IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN.....

The two gentleman on the porch were dismissed almost before they were acknowledged.

Even as the words left my mouth my heart already knew they were harsh and wrong, yet they flew past my tongue and out of my lips before I could bite them back.

They say confession is good for the soul; I think it only does a good work in our hearts when accompanied by authentic repentance for what brought you to the need to confess.  So swift was the sorrow for my behavior, so convicted was my heart, so repentant that after all this time, all these years all these encounters, all the confessions, this could still be an incident that brought down my Saturday morning to such a low!

How easily excuses could be made and accepted by everyone around me.  But I knew that no excuse would ever be acceptable to the Only One Who Mattered.

I am an Ambassador for Christ and this Saturday morning I brought shame to His Name.

I was busy, that was true.  They were interrupting me in my own personal space, my home, that was true.  But I am called to be instant in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2)

How much more impressive this mornings story would be if I could report that two Jehovah's Witnesses rang my doorbell Saturday morning and I greeted them heartily, friendly and shared Gods truth fully and productively.

This blog is always about PRACTICAL APPLICATION of Gods Word to our lives.  Today I share the practical truth of 1 John 1:8 applied in my life.  "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

1.  I was bought with a price and my life is not my own.  For this reason I do not have the "right" to choose when, where or how I will preach the words of life.  I must always be ready, willing and able to give an answer for the hope that is in me in a manner that honors the One I represent.

2.  For those who call Jesus our LORD, He is the authority and not we ourselves. It is in our obedience to His commands that we show that He is Lord.  Disobeying His command is sin.

3.  We absolutely want to respond properly to sin in our own lives so our hearts do not become hard or our consciences seared to truth.  1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The daily walk of a true Believer is not a skip around the park with a permissive parent who expects nothings of us and indulges our every whim.

It is a deliberate walk of obedience to the absolute Authority of the Lord Jesus.

We stumble, we fall, we snap in frustrated impatience at those who desperately need to hear the truth the most.  We confess, we repent and ask forgiveness that we might walk another day and get it right.

A godly sorrow is a very good thing that brings us ever closer to the place of true submission to the HEAD which is Christ.  It is not quick, it is not easy, but it is our only right response to the sin nature that rears its ugly head to trip us up so easily.

We mustn't ever be ashamed that we have sinned but rather let us be thankful that our hearts are not hardened to sin and forgiveness will result in new strength and growth in our daily walk with our Lord.

I am surely grateful that His mercies are new every morning!

WHY do we DO THAT?!!?!

Scrolling through my Facebook News Feed the other morning I came across a picture of a fairly well known Christian Pastor with a caption that was obviously quoting something they had said, and then a statement slamming what they said as being "unchristianlike".  The slam was by another fairly well known Pastor.

In the comment section it was obvious that many of the "flock" of christians who saw the picture were only too happy to jump on the "tear down this soul" bandwagon, and not only were there plenty of agreement type comments, but also many "and they did this, too!" or "they said this too!"

Being unfamiliar with this person I dug a little deeper.  I actually read the article the "quote" came from.

Sure enough, they had said the statement they were accused of saying.  But just as surely, it was separated from the REST of the sentence and then displayed completely out of context.

In fact, I discovered I fully agreed with the premise and full statement that had been made as both were biblically sound.

So why did this other Pastor feel the need to tear this person down?  And why did so many who call themselves Christians gleefully join in?

I thought about the admonition of Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:14 - 16:

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this "you shall love your neighbor as yourself".  But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.  I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In Ephesians 4:3, we are clearly admonished to  endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

So why oh why do we waste so much time and effort destroying instead of building up?

SIN.

Anytime we do the opposite of what the Lord has instructed us to do, we sin.  The only way out of sin is to repent and ask God to forgive us.  We talked about this in an earlier post.  

When we focus on ourselves, elevating ourselves, grasping for power and prestige for ourselves - we do disservice to the Lord we represent.  I learned this the hard way.

By tearing down another in the mistaken idea it lifted me up.  It didn't.  It made me look like just what I was being.  Small, petty, human, sinful.  And I hurt the one I tore down. I didn't teach them anything, or inspire them to "do better".

We can cover it up and dress it up and label it "correction, instruction or speaking the "truth" in love" all we want, but once you get past the pretty pasted on fake facade you know it for what it is.

Ugly sin.

It puts me in mind of the story of the crabs. You've probably heard this one.  Why can you just throw crabs in an open bucket and not worry about them escaping?  Because if one does try to get out, the others grab hold of him and drag him back down!

That's us, when we tear others down.  We not only hurt them - we hurt ourselves.  We all end up staying trapped in a bucket of sin.

It isn't our "job" to school others on what we think is correct doctrine.  It isn't good christian behavior to point out other christians mistakes.

