Holiness to the Lord.

     13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 17And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; 18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
The Lockman Foundation (2009-03-19). Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible (NASB 1977 edition) (Kindle Locations 41216-41224). The Lockman Foundation. Kindle Edition.

     God has called each one of us to be holy. Holiness can be defined as being  separated from the world, and devoted to the service of God. This act of dedication to God involves a deliberate choice to forsake all for His sake. It is a very serious and solemn choice. We are to be holy as God is holy. God is light, there is no darkness found in Him. If we say we know God, but walk in darkness, we lie (1John 1:6). Our text tells us that we are to be holy in all our behavior, everything that we do. It is not an option where we can pick and choose how we will live, we are to live separated from the ways of the world. We are to live as children of God, imitating our heavenly father (Eph 5:1,2), with a holy fear, knowing that God is impartial, and will judge us according to our deeds. This is a sobering thought. We have been often taught that all God sees, when He looks at us is Christ. We have been taught that the question asked at the gates of heaven will be "What have you done with My Son?".  This text and in many other places in the Bible, affirm that we will be judged according to our deeds.
      It is true that when we place our trust in Christ, we find grace and forgiveness. Without that none of us would be saved. However it is just as true that the grace of God will change us from the inside out. A salvation that does not deliver from the power and practice of sin, is a deficient savation. It is another gospel! A salvation that does not change how we live, leaves us dead in our sin. The thought of what Christ went through for each one of us, should move us to diligently live for Him. He shed His precious blood for us. How can we carelessly trample it under foot, by living loose and careless lives, thinking that His grace will cover it?
      The grace of God has given us all we need. We have Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. We have Him now interceding for us. We have His living word, with all it's promises, to guide us. We have the presence of the Holy Spirit. The God who says "Be holy, as I am Holy", does not call us to make bricks without straw. If He commands us to do, or be something, He will also enable us.
     The design of salvation is to bring us back into fellowship with the Holy God. We must be Holy, as He is Holy. We cannot walk together unless we are in agreement. There can be no fellowship of light with darkness. 
     May each one of us be diligent to walk in holiness before God, trusting Him every step of the way.
   

Justification, and regeneration.

     Here are some interesting quotes that explain the difference between justification, and regeneration.

 1. Justification is a work done for us, but regeneration is a work done in us. 2. Justification changes our relation to God, and restores us to his favor by a pardon, while regeneration changes our state, our real character. 3. Justification removes the guilt of the sin which we have committed, while regeneration removes the love of sin and takes away our bent of sinning. 4. Justification removes the punishment we deserve, remits the penalty of the law, but regeneration plants the principle of obedience in the heart. 5. Justification brings the favor of God, while regeneration brings back the image of God, and again impresses it upon the soul.
Lee, Luther (2011-09-13). Elements of Theology (Kindle Locations 6734-6741). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

    

What if Jesus came to your church?

And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.
God; ASV (2011-07-15). Holy Bible, American Standard Version (ASV) (Kindle Locations 29044-29045). Latus ePublishing. Kindle Edition.


     In the context of this verse, Jesus had just cast the demons out of two posessed men. The people feared these men, and had kept them in chains. Now these men were in their right minds. When the domons left the men, Jesus permited them to enter a herd of pigs, which then rushed into the sea.
     This caused a great deal of distress among the local inhabitants. Instead of rejoicing with the two men who had just been delivered, the people instead were very uncomfortable with what just occured. Perhaps they were upset about the pigs. Maybe they were uncomfortable about the deliverance of the demon posessed men. At any rate, the were uncomfortable with Jesus, and asked Him to leave.
     Sadly, we too can become complacent in our Christian experience. We like how church is done, we like how our lives are lived, we think everything is fine, and we want it to stay that way. We want things to go smooth, no excitement, no conviction, no upsetting visitors on Sunday,etc.
     What would happen if Jesus showed up during prayer time, and people were instantly, and miraculously healed of all manner of diseases? Would it make us nervous? Would we be uncomfortable? what would happen if people were suddenly filled with conviction, conviction so deep that some fell from their seats onto the floor where they lay weeping and crying out to God?  What would happen if some went forward and made public confession of sin? We never see this happen, but if you read about the great revivals of the past, it was a frequent occurence. My Father in law told of a pastor who announced to his congregation one Sunday, that he had been saved that weekend. His church promptly dismissed him! They were more comfortable with an unsaved pastor!
     The fact is, that when Jesus comes to church, things happen, changes occur, we are taken out of our comfort zones. The things that Jesus taught, the things that Jesus did,  are taught, and done. People are convicted of sin, people are healed of disease, people are set free from demons, people are set free from sin.
     Pigs are presented as unclean in the Bible. We may have unclean things in our lives that we hang onto, things that we do not want to see go. If Jesus were present, we know that like the pigs rushing into the sea, these things would have to go as well. It may be unbelief, sin, or worthless tradition, but it would have to go.
     Jesus came to give us abundant life. He came to destroy the work of the devil. He came to set the captives free. Let Him have His way with you.

Full surrender.

     Here is a quote to ponder, dealing with the full consecration of one's self to God.

     In every consecration the soul reaches a point where it must either go through to the death, or else go back and lose the grace of God entirely. The Holy Spirit will make it plain what this death implies, and at last the dying soul goes through its last struggle and yields up its last treasure. When this point is reached and passed, the Holy Spirit will bear witness that the demands of God are now fully met.
Byers, J. W. (2009-10-04). Sanctification (p. 59). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Do we take God's name in vain?

     Many people use the name of God in a careless manner. It is used to express excitement, it is used in anger, it is used in cursing. All of this shows a disregard for God, even contempt. To use the name of the Holy God in a casual way shows that we really do not care about Him at all. This is why He says that He will not hold us guiltless if we use His name in vain.
     I think that the Spirtit of this command is also violated by countless numbers who attend church every week in a casual way. People come and spend much time in small talk before and after the service. Many sing songs of praise and worship without meaning what they sing. Others sing without thinking about the words they sing. Many have their minds somewhere else. Read what D.L.Moody wrote about this -    

 I think it is shocking to use God’s name with so little reverence as is common nowadays, even among professing Christians. We are told that the Jews held it so sacred that the covenant name of God was never mentioned amongst them except once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, when he went into the holy of holies. What a contrast that is to the familiar use Christians make of it in public and private worship! We are apt to rush into God’s presence, and rush out again, without any real sense of the reverence and awe that is due Him. We forget that we are on holy ground.
Moody, Dwight Lyman (2011-03-24). Weighed and Wanting Addresses on the Ten Commandments (Kindle Locations 365-369). Kindle Edition.

     I think many have lost that sense of reverance and awe, and it shows in how we act when we show up in church. Do we come expecting to meet with God? Do we come into His presence filled with awe? Are our hearts filled with worship and adoration?  Or do we just go through the motions, another sunday in church, sing a few songs, listen to a message, visit with friends, and just go home?
     Let's never forget that God is a Holy God, and we must treat Him as such.

Where is your heart?

     Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also......
                                                                                              Matt 6:21

     Here are a few questions to get us thinking about what we treasure in our hearts.

     What consumes our thoughts? what do we think about all day? Is it our jobs, families, the cares and worries of life, friends, hobbies? Are our thoughts taken up with Christ, longing for Him, desiring to know Him better, thinking of how we can please Him? Is His kingdom always on our minds?

     What takes up our time? Jobs, hobbies, entertainment, even families? Or is our time spent pursuing Christ, spent in prayer and the word, spent serving Him? Are we spending our time promoting His kingdom?

     How about money? What are we spending it on? Do we spend it on frivolous things, things that we don't really need? Do we use it in the best way to promote His kingdom?

     These are just some things to make us think about what we really hold dear. We all need to make ends meet, and we all have families that we love and care for, but if we pursue Christ with all of our heart, we will find that everything is taken care of.

Mere entertainment?

     This is the Christmas season, and churches are now busy getting ready for the Christmans program. Kids are learning their lines, costumes are being made, candy bags are being put together, and presents are being bought. All this is fun, and most everyone enjoys this time of year.
     It is also at this time that the "unchurched" come to church. They come to see kids or grandkids in the christrmas play, they come for presents, they come out of tradition, and many come out of guilt. Pastors get excited at the chance to present the gospel at this time.
     But, is the gospel really presented? Everyone gets to see a play about the birth of Jesus, and then hear a brief talk by the pastor, perhaps followed by a "blanket" sinners prayer, the kind where everyone repeats after the pastor. This looks at it is a good thing, and everyone hopes that someone actually prayed and meant it, but are people really getting saved? Did we allow the Holy Spirit to work in power convicting the lost? Was the whole gospel presented, sin and depravity, God's just wrath, man's hopeless condition, Christ's death and ressurection, repentance, submission to His Lordship?
     This might sound like I'm complaining, but in truth I see the same thing every year. The same people coming to these events for entertainment and leaving the same way they came in. A Christmas program is a great thing if done to exalt Christ, and perhaps there is a chance to see an individual saved during one, but let each one of us be filled with the Holy Spirit, and ready for any chance we have to reach the lost all year long!

