Delays

 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

 

We are living in the “End Times” or the “Last Days” and that can be an uneasy thought as the finality sounds ominous and gloomy. But, the biblical phrase “last days” refers to the period of time between the end of Jesus’ initial earthly visitation/ministry and His Second Coming. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus 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?” People throughout the ages have been interested in end of time here on earth, both in their mortal lifespan and the cosmic lifespan, when as in Revelation 21:1 the Apostle John tells us, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” They see the sign of the times in the loss of the cultural moral compass, the attack on women and children, the national aggression and violence in the world, the decline in faith-based institutions, the decay of ethics, honor, manners and respect, so wonder just how close are we and what is delaying His arrival? 

 

Psalm 13:1-2 “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” But, as King David of Israel felt, we may experience God’s perceived delay for divine intervention in our daily lives while living now and stress may be the result. The late Christian family Psychologist Gary Smalley suggested four actions for our self-care in trying times. (1) Start off each day by reducing all your earthly expectations to as close to zero as possible. No longer expect life to unfold according to your will, your timeline, and your desires.                                                                                              

 

(2) Receive everything that happens to yourself as filtered by God. Take everything as a learning experience. (3) Know that every upsetting experience is an opportunity to worship God. Remember that God causes all things to work together for good, so emotional disturbances remind us that God is all that we need. (4) We need to rest in God, listen quietly, and ask Him to reveal His will for us and what He is telling us to do. Remember that your all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God is in control. Though we may not see and recognize it now, anything that He is delaying is for a good reason. So, in the meantime follow the advice of Philippians 4:8 which instructs us, “brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. In God We Trust, so enjoy life. Don't delay, enjoy the day.

 

In Christ, Brian

 

 

You are Loved

 

God bless you and keep you safe and secure in His loving hands. May He give you the joy and peace that only comes through His faithful love and providence. 

The Lord is truly our refuge and protection, our light and our path to prosperity in life as we follow Him alone and put our full trust in His almighty Power and grace. 

He alone is the solid rock foundation on which we build our life, home and goals upon because it will stand firm through the storms and provide secure shelter for our family.

Our reverence, our praise, our honor and respect is to our God, our Heavenly Father, whom we love with all our heart, our mind, our soul and our strength. You are loved!

Submission to God

Ephesians 5:18-21 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Today, our pastor continued in their Sunday sermon series through the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Submission isn’t a word used much these days. You may have heard of a wrestler or MMA fighter surrendering the match when they find themselves in a “submission hold” by their opponent and cannot continue. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “Submission” as: The act of submitting; the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control, or government of another. Obedience; compliance with the commands or laws of a superior. Resignation; a yielding of one's will to the will or appointment of a superior without murmuring. But ultimately, entire and cheerful submission to the will of God is a Christian duty of prime excellence.” This means surrendering our flawed will, which is corrupted by the sin-nature of the fallen flesh inherited through Adam in the Garden of Eden, and in doing so we take God’s righteous will as our own, so that our will is now aligned with His perfect, sinless, and holy will in a heart of reverence, respect, praise and honor. The Christian has been saved unto “good works” for God which were planned in advance, and they are no longer a slave to sin.

 

Ephesians 6:5-8 “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”

 

The Hebrew word for bondservant” is ‘ebed’. The Mosaic Law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily out of love for his master. In making this choice, then he will be his master’s servant for life. Jesus’ earthly visitation from heaven was as a “suffering servant” being about His Father business. As He served His Heavenly Father and was about His Father’s godly purposes and works in the world, this is the model for our serving the Lord, attuned to the Holy Spirit, with a loving and willing heart. The Word of God communicates our Creator’s standards for life and living in godly purity, devout sacredness, devoted consecration within a biblical worldview, so that nothing depraved, debauched, evil, immoral, unethical, or sinful in the yes of the Lord corrupts our days on this side of eternity and promotes unity in the Spirit which produces a love that serves God and our fellow man in community. 