Remember what Jesus told His disciples when they came to Him complaining that others were casting out demons in Jesus' name, but they weren't one of the disciples?  See Mark 9:38 and Luke 9:49.  Jesus rebuked that kind of thinking.  The kind of thinking that separates and destroys unity.  He told His disciples

if they are not against us they are for us.

We are without excuse when we disobey the Lord and cause division.

True Christianity is when we submit ourselves and our selfish desires to the obedience of Christ for the sake of UNITY in the Body of Christ.

If we would get this through our thick skulls, the "world" wouldn't be so successful in coming against us.  Think about that next time you want to "call someone out".

Prompt and blessed

We have been blessed tremendously to be living in such a time as this; instant communication enables us to reach what were once the most unreachable people groups with the Gospel of Jesus.

We enjoy the grace of God in abundance, free from the onerous daily chore of sacrificing animals to atone for sin; Jesus set us free indeed! (John 8:36)

And still we are privileged in the "Old Testament" teachings, as Apostle Paul so lovingly pointed out in Romans 15:4
"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope",
but we are not beholden to the hundreds of specific laws and observances thanks to the Grace of God made available to us through Christ.

Truly there are many wonderful Old Testament scriptures of great teaching that speak into our lives today, eloquently and truthfully.


One such scripture I believe we should heed with all haste in our hearts is found in the book of the Prophet Isaiah.  During the reign of several Israel kings, God raised up Prophets to speak to to His people, precisely because they had refused to converse directly with their God at the time of Moses (Exodus 20:19).  These Prophets often spoke both to the people of their time and for future reference, to those who would come later.

Isaiah 1:19  If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured by the sword.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I believe that this is one of those things which was "written before for our learning" that Paul was referring to that has always continued to have affect on peoples lives even when they may not have been aware of it.

While we most certainly DO enjoy the grace and favor of God, and though His love for us is unconditional, this isn't license to sin!  Now more than ever, it is imperative to our own well being, that each of us, individually "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) and that we do NOT REFUSE to hear the Lord speak to us personally and directly!

Just as He put it to the Israelites, it is even now a choice put before us much like the choice to choose LIFE over DEATH. (Deuteronomy 30:19) 

IF we are willing and obedient.... which refers to what exactly?  To the rules and regulations of man?  To the statutes and prohibitions of religious leaders?  To an American government (or any other government!) that appears bent on destroying the work of the Lord in our lives?

A simple reading of the verse in context puts it all in perspective and makes itself extremely clear and easy to understand.

Isaiah 1: 18  "Come now and let us reason together" says the Lord.

Then, like He already had planned it for all Eternity, (I really think He did!) the Lord makes clear that He speaks to the Israelites, yes, but also to we who would be saved later, by describing our condition so we will recognize ourselves.

 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be as wool."

We whose sins that are like scarlet have been washed in the sacrificed blood of Jesus and have been made "white as snow".  

This verse is written FOR OUR LEARNING.

Here is the physical and spiritual principle at work.

If this; then that.  

We all understand how this principle works in every area of life.  If we do this thing then that thing happens.  

The law of cause and effect.  Each action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Christians, the grace of God, as Apostle Paul so clearly taught in Romans 6:1, isn't a license to SIN, but a method to avoid being enslaved by sin!  

Every thinking human being can see clearly that all of our actions have consequences.  If we desire pleasant consequences that give us joy, we must choose willingly to be obedient to God.  If we choose to rebel; to do "our own thing" then we will suffer the consequences of those choices, good or bad.

With that in mind, wouldn't it be ridiculous for us to then declare that God is not good because we have reaped the unhappy consequence of our own action?  

God has instructed us clearly, as any loving parent would a child, on right behavior in order that we will reap the result of good consequence.

Right now you might find yourself asking this question; "How can I know God's instructions so I can choose to follow them?"

READ HIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

On the first read through, I know it will sound foreign and difficult to understand.  The first time we are introduced to anything it seems hard.  Remember arithmetic?  When they first introduced long division, I was convinced I'd never understand.  I went on to achieve A's in Algebra years later in High School.  

The GREAT thing about the Bible is that it is a living work, spoken into being by a Living God who moved on living men to write His will. (II Peter 1:21)

And it gets better.  The word has a spiritual life to it.  When you are born again of Gods spirit, your understanding is that much greater.  This isn't something that can be taught or explained, but only spiritually discerned by those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.


Reading the Bible regularly you will discover that understanding comes naturally.  Understanding increases with each reading.  

You can read the Bible in any manner that works for you.

Read straight through from cover to cover.

Start at the Gospels and work through the New Testament first.

Skip around from book to book, or even chapter to chapter.

