One of the things I like to tell myself and others is that it is impossible to be perfect in our walk. While we should strive for perfection we should be encouraged in the knowledge that if our direction is forward, displaying the fruits of the spirit more and more as time goes by, then we can be assured and take courage that we are on the right path and our salvation is ensured.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Here is a link to another blog entry that address this very thing. I hope you find it as useful as I have.
http://realchristianity.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/how-do-you-know-that-you-are-saved/
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
My Sanctification Walk: Sound Familiar?
How has your walk been since you came to faith and received Christ as savior? Let me make an analogy to demonstrate my walk.
Many of us have been to bowling alleys and have seen the bumpers put up for the kids when they are bowling to keep the ball out of the gutter and missing the pins. We have all seen the 3 year old standing at the foul line and dropping the ball on the lane where it will very slowly roll down the lane, bouncing off one bumper, and then the other, and sometimes due to a lack of strength or power the ball may stop or even roll backwards. Suddenly a friendly hand come along and gives the ball a gentle push to allow the ball to continue on it’s path down the lane to the pins.
The ball is me, the lane is the narrow path(Matt 7:14), the bumpers and the friendly hand is the holy spirit guiding me along my walk. When we receive Christ we are placed beyond the foul line and made righteous(2Cor 5:21) the ball bouncing off the bumpers is symbolic of the trials we face and God helping us along the way. When we sin and stop our progress, backslide even, the Holy Spirit is there to convict us, to repent and continue along the path to our destination.
This analogy is not only symbolic of my overall walk over the years but is very much symbolic of my daily walk. I am being completely honest here. If you say you don’t sin daily you are not being honest with yourself. None of us are perfect which is why we need a savior.
Even Paul struggled with sin:
Romans 7:18-25
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Take heart, you are not alone, you are not a failure, you are just another wretch saved by grace.
Part II next week.
I hope that I have helped somebody today. Until next time, May The LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Many of us have been to bowling alleys and have seen the bumpers put up for the kids when they are bowling to keep the ball out of the gutter and missing the pins. We have all seen the 3 year old standing at the foul line and dropping the ball on the lane where it will very slowly roll down the lane, bouncing off one bumper, and then the other, and sometimes due to a lack of strength or power the ball may stop or even roll backwards. Suddenly a friendly hand come along and gives the ball a gentle push to allow the ball to continue on it’s path down the lane to the pins.
The ball is me, the lane is the narrow path(Matt 7:14), the bumpers and the friendly hand is the holy spirit guiding me along my walk. When we receive Christ we are placed beyond the foul line and made righteous(2Cor 5:21) the ball bouncing off the bumpers is symbolic of the trials we face and God helping us along the way. When we sin and stop our progress, backslide even, the Holy Spirit is there to convict us, to repent and continue along the path to our destination.
This analogy is not only symbolic of my overall walk over the years but is very much symbolic of my daily walk. I am being completely honest here. If you say you don’t sin daily you are not being honest with yourself. None of us are perfect which is why we need a savior.
Even Paul struggled with sin:
Romans 7:18-25
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Take heart, you are not alone, you are not a failure, you are just another wretch saved by grace.
Part II next week.
I hope that I have helped somebody today. Until next time, May The LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, May 28, 2010
What is GOD's Will for My Life?
"What is God's will for my life" is a question I hear all to often. If you are not saved, have not come to the cross, and have not been washed clean by the blood of Jesus, it is God's will for your life that you do so. Never mind all of the “ologies” and “isms”, leave the yokes of legalism behind and put your faith in the fact that Jesus died for ALL of your sins, past, present, and future. Repent of your sins and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and savior. That is God’s will for your life. He is waiting for you to do so.
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”.
For those who have received Christ as Savior, it is God’s will for your life that you be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
If you are a saved person and are still asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” I suggest that you read your bible, since, if you are asking the question, you obviously aren’t.
Also pray more. Prayer is our talking to God and reading the Bible is God talking to us. It is how we communicate. If we are not in prayer and meditating on his word how can God speak to our spirit? The answer is he can’t and then there is no way to know what God’s will is for your life.
It sounds too simple for most but there is genius in simplicity. God’s genius.
It is my hope that this has helped somebody who is struggling. That is always my goal.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”.
For those who have received Christ as Savior, it is God’s will for your life that you be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
If you are a saved person and are still asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” I suggest that you read your bible, since, if you are asking the question, you obviously aren’t.
Also pray more. Prayer is our talking to God and reading the Bible is God talking to us. It is how we communicate. If we are not in prayer and meditating on his word how can God speak to our spirit? The answer is he can’t and then there is no way to know what God’s will is for your life.
It sounds too simple for most but there is genius in simplicity. God’s genius.
It is my hope that this has helped somebody who is struggling. That is always my goal.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Does God Discipline Believers
WOW! What a dicey subject to bring up. How can it be that a loving GOD, the same GOD who sent himself as his son, became flesh in order to become the perfect sacrifice to fulfill the law, punish believers?
