The First and Second Adam

Romans 5:17  "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

In this Scripture verse we witness an incredible contrast between two men.  The contrast is drawn between the first Adam and the Second-Adam.  The first part of the verse reveals to us how sin passed upon all of mankind throughout history.  Adam's original sin in the Garden of Eden has passed down through the bloodline of all men.  Every child is born into this world with an Adamic nature, a sin nature that is inherited from Adam's sin in the garden.  That sin nature results in condemnation.  We stand guilty before a Righteous God.  Adam and Eve's offense in the garden was a direct affront to a Holy God.  The resulting sin created a rift in the relationship between God and man.  Thank God that through the Second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can restore a proper relationship with God through belief in Jesus Christ.  It is through God's grace that sinful man can receive the gift of righteousness and live eternally with God.  When we fully comprehend what Jesus Christ did for us we realize how abundant God's grace truly is in our life.  Put your faith in the Second Adam today.  He desires for you to live an abundant life today!

Angels Watching Over Us

Psalm 91:11 " For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

God has multiplied millions of angels at His command.  God sends them to do a multitude of tasks.  We can look throughout the Scriptures and see time after time the ministry that God sent His angels to perform.  We see angels bringing messages of warning, announcements and ministries of encouragement.  Satan quoted this passage of Scripture to the Lord Jesus Christ during the temptation in the wilderness in Matthew 4:6.  Satan applied it to the Messiah, but as the children of God we can hold on to the same promise.  God has angels assigned to watch over us from day to day.  I can look back through my life and can count five different incidents where I was literally at death's door, but God preserved my life.  I firmly believe that God had His angels watching over me in spite of myself.  We can't see into the spiritual realm where angels dwell, but according to God's Word we can know that angels are there carrying out the ministry that God has given them.  The ministry to keep us and watch over us in all our ways.

Joy Cometh in the Morning!

Psalm 30:5   "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

God is merciful to us as His children.  The Bible clearly teaches us that God chastens His children.  When we stray away from Him or are disobedient God will correct us.  He wants the best for us and sometimes that requires that we be corrected from the error of our way.  God is merciful even in discipline.  It's not fun for us to be disciplined by our Heavenly Father, but we need to understand that it is for our good.  God the Father is committed to conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we start living in a manner that isn't demonstrating a Christ-likeness then God begins to whittle off the rough edges through chastening.  If we find ourselves in the midst of God's chastening today we can take joy in the fact that joy cometh in the morning.  It may not seem like it today, but there will come a day that we can reflect on what God has done in our life and we'll be able to praise Him for His correction.  God cares enough to discipline us when we go astray.  Praise Him for His love for us.

Purified Seven Times

Psalm 12:6  "The words of the Lord are pure words:  as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

What a wonderful privilege we have to own a complete copy of God's Word contained in our Bible.  It is something that I hope you count as a great blessing.  Not everyone in the world enjoys that same privilege.  Some countries imprison their citizens if they are caught with a copy of God's Word.  The Bible declares in Psalm 12 that the Words of the Lord are pure words.  They are as pure as God is.  His words contained in the Bible are Inerrant, Inspired and Infallible.  There are no mistakes or contradictions contained in our Bible God has provided to us His perfect word.  The Bible compares God's Word to silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times.  In the Bible the number seven represents completion or perfection.  God has given to us His complete Word.  We must handle it carefully.  We have no right as the creation to attempt to change God's perfect Word.  Do you appreciate your Bible today?  Do you take time to relish the precious, live-giving words of God?  Ask God to renew a love for His Word in your heart.  Allow Him to speak to you through his Word.

A Labour of Love

Hebrews 6:10  "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

Have you ever grown weary in the work of the Lord?  Have you ever thought that no one cares, what's the use?  When we forget the reason that we're serving God it is easy to grow faint and want to quit.  We need to always remember that if a single soul on the earth doesn't express gratitude for our ministry there is a God in heaven that remembers everything we do for Him.  If we serve God with the right heart attitude God will remember our ministering to the Saints in whatever area God has placed us.  Men often forget and are ungrateful to those that serve them, but our God never forgets.  He always rewards faithful service that is done according to His perfect will.  Labor that we have done to bring glory to Him will be rewarded.  God will see to it!