 

The sin nature of the fallen flesh serves “self” first and foremost with pride, looking for the next easure, position of power and material wealth. The submissive nature of the repentant, redeemed Believer serves God first always with gratitude, having the fruit of the Spirit, obediently serving the Lord, advancing the kingdom and blessing others in Gospel truth. The born-again children of God has gotten off of their egocentric throne of control and allowed Jesus to take His rightful seat there and reigning in majesty daily and forever more. 

 

The first verse of Judson W. Van DeVenter’s 1896 Hymn “I Surrender All” says: “All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.” And the familiar refrain: “I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” Also, In the much beloved Christian hymn by Fanny Crosby "Blessed Assurance" written in 1873 to the music by Phoebe Knapp, the final verse says: “Perfect submission, all is at rest. I in my Savior am happy and blest. Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.” And the familiar refrain: “This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior, all the day long.” 

 

Life is not about: What’s in it for me? It’s not about where I used to be, either. It is about where I need to be and what the Lord wants me to be doing as I grow and mature in faith, by the grace of God. Submit to Christ, get on the “right” path and invest in the kingdom of God. Give it everything you have! Go in peace and serve the Lord.

 

In Christ, Brian

Stand Your Post

Ecclesiastes 10:4 says, despite the battle raging around you, don’t leave your post: “If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifies great offences.”

This week Michael writes that Jerry Leachman of Leachman Ministries recently wrote a blog entitled, “Do Not Leave Your Post,” an exhortation from Ecclesiastes 10:4: “If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offences.” If we leave our post even for a little while, a lot of destruction can happen. In leaving our post, our reputation can be sullied and many followers will fall. The Bible has many warnings about people who had stood for God and the integrity of His word. As men and women serving of the most high God may our prayer be, “Keep me in the hollow of thy holy hand that I would be a witness unto you to your glory and honor.”

We know that nobody is perfect. That is why Romans 3:23 declares, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Because of the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden Romans 7:18 proclaims, “In my own flesh dwells no good thing.” But, our redemption is not through our own works. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains, “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.” Therefore keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Sin thrives in darkness and behind the scenes isolation. 1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We’re called to the body of Christ to build up one another and to encourage one another in love.”  

Pride blinds us from our weakness. 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns us, “Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.” The love of Jesus keeps us pure in heart. In His presence we develop a “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” If we focus on sin, we’ll fall deeper into sin. Sin means to miss the mark; God’s mark. The emphasis on the Greek word for sin [“hamartia”] is not on the missing of the mark but on the mark itself. Therefore, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus [Hebrews 12:2].

God wants to reproduce children “after his kind.” The character of our Heavenly Father is love, mercy, grace and faithfulness. These are the qualities that he will reveal in us when we return our hearts to him with a whole heart. Therefore, conduct yourselves like people who stand their post to which God has assigned you. Then we shall realize His plans for good and not for evil ... to prosper and be blessed. God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11-13 says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.”

That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael

 

Christian Growth and Maturity

 

Ephesians 4:1-16 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.     

 

This last Sunday, our church continued through the sermon series through the Pauline Epistle to the “Ephesians”. My study notes explain that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of God’s eternal purpose and grace, coming to appreciate the high goals God has for the church. A life lived out, where the practical daily life of the Believer continues to work out the purposes of God. The ascended Lod Jesus Christ gave spiritual gifts to the members of His church to enable them to minster to one another and so promote godly unity and maturity. The unity of the Christian church under the headship of Christ foreshadows the unity of “all things in heaven and on earth” under  Christ. 

 

Our pastor preached that this goal of growth, maturity and unity is evidenced through (1) walking the talk of Christianity. What matters the most in “kingdom” life on this side of eternity is the Gospel message lived out in biblical oneness walking in the Spirit aligned with the Word of God. (2) A biblically informed worldview coupled with humility. IT is the Word of God applied to our lives as the standard by which to live in willful and joyful obedience, and with no compromise so that we have a firm, solid foundation on which to build a godly life. 

