving faith accept this free gift offered by dying on the Cross in their place to pay the price for their iniquity in full. Therefore, the light of Christ and the darkness of sin and unbelief cannot co-exist.

 

Ephesians 1:4-8 explains that “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.” 

 

The true Communion with God is a serious salvation matter, remembering a serious truth explained in Ephesians 2:1-8, where the Apostle Paul proclaims, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” With Christ in you, do you take Communion seriously, examine your life and your salvation, truly meditate and reflect upon what Christ [the Bread of Life] dying for you ultimately represents, what the shedding of His innocent blood that your sins may be covered and forgiven means, or do you ignorantly or casually partake of it in an unworthy manner? 

 

1 Corinthians 11:23-29 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you:

that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” 

 

Sixteenth century British minister and Bible commentator stated that the external acts of the blessed  sacrament of Communion are not the whole nor the principal part of what is to be done at this holy ordinance; each of them has significance. Our Savior, having undertaken to make an offering of himself to God, and procure, by His death, the remission of sins, with all other gospel benefits, for true believers, did, at the institution, deliver his body and blood, with all the benefits procured by His death, to His disciples [the union of professing Christians], and continues to do the same every time the ordinance is administered to the true believers to receive Christ and feed upon Him, meaning His grace and benefits, and by faith convert them into nourishment to their souls. We are to take Him as their Lord and life, yield themselves up to him, and live upon him. Jesus, as our accepted sacrifice and ransom is our life and Lord, for to a born-again disciple to live is Christ. 

 

Remember Jesus. 

Brian

Communion / Koinōnia - Part 1

 

Matthew 26:26-29 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it,

and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

 

This last Wednesday evening, our church study group finished the final session of the 7-part video series titled “Basic: We are the Church” by Pastor Frances Chan. The Luke 22:17-20 account of Jesus introducing Communion to His disciples includes the command to “do this in remembrance of Me.” Pastor Chan states that this is a very important statement as it is a human tendency to forget things. We can very easily get caught up in our work, enamored with our goals, focused on our activities, and distracted by the busyness of life that one day you stop to think about your life and realize that you [Jesus Follower] have not been following Jesus, excluding Him from nearly every aspect of your life. How often do you find yourself thinking about Jesus – His life, His death, or His resurrection and what they all ultimately meant? Not just eternally, but there is no activity, career, goal, or stage of life in which remembering Jesus is not essential. 1 John 5:11 says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”

 

Ephesians 1:4-8 “Just as He [Lord God] 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.” Communion is participation of the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist; the celebration of the Lords supper, and is the solemn act of commemorating the death of our Redeemer. At the cross, Jesus Christ defeated sin and death.

 

The breaking of the bread represents Christ’s body broken for our sins, and the drinking of the cup represents the shedding of Christ’s blood and death to pay for our sins. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 asks, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” The Greek word for communion is “koinonia”, meaning fellowship, association, community, joint participation, intercourse in the death of Jesus Christ in the blessed exchange of our sins for His righteousness. Communion proclaims the Gospel of Salvation and this Christian church ritual is to be backed by a lifestyle that proclaims the same truths that Jesus Christ died to redeem us from our sins, rose again in victory over death, and supernaturally transforms and empowers us to follow Him daily.  

In Christ, Brian

Rejoicing in Hope

 

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.”

 

Theologian and Pastor RC Sproul wrote that the Apostle Paul distills the essence of the Christian life when he says, “Rejoice in your hope,” since our joy is vested in the future that God promises for His people. Our joy as strangers and sojourners in this valley of tears is that God has prepared a place for us—a better world that will be consummated at Christ’s return. Paul’s use of the word hope isn’t the way we use the term today to refer to things that are uncertain. He and the other biblical authors talk about hope that is certain, hope that cannot fail, and hope that will never disappoint or embarrass you. Romans 5:5 says, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” The New Testament calls hope the anchor of the soul (Heb. 6:19). Why? What is it that makes it certain? The answer is God’s sure promises and the demonstration of His faithfulness in the history of Israel, in the lives of the Apostles, and, most clearly, in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 

In an article by Ed Vitagliano of the American Family Association, he states that the Enemy (the sinful flesh, the unbelieving world and the devil) harasses and taunts the Christian today, so hope needs an ally in the battle  against despair. Hebrews 11:1 proclaims, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The word “substance” in this Scripture verse is the Greek word “hypostasis”, meaning the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution confidence, firm trust, assurance. Faith is the foundation for the things that are expected. Faith says, “Almighty God, who is good, loving, full of compassion, mercy and grace has promised it”, so upon such solid ground hope is able to stand firm attacks of the Enemy and the weight of our circumstances. If our hope abounds in us, we will be able to endure any situation that may arise, our hearts filled with joy and peace. 