Or you can join us, using the daily reading schedule we follow, and we can journey together toward deeper understanding and closer fellowship with the Lord. (See the Daily Reading page of this website) 

When we know, understand and OBEY Gods commands, we reap all manner of GOOD THINGS!  That is a promise directly from God the Father and Creator of all things to His children.  By the same token, if we choose disobedience we have no one but ourselves to blame when we reap those negative consequences.

Our prayer for you is that you will KNOW and RECEIVE the goodness God desires you to experience in your life, in Jesus Name, AMEN!

The Great HOPE

When I first began to listen, really listen to others teach the precepts and doctrine of the Bible, it inspired me and stirred such a passion in my heart!  How did these people KNOW these things?  How could they be so sure?

As a young child I began reading the Bible, and having no real life experience, most of what I read escaped my understanding completely.  BUT... a layer of wisdom was being sowed in my heart.  As I continued to read, and study, and listen to others, and study some more and read some more I discovered that a great deal of the Bible revealed itself, quite simply, within itself.

Take as an example the great problem of SIN.  Having listened to the teaching of man we come to understand that we each are sinners in need of a Savior, and God provided Jesus as our Savior.  We are blessed at the Great Salvation but are then deceived into condemnation, believing falsely that having once obtained the Great Salvation we are no longer worthy of it, can never be worthy of it and must pay a price, over and over again, in what appears to be a vain hope that we'll squeak by and sneak into heaven.

NAH... that just ain't the truth my friends!

Here's a simple truth in Gods Word taken from the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 3: 1 They say "If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from and becomes another man's, may he return to her again?  would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me" says the Lord.

If the "text" for the sermon were to stop there, we would only grasp how woefully we lack, how we fall so far short.  We might say we believe that God forgives us, certainly, but there would linger an edge of fear, a slice of doubt that could keep us enslaved to our sin as a burden that, though lifted, the shadow would remain to cloud our life still.

Continuing to read we will find within the same passage of scripture these words of truth:

Jeremiah 3: 12 -13  ...For I am merciful, says the Lord; I will not remain angry forever.  Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God....

Forgiveness is a complete and utter thing with God.  He requires that we acknowledge our sin in order that we will take responsibility and turn away from sin.  He doesn't hold it over our heads, count it against us forever or bring it up to humiliate us.  He throws it in a sea of forgetfulness, He separates us from it as far as the east is from the west and He remembers it no more.  GRACE.

In His Word, the Bible, we find we can indeed have the Great Salvation.  In our human frailty we find in Him we have Great Hope of His strength being our strength.

Be encouraged today!

IF you have confessed your sin to God, and turned away, repented of it, He has forgiven you and you walk, not burdened or shadowed, but FREE indeed as Christ Jesus declared!  Truly free to live in newness of heart, strength of purpose and JOY as you fulfill the great and mighty plan God has for your life!

IF you have not yet taken this step yet, today can be the day of your rebirth as a new creation in Christ, set free from enslaving sin and moving forward in the Grace of the Lord our God.

This is our Great Hope, to live eternally through Christ in God.  Allelujah!

Want to know more, understand more, gain more and receive all that God has for you?  Read, dear friend, His matchless wonderful words of life and love and hope and joy found in His book that we call the Bible.

It isn't just "a" book, it is THE BOOK.
Through it for centuries God speaks to those
who will LISTEN.

*F*R*E*E*

Free
Freedom

Heady words that conjure all kinds of thoughts, feelings, images and ACTIONS.

Deceived.  Deceit.  Lied to.  Led astray.  SIN

Also words which conjure all kinds of thoughts, feelings, images and ACTIONS.

There was Eve, in the garden of Eden.  There was Jesus, in the wilderness.  There is ... me...you.  Having stumbled.  AGAIN.  Having fallen to lusts of the flesh.  AGAIN.  Thinking we were FREE we made choices which we are now very sorry for.  AGAIN.  We hurt people we love.  AGAIN.  We hurt those we care about.  AGAIN.  WE HURT OURSELVES AGAIN.

How does that happen, over and over?  One day we've got it all happening for us, everything in our favor, we can't seem to make a wrong move.  We are praising the Lord, we feel lighthearted and FREE.

Then out of nowhere it seems, we stumble, we trip, we say things we wish we hadn't.  We do things we can't even believe we did!

One thing brought you down every time.  Deceit.  You were deceived into thinking a certain way which then caused wrong actions resulting in sin.

One thing delivers you every time.  TRUTH.

"I am the Way, THE TRUTH and the Life."  "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed."  "Having been set free from sin..."  "The FREE GIFT which came from many offenses resulted in JUSTIFICATION." 

JOHN 8:32 ~  And you shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall make you FREE."