A Spirit of Fear

II Timothy 1:7  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

As Christians the Bible teaches us that we are uniquely gifted by God to fulfill his purpose with out lives.  God has equipped us by gifting us spiritually to do the task to which we are called.  Many times we feel that we're unable to do what God has asked of us.  We're reminded of God's call on Moses' life.  God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in the wilderness and instructed him to go to Pharoah and tell him to let the Israelites go free.  Moses didn't feel up to the huge task that God has just given him.  He complained to God that he wasn't even able to speak well.  God told him to go and he would allow Aaron to go with him.  It's interesting to note that when Moses goes down to Pharoah we don't see any evidence of Moses' inability to speak.  Moses realized  the practicality of II Timothy 1:7.  God doesn't equip us with a spirit of fear to do the ministry that he has called us to.  He equips us with His power.  He gives us a spirit of love to use as we minister to others.  He gives us the power of a sound mind to make decisions and judgments that are pleasing to God.  Are you afraid to carry out the ministry that God has given to you?  Remember, God has given you everything you need to keep on serving Him!

He Doesn't Need a Phone Booth!

Psalm 12:5  "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him."

When I was a boy growing up in rural North Carolina I enjoyed reading comic books.  My favorite comics were the ones that featured superheroes.  I enjoyed Spiderman, Superman and Batman comics.  The heroes were always there to help out the citizens that were in need.  They would swoop in at the last minute and save the day.  We can be thankful as Christians that we don't have to rely on a superhero to swoop in and fight on our behalf.  We have One that is far greater.  God has declared to us that He will arise on behalf of the poor and needy.  He will fight our battles.  He will set us at safety.  He is our rock and refuge.  He is our safe haven in the midst of the storm.  If you're having troubles in your life today don't send up a "Bat Signal" just send up a prayer and allow God to work!

Bad to the Bone

Romans 3:23  "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

God issues a blanket statement for all mankind in verse twenty-three of Romans three.  It makes no difference what nationality you are.  It makes no difference who your parents were.  It makes no difference how good you think you've been.  God declares that all have sinned.  Our sin has separated us from God.  If you've ever committed one sin then in the sight of God you're a sinner.  We know from experience if we've lived any time at all that we all sin.  We try our best to do right and think right, but often find ourselves drifting back into sin.  The Bible declares that when we sinned we came short of the glory of God.  God will not permit sin into Heaven.  God will only permit righteousness into Heaven.  If we're all sinners, what in the world are we going to do to make it to Heaven?   If we accept the fact that we are a sinner and realize that forgiveness is available through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, we can have Christ's righteousness applied to our life.  When we come to Christ and accept Him as our Saviour then God places Christ's righteousness on our account.  When God the Father looks at our life he sees the righteousness of Christ.  That is the only way that a sinful man can get into Heaven.  Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?  When God looks at your life does He see filthy, dark sin or does He see the righteousness of Christ applied?

Consider the Ravens

Luke 12:24 "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"

When we are tempted to worry and fret about the issues of life, Jesus reminds us of a critical truth for our well being.  Jesus would remind us to consider the ravens.  Have you ever taken time to just watch the birds or animals around you on a day to day basis.  I live in the woods and my home is surrounded by huge oak trees.  I have the wonderful opportunity of watching the squirrels scampering around the yard burying and uncovering acorns.  I get to watch the different birds as they fly in and land on a tree just outside of my window.  In all the times I've watched the birds and squirrels playing around my house I have never seen one driving a tractor and planting seeds for a harvest.  I've never seen the animals building a barn to store their food.  They don't have to concern themselves with such things.  God has already provided the means whereby they could get their food.  God planted the oaks that produce the acorns that the squirrels can enjoy in the cold, dreary days of winter.  God planted the oak and created the earth that acts as a storehouse for their acorns.  God causes the rain to fall and the seasons to pass.  God causes the trees to yield acorns and seeds for the birds.  The Bible makes it abundantly clear, God feeds them.  If God has put so much care into planning for the animals don't you think that He has planned and prepared for us.  We are much better than the fowls.  God created us in His own image.   Are you worrying today about the cares of this world?  God loves you and He will take care of you! 

Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

How is your courage today?  A great writer once wrote that, "The coward dies a thousand deaths."  When we are carrying out the orders that God has given us in His Word we don't have to be afraid or dismayed.  God reminds us that when we go in His will and according to His Word, we can be bold as we carry out the mission that has been entrusted to us.  What a wonderful promise from God's Word.  "God is with thee."  When we have a God with infinite power on our side, whom shall we fear?  If God has commanded us to do it, He will empower us to accomplish the mission.  Be courageous today!  Don't let the world and the devil intimidate you.  God fights your battles for you! 

A Curse For Us

Galatians 3:13  "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
Galatians 3:14  "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

These two verses are absolutely vital to our faith as Gentiles.  Jesus Christ was absolutely sinless.  He lived 33 1/2 years upon the earth conducting His earthly ministry and never committed a single sin.  He was absolutely innocent of sin, a lamb without spot or blemish.  God made him a curse for us.  As Christ hung there on the cross being put to death God placed upon Him every sin that we would ever commit, past, present or future.  Jesus willingly paid the wages for our sin which was death.  Every sin of every man, woman and child that would ever be born was placed upon Him.  As Jesus hung on the cross He cried out, "My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?"  God the Father couldn't look upon His own darling Son because He bore all of the sin that mankind would ever know.  The Perfect, Sinless One bearing every sin that mankind would ever know upon Himself.  He died for your sins and mine.  Why was Jesus willing to do this for us?  He did it out of His limitless love for us because He understood that His sacrifice was the only way that sinful man could be reconciled to a sinless God.

Philippians 2:7 " But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
Philippians 2:8  "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Through Jesus' sacrifice we can be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God when we trust Christ by faith.  Trust Christ for your salvation today!  Repent of your sin, believe that Jesus died for your sin, was buried and rose again the third day.  If you will call upon the name of the Lord He will save you according to the authority of His own Word.  Romans 10:13 "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Someone Cares

I Peter 5:7  "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

How much time do we spend worrying about things that never happen?  In our minds we are quite adept at conjuring up all the possible outcomes, mostly negative. A person once said that 95% of what we worry about never happens.  So much of what we worry about is outside of our control, but there is One that can change anything that concerns us.  He is concerned about every thing in our life no matter how small. We need to learn to cast our cares and concerns upon God.  He is able to work on our behalf and change things that are outside of our realm of capability.  We can give our cares to God because He cares about his children and wants things to work out for our good!

Tapping the Power Source

 ^{Acts 1:8} 

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

God issued the great commission to His disciples in Acts 1:8.  The same commission holds true for us today.  Jesus told them that the source of their power was the Holy Spirit.  That holds true for us as believers today.  He is our source of power to do the task that God has given us.  The task is to be witnesses.  In verse eight we see the progression of the witness.  First we witness to those that are close by, then we branch out farther and farther, eventually reaching the uttermost part of the earth.  God didn't give us a task to finish and leave us with no means to finish it.  He has given us the power that we need to complete our mission.  The power of the Holy Spirit of God.  Are you tapping into that limitless power source today to help you do the job that god has given you?  

The Missing Ingredient

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

How is your faith today?  It seems that we live our lives on a wild roller coaster ride.  One minute we're slowly clicking our way upward and the next minute we're hurtling downward.  We go from the peak of the coaster to the valley in a matter of seconds.  Many times our faith is exactly the same.  We face challenges in our life and we often wonder where is God.  There are other moments when the blessings are falling, God's presence is very near and we feel we can fight Goliath and be victorious.  We need to come to the place in our Christian lives where our faith is not wavering up and down constantly.  We need to develop a steady, abiding faith.  The bible teaches us the importance of this kind of faith in Hebrews 11:6.  We discover that without faith it is impossible to please Him.  When we come to God we must see Him for who He is.  We must remember the infinite power that He has at His disposal to work on our behalf.  Jesus rebuked His disciples for their little faith in the New Testament.  We need to look at God's track record in our life.  He has always been faithful.  What makes us think He will not be faithful to us in the future?  Spend time in prayer today, meditate on God's Word and allow God to grow your faith.  Allow your faith to pleasing in God's sight!

Welcome Visitors

If you're viewing this page and it's a blessing to you.  I would love to be able to communicate with you.  If you're a Christian in a foreign country I would love to hear from you.  My email address is listed on the blog, but I'll include it here.  Please contact me it would be an encouragement to hear from you.  mackholbrook@gmail.com

Inspect The Fruit

<sup>Galatians 5:22-23

22</sup> "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." 

