Courage

Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

It's incredible to hear the stories of faith contained in the Bible and down through history.  If you have a chance to read Fox's Book of Martyrs you will be amazed at the courage exhibited by persecuted Christians down through the ages.  There are Christians around the world that are bravely standing for their beliefs in societies where they know they will face persecution for their faith.  What is the incredible source of their boldness and courage?  Here in Hebrews 13:6 we see the true source of courage.  Courage for the Christian comes from knowing that the Lord is our helper.  We don't have to fear what man can do unto us.  We are safe and secure that when we leave this life we'll spend an eternity in the presence of our Lord in Heaven.  What do we really have to fear?  Matthew 10:28  "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  The only fear that should exist in our lives as believers is the fear of the Lord.  Don't let fear control your life.  Be a fearless Christian understanding whom the source of your courage is! 

The Pledge of Allegiance

On the national news today there was a spot about a school principal requiring parents to sign a permission slip in order for their children to be able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school.  What is happening to our country?  Is patriotism dying in this wonderfully blessed nation that we live in.  The United States of America was founded upon Christian principles.  All one has to do is to read the writings of our founding fathers and you will see mention of God in almost all of their works.  Our founding fathers understood that for our nation to prosper we had to give God his proper place.  Our children need to learn to have a love and devotion for our country.  This country has given so much to all of us.  Patriotism must survive.  We must love our country, but most importantly we must love our God.  Let us proudly proclaim that we are "One nation, under God."

1Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 

Contentment for Today

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

The word "Conversation" literally means our way of life.  There is a very real danger in the life of every believer.  When we allow ourselves to covet what others have we are on a bitter path that will lead us away from our Lord.  When we covet what others have it is essentially saying to God that we're not satisfied with what He has provided for us in our lives.  If we're not careful we will even find ourselves envying those that do not love God and are the "Children of wrath" according to the Scriptures.  That is a sad condition for the believer, to envy those that are destined to an eternity apart from God.  We must learn to be content with what our Heavenly Father has provided.  He knows exactly what we need.  We may not have everything we want, but God knows us better than we know ourselves.  If God is withholding anything from us we can rest assured that it is for our own good according to Romans 8:28.  The reason that we can find contentment in our day to day lives is that God has given us a wonderful promise to never leave us or forsake us.  If I always have God's presence with me every moment of every day how can I possibly be discontent.

Strong Drink

Pro 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 

The Bible is a book of tremendous wisdom.  It is not the wisdom of man, but the wisdom of God.  Modern society has lost its shame when it comes to the use of alcohol.  I'm not that old, but I can remember a time in our nation when it was an absolute shame for a woman to even buy alcohol.  You would never see a woman even buying it.  There were laws in place that did not even permit the purchase of alcohol on Sunday, the Lord's Day.  There were dry counties and places that didn't even permit the selling of liquor by the drink.  Our nation has drifted a long way from its moral foundations.  Every year our nation sees the costs of alcohol on our society.  People die on our highways driving and drinking every day.  The costs of addiction to our society is staggering.  How wise the Word of God when it says, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:  and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Who are you living for?

2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 

We see in this single verse of Scripture the scope of the Salvation offered through the Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for all.  Christ died for every man, woman and child that has ever or will ever live upon this earth.  Salvation is a free gift that is offered to all.  Jesus carried the sins of the whole world upon Himself when He died on the cross at Calvary.  God demonstrated His love toward us by allowing His only begotten Son to die for us at Calvary.  Christ demonstrated victory over the grave when He rose again on the third day.  If Christ was willing to lay down His life for us, the least we can do is live our lives for Him and not for ourselves.  If Christ has forgiven your sins through salvation, are you living for Him or yourself.  We all tend to be far more selfish than we should be.  If we're not careful we will expend all of our time and energy living for self and neglect what God wants us to do.  Let's pray and ask God to refocus our lives exactly where he wants it to be.

Finding Favor

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 

Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

 Everyone wants to live a long and prosperous life.  Many times our idea of prosperous is different than God's idea of prosperous.  God considers our life prosperous when we are living a life that is yielded to Him for His honor and glory.  If we will keep God's commandments in our life day by day our life will be greatly blessed.  Sin takes a toll on those that practice it day after day.  Think about the alcoholic or drug addict that has indulged in their sin for any length of time.  The sin shows in their countenance.  It isn't hard to tell if someone has been an alcoholic for years.  It shows on their face.  God challenges us through His Word to not let mercy and truth forsake us.  We should bind mercy and truth about our neck and write them upon the table of our heart.  If we will remember God's mercy at work in our life everyday and take time to study God's truth it will bring us to a place of truth in our life.  Not only can we know God's peace, but we learn that we will find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.  We find favour in God's sight because we are being obedient to Him.  We find favour in the sight of man because they see Christ manifested in our lives as we live our lives for Christ.

Ashamed of the Gospel?

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Are we ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?  The Gospel is the death, burial, resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The word "Gospel" means "Good news".  One might wonder how a message about death and burial could be good news.  It is good news because Jesus Christ paid the redemptive price for our sins on the cross by His shed blood.  He suffered and died for us, but that's not the end of the story.  Christ rose from the dead on the third day.  The Bible declares for us to be saved we must repent of our sins and believe these things about Christ and then we can call on Christ and be saved.  

As Christians we have experienced the good news of the Gospel, but are we sharing it with others?  Christ came to die for the sins of all mankind!  We have an incredible responsibility to go and to preach the Gospel to every creature.  To share the Gospel we have to tell it everywhere we go.  It's not enough to think that someone else is going to tell it.  God will put people in your path that I will never meet in this life.  I can't reach those people.  God has given you that responsibility.  Don't ever be ashamed of the Gospel, remember what it did for you and gladly share it with others.

Grace, then Peace

Php 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Php 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Php 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
Php 1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Time after time in the Pauline Epistles we see Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as he greets the churches use the phrase Grace be unto you and then peace.  The order of these two words is significant.  We have to experience God's grace through salvation before we can ever know the peace that God offers.  We live in a world of turmoil and distress where there is very little peace, but God offers peace to those that will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was thankful to God on every remembrance of the church at Philippi.  The church is a wonderful thing in the life of the believer.  It is a means that God uses to edify us as believers and to encourage us to continue our walk with the Lord.  It is a place where we gain strength for the spiritual battle ahead.  It's where we bear one another's burdens.  Paul was grateful for the place that the Philippian church held in his heart.  Paul's continual prayer for the church was that they would continue in their fellowship in the Gospel.  That is the true foundation that the church has for fellowship, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  If a church or person doesn't believe the Gospel we should have no fellowship with them.

Paul's confidence rested in the fact that Christ would continue to perform His work in the lives of the Christians of Philippi.  When Christ saves us it is simply a starting point.  Christ begins a work in our life to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ day by day as we walk with Him. 