God offers true freedom.  No gimmicks, no tricks, no hidden agenda's, no cost. 

 HE PAID ~ YOU RECEIVE.

God bless you today in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior and deliver!

Defeating Stupid

IF ONLY WE HAD 20/20 HIND SIGHT!

People come to us for prayer and guidance – usually after they’ve taken some questionable action and the consequences are inflicting discomfort.  We pray, we read the Word of God with them and attempt to share some bit of wisdom, some practical application of biblical principle that might ease the situation and lead them to better decisions in the future.  These are the same things my mentors and counselors did for me and still do for me as I make my way through this life.  It would be nice to think we could just obey God and then everything would always work out for the best.

Unfortunately, that isn’t an option.  While we are living on this earth, we are subject to the sin nature initiated with the sin of Adam in partaking of the one fruit in the vast garden of fruit available that God had specifically instructed Adam NOT to eat!  Sin separates us from God, removing us from His protective Presence and rendering obedience that much more difficult for our hearts to accomplish.

Sin makes us stupid. 

My husband is fond of quoting that when he is confronted with sin and its aftermath.  He’s right.  And in the stupidity, we most definitely do not make good decisions.  In truth, we are far more likely to continue to make bad ones.  Bad decisions like blaming our actions on someone else.  Yes, Adam did that too.  He blamed God Himself for his own poor decision, claiming his action was because of the woman God gave him.  Would Adam have avoided being deceived and therefore avoided falling prey to sin if Eve hadn’t been there?  We’ll never know, because that isn’t how it happened.

Once we've entered the quicksand of stupid, how do we keep from being sucked into permanent stupid?

All who call upon the name of Jesus shall be saved.  Romans 10:13

It's a mighty miracle God provided to deliver us from the cycle of sin.

We can’t avoid stupid and we certainly haven’t got the ability to keep from being stuck in stupid.  Our only hope is in Jesus.  Our only deliverance is calling on His name.  Our only way OUT of darkness and INTO light is in and through Jesus – the Savior, the substitute payment for our stupid sin.

Don’t be deceived into staying stuck in stupid sin. Call on the name above all names, the name of Power and Peace and Healing.  Call on Jesus, get unstuck, and then let the Holy Spirit of God lead and guide you to the great, wonderful, joyous plans that God made for your life from before the foundation of the world was ever set in place.  It doesn't mean you won't ever sin again, but it does mean you will never again be a slave to sin.  You may visit "stupid" but you will never live there, for Jesus will heal, deliver and set you free!

Prayer is the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of the believer.  It would be our privilege to pray for you.  Please fill out the Prayer Request form (top left) and we will pray for you. If you’d like us to contact you and pray with you, we’ll do that.  Every prayer request is honored, and God hears and responds. 

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  James 5:16

Radio's, Sin and this thing called CHURCH

Remember when the radio was the
focal point of every home?  It's
still a great source of information.

  I was listening to the radio this week and was especially pleased to hear an interview about     to start with Pastor Jim Cymbala.  At one time I was part of the choir of a sister church with   the Brooklyn Tabernacle and had the distinct pleasure of attending not only several Sunday   services at the Brooklyn Tab, but also of taking part in several choir workshops.  Attending     a Tuesday prayer night at the Brooklyn Tab is not an evening you are likely to forget.  I’m a   fan, too, having read all of his books and looking forward to reading the newest one.  

Can you imagine my shock when the first thing I heard Pastor Cymbala tell the radio host interviewing him that only 6% of Americans are actually Biblical Christians!  He went on to clarify that what he meant by that was only 6% of those identifying themselves as Christians in recent polls also specified belief that Jesus is the one and only way to heaven.

When I could force my dropped jam to snap shut I realized I wasn’t actually that shocked after all.  Over the last several years that Turn the Tide Ministries has been traveling the US and sharing the message of the Gospel, we’ve visited a lot of churches and talked with a lot of folks.  Folks in church, not attending church regularly at this time and those who have never attended church.  In every one of these categories of people we’ve heard their own versions about all the different ways to reach heaven.  We’ve listened to argument after argument that God surely isn’t going to “send” so and so to hell just because they are

·        Homosexual

·        Fornicators; living in sin

·        Abusing drugs or alcohol

·        Telling white lies

·        Only stealing from their company because they are underpaid

·        Cheating on their husband/wife but it’s the spouses fault

See I Corinthians 6:9 and Ephesians 5:5, then we’ll talk more about that.

What we’ve learned over the last few years specifically is that there is a serious sin problem plaguing  American Christians.  The sin problem isn’t as simple as that people are sinning and need to repent.  It’s a tougher problem even than that!  It’s a problem exacerbated by the fact that few church leaders are preaching against sin, they make light of sin or they are simply excusing it altogether!  If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “Oh, my pastor said God won’t hold (fill in the blank) against me.  I’ll just be forgiven.”  