Normally when we see a list of attributes it is considered to be plural and the noun is written as plural.  In verse 22 of Galatians 5 we see the term, "The fruit of the Spirit" followed by a long list of Christian attributes.  God is teaching us as Christians that all of the attributes in the list are to be a part of the life of the child of God.  To be Christ-like is to have these attributes manifested in our life.  This fruit is the work of the Holy Spirit of God growing and developing us as believers.  Every Christian should exhibit love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (an even-keel, control) in their life.  These attributes demonstrate and create in us a Christ-likeness that is pleasing to God.  The latter part of the verse contains an important truth.  These attributes aren't developed by keeping the letter of the law, by simple obedience, but by a yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  God wants to develop this fruit in your life.  Does your life demonstrate God's handiwork in your life?  How is your love, joy and peace today?

The Power of our Thought Life

Psalm 19:14  "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Have you considered the fact that as a Christian we have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit with us every second of every day.  The bible teaches us that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost.  God dwells within us as believers.  Every place that we go we carry Him with us.  Every word that we speak is heard by the Holy Spirit.  Every thought that we think is made bare before the Lord.  There is no secret place that we can go to hide from the presence of the Lord.  How careful we must be to guard our words and to guard our thoughts.  We must live in a such a manner that every word and every thought is pleasing to the Lord.  If our goal is to become Christ-like, we must carefully consider our thoughts and deeds.   In the Book of Philippians Paul instructs the Christians of Philippi on their thought life.

Philippians_4:8  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

How is your mouth today?  Are you speaking things that are good to the edifying (building up) of your brethren or are you busy tearing down reputations through careless speech and slander?  How is your thought life?  God wants your meditations to be acceptable to Him.  Are you pleasing God to day or do you need to ask God for forgiveness and start over?

Is That Your Final Answer?

I Peter 3:15

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

The word sanctify in this verse means, "To set apart."  We are to give God a special place of honor in our hearts.  It is a place that is reserved for God and God alone.  We should take time every day to meditate on God's Word and the presence of God in our life.  If we develop a constant awareness of God's presence in our life it will keep us from sin.  This verse teaches that we are to be ready to give an answer to every man.  We absolutely must know what we believe and why we believe it.  Satan is constantly throwing false messages at us to see if we will allow one to sink in and affect us.  If we are confident in the truth of God because we have studied and meditated upon it, then Satan's attempt at deceiving us will fail.  When we have a chance to share God's Word with others we need to be able to explain why we believe and why they should believe.  Their eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

Have you given God a special place of honour in your heart and life?  Do you know why you believe what you believe about the bible or are you simply taking someone's word for the interpretation?  Take time today to meditate upon God's Word and allow it to encourage and challenge you.

Frustrated by the Law

Romans 7:6  "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."

The Old Testament is filled with frustrated characters.  God gave the Law to the nation of Israel via Moses at Mt. Sinai.  The nation of Israel was given over six hundred precepts to keep in order to justify themselves in the sight of an almighty God.  Israel became frustrated when they realized that no man could keep every single precept given to them by God.  God had a particular purpose in putting Israel under the yoke of the Law.  It was to show them that man cannot come to God by his own ability.  He can't earn his way into a right relationship with God.  God explains the purpose of the law in the following verses:

Galatians 3:24  "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Galatians 3:25  "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

The purpose of the law was to teach us that if we are to be justified it must come solely by faith.  We can't work out our salvation.  A famous preacher once said, "If every good work I've ever done is a step in a staircase that reaches toward heaven, then I will never build that staircase high enough."  We can't get to heaven by keeping the law.  We can't get there by keeping the ten commandments.  We are justified by faith when we repent of our sin and believe on Christ's resurrection and Christ's finished work on the cross at Calvary.  What is your trust in today?  Works or Faith?

Where are Your Treasures?

Matthew 6:20  "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"
Matthew 6:21  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Have you ever known anyone that was materialistic minded?  It seemed that their sole focus was in acquiring as many material goods as they could get their hands around.  The bible teaches us that this is the wrong attitude, especially for God's children.  The bible reveals a sobering truth to us in verse twenty-one.  The truth is that where our treasure is our heart will be also.  If our focus is on our savings account, the type of house we live in or the type of car we drive then our focus is misplaced.  Our focus must be on living the kind of life that accrues treasure in heaven, not on the earth.  Where are your treasures being laid up today?  Those treasures that you're acquiring on earth are simply temporal.  The treasures that are laid up in Heaven will be enjoyed throughout all eternity.

