Worries Today...

Over the last couple of days we have watched the turmoil and unrest that is gripping Egypt. I wonder how many of us have realized the effect this will have on us in the US, and the global implications. It would be easy to panic as we watch yet another world changing event unfold.

Should we worry? I believe the answer is “yes” and “no.” Yes we should be concerned; concerned for the people in Egypt and Israel. There are many Americans and others who are stranded and could possibly be targeted for that reason (from the west), but chances are, people regardless of where they are from will die. We need to pray for these people.

The good news is, we do not have to be gripped by fear. God is still on His throne and He is still working His plan. None of this is taking Him by surprise. He is not sitting in Heaven wondering what will happen next; He knows.

Are we not blessed to be children of such a God? As the Psalmist said, 

This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. –Psalm 118:24

Whatever happens, we need to be in prayer and trust Him.

We have promises we can fall back on and we have hope the world does not know. Sometimes I slip into worry, but when I turn to Him, I experience His peace, His joy, and His calm. How blessed we are to have such a Lord.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:6-7

"Love"

Definition of LOVE (www.merriam-webster.com)

1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternal love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests <love for his old schoolmates> b : an assurance of affection <give her my love>

2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>

3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration <baseball was his first love> b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address

4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of God

5: a god or personification of love

6 : an amorous episode : love affair

7 : the sexual embrace : copulation

8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)

9 capitalized Christian Science : god

What is love? According to Merriam Webster’s online dictionary, there are different types of love; from different types of love for other humans to love for inanimate objects. In the Bible, we see love used in more than one context.

Let’s take a look at Agape love. Agape love is unmerited, undeserved, feeling (love) for another; not asking nor expecting anything in return. It is the kind of love a parent has for a child. We love our children no matter what. They do not have to earn it, they can never lose it.

I watched a program tonight about different people, Christians and non-believers, and how they felt compelled to help people in need. Some went to Haiti, some went to Mississippi and some New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. One segment was about Christians talking to a large homosexual community and another was about a group of believers who were washing the feet of homeless people.

This got me to thinking; do we love (agape) others? Do we reach out to people who don’t agree with our religious beliefs? Do we or can we hug a homeless person who smells like the street they sleep on? Can we hug a person who has AIDS? What about a child who has lice? Do we love the guy trying to get money for a bottle of wine?

I’m not saying we should condone sinful lifestyles, but do we love these people? Does our heart break for them? Do we offer kind words, or a prayer? Do we lie awake at night thinking about them? Do we consider where they will spend eternity and the horror that awaits them?

I pray that God would put it in our hearts to love as He does. I want to put my fears and prejudices aside and love them. Jesus said the greatest command was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and the second was to love others as yourself. Paul said he could have great spiritual gifts but if he didn’t have love he was nothing.

I believe we live in a culture that has forgotten what true love is. Even within the Christian community divorce rates are just as high as in the secular.  The government takes care of the widow and the orphan when Jesus said that was the responsibility of the church. We send money to support missionaries in far off lands but we don’t even know the names of the family next door.

I am not trying to criticize, but I see where I have failed miserably. My guess is that others have failed as well. I pray that the Lord would forgive us and put love for others in our hearts. How can we ask God to forgive us and love us if we are not willing to forgive and love others?

   ³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” –Matthew 22:34-40

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. –I Corinthians 13:2

"Today"

¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

–Luke 19:10

When we think of “today,” what do we think of? Maybe we have a big meeting, lunch with an old friend, a fun day off, the start of retirement? I guess each one of us has a different thought on “today.”

What does God think of in regard to “today?” I think Luke 19:10 sums it up. He is working on, in, and through “us.” He is doing all He can to reach lost souls. Yes He is all powerful, but He will not over-ride our “free will” to decide whether to choose Him or not. He did not spare His own Son; what more could He do to save us.

Today, God is seeking to save the lost. What are we doing?

“Just Believe”

Is That Enough?

Many people say if you just believe- you will be saved; but is that what scripture says?  

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

                                                                                                   James 2:19

Let’s look at some scripture passages that pertain to salvation.

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.   –Acts 2:36-38

²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. –Acts 16:27-34

Although these passages refer to believing in Jesus as the way to be saved, we cannot ignore that there is more to it than just believing. We have to repent of our sins, confess Jesus is Lord and through Him alone comes salvation, and we need to be baptized. A person can be saved without “physical” baptism (see the thief on the cross Luke 23:39-43), but baptism is a public profession of faith. Jesus said “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38.

