Your Word is TRUTH

In Jesus' prayer for the Disciples, he makes some astonishing declarations!

John 17:16-18 (NASB)
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.


Jesus was born of flesh and the Spirit and yet He was not of the world.  The Spirit is more powerful than flesh.  We can buy that knowing that Jesus was the Son of God...but what he says about His followers is even more astonishing!

Astonishment #1:  We are not of the world!
Once we have the Spirit of God living in us we have made a transition from flesh to Spirit.  Paul brings this out in several places in his New Testament writings too.  We belong to HIM.  We are of the Spirit and we belong with God.  Is it any wonder that many of us do not feel at "home" here?  Our true home is in the heavenly places!

Astonishment #2: We are sanctified by the Truth of God's Word.
Being sanctified means we are set apart by God and for God.  All true believers are in this state and they remain in this state for eternity. How does one receive this state of sanctification?  It is a work of GOD...not man.  And it's his WORD so that we cannot take credit.  His word is Truth in the purest and most absolute sense there is.  It's God's Word and it does not just CONTAIN TRUTH...it IS Truth!

Astonishment #3: We all have a mission!
Once we have been called, we are no longer our own.  The Heidelberg Catechism puts it eloquently, "That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ."  Because we are now HIS we accept His mission to go and spread the Good News of God's forgiveness of man's sin through Jesus' death of the cross and his resurrection! Just as Jesus was obedient unto death doing the Father's will...we are given the same task of being obedient to Jesus mission.  Such an honor!

Go out and seize the day in Jesus' Name!

Blessings All!

Be Intentional

This summer I recorded a show on my DVR and was getting around to watch it the other day.  The show was Last Comic Standing.  If you are not familiar with the show, it is a contest where these stand-up comedians compete during the course of a few weeks in different situations.  Each week one comic is eliminated until they get to the last comic standing.  Very funny...and cleaner than most shows since it is on regular TV...that is always a plus for me.

One thing that struck me is the amount of preparation each person competing put into his or her set of joke that they did each week. They wrote down jokes...they practiced telling the jokes...they got feedback and advice on the jokes before they actually went out a performed. There was a tremendous amount of preparation involved.  Those where were more prepared, obviously did better in the competition than those who sort of "winged it".

It also started me thinking about being a Christian.  How many times do we find ourselves flying by the seat of our pants instead of being intentional about being a Christian? How many times are we really preparing ourselves by praying and studying God's word and seeking Godly advice instead of just 'Winging it"?

This year, make a commitment to being intentional in your Christian walk.  Pray without ceasing. Go to Sunday School and study God's Word without ceasing as well. Meditate on it day and night! I think if you do these things you will find that you just may be...the Last Christian Standing and wouldn't that be worth it?  Yes, it would totally be worth it!

Blessings All!

God's Word

God's Word, the Bible, does some very important things for us and to us.

1) God's Word connects us to God.  Make no doubt about it.  God's Word helps us understand Him and is a revelation of Himself in the world.  Make sure you read it to connect yourself to Him.

2) God's Word answers the questions of Life. Why are we here?  Who am I?  What is my purpose? There is no science that can answer these questions for you.  Only the Word of God can.  So again, read the Bible and find out the answers for yourself.

3) God's Word is comforting.  This world is not the place for comfort.  We are all going through a  hard fight.  But God's Word shines into our heart and gives us HOPE!  As the Heidelberg Catechism puts it very well:

Q. What is your only comfort
in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

How comforting is THAT!!?

There are many other things the Word of God does as well...but these should keep you busy.  How busy?  Probably until we meet the Lord face-to-face.

Blessings All!

What is the Answer?

A friend of mine one time was wearing a button just like the one you see above.  I pointed to it and asked, "What's that?". He reached into his coat pocket and gave me a Tract which started out, "Since you asked..." and then he proceeded to tell me about Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.  I have always admired that approach to the Gospel. It seems to me to be effective because we are not intruding and not pushing our faith on anyone...we allow them to ask the questions and allow God to make the answers they need to hear.

More importantly, it brings up the need that people have to have answers...correct answers to life's questions. Every Christian needs to know why they believe and  how to tell people what they believe. People need answers and they deserve that answer that is loving and from the heart.

That is all Jesus wants us to do, isn't it?  To love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others just like He loves them.  That's not so hard to do when you look at it that way.

In, Disciples Are Made Not Born: Helping Others Grow to Maturity in Christ  – July 23, 2002 by Walter A. Henrichsen, there is a wonderful story of one college student that wanted to tell his roommate about Jesus (I am paraphrasing the story). Henrichsen discipled him and taught him all the right Scripture to say and how he should approach the topic.  When Henrichsen thought the lad was ready, he accompanied him to his dorm room, where to Henrichsen's horror., the student used all the wrong Scripture and he basically bungled everything that Henrichsen had taught him. At the end of the ordeal, the student asked his dorm mate, "Would like to accept Christ?" Surprisingly (to Henrichsen) the student said, "You bet I would!".  This event taught Henrichsen and important lesson.  It's not about YOU;  It's all about Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many of us are afraid to share the Gospel, but seriously, it's just telling people an answer to their own question. How hard is that?  You already KNOW the answer!  "What's THAT?"  It's the power of Jesus working through you...that's what it is!

Have a Blessed and Safe Christmas!

Blessings All!