 

(3) A deepening commitment to the work of ministry. Christ Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. All Christians are called his disciples, as they follow Jesus as Lord and profess to learn and receive His doctrines and precepts. But by the call of Christ, the church disciples then [speaking the truth in love and humility] ministers to their fellow man by going and make disciple of nations. The result is a community transformed by the power of Christ and kingdom growth and maturity flourishes for the glory of God. 

 

The fields of our fallen in sin world are ripe for the harvest unto salvation, so kingdom workers must engage our culture with the Gospel truth that a lost and dying world may hear and experience Gospel love and find forgiveness and redemption for themselves at the foot of the Cross.  

 

In Christ, Brian

The Ultimate Gift

 

Ephesians 3:2-12 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

 

What is authentic heartfelt, transformational “saving faith”? You know … Ephesians 2:8 faith that declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Not just the theological definition from the Webster’s 1828 dictionary of “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” (which is necessary in all Believers). But “the 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.”

 

Our pastors are preaching a Sunday sermon series through the Pauline Epistle of the Book of Ephesians and previously expounded on God love, mercy and grace in Ephesians 2:4-5 that “because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” The Apostle Paul echoes this gospel truth in Romans 5:8 that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

God sent His Son as the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, who was first revealed by God clear back in Genesis 3:15, before the calling of Abraham that fathered the Jewish nation and Israelite people from which the Messiah of God would come from to save the people. This was known as the “protoevangelium” — the first gospel. The verse introduces two elements previously unknown in the Garden of Eden, elements that are the basis of Christianity—the curse on mankind because of Adam’s sin and God’s provision for a Savior from sin who would take the curse upon Himself. A Savior for all people to every descendant of Eve; every nation and race on earth created by God. 

 

The is a choice that each of us must make, whether to accept this gift of God unto Salvation. Sadly, many love their sinful life and will choose to reject Jesus, but John 1:12-14 tells us “yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Every born-again Believer is saved. Now, that is Good News!

 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. So, He gave us Jesus. By faith, receive and cleave to Him – the ultimate gift.

 

In Christ, Brian

Good People

  

Ephesians 2:1-10 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

 

The pastors at our church began a Sunday sermon series through the book of Ephesians, and the other week came to this passage (above) which made such a profound impact on my understanding of the Gospel of salvation.

 

Pastor Kyle stated that everybody thinks of themselves as a “good” person. In Matthew 19:17 Jesus said to the rich young Ruler, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”  Obviously, it depends on your definition of “good”. Both Psalm 34:14 and Psalm 37:27 instruct us all, “Depart from evil and do good.” The Greek word here is “agathos” and the 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “good” as: Having moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God's law requires; virtuous; pious; religious; applied to persons, and opposed to bad, vicious, wicked, evil. Conformable to the moral law; virtuous. Creator God defines what is good and evil; not us. 

 

Genesis 1:31 tells us, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” God’s creation was pleasant (to the higher nature), excellent (of its kind), and right ; it was all good … until sin and death entered the world in the Garden of Eden through Eve and Adam which corrupted everything. Galatians 5:19-21 expounds, “Now the works of the sinful flesh nature of fallen mankind are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery [drug abuse], hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” We are more than bad, we are dead in your transgressions and sins against a just and holy God. Before Christ we were all spiritually dead with no way to save ourselves.

 

Romans 3:10-18, 23 explains that with the nature man: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We all desperately need a Savior.

 

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.” But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “For He [Father God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The bad news is the worst reality ever of wrath and eternal damnation due to our sin, but the “Good News” is the best reality ever of redemption, forgiveness, regeneration, restoration, transformation and eternal life due to Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. That’s the Gospel! It's the gift of God. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Let’s be God’s godly people; that is good.