To accept Jesus as the Savior means to submit to His authority. This means we do not accept Him on our terms, but on His. One thing that jumps out at me in many passages is a complete change in character. The jailer was clearly transformed (Acts 16:33-34), the men in Acts 2:37 cried out “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This sounds like a desperate cry for help. I can only believe they were willing to do whatever they had to.

Then there is the account of the demon possessed man in the book of Mark.

 ¹ Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. ² And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, ³ who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, ⁴ because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. ⁵ And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  –Mark 5:1-5

¹⁸ And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. ¹⁹ However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” ²⁰ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.   –Mark 5:18-20

I believe it is to the detriment of others that we assure them of their salvation if they “just believe.” One can believe in a parachute or life preserver but if they don’t accept it and use it in faith, it will not save them.

What we can know for sure is that God loves every single one of us. (see John 3:16). He desires that none perish and to that extent, He sent His Son Jesus to bear our sins upon himself and suffer and die in our place. If He did that for us, what great thing is it for us to live for Him? When we consider not only this, but that we will receive eternal reward, we would be crazy not to.    

The Four Seasons of the Church Part IV

Winter

I Timothy 4:1-2

 ¹ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

II Timothy 3:1-9

 ¹ But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

Titus 1:10-16

¹⁰ For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹² One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. ¹⁵ To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Revelation 2:12-17

¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³ “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
¹⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

Revelation 3:1-6

 ¹ “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. ³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ⁴ You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
⁶ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

Revelation 3:14-22

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

Today we see the church being ripped apart; not from without, but from within.

Some split while others just die off. What happened to the “Alive, Vibrant” church that changed the world? We do well to step back and take a look at ourselves and our church body. Are we a part of the building of God’s Kingdom, or are we a part of the problem plaguing so many churches?

In Closing:

A very important note here; In this writing, I am referring to the true church (True, born again believers who adhere to sound doctrine). There are many false churches that are thriving. I could write equally, even more on this topic, but my intent here is to address the true church.

If we become complacent, we will lose our children, families, and even fellow believers; not to mention the lost who we might reach. Many of our young people are buying in to false doctrine because we have not imbedded God’s truth in their hearts. Many are going into false religions because they are seeking answers and we either don’t know the answers, or we pass them on to someone else. We have to stop, get on our knee’s and repent, and commit ourselves to the Lord. We need to study and learn all that we can so we can share God’s truth with others. We need to understand just what exactly we do believe. We need to have a heart on fire for the Lord so we embrace the opportunity to share His gospel message with others. He may not call every one of us to evangelize on a large scale, but we evangelize to everyone we come into contact with. If our children don’t see a passion for our Lord in us, chances are they won’t be passionate about Him either.

I don’t believe a church body can be on fire for God and those around us not get burned (I mean others will be affected). I believe we can’t be on fire and not grow.

This world is hurting and looking for answers. We have the answer; will we share it with them?       

The Four Seasons Of The Church Part III

Fall

In this section, some of the warnings are posted so that the church doesn’t stray from the Truth. It is obvious that the sin of the individual is like a cancer that can spread to other members of the body (church). Sin within the church has to be dealt with. If it is not, then the whole body may become spiritually sick or even dead.

When sin affects the whole body, there will be evidence. A slow down or halt in conversions, baptisms, and new memberships are indicators. Sagging numbers in Sunday School, children and youth programs and overall participation may be evident. There is little or no outreach.

I Corinthians 1:10-15

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. ¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.

I Corinthians 3:1-4

 ¹ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

I Corinthians 11:19-21

¹⁹ For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. ²⁰ Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. ²¹ For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

II Corinthians 12:19-21

¹⁹ Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. ²⁰ For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; ²¹ lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Revelation 2:1-7

 ¹ “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

The Four Seasons of the Church Part II

Summer    

The books to the Romans, Corinthians, and others in the New Testament are reflective of established churches, with the daily learning of scripture, as well as doctrines and practices instituted. At this time new churches are being formed and the pastors and lay people are active in establishing new congregations while still learning themselves. It is good to note that there are problems within these bodies but that they are instructed on how to deal with these issues. They are also warned that persecution will come but to stand fast. The single most effective tool to causing revival and huge growth within the church is – persecution!

There are warnings to the un-repentant believer but not to the church as a whole. I believe it is safe to say that these are, for the most part, churches that honor our Lord.

Revelation 2:8-11

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
¹¹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

The Four Seasons of the Church Part I

 

 ¹ There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ² a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³ a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

                                                                                              Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

Disclaimer: In using the above text, I do not mean to imply that the decline of any church is according to God’s plan.