 

A Righteous Man

Gen 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 

Gen 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. 

Gen 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. 

In Genesis 7 we see a very familiar story in the Scriptures.  It is the story of God's anger at a generation that had completely turned its back upon Him.  The Lord told Noah to build an ark because he was going to destroy all mankind, because of their wickedness.  When the appointed time came God called Noah into the ark along with his family.  The reason that Noah was saved is because God saw him as righteous.  He was righteous because he trusted God entirely, by faith.  He believed what God said and who God was!  God miraculously caused the animals to go to Noah on the ark and when the animals and Noah and his family were boarded the Bible tells us that the LORD shut him in.  

What a perfect place of peace and security.  We can get no more secure than when God seals us in.  God was going to keep this righteous man safe from the pending judgment that would fall upon the face of the entire earth.  God preserves His righteous from destruction.  In Sodom God sent angels to Lot to warn him of the pending disaster.  In the Book of the Revelation in chapter three, verse ten we see that God will keep His righteous people safe from the terrible time of judgment that will fall during the Tribulation.  

Children Obey Your Parents

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 

Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

We live in a selfish generation.  A generation that is very adept at putting self first.  We want our way at the exclusion of every other person, including our parents.  Somehow as young people we think we have all the answers.  We've reached some magical state of maturity at the age of twelve where we know everything about anything.  How can our parents dare suppose that they can tell us what we should do?  Who do they think they are?

Paul reminds the children at Ephesus of a very important biblical principle.  Children are to obey their parents in the Lord.  If their parents are walking with the Lord they have acquired godly wisdom as they have studied the Scriptures and walked with God.  Paul declares by inspiration of the Holy Spirit that for children to obey their parents is right!  Not only should children obey, but they are to honour their parents.  The word "Honour" means to esteem, to have a high estimation for.  We should hold our parents in high regard if they love God and want to live for God.  We should have a high estimation for their wisdom, their love and care for us.  They loved us and cared for us when we couldn't care for ourselves.  

Paul explains that if we'll do these things it will go well for us.  We are promised a special blessing of prolonging our days upon the earth if we will honour our parents. 

Not of Works

Ephesians 2:8-9 " For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

A preacher once said that if every good work that you or I did were a step, we could never build a stairway high enought to reach Heaven. The Bible is very clear on the fact that we are not saved through works. We are saved by faith by accepting the gift of God. The gift of God was salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible explains very clearly the reason for our salvation not being of works. If our salvation were of works we could stick out our chest and say, "Look what I've done!". God doesn't want man to take the glory for what He has done. Examine what your church teaches about salvation. If your church teaches that works are a requirement for your salvation then you may need to reevaluate your church situation. Works will definitely follow salvation, but they are not a requirement for salvation. Accept the free gift of God and be saved today!

Redeeming the Time

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Paul reminds the believers at Ephesus that they must walk circumspectly.  The word circumspectly means, cautiously; with watchfulness every way.  The Christian is to walk cautiously realizing that we have a very real enemy that is very adept at setting traps and snares before us.  Circumspectly means that we have to be watchful every way.  The things we do, the things we say, the places we go, the thoughts we think.  As Christians we have to guard our conversation (Manner of Life).  We represent the Lord Jesus Christ and we don't want  to do anything to bring reproach upon Him.  We are to walk as the wise, not as fools.  The world is full of people that want to chart their own course and live their lives according to their own desires.  To be wise we have to seek God's guidance and leadership in our lives.

Paul warns the believers to redeem the time.  One of the definitions for the word redeem is "To capture".  As believers we are to capture the time.  We realize that time is fleeting and we only have such a short time here in this life to carry out the work that God has called us to.  The days are evil because they have a way of filling our lives with temporal things that distract us from caring for the eternal things.  James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."  We don't know the span of our life.  We have to be diligent about doing the work that God has given us to do.  We don't know if we have another tomorrow.  Jesus understood this concept during His earthly ministry, John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."  Just as the night was coming for Jesus to complete His earthly ministry the night is falling for us.  There will be a time when we will lay down this body and leave this life behind and go out into eternity to face God.  Let's accomplish the work that God has given to us!

Walk in Love

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

What a wonderful privilege we have as believers to follow God.  Many count it a chore, but we should consider it to be one of the greatest blessings of our lives.  We can follow one who is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent.  He has all the power in the universe at His disposal to come to our aid in time of need.  He knows every thought that we think, every concern we have, every heartache and trial.  He is always with us.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  We are to follow as dear children.  Children have such a simple, trusting faith.  They believe everything that their father says without question.  They wholly trust their father to have their best interests in mind.  My how our faith should mirror that of a child.

We are commanded to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.  Christ gave everything He had for us.  He gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.  If Christ demonstrated His love for us by offering himself as a sacrifice, how can we do anything less.  Rom 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."   We need to demonstrate our love for God by offering our life a living sacrifice for others.  When people look at our lives they need to see the love of God manifested in all that we say and do.  

Walk in love and give your life in service for others!

He is our Peace

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Paul reminds the Christian believers at Ephesus of an important distinction that existed before Christ died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead.  Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians that they were in times past Gentiles or the Uncircumcision, as they were known by the Jews or the Circumcision.  At that time they were without Christ and aliens to the commonwealth of Israel.  They were strangers from the covenants of promise.  God's promises to the nation of Israel did not apply to them as Gentiles.  The church would do well to make a clear distinction in the Scriptures between those promises made to Israel and those made to the church.  The Gentile Ephesians had no hope apart from Christ.  Modern man has no hope apart from Christ.  Modern man is destined to an eternity in Hell apart from Christ, just as the Gentile Ephesians were.  Lost man is already under the condemnation of a Holy and Righteous God.  John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Paul reminded the believers that they were previously without God in the world.  What a sad condition, to be without God in the world.  Paul goes on to explain their new position in Christ.  "Ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."  There is only one way to go from being condemned to drawing nigh to God and that is by appropriating the shed blood of Christ at Calvary by faith in Him.  When we turn from our sin and turn to Christ by faith we can draw nigh to God.  Paul makes a tremendous statement, "He is our peace."  Christ is the means by which we can have peace with our God.  We can go from being at enmity with God to having peace with God.  Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  Rom 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. "

Precious Redemption

 Psa 49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

Psa 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

Psa 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever

The Word of God points out to us the folly of trusting in wealth or our riches.  There are many people in this world who are incredibly wealthy.  Every year Forbes magazine comes out with a list of the richest people in the world.  It's always interesting to look at these men and women and see where they made their fortunes.  It is tragic when these wealthy people put their trust in their riches instead of in the living God.  