Is there scriptural support for this? Let look at Hebrews 12:5, 6
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." NIV
Paul is referring to Proverbs 3: 11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father] the son he delights in. NIV
I think it is clear that GOD will chastise, punish, discipline, (however you want to put it), those believers who are living in continual sin by allowing certain things to happen to them. I think one of the major influences that lead believers to think they are covered for their sins and can continue in their sin,is the over emphasis on grace and the pounding home of Ephesians 2: 8-9
"8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV
While these verses are important to show that we cannot work our way to Heaven modern teaching has come full circle from the time Paul. Just as in Paul’s day Grace is viewed as a license to sin. All forms of sin are overlooked in many modern churches. Cohabitation, homosexuality, gossiping, greed, slander, etc. are all ignored and instead many church members are not only taught but it is emphasized that Jesus is our friend, our buddy, that he will take care of us and all of our troubles are over simply by believing in him. Grace is over emphasized and mistaught.
If sin is pointed out, if we are warned that we are doomed to spend eternity in hell if we don’t turn from our sin, if the WORD is taught in full context, with it’s original intention, somehow we are deemed to be fanatics and in some cases, guilty of hate speech. If we dare point out that GOD will not be mocked and that a believer is subject to discipline because of his/her behavior, we are ridiculed by fellow believers, and thought of by the world as ignorant, superstitious hate mongers, Neanderthals, or worse.
Don't listen to the world. Don't attend a church that emphasizes one aspect of the Christian walk over another, it leads to all kind of abuse. Grace is important, but it is not a license to sin. It is not the be-all and end-all of the Christian walk.
I hope this has help somebody., until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Is there scriptural support for this? Let look at Hebrews 12:5, 6
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." NIV
Paul is referring to Proverbs 3: 11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father] the son he delights in. NIV
I think it is clear that GOD will chastise, punish, discipline, (however you want to put it), those believers who are living in continual sin by allowing certain things to happen to them. I think one of the major influences that lead believers to think they are covered for their sins and can continue in their sin,is the over emphasis on grace and the pounding home of Ephesians 2: 8-9
"8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV
While these verses are important to show that we cannot work our way to Heaven modern teaching has come full circle from the time Paul. Just as in Paul’s day Grace is viewed as a license to sin. All forms of sin are overlooked in many modern churches. Cohabitation, homosexuality, gossiping, greed, slander, etc. are all ignored and instead many church members are not only taught but it is emphasized that Jesus is our friend, our buddy, that he will take care of us and all of our troubles are over simply by believing in him. Grace is over emphasized and mistaught.
If sin is pointed out, if we are warned that we are doomed to spend eternity in hell if we don’t turn from our sin, if the WORD is taught in full context, with it’s original intention, somehow we are deemed to be fanatics and in some cases, guilty of hate speech. If we dare point out that GOD will not be mocked and that a believer is subject to discipline because of his/her behavior, we are ridiculed by fellow believers, and thought of by the world as ignorant, superstitious hate mongers, Neanderthals, or worse.
Don't listen to the world. Don't attend a church that emphasizes one aspect of the Christian walk over another, it leads to all kind of abuse. Grace is important, but it is not a license to sin. It is not the be-all and end-all of the Christian walk.
I hope this has help somebody., until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Husbands, love your wives, .......
With the family and marriage under attack today unlike any time before I am often brought to thinking about the best way to hold a marriage and also a family together.
With all the worldly talk about equality it is often brought up to Christians that the concept of women being submissive to their husbands as stated in Ephesians 5:22:
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” is frowned upon by the world mainly because they have no sense of biblical concepts, and also because of the misuse of these verses by, supposedly, bible believing Christians. This verse has been wildly abused and misunderstood. It has been used as an excuse for men to batter their wives, abuse them mentally, and to otherwise treat their wives like second class citizens. That is not what this verse is supposed to mean. Here is the other part of the passage that is used to support verse 22 and some of the ungodly behavior that results from poor understanding of these verses . 24 “ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything”.
Here is the key to understanding the entire concept that Paul is trying to convey.
Eph 5:25 “ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
I want to implore every husband and father out there who may read this. If you focus on verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”, and live to bring it to fruition, the rest of it will take care of itself. You would be amazed at the turnaround in your family life that will take place when you take it upon yourself to truly hold your wife in such high esteem. To do so also shows true spiritual leadership which is a husbands primary responsibility to his wife and family.
Here is the clincher:
EPH 5:28-30 "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
With all the worldly talk about equality it is often brought up to Christians that the concept of women being submissive to their husbands as stated in Ephesians 5:22:
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” is frowned upon by the world mainly because they have no sense of biblical concepts, and also because of the misuse of these verses by, supposedly, bible believing Christians. This verse has been wildly abused and misunderstood. It has been used as an excuse for men to batter their wives, abuse them mentally, and to otherwise treat their wives like second class citizens. That is not what this verse is supposed to mean. Here is the other part of the passage that is used to support verse 22 and some of the ungodly behavior that results from poor understanding of these verses . 24 “ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything”.