Prayer, a measurement of Spiritual life.

     In Luke 18,  Jesus teaches that in prayer we must be persistent. We need to pray with an intensity and fervor that does not give up. He closes this lesson by asking the question "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?".
     Where there is spiritual life there will be fervent prayer. There will be the kind of prayer that seeks God and the interests of His kingdom. There will be prayer that hangs on without giving up, until the answer comes. True prayer is kindled in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit is present there will be prayer, deep intense prayer.
     There is a lot of praying going on, shallow empty prayers, selfish prayers, prayers that do not expect to be answered. E.M Bounds stated that all the unanswered prayers could more than fill up the earths oceans. I heard of one minister who got in his prayer time while brushing his teeth in the morning. He was just too busy to find anyother time. This is the case with so many today. Too busy to pray, content to send up a few prayers now and then when it is convenient, or when something important comes up. This is not the kind of faith that Christ desires to find in us.
     When He returns will He find true faith in you?
    
   

Three things we have in Christ.

     In Revelation 1:9, John mentions three things that those who are in Christ share.
     1. Tribulation. Those who are truly united to Christ, and take a stand for Him, will suffer for it. Jesus stated that if He was persecuted, we will be as well. Paul states that those who desire to be godly in Christ will be persecuted.
     As well as persecution, we all face temptation as well. The battle for our souls does not end once we begin to follow Christ, in fact, this is where it really begins. We need to stand firm in Christ knowing that He will provide the way of escape.
     We will face trials of everykind. It is through the testing of our faith that we are refined, and have patience produced in us. All things work for the good of those who love the Lord.

     2. We have a kingdom. Those in Christ have a kingdom that is not of this world. We belong to the kingdom of heaven. Christ is our Lord and King. We follow the kingdom laws based on love to God, and love to our neighbor. This kingdom resides in each one of us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a kingdom of power and victory. Victory over sin and temptation, and power to fulfill all that God has called us to do. While we live on this earth, we eagerly await the appearance of Christ, who will take His rightful place of authority for all eternity.

     3. Endurance. In Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness. We do not need to fall. The true believer overcomes whatever comes his or her way. It is through faith in the risen Christ that we walk in victory. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us. Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling, and to present us faultless before God the Father.  Trials only make us stronger. Those who truly know and follow Christ will endure to the end and be saved.

Simplicity

     The Bible portrays the Christian life as one of simplicity. Simply put, Jesus is all we need. We are to be content because He is all we desire. We are to rejoice because no matter what we face, we have Him. Our lives can be lived free from uneccessary stress and clutter, because they are to be lived for His glory alone. If this rule was truly followed, I think most of what we do could be eliminated, and we would find life was a lot easier.
     It comes down to this. Are we really in love with Christ? He wants us to be consumed by Him. He wants to be our portion. He wants to be the object of our deepest affection.

What would it cost us?

     Every move of God has been birthed by prayer. From the 120 in the upper room prior to the day of pentecost, to the present day, you will find that someone somewhere gave themselves to prayer. A study of revival history will quickly show that individuals sought the face of God with passion and fervor, with fasting and tears, before the blessing came.
     It is my firm belief that God will call His people into the prayer closet. He will place a burden upon the hearts of those who respond to Him. In and of ourselves we have no ability to pray down a revival. However, God looks for those who will respond to Him. He speaks to  our hearts, often with a still small voice, longing for us to spend time with Him.
     It has been costly for the individuals who have followed the call of God to prayer. Real prayer is a hard work. It takes time and energy. It takes focus and dedication. While it can be a time of great joy, it can also be a time of great sorrow. That is why we must pray in the Spirit, with His energy and direction. That is where we get the strength to go on. Many get discouraged and give up, many are too easily distracted.
     Too many Christians in American live to be entertained. We have our tv shows and movies and video games, electronic devices of all sorts, internet etc. Too be sure, many of us watch "christian etertainment" no cussing, sex, or violence, clean stories to entertain us. You can get out of most church services by noon on sunday, and go home and watch football from noon to 11:00 pm. Then there is a couple hours of sports center to get us all caught up on all the sporting news of the day.
     In the midst of all of this there has been a still small voice that got smaller and smaller until it grew silent. what will it cost us to see revival in our land once again?

Full surrender.

     God is looking for the individual who will abandon all for the cause of Christ. He is looking for the one who will give up all dreams, plans, goals, agendas, self-will, and instead live only for the will of God. Posessions, position, and prestige, mean nothing to such an individual, only that Christ will be glorified..
     This is the call to do all for the glory of God. Whether eating, drinking, whether in word or deed, all is done in His name, for the sake of His kingdom, and for His good pleasure. This is the meaning of "Seek first His kingdom, and righteousness".
     This is the hungering and thirsting after righteousness that Jesus refers to in the sermon on the mount. This is the point that we must come to to be filled with all the fulness there is in Christ. This is Paul's heart when he says he has given up all that he may know Christ. This hunger drove him to do one thing only, to press on in his relentless pursuit of Christ. Only when one is truly empty can he be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. As long as we allow other things to satisfy us, we will never reach the place of true hunger. Just like a child spoiling his supper by eating junk food, we too can lose our spiritual appetites by filling up on worldly things, things that may not be wrong in and of themselves, but yet they stand in the way of knowing Him in a deeper way.
     Christ died, rose, and then ascended to the Father, making it possible for all to experience the total and full communion with with the Father through the presence of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus told His disciples that is was good that He went away. That is why He instructed them to wait until they received the Spirit. It is those, and those only, who live in the fulness of Christ, who are the most effective for Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and reprove, and He does it through those who are filled with Him.
     It was in the power of the Holy Spirit that Peter stood and preached on the day of pentecost. It was in the power of the Holy Spirit that Stephen stood before the Sannhedrin. It was the Holy Spirit who worked in and through the apostle Paul. The New Testament church was founded and advanced by individuals who were entirely devoted to Christ, filled to overflowing with the Spirit. It was not by human wisdom or strength, but by the very Spirit of the living God.
     Throughout the history of the church you will find souls who hungered for more.They began to earnestly seek God. They prayed and fasted and prayed some more until they were filled. They would then go out in the power of the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim what God had done for them. The fire would spread, and great changes would come to the church. Backsliders would return, complacent souls would catch fire once again. The lost around them would be convicted and saved. Sin would be put away. Drunks would give up drink, cursing would turn into praise, thieves would return what they stole, and then lead productive lives. The sick, just like in the days of Jesus, would be prayed for, and they would recover. There was a complete revolution in the life of the church!
     It takes a total consecration. A giving up of all, so that He may become all.

Character formation.

     And not only this, but we rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character; and proven character hope.
     Romans 5:3,4 (NASB).

     Consider it all joy my bretheren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
     James 1:2-4 (NASB).

    

     It is during times of stress that our true character is revealed. Many individuals think they are doing pretty good in their christian walk, but fall to pieces under pressure. Many a temper has been lost in traffic jams, unkind words have been exchanged in heated moments, faith has been abandoned in times of extreme crisis. Yet there are those who weather lifes storms with grace. They are always cheerful. They never complain. They are thankful in all situations. They never lose their tempers. These individuals only grow stronger under pressure.
     The bible tells us that times of trial are when we form our character. These are the times when we are faced with the hard choices. It is easy to live what we consider good christian lives when things are going good, but quite another thing to do so when we are under pressure.
     This is the trying of our faith. We can fail, or take the opportunity to do the right thing. This is an act of faith in Christ, who has given us everything we need for life and godliness. As we begin to weather trials we become consistent, steadfast. This in turn becomes our character, who we really are deeep inside.  Peter says that as we add self control to our faith we become patient, leading to godliness (2Peter 1:6).  James says that if we let patience work in our lives, we become complete, whole, the person that god wants us to be.
     We all face times of trial, the choice is ours. Will we allow our faith to fail, or will we take the opportunity to grow?

Walking by faith.