The reason that the possession of great riches is futile is because riches will not allow you to redeem yourself or your brother from sin.  There are no amount of riches on earth that can pay the wages of your sin debt.  There is not enough wealth in the world to purchase redemption for one man, woman or child.  In verse 8 the Bible explains that the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.  This means that you could never acquire enough wealth to purchase or redeem your soul.  We can't redeem ourselves and we can't redeem our brother.  The only person that could redeem us was the Lord Jesus Christ.  He paid the wages for our sin debt on Calvary.  His blood was the payment for our sin.  If we will trust Him by faith we are redeemed, purchased by His blood and totally forgiven of our sin debt.  Praise God for His redemption, it is precious!

Envy the Evil?

Pro 24:1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Pro 24:2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

We have to be careful not to be envious of evil men.  Sometimes when we look at our circumstances and then compare them to the circumstances of those who care nothing about God we can become envious.  When we see the large homes, large bank accounts and fame of those that don't love God we need to remember that our treasures are above, not here on the earth.  The devil will provide many things to his children to keep them ensnared and uninterested in the things of God.  The preacher R.G. Lee preached a famous sermon "Payday Someday".  He understood as a Christian that our payday is out in eternity when we stand face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible instructs us that where our treasures are, there will our heart be also.  Far too many of God's people are concerned about laying up their treasures in this life.  Their eyes are so focused on material and temporal things that they fail to do what God has called them to do.  There should be nothing in our life more precious to us than being obedient to God.  If there is anything in your life that is keeping you from doing the will of God you have created an idol.  That person or thing has taken the most important place in your life.  It has usurped God's rightful place in your life.

Our verses point out another reason we shouldn't be envious of evil men.  Their hearts study destruction and their lips talk of mischief.  In comparison the hearts of the Christians should study life.  The eternal life that is available to lost man through the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.  We should study the abundant life that is available to us as we walk hand in hand with the Lord.  

Evil men's lips speak of mischief.  Christians lips should speak of edification and encouragement.  Our lips should be used to encourage the brethren.  Our lips should be used to pray and share the burden of other Christians.

Always remember when we are tempted to look at the wealth and riches of evil men, 1Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." As Christians our payday may not be in this life, but God is always faithful to His people.

The Power of the Tongue

Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Jas 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Have you ever stopped to consider the power of the tongue?  The tongue is just one small member of our body, but the Bible describes the tremendous power that it wields.  The Word of God draws us to some familiar illustrations to help us understand the control that the tongue exerts in our life.  

The first illustration is that of a bit in the horses mouth.  With just a little pressure on the rein to turn the bit and the huge horse will respond by turning its body.  Our tongue has the power to cause people to obey us.  I think of the words that Hitler used to turn his nation Germany against another race of people as he sought to destroy them.  Our words can cause people to obey us for evil or for good.

The second illustration is that of the sailing ships.  The ships are huge and majestic as they move through the water driven by the winds.  The tiny helm controls the direction of the ship.  Our tongues control our direction.  We can fill our lives with idle words that mean nothing of eternal value or we can use our words to encourage and edify.

The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.  Our tongue can literally destroy the lives of others.  All we have to do is make false accusations, tear down and destroy others.  Out west in California are huge areas that make the news every year because of wildfires.  The wildfires burn millions of dollars worth of land and homes.  Every wildfire starts with a single spark.  One little spark and in a short time there are tremendous, wind-driven flames racing through mountains and dells.  The tongue works exactly the same.  One small spark, even a seemingly innocent comment can turn into a huge, destructive situation leaving nothing but sorrow and misery in its wake.

Lord help us to guard our tongue each day.  We realize that we are still have our Adamic nature that we are tempted through to commit sin.  Help us to always say those things that lend themselves to encouragement and edification.  God help us to use our tongues to share the Gospel message and to bring honor and glory to you.

Raising Children

Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

What a wonderful promise from God's Word.  What a wonderful privilege we have of raising children.  One of the greatest blessings that God ever gave me was a wonderful son.  I know with the blessing comes great responsibility.  I have a God given duty to raise my son in the way he should go.  What is the way he should go?  He should have a desire to go God's way.  When my son was young I wanted to make absolutely sure he was in church.  I wanted him to learn as much Bible at church in Sunday school and in children's church as he could.  I reinforced that learning at home knowing that my child was born with a sinful, Adamic nature.  That sweet, curly headed little boy needed a Saviour, just like every other child born upon this earth since Adam's sin in the garden.  My child heard about Jesus at home and at church and the Holy Spirit of God softened his heart for the salvation message.  Thank God he trusted Christ at an early age.  Salvation is a jumping off point, not the absolute end result.  Once my child trusted Christ his walk with God had just began.   I realized that I had the duty of modeling the Christian walk before my child.  My child watches and learns from me and his walk with God will be a reflection of my walk with God.  What an incredible responsibility that entails.  The Bible teaches that we are to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  They are to understand who God is and that we should fear the Lord.  The Bible says that if we will train them they will not depart from their training.  I've seen young people raised in the church that make bad decisions and wandered away from God, but after some time passed and the Holy Spirit dealt with their heart they came back around.  They reverted back to the training they had received as young people in the church.  

How do we raise children that will walk with God?  We train them in the Word of God and model the Christian life before them.

In the Garden

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Have you ever sit and thought about how beautiful the Garden of Eden must have been.  God created a perfect environment for man and woman to abide in.  The only job was to dress the garden and to keep it.  There were apparently fruit trees in abundance in the garden.  God said of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.  I would imagine that every type of good fruit tree known to man probably existed in the garden.  Everything that man needed to make him happy was there in the wonderful environment that God had created for him.  We know from the Scriptures that God came and walked with man in the garden in the cool of the day.  What a wonderful place.  Man didn't have to worry about his safety, his well being, his peace or happiness.  God Himself was there to meet every need that man had.  It truly was paradise on earth.  Walking and talking with God in the cool of the day in a beautiful paradise.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

God had created a perfect environment for man out of His love for him.  God instructed Adam that he was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If he disobeyed God he would surely die.

We're so quick to criticize Adam and Eve for their disobedience and sin and the resulting paradise lost.  If we were honest with ourselves we would have to admit that we're just like Adam and Eve.  God has blessed us so much more than we could ever deserve.  He has given us homes, families, friends, jobs and so many other wonderful things and all He asks of us is obedience and we refuse to give it to Him.  We turn our backs on God and selfishly declare that we will live our lives the way that we see fit.  We will do it our way and not God's way.  How it must break the very heart of God that He has given us so much and we give so little in return.

In God's Image

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In these verses we see an incredible thought.  In verse 26 God said "Let us".  We see in these two Words the trinity.  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  All three are one God.  One God manifested in three different personalities.  How were they to make God?  In the image of God and after the likeness of God.  The God is a trinity, three parts.  Man has three parts body, soul and spirit.  We are created in the image and likeness of God.  God's command is that we have dominion over the animals of the earth.  The animals are in subjection or under our rule.  In verse 27 we see the fulfillment of the command given in verse 26.  God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

God didn't have to use some primordial ooze and some supposed spark to turn nothing into life.  God just took the dust of the earth formed it into man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.  Then he took a rib from the sleeping man and formed the first woman.  God who simply stepped out into nothingness and spoke the universe into existence by the power of His Word would have no problem creating man or woman.