 

In Christ, Brian

Salt of the Earth – Part 2

 

Michael continues: Genesis chapter 6 says that the Spirit of God will not always strive with man. He is the Creator and we are creatures of His creation. God has set up His Word as His righteous standard by which everything operates and is measured against. God is no respecter of persons, however, He is a respecter of His Word. His laws are intended to benefit and protect those who choose to enter into fellowship with Him, walking in His blessed will and way, and live under the canopy of His blessings; under the shadow of the Almighty; under the Banner of God. 

 

However, when God’s people commit two evils by forsaking Him - the fountain of living waters (renouncing or turning away from entirely) and hewing out for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. Left to their own devices they will not break God’s law. They will break themselves upon the secure pillar and solid ground of the truth by leaving of the canopy of God’s protection.

Believers will be blessed when they witness the truth of the Word of God, for they taste and see the love of God; the truth manifest in the lives of Christians who speak and live the savor and salt of God’s truth. As the salt of the earth, we preach not ourselves, but the Good News of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for the sins of the world. Disciples of Christ fulfilling the Great Commission to reach the unsaved are the sweet smelling fragrance of salvation. But to those who do not believe, the followers of Christ do not bear the Good News of the Gospel for they choose to remain dead in their trespasses and sins.  Jesus Himself states in John 3:19-20This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 

To accept Jesus as Lord means to forsake the darkness of self-serving pride. This is the root of the problem with the rich young ruler In Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, who approached Jesus and said, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus knew what was in the heart of man so he replied, “Why do you call me good? There is none good (in the flesh). Only God himself is good.” Jesus continued, “You know the law: Do not commit murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother... in other words, love your neighbor as yourself.” The young ruler said filled with pride, “These things I have done since my youth.” Then Jesus said, “One thing you lack. Sell all your goods and give the proceeds to the poor. Then come and follow me.” The young man went away sorrowful, for he had great material wealth. 

 

The rich young ruler may have kept part of the Ten Commandments, but he did not honor the first of the ten commandments ... Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. The gods he worshipped were his material possessions and his own self-serving pride. According to the Aramaic text, this verse says, “Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” He had the wrong gods that came between him and the one true God. The first and great commandment is to love God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. When we do the first commandment, the other nine will fall in line. Why? Because in truly loving of God you naturally live by His holy and righteous Word, Will and Way and breaking God’s Moral Law is naturally repulsive sin to the redeemed child of God.

The problem with the church is nominal, fair-weather or casual Christians. A casual Christian follows Christ only when it’s convenient, easy, and without heartache, trials and tribulations. Casual Christians are casualties in the spiritual battle because one foot is always in the world. Jesus said you have to count the cost of following me. Jesus says in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The last of the beatitudes says, blessed are they when men 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. Are you willing to go as far as being persecuted for your faith? Jesus said in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. Remember, darkness hates the light.

There is a difference between a Jesus that is a Savior but not the Lord and Jesus Lord and Savior of all. A Jesus of our own devise is a broad way that leads to destruction. Jesus – the Son of God sent to saved the world and Lord of all is the narrow way through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. The true Jesus says count the cost, take up your cross daily and follow me, but come on God’s terms. His terms are unilateral and non-negotiable according to the Word of God; obey no matter what, make decisions based on faith and look to the things of God for you are bound by the bond of love. You are servants of whom you obey, whether sin unto death or the Spirit of God unto eternal life.  

The world wants you to be politically correct. Jesus wants you to be biblically correct. Truth is absolute. Jesus is my Lord, so our circumstances are working out for the good of the gospel. Therefore, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God is not dependent on circumstance but upon the presence of Christ.

 

Jesus says study the Word of God for the renewing of your mind that you will be transformed that you may prove what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, be not deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. You’re most like those with whom you choose to associate. We are called to the church, the body of Christ, so that we can link together with likeminded men and women of God in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Despite the brokenness of this fallen world, our hope is not in our nation but in the country of our new birth for we are born-again citizens of heaven.