     In 2 Peter 1:3-8, we see the key to a life lived in victory.
     1. God has given us all that we need to live godly lives.
     2. We have his promises to deliver us from this corrupt world, and to make us partakers of His divine nature.
     3. We need to walk in these promises by faith. It is not enough to merely believe that God can deliver us, we must live it in our day to day lives. The text says to make every effort to add to our faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.
     4. These things are ours if we know Christ. True knowledge of Christ is a living trust in Him. It is a submission to Him and His will. It lovingly obeys Him in everything, all the while knowing that He will give us all we need to follow Him.

Doubtful things.

     But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats because he does not act from faith, for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
     Romans 14:23 (RSV).

     All of us have personal convictions that differ from person to person. Many of these things are what we would term non essential. In and of themselves these things are neither right or wrong, but because these things have become a matter of concience they become extemely important. The passage in Romans tells us that an individual who holds to his convictions, does not condemn himself by his actions, is blesssed, but one who violates his concience is condemned because he is not acting in faith.
     Like I said, we all have convictions. Sadly for many of us we hold these convictions, but do not live by them, we go against our concience daily until it no longer convicts us of sin. Many Christians do not experience the close fellowship with God that they once did. Many have lost the joy of their salvation. I think that giving in to doubtful things is one of the little foxes that destroys the vinyard of our salvation.
     This was one of the themes of the Welsh revival of the early 1900's. Evan Roberts urged revived Christians to hold to their convictions. If they had doubts about anything they needed to avoid that thing, for the sake of Christ. Charles Finney also urged Christians not to sin in doubtful matters. He devoted a lecture in his "Lectures to Professing Christians" to this topic. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth as well, urging them not to put a stumbling block in the path of another. An individual who's concience is bothered by what he sees another doing, can make shipwreck of his faith if he does the same.
     This is an important issue that is rarely preached on today in this me first anything goes world. Hold to your convictions, be faithful in the doubtful things, and look out for each other, not wanting to hinder anyone from walking with Christ!

Greater works.

     Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
    John 14:12 (RSV).

     This is one of those verses in scripture that we as pentecostals affirm. We believe that the God who worked miracles in the past is the same today. We believe that he still heals, and we believe that He still works through spiritual gifts to build up the church. This is one of those verses that will get a hearty amen everytime it is quoted in a church that believes these things.
     However it is one thing to give a mental assent to these things as being true, and quite another to experience them. The verse quoted states that he who believes will do the works Christ did, even greater works. In Mark 16:17 we read that signs will follow those who believe. True biblical belief involves taking up the cause of Christ. It is an identification with Him and His will. It involves the giving up of ourselves, our plans and agendas, and surrendering ourselves to Him completely. Christ has ascended to the Father and the Holy Spirit has been given to the church. As we are emptied of self, and filled with the Spirit the greater works will flow from our lives. No where do we find scriptural backing for theology that claims the age of miracles has passed. It is true that we are not to seek after signs and wonders, and it is also true that there are a lot of strange things being passed off as miracles. It is also true that God desires to heal the sick, convict the sinner, and work in and through His church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Which is easier?

     Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 
     Matt 9:5 (NASB)

     Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, annointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has commited sins, they will be forgiven him.
     James 5:14,15 (NASB)

     Jesus did the hard thing in Matthew 9 to show that He had the authority to forgive sin. He had just told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. It is easy to say your sins are forgiven, because there is no immediate visual evidence. It is quite another thing to say get up and walk, because an impossible action is then expected. When the crippled man got up and walked, it proved to everyone present that Jesus indeed had authority to forgive sin.
     I think that for most of us it is easy to believe that if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful to forgive them. We have no problem accepting that by faith. Many of us have grown up in church hearing this truth all of our lives. Faith for healing is quite a different matter. It is easy to believe that God can heal, but when it comes to the crisis point it is hard to believe that God will actually heal. We may pray, or even be annointed and prayed for, as in James 5, all the while expecting nothing to really happen.
     Faith is not a lever that somehow budges God. We cannot drum up faith in the attempt to impress Him into action. Faith is not something that we use to get whatever we want from God. Faith is taking God at His word. It is hearing what He says in His word and believing Him. God does not and cannot lie. It is up to us to simply believe what He says.
     Although I have seen people healed, far too often nothing happens. I think this is a common thing, but it should not be so. We tend to explain it away with a variety of reasons and biblical interpretations, and as a result do much damage to the doctrine of divine healing. The word of God is clear on this subject. God is willing to heal. People were healed consistently throughout the bible, as they came to Him in faith.
     In Mark 9: 17-29 the disciples fail to cast a demon out of a boy. We can learn several things from this passage.  In Jesus' own words this was an unbelieving generation. In Matthew 13:58 we see that unbelief prevented Jesus from performing miracles. The people of that day were religious, but failed to take God seriously. They were too familiar with Jesus. He had grown up among them, where did His power come from? How can He claim to be the Messiah? They took offense at Him. Is it possible that we today can become so comfortable with our theology, and so familiar with the Jesus that we see in our churches, that we too become filled with unbelief?
     Jesus also told the disciples that prayer was necessary (Mark 9:39). Jesus gave us an example to follow. He often got up early and got away from everbody to spend long times in prayer. We tend to wait until a need arises and then spend time in prayer for that need. Instead we should be already spending time in prayer to God, just seeking Him. When a need arises, we would be prayed up and ready.
     The subject of miracles and healings is difficult. As I said we often see no miraculous results to our prayers. There are a variety of biblical reasons for the lack of healing, but I still think that we are not experiencing all that God intends for us to have in Christ. This can be a subject to pursue in future posts.

How to have a personal revival

Here is a link to an interesting article on repentance and personal revival. http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/04/18/how-to-have-a-personal-revival/

Hindrances to prayer.

     Our fellowship with God, and our fellowship with one another, are all tied together. a right relationship with God will produce right relationships with those around us, and wrong treatment of our fellow man will adversely effect our relationship with God.
     Prayer is a vital link to God. It is our communication with Him. It is the channel through which we bring Him our needs, cares and burdens. Through prayer we advance His interests and kingdom. Through prayer we enter into His very presence to receive grace and mercy in time of need. It is of utmost importance that we keep this line of communication open.
     The New Testament warns us in many places that our prayer can be hindered through the mistreatment of others. When someone wrongs us it is up to us to forgive that individual. Jesus said " When you stand praying, forgive". When we have wronged someone it is up to us to go and be reconciled to that individual, then come and offer our gift on the altar. To approach God while holding enmity in our heart, is offensive to Him.
     Husbands have the responsibility to care for their wives, and are to treat them with love and respect. To fail to do this will hinder prayer as well. We often joke about arguments we have on the way to church as if they really don't matter. We feel better about ourselves because it happens to the sunday school teacher, or the worship leader, or the pastor as well, but it really does matter! These things will hinder our walk with God until they have been dealt with. We are to lift up holy hands without anger or quarrelling.
     The bible urges us to submit to one another. In other words we are to look out for each other, put others first, seeking to maintain peace for the sake of Christ and His gospel. It is in this context that Peter states "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble". It is pride that is at the core of our arguments, and resentment, unforgiveness and anger. This is what is offensive to God, and will shut out our prayers from His ear. Instead, let us live and work along side of each other in love, seeking the common goal of living for the Glory of Christ our king.

Be true to your convictions.

     The example of Daniel, and his three Hebrew companions, put many to shame in this age when having firm convictions does not seem to matter very much.
     They were deported from Jerusalem and taken to Babylon, to be servants in the king's palace. They were immersed in the culture and religion of Babylon. Their names were changed in an attempt to wipe out any remnant of their godly heritage, the names given them were in honor of the gods of Babylon. They were chosen to be wise men, enchanters, and trained accordingly in occult practices.
     One would think that they would soon forget their God, and be conformed to the religious practices of everyone else around them. Instead they stood firm, refusing to eat food in violation of the Hebrew law, refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's statue, choosing to be thrown into the fiery furnace instead. what is so amazing about this is the fact that they were still young boys! They were around twelve to fifteen or so, when they were taken captive.
     Sadly many adults in the church today have no solid convictions, or fail to hold to the ones they do. We see our youth go the way of the world instead of the way of the cross, and wonder why. Television, movies, entertainment, the choice of friends etc. are all geared up to drag them into the world. In the small town that I live in, I see so many kids from Christian homes fall prey to drugs, alcohol, sex, and the occult. To be sure, many parents have done their best to raise them in a godly home, but I also see many that "waffle"  raising up their children. They seem to just let them go without any discipline, let them run with whomever, whenever, and all of a sudden they wonder what went wrong.
     It is vital that we as parents do our very best to raise the children that God has given us. We have a grave responsibility to see that they grow up to serve our Lord. We need to have our walk with God right if we expect them to walk with Him as well.
     The great men of faith in the bible stood firm in their convictions, and their God stood by them. Let as do so as well!