Forgiveness isn’t automatic and though it is freely given it isn’t cheap and easy.  In first recognizing that we are sinners, that we have committed sin, we must repent in sincere sorrow and ask forgiveness in a heart that does not plan to continue in sin.  That doesn’t seem to be a concept anyone understands anymore.  The teaching we’ve heard goes along the lines of as long as you show up in church regularly and drop money in the offering plate or bucket or basket, you are okay with God and don’t need to concern yourself with much more than that, unless it’s something really obvious, and even then, the teaching goes, grace will cover so just get on with your life and don’t worry about it.

 

HUH!?!?! 

It seems anything goes, as long as you can report a certain number of church attendee’s.  We were invited to visit a church down south and attended the praise and worship practice.  I was frankly shocked at the harshness of the worship leader toward those volunteering their time to provide music.  Perfection was his goal and nothing less down to the minutest detail would be tolerated.  Turns out the worship leader was also the Pastor.  Made me wonder how he behaved toward the sheep entrusted to his care when they fell short of the perfection he demanded.  I discovered the answer the next morning.  

The music was indeed pitch perfect.  It was also cold and lifeless.  There was not so much worship as there was a performance, which the audience, ummm, I mean, congregation, dutifully applauded for when it was over.  The preaching was also lifeless.  No evidence of the Holy Spirit present or invited.  As much as was humanly possible all was orchestrated to a cold, calculated perfection that left me craving some time with God the Father to recuperate from the exhaustion of just watching the attempt to master perfection through the flesh.

YUK!

In a recent editorial, J. Lee Grady, the Editor of Charisma, a Christian magazine, made the following observation.

“I don’t care if you have strobe lights, fog machines, killer musicians and a home-run sermon every week. If people don’t see true brokenness in the pulpit and experience real pastoral care, they will never grow into disciples. Shallow, professional leaders produce shallow Christianity.”  

I agree wholeheartedly!  On the other end of the spectrum, we sat in a service with barely a handful of people and very little polish in evidence.  It was clear these were not trained or educated folks.  Just people reaching out to the Lord.  And they did not quit crying out and singing and praising Him until they broke through and reached the Throne room.  The music was off key, it was obvious none of them actually knew how to play any of the instruments, but it was one of the sweetest sounds we’d ever heard.  I’m guessing it was to God, too, because He showed up and the service was anointed.  The prayers were powerful and the love was evident in abundance.

We have moved so far away from the biblical model we find in the book of Acts, where the truth was preached at all costs, including the cost of their very lives.  Nowadays, we are so concerned with "our" reputations, we have little to no regard for the reputation of the only one that counts.  That of Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Most church leadership would and DOES reject this style of church service.  They appear content to please the people in return for the mammon they worship, oh sorry, I mean, the money they NEED to keep the church doors open and the retirement funds full. 

Church has become about everything BUT Jesus and His gospel message and all about programs, formula’s and our own brand of Christian Celebrities (more on these next week) all carefully wrapped around God, clothed in the name of God but having very little to do with Him at all.  

Daily reading of THIS bread
will keep us well FED!

My bottom line here is similar to how I heard Pastor Cymbala end his radio interview.

When it comes to the gathering of the saints of God, and please do not misunderstand me, I know that gathering to strengthen and encourage and teach and disciple is of great importance, it should not be about well planned programs and it surely should not be about following the latest fad or church growth formula.  The planning stage should begin and end with a sincere and humble heart before God, our Bibles, a quiet time of contemplation and prayer and a fervent request for WISDOM from God the Father in how to “do” this thing we call church.    

PRAYERS REQUESTS MAY BE MADE BY FILLING OUT THE FORM AT THE TOP LEFT OF THE PAGE.  WE PRAY DAILY AND HOST PRAYER SERVICES ON FRIDAY EVENINGS.  WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP TURN THE TIDE MINISTRIES IN YOUR PRAYERS, AND MAY THE GOD OF PEACE BLESS US ALL WITH WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Kicking against the goads and overcoming SIN

Once upon a time, Paul the Apostle was Saul.  Saul was a devout Jew, who was born into the religious elite, grew up scholarly under the much hailed Gamaliel and was zealous, scripture tells us, for the religious laws of God as they had been taught and exampled to him.

ZEALOUS: fervent,   ardent,  fervid,   fanatical,   passionate,   impassioned,   devout,  devoted.  committed,   dedicated,   hard-core,   enthusiastic, eager,   keen,  avid,    card-carrying,   vigorous,   energetic,   intense,   fierce;

Personally, I really like that last one.  Fierce - ferocious aggressiveness.