Spring: A time of new life and new growth

Summer: Steady vibrance and growth

Fall: Things are beginning to fade, and die

Winter: No growth, death, stagnant;- life is in survival mode

Spring

Acts 1:12-14.

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. ¹³ And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

The first thing these men did was to gather and pray. They had been told to go back to Jerusalem and wait. They did as they were told and they prayed. Remember, the Pharisee’s and the Romans were an even greater threat to them now. Jesus had been crucified and then His body was no longer in the grave.

Word on the street was that Jesus had returned. Peter and the others were hiding, and with good cause. They had no idea what was about to happen but, they were obedient.

Are we willing to be obedient and gather and pray? Are we willing to trust that God is going to do something bigger than anything we can imagine? Despite what the circumstances look like, we can trust God. What a blessing it will be if we only trust Him and act in obedience.  

Acts 2:1-13.

 ¹ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. ⁷ Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” ¹² So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
¹³ Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

These faithful followers were gathered in prayer when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Since this was the first time the Holy Spirit indwelled man, God chose to do it in a way they could not doubt. This was a major event in time to say the least. This was what Jesus had promised. Jesus dwelt with man, but the Holy Spirit would dwell within man.

If Jesus came to our worship service and told us to gather on a Tuesday night, would we be there? Would we began catching up on all the news or gossip?

Or, would we join together in prayer, seeking God’s direction? If we truly believe God can and will do something big in us and through us, shouldn’t we do all we can to prepare for it?

Acts 2:14-42

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. ¹⁵ For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
       ¹⁷ ‘ And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
       That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
      Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
      Your young men shall see visions,
      Your old men shall dream dreams.
       ¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants
      I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
       And they shall prophesy.
       ¹⁹ I will show wonders in heaven above
      And signs in the earth beneath:
      Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
       ²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
      And the moon into blood,
      Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
       ²¹ And it shall come to pass
      That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
      Shall be saved.’

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning Him:


      ‘ I foresaw the LORD always before my face,
      For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
       ²⁶ Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
      Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
       ²⁷ For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
      Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
       ²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life;
      You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:


      ‘ The LORD said to my Lord,

      “ Sit at My right hand,
       ³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

This is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. When Peter, crazy, foot in the mouth, arrogant, sink in the water, sword wielding Peter, spoke out in a new boldness, and proclaimed God’s truth, he didn’t even have to give an altar call. The men stood up and asked what they needed to do to receive Jesus.

Wouldn’t it be great if every Sunday, during the sermon, people would stand up and ask what they needed to do to be saved? They couldn’t even wait until Peter had finished. That was some sermon.

I wonder if any one of us could go into a public square and start preaching, and form a three thousand member church. Of course this was God’s doing and not Peter’s, but, are we willing to do this if God calls us to? Would we be willing to do it if ninety nine people got saved? What about one? My prayer is that we would; and will.

What Defiles?

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
      ‘ This people honors Me with their lips,
      But their heart is far from Me.
       ⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
      Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

 ⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
⁹ He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
¹⁴ When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. ¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
¹⁷ When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸ So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” ²⁰ And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²² thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

I address this with much caution as I do not want to be misunderstood. 
Do we in the church ignore some scripture and make our own laws? If I had to guess, I would say most, if not all churches have dealt with this in one way or another.  

The Bible clearly states that we are to love others. There are no exclusions, but do we not pick certain people to distance from ourselves? If an abortion doctor or nurse came into our congregation, would we love them? What about an atheist? The thing to remember here is that to love someone does not condone what they do. If we don't love them, how will we ever win them over?

Many churches will show you the door if you partake of alcoholic beverages. I clearly understand the reasoning, especially if they have lost a loved one due to an alcohol related accident; but what does scripture say?  It says not to drink in excess but no where does it say to abstain completely. I personally do not consume alcohol but neither do I judge, or rebuke those who do.

Gossip is one of the biggest problems I see in just about every church, but it is tolerated. The scriptures clearly instruct us to stop gossip within our ranks but we don’t. Fighting over the color of paint, the color of the carpet, the order of service, etc, split congregations all the time. Is this biblical? I think not.

One of the reasons I hear often why people don’t attend church anymore, is this spirit of hypocrisy. It is hard to defend the church when we are guilty of such behavior. I do not say these things to be critical and mean spirited, but rather to challenge believers to take a step forward in growth. We need to lay aside our whims and focus on what the scriptures actually say, and then put them into practice.   

We live in desperate times and we need to draw closer to our Lord, get “us” right with Him, and reach those lost souls. We are commanded to do this after all. I firmly believe if we truly live our lives wholly for God, people will come to us and ask “What must we do to be saved!”

Watch Your Language

Are words more powerful when they build up or when they destroy?