What does the Lord require?

     He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
     Micah 6:8 (RSV)

     The people of Micah's day took advantage of one another, used dishonest business practices, perverted justice. The prophets and priests of his day relaxed the law of God, and yet prophesied that all was well with the nation. People worshipped idols of everykind.
     As a result of this, God sent Micah to confront the people, and warn them of impending judgement. God,'s message is set forth as an indictment against His people, showing them the charges against them, and the resulting consequences that they faced. God invited the people to show, if they could, any instances in which He may have treated them unfairly, or wronged them (6:3-5).
      The response of the people was the typical response of all generations of people when confronted with sin and judgement. They thought if they could offer more sacrifices,go through rituals, that they would be ok. Somehow we think that God will be pleased with external shows of religion, church attendance, prayer. reading the Bible or devotion books, taking part in religious rituals, all the while ignoring the heart of the matter. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6), There can be no fellowship with Him as long as we persist in living for ourselves, not caring how we treat God or one another.
     The people needed to repent. A change of heart was needed. God had shown them what was good. The Apostle Paul said that the law was holy and good (Romans 7:12). The whole of the law can be summed up as loving God with all the heart soul mind and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Instead, the law had been perverted. Justice had been perverted. The teachers twisted the law to suit themselves, judges turned a blind eye to it, and the prophets prophesied for good to those with money, and bad to those without. They needed to return to justice, to show mercy, to walk humbly with God. All their sacrifices, festivals, assemblies, songs and worship meant nothing to God while they lived for themselves. He desired justice, and righteousness (Amos 5:21-24).
     The message is timeless. We can learn from it today as well. All the religious activities that we can do are abhorant in the eyes of God as long as our hearts are not right. We can participate in worship, pray, sing, read our bibles and call ourselves Christians, but if within our hearts we have not cast off pride and humbly submitted ourselves to Christ, we are only deceived. To walk humbly with God is a lifesyle that involves laying down our lives for the interests of His kingdom. God is a God of love, a love that includes justice and mercy, and as such, he demands that we show the same kind of love to those around us.
     Jesus gave us a very simple interpretation of the law in the golden rule, to treat others as we would have them treat us. We all desire to be treated fairly, and honestly. We all desire to be loved. That is how we are called to treat others.
    

Old time religion.

I love to read the accounts of mighty moves of God in times past. I have read about men such as Jonathan Edwards, David Brainard, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Dwight Moody, Evan Roberts, and the list goes on. I read the accounts of the great awakenings in America, that took place in the days of Edwards, and later in the days of Finney. I read about John Wesley, and how he would preach outside, attracting crowds of thousands without advertising. It is exciting to read about the Welsh revival, and the Azuza street revival that occured around the same time in America. I mention all this because these things stir something within me. I long to see God move in a similar way today. I long to see churches filled with people who are not just there for a service, but who are there to actually encounter the living God! People prayed down the Holy Ghost. There was a deep, very real conviction of sin. People experienced true repentance, and were very soundly converted. There was a public confession of sin, and restitution was made for past wrongs. All of these things come about when God is present, and working. Many of these preachers did not prepare sermons, they followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, letting Him do the work. They emphasised repentance, submission to Christ, obedience in everything, holiness of heart and life, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of prayer. I desire to see these things happen  again. I don't want to be content with how we so often do church in the same old regular way. God has so much more to offer, if only we will earnestly seek Him. We tend to allow things to grow stale without realizing it. That is the lesson of the wineskins, doing things the same way, letting tradition dictate, rather than the Spirit of God. Instead we need to abandon ourselves for His sake, letting Him have His way in everything. We are in desperate need of a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. We need His presence and power. We need life breathed back into our churches once again. Jesus must be all!

True repentance is thorough.

     O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee? O Judah what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away. 
     -Hosea 6:4 (ASV)

     Throughout their history, God's chosen people Israel, have experienced seasons of backsliding, times of judgement and conviction followed by repentance, only to plunge back into sin once again. The Prophet Hosea called the nation to return to the Lord, to come to Him for healing and reviving, so that they could live before Him once again (vs 1-3).
     God desired to revive them. He desired to bless and prosper them spiritually. He did not desire to punish them. God desired that they would turn back to Him with a whole hearted repentance. He also knew their hearts, that their repentance was shallow and insincere, it was not of the kind that would last. He asks "what shall I do to you?" He desired to restore them but could not.
     Far to often people make half hearted commitments to Christ. They feel some conviction, or get into trouble and come to Him with half hearted confessions, and empty promises. What God desires is a thorough repentance. A deep breaking up of the hard packed soil of the heart. A broken and contrite heart is a heart that grieves for the hurt caused to God by sin. It grieves that God has been offended. It is ashamed of  its sinful actions. There is no making of excuses. A heart broken over sin will turn from sin. It will seek to avoid sin at all costs. It cannot bear the thought of grieving God any longer. This takes deep conviction by the Holy Spirit. It also involves a deep soul searching, and rooting out of sin in the heart. This is what is meant by breaking up the fallow ground (Hosea 10:12). Sinful actions have a root that must be removed. The hardened soil of the heart must be plowed up so that the word of God can be planted and allowed to bear fruit. True evangelical repentance is one that lasts. The life is changed. There is no turning back. It is true that the possibility of sin remains, but one who slips gets up quickly and continues to follow Christ whole heartedly.
     Sadly many modern day evangelists admit that out of every conversion, only about two percent remain faithful. What went wrong with the rest? Most blame lack of follow up, which might account for some. I think we live in a microwave society, where everything is done quickly. We settle for hasty prayers and slipping up embarrassed hands while every head is bowed and all eyes are closed, without allowing the Holy Spirit to do a complete work deep within the hearts of lost or backslidden individuals. Decisions are made based on emotion, decisions that will never last. When the feeling is over, the old life is returned to. We live in an age when nobody wants to confront sin. We are afraid to hurt others, or appear judgemental. What good will our silence, in the name of tolerance be, on the day of judgement, as our friends and families slip into an eternal hell. It is through conviction of sin that God leads an individual to repentance. The Prophets of old confronted Israel. Nathan the Prophet confronted David. John the Baptist confronted the people of his day, Jesus confronted individuals with their sin, Peter confronted three thousand souls on the day of pentecost, and urged them to repent. If we desire to see souls saved we can do no less.

Rend your hearts.

     Here is an excerpt from Matthew Henry's comments on Joel 2:12,13.

     Our fasting and weeping are worth nothing if we do not with them turn to God as our God. When we are fully convinced that it is our duty and interest to keep in with Him, and are heartily sorry we have ever turned the back upon Him, and thereupon by a fixed resolution, make His glory our end, His will our rule, and His favour our felicity, then we return to the Lord our God.
     When the heart is rent for sin, and rent from it, then it is prepared to turn entirely to God, and be devoted entirely to Him, and He will have it all or none.

Work out your salvation.

     Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in His sight.
     -2 Peter 3:14 (ASV)

     Now unto Him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of His glory without blemish in exceeding  joy,
     -Jude 24 (ASV)

     So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for His good pleasure.
     Philippians 2:12,13 (ASV)

     We have been called to live lives of holiness, lives that reflect the very character of Christ. At one time we all walked in rebellion against God, spiritually dead, our hearts and lives stained with sin. through repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and made new.
     We are called to walk in newness of life. Many people think that salvation means we can live however we please without incurring God's wrath. In reality, salvation is a life changing experience. The very Spirit of God takes possession of our hearts, and begins to direct our lives. It is up to us to walk by the Spirit, following Him in obedience to His leading. The Holy Spirit will always lead us in the truth of God's word. As we allow Him to lead us, we will become more Christ-like in our lives. We are to be diligent. This means that we take great care, make every effort, to live our lives in a way that pleases Christ. There is no room for a half hearted commitment, we must be serious with God.
     When we are dirty we take a shower and get cleaned up. Now we want to stay clean so we try not to get dirty right away. In a similar way we are cleansed by the blood of Christ. God desires us to be clean, pure in heart. It is His will for us to live our lives in conformity to His will. He does not want us to plunge back into the sinful lives that He just cleansed us from. He leads us, we follow and obey. He supplies all that we need to walk in holiness before Him. It is up to us to step out in obedient faith. The grace of God will never lead us where the grace of God cannot keep us.

