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Your Tragedy is Just Around the Corner

Posted in Bible, Christianity, discipleship, evangelism, religion, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2013| 3 Comments »

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life…In the world you will have tribulation…For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Genesis 3:17 + John 16:33 + Matthew 24:7-8

My heart aches for the people of Oklahoma. So does yours. Less than a year ago we endured Hurricane Sandy. Soon after, the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Then, the Boston Marathon bombings. As we look around the globe we see there have already been about 600 earthquakes in 2013 and last year, in the US alone there were 932 confirmed oktornadoes. Some are saying that this latest one in Moore, Oklahoma was the biggest and worst one ever recorded. We barely recover from one tragedy and then we’re hit with another.

Why?

The answer is simple: humanity blew it in the Garden.  Tragedies of this sort have been snowballing exponentially ever since Eden, but don’t blame Adam. He was our best chance at maintaining Paradise, and if you or I were in his fig leaves, we would have done worse. As a result: killings and killer storms. Nothing new here. The only thing that is new is the frequency of these catastrophic events. The Bible snippets from Genesis 3:17, John 16:33 , and Matthew 24:7-8 provide a brief summation, but if we fast-forward a couple thousand years, we might find that perhaps Randy Bachman may have said it best, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Perilous times have come and they will be growing worse and worse.

Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Proverbs 25:20

A Message for You

Some folks in Oklahoma need to hear this message, but this is not the time. They are suffering more than most of us can imagine, and frankly, pulling them aside and saying, “You know, all things work together for good to those who love God,” probably won’t be received well or bring them very much peace. That’s why this verse is for you.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

While it’s probably true that there are no atheists in foxholes, those who know Jesus Christ in a personal way before finding themselves in the valley of death are best equipped to get through adversities in peace and in one piece, eternally speaking. I’m certain that there are Christians in Moore, Oklahoma who have suffered great loss and are in severe emotional pain, but have wrapped their bruised arms and legs around this promise of God…

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt receive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me” Psalm 138:7

Honestly, you do not want to find yourself in this lonely and broken position without Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. While it’s true a person might come to a saving faith in a horrific situation (many do), Jesus wants you to know that today is the day of your salvation and there is no guarantee that you will survive the next tragedy that shows up on your doorstep.  And it will. The next tragedy is just around the corner and it is coming quickly.

Who?

God has told us in His Word why these things happen, so now you can stop asking. You may not understand it or even believe it, but those two concepts are not relevant now. When the storm is barreling in on you, your perception of it does not negate its reality. So it is with Jesus. He is Lord and Savior regardless if you understand or believe. If you are not a believer, you must stop asking why these things happen, and start asking, “Who will save me from these things.”

These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you?– Desolation and destruction, famine and sword– By whom will I comfort you? Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the Lord, The rebuke of your God. Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.” Isaiah 51:19-23

Jesus is the answer. He is the One who delivers us, and if we should perish, Christ is the One who receives us to His bosom. In Him alone is our hope.  Before the tempest, in the trial, and after the tumult, it’s Jesus. He is our firm foundation that cannot be moved. Your search has ended; Jesus has found you!

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Isaiah 51:1

Hear the Lord’s plea…

My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. Isaiah 51:5-6

The world as we know it is quickly fading. And even if it were not, you still need a Savior, [because] eternity does not fade. You will spend forever somewhere: Heaven, with God, or Hell, without Him. This is true whether tragedy strikes you or not. You need to be saved even if you do not recognize the storm that’s brewing all about you — our sin condemns us.

But know this…

(Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6

In Christ Jesus we are saved. He is the only hope we have. Don’t wait for the next tragedy to strike, for if you do not know Him as your Lord and Savior, calamity is already upon you. Shed that garment of misfortune and put on the clean and pure garment of Christ’s righteousness. It’s free; all you need do is receive it by faith.

Consider this scriptural path to Heaven:

  1. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
  2. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
  3. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
  4. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
  5. “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)
  6. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
  7. “We have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
  8. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

If you want to know more, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to assist you.