That really describes who and what Saul was as he pursued what he thought he knew about the things of God.

Then he went up against Jesus.  Can you even IMAGINE trying to go up against GOD?

Job 9:4  God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.  Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

SHORT ANSWER:  NO  ONE !

Job 9 was part of our daily reading this week.  When you read that verse, did it give you reason to pause?  It did me.  I’ve been chewing on it, like Jack chews the bones I give him, all the rest of this week.  I found myself thinking “Now who would even try to go against God?” 

My own heart trusts and believes, so I cannot even conceive of one going against the Lord.

Then I thought of Lucifer, originally the angel of light.  He went against God and was cast out of heaven.  Now he is known as satan, the enemy of God, with a very bleak future, a very fiery eternity to look forward to.

And I thought of Saul who would later be renamed Paul.  He went against God, when he failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  And then he began to persecute Gods people.  Jesus stopped him cold in his tracks when he was on his way to Damascus to kill more Christians.  Struck him blind – or rather, allowed Saul to experience in the flesh the blindness he already really had in the Spirit – and asked him plainly “why are you persecuting ME, Saul?  It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  (you can look up what that means, it’s a great lesson in humility and discipline!)

I kept chewing, and then I REALLY answered the question of ‘who would go against God?’ 

The answer?  Me.  You.  All of us.  We all go against God each time we sin.  Sin is described as breaking Gods laws, or violating Gods will or missing the mark of the target He set for us, going outside the boundary or limits He gave us.  As Originator and Creator of all things He inherently has the right to set the standard.  So failing to meet that standard is sin.

And we surely do not prosper when that happens, do we?  

We do not reap joy or peace or righteousness.  Romans 14:17 (another of our daily readings this past week) tells us  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

I began to think about how easily we fall prey to the temptations of sin.  How easily we excuse our hearts when they covet, when they lust.  How quickly we excuse ourselves when we give in to sin. 

Romans 8:13  For if you live after the flesh you will die.  But if you through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body you shall live.

Colossians 3:5   Therefore mortify (put to death) your members which are upon the earth fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry.

The word mortify has several meanings.  To cause shame, humiliation or wounded pride.  To subdue, suppress, control.  It’s even been defined as to destroy, to blow up or blow apart.  King James translated it put to death.

Now let’s put this whole thing together and see where it leads us.  (isn’t bible study just the most fun, EVER?!?)

God created us, so we are subject to Him.  He gave us free will, so we can obey Him and reap all the wonderful benefits that come with that obedience.  Or we can disobey, do as we please and reap the consequences.

Even if we WANT to obey Him, this flesh trips us up and we sin anyway. (Consider Paul's plea to the Lord "who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  Romans 7:24) So God sent Jesus to pay the price of sin for us which we could NOT EVER have paid, and freed us from that burden giving us eternal life through Christ.  Yet we still have sin chasing us down and overcoming us, so how do we deal with it? 

I’m all for FEROCIOUS AGGRESSIVENESS -  both in receiving His forgiveness and in yielding to the Holy Spirit to controlling the flesh!  Who’s with me?

Living a life that honors God is not easy, but it is also not impossible.  Like Paul, we MUST forget the past which haunts us and press hard on to the future God has for us.  We cannot change what we've done, the sin we've committed, but having received Gods forgiveness we can submit to the work of the Holy Spirit and turn away from sin now and in the future.  If you have NOT ever asked God to forgive you of your sin and wash you clean as He has promised, RIGHT NOW is a perfect time to do so!  Repent  - turn away - from sin and ask God to cleanse you through the Blood of Jesus shed on a cross for YOU so long ago.  Believe that He has forgiven you and ask Him to live in your heart and guide you through this maze of life.  Prayer is our powerful weapon against all evil.  Lord,  I thank You that any and all who repent of sin, ask Your forgiveness and request the Holy Spirit to live in their hearts will RECEIVE what they ask and be transformed by Your spirit as they change their thinking and behavior to obey You.  I ask this in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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Speaking up, speaking out, speaking truth

Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord.  Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.


So goes a popular worship song, sang in many of our Evangelical churches.  We often sing without paying any attention to the words, being moved, greatly moved in our hearts even, by the melody or the feeling evoked.  Yet never really grasping the very words our lips are forming.  

Imagine if we actually received what we said, or sang.  Imagine if your eyes were truly opened to the Spiritual realm and you "saw" the Almighty God!  Would He be smiling benevolently?  Would the countenance of His face indicate that He was pleased with you, with what occurs in our world today?

I read recently that California passed a law which allows children, young children under the age of 18, to decide for themselves what "gender" they would like to emulate.  Boys are free to experiment, as are the girls, with behaviors and activities of either gender, in their dress, manner of action and usage of restrooms in the public schools.