What we say is enormously important in life. If we learn to control our speech, we will be mature in other areas in our lives.

Wrongful use of words has devastating effects on home and church life. This lesson reminds us that the mouth is connected to the mind, which means that the key to right talk is right thought.

The Awesome Power of Words    (James 3:1-6)

 ¹ Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment; ² for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body. ³ Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. ⁴ And consider ships: though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So too, though the tongue is a small part [of the body], it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our [bodies]; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.

The early church had many teachers called by God and gifted by the Spirit. But there were also some who wanted the honor of teaching but lacked the calling, gifts, knowledge, and maturity to teach accurately and effectively. The church consequently had problems not only with false teachers (2 Peter 2:1) but also with unfit teachers. This explains the command not many should become teachers. Christians should hesitate to seek the office of teacher – we will receive a stricter judgment.  
The context of the statement we all stumble in many ways points to misusing speech. Because teachers speaking in error can mislead believers in both understanding and behavior, they will be held to a higher level of accountability.
Verses 3-6 use three illustrations to show that the power of the tongue is way out of proportion to its size.
Horses and Bits: we control huge horses by putting a relatively small bit into their mouths. A slight tug of the reins attached to the bit controls even an unruly horse’s direction and pace.
Ships and Rudders: In spite of their size and being at times driven by fierce winds, ships are guided by a small rudder under the control of the pilot.
Though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. The term for boasts in this context speaks of arrogant or perhaps even threatening boasts.

The Dual Nature of Words   (James 3:7-12)

⁷ For every creature—animal or bird, reptile or fish—is tamed and has been tamed by man, ⁸ but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. ¹¹ Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine [produce] figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
We show our moral inconsistency by using the same tongue to bless God and insult His people.
At creation God gave humanity “rule” over every living creature in the sea, in the air, and on the earth (Gen 1:28). People have exercised this rule, though not always wisely, ever since.
The tongue however, resists being tamed. To say the tongue is a restless evil means it’s liable to break out at any moment. Think of a wild animal pacing back and forth in its cage, longing to escape. Although people can cage an animal, the tongue is always ready to slip out of control. Like a rattlesnake, the tongue lies in wait with its deadly poison to bite the first target of opportunity. 
Verse 9 addresses the inconsistent way we use our tongues. When we Christians bless (or praise) our Lord and Father and then turn right around and curse people who are made in God’s likeness, we call into question the genuineness of our words of praise. While God’s likeness in humans has been marred by sin, it has not been obliterated. His likeness is reflected to some degree in every person. Thus, to curse or invoke evil on people God has made in His image is to curse the Creator Himself.
Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. Things should not be this way means that blessing God at one time and cursing others at another time are morally and spiritually contradictory.
To bless God and curse God’s creation is against nature, both physical and spiritual. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?  Of course not.
Verbal abusers who think they can praise God deceive themselves. Their praises are not genuine, but their abuses are painfully real.
Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine [produce] figs? James meaning is clear. Our words (fruit) reveal what out hearts (root) contain.
Words used properly can inspire a sports team to do its best, encourage war battled people to persevere, or offer comfort, hope, joy, guidance, and instruction. James’s words about the tongues powerful influence are themselves an example of words used to a positive end. Our tongues highest use is to offer praise to the Lord.

The Wise Use of Words    (James 3:13-18)

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom's gentleness. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't brag and lie in defiance of the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

According to verse 13, true wisdom is demonstrated by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. It has more to do with character in relationships than with education and intelligence. Our relationships show how wise we really are. A gentle person is humble, puts others first, and does not allow pride to destroy relationships. This person promotes peace, and unity in the church. Conversely, one governed by pride and arrogance brings about conflict and division.

James described two kinds of wisdom; the worldly and the Godly. Worldly wisdom is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition. James warned against operating out of a jealous, deceptive, partisan, hostile spirit. Such attitudes can tear apart a congregation. James admonished all believers not to brag as though their self centered attitudes or actions were virtues.

Believers who allow worldly wisdom to guide them bring disorder and every kind of evil into their churches.

James described the wisdom from above as pure. To live by Godly wisdom means to act morally, to maintain spiritual integrity, and to harbor no selfish attitudes or motives. This wisdom is also peace loving. It leads believers to embrace everyone in the church, thus it does not lead to rivalries and factions.

True wisdom treats others and their views with respect, grace, and love.     

Discipleship

To become like Jesus, and to carry out His commands

What is a Disciple?

Who can be a Disciple?

How can I become a Disciple?

What is a Disciple?