 

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

 

Pastor D. James Kennedy states that if Christ had not come, there would be no sure hope of eternal life. For Christ has brought life and immortality to light. Only He can give the blessed assurance of everlasting life. If Christ had not come, then the dark and dank tomb would be the end of each and all. There would be no hope beyond the grave. Jesus brought us an absolute certainty: "I am the resurrection and the life … Because I live, you shall also live." Only in Christ is there the substance of things hoped for; the assurance and certainty of everlasting life.

 

Psalm 33:20-22 “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord for our hope is in you alone.” Rejoice in hope!

 

In Christ, Brian

Deeper Things

 

In the book “Intimacy with the Almighty”, by Chuck Swindoll, says that deeply profound things are intriguing. Deep thoughts and meaningful conversations make us dissatisfied with the shallow things of life. When we plumb the depths of the deep things of life, we’ll never be content with surface-level superficial matters. According to 2 Corinthians 10, Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared for those who love him, for the spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. O’ the depth and the wisdoms of the knowledge of God! How unfathomable are His Word, will and ways. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so much higher are His thoughts than our thoughts and His ways from our ways.

At times God will bring us to the place where we ask, “God what were you thinking when you brought me to this point? Lord, what are you teaching me through this trial?” The trials of life prove His character within us. When we have nowhere else to turn, He will teach us, we must decrease that Jehovah Jireh might increase; to God, our provision, be the glory! Our heavenly Father God brings the greatest victory through the greatest adversity. Job 32:3 says “I have declared that which I did not understand ... things too wonderful for me to know.” God allows things to happen after the counsel of His own will. The prophet Daniel says the Lord will reveal that which is in the darkness, for the light dwells with Him. For God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.  

In our deep faith, God wants us to explore that which is deeper in life and beyond the obvious. Daily routines are comforting, but when we dig deep into the Word of God and seek to uncover the treasure buried there, we will rejoice when He reveals His truth as one who finds great treasure. 

 

Who can discover the depth of the almighty? They are deeper than the depth of Hell. Although we see through a glass darkly and perceive dimly through the eyes of our finite understanding, the Lord will reveal glimpses of His Divine plan according to His purpose. He reveals His truth, yet reserves the depth of His truth to those who patiently and steadfastly wait upon the Lord. Therefore He says, be still and know that I am God ... fall into His net of grace and He will lift you up.  

Until we become unsatisfied with the superficial, He will not lead us into the depth of His heart and into the center of the nucleus of His will. Thoughts of guilt, shame, and unworthiness keep us from the pursuit of the holy … that which He has set apart by His Divine design. When we set our affection on things above … on the things of the Spirit of God, He will reveal the nature of His unconditional love. Then, we can come boldly to His throne of grace with a heart of humility, meekness in joyful deference to His will. When He fills us with His capacity to love according to His Spirit within us, He will reveal His nature … the nature of His grace, mercy and love.  

We can know His love and His holy Will because of the price Jesus Christ paid on our behalf. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Hope That Floats

 

Psalm 16:8-9 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”

 

In an article by Ed Vitagliano of the American Family Association, he states that most of the time, people in the world – even many Christians – that hope is nothing other than wishful thinking. If asked: Do you think that you’ll make it to Heaven? They many times reply. “I hope so.” But, the word “hope” in this passage above is the Hebrew word “beṭaḥ” meaning a place of refuge; sure secure safety, both the fact of security and the feeling of trust in God and His promises; assurance, bold hope without care, but with confidence. That is not wishful thinking; its blessed and eternal assurance. 

 

Psalm 130:5 proclaims, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” Hope is the action of waiting for our heavenly fathers promises from His sacred Word to come to fruition. In John 14:2-3, the Lord Jesus promised all repentant, born-again and regenerated Believers: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” With the eternal perspective of our promised home in Heaven with Jesus, on this side of eternity the cares of this fallen world are like “water on a duck” today. But wait there is more! In John 14:15-18, 26-27, Jesus promises to give each Believer the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us in this life declaring, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

 

That is why Psalm 31:24 says: “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” The Christian Believer knows that Almighty God is real, created everything, and is in complete control of the world and their lives. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “hope” as: Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well-founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; A well founded scriptural hope is the source of ineffable happiness. God sent Jesus Christ, who paid the price for the sins of all repentant Believers who receive Him as Savior and Lord and they are saved from Hell and now children of God/Citizens of Heaven. It is a sure hope, only because we are not there yet, but we know that the Lord always keeps His promises. So, by faith we can shout with joy the words of Psalm 71:5:“For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.” It’s a hope that floats your boat!