The faith of a child

     And they were bringing children to Him, so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
     -Mark 10:13-15 NASB

    " Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
       -Matthew 18:4 NASB

    
    

The God of creation.

     For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlines and unrighteousness of men who supress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 
     Romans 1:18-20 (NASB)

     Over the course of the last one hundred fifty years or so, biblical doctrines have been attacked and eroded. While it is true that error has always been around, I am thinking more of the attacks on the biblical accounts by the use of higher criticism by theologians, attacks on the inspiration and authority of the bible by many pastors and denominations today, and in particular the attack on the biblical account of creation by Darwin, which still continues today.
     I have seen polls where christians are asked what they believe. The results are quite shocking. Many do not believe in the sinlessness of Christ, His virgin birth, His deity, and His humanity. Others do not believe the account of the flood, or the accounts of the miracles found in the scriptures. We live in a time when people believe what they want to believe, and reject what they don't like, without considering the implications. Once again, it is true that heresies have always been around, but we live in an age when almost anything seems to go in christianity.
     Many individuals reject the biblical account of creation, choosing to believe in evolution, or the big bang theory. They believe that the biblical account is too far fetched, and feel that it is better explained by scientific means. The amazing thing is that many of these individuals consider themselves to be christians.
     There are some doctrinal differences between denominations, that are not that important to the spiritual life of a believer, but the doctrine of creation is not one of them. The above verses tell us that God has revealed Himself to mankind through creation. What is known about God, His invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature are clearly seen. Deep within the heart, individuals know. The text tells us that these things are clearly seen, so man is without excuse! To reject the biblical account of creation is to reject the God of creation. You cannot say that you believe in God, and also hold to the big bang theory, evolution, or any other theory. It is not compatible with a true saving faith. This amounts to elevating the creature above the creator. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four footed animals and crawling creatures (vs 21-23).
     The text is very clear. Those who reject the true God and choose instead a god of their own making, are given over to sinful passion, plunging deeper and deeper into a depraved lifestyle. True biblical doctrine is important. We need to understand it and apply it. To follow a Jesus who sinned, and was not born of a virgin, is to follow a completely different Jesus. To deny His deity or His humanity is to create a new Jesus, one who cannot save you.
     You do not have to pour over volumes of systematic theology to understand true doctrine. It is found in the word of God. Know what you believe, and why you believe it. It matters.
    

Study all things.

     My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...
      -Hosea 4:6

     The Apostle Paul warned the Ephesian church that false teachers would arise from within their own ranks. He warned of a time when people would not endure sound teaching, but would instead find teachers who would tickle their ears with false teachings. False teachings have been around since the day that the serpent deceived Eve in the garden. False prophets and priests existed in the days of ancient Israel. The epistles of the new testament address many false doctrines that were spreading throughout the church in the first century. Nothing has changed today as well. Different gospels are finding their way into many churches, churches that were at one time pillars of truth! Often we can spot a cult quite easily. Some teaching is obviously wrong, and a lot easier to reject as false. However some things can be quite subtle. It looks biblical, sounds biblical, sound evangelical preachers are promoting it....we need to be so careful! Deception creeps in and gains a foothold when individuals fail to carefully examine what they hear by the word of God. Generations of christians grow up mindlessly believing everything they hear without really looking into it to see if it is right or not. Doctrines taught by various denominations are adhered to and taken at face value, when in fact they are nothing more than the traditions of man.

     We must immerse ourselves in the truth of God's word. When Paul was preaching the gospel in Berea, the individuals there studied the scriptures to see if he was telling the truth or not. There are plenty of preachers, teachers, authors, etc. today who teach nothing more than a soft watered down feel good gospel that makes people feel good about themselves, giving them a false sense of security, but doing nothing to save their souls. What good would it be if a doctor told an individual who was dying of a terminal disease, that all was well, the illness was not severe, could be treated with asprin,and then sent him happily on his way, all because he wanted this individual to feel good about the situation he was in, rather than confront him with the truth of his disease, and the hard options that could save his life? That is what we see too many times today within evangelical christianity! A false representation of God, and a false representation of man's fallen condition, as well as a false gospel designed to make us feel better without really saving us. This lack of knowledge leads countless numbers to hell with a false assurance that all is well between them and God. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. To him it was the power of God unto salvation. He took great care to ensure that the truth was upheld. We must do the same today. Jesus spoke of a broad way full of people leading to destruction, and a narrow less traveled road leading to life, make sure you are on the right road!

Holiness.

     The concept of holiness can be confusing to people. To many it is one of those terms that we use as christians without ever considering what it truly means. To many, it means that somehow God sees us as okay no matter how we are living our lives. A sinful lifestyle can be justified by people who think that they are holy in God's eyes.
     The true concept behind holiness is one of separation. It involves being separated from sin, and self. It is a separation from the way the world lives and operates. "Come out from among them and be separate" (2 Cor 6:17) is a call to holiness, a call to the church to remain pure and separated from idolatry. Holiness requires devotion to God. We are separated from the world for the purpose of serving God. We are exhorted to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1). This act of devotion is considered holy, acceptable to God. Paul goes on to say " Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds". We are called to be different from those around us. We are to prove the will of God in our lives, by putting it into practice. In 1 Peter 1:15, we are told that we are to be holy in all of our conduct. Holiness is a way of life. It is a life lived for the glory of God. Sin is put away, self is put aside, all that matters is God.
     Holiness is vital to our walk with Christ. Without holiness, being separated out for God's use, we cannot see the Lord (Heb 12:14). Holiness begins in the heart and from there it finds its way into our actions. It is the pure in heart who will see God (Matt 5:8), those who come to Christ with an insincere, divided heart will find no peace. Jesus asks for our all. The cost of following Christ is great. "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself" (Mark 8:34). "Come out from among them and be separate" say the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:17-18).
     The intent of salvation is to transform sinners into holy people. A salvation that leaves an individual still in his or her sins, a salvation that does not radically change the life of one who believes, is no salvation. This is a hard saying, but true. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:1-10, deals with this fact. Far too often we underestimate the actual power of God exhibited in Christ.The atonement is a powerful thing. The one set free by the Son is free indeed! We can live victorious, we can walk in purity and holiness before the Lord. It is all grace, it was all purchased for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. Salvation is a complete package. Forgiveness as well as a new life. A saved individual is a new creation. In one respect, the possibility of sin exists, and often is fallen into. However one who truly knows Christ will go to Him in repentance and faith, and find forgiveness and grace to go on with the Lord. That is different from one who claims to know Christ, and believes he is forgiven and saved, but has no real desire to turn from sin, makes no effort to obey Christ. Such a one is not holy, is not separated from the world, is not devoted to God, and is still dead in trespasses and sins.
     God is holy, and commands us to be holy as He is holy. The good news is that the same God who calls us to holiness is also faithful to produce this purity in our hearts and lives (1 Thess 5:23-24).

The fear of the Lord.