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Freedom

Posted in Bible, Christianity, discipleship, evangelism, religion, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 23, 2013| 1 Comment »

“I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered…The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people…”(Psalm 111:1-4; 7-9)

The Road to Freedom

I was 12 years old when I first heard the Richie Havens song, “Freedom.” It moved me then and it still moves me now.  Later on Havens would recount, “I think the word ‘freedom’ came out of my mouth because I saw it in front of me…I saw the freedom that we were looking for. And every person was sharing it, and so that word came out.”

What do you think?

Want to know what I hear in that song?

Desperation.

Havens lyrically presented a liberating absolute that resonated with the masses — the notion that there is something great to be attained that this world cannot provide. We feel the anguish-laden desire in his voice, we sigh, and then we grasp at it, for it is the very same thing we simultaneously agonize over and long for. We recognize the words of this simple song. We’ve seen them before. They’re scrawled like graffiti upon the walls that define the hole in our heart.

I found this blurb about Richie (and the song) in an article from Rolling Stone (1972) that gives us some much-needed Spiritual insight:

“As the opening act at Woodstock, Richie Havens was supposed to perform for only 40 minutes. But when an unexpected traffic jam delayed the other performers, organizers asked him to keep playing. Three hours into it, Havens had run out of songs, so he started to make one up to the melody of “Motherless Child,” a spiritual he’d sung as a kid.”

Richie’s quote reminds me of God’s promise.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Back to Woodstock

There was another kind of desperation going on this day in 1969. Havens was running out of music to richplay. Havens later said of his performances, “I really sing songs that move me. I’m not in show business; I’m in the communications business. That’s what it’s about for me”.

With that in mind, he wasn’t looking to just fill a space — he needed to dig deeper into his soul and pull out something he knew in heart would move the crowd. It was in this empty place, perhaps in an act of futility, Richie Havens went back to church. The song that morphed forth still draws and captivates us.

Why is that so?

The truth be told, Richie Havens was drawing upon something that was not of himself, regardless if he realized it or not. The old negro spiritual that he borrowed in desperation was so thick with desperation, that when he touched it, he got it all over himself. In turn, he got it all over us.

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home
A long ways from home
True believer
A long ways from home
Along ways from home

 Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Way up in de heab’nly land
Way up in de heab’nly land
True believer
Way up in de heab’nly land
Way up in de heab’nly land

 Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home
There’s praying everywhere

(from « American Negro Spirituals» by J. W. Johnson, J. R. Johnson, 1926)

I suppose there’s not much more desperate than the life of a slave; agony far beyond my capacity to fathom. But like I said earlier, this stuff is like tar; so thick, so prevalent, when you’re near it, it just gets on you. We all identify with it, not because we have it in massive quantities, but because we all have (at least) a wee portion of it, and it grieves us. We know intuitively that there is freedom from it. The slave; the man or woman who first sang this song, put all their hope in freedom’s future. They knew of a place that was not of this world, but a sure haven for the true believer.

Richie Havens, consciously or not, tapped into it. When we heard it, consciously or not, we tapped into it to. Did Havens know ‘Who’ he was singing about? Perhaps. After all, he sang, “I got a telephone in my bosom and I can call him up from my heart.” I pray he knew Him, but that’s not really my point. Whether or not Richie Havens was a follower of Jesus Christ, we’ll likely never know, but God knows. The only pertinent question to ask at this juncture is whether or not you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

It could rightly be said that “Freedom”, was an anthem of a generation, but it could also be said that by and large, the word was misappropriated. How do you define freedom and where do you see its source? If you said true freedom is found in Christ Jesus alone, you have answered wisely. If not, consider what God has to say…

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)

Therein lies our freedom and our hope — Jesus Christ is the only One who can provide the eternal respite we all long for. Let’s face it: to deny Jesus is to forever embrace desperation. Jesus alone holds the cure for our bondage problem. If you want to know more about inviting Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, please drop me a comment below.