Receive Instruction

Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 

Have you ever spent time talking with a know-it-all? It seems they know more about everything than you do about anything.  Have you ever taken time to sit with and counsel someone and every time you tried to instruct them from God's Word they told you the course they thought was best?    What is the problem with this person?  They are not teachable.  They will not receive instruction.  You may try to help them for a while, but in the end you throw up and your hands in desperation and leave them to set their own course.

The Bible instructs us in Proverbs 19:20 to hear counsel and receive instruction.  We have to be careful of where we receive our counsel and instruction!  The counselors and instructors that I seek after are those who take God's word and use it as the source of their instruction.  Opinions only go so far.  Opinions are the wisdom of man.  When the storms of life are blowing fierce in my life and I don't know which way to turn I can trust a Christian that points me to the answer in God's Word.  God's Word is the compass that I need to set my life by.  I can find God's solutions to my life's problems.  It's a wonderful thing when a Christian friend who has gone through the same thing in their life can sit down and share how God helped them.  They can encourage me through sharing how God's grace was sufficient in their time of need.  They can encourage me by taking time to share from God's Word and pray with me.  Thank God for a good church that can surround you with the love of God during difficult times.

The Bible says that the result of man that will hear counsel and receive instruction is that they will be wise in their latter end.  If we take counsel and instruction from God's Word and allow it to impact our life the end result will be that we will become wise.  Not with the wisdom of man, but the wisdom that God teaches in His Word.

Be teachable!  No matter how long we live we'll never know all there is to know about the Christian life.  We will definitely never learn everything about God's Word.  Keep learning, studying and applying what you learn and God will greatly bless your life.

The Lord is a Strong Tower

Pro 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.  

There are times in this life when the storms loom on the horizon and we  don't know what to do.  The Word of God reminds us of something tremendously important in this verse.  The name of the Lord is a strong tower:  the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.  When we are being pursued by the enemy  there is no place better to run to than the strong tower.  In the strong tower we find safety, we find protection, we find a refuge.  In the strong tower we find a place that can endure safely against the onslaught of the enemy.  What a blessed hope this is in the life of every believer.  When we feel we can't stand against the enemy a moment longer we can run into the strong tower and be safe.

The Stone set at Nought

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Peter and John were called before Annas, the high priest and Caiaphas to give account of themselves for preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ and healing the lame man in front of the temple.  The rulers scribes and priests were all gathered together and requiring Peter and John to explain themselves.  In verse 8 we see that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and He began to speak. Peter explained that nothing was done in his power to heal the man.  It was the power of Jesus Christ that had healed the man.  Peter then describes the stone that was set at nought by the builders.  If the Jews would have accepted Christ as their Messiah He would have become the foundation stone for their kingdom.  The kingdom could have been ushered in.  He came unto His own and His own received Him not.  This rejected stone has become the head of the corner.  The kingdom became even greater through the inclusion of the Gentile nations.  When Israel rejected Christ as its King, God reached out for the wild olive branches and grafted them in.  We as Gentiles have the blessing of salvation because God's chosen people rejected Christ.  In verse 12 we see one of the greatest verses in the Scriptures.  There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  Modern society would have you to think that there are many ways to get to heaven, but God's Word clearly declares without apology or equivocation that the name of Jesus Christ is the name whereby sinful man may come and be saved.  Jesus declared this Himself emphatically in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  The only way to the Father is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Have you taken the right way to the Father?  A good name, good works, baptism alone will never reconcile you to God.  You must by faith come to Christ.  

Living Water

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Jesus was sitting on Jacob's well and a Samaritan woman had come to draw water.  Jesus asked the woman to draw water for him.  The woman was amazed by Jesus' request because the Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans.   The Jews considered the Samaritans to  be half breeds;  they were half Assyrian and half Jew.  In the discussion with the woman Jesus did what he often did, he drew on familiar objects to illustrate a spiritual point.  Jesus told her if she knew the gift of God and who it was that asked for a drink of water she would have asked Him and He would have given her living water.  The woman didn't understand what Jesus was referring to.  She still thought Jesus was talking about physical water in verse 11.  Jesus informed her that if she drank of the water in the well she would thirst again.  If she took of the living water that He offered she would never thirst again.  We understand that the living water that Jesus offered was salvation.  This is a wonderful picture of the security of the believer.  If we take of the living water, salvation, we will never thirst again.  Once I am saved by faith in Christ I will never thirst for salvation again.  That living water will be living water that will be springing up eternally in our life.  The woman desire the living water that Jesus offered.  How about you?  Do you desire to have the living water that Jesus offers?  It will eternally quench a thirsty soul that is seeking peace and security in a hectic world!

One Nation Under God

Pro 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. 

When we examine our nation closely we are forced to make a decision on it's condition.  The Word of God draws a contrast.  On one hand we see a blessing and on the other we see a reproach.  What makes the difference?  Righteousness!  God will exalt a nation that manifests righteousness.  In the Old Testament we see a wonderful illustration of the biblical principle.  

God's chosen people the nation of Israel were instructed to go into the Promised Land and to possess it.  Joshua led Israel into the promise land and they marched around the city of Jericho and followed God's instructions on how it was to be done.  We all know the end of the story.  Jericho fell to the hands of Joshua and Israel and they celebrated a great victory.  Israel was exalted as they followed God's instruction and God's way. After Israel conquered Jericho they endeavored to go up and conquer Ai, but their mission failed.  Joshua knew that something was wrong and sought the Lord for the reason for their failure.  God had instructed the nation of Israel not to take of the accursed thing.  Achan one of the men of Israel disregarded God's instructions and took of the accursed thing.  Notice his confession in Joshua 7:21 "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."  The sin of one man became a reproach to the entire nation of Israel.

The principles of God's Word remain the same for any nation.  God never changes according to the Book of Hebrews 13:8.  If a nation turns away from God and turns toward sin the result will be a reproach upon that nation.  When we look at our own country, the United States of America, we see a nation that was founded upon Christian principles.  Founded by men that knew and loved God and wanted to see biblical principles lived out by this new nation.  Over time, just like Israel and many other nations we have seen a moral and spiritual decline in our nation.  We see sin rampant on every hand.  We see people with no time for God or any of the things of God.  We see a nation that has forgotten the righteousness of God but has grown increasingly darker as we move along our own paths, giving our lives over to selfish pursuits without regard for others.  We kicked God our of our public schools and declared that nativity scenes had no place on the lawn of public buildings.  We have forgotten whom it was that has blessed our nation for so many years.  The only thing left to us is the reproach of sin.  The only hope is that of a spiritual revival taking place in our land.  God's people humbling themselves and seeking God's face and earnestly praying for that which only God can do.  As God's children it's time to stand and not give place to the encroaching darkness, but allow the light of God to shine through us to a cold, dark world.