God doesn’t call the qualified and equipped. He qualifies and equips the called. The qualification and the equipment is the power of the Holy Spirit. God did not call us to deliver the message, but to be the message and to be about our Father’s business. Our heavenly Father’s business is to be the salt of the earth and to be witnesses of the truth and the message of salvation, to reconcile people back to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is our mission and our great commission: to go give ‘em Heaven that together we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace! Be the salt of the earth.

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Salt of the Earth – Part 1

Matthew 5:13 “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.”

This week Michael writes: Many American Christians are vulnerable to the worldly philosophies of secular humanism, materialism, and hedonism – big works meaning a Godless existence. Gallup, Inc. in a recent analysis “The Search for Faith in America” said that never before has the gospel of Christ made such inroads, yet made such little impact on the culture and the ways people live. 

 

Jesus said, people will forsake true righteousness and instead choose the pleasures of the world over the calling of God. Their lust for material things and pleasures would prevent them from becoming disciplined followers of Jesus Christ. Weak faith would cause Christians to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and this would lead to God withhold His hand and prevent Him from continuing to bless their land. The sinful lifestyle of nominal Christians would discourage many from seeking the true light of Christ. The late Francis Schaeffer cited the crumbling moral foundations of the media, the government and education as major contributors. He said Americans would prefer to seek material things and so-called happiness instead of the things of God. In short, it will get tougher and tougher to be a Christian At this pace. This is an excerpt from the book “Idol Signs” coauthored by George Barna and McKay in 1985.

The ways of the world are upside down from the ways of the beatitudes. The values of the God-rejecting world are paradoxical to the values of our Heavenly Father. The world emphasizes self-confidence, self-preservation, self-actualization and self-aggrandizement ... with the emphasis on self. These selfish priorities appeal to pride and self-sufficiency. They are the tools the devil uses to turn people’s hearts away from seeking God and His righteousness through Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf. However, the beatitudes emphasize humility in mourning over sin and poverty of the Holy Spirit. These blessed attitudes prioritize meekness to receive God’s instruction in righteousness... to be blessed through the filling of the spirit of Christ in us for Jesus said, I am the bread of life and the fountain of living waters.  

Those who embrace Jesus’ beatitudes are his peacemakers who deliver a peace treaty from the kingdom of heaven to reconcile with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ those whom God has called. After Jesus taught the beatitudes he said, ye are the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative that keeps food fresh by preventing decay and corruption. Salt represents truth. Salt preserves from degradation, decomposition and decay. The truth of word of God makes us free from the declining existence of the world. Jesus said, If you continue in my Word you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Like salt, the truth of the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible is the antiseptic and disinfectant to free Christ followers from the world’s corruption.

Recently there has been an emphasis on mental illness of the depravity that has proliferated as our culture and society has turned its back on the truth of the Word of God. The battle field is in the mind. As the world has forsaken and forgotten true liberty in Christ, the nations are and women increasingly succumbing to the consequences of sin that holds men captive. Without the full armor of God, there is no soundness of mind ... for God has not given us (who are born-again of God’s Spirt) a spirit of fear, but of power, or love, and of a sound mind.  

The secular pagan philosophies of this world lead to hopelessness and meaninglessness, without God and without hope in a world of darkness. Jesus Christ came to give sight to those born spiritually blind. It used to be that there were standards for truth and a moral compass. There was no question regarding “sexual  or gender identity.” Until recently the godly prevailing standard was that a person was either male or female. Today however, many in our culture embrace the godless secular teaching that insists that gender is “fluid” and can change at the whim of the individual or doesn’t exist al all … it’s about how you “feel”. There is a proliferation of confusion regarding sexual identity and this confusion not only divides, but also pits those who believe the truth of the Word of God from the so-called atheistic politically correct who insist that truth is relative to the individual’s preference. Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. He is the standard for truth and of a life worth living. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father except by me.