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To My Family

Posted in religion, tagged , , , , , on March 26, 2013| 5 Comments »

An open letter to my children, my brothers, my sisters, my nieces, my nephews, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, and my in-laws:

A few of you know Jesus Christ in a personal way. In other words, you have not merely attained historical faminformation about Jesus, but you walk in His ways. You are in fact followers of Christ. You believe that His word, the Bible, is inerrant, and His testimony is true. Jesus is in actuality your Lord God and your Savior, you are submitted to His will, and your lives are a living testimony to your Creator. You have received His free gift of grace. Please know Michelle and I pray for you daily, and that God will continue to bless and protect you, and grow you in your faith. Our bond is deeper than genetic; it is Holy and eternal, as it has been purchased for a great price through the suffering, the blood, and the crucifixion of Jesus.

I have much joy knowing that you know Jesus, and that when we leave this life for the next, there will be a grand reunion in Heaven. At the same time, I am saddened that not all of us will be there. When I dwell on the notion, that as of today, most of our family will not be with us, my heart aches. They will be living for eternity, but not in Heaven. The rest of this letter is to those of our family that we may never see again.

Dear Family,

What I am about to write, you may have seen or heard before, but my prayer is that you will read it until the end.

First, I love you.

The love I speak of is not the same kind of love that I have for my wife, or my children, or even chocolate ice cream. This kind of love is called ‘agape’ in the Bible, and it’s the kind of love that compelled Christ Jesus to go to the cross. It goes beyond mere affection, although it certainly includes that. It’s a kind of love that is driven by God the Father, and not of emotion, despite the fact that deep emotion is often a part of it. When Jesus Christ came and took-up residence in my heart, He brought this love along with Him. Today, it is the very thing that compels me to do things that I would not have otherwise ever done, such as write this letter. From this point forward, if I am bold in what I write, please recall that it’s written in love. I must risk driving you away in order that you hear this message.

I will be sharing some portions of the Bible (in blue). It’s important to remember that what I’m going to share is not an opinion, but it’s borne out of the Word of God. For those of you who are closest to me [know] that I am not the same person I used to be, to God’s glory. That is to say that I’m no longer a scoundrel, a drunk, a villain, or a worthless fellow. You can plainly see that something has changed for the better. You only see the outside, but I’m here to tell you I’m changed on the inside as well. I’m not perfect and it could best be said that I am a work-in-progress.

If you have witnessed any of these changes in me, please read on.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

This is not where I tell you that you’re a sinner and that you’re going to hell. This is where God does. Please look at the second word in the sentence. ‘All’ means every single person who ever was or ever will be. We all have sinned and it only takes one sin to separate us from God. Don’t let that anger you. It’s been said that God is so perfectly good, He cannot have any sin around Him; darkness (sin) cannot share the same space with light. Based on this portion of Bible scripture (and there are many others), we can know that no person can be good enough to get into Heaven on their own merit. Just one sin will exclude you. In other words, if Mother Teresa did not know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, she too would be excluded.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Everybody dies, but the death spoken of here is often referred to as hell and it is eternal (it’s forever). It’s a place that God did not make for human beings, but for satan and his minions. If a person ends up in hell, God is not responsible because He has given everyone a free-way to avoid it. This might sound a little moronic, but God’s free gift is free. It cannot be earned or worked for by us. It’s just to be received.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

What Christ Jesus did on the cross encompasses the free gift. This sacrifice Jesus made paid the penalty of our sin. Somebody had to pay; that’s the way God laid it all out, and Jesus was sent to earth in the flesh to be a perfect sacrifice.  There was never a perfect sacrifice before Jesus and there will never be another one. Jesus is the only solution to our sin and separation problem. Don’t be angry that God only gave us One way — be grateful that He provided a way.

One problem, one solution — God kept it incredibly simple for us, because He loves us.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

What do you have to do to receive the free gift? Accept it! Acknowledge that you are the rightful recipient! Agree with God and say:

“Yes Father, I am a sinner. Jesus Christ is exactly who You have said He is. Jesus is the Only solution to my sin and separation problem. Somehow, in a way I cannot fully understand, Jesus took all my sin upon Himself and paid the penalty in full so I don’t have to. He willingly went to the cross, was crucified, He died, and He rose from the dead, and now lives forever!”

