Warning

Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Lighthouses warn ships so they can avoid the rocky New England coast. Ships are warned that disaster is near with a light at night and with a fog horn in fog. Scripture also warns sinners, who live a life dominated by the acts of the sinful nature, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. The warning is for both non-Christians and false professing Christians. A person will either be controlled by his sinful nature or by the Spirit. Paul makes this point in Galatians and he also makes it in Romans where he states…. Romans 8:6-7 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. This does not mean that a person will be sinless, but it does mean that his new heart, attitude and mindset will enable him with the grace of God to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit with a mind controlled by the Spirit. Galatians 5:21 above does not warn that a Christian can lose his salvation, but it does warn that a professing Christian that continually lives this way has not been born again by the Spirit of God. Such a person has and may continue to give a false profession of faith, but his actions show that he is honoring God with his lips only and his claim is worthless. Later in Galatians Paul says….Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone and not by any merit that comes from living according to the Spirit, but a saved person will through regeneration and the Spirit of God be enabled to show the fruit of the Spirit. That is why Paul says that anyone wallowing in the acts of the sinful nature will not receive eternal life. Scripture passages such as this are found throughout the Bible and serve as a warning for sinners in the same way that lighthouses warn ships. One warning is about physical disaster and the other warning is of spiritual disaster. Heed the warning!

Be ready

Matthew 25:11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

When midnight came, in the parable of the ten virgins, five were ready and five were not ready. Jesus is the bridegroom, and midnight symbolizes the time of death when judgment will be rendered. The five that were ready not only had a professed faith that is illustrated by their lamps but they also had a heart full of the fruit of the Spirit as illustrated by the jars full of oil. In short, they had a true active faith. When the cry rang out that the bridegroom was coming, the five that were not ready realized that their lights were going out because their oil was insufficient and more was needed. In short their faith was an insincere shallow faith of profession only. They went to buy more oil since the wise virgins did not have enough to give them any. However, while they were on their away to buy more oil, the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding hall with him and the door was shut. The foolish ones arrived later and requested to be let in but the bridegroom replied…. “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ (Matthew 25:12) No one knows the day or the hour when death will come or Jesus will return. Therefore, be prepared and ready because when that day comes there will be a great wedding banquet for the sons of God, and those that are not prepared will be left outside and the door will be shut. To be prepared, sinners have to accept the free gift of eternal life by placing their faith and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ to pay their sin debt. This faith will result in an invitation to the wedding banquet of the bridegroom on that great day. There is no other way and there is no neutral position. A person either accepts the free invitation or not. A person who is considering, but undecided, is not invited. Do not wait too long to decide to accept and be ready.

Captive

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
In the blink of an eye, the fish in this photo became a captive to this pelican. The period of captivity for this fish was very short as death followed very soon after its being taken captive. Human beings are also captives. We are born captive to sin and in great need of being freed from its darkness and power or we, also, shall perish. Isaiah 61:1 above is a messianic prophecy about the ministry of Jesus approximately 600 years prior to his incarnation. In Luke 4:18-20, Jesus confirmed this when he spoke in Nazareth and quoted this verse and said…. “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Freedom from the captivity of sin and death came to fallen humanity in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus sets sinners free…. John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. There is no other way to escape this captivity and there is no neutral position. There is not a probationary period while a person considers to believe Jesus and accept the freedom he offers. No, humans are born captive and remain captive until they are freed by Jesus Christ. Jesus, and Jesus alone, frees the prisoners and he did it by paying their sin debt on the cross of Calvary. Being a ‘good person’ or sincerely following other religious faiths will not obtain release from captivity. Belief and trust in Jesus for his atoning sacrifice as our substitute is the only way that is available for our captivity to end in the freedom of eternal life rather than to perish like the unfortunate fish above. Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, says it best….. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Faith in Jesus secures eternal life. Everything else leads to perishing. Let us thank God that he has provided a way rather than complain that he does not accept mankind’s invented ways.