WHAT?!?!  I hardly even know what to say to this.  In fact, my heart wants to shut my eyes to this and other abhorrent behaviors I see happening all around me.  I want to wrap myself in Gods truth and pretend these things don't affect me.  In essence, I fear this is what the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the fellowship of believers has done.  We've squeezed our eyes shut, as if, in not seeing, we don't have to acknowledge it, so we don't have to be concerned about it.

The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans chapter 4 verse 15 that "whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope."  The Old Testament has a lot to say to our world right now, today.  Though we do not live under Law, we can certainly learn from the Law.

Deuteronomy 28:67

In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

This scripture refers of course to the Jews, under the Law, who were suffering persecution from all around them.  But read those words.  When things are going SO WRONG, we find our hearts filled with dread and we wish that it were different than it is, that we wouldn't have to see the things we are seeing, experience what we are experiencing.

I find this is how I'm feeling, as I take a good look around me, and really SEE how the "way of the world" is going.  False idols, laws declaring sin is "legal", people deciding that snuffing out the life of other people is the humane thing to do, because they are in pain or their lives when compared to others is somehow less desirable.  Despicable acts of sin like adultery, fornication and lieing being tolerated in the lives of our leaders as if the consequences of these acts are of no more importance than squashing a bug.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons

Matthew 7:3-4

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

Verses like these can make us keep our mouths shut about speaking out,  for which of us has led a perfect life, that gives us ability to point at any other?  Not me, I can assure you.  My past is littered with my sin and error and foolishness.  For all my attempt to teach my own sons, the example of my life may keep them from repeating my mistakes, but it won't stop them from making their own.

We are a fallen world.  Many soften this by saying, "we live in a fallen world".  I prefer to state the obvious.  We ARE this fallen world.  I thank God that through Jesus, I am saved and delivered and have the opportunity to yield to Him in obedience and make every attempt to submit this sinful flesh to righteousness because I am washed in His blood and made clean.  The great sin I committed in ignorance and more often in arrogance is forgiven by God, and I am thankful.  By His grace, I am an overcomer.

But am I only responsible for myself?  Once set free, do I have an obligation to make this freedom known to others?Even others beyond just my family?  To more than just my friends?  I see from scripture that I am most certainly not original in my struggle.

Isaiah 6:10

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

To make the heart "fat" indicates make it unteachable.  Heavy ears so they won't hear the truth, understand the need for salvation, ask for forgiveness, and BE HEALED.  Now there is a selfish and unloving attitude, not wanting to share what has so freely been given to us.

But that is exactly what we are commanded to do.  Preach the Gospel.  The good news of salvation through Jesus, by His sacrifice in giving His very life, allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross to pay the penalty for OUR SIN, the penalty of death, so you and I can be forgiven, healed and set free.  

And once free ourselves, we are to share that same gift of salvation with others.  What others?  ALL OTHERS.  Whoever you come in contact with.  My boss?  My neighbor?  The stranger out in public?  As you have opportunity - yes, yes and YES.  Begin by sharing with your own family, your friends and then all around you.  Tell them of the reason you have HOPE, though this world is gravely sick and depraved.  Tell why you, though once a slave to sin as they are, have the strength, and peace, and joy of salvation.  That even now, when you stumble, when you fall to sins temptations, you are healed and delivered and forgiven.  Whether they choose to hear, to believe or to receive Gods great gift is between them and the Lord.  But Jesus commanded us (Acts 1:8) to tell it.

TELL THE WORLD THAT GOD LOVES THEM AND MADE A WAY OUT OF SIN FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.

Contradictions

Every once in awhile I am reminded that PEOPLE wrote Gods word.  As they were moved by the Holy Spirit, to be sure, theo pneunustos - "God Breathed", and over the many years since, God has diligently protected His word and kept it available to believers age after age.  I've NO DOUBT He will continue to do so until the day Jesus returns to gather the Saints to Himself...."and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

So when I say I am reminded people wrote the Word, what I mean by that is they received the inspiration (II Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness...)  but they wrote according to their vernacular, their syntax, in the language they understood.  Which when translated to different languages can easily result in a misunderstanding on the part of the reader.  That's how apparent "contradictions" exist.  Men have argued, fussed, fought and even killed over these supposed contradictions.  I am of the opinion that if Gods word appears to contradict itself, we need to dig a little deeper to dispel those contradictions, by expanding our overall understanding.