Nowhere does the Bible say that we need to understand how Jesus did these things, but only by faith that we believe He did. When you do this, your life will change miraculously as you follow His ways, and your life will be a living testimony that Christ Jesus is alive!

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)

Repent means to ‘turn away from,’ but in the case of a Christian, it means more. It means that we have agreed to turn our backs on our sinful pasts and turn towards Jesus in order to follow His ways. It may sound difficult, but because you’ve demonstrated your commitment to Jesus, He will (freely) provide you the power to stop any sin you struggle with. As I shared earlier, I was once a drunk and I turned away from drinking many times on my own, but was never able to stop being a drunk, that is until I came to Jesus. When I repented; that is, turned away and turned towards Jesus, He lifted the addiction away entirely in one moment.

My last drunk was in 1997.

Does this mean you will never sin again? No, it does not, but what it means is you’ve rejected the notion of being an habitual sinner; the kind of person who purposely sets out each day to do what is wrong. Repentance in many ways is the sign to the world and to God that your faith is true. You cannot accept the free gift of salvation from God and willfully live in habitual sin, believing that God doesn’t care. God does care. He will accept you in any condition that you come to Him, but He surely does not want you to stay in that condition; God wants to refine you into the best you can be, for His glory and not ours.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

No one is exempt. God’s free offer is available to everyone. Call on His name by faith and be saved. You have not committed a sin so great (or sins so great), that God will not forgive you.

“We have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

What does ‘justified by faith,‘ mean? Simply put, the word justified means, just-as-if you never sinned. That’s right! If you believe in Jesus and have received His free gift of salvation, God the Father looks at you as if you were spotless and without sin. The Bible tells us this is so because we are robed in Christ’s righteousness; Jesus has essentially given us a clean garment to put on!

Faith is the same as belief, but it’s more than just having knowledge about something. Everyone has the knowledge that a parachute has the capacity to save a person, but it only works if you put it on. So it is with Christ Jesus. I have had conversations with many of you, and most of you have knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done, but you have not put Him on by faith. Faith says we will also do what Jesus says to do.

Knowledge alone will not save you.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Plain and simple, if you believe these things and do them, you will not suffer the second death, condemnation.

At this point, you have a decision to make.

If you decide to become a follower of Jesus Christ, God will recognize your sincerity, and there is nothing more you have to do to acquire salvation! Jesus proclaimed on the cross that the work He came to do was finished!

If however you have decided to wait, you need to examine your motives. Is the sin that your holding onto truly that much better than living in Heaven eternally? No one, not even God denies that sin is pleasurable for a season, but that season is always short, especially when compared to eternity. And of course, we have no idea when our lives on earth will end. The youngest person reading this must know that people younger than you die unexpectedly every single day. You are not guaranteed a long life.  And do not be fooled into believing that you can live any kind of life that you desire and then make a last second commitment of faith on your death-bed. Can you possibly guarantee that your death-bed commitment would even be sincere in God’s eyes? Who has guaranteed you that you will even have a death-bed experience?

Dear family, don’t be foolish. If you have read this far, Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart and He wants to rescue you. You might not see it, but He sees that you are drowning and He’s come along side of you to pull you into he lifeboat. No longer reject His free gift. Do you have questions? I know it’s a bit awkward, but please let me know. I’ll answer your questions or can get together and talk more in-depth. Truly, your eternal life depends upon it.

If I didn’t love you, I would have not written to you. Michelle and I pray for you daily.

In Christ’s love,

Dave — your father, your brother, your cousin, your nephew, your uncle, your in-law

 

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How to Master the Toughest Situations

Posted in Bible, religion, Salvation, tagged , , , , , on April 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Hebrew 6:4-6

Have you ever read this portion of scripture and thought that you were most certainly doomed [because] you walked away from your God-given faith for a season? I know I have. For me, it is the toughest piece of scripture in the Bible and I know it is for many of you as well. I suppose there is someone, somewhere that these verses don’t apply to, but I don’t know any of those people.