How is your Christ-likeness?

Matthew 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

God's Word teaches us to Love our enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that would despitefully use you.  The word, "Despitefully" is a word that means to injure you.  Those that would injure you by the law or physically.  The statements are easy to say, but very hard to do.  It takes the power of the Holy Spirit at work in life in order to be obedient to these commands.  The bible teaches us that the way that we respond to those that would seek us harm demonstrates our Christ-likeness.  Jesus points out that even the lost man will love them that love him.  It's easy to love those that do us good, but it's quite hard to love those that seek our harm.  How is your Christ-likeness today?  Have you prayed for your enemies?  Have you prayed for those that seek you harm?  Be obedient and pray and leave the rest to God.  He is fully able to defend you and protect you from your enemies.

Creation or Evolution?

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

For years the debate has raged over Creation or Evolution.  Was man created when a tadpole crawled out of some primordial ooze onto land and then over time gradually evolved into the men and women that we know today?  The bible settles that argument once and for all.  The bible declares without any equivocation that God created man.  God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. The bible teaches us that man was created in the image of God.  God is the great three in one.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  God is one God with three distinct personalities.  Man has a body, soul and spirit.  Man is a single being with three distinct parts.  The theory of evolution has been crumbling more and more every decade as more knowledge has been discovered.  Many of the evolutionary scientist have given up on the theory because they realize that there is no way evolution could have resulted in the creation of man.  As Christians we're not surprised by their findings.  We knew it all along!

The Most High!

Psalm 83:18  "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."

Looking back over the annals of history there have been great men that have impacted the world for good.  Their names are still talked about all of these years later.  Their exploits are recounted in history books, verbal accounts and movies that have been made about them.  As great as these men were, there is one that is far greater.  Our Lord JEHOVAH is the Lord of all the earth and the universe beyond.  He is the most high, whether man chooses to acknowledge the fact or not.  Many choose not to accept the fact that JEHOVAH is God and sadly they chart a course of destruction for themselves.  The bible prophesies of a time to come when "Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father."  Those that have rejected God in this life will have to bow down and confess that He is truly God!  Have you acknowledged God as the most high in your life or have you set your wants and desires upon the throne of your life that rightfully belongs to God?

What is Heaven Like? It will Blow your Mind!

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."

     Paul was reminding the Corinthian Christians of a wonderful truth in this passage of Scripture.  That our God is able to do above anything we've ever seen, or heard or even considered.  God created the earth with all of its beauty and grandeur in six days of creation.  The beauty of the sunrise and sunset, the beauty of the tree leaves in fall.  The beauty of a clear star lit night.  The intricate beauty of a beautiful flower.  If God created all of these things in six days we can't even begin to imagine what God has created for us in Heaven.  The Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of Heaven in all of its beauty and glory, but we really can't imagine the wonders that it holds for us as God's children.
     This verse hints at the future splendor and glory that awaits us in heaven, but there is also a real application for our life today.  God has so many blessings in store for us day by day as we walk with Him.  Have you considered the blessings that God has given you?  The blessings that surround you every day that you tend to take for granted.  Think of the family that God has blessed you with,  the friends that God has placed in your life.  The wonderful church and family of God that He has given you.  Many of the blessings I enjoy today I couldn't even have imagined just a few years ago.  God is always thrilling us with His abundant blessings in ways that we can't even imagine.  How has God blessed you today?

Look Around, God is Everywhere!

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. "

To those that would deign to say there is no God, the Bible says to look around!  Creation itself is wonderful evidence of an intelligent Creator.  There is an intricacy to the world that could never happen by chance.  A great mathematician set out to prove that there was no God.  His quest to disprove God led him to the inescapable conclusion that there was a God.  God is present in everything around us.  He left His signature as an incredible Creator and an incredible mathematician!  If we would be honest with ourselves we too would come to the same inescapable conclusion of the existence of God.  Sadly, many are willfully ignorant.  If they accept the fact of a God, then they must accept the fact of a judgment and they're not willing to do that.  If God is real then they must give an account for their sin.  The Bible tells us that as we look up at the innumerable stars and galaxies that stretch out before us, they are a constant reminder of the fact that God is REAL!  I'm glad He is.  How about you?