     We are told in the scriptures, that the fear of the Lord is the begining of wisdom (Prov 1:7). The concept of fear takes on several meanings in the Bible. It is used to mean reverence, awe, a proper understanding of who we are, who God is, and how we stand in relation to Him. This is the begining of wisdom, to understand that God is God, and we are not! He has created us, His character is upright, He is perfect in every way, without sin of any kind. His justice is perfect, His love is perfect, His mercy is perfect. God is Holy, and demands the same of us, to be separated from sin and self, and to live our lives in devotion to Him. He demands our love, loyalty and obedience. He is perfect and requires that we be perfect as well.
     These demands placed on us by God stagger the mind. A life free from the taint of sin seems out of reach, perfect obedience to the will of God seems impossible. As a Holy and Just God, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished, there are consequences to our actions. All of this should work on us to create a healthy fear, or respect of God. He desires that we revere Him alone, that we stand in complete awe of Him. That we take Him and His word seriously. He means what He says, where He demands obedience, He expects obedience. When He says He will punish, He means He will punish. David, in Psalm 36:1, observed that the actions of the wicked show that they have no fear of God. The Hebrew word for fear in this verse deals with the concept of guilt and punishment. Individuals know right from wrong, know that sin deserves to be punished (Romans 1:32), but do not take God or His word seriously. They deceive themselves into thinking that all is well, and progress deeper into sin. Paul concludes that there is no one righteous, no one who seeks after God, no one who takes Him at His word and fears Him (Romans 3:10-18).
     A true fear of the Lord is evidenced by a life of obedience. Job is an example of this. In the eyes of God he was perfect, upright, feared the Lord, and turned from evil (Job 1:8). Job's life was not driven by a slavish dread of God, or fear of punishment, but by a proper understanding of who God is, and how he needed to relate to Him. Satan desired to prove to God that Job acted out of self interest (vs 9,10). God knew the integrity of Job, and allowed him to be tested. The Bible recognizes those who truly love and serve God as fearing Him.
     The fear of the Lord is not an old testament concept. It was Jesus who warned that we must not fear man, but God (Luke 12:4,5). Often we worry about what others may think of us, or what may happen to us if we stand for Christ. We allow this fear to hold us back. Instead we need to understand that if we are ashamed of Christ in this world, He will be ashamed of us. We need to understand that a lack of the fear of  God carries heavy, eternal consequences.
     The writer of Hebrews desired that we would have the grace to serve God with reverence and awe (godly fear), because God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28,29). God desires us to walk before him in obedience, and we would do well to understand this in all its implications. Through the offering of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we have been given everything that we need for life and godliness. There is nothing that we lack, in Christ, to live a life that pleases Him. We have been given much, but where much has been given, much is required. We often look at Old Testament passages with the understanding that God was very severe at that time, but now under grace He is more relaxed. Sure we shouldn't sin, but if we do God understands right? It is true that Christ understands our weakness (Heb 4:13), but the context of this verse deals with receiving help in time of temptation. It is also true that when we do sin we have Christ as an advocate. If we confess our sin, He will forgive our sin (1 John 1:8, 2:1). However, these verses do not give licence to live a sinful life. The writer of Hebrews tells us that if God was severe in the days of Moses, we should expect Him to be much more so  now. To sin wilfully is to trample on the Son of God, count His blood as unholy, and to insult the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:26-31). This passage was written as a warning to the Church, people already saved! They were warned of the danger of sin, but also encouraged to press into Christ, where they would find grace for every need. The demands of God placed on man have not changed. The command to love Him with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, is still binding today. We are still bound to love our neighbor as ourselves. The ten commandments were never relaxed by grace, rather Paul declared that faith established the law (Rom 3:31). The old covenant could show man what God required, but left him powerless to fulfill it. Under grace we are now able to live the lives that God requires, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We read in Hebrews 11 of individuals who possessed great faith, overcame great obstacles, and were used in mighty ways by God. There were individuals in the Old Testament days such as Job, Enoch, or Noah, who walked blamelessly before God. Daniel and his friends remained faithful to God, even though they were captives in a foriegn land. How much more today, should we be living an overcoming, victorious life, as we have all the advantages that Christ has procured for us?
     To walk in purity of heart and life is vital to the life of the christian. We want to avoid legalism, but we also need to understand that grace sets us free from the power sin once held on our lives. A healthy fear of the Lord is a necessary element in the life of one who truly desires to know and experience God in all His fulness. It truly is the begining of wisdom.

God works through us.

     Many Christians desire to see God work in their churches and communities. They want to see friends and families saved, they want to see people set free from destructive habits, they want to see lives transformed by the power of the gospel. Towards this end, many pray and ask God to intervene in the lives of those around them. this is good, and we should pray, but sadly this is as far as most people go.
     I firmly believe that we can pray all we want to for revival, healing, salvations, etc. but if we are not willing to be used by God, if we are not willing to go as a witness to the lost, if we are not willing to be used to stir up backslidden christians around us, we will see no results!
     This might seem like a hard statement, but I believe it to be true nonetheless. We are told that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement. The kind of conviction needed to change a heart can only come from God. We in and of ourselves have no ability to do this. All our best efforts to convince others of  sin and salvation our futile. However God has chosen to use us as his witnesess. The Holy Spirit uses individuals who are yielded to Him. God wanted to save Cornelius, but He sent Peter to witness to him. God wanted to save the Macedonians, so He sent Paul. It is easy to just pray, but if we really want results we must go. The Holy Spirit convicts hearts through the effective witness of those who are filled with Him, ready and willing to go wherever He sends, and do whatever He wants done.
     If we want to see God move in power in answer to our prayers, we must be willing to go!

Entrusted with the truth.

     We read in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Jude verse 3 states that the faith has been delivered once for all to the saints, and must be defended. What God has spoken to us through His word is truth. It may offend some, it may not be politically correct, it may not be popular, but it is TRUTH.
     The trend today is to water things down, to make things less offensive. We want our churches full, we do not want to see people leave because of a hard message. This is accomplished at a cost to the truth. Timothy 4 goes on to say that in later days many will be deceived by false teachers. False teachers with false doctrines will creep into the very church that is to be built on, and defending the truth.
     The church is meant to be a place where true believers are edified, encouraged, built up in the faith, and equipped to go out and advance the kingdom of God. It is not meant to be a place of entertainment, a place of soft, feel good messages and new catchy doctrines. It is the church of the living God!
     Be on guard! Know the word, and do not be afraid to stand up for the truth in this generation!

The word of God is still true.

     Last night I read an interview where one of Harold Camping's adherants stated that they were surprised, disapointed, but the word of God was still true.
     While they were all wrong concerning the date set for the rapture of the church, this individual was right about the trustworthiness of God.
     Jesus stated several times in Matthew 24, that no one knows the day or hour, I will come at a time you think not, if the owner of the house knew when the thief was coming he would be ready, etc.
     There always has been, and always will be those who work around these clear statements given to us by the unchanging God, who cannot lie. We need to be careful that we judge everything by His word. We are warned that false prophets will come and try to deceive. If someone says here He is, or there He is, DO NOT LISTEN!
     I also read that now they think the end will come in October. I hope that people will not give them all the undeserved hype that they got the last time. This group has now been wrong twice.

Undefiled Religion.

     The federal government of the United States runs many programs that provide care for individuals with various needs. They provide food, shelter, medical care,etc. Through The taxpayers, many opportunities exist for needy individuals. These programs are not perfect, and individuals can fall through the cracks, while others can abuse the system, but this is not the point of this post.
     It seems that there is much concern that we as a nation are stretched too thin. Money is also sent overseas for various reasons as well. Some no doubt is for humanitarian efforts, such as was sent to help in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. This has concerned many. A common thought among many, even those within the church is that we should not be sending money to aid other countries when we have so many needs within our own. On the surface, this would seem right and fair. However it is not scriptural!
     The Bible lays the responsibility for the care of the needy upon the church, not the federal government! When I say needy, I mean needy. It is also unscriptural to be an enabler. Many individuals can care for themselves but won't if someone else will. Paul's motto was "If you won't work, you won't eat!" (2 Thess 3:10).
     We as the church are called to look out for the needs of one another within the church. The early church made sure that no one lacked. The first deacons were chosen, not to run a corporate business, but to ensure that everyone who had need was taken care of. Throughout the Bible, old as well as new testament, God's people were to look out for the needy among them. Widows, orphans, beggars, had no one. Unable to care for themselves, they were overlooked by society, and had no hope. This is where the love of God, that fills the hearts of His children was to be made manifest. Look at what John had to say, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (1John 3:17).
     The biblical command to love your neighbor as yourself requires us to not only look out for one another within the church, but also those without. Jesus told a story to show that a neighbor can be anyone who we come upon with a need. True christian love is not restricted by economic, social, or ethnic status. It is extended to any and all as the need arises.While it is true that we all have a sphere of influence around us, where we as individuals, and individual congregations can do the most good, it is also true that we can help others elswhere as well. Paul collected money from gentile congregations to help needy saints in Jerusalem, much like we may donate to a charity who helps others overseas, like relief efforts in Haiti, or Japan, or famine stricken areas in Africa.
     There are countless numbers of truly needy people all around us. The homeless, abused, addicts, etc. The greatest need of all is to be reconciled to God. While we can be grateful that many are helped by government programs, we as christians need to be ready to come to the aid of those around us, meeting the spiritual needs as well as the physical.  We are called to love others with the love of Christ. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He never calls us to do something that is impossible, but will provide as we seek Him and His kingdom first. This is how the early christians lived, with no help from the Roman government, yet in the power of the Holy Spirit, they lived out the gospel.
  

Do not be deceived.