Before we address it, we first need to know that the passage means exactly what it says, “It is impossible for those…(that fell away)… to renew them again to repentance.” We also should know that the word impossible (adunatos in the Greek) is translated:

  1. without strength, impotent, powerless, weakly, disabled
  2. unable to be done

In other words, impossible means impossible.

So What Do We Do?

Some people address the issue by reading into the verse doctrine that isn’t there. ‘This passage is making reference to those who were never saved to begin with,’ they might say.

Stretching the vocabulary to make it fit a particular situation (real or imagined) is entirely the wrong approach and at best it only serves to sidestep the solution. The best way (again) is to take these words at face value.

For whom are we told it is impossible?

For those who fell away; they are the powerless ones unable to do anything to renew their repentance. That should remind of us something; weren’t we also powerless to save ourselves initially?  What does Titus 3:5-7 tell us again?

 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

But Wait!

That certainly addresses when we first came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but the writer of Hebrews said after we fall away it was an impossible feat to accomplish. How can we possibly get around the impossible?

The solution is so easy, you’re liable to smack yourself in the forehead when you read it.

(Jesus) said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27

Yes! Let the Master handle it!

Nothing has changed. As it pertains to our salvation, our works are as filthy rags.  However nothing is impossible with God! At this juncture, there is only one question left to ask on the matter, “Is God a liar?”

…It is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18b)

  1. What do these verses tell us about God?
  2. What do they tell us about ourselves?
  3. What changes do we need to address?
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Casualties of Deception

Posted in Bible, faith, Jesus, religion, tagged , , , , , on December 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:5-6

A Couple Things

Do not come away with the false notion that if you have participated or currently struggle in any of these areas, that you will have no part in God’s inheritance. That’s not what is being said. The verse is a warning for those who, by selfish constitution, routinely practice and idolize these activities. In their sorrow-less state, they are the unsaved.

The passage also cautions us against the liars – the professors of foolishness — those who strive to convince us that these and similar activities are not aberrant. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, they’ve bought the lie, adopted an agenda, and intolerantly traffic their wares to an unsuspecting, sympathetic, broad-minded yet blinded audience, oblivious to the certainty they are but pawns in satan’s legion, his chief goal being the destruction of the church.

Be Not Deceived

We happen upon these deceivers in our personal encounters, we’re bombarded by them in the media, and we’re ensnared by their perverse governmental legislation. How bad has it gotten? Well let’s just say that I never thought in my life time our government would move to legalize sodomy and bestiality (sex with animals!) for our United States military, but on December 1, 2011, the United States Senate approved a bill to do just that. I’m not surprised, but I am sickened.

And if this weren’t bad enough, the liars have infiltrated the church.

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

Acts 20:29 + Galatians 1:7-8

Recourse

Do you struggle with sin?

This first step in overcoming sin is acknowledging that the activity with which you’re involved is sinful. You likely already know this truth, but may have become diverted in your thinking because someone convincingly lied to you.

Dismiss that liar and bring your sinful-self to the cross of Jesus.

In Christ alone healing and salvation are possible. If you believe — if you have faith in Jesus Christ, you are saved, regardless if you are struggling now or will struggle in the future. Repent, abide in Christ, submit yourself to obedience, and He will be faithful to bring you home.

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Matthew 4:17 + Luke 13:3b

You might have been taught that the word repent means to turn away from; to move in the opposite direction. That’s accurate. Christian doctrine adds focus, in that we’re not merely turning away from sin, but we’re turning towards Jesus, our provider and healer. It helps us to know that the Greek word for repent is metanoeo and it means to change one’s mind for the better; to heartily amend with abhorrence (hatred and repulsion) for one’s past sins. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary expands the notion and includes that repentance is facilitated because we feel pain, sorrow, or regret, for what we have done or omitted to do.

The reality is that sorrow is one of the critical components in the equation.