Meditate Day and Night

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The word "Blessed" means happy.  That is the state of the man that does not seek or take advice from the ungodly.  His desire is to seek God's will and God's direction in his life.  Not the opinion of sinful man who knows nothing about godly wisdom.  Blessed is the man that does not stand in the way of sinners.  He doesn't follow after sinners along the path of destruction that they are following.  He cares nothing about being part of the "In" crowd.  The crowd that he wants to be a part of is God's people.  Blessed is the man that doesn't sit in the seat of the scornful.  A scornful attitude will poison a person's whole life.  When a person always criticizes and is critical of everything that person will not know God's blessing on their life.

There is a blessed result of not seeking counsel from the ungodly, standing in the way of sinners or being scornful.  The result is that this person will delight in the law of the LORD.  He will not spend his time on the being negative all the time, but will meditate upon the law of the LORD day and night.  What a wonderful privilege we have of reading, studying and meditating upon the precious Word of God.  Our hearts are blessed when we open our Bible and allow God to speak to our hearts from His Word.

In verse three we see a promise for this blessed man.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.  A tree by the river draws life giving water from the river.  As believers we draw our life giving water from the Word of God.  As we meditate and study the Word of God and then apply it in our lives we will bring forth fruit in our season.  The blessed man's leaf will not wither.  He will experience the abundant life that God has for us as believers.  Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  It will prosper because he will be applying spiritual truths from the Word of God in his life.  We can have a prosperous life if we will seek God first.  

False Teachers

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul, writing by inspiration, marveled that the people of Galatia had removed from him that had called them into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.  The people had not held fast the doctrines of Christianity that they had been taught and had received.  Paul was amazed at how quickly the church had moved away from the truth of the doctrines that they had been taught.  Paul explained that the gospel was really not another.  There is only one Gospel and that is the Gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  There were false teachers that arose taking the gospel and seeking to pervert it.  That word "Pervert" literally means, "To twist".  The desire of these false teachers was to take the doctrines of God and make subtle adjustments to it so that the changes wouldn't be too obvious.  We still have to be on guard today against false teachers that would pervert the Gospel of Christ.  We can detect them by comparing their teaching against the Word of God.  If their teaching doesn't line up with the Bible we know that they are a false teacher.  Paul makes a very serious declaration in verse 8.  Paul said if we preach, or an angel from Heaven preaches another gospel let him be accursed.  The word "Accursed" is a very serious word.  It literally means to be under a curse or devoted to destruction.  That is how very serious God sees the danger of false teachers.  God's Word declares that false teachers should be accursed.  In verse 9 we see the same declaration made a second time.  If God's Word repeats something twice we would do well to pay attention.  God is obviously trying to make sure we understand exactly what He is saying.  Don't be ensnared in false teaching.  We have God's Word as  our standard to examine all teaching by.  If you're a believer you have the indwelt Holy Spirit to give you spiritual discernment and to help you recognize false teaching and teachers.

Walk in Love

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Paul addressing the church at Ephesus encouraged the Christians in Ephesus to be followers of God, as dear children.  In the midst of a society which worshiped false god.  Paul, by inspiration, tells the believers to be followers of God.  There is only one true God and Paul declares him to be Jehovah.  Paul tells the believers to follow God as dear children.  When we think of a child following their dad we have a picture of total trust.  The child knows that they can trust their father from experience.  The child knows the father only has their best interests in mind.  The child loves their father and delights in walking and talking with him.  We need to treat our heavenly Father just like a child treats their earthly father.  Our trust should be a simple trusting faith.  It should be total trusting that God will only do that which is best for us.  We should delight in spending timing walking and talking with our heavenly Father.

In verse two we see that we are to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.  We are to take the love that Christ demonstrated toward us and share the love of Christ with others.  The love of Christ as demonstrated at Calvary provided the means for our salvation.  The greatest love that we can demonstrate is to share that same message with others.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus gave Himself as an offering and a sacrifice.  His sacrifice was a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to God.  Let us give our lives in service to Christ as a willing sacrifice that our service for Christ might be a sweet-smelling savour to God.

The Beginning of Wisdom

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 

The best that man can ever hope for apart from the Lord is to have the wisdom of man.  In comparison to the wisdom of God there is absolutely no comparison.  The unsaved man has a natural mind.  A mind that cannot receive the things of God.  The natural man cannot understand the things of God.  A man that has never came to God by faith cannot understand the precious teachings of the Word of God.  1Co 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

When and where does wisdom begin?  It begins when we trust Christ by faith and become a child of God.  It is at that point that we see the LORD for who He is.  He is the solitary source of our salvation.  When we see God as He is, through salvation, wisdom begins in the life of the believer.  It is at that moment, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and begins the process of teaching the believer what he needs to learn in order to be conformed day by day into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The believer now has the ability to understand and apply spiritual truths from God's Word in their own lives.  Our key verse teaches us that, "The knowledge of the holy is understanding."  Our spiritual eyes are opened and we see things as they really are.

Before my own salvation I had no understanding of the truths of the Bible.  I didn't understand God's working in the lives of believers.  I didn't know how to seek God's guidance in my life.  I didn't really see myself or the world around me as it really was.  When I trusted Christ and His finished work at Calvary.  God turned on the light switch in my life and dispelled the darkness.  I can see myself as I really was, a sinner that was under the condemnation/ judgment of God and destined for a terrible place called Hell for all eternity.  When I trusted Christ by faith He forgave all of my sins, past, present and future and transformed every part of my life.  I literally went from a Hell-bound sinner to a child of the Living God.   God has promised us as believers we will reign with Him as kings and priests.  What a change!  What a transformation!  Praise be to our Lord for His great love, wherewith He loved us!

Waiting for Instruction?

Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

In the book of Proverbs we are instructed to Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.  The source of the instruction is very important.  As Christians we are to  receive our instruction from the Word of God.  God is the ultimate source of all wisdom and His Holy Word is the best instruction book that there is for our marriage, our life, our Christian walk and to tell us all we need to know in order to be reconciled to God and know that Heaven will be our eternal home.  Proverbs paints a beautiful picture of the believer waiting daily at the gates to receive instruction.  Daily waiting at the posts of the doors to receive what God has for him.  We need to come daily to the Word of God with an expectant heart ready to receive what God has for us.  The primary instruction of the Word of God is to teach us how to be saved.  In verse 35 of this passage of Scripture we are told that ,"For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord."  Meditate upon His Word and your heart will be blessed and richly rewarded as you learn what God has for you.

