Zeal

Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about tospit you out of my mouth.
Jesus, in the verse above, was speaking to the Church at Laodicea. This was an indictment of their lack of zeal. They were not hot with zeal for Jesus, as they should have been, but lukewarm and satisfied with their situation. Jesus gave them a stiff rebuke and called on them to repent. True zeal is more than singing, clapping, and giving lip service to God. It means getting involved and performing Christian service…. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (Romans 12:11). Nearly everyone in the United States has zeal for something. Bumper stickers and t-shirts, such as ‘Fishing is life’, display zeal for many activities in this country today. Instead of the word fishing, just substitute any of a number of words such as football, basketball, golf, hunting, car racing, soccer, music, sky-diving, etc. People have plenty of zeal for a lot of things that are really meaningless in the end…. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Solomon went on to conclude that the whole duty of man was to fear God and keep his commandments. The Apostle Paul was zealous and made it clear what life was to him…. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Paul’s bumper sticker or t-shirt would proclaim, ’Christ is Life.’ A person should consider what word he would use in the statement, For to me, to live is. The word that a person places here is where his zeal lies. Jesus said it another way…. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Praise God for his grace and mercy and may we all be zealous for Christ and the Kingdom of God and not lukewarm as was the Church at Laodicea.

Bottom line

The living water of eternal life is a free gift from God to those that are thirsty….
A thirsty person has an intense desire for water. In the passage above, Jesus is offering the free gift of eternal life to those who are thirsty. Who are the thirsty and what are they thirsty for? Since everyone is not redeemed, it follows that everyone is not thirsty for the living water that Jesus promises. Perhaps Jesus is referring to those that hunger and thirst for righteousness…. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). The thirsty then would be those that mourn for their sinful condition and realize they are sinners and cannot save themselves….. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Death is the wage that is earned by man before a Holy and righteous God. There is no possibility for salvation other than the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. He is the spring of the water of life. The drink is without cost to the sinner who is thirsty. Therefore, a sinner must first be thirsty for this living water. Without a thirst and desire to drink, a sinner will not partake of this living water of eternal life. Praise God if you see the need and have a thirst and desire to drink of this water. If you are not thirsty, pray that God will move you to see the need and have the desire for this living water…… Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). What a great promise Jesus makes in this verse.

Politically correct intolerance proved

Bill Maher said the following on Fox News on Wednesday September 20: "I don't like it when people tolerate intolerance." This obviously means he would like it when people are intolerant of intolerance. This of course means that such people would be intolerant themselves if they did not tolerate intolerance. To truly be tolerant, should not tolerance be valid for the intolerant? Apparently not according to Mr. Maher.

I think we have stumbled on to the truth about Mr. Maher and the tolerance issue as articulated by the liberal left. Tolerance is only extended to those people, things, and issues that are approved by the liberal left. These approved people, things, and issues are considered politically correct and are to be tolerated. Those people, things, and issues that are not approved should not be tolerated by these keepers of the PC standards. Ask Ann Coulter if you need confirmation. Scripture describes this situation in Ephesians 2:1-2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Christian Service

Romans 12:4-8 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all theothers. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
There are many ways that a Christian can be of service to the body of Christ. It is amazing to consider all of the things that are required to send a missionary to an overseas mission field. For example, a missionary needs education which required many school teachers and spiritual teachers over a period of 15-18 years. Financial support is required which means that contribution is required from people. These people had to perform work to earn the money before they could make a contribution. The missionary would need clothes, shoes, transportation, food, books, etc. In short, it takes nothing less than a developed economy to place a missionary on a mission field. Perhaps that is why Paul said…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24). There is no shortage of tasks for a person to perform for the Lord. A person should not consider what they cannot do but rather consider all the things they can do to serve Jesus Christ. The next step is to do it.

Test yourself

2 Cor 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?

In Air Force pilot training a student pilot is required to pass many check rides to be qualified to be a pilot. In getting ready for these check rides students have many hours of solo flights where they practice the acrobatic maneuvers and examine themselves to be sure they are prepared to pass the test. For example to do a loop in the T-38 you must be able to start at ten thousand feet, straight and level and at 500 knots. At this point you pull back on the stick and begin a rapid climb pulling several G’s with a goal of being inverted at approximately twenty thousand feet at around 220 knots. Pull too hard and you may gray out (temporarily lose vision) or possibly black out (lose consciousness). Don’t pull hard enough and you will exceed the twenty thousand feet goal at the top. From the top of the loop you will be increasing speed rapidly on the way back down and at 450 or so knots the ground will be coming toward you very rapidly. At this point not pulling hard enough on the stick could bring you to a close encounter with the ground and pulling too hard could cause you to blackout and well that would also be bad. The goal is to be back at ten thousand feet, straight and level and at 500 knots. If all student pilots had to do when check ride day came was to explain verbally how to do a loop, they would all pass. However talk is cheap and on check ride day a student pilot must be able to show that he can actually do a loop not just talk about it.