Without the truth of the Word of God and Jesus Christ - the Word of God made manifest, the world will sink into degradation, decay, depravity and self-destruction. Any system of order will degrade, disintegrate, and fall apart without the infusion of power directed by God’s will and purpose. He is the one who directs, orchestrates, manages, and sustains all things according to the purpose of His sovereign will. The Creator sets the rules for His creation. When we who believe in the truth of His Word delight in his Word and align our hearts with His heart, then it is God that works in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

 

Let's continue Michael's message on being the "salt of the earth" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Holy Conduct and Godliness – Part 2 People of God

2 Peter 3:10-14 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

 

In my evangelistic witnessing for Christ, I listen to what secular and some religious people have to say about their personal desires, particular wants and perceived needs. Almost all state that they want to go to Heaven when this life is over, but in this life, in the here and now, many say that they want to do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it, wherever they want, however they want, with whoever they want. They are living humanistic lives that determine what is right and wrong for themselves and have soul-authority over everything they think, say and do by their freedom of choice with no higher authority of the God to hinder them. They desire to be saved by God, but are a law unto themselves [Romans 2:14]. That won't fly. Why? 

 

They may believe in Jesus as Savior, paying for their sins and getting them into Heaven, but God and Jesus are not Lord of their life. Like the “Rich Young Ruler” of Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, “push come to shove”, when told to “go all in”, forsaking everything else and follow the Lord’s Word, Will and Way, precepts, statutes, commandments and Moral Law with holy conduct and godliness, they walk away sorrowful, for they self-servingly believe that they have sovereign authority, power and possessions on the throne of their lives and love blindly living a lifestyle that is unrighteous in the eyes of the Lord. There is a God, and He is not you or I.

 

In the end, it all goes away and we stand before our just and holy God to give an account of our lives for reward for righteousness or punishment for unrighteousness. Knowing this fact, the holy conduct and holiness of the people of God is lived out on this side of eternity and demonstrated (1) by being people of faith, trusting in God and knowing whose you are. Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (2) by being people of purity. 1 John 3:2-3 tells us, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 

 

(3) by being people of promise. We need to anticipate with joy the sure promises of God and the promise of Christ’s return for us. (4) by being people of purpose. 1 Timothy 4:7 instructs us, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit].” (4) by being people of persistence. Revelation 2:25-26“hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power.” And (5) by being people of progress. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 

 

1 Peter 1:15 proclaims, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” People of God, walk in the Spirit and live a holy life that is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Never let your heavenly Father down.

In Christ, Brian 

Holy Conduct and Godliness – Part 1 Look up

2 Peter 3:10-14 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

 

The Bible Study that I lead at a Senior Living facility in Anaheim, California is studying a series on how to live in view of eternity (also known as the “after-life”). The aspects of our life and the world include the beginning, the existence (aka our journey of walk on earth), the end and the after-life. It is fascinating to think about life and the Almighty Creator and divine Director of it all. The times in which we currently live and the chaotic situation of our culture without a moral compass have a majority of people looking up and becoming concerned about the future. The author of our Study series on being “Rapture ready”, pastor David Jeremiah states that the Lord Jesus tells us, Luke 21:25-28 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

 

The Apostle Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” The reality of Heaven impacts our lives here on earth. With the promise and eternal perspective that of Heaven as the eternal home of the born-again Christian believing in holy and just Creator God (knowing that the wages of sin is death, a judgment deserving Hell) as God must punish sin, repenting of their sin, understanding that by grace alone, God provided a way to redemption by ending Jesus and trusting by faith in the atoning death of Christ in their place that they receive salvation and eternal life in Heaven in glory.  

 

So many today live existential lives, living in the moment without a real thought of the future, let alone where they are going to go when they die; you cannot take it with you when you go. But, everything in this world is also left behind and burned if Jesus’ comes while we are still alive on this earthly existence. So, why the short-sighted vision of life? British Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “Hold everything earthly with a loose hand, but grasp eternal things with a death-like grip.” 

 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 brings this perspective to light stating, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The future drives “the here and now”. So, the real question was asked at the beginning of this message: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” 

 

Let look at that in the next post.