     People are looking for something. They desire encouragement, wisdom for daily decisions, something to fill the emptiness of soul that many feel. We all desire to live happy, fulfilling lives, each and every day.
     I cannot help but notice the popularity of daily advice coming to individuals on facebook, through horoscope readings, and daily fortune cookies. While many may find these things amusing, many take them seriously. Then there are also the computer generated messages from God. They claim that God is speaking directly to the individual through daily readings. Now it is true that many individuals have found encouragement through daily devotionals, and God does use things like that to reveal Himself to us, and to guide us in His ways. However just because something claims to be from God does not mean it is!
     God has revealed Himself to us through His word. His word contains everything that we need for life and godliness. It is His message to us, and is unchanging. Therefore, anything we hear that claims to be from God cannot contradict what He has spoken to us through His His word. We are not to add to it, or take away from it. To water it down, make it mean what we want it to mean, or to change it to fit the culture, leads to great danger. The Bible contains the words of life, to deviate from it only leads one astray. There is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to destruction (Prov 14:12).  Anything that we read or any teaching we listen to must be backed up by the word of God, or it must be rejected!
     Deception is everywhere. Something may look good, sound good, even contain some biblical elements, but can still be wrong! We are told that satan disguises himself as an angel of light. We must always be on guard. There is a lot of fluff being taught, things that are of no real value spiritually. Our souls need the pure word of God to live and grow. It is by putting into practice what we see in the Bible, that we mature in our walk with Christ. All that we need for life and godliness is found within its pages.
     Check out everything by God's standard. Be very careful, too much is at stake. Eternity is at stake!
     













   

Seated in the heavenlies.

     And raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
        Eph 2:6 RSV



     You cannot rise into the heavenlies if you are chained to this world! Despair, doubt, discouragement, worry, fear, bitterness, envy, self seeking, all serve to anchor us to this world. We are called to rise above the natural, and to live in the supernatural. This requires that we walk by faith and not by sight. We must take our focus off from the things are are seen, and instead focus on what is unseen. To dwell in Christ, to live in His presence, to experience His power, to have His peace, is only experienced by us as we trust entirely in Him!
      It is by grace we are saved through faith!

What matters to us?

     There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
           Luke 16:19 NIV


     Jesus told a parable of a rich man who lived a pampered,self indulged lifestyle, while ignoring the plight of a poor beggar who lay outside of his gate longing for just the crumbs that fell from his table. The rich man lacked nothing. He had more than enough to meet his needs, and the needs of others as well, yet he showed no compassion for Lazarus, the beggar, who he would have seen day after day, outside his gate.
     Jesus shared this parable in response to the sneering of the Pharisees, who loved money. Like the rich man in the story, they only cared about themselves, unwilling to reach out to meet the needs of the truly needy around them.
     Bring this up to the present time. How do we fit into this story as individuals today? How does the church fit in? Do we use our resources to reach out to others. Are we feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked? Are we going out with the gospel? The greatest need of man is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, but are we keeping Him to ourselves?
     The Laodicean church was rich and self sufficient. They took great pride in their status. But God detests what man holds in high esteem. He was about to vomit them out of His mouth. They made Him sick!
     We as disciples are called to live lives of abandonment to self. Devotion to Christ means giving to the highest meaning of giving! Church is not about making sure everyone gets an easter basket. It is about making sure that the lost have a chance to experience the risen Christ, set free from the bondage of sin!
     What is important to you?

On Fire.

     Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
     Romans 12:10,11 NASB

     The Christian life as portrayed in the New Testament is a life poured out in love to others. We are called to seek the highest good of those around us. Included in this is witnessing, making disciples, our giving, meeting the needs of others, hospitality, forgiving, promoting peace, prayer, etc.
     We are to be diligent. This is a concept that is often overlooked. To be diligent is to make every effort to do what we have been called to do. Diligence is not half hearted. It means we throw ourselves entirely into what we are doing. The idea behind a fervent spirit is that of being white hot, on fire, consumed by our love for God and others. This is the opposite of an unwilling spirit that may make an effort, but with no heart. The Church at Ephesus was a hard working Church. Their accomplishments far exceed much of what we see in the modern Church today, yet they were rebuked for their lack of love (Rev 2:1-7).
     Many Christians begin only to burn out. The cares of life crowd in, discouragement, a critical spirit, can dampen our love and leave us frustrated with serving Christ. I believe discouragement is common among Christian workers, causing many to give up.
     Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses, but He also told them to wait until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. The work that they were called to was impossible to be done by mere human effort. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, and can only be accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and work through us. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to be diligent. The same Spirit sets our spirits ablaze with a holy zeal that cannot be quenched as long as we stay yielded to His control.
     The individual filled with the Spirit of God will find that his heart is filled with love for others. He will find his prayers filled with a new life. He will bear witness of Christ with power, for it is not mere human words spoken, but words filled with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
     This is the needful thing for the Church today, to leave human effort behind, and live and move in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing. We need the power to accomplish the job we are called to do. In view of what God has done for us, we must present ourselves completely to Him for His service (Romans 12:1). When He has all of us, we are filled with Him. He will not settle for half, three fourths, or even ninety nine percent. He demands all, body soul and spirit, to be used by Him and for Him. Do we have the right to give Him any less?
     Only when filled will we be able to live a life of diligent service to the Lord!
 

Count the cost!

     In Luke's gospel, chapter 10:57-62, three individuals encounter Christ and desire to follow Him. It may strike some as strange, but Jesus seems to discourage them instead of gathering them in. The first man declared his willingness to follow Christ wherever He went. Jesus replied that animals and birds had better sleeping conditions than He did. Jesus called to the second individual to follow Him. This man replied that he had to bury his father first. Jesus told him to let the dead bury the dead, his business was to proclaim the kingdom of God! The third also desired to follow, but first wanted to say good-by to family. Jesus' answer to him seems to imply that this individual's heart was still on earthly things.
     There are many individuals like the first one. They profess a desire to seve Christ. They say they will go anywhere, and do anything that He desires, but they fail to perceive what it really means to follow Christ. Jesus told His disciples that He would be arrested, mistreated and killed, but He would rise on the third day. He then told them that whoever would follow Him must likewise deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him. There can be nocompromise. To keep silent to save our lives or reputation is to be ashamed of Christ, and if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us! Many, like Peter, are quick to say "I will suffer for Christ, even to the point of death", but Peter found himself denying Christ when faced with danger.
     The cost of following Christ is great. To follow Him will cost us everything. We are not our own. All that we have, all that we are, belong to Him. Those who live for Him will find themselves faced with choices between family, friends, money, possessions, time, jobs,etc, daily. Many think that they can add a relationship with Christ to their already busy lives. They allow their interests to dictate their Christianity, when in reality our commitment to Christ must dictate our daily lives.
     Jesus said to count the cost. He wants us to understand what it means to truly follow Him. To follow Him will bring persecution, even death. Are we willing? To follow Him may mean the loss of family or friends. He calls us to proclaim His kingdom; are we willing to be a witness? The Christian life is one of pouring ourselves into the lives of others. Do we want to do this? Christ will lead us down paths that run contrary to the world. He will lead us into situations where we have no one to turn to but Him. Will we still follow? He calls us to give up sin. Many professed believers cling to "habits" that they know are wrong, claiming that it is to hard to give up, they just can't do it. If a small habit keeps you bound, how can you say you would be willing to die for Christ?
     Those who will count the cost, and make the firm decision to follow Jesus, will find that His grace is sufficient for each and every situation He leads us through. There is no trial or temptation that is too much for the one who firmly trusts in Christ.
     He says to you "Follow Me!"

Be reconciled to your brother.

     Our relationship with God, and our relationship with our fellow man are inseparable. How we relate to God will affect how we relate to one another, and how we treat our fellow man will impact the relationship we have with God.
     The world operates on a selfish principle. People are looking out for number one, ignoring the needs around them, and stepping on each other as they climb to the top. People get hurt and offended all the time, and the offenders shrug it off.
     Jesus introduces a different principle however. It is based on love. Love to God, and love to our fellow man. Love is not self seeking, instead it looks out for others even to the expense of ourselves. We are taught in the scriptures to forgive those who offend us, even as Christ has forgiven us. An unforgiving attitude puts our relationship with God in jeopardy. If we will not forgive, He will not forgive (Matt 6:14,15). Jesus also teaches us to go when we have wronged someone, and make it right (Matt 5:23,24). A heart that has been humbled by the love and mercy of God will see that we can do no less. If I have offended someone by unkind words, and then felt convicted and confessed it to God, but went no further, how would that look? What would the offended party think if I told them "It's ok, God forgave me." but I never offered them an apology? Instead Jesus says to go and be reconciled. Do it quickly! It is a priority. Even if you are on the way to worship God, go first to your offended brother, then come back and worship.
     It is a proud heart that will not go and admit we are wrong. Pride will keep us from a heartfelt apology. Pride will also destroy the fellowship we have with God. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
     Our relationship with God requires that we confess our sins to Him. Likewise our relationships with each other require the same. Without this, a relationship might continue, patched up a little, but the trust is gone. For a true reconciliation to occur, confession and restitution are vital. Even if the other person chooses not to forgive us, we have done what we could in a true spirit of humility, and God knows.