God's Controversy

Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. 

This verse contains one of the most sobering statements in the Scriptures.  "The LORD hath a controversy with the nations."  As the LORD looks at the nations the Bible declares that God has a controversy with them.  The nations have gone their own way, which is away from God and His direction.  The nations have turned their backs upon the Lord and declared that they will do that which is right in their own eyes.  In America we have turned our back on God and declared that He has no place in our schools.  The courts have declared that there is no place for the Lord.  Communities have ordained that there should be no outward representations of God i.e. nativity scenes.  Saddest of all, many families have declared we have no time and no place for God.  What a sad condition when the creation has no room for the Creator.  

What is the LORD's response?  "He will plead with all flesh;"  God is not willing "That any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  II Peter 3:9  God pleads with wayward man to turn back to Him and His leadership for the nations.  What a tremendous blessing when a nation follows the teachings contained in the God's Word!  "Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD."  America was founded upon the Christian principles contained in the Bible.  How sad that we have decided that man's way is better than God's way.  It's not surprising that we have kids killing kids, a divorce rate over 50%, the devastation of families on every hand, drug addiction running rampant across our land with its attendant crime and  heartbreak.  

God will come with judgment, "He will give them that are wicked to the sword..."  God gives room for repentance, but for those nations that forget the Lord He will bring judgment.  Our God is a loving God, but His perfect holiness requires judgment for sin.  Let us pray that our nation will move back to God before His judgment falls.

Definition of a Fool

"The fool hath said in his heart There is no God."  Psalm 14:1  The Bible declares that the man that says there is no God is a fool.  The reason that man is a fool is that God has shown Himself to man through his creation.  If I sit here and look at this laptop that is before me I realize there is a creator of the laptop.  The laptop is complex in its design.  It consists of circuit boards, transistors, capacitors, resistors, chemical etchings, light emitting diodes, magnets and plastic keys.  This list is not anywhere near complete.  It has so many more components.  Common sense will tell me if I examine the complexity of the computer that there has to be a person that created it.  It didn't come into being all by itself.  A person that would look at such evidence and declare that there was no creator is simply being willfully ignorant.  They see the clear evidence, but refuse to acknowledge the same.  We see the same thing declared about man in Romans 1:19-23.

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

They wouldn't accept the true God, but fashioned themselves gods in their own image, the image of corruptible man.  When man will not worship God he has to create something to worship.  

Wouldn't it just be easier to accept that God is the creator of man and the universe and trust Him with our lives and our futures.  Don't be foolish!  Trust God.

Break the Chains

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Paul was addressing the Christians at the church in Rome.  The danger was of Christians  yielding themselves as instruments of unrighteousness.  Giving themselves over to the dominion or mastery of sin in their lives.  The Christians were instructed to yield their members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  They were to use their feet to carry the good news of the Gospel to others.  Lift their voices to tell of their wonderful Saviour.  They were to use their lives as a willing sacrifice to the cause of Christ.  Once we become a child of God sin has no more dominion over us unless we choose to allow it to be the master of our life.  We have the indwelt Holy Spirit and the Word of God to show us how to yield ourselves to God.  We have God's grace at work in our lives at salvation and throughout our lives.  Let's realize that we have freedom from the dominion of sin in our lives and yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness that God can use for His glory and honor.

Peer Pressure

Proverbs 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

When we think about peer pressure we think about a teenager being confronted with sin and his or her friends trying to get them to go along with the group.  Unfortunately it's not only teenagers that succumb to peer pressure.  We are born with a desire to fit in with the crowd and if we're not very careful that desire can end up being a snare to us.  The devil has a way of putting exactly the wrong people in our path to sway us from the path that God has for us.  The best course of action is laid out for us in the Word of God.  "Consent thou not."  When the devil places temptation before us, consent thou not.  When our families insist that we go with them somewhere or some place that we are not comfortable with, consent thou not.  When our friends or colleagues want us to go along and we know that it will jeopardize our testimony, consent thou not.  Let's face it we will be confronted with temptation, when we are consent thou not.

The Carnal Mind

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Paul addresses the church at Rome and gives them a stern warning in this passage of Scripture.  To be carnally minded is death.  The carnal mind is at opposites with the mind of Christ mentioned in Philippians 2:5.  Carnal is defined as having to do with the flesh and it's appetites and passions.  It means temporal and worldly.    The carnal mind is concerned with self.  Christians have to be careful not to be come self absorbed with the world and all of its allurements.  When we get preoccupied with the temporal we can leave out God and His will in our lives.  God has a perfect plan for each of our lives.  When we get our eyes off of God's plan and live according to our own plan it literally becomes death.  The most miserable person on earth is the Christian that has wandered away from God and is living his or her life in selfish pursuits.  Outward the carnally minded Christian may seem to be living it up, but inside there is emptiness and discontent.  On the other hand, to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Jesus spoke of life and having it more abundantly.  The life that is lived for Christ is filled with the excitement of carrying out God's purpose in your life.  The life that is lived for Christ brings a peace that passeth all understanding.  A peace to stand firm in the storms of life.  A peace in the stillest and darkest night as we rest knowing that God is sovereign and in control of our lives and will never permit more in our lives than we can handle with His help.  Paul gives the church a choice, live carnally and fail to please God or spiritually minded and know the abundant life and a wonderful peace that God brings to pass in the life of the believer as we lean upon Him.

God's Great Love

Eph 2:4 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us," 

When we really take a look at ourselves we stand in amazement at the great love that God loves us with.  We know that we are all together unlovely when we compare ourselves to the holiness of God.  The Bible presents a parallel truth in Rom 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  The word "Commendeth" means that God demonstrated his love to us when we were totally undeserving of His love.  How did he demonstrate his love?  He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross.  Christ's death was a demonstration of God's love for us.  As humans it's hard for us to truly understand the depth of God's love for us.  As humans when someone offends or hurts us we can withdraw our love from them.  God never withdraws His love from us.  He loves us with an unconditional love.  He always wants the best for us.  The best for us is to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and yielded to God's will for our life.  When I'm happy God loves me.  When I'm sad God loves me.  When I hurt God loves me.  When I'm lonely God loves me.  There is absolutely nothing on this earth as great as the Love of God.  God demonstrated His love through the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is God's love that made it possible for us to have eternal life in Heaven, by His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Judgment will Fall

Pro 28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. 

It's amazing to watch people with no fear of the Lord.  They live their lives like there is no tomorrow, grabbing for everything they can acquire in this life.  The important thing that they forget is that there is a tomorrow coming whether it is in this life or out in eternity.  The Bible speaks very clearly on this topic.  Heb 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:".  There is no one that will escape the judgment of a holy and righteous God.  We will all stand before God in Judgment.  Those who have trusted Christ by faith will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Those who have lived for themselves in this life and never trusted Christ will stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne Judgment.  Listen to these verses that describe that terrible judgment in the Book of Revelation.  