In the same manner Christians should be able to do more than just talk about their Christianity. Paul in 2 Cor. 13:5 asks professing Christians to examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Like check ride day to a student pilot, judgment day is coming and Paul knows that being in the faith is more than just claiming to be in the faith. On judgment day professing faith without possessing faith will result in failing the test. So Paul is exhorting Christians to examine themselves. We are told In 2 Cor. 5:17…. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. A Christian has been enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He is different from what he was and has a new attitude with new desires and new characteristics. He has been born again and does not resemble his old self. He should be different from unbelievers and Paul is saying test yourselves to be sure you are different. How should a Christian be different from an unbeliever or a false professor?

First and foremost a Christian places his faith and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. He understands that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man and paid the penalty for his sins by being crucified on the cross of Calvary. This fact convicts him of his sin and causes him to repent and to endeavor to turn from them. By this faith a sinner is justified in the sight of God and has eternal life. However, is this the end of the test or will a redeemed sinner show other signs of being a true Christian? Is he truly born again as John 3:3 and 2 Cor 5:17 point out or has he just made a decision similar to joining a civic club? To merely claim faith is as easy as joining a civic club. Very little is required and many such claims and professions of faith are false. However, if a sinner has been born again by the POWER of God, then he will show signs of the new birth. James in James 2:14-26 makes it clear that a claimed faith with no action or deeds is a dead faith that does not save. These deeds of good works flow from a true saving faith and are a part of Christian sanctification. Sanctification will always flow from justification and this is another way to examine yourself. Do you see sanctification in your life? I think the last part of the verse gives the answer in how to examine yourself. It says….. If you are in the faith, Christ Jesus is in you. To more fully understand what that means we look to the words of Jesus himself.

John 15:4-5 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If upon examination a person is found in Christ, then Christ is in him and he will be different from unbelievers. He will bear fruit due to ongoing grace. He will show signs of sanctification and growth in his Christian walk due to grace. Unless of course, as the verse says, he fails the test. It should be emphasized that sanctification is a result of justification and has no merit toward justification.

Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
Thanksgiving to God flows naturally from the hearts of the redeemed….. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4). There is a spirit of continual thankfulness that is present in Christians due to the marvelous grace that God has bestowed upon them. In many passages, the Apostle Paul expressed thankfulness to God for the grace that others also received. It gave him great joy to see the Holy Spirit seal God’s gospel to believers through the preaching of the Word of God. Thanksgiving and joy go together in the Christian life….From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing (Jeremiah 30:19). Another characteristic of thanksgiving that the Bible teaches is the use of music and musical instruments to express thanksgiving to God….. Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp (Psalm 147:7). The more that Christians understand that everything they receive comes from God, the more they express thanksgiving and praise to the Holy God that created and sustains the universe…. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17). Christians that understand this are thankful people who have an outward focus on God rather than an inward focus on self.

Romans 8 Photo Meditations

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Judge not

Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Jesus, in the above passage, admonishes the practice of harsh continual judging of others while ignoring and overlooking one’s own faults and sins. When a Christian first looks inward at his own sin and sinful condition, he will be less inclined to hastily condemn and express judgment on others. Does this mean that a Christian should not condemn sin? Absolutely not! The Bible, in many passages, teaches Christians to judge sin and to discern good vs. evil. Paul said…. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things…..(1 Cor. 2:15) and Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them…. (Ephesians 5:11). Although a Christian has this calling to judge sin and evil, he should be extremely careful in judging brothers that are practicing sin. A spirit of love and compassion should be extended to those brothers involved in sin, with a mindset of encouraging and helping them defeat sin…. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently….. (Galatians 6:1). Love the sinner but hate the sin is certainly the correct attitude to have. Church officers (Elders) have the responsibility to administer church discipline, as required, to church members…. Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you (1 Thess. 5:12). Church leaders or members have no business or authority to judge anyone outside of the Church…. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?….(1 Cor. 5:12). God has given civil governments the power to establish and enforce civil laws for all people…. Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God (Romans 13:1).

Joy

Acts 2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit listed (Galatians 5:22). Christian joy is a fruit that is given by the Spirit and is a feeling of bliss that comes from being redeemed by God….The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family (Acts 16:34). The verse listed under the photo above points out that God has made known through his Word, the Holy Bible, the paths of life which will lead to being filled with joy. Thus, living a life in accordance with God’s direction will bring a person joy and a closer walk with The Lord. These blessings from God come through the power of the Holy Spirit…. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). The Bible is full of passages that extol the joy that comes from a right relationship with God….Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs (Psalm 100:1-2). David even asked God to restore the joy of your salvation after being confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba (Psalm 51:12). What a blessing from God when a Christian feels and lives the joy that is a result of his salvation.