Repentance and restitution.

     Under the Old Testament law, a person who had obtained property dishonestly had to make full restitution with interest to the owner, on the day he came to present his guilt offering to the priest (Lev 6:1-7). A sacrifice offered without restitution being made would not be acceptable to God. In the account of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9) we see the spirit of this law, as Zacchaeus freely determines to restore what he had dishonestly taken from others.
     The truth is, a thief who will not restore what he has taken is a thief still. No amount of sorrow or resolve to no longer steal changes this fact. This shows that the repentance is only superficial. A truly broken heart not only sees that God has been offended, but also recognizes how sin affects others, and will be quick to do what is in its power to make things right. To refuse to make proper restitution shows that the heart is still selfish.
     When Zacchaeus encountered Christ, he at once, with a willing heart determined to make things right. Jesus recognized this as proof that he had truly repented, and entered the kingdom of God.

True repentance is sincere.

     True repentance is sincere. It flows out of a heart that has been broken by the realization of how ugly our sin is in the sight of God. It was this realization that caused David to say "Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight" (Psalm 51:4). A true penitent means it when confession is made. Often we see people apologize half heartedly. This is especially true when we see parents trying to get their children to apologize to each other. Too often we do our children a diservice when we settle for a coerced apology that we can see is insincere.
     A heart that is truly sorry for the sin it has commited will make a full confession to God. It will hold nothing back. One who is truly sorry for sin will not make excuses for sin either. It can see the depth of it's wickedness, and will take full responsibility for it. An individual who makes excuses is an individual who has not reached the end of himself. He is still trying to justify his actions, and is unable to receive the grace of God. Such a one shows that self is still on the throne of his life.
     Along with the full blame, a truly repentant individual will see that any punishment is deserved. God is just, and a repentant person will see Him as just, and will see that his sin deserves punishment. To think that hell, or any punishment is unfair is to make God out to be unfair. This can be seen in David's psalm of confession (Psalm 51:4) and also Daniel's prayer of repentance (Daniel 9:4-19).
     While it is true that God urges us to repent, and the bible warns us of the consequences if we do not repent, yet repentance must be a free act. It can not be forced. It must flow freely out of a heart that desires to return to God. It flows out of a heart that desires to forsake sin because it grieves God. Anything forced has elements of insincerity, and selfishness in it.
   A godly sorrow will produce a true repentance that leads to life, while the sorrow of the world will only produce a false repentance, leaving one with a false hope.

The two kinds of sorrow.

     The Apostle Paul teaches us some very important things regarding repentance, in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11. In this passage he speaks of two kinds of sorrow. There is Godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation, and the sorrow of the world that leads to death. It is vital to our salvation that we understand the difference between these two kinds of sorrow, and make sure that we have truly repented in the right way, for the right reasons. As sinful beings, we have all lived life for ourselves,without regard to God and His word. This rebellion deserves God's wrath, and will incur it, unless one submits to Christ by faith.
     There are also the natural consequences to our actions. A person convicted of criminal activity may face prison time. Marriages and families are destroyed by substance abuse, adultery, and the pursuit of things. There is also public disgrace to be faced when sinful actions come to light.
     Many individuals when caught in their sin will look at these consequences with dread. They may fear public disgrace, they may fear prison time, the loss of family, a spouse, a job. They see that their life is a mess that they need to get out of. The fear of hell and eternal punishment is perhaps the greatest motivating factor of all. Hearing the gospel, with it's call to repent, many give up their sin and ask for God's mercy, hoping to escape the consequences of their sin. They are sorry about being caught, they are sorry about the mess they are in, but they are not sorry!
     Think of a husband who said something that hurt his wife. She is now cold and silent. After awhile he is tired of this, and decides to tell her he is sorry. He goes out and gets flowers and gives them to her with an apology, hoping that she will now talk to him, that things will be back to normal. He is sorry for the consequences of his action, but not sorry for how he treated his wife. Anyone who has ever gone through something like this knows that his wife can see right through a phony apology like this, and the problem does not get fixed, it only grows worse.
     Likewise, we all have grieved and hurt God by our sinful actions, that flow out of a sinful heart. A sinful heart is a selfish heart that cares nothing for God and His word. A true Godly sorrow is a sorrow that grieves at the pain we have caused God. A true confession of sin looks at what we have done to God, and humbly apologizes to Him for what we have done to Him. We repent for His sake, not for what we can get out of the deal. To repent, and submit to Christ so we can escape some consequence of sin, is to make Christ a servant of our selfish interests. A true penitent is thinking of how God has been mistreated and desires to forsake sin and serve Him, for His sake, not wanting to grieve Him any longer. Christ said we must lose ourselves for His sake. God will graciously forgive all those who come to Him with a sincere heart. It is the broken and contrite heart that will find acceptance at the cross.
    
   

Poor life choices, or sin?

     Then Nathan said to David "You are the man!"
      -2 Sam 12:7


     Through the encounter of Nathan the prophet with David, after his sin with Bathseba, we have in the sacred record God's view of sin.
     1. David's sin displeased the Lord.
          In the previous chapter we have the account of David and Bathseba. He saw her bathing, desired her, had her brought to him and commited adultery with her. When she conceived he then tried to hide the truth from her husband. When his attempts at manipulating the circumstances failed, he had Uriah killed in battle. David had managed to cover up his sin from those around him, but he could not hide it from God. We are not told that God was not shocked, we are not told that God was not surprised, we are not told that God understood David's poor choices. We are told that God was displeased (11:27) God did not overlook this sin, in fact the consequences that David bore show us how much this sin angered God.
     2. David's sin was a gross injustice in the eyes of the Lord.
           Nathan the prophet confronted David with a story of a rich man who commited an act of injustice against a poor man. The poor man owned a lamb that ate with him and his children. In fact he treated it as one would treat a child. One day the rich man who owned many flocks of sheep had a visitor. He took the poor man's lamb, killed it and served it to his visitor. Hearing this, David was outraged at the injustice of it. Nathan then replied "You are the Man!". David stood self condemned. He knew he had acted in a similar manner. Even more however, God saw the injustice of David's sin. David was the king of Israel. He was a wealthy man. He also had several wives. On the other hand, Bathseba was the wife of Uriah. Uriah was a soldier who was loyal to David. It breaks one's heart to read of his loyalty, as David tried to deceive him (11:6-15).
     3. David's sin showed an ungrateful spirit.
          " I annointed you King over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more." (vs 7,8). This does not sound like the God who is too big to be hurt by our wrong choices. David had been blessed by God, yet his sin showed a dissatisfaction with all that God had given him. Most of us can relate to this. At one time or another we have all done something nice for someone, given someone a nice gift, given a compliment, but received no thanks. Maybe the individual was even indifferent, or rude, and our feelings were hurt. Make no mistake about it. God is hurt by our sin!
     4. David despised the word of the Lord. (vs 9).
          One can read through the Psalms and see the love that David had for the word of God. David treasured the Word more than gold and silver. His love for the word led him to obey it with a whole hearted passion. Yet something had happened to David's love for the word. His actions betrayed his heart. The word of God meant nothing to him now.
     5. David despised the Lord (vs 10).
          David's one desire was to dwell in the presence of the Lord all of his days (Psalm 27:4). He loved the Lord deeply. His Psalms are filled with worship, adoration, commitment, trust. Now God said "You despised Me!". That is what sin is. It is selfish attitude of the heart that does not submit to God, an attitude that does not care about serving God, does not care about pleasing Him. Many people say that they love God, but actions speak louder than words.
      6. David's sin brought reproach on the Lord (vs 14).
           The eyes of the world are on Christians. Others can see through a facade. When someone claims to be a Christian, but walks in the world, it turns people off. It causes others to ridicule christianity, to ridicule Christ. There is a verse in Hebrews that states we crucify christ all over again, putting Him to an open shame, when we walk away from Him (Heb 6:6).
     David repented of his sin, and God forgave him. However the tragic consequences of this sin followed him for the rest of his life. It not only affected him, but also his family, and even the nation of Israel. It is a common thing today, to hear people downplay sin. Sin is referred to as mistakes, wrong choices, poor life choices. Many people believe that God has created them the way they are. Individuals go to altar calls wanting God to fix their "mistakes", wanting forgiveness for "poor choices". It is true that God is a forgiving merciful God, but we need to rightly understand what sin really is. Only when we truly see how sin offends God, and how deep it runs in our heart can we truly repent of it and find grace.