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

What a tragic end for any man or woman.  Those whose names were not found written in the Book of Life were cast into the lake of fire.   Our beginning verse says that, "Evil men understand not judgment..."  If they truly understood this judgment it would change their lives.  They would realize there is a judgment for sin and a consequence that must be paid for living an evil and selfish life.   They would come to the understanding that Christ paid the penalty for their sins on the cross at Calvary.  All they have to do is repent of their sin and trust Christ by faith, believing that He died on the cross for them and that He was raised to life on the third day.  If they will do this they can become a new man.  God will perform a wonderful work of grace in their life. 

They that seek the Lord will understand all things.  How do we seek the Lord?  We seek him through prayer and in His Word.  If we spend time seeking God in His Word we will understand all things.  That is because the Bible is such a relevant Book for our lives today that it speaks to every part of our life.  The Bible will meet every need of our lives if we will seek God's answer in His Word.  It has the answers to our church needs, our marital needs, our family needs and our psychological needs.  If we'll seek God He will provide the answers and help that we need.  Are you struggling with some problem and there seems to be no solution?  Seek God's answer in His Holy Word!
 

The Crucial Aspects of the Cross

 

Colossians 1:12-22

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

The word "Crucial" means "Of vital importance, especially in regards to a decision or result.

There are five crucial aspects to the cross:

1) Salvation - It speaks of Christ as our sacrificial lamb. John 1:11-12, 29

2) Sanctification - It speaks of Christ as Lord of our Life. Ro. 10:9-13 It is an act of submission. Ro. 12:1-2

3) Who you are - It speaks of Christ as our Life. Ro. 6:4-11; Col. 3:4

4) Emancipation - It speaks of Christ as our Liberator. Lu. 4:16; Col. 2:13; Ro. 8:21; Jn. 6:36

5) Direction - It speaks of Christ as our Leader. Lu. 9:23-26; Gal. 5:6

This sermon was preached this Sunday by our faithful Pastor. Take the time to study out these verses and allow God to use them to speak to your heart and to help you grow spiritually.

When Should I Rejoice?

Php 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."

The word "Rejoice" literally means to be happy, to take delight in, to be full of cheer.  When we look at many Christians we would think they were the chief participant at a lemon chewing contest.  When and why should we rejoice in our Christian lives?  Paul was commanding the believers at Philippi to rejoice always.  There was never a time that the Christians shouldn't be rejoicing in their Lord.  I'm sure you've discovered as I have that it's easy to rejoice in the good times when God's blessings are falling like the dew from Heaven.  When we're on the mountain top and everything is going our way how easy it is to praise our God and rejoice in the fact that we are His children.

What should we do when the dark days come?  The valley experiences, when there is trouble seemingly on every hand?  When we're tempted to crawl into bed and pull the covers over our head and never re-emerge.  What does the Bible say we should do in those grim circumstances?  We find our answer in the same verse.  REJOICE IN THE LORD  ALWAY!  One of  the greatest lessons I've ever learned in my Christan life is that God always does what is best for us.  The Book of James tells us we shouldn't be surprised when trials comes to pass in our lives.  God permits those times of testing for a purpose.  God's purpose is to strengthen us in our walk and our reliance upon Him.  God uses trials  to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We should rejoice that God loves us enough to teach us the hard lessons, to fashion us to become like His dear Son, Jesus Christ.  God understood that the Philippians would ask this same questions about times of trial and testing so He reiterated the command twice.  "And again I say, Rejoice".

Rejoice in God in times of feast and famine understanding that God always allows everything to happen in our lives for our good.  Sometime we don't understand why God is doing something, but we can always trust Him.  He loves us with an unconditional love.

Man's Real Condition

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me

Many times when we speak of another person we often find ourselves saying, "He's a pretty good guy!"  In reality none of us are good guys or gals.  We have a nature that is totally depraved.  In our Flesh there is no good thing as we see from the biblical text.  When we try to do good in our own power we find out that we are a miserable failure, because we dwell in the flesh.  The Apostle Paul understood this concept.  He knew that the good that he wanted to do he neglected.  The evil that he didn't want to do, he found himself doing it.  Paul understood the source of this conflict was the sinful  nature that he still had, even though he was a saved man.  

We have to be on guard continually in our Christian life.  If we let down our guard we are fully capable of being tempted into committing any sin that a lost man or woman can commit.  We have to give the Holy Spirit control in our life and seek His guidance.  That is the only lasting solution till the day that we lay this earthly body down and go out into eternity to be with our Lord.  We have to step down from the throne of our life and enthrone Him that deserves to reign in our lives.  Trust God to guide you safely around the traps and snares that the devil would set before you.

Solution to Strife

Php 2:3 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

In our homes, marriage, churches and on the job there is always a tendency toward strife or conflict with others.  If we would be honest with ourselves we know that we are all more selfish than we want people to realize.  I'm reminded of the cell phone commercial where the dad is passing out new phones to the family and he walks out the front door of his house, reaches into his pocket, pulls out a phone and declares, "Saved the best for numero uno!"  When we are selfish our focus is turned toward doing everything to make our own selves feel better.  We make decisions and act in our own interests first putting everyone else and their needs second.  Unfortunately, one of the people that we put second in our life is God.  We have a choice every day of our life.  We can live for ourselves or we can live for God.  If we make the decision to put God first.  He will do a work in our hearts and lives that will make it easy to esteem others better than ourselves.  He will give us a heart of compassion for others.  He will develop in us a servant's heart.  A heart that puts others and their needs ahead of our own.  We will put our wives, families, co-workers, neighbors and fellow Christians ahead of ourselves.  We will begin to serve others as Christ did when He walked upon this earth as God manifested in flesh.  Strife will not reign in our lives if we'll simply expend our lives ministering to others.

Mat 20:28 "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
2Co 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I don't know about you, but as I am starting to age I've notice some strange sounds when I rise from my bed in the morning.  There are creaking, popping and snapping sounds.  They're not coming from the bed, but my knees and back as I rise to face the day.  I know as time passes there will be more physical problems just around the next bend.  Many of you know far more of physical suffering than I do.  What a wonderful promise we have in the Word of God, that God has another body waiting for us.  It will be our glorified resurrection body.  A body that will know none of the physical pains of this body.  What a wonderful thing to be eternally pain free.  

We see another precious promise in V. 5.  God has given to us the earnest of the Spirit.  If you have ever entered into a business deal you may have been required to put up earnest money to show that you would carry through on your end of the deal.  The same idea is conveyed here.  At the moment of salvation God gives us the earnest of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit indwells us as believers.  Our bodies literally become the temple of the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Spirit is God's indication to us that the transaction will be completed.  When we leave this life we will be clothed upon with immortality and spend eternity in the presence of the Lord.