Here is the key to understanding the entire concept that Paul is trying to convey.
Eph 5:25 “ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
I want to implore every husband and father out there who may read this. If you focus on verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”, and live to bring it to fruition, the rest of it will take care of itself. You would be amazed at the turnaround in your family life that will take place when you take it upon yourself to truly hold your wife in such high esteem. To do so also shows true spiritual leadership which is a husbands primary responsibility to his wife and family.
Here is the clincher:
EPH 5:28-30 "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Christianity under Attack
With the current fiasco about the National Day of Prayer going on it reminds me that Jesus made a point in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 that we will be hated because we follow him.
Luke 21: 12-18
“…. they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.” NIV
Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 reminds us:
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. NIV
We must keep these verses in mind as the assault on our GOD and his Son and our savoir Jesus Christ escalates. These things must take place before his return. He said it would be so and I believe it. I know it is difficult but please stand firm. Take heart for we know:
Luke 21:28
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." NIV
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
Luke 21: 12-18
“…. they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.” NIV
Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 reminds us:
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. NIV
We must keep these verses in mind as the assault on our GOD and his Son and our savoir Jesus Christ escalates. These things must take place before his return. He said it would be so and I believe it. I know it is difficult but please stand firm. Take heart for we know:
Luke 21:28
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." NIV
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Is God a God of Prosperity – Part 2
Another verse misused by advocates of the prosperity gospel is Matthew 6:33
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “
Prosperity doctrine advocates conveniently overlook the Lords emphasis in verses 6:19, 24 which are admonitions against seeking material wealth and exhortations to seek Godly things. The Lords intention in verses 19 through 34 of Mathew chapter 6 in it full context is clearly an emphasis on spiritual growth, not material growth. In fact verse 33 is clearly his exhortation to seek the spiritual, not the material, as our other needs will be met when we do so. One of the parallel verses in Luke puts it this ways and solidifies the point:
“13 No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” NIV
Here is another verse that is widely misused. III John verse 2 and many use the King James version to claim it as a prosperity verse. Lets compare the KJV to the NIV.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." KJV
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." NIV
This is a simple greeting, no more, no less, and has nothing at all to do with a believers “entitlement” to prosperity. It’s the same as me saying to somebody I haven’t seen in a while, “Hello, I trust you are doing well”. Several popular prosperity ministers have recanted their belief that this is a prosperity verse, while many others still insist on it.
There are too many other examples of turning the Bible on its head to fit this particular “ology” to mention here. One day I may write a book to cover all of the issues with it but the example stated will suffice for now. The bottom line to me is that none of this has anything to do with getting the Gospel out.
Any “ology” or “ism” that takes focus off CHRIST, any “ology” or “ism” that detracts from the Gospel message is to be avoided, period! Please, find another church or change the station.
Beware of cut and paste theologies that lift verses and sometimes half verses out of context to create a pretext that upon close examination create at best inconsistencies, and at worst contradictions with other parts of the Bible, for where there is inconsistency or contradiction there is error.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “
Prosperity doctrine advocates conveniently overlook the Lords emphasis in verses 6:19, 24 which are admonitions against seeking material wealth and exhortations to seek Godly things. The Lords intention in verses 19 through 34 of Mathew chapter 6 in it full context is clearly an emphasis on spiritual growth, not material growth. In fact verse 33 is clearly his exhortation to seek the spiritual, not the material, as our other needs will be met when we do so. One of the parallel verses in Luke puts it this ways and solidifies the point:
“13 No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” NIV
Here is another verse that is widely misused. III John verse 2 and many use the King James version to claim it as a prosperity verse. Lets compare the KJV to the NIV.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." KJV
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." NIV
This is a simple greeting, no more, no less, and has nothing at all to do with a believers “entitlement” to prosperity. It’s the same as me saying to somebody I haven’t seen in a while, “Hello, I trust you are doing well”. Several popular prosperity ministers have recanted their belief that this is a prosperity verse, while many others still insist on it.
There are too many other examples of turning the Bible on its head to fit this particular “ology” to mention here. One day I may write a book to cover all of the issues with it but the example stated will suffice for now. The bottom line to me is that none of this has anything to do with getting the Gospel out.
Any “ology” or “ism” that takes focus off CHRIST, any “ology” or “ism” that detracts from the Gospel message is to be avoided, period! Please, find another church or change the station.
Beware of cut and paste theologies that lift verses and sometimes half verses out of context to create a pretext that upon close examination create at best inconsistencies, and at worst contradictions with other parts of the Bible, for where there is inconsistency or contradiction there is error.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
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