Enduring Temptation

James 1:12  "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

The word "Blessed" in the KJV bible means "Happy."  The bible teaches us that happy is the man that endureth temptation.  God put a multitude of warnings in his Word about temptation.  Temptation is common or ordinary in the life of every man and woman.  We all face different temptations.  Satan is very good at throwing temptation at us to find out our weakness.  He tries to get us to sin against our Heavenly Father.  He tempts us through our sinful nature that will be a part of us till the day that we die.  Temptation comes in every life and the question is how do we deal with it when it rears its ugly head?  Christ set the example for us when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness.  To each and every temptation Christ responded with the Word of God.  When temptation comes we are to respond in the manner that Christ has shown us.  Answer temptation with the Word of God.  The Word of God has the answer for every problem we encounter.  If we are faithful to respond to temptation in the manner that God has demonstrated for us we are promised the crown of life.

Bless the Persecutor

Romans 12:14  "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."

God has higher standards of behavior than the norm.  God commands us to do something in this verse that is opposed to everything our human nature directs us to do.  Our tendency when persecuted by others is to try to strike back at or get even with the persecutor.  We want to cause pain for the persecutor.  We want revenge.  We start running the person down to others, trying to smear their reputation.  God tells us to bless the persecutor.  Jesus Christ was our great example.  As he hung on the cross He prayed for forgiveness for those that had placed Him there.  Instead of seeking ill will for the person we are to bless them with word and action.  It takes a power beyond our power to carry out this command.  It takes the power of the Holy Spirit working in our life.  God has to give us the grace to deal with those that seek to harm us.  It's a matter of the proper heart attitude.  How's your heart today?  Are you seeking revenge or seeking God?

Caution! Work in Progress!

Philippians 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:"

The Apostle Paul was reminding the Philippian Christians of a very important truth.  Their salvation was simply a starting point, a beginning.  It was the first step in a life-long process called spiritual growth.  Paul was reminding the Christians that the work would be done by God.  If they would simply yield themselves to God in obedience, God would do the work in them.  God would take them through His workshop and build their Christ-likeness day by day.  There will come a day when we will be perfectly like Christ, but that is out in eternity on the other side of this life.  While we are here let's allow God to do the work that He wants to do in and through us.  Let's allow God to conform us to the image of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another Gospel???

^{Galatians 1:6-9}

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. 

In our modern society there are a multitude of ways that we can hear sermons being preached.  We have radios, compact discs, cassette tapes, satellite radios and televisions that all can be used for propagating the Gospel.  The danger today is the same as the danger that the Apostle Paul was warning the Galatian Christians about.  The danger is that we allow a false Gospel, a false message about Christ to come along and cause us to drift away from the Bible and its teaching about Christ and His ministry.  Paul is warning the believers of the churches at Galatia that there are those preachers that desire to pervert (twist) the Gospel of Christ.

In our modern day we must be careful to test the messages that we hear against the standard of God's Word.  If any man's message is contradictory to the clear teaching of the Bible we can judge that message for what it is, an attempt to pervert the Gospel.  In verse 8 above we see a severe condemnation given to those that would pervert the Gospel.  In verse 9 we see the same condemnation repeated.  The bible says, "Let him be accursed."  This is a severe sentence in the Word of God that literally means let that man be judged, found guilty and condemned to hell.  God does not take lightly the sin of trying to subvert or change the message of the Scriptures.  It takes work and effort, but we must compare the messages that we hear to the Gospel to make sure the message isn't a message of man, but is indeed a message from God!

What's the Next Move?

Philippians 4:6  "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

God's Word instructs that we don't need to suffer from paralysis by analysis.  When we don't know what to do we often do nothing.  God has given us a solution to this state of befuddlement.  The Bible teaches us to be careful for nothing, don't waste your time worrying about what you're going to do in your own strength.  God tells us in every thing, every care and concern that we have to let our prayer and supplication be made know unto God.  The proper heart attitude when we do this is one of thanksgiving.  We can be thankful for God's blessings in the past.  We can be thankful that we serve a God that holds our future firmly in His hand.  He is firmly in control even when we're not.  Don't fret, let God know your prayers, the desires, concerns and burdens that you have.  He stand's willing and able to help.