“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Reality Check

If you have established a particular sin as an idol in your life, you are not saved and you have no inheritance, however, that is not the final word on your fate. You can knock that idol down by rejecting the liars, confessing your sin, and giving Jesus Christ authority and control over your life. As you change your mind, God will be faithful to change the cravings of your heart.

God cannot and does not lie.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

~~~

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Legalizing Love

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, evangelism, faith, history, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, prayer, religion, sanctification, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2011| 2 Comments »

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

It’s the law!

Imagine if it were the law, that when you met a young man or woman and became ‘serious’ you must write love letters, you must hold hands, or you must buy flowers. It certainly is an inane concept isn’t it? It’s silly because when you fall in love with a person these types of things come naturally — they do not need to be legislated.

Love Does More

This is essentially Paul’s message to the church.

We are free of mandatory rites and rituals of religion; we are free because love does more than legalism. Legalism (just so we’re on the same page) is that doctrine that says, “Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ ~and~ something else.”

There is no something else.

It’s just faith in Jesus Christ. If anyone adds the word ‘and’ after the sentence, “Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, ” run away. Jesus proclaimed that He finished the work on the cross.

It stands to reason that if legalism can drain the passion out of an earthly relationship, it will consume a spiritual one as well. All we need do is examine the church to see all the depleted souls who have given up on Christ because of man’s imposition of religious duty. This ought not to be.

Faith in Christ Jesus on its own will result in free display of passion; enthusiasm, zeal, and love. They cannot be legislated.

If that statement is true, why then do we see flocks of faithful people, those who had routinely declared, “It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship,” walking away from the church?  It’s no wonder why legalists felt it necessary to impose rules and regulations as an aide to salvation.  In that slim, sliver of light, legalism is an admirable, albeit misguided, gesture.

What’s the Answer?

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19-20

Focus.

The reality is that many seemingly faithful people leave the church because they have not been properly discipled. In far too many instances they don’t even know what the word faith means!  Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines the word in this manner:
Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent (obedience) of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God‘s testimony, accompanied with a cordial (sincere) assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God’s character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God’s testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.”
Chances are if a person struggles with a definition that implies belief, submission, and obedience to God, they probably won’t stay in church very long. Then there are others who remain, but choose to redefine the Christian vocabulary to meet their own desires.  As a result we have always had false teachers who impose their liberal and concocted interpretations on the unschooled, which is all the more reason why Christians must be discipled in the Word, the Way, and the truth of God.
The properly discipled believer will gratefully subject himself to the authority of Jesus Christ — simply put: rules and regulations are not necessary.

Bashing Religion

Never!

Although I used the words religion and religious in a negative context, I am not bashing those institutions. I savor the components of religion (prayer, worship, communion, baptism, marriage, etc), for these are the things I get to do. I do not consider them the things I must do.

Nor do I worship the components — I worship Jesus!

For me, religion is the word that defines the elements of my faith that can bring me into a closer relationship with the Lord. In that context, being religious is not the horrible thing that some believers have made it out to be.

I willingly confess, “I am religious!”

I pray religiously, I study the word religiously, I go to church religiously, I partake of Communion religiously, but I only worship, honor, serve, and obey my Lord and Savior.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Romans 5:11

How about you?

  1. Are you a victim of legalism and/or religion?
  2. Are you faithful in the truest sense of the word?
  3. Are you allowing yourself to be discipled in God’s word?
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What’s a Twenty-Four Letter Word for Forgiveness?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, love, prayer, religion, sanctification, world news, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2011| 5 Comments »

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:7-8

Salvation as we know, is about the forgiveness of sins. Around 1739 the Moravians were in Alaska sharing the Gospel when they stumbled upon a problem—in the native Alaskan language there was no word for forgiveness, which made it kind of hard to talk about the subject matter. Not a problem. After pondering the issue for a little while, they made up a word.