Keep looking up, in Christ, Brian

Blessed Peace

 

Proverbs 4:20-23 “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

This week Michael write that the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12 are Jesus’ beautiful attitudes. The beautiful thing about attitudes is that they are a choice ... freedom of choice. God has given each of us a free will and we’re in control of our attitudes. The natural, humanistic world thinks that we’re victims of the world’s bad choices and negative attitudes. However, we’re not victims because God gives His people the power to control their hearts. 2 Peter 3:14 says, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” This is why keeping our hearts aligned with God’s holy and righteous Word, Will and Way with all diligence is a command. Then when we keep our hearts with all diligence, the blessing of God will pour out of it. 

The Old Testament law shows us that we’re powerless in our sin nature to keep the letter of the Law of God. It shows us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Everybody agrees that nobody is perfect. In order to reconcile, we must meet at the foot of the cross. Jesus Christ is the solution to irreconcilable differences. There is no peace without the prince of Peace.

In John 6:15, Jesus said to the multitude who tried to elect him as their king, That’s not why I’m here. The children of Israel had read the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. They thought that their Savior would be a political Messiah to deliver them from the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. However, Jesus said, my peace is not of this world. In John 14: 27, He said, “my peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as this world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This peace is truly “Heavenly rest”; the blessed happiness of heaven.

In Matthew 5:9 Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers [one who makes peace by reconciling parties that are at variance] for they shall be called the children of God.” According to 2 Corinthians 5, God has sent His ambassadors to deliver a peace treaty from the kingdom of Heaven. We who are born again of His Spirit are His ambassadors sent by our Sovereign Lord to deliver God’s divine treaty to a fallen world. He has given us the word of reconciliation and committed to us the ministry of reconciliation to reconcile people back to God through His Son Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for their sins. To know Jesus is to know blessed peace. Luke 19:38 “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace! 

Your brother in Christ, Michael 

Wall of Protection

Ephesians 2:13-22 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

 

This last Sunday, our Pastor Obie preached on this passage on unity in Christ. QA wall is defined as: A work or structure of stone, brick or other materials, raised to some height, and intended as a fortification for a defense or security or protection. In Mark 12:1 Jesus told the parable in which a man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. The wall served the purpose of marking the vineyards boundary and keep unwanted people and animals out. Within the walls the grape growth and wine production process could function securely because it had a “hedge of protection” around it. 

 

The word Metropolis comes from a Greek word mḗtēr meaning "mother" and pólis [which we get the word “police” from] meaning "city". The polis was the whole city, which had its own walls. The Ancient Greek term specifically meant a community which consisted in the totality of urban population, buildings and spaces within the protective city wall. Today, we see “gated communities and apartment complex with walls to protect the residents and their property. 

 

Jesus, in a metaphor, refers to the sheep pens of his day which where walled enclosures for the animals to be safe at night from wild breasts and human thieves. In John 10:1-3 Jesus states “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 

 

But, walls [physically or culturally] can be constructed for negative and divisive motives. People may isolate themselves for selfish ethnic, or social economic reason. Though we are all originally of one blood, there are prejudices, but we have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Jesus has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, so as to create in Himself one new man saved by grace through faith – the child of God. The Savior of the world reconciled them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity caused by sin. Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Therefore, you are fellow citizens with the saints [those who have been sanctified in Christ] and members of the household of God. God is our protective wall and Jesus is the gate by which we enter and have peace and security forever.