In v.7 we see that we are to live our lives by faith.  We can't stare into the face of our Lord in this life so it requires us to believe and trust God without seeing him.  Moses left Egypt behind by faith.  Heb 11:27 "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible."   If we only live our Christian lives by sight, we're not going to go very far in our walk with God.  God challenges us as believers to walk by faith.  Simply trust God to do what He says He will do.  Step out by faith and God will meet you there.

In v.8 we see as believers that the moment that we vacate our bodies in death we will instantly be in the presence of our Lord.  Death isn't an end for the believer!  It's simply a threshold that we step across into the very presence of our Lord. Paul had a desire to be absent from his body and to be present with the Lord, but he understood that is was more needful for him to remain and be a blessing and a help to the church.  Philippians 1:23 "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." 

You may be in great physical pain today, but if you're a child of God there is coming a day when pain will be no more.  Praise be to our Lord.
 

Coming Boldly Into God's Presence

Heb 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

What a wonderful privilege we have as believers to be able to come boldly into the presence of an Omnipotent God.  The God that we serve is all powerful.  He stepped out into nothingness and simply spoke this entire universe into existence with the power of His Words.  What a privilege to carry our cares and concerns to Him who has the power to meet every need in our life.  The way of access was opened to us when Christ shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for our sins.  No longer as believers did we have to carry animal sacrifices to the High Priest that he might offer the sacrifice as an offering for our sin.  Now we are able to come into the very presence of our God through prayer.  We can petition Him directly and He will respond to us as a loving Father responds to his child.  God loves us and there is nothing in our lives that is so insignificant that it is unimportant to our God.  He cares and He wants us to spend time talking to him.  How sad it is when our earthly children don't take time to talk to us.  I think our Heavenly Father is saddened when He has done so much for us and we don't even care enough to spend time speaking with Him.  Don't ever take for granted the wonderful privilege we have of prayer.

Justification

The Bible clearly teaches us that at the moment we are saved we are justified in the sight of a Holy God.  God declares us to be righteous in His sight as He looks at us through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary.  It is like a judge in a courtroom declaring someone absolutely innocent.  As if they never committed the crime in the first place.  What  a wonderful thought, that as God looks at us He doesn't see our lives filthy and polluted by sin.  He sees the righteousness of Christ that has imputed to us.  Christ's righteousness literally placed on our account.  We will never face condemnation because we stand justified before a Holy God.  Praise God for His wonderful mercy.  Acts 13:39  "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Where Do I Fit In?

Many people spend their whole lives wondering, "Where do I fit in?".  Once a person trusts Christ by faith they fit perfectly into the local New Testament Church.  The Bible teaches that every believer is gifted to carry out some part of the work in the local church.  When I consider the church I think about my mom and how she always likes to work puzzles.  When she first opens the box and pours out all the pieces, some time as many as one thousand, onto a table it looks like a jumbled mess, there is chaos and disorder everywhere.  The puzzle sure doesn't look like the beautiful picture on the front of the box.  It's amazing to watch her take the pieces of puzzle and slowly, but surely fit piece by piece together, lovingly creating a beautiful picture from the confusion of pieces on the table.  When believers in the church aren't exercising their spiritual gifts the church will never be what God intends for it to be.  God has a perfect will for every believer as they carry out the work of the local church.  When the believers are sensitive to God and His leading they will fit together perfectly in the church and create a beautiful picture of unity and harmony as the church strives together to carry out the ministry that God has called them to.

If you're wondering where you fit in, I would challenge you, if you're a believer to allow the Holy Spirit to plug you into your place of service in the church.  All it requires is an obedient and yielded heart and God can show you where you fit in His perfect plan for your life!

1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.

If I Sin, What Then?

It would be wonderful if we trusted Christ and became a child of God and never, ever had any tendency to sin.  We know from experience that is not the case.  Every one of us has the old Adamic nature residing within us until the day that the Lord calls us out into eternity.  When Adam and Even sinned in the Garden of Eden against the Lord a sinful nature was bestowed upon every human born from that moment forward.  When we are saved we receive a new nature by the indwelling Holy Spirit, but that old nature, the flesh is always lurking in the shadows of our life.  The Bible clearly teaches us that we are tempted by Satan through the flesh, that nature that causes us to do what is wrong.  When we fail in our Christian life and sin against God.  What do we do then?  If we look in the Scriptures at Psalm 51 we find David at a point of tremendous sadness and repentance for his sin.  David had sinned with Bathsheba, another man's wife and when she had become pregnant with his child he had the man put at the front of the battle and killed in order to conceal his sin.  God sent the prophet Nathan to David to reveal to him how abominable his sin really was in the sight of God and in Psalm 51 we see David's prayer of repentance.  

Psa 51:1 "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 

Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

In I John 1:9 we notice the word "Confess" that world literally means to "agree with God".  When we see our sin as a Holy God sees it, then we can respond in repentance and confession and God will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

In Ps. 51:3 We see David acknowledging his transgression to God and realizing whom His sin was really against.  Our sin is a direct affront to the God who loved us and gave himself for us.  We should always be quick to confess our sin to God to ask God for His forgiveness.  I have a dear friend that pastored for many years and he always preached from the pulpit, "Keep short accounts with God!".  He was reminding Christians that when we sin against God we should immediately upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit make things right between us and God by confession of our sin to God.  When we see our sin for what it is and confess it to God, He is always standing faithful to forgive us and cleanse us so we can preserve the right walk with Him.

Loving the Unlovely

One of my friends caught my attention this morning with a comment that she put on her Facebook page.  She said, "There's never a shortage of people standing in line to mentor/ disciple those who appear to have a promising future, but the only ones standing in line behind those who really need help are waiting to mock, judge or condemn."  It's easy to spend time helping those who have it all together.  They have a nice car, a nice house, lots of money, a good family and great friends.  We want to spend time with them and fellowship, but what about those people that get saved and trust the Lord that carry with them the dress, the markings and the scars of their previous life away from God?  Don't these new believers deserve to have someone to sit down with them and begin the necessary process of discipling them.  I can't help but be reminded of Saul when he got saved on the road to Damascus.  The new believers were afraid to have anything to do with Saul because he had been a persecutor of the Christians.  He had been responsible for putting many Christians into prison and condemning them to death.  God appeared to Ananias and told him to go to Saul, but Ananias protested.  Act 9:13 "Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:"  God responded by telling Ananias to "Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me".  You never know what God is going to do with the person that God calls you to disciple.  When Ananias looked at Saul he only saw a killer and persecutor of the Christians.  God saw a man that was to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.  Whose life can we impact today as we follow God to disciple fellow believers?