Issumagijoujungnainermik

That word ‘issu-magijou-jung-nainer-mik’ is currently the longest word in the native Alaskan language and it literally means, “Not being able to think about it any more.” Isn’t that beautiful? It almost perfectly describes how God the Father views the sin of His children—He isn’t able to think about it anymore. Why? Because we’re justified by Christ’s blood and God sees us as if we have never sinned.

In other words, the Father does not look at us; see our sin and say, “Lucky for you My Son died for those sins.” No! He sees us robed in His Son’s righteous and sinless! That’s like going to court with a speeding ticket and the judge saying, “Sir, the charge you are talking about does not exist.”

God isn’t winking at our sin…it’s completely gone! Incredible, isn’t it? The only work the believer must do (which really isn’t any effort) is to accept delivery of the free gift.

Have you received God’s free gift?

Are you going to Heaven?

“I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” Jeremiah 31:34


These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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We Can Boldly Say

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible Prophecy, church, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, peace, prayer, religion, sanctification, social justice, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. Psalm 62

David’s flight from Jerusalem is the setting for this Psalm. Absalom wants his father’s throne and his physical and verbal attacks upon David are never-ending. David confirms the assault in verse four. Speaking of Absalom and his co-conspirators, David cites their sole purpose is to cast him down with their lies and their craftily concealed curses. Inspired by God, David counsels his own soul.

My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

Again, David is not merely talking to himself; his counsel is of the Lord. What is that counsel? Be still, “Wait silently for the Lord.” Be stable, “He is my Rock,” Be strong, “He is my strength.” Be safe, “He is my refuge.” And notice the change that takes place within the passage: in verse two David says that he will not be ‘greatly’ moved, but by verse six he proclaims that upon this Rock he will not be moved at all. That kind of conviction can only come from the Lord. Consider this passage from the Book of Hebrews:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

I underlined the key words: “God has said (so that) we may boldly say.” In other words we are not making disingenuous claims or hyping ourselves up emotionally and/or psychologically in order that we might get through our day or our problems. No, we can boldly say the things we say because God has asserted them beforehand. Our patience, our stability, our strength, and our security have been preordained by the Creator of the Universe. By whose authority can a Christian say the things he says? By His authority!

David Shares the Revelation with the People

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy…

David cautions his subjects to not trust in men, might, or money, but in God alone. Look at the contrast: men of high degree, of money, and of might have a limited amount of power, but typically are short on mercy. Men of low degree and the oppressed have a limited amount of mercy, but lack power. Not only does God have access to both power and mercy, the attributes belong to Him—He doesn’t just have some, He owns it all! In light of that, why should we trust in any other?

In God alone!


 

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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So What’s Your Sign?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, church, exercise and fitness, faith, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, poverty, prayer, religion, sanctification, travel, tagged , , , , , , on April 27, 2011| 2 Comments »

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

Recently I had a discussion with a person and was able to share the Good News. Much to my delight she agreed to attend church the following Sunday with me and my family where the pastor confirmed and elaborated upon many of the things we had previously discussed. The pastor gave the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior, but she did not respond to the offer. Later on I asked her why.

One of her reasons was, “Because I am already a good person.”

“No you’re not,” I wanted to say, “you’re a rotten person,” but I bit my tongue. As true as it is, there was no love to be found in that response.

The fact of the matter is that we spent a lot of time talking about the very false doctrine of universalism (her other issue) and never really brought the conversation back around to her (our) perceived goodness.

There is none who does good, no, not one. Romans 3:12b

How to Tell a Nonbeliever That They Are No Good

It’s hard to tell someone they are no good and sound loving at the same time. You can say, “I love you,” all you want, but all they’re going to hear is that you just insulted them. From where they stand, they (and perhaps the world) see themselves as good people heading in the right direction. We on the other hand see them lost and heading in the wrong direction. What’s needed here is a road sign. What will a road sign do? Two things actually—it tells you where you are and it tells you the direction you need to go. The Law is that road sign.