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, (Third College Edition) a disciple is:

1.      A pupil or follower of any teacher or school of religion, art, etc.

2.      An early follower of Jesus, esp. one of the Apostles.

3.      A member of the disciple’s of Christ.

When we hear the word disciple, we tend to think of the twelve who followed Jesus. But, the Pharisee’s had disciples; even John the Baptist had Disciples.

Read Luke 25-37. The parable of the good Samaritan.

This is a parable Jesus told to be an example of how we are to act, selfless towards others; even to those who are our enemies. Jesus showed His love for us, even in His attitude during His crucifixion. The very act, was for undeserving man. His words “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23: 34) is an example of His love for us.

A disciple is one who studies and learns the way of the master (or teacher).

Who can be a Disciple?

Matthew 4:18-22 (KJV)

18) And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19) And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20)  And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him. 21) And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and He called them. 22)  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.

Luke 5:27-28

27) And after these things He went forth, and saw a Publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He said unto him, Follow me. 28) And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

While Jesus called many disciples, He chose twelve to be in His inner circle. Simon (called Peter/Rock), James and John, were in an even closer inner circle. They were with Him at times when the others were not; such as on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the heart of the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 13:3; 14:33). These men, would live with Him, learn from Him, love Him, obey Him, and even die for Him.

They were not perfect, but they were willing to follow Him, despite great ridicule and persecution. These men were weak and sinful; there was nothing special about them other than they were willing to follow Jesus.

What are some reasons you feel inadequate to be a disciple?

Read Luke 22: 24-30  Who is great?

This is an example of what a disciple should not be.

Do you ever let self importance, greed, lust, or other cares of the world stop you from being Christ-like?

After all the time these men had spent with Jesus, they were still flawed. Their sin nature was still present. But Jesus knew what they would become. He knows what we can become as well.

How can I become a Disciple?

John 15:16 (KJV)

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.

Luke 10:1-3 (KJV)

1)After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. 2) Therefore said He unto them, the harvest is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. 3) Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

See Luke 10: 17-24 for their return and results of their mission.

Matthew 28:18-20

18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Are you willing to learn from the Master and be His disciple?

Are you willing to carry out His Commission to reach others?

Struggling with Doubt

Greg Laurie

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
— Matthew 11:2

It may surprise you to know that some of the greatest men and women of God whom we read about in the pages of Scripture have had their moments of doubt. Even the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, struggled with doubt.
In John's case, we might say that his doubt was due to confusion. He had a certain concept of what the Christ was supposed to do that Jesus simply was not doing. It is not that Jesus was failing to do what He was supposed to do; it was that John misunderstood what God was going to do.
Scripture clearly taught that before the Messiah would establish His kingdom, He would suffer and die. Before Jesus would sit on a throne, He first would be nailed to a cross. This is what the Scripture taught. Passages like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 spoke extensively about the suffering of the Messiah. But His role had been misunderstood. So John the Baptist sent word from prison to ask Jesus, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:2). Yet everything was going exactly as it was supposed to go. It is just that John misunderstood.
That can happen to us as well. Sometimes we misunderstand God and His Word. Something happens that wasn't part of our plan for our lives, and we wonder why God allowed it. We wonder whether He is paying attention. The problem is that we interpret God in light of the tragedy instead of the other way around. Many times, our doubt is due to our confusion about what we think God ought to be doing.
Are you entertaining doubts today? Take heart. God is in control, and He has His purposes in the circumstances of your life.

The Golden Rule

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. –Matthew 7:12

Have you ever asked the question ”just what does this mean?                                             
 I have. I use to look for reasons not to forgive. I guess in my inner most mind I felt as though there had to be certain offenses that were the exception to this rule. If someone hurt me so deeply, surely that was an exception. What if someone slandered me? What if it cost me my job? What if my spouse left me? What if I was falsely sent to jail because someone lied? What if someone murdered a family member? What if the offender doesn’t ask to be forgiven?

My guess is that all of us have asked these questions at one time or another. To find the answer, there is but one place to look for the answer, God’s Word.   
   
The following are passages I found relating to this subject. There are many others as well.

²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
²⁷ So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁸ And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” –Luke 10:25-28 

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. -Matthew 5:38-45

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. –Matthew 5:21-26

³² There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” -Luke 23:32-34

Jesus not only commands us to treat others the way we want to be treated and to forgive, He lived it. If we call ourselves Christians (Christ-likeness), ought we to act like Him? If He can forgive us for putting Him on the cross, surely we can forgive whatever others do to us.

If none of us repented and received Christ, He wouldn’t have had to die. Every one of us are responsible for His death. That is how much He loves us and lived what He preached.