Sins covered

A bridge that has it’s superstructure covered is protected from rotting. A sinner that has his sins covered is protected from eternal damnation.
In the parable about the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus tells about a rich man who was exceedingly blessed during his life and about a beggar that suffered much misery while on earth. However, after death came to both, the beggar was in heaven at Abraham’s side while the rich man went to hell where he was in agony. One had his sins covered and one did not (Luke 16:19-31). God makes it clear in the Bible that he is a holy, loving God that does not want to punish sinners. But, he is also a God of justice and must punish the sin that all human beings commit. Even the sins that are covered must be, and in fact have already been, punished by God. Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the cross of Calvary so that those who place their faith and trust in him have their sins covered by his atonement. Therefore, there are two ways for human beings to deal with their sins. One way requires that humans pay the sin debt themselves, which requires an infinite duration of time, and the other way is through Jesus who did it for a finite time but with an infinite worth. Jesus is worthy and able to justify all that place their faith and trust in his perfect sacrifice… (God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood…..Romans 3:25). The gift of eternal life is given as a free gift to all that have this saving faith. What amazing grace that the creator of the universe would suffer and die to cover the sins of the many that come with nothing to offer but faith in his perfect atonement. The Holy God of the universe is true to his word and requires an infinite payment for sin. Humans can pay the debt themselves with an infinite amount of time or they can accept, as a free gift by faith, the payment accomplished by the infinite worth of Jesus Christ. Choose wisely.

Power of God

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
With the rapid advances in technology, humans have reached a point where they can produce some awesome displays of power. Atomic bombs, space travel, the internet, and medical advances are just some of the impressive achievements that have been accomplished. However, these human works of power are not even worth comparing to the awesome power of God. In chapters 38-41 of Job, God explains to Job in very graphic language what real power looks like. The Apostle Paul confronted the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens Greece and explained to them the characteristics of almighty God (Acts 17:16-34). Earlier, when Paul was known as Saul, he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians when he experienced, up close and personal, the power of God….. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me (Acts 9:3-4)?” In today’s culture, it seems that man has attempted to discard or minimize some of God’s basic characteristics such as his attribute of power. His attributes of love, mercy, and forgiveness are given such attention that other attributes are ignored or even denied so that the human perception of his love, mercy, and forgiveness are protected. Sovereignty, providence, and power must be replaced so that bad things, such as evil and natural disasters, are thought to be beyond his control. This thinking is called open theism, which holds that God does not foresee events and is powerless to prevent them from happening. Thus, God’s power, sovereignty, and providence are denied to preserve the false human perception of God’s love, etc. When properly interpreted, The Holy Bible allows for all of God’s attributes to complement each other and include his wonderful majestic power.

Handwriting on the wall

In our culture today you will hear people say, “I saw the handwriting on the wall.” When they use this phrase, they mean not only that they see what is going to happen in a certain situation, but that it is inevitable and is usually a bad outcome for them.
When King Belshazzar saw the fingers of a hand write on the plaster wall, he called for the prophet Daniel to interpret the meaning of the words. Daniel gave the king the bad news….. “This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:26-28).” This is exactly the situation that all human beings are in with God. God, in his sovereignty and providence, has numbered the exact time that we have on earth (Acts 17:26). All human beings are found wanting when God measures our lives and deeds on his scales (Romans 3:10). No matter how much success, fame, wealth, and possessions humans may have acquired, it will all be divided and transferred to someone else when death comes. The wealthiest person alive will not take anything more from this world than the most poverty stricken person on the planet. However, there is good news for both the rich and the poor. There has been one who has been weighed on the scales and not found wanting. Jesus Christ is He and He has provided a way that all sinners can be weighed and not be found wanting. By trusting through faith in his atonement and perfect righteousness, sinners can climb up on those scales, clothed in his righteousness, and be found not wanting. This verdict of not guilty is one hundred percent due to what Jesus Christ did for sinners and zero percent for what sinners