You can easily show a nonbeliever the Ten Commandments and demonstrate how they have broken every single one. From there it is easy to point out that no one can be justified by the deeds of the law (Romans 3:20) because no one aside from Jesus has ever been able to keep the Law. So what’s the Law’s purpose? To show you where you are (in sin) and to point you in the direction you need to go (to Jesus). It really is just that simple.

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

Here’s the solution. Say, “Jesus, I was just at the road sign and it showed me I was a lost sinner. Thankfully, it pointed me in Your direction. Please cleanse me.” That’s all there is to it.

Remember, the Law was written on tablets of stone, not bars of soap–it cannot clean you.


 

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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Millie, Joe, and Mario

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, faith, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, poverty, prayer, religion, sanctification, social justice, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2011| 4 Comments »

And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven….But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. Matthew 8:11, 6:20-21; Philippians 3:20; John 14:1-3

I didn’t feel like going to the train station today. I shot-up one of those quickie prayers and asked God to guide me in what I should do. I was kind of hoping He would tell me to go back to bed because I needed more rest. He didn’t. I was however drawn to His word and opened it to my Psalm reading for the day; Psalm 81. Verse one read:

Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.

To the Train Station I Go!

I stopped to pray before I left and asked the Lord for some divine appointments (as usual), and added, “It would really be cool if I could lead a person to Jesus today.”

I drove the five miles or so to the train station, took up my usual spot, and began to play my guitar.

Mario

I was playing an hour or so before I saw Mario. He was talking to another fellow on the bench next to mine. When I looked up at him our eyes met and he said hello. I stopped playing and said to him, “You’re a pastor, aren’t you.”

He said yes and asked how I knew.

I said because he was wearing those hip eyeglasses that most pastors are wearing these days.

He laughed, but I sensed something about him that wasn’t right. Oh, he was smiling, and seemingly happy, but I felt this negativity. When he spoke again the pieces fell into place. “I’m a pastor and a Jehovah Witness.”

He caught me a little off guard, so I reached into my coat pocket, pulled out one my ‘Trillion Dollar’ tracts, and handed it to him saying, “How would you like a trillion dollars?” When he reached for it, I teasingly pulled it back and said, “But first you have to answer the trillion dollar question.”

“What’s the question?” he asked.

“Are you going to heaven?”

“No”

That of course set off our Biblical discussion. Mario didn’t have his fake bible, but I had my real one with me. When I (lovingly) told Mario why his bible was bogus, he replied, “There are many Bibles written today where men have changed the words or have taken words out.” As he spoke the words it seemed he realized that the negative tone of his remark cast a dark shadow over his JW translation, so he changed the topic.

We probably spoke about 20 minutes. I brought him to places in the Bible, but Mario wasn’t going to budge off his false doctrine, so I told him it was probably best we end our discussion. It was a friendly separation, but nevertheless I was saddened by how deceived this man is and also that he is leading sheep astray in the same station as me. The Bible montage (above) about Heaven is for Mario–If he continues down his path, his remark about not going to Heaven will be quite prophetic.

Millie

I played about another hour before packing up my guitar and leaving. As I walked to my car I was drawn to the bench where Millie was sitting. “Wanna answer the trillion dollar question,” I asked as I handed her and the guy sitting next to her, one of my tracts.

“Sure,” she said, “What’s the question?”

So I asked her if she was going to Heaven and she replied that she probably was not. Joe said he probably was because he was a good guy. Meanwhile, Millie told me the gospel message from memory, but she hadn’t yet received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. By the time we had parted ways, Millie did receive Jesus – praise be to God.

Then Things Got Ugly

As we chatted some more I revealed that I used to be a cop in the town where she lives. “Oh, what’s your name,” she asked. When I told her, her countenance dropped.

“I remember you now. You once arrested my son; you tackled him in the street and held a gun to his head. I’ve got it on tape.”

Umm…

I told her I didn’t remember doing that, but if I did I was sorry it happened.

“Anyway,” she said, “I forgive you; I am a Christian now!”

Praise be to God!

Joe

“So Joe, how bout you, do you wanna accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,” I asked?

He said that he wasn’t ready, but he would read the other tract I gave him (with the Romans Road on it) when he got to work.

The bus came and Millie and Joe had to leave to catch it.

Please Pray

Please remember Mario, Millie, and Joe in your prayers — Mario is deceived, Millie is a new believer, and Joe is somewhere in the middle.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9:37-38

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