 

Unity in Christ, Brian

 

 

A Rock-solid Foundation

 

In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus stated that, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

 

The storms of life are going to come, and it isn’t a matter of “if” but of “when” because we live in a “fallen world. In John 16:33 Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me [the rock-solid foundation] you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Because of the “Fall of Man” sin has corrupted all creation, nature and flesh, where people seek a solid footing to stand and have a peaceful existence. The Greek word for “tribulation” is “thlipsis” meaning oppression, affliction, tribulation, being in distress, or straits. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary define “tribulation” as: severe affliction; distresses of life; vexations, whether natural, supernatural or manufactured by human design. It is the quality or state of being vexed, irritated, annoyed, frustrated, or worried; frustrated, or worried: trouble, to say the least. In Scripture, it often denotes the troubles and distresses which proceed from persecution. Tribulation is symbolized as the rains that descend, the floods that came, and the winds that blow and beat on that house of our life structure.

 

A disciple is defined as: a follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts. All are invited to believe and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but whoever hears  His sayings and does them build their lives upon His rock-solid foundation to stand firm and strong, come what may in the storms of life. He is the authority, the power, the light, the way, the truth and the life for His true disciples, so that storms of life are like “water on a duck”. Not only because the Believer built their godly life upon the unmovable and impenetrable rock-solid foundation for today, but these children of God also have the eternal perspective that they have been saved by the grace of God through faith knowing that this walk with the Lord leads to ever-lasting life in the kingdom of Heaven.  

 

There are a plethora of people, ideologies and causes in which we can build our lives upon, but if that person, ideology and cause is not Jesus Christ, then we have structure our life upon unstable sandy ground which shifts and erodes during the storms of life, leading to collapse and total lose on this side of eternity. But even worse, John 3:36 proclaims, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” because their sins are not forgiven. Even with any temporary gains, in the final analysis it is an eternal lose/lose situation ... and great is its fall.”

 

All need to make the wise choice to build upon the rock-solid foundation of Jesus.

In Christ, Brian

Ticket to Heaven

  

In John 14:1-4 the Lord Jesus declared, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

 

We live in the natural world which was created supernaturally [spoke into existence] by the eternal Supreme Being, God in Heaven. We are created by God in a material world, but  Romans 1:19-20 tells us, “what may be known of God is manifest in them [those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness about His existence and His Creation], for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” The irreducible complexity of the Cosmos, Light, the Bionetwork and Life show the fingerprints of His intelligent design and sovereign power. You cannot explain away the reality of God’s created visible reality without surpassing the truth. I suggest you don’t because Romans 1:18 proclaims, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

 

God in Heaven [a real place outside of our dimension of time, space and matter] is in control, active and involved intimately with every part of his Creation. The word Heaven is mentioned almost seven hundred times in the Bible. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “Heaven” as the place: in which the omnipresent Jehovah is supposed to afford more sensible manifestations of his glory. Hence this is called the habitation of God, and is represented as the residence of angels and blessed spirits. The Hebrews [God’s holy people] acknowledged three heavens; (1) the air or aerial heavens; (2) the firmament in which the stars are supposed to be placed; and (3) the heaven of heavens, or third heaven, the residence of Jehovah, the Supreme Power; the Sovereign of heaven, Creator God. The Christian church may be called a “house of God’, but Heaven is God the Father’s House. The kingdom of Heaven.

 

Revelation 21:4-5  announces that in Heaven, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” It is a world that is spiritually clean from the pollution of sin, where evil and wickedness do not exist. Heaven is paradise! But, since all have fallen in sin {because in our sin nature of the flesh, nobody is perfect], the ticket into Heaven is an “if/then” offer from Almighty God by His grace. John 1:12 affirms that all born-again Believer who receive Jesus Christ by faith as Savior and Lord, to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God and citizen of Heaven. That’s the Gospel truth! 

 

 Jesus explains in John 3:5-7, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” That is why John 3:16-17 asserts, “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.” And in John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In John 11:25-26 Jesus confirms, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Yes, Jesus Christ is the Ticket to Heaven. Got your ticket?

 

And as Believers in Jesus, we are not citizens of earth who are going to Heaven. We are citizens of Heaven who are traveling through earth. Let that reality change the way you live each day! 1 Peter 1:3-4 affirms, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance

incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

 

Deuteronomy 26:15 “Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people.” In Christ, Brian