 

In God We Trust / In Christ We Stand, Brian

King and Overcomer

2 Peter 1:11 “for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

 

What is the goodness, the righteousness, the magnificence and the holiness of God compared to the sinfulness, the inconsistency, and disloyalty of human beings? Eternally present God is infinite, yet created all by His all-powerful Word and still loves us and  knows us intimately. Causality with our sovereign Almighty God is disrespectful. The word Courtesy comes from the contraction of the two words “court and etiquette”. The kingdom of Heaven has a King on the throne. Do we know the proper protocol for walking into the presence of a King? 

 

John 3:31-36a “He [Jesus Christ] who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.”

 

I once had a fellow church member ask what title we most liked to use for Jesus Christ. She loved the idea of Jesus being her “friend”. As if, Jesus is not a friend in the sense of a loyal, trustworthy person who is committed to you, but like a casual buddy. No Christian truly would relate to Jesus that way if He suddenly walked into the room, because He is the Son of God, God incarnate, to which there must be a posture and attitude of adoration expressed. 

John 1:14 tells us that Jesus Christ “the Word” became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the “essential Word of God” – eternal God incarnate [with flesh on]. “His glory” denotes the kingly majesty of the Messiah - the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Fully God and fully man, the beams of His divine glory dart through the veil of His flesh. Sent by the Father, Our blessed Redeemer Jesus dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, to live a sinless life that we could not live and die an atoning death for the sins of the world, for our salvation. The title I like is “Lord  and Savior”, King and Overcomer. 

 

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come.”

 

In Christ, Brian

What Really Matters

 

In Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” 

 

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle preached on being stringent spiritually, soulfully and physically where it really matters in life, because there is no room at the top except for God alone. Glory be to God. Jesus explains in Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. Who sits on the throne of your life must be settled for your vertical relationship to be holy and righteous, before even thinking of the horizontal relationships. Without the Lord God first, nothing else really matters. Since the Fall of Man, there have been casual, Christians, nominal Christian and false Christians that take their Creator for granted or not at all. But, casual Christians cause casualties in spiritual warfare, allowing the dead in sin to remain dead (we are dead in trespasses and sins - Ephesians 2:1). The pride of having false gods gives a false sense of security and fictitious power. 

 

1 Corinthians 1:18,23-24 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Sovereign God, His Sacred Word and His Gospel of Salvation, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ – Lord and Savior of the world is what really matters. If we do not repent of our sin, believe and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, then we are going to spend eternity in Hell, separated from God. Keep the Main thing the main thing. The Bible actually tells us the Gospel of Salvation and how to righteousness live our lives, but that is offensive to those who live in darkness of sin and unbelief. Who do they think they are? Believe in the Savior and obey the Lord.

 

Pastor Kyle states that the doctrines of the Christian church are from the Word of God and absolutely non-negotiable. We believe that the God-breathed Bible is the inspired Word of God and is inerrant. We believe in the Trinity [the Godhead of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – three in One]. We believe that Jesus the Christ is fully God and fully man [God incarnate]; pre-existent - begotten, not made and sent by the Father to sacrificially pay for the sins of the world as an atonement, offering redemptive salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. We believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the sins of the world and rose from the dead on the third day, conquering sin and dead. That Justification only comes as a free gift from the grace of God by this atoning sacrifice, apart from good works. We believe that men and women were created genders in the image of God. We believe that the Christian church is the body of Christ and the community of faith existing of regenerated Believers with transformed hearts, minds and souls called to proclaim the Gospel and God’s reconciling power through faith in Jesus Christ alone by the Holy Spirit. We believe that the risen Jesus Christ will return again and judge all people. We believe in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace in the fellowship of the family of God. That’s what really matters.

In Christ, Brian

 

Unshakeable Faith

Hebrews 11:1 proclaims, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (ESV)” or “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. (NASB)” or “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJV)”. 

 

Faith in this verse of the Bible is the Greek word “Pistis”, meaning conviction of the truth, belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it. Relating to God, Faith is the conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. Relating to Christ, Faith is a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God. 

 

The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “faith” as: In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures, of the being and perfections of God, and of the existence, character and doctrines of Christ, founded on the testimony of the sacred writers, is called historical or speculative faith. But includes evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, which is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

 

Depending on the English Bible being read, the Greek word “Hypostasis” is translated as “assurance”. “certainty” or “substance” of this hoped for, meaning the existing, substantial, steadfast, supporting foundation that provides real firmness, courage, resolute and firm trust, with confidence, conviction and assurance of mind by an unshakeable faith and certain hope in the Almighty Lord and His holy Word to stand upon. As the classic Christian Hymn by R. Kelso Carter declares: “Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let his praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.” 

 

By this unshakeable faith, the repentant, born-again Believer can confidently live out the Christian life building upon the sure foundation of redeeming grace. Romans 12:9-12 instructs us, “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.” 

 

In Christ, Brian