The Choices of Pharaoh

There is a great story in the Old Testament that almost everyone knows.  It's the story of Moses leading God's people out of Egypt.  You can find the story in Exodus...It starts in Exodus 4 and continues for a few chapters.  In fact, it is one of the longer stories in the Old Testament and galvanized Israel as the people of God.  It's one of the keystone stories of their faith.  It also has several important lessons for us, but I would like to focus on just one of those lessons today.

The hardening of Pharaoh's heart is the story I would like to bring to your attention.  it's one that is often overlooked but it is significant in several ways.

1) Moses confronts Pharaoh, not by his own power, but he had the full faith and backing of the Lord.  Pretty much the entirety of Exodus Chapter  4 is devoted to this. Moses had several failings and he was not without fear, but the Lord answered every question and filled in the gapps for Moses at every turn. moses had only to be faithful in what the Lord tasked him to do.  We know the ending, so we know he was successful...not by his own power, but by the Lord's.  Such it is with the Christian as well...I must decrease, but HE must increase.  If we remember that, things will go much more smoothly.

2) When Moses confronts Pharaoh, Pharaoh at first, relented, but then because of his pride, Pharaoh hardens his own heart and refuses to let God's people go as He has demanded. This goes on for a long time.  God is patient with Pharaoh, even though He knows that Pharaoh's pride will get in the way of doing the right thing every time.  We need to be careful of this in our own lives as well.  Listen to what the Lord is saying and be obedient or suffer the consequences.  these consequences can be very serious. Even for the Christian.  Now you cannot lose your salvation, but like Pharaoh, we can indeed lose our life.  Be careful and obedient to follow what God wants in your life.  If we do, His blessings will come to us.

3) The pivotal verse, in my opinion, is this verse: Exodus 9:12 And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.   You see, up until this time, in Chapters 7, 8 and the beginning of Chapter 9, Pharaoh had control and each and every time, Pharaoh hardens his own heart, but here in this verse Exodus 9:12 we see God hardening Pharaoh's heart. God was patient with him up until this point, but after that, Pharaoh's chances were gone.  This hardening of Pharaoh's heart was the turning point, and from then on, Pharaoh's fate was sealed and his destiny set. Way back in Exodus Chapter 4:21 the Lord said he would harden Pharaoh's heart, yet His grace extended a long tome before He did this, giving Pharaoh many chances to change his ways. Alas, hubris is what doomed Pharaoh to his fate.

Christians, we are in our own lives struggling with many hard issues and yet the Lord is patient with us so that we may change our ways.  Do not neglect such grace. It may not be extended forever.  For those of you you who are sitting on the fence and have not made a decision for Christ, please be aware that the time is short to do so. Please make a decision today...and choose life: Choose Jesus!

Blessings all!

Shine!

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

This should be the position, posture and product of all Christian life. Not that we shine with our own light, but that we reflect the glory of the one who brings true life!. If people cannot see the change of energy and attitude as you go through your day, examine yourself to see if you are truly living the renewed life that only Jesus can bring to you!

There will always be times when we don't feel like we can represent Christ because of what we have done or what we have done to us, but suck it up person of God and move on! Jesus has showed us the way....let us follow Him one step at a time! With our master we will stand or fall...and stand we will!

Blessings on your day!

Thanking God

Romans 1:8  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Many of us pray to God and are thankful for His blessings in our life. Paul takes it up a notch with this simple statement of how he prays for the Roman church.

He says, "First, I thank my God... "

First and foremost Paul thanks God...and not just any god...but "my God" Paul has a personal relationship with the All Mighty.  This is not just some generic prayer he is praying. It is a personal and very moving prayer to his God whom he knows and makes known in Spirit and in Truth. many times we hear prayers that are general and they seem as if they are intended for believers and non-believers alike.  When Paul prays to his God...it is a prayer that is intended for the believers ears alone.

He says, "...through Jesus Christ for you all"

Paul does not approach God the Father alone, but "through Jesus Christ". We have  a tendency to approach the throne of the All Mighty much tot flippantly. We need to have more respect. Jesus said, Luke 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!" He was talking about the Father here. No other being has that authority but Him. And yes...fear Him and respect Him.

He says, "...for you all" 

Paul also does not single out people when he is praying about the Romans. "..for you all" There is an interesting story in 1 Samuel 30:21-25 where David confronts some men in his army who do not want to divide the spoils of war with some of the support people who stayed behind the lines to care for the camp. These were called wicked and evil men. When David hears of their plans, he tells them this. ” 23 Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. 24 And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.”   You see, David understood that winning the battle takes everyone doing different tasks.  Some seem to be more important that others, but in reality, it takes everyone exercising what gifts God has given them and what He has called them to do to be successful.  In any church this is true as well.  The Romans were made up of many different types of people, but it was everyone who shared in the battle and they share in Paul's praise for what they have done.  May it also be so with us today.  It takes everyone of us working with Jesus as the head to make a church work

Finally Paul states, ..."because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world."

This is what it's all about, isn't it?  It's not about fame or power or money. It's because of Jesus and His love and sacrifice for us that we can proclaim faith. Oh that our FAITH would be proclaimed throughout the whole world! Not out Denomination or Church or pastor...or even what we do...only that our Faith be proclaimed as being true and honest and uplifting.  If that be true, then surely at the end of our journey we will hear God himself say, Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Amen.

Blessings All!