Hebrews 6: 4-6  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance  since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame.  
Yet in James 5: 19-20 we read  Brethren, if any of YOU err from the truth and another converts him, let him know that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sin.  And again in I John 1: 8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

These three verses would appear to be a contradiction, wouldn't they.  James is clearly talking to "Brethren" or brothers (and sisters) in Christ, those born again, members of the Household of Faith.  John is clearly talking to to believers with the use of the word "we".  So, is Hebrews speaking to unbelievers, or believers?  If we SIN after receiving salvation are we damned?  Or do we confess and receive forgiveness?  Hebrews would also clearly indicate that "re-salvation" is not an option, as it puts Christ to shame, like the first salvation "didn't take" and wasn't good enough.

Sounds like quite the confusing contradiction, and men have debated it for ages.  Scholars have applied all their great wisdom, and yet many of them still contradict each other.  Jesus said something similar to the Jews during His time of ministry on the earth.  Remember this scripture?  Luke 9: 62 " No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Jesus was addressing a certain people group - the Israelites, or Hebrews.  His own Jewish people.  The book of Hebrews was written to the same people group. There are LONG dissertations which explain this seeming contradiction in great detail, and if you are interested, just ask and I will gladly expand for those who have an interest.  For the sake of brevity here, then, is the short version.  There is NO CONTRADICTION AT ALL.  Taken as a "stand alone" verse, it would seem Hebrews 6 is a dire warning.  However, read in context and in light of all the information available, those particular verses are referring to those who have NOT had a true and heart changing encounter with the Lords Salvation gift.  The writer in Hebrews isn't specifically saying those in Christ who fall away are damned.  He is saying it is IMPOSSIBLE for those truly "born again" of Gods spirit to fall away.  

Yes, a believer may indeed sin - we know that we do in the weakness of our flesh, but we are convicted of that sin by Gods spirit that lives in us, and we repent, turn away from the sin, and God forgives us.  If someone is struggling mightily with sin a fellow believer may step in, praying for them and discipling them until they have the strength to stand on their own, as James indicates, and that is a GOOD THING.  Go back and re-read Hebrews.  Leave out all the man inserted chapters and punctuation and read the whole letter.  The writer of Hebrews is making a great, and valid point.

THOSE TRULY BORN AGAIN NEED NEVER CRUCIFY JESUS AGAIN, NEED NEVER "BE SAVED" A SECOND TIME, THEY NEED ONLY TO ASK AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS.  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE WHO TRULY REPENTED AND RECEIVED SALVATION TO "LOSE IT" TO THE END THEY NEED A SECOND DOSE.

Happy week to all.  We'd love to hear from you.  Comments are welcome below, and you are always welcome to email us directly.  REMEMBER:  WE ARE PRAYING FOR ALL OF YOU!

The CROSS

Several mornings ago, I actually woke up already singing a song - a hymn, maybe some of you know it as well.  The chorus goes like this:

At the Cross, at the Cross where I first saw the light; and the burden of my heart rolled away!  It was there by faith; I received my sight; and now I am happy all the day!

The Cross of Jesus Christ has such great and important meaning and is significant in EVERY way in our lives on a daily, moment by moment basis.  It is at the Cross that our sin was taken by Lord and we received redemption, forgiveness, a pardon from the things of which we truly were and are guilty of, yet He declared us NOT GUILTY and free indeed!

It is at the Cross that we find our HOPE and our PEACE when troubles beset us.

It is to the Cross we bring our sorrows and find comfort; we bring our tangled messes and find The Way; we bring our hurts and find healing.  Everything we need and will ever need is found at the Cross.  Christ gave Himself willingly to be crucified; to pay our penalty; to deliver us from bondage; to liberate us from the captivity of sin and satans schemes!

The CROSS is the crossroad of all Eternity.  It is there that we each, every individual, must make our Eternal choice.  There is no remaining at the corner without choice being made.  Whatever road we are traveling. our own and in some cases even already traveling a road of awareness of the Lord, there comes that POINT OF CONTACT, that central, pivoting moment when we must choose.

Surrender ourselves to the Lord and go in an upward journey of obedience into His will; or move on in our own way, following our own dictates and desires.
A horizontal journey - seemingly our own, but not truly, for it leaves us subject to the god of this world, the father of lies and darkness we call "the devil".


Or a vertical journey - living not as our own, but as children of the Living God, walking in obedience to His commands, seeking His will and receiving His mercy, grace and love.

At the CROSS; at the CROSS - is it where YOU will SEE THE LIGHT?  Isaiah spoke such eloquent prophesy in chapter 53:

 4: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.  5: but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed 6: all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one to his own way; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.

God has taken the most complicated, chaotic mess of humanity - SIN - and He has given a straight forward and simple solution - THE CROSS. Choose - our own way - or CHOOSE OBEDIENCE TO HIS WAY. One way leads to destruction; the other to redemption.

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?


Refrain 
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

Words: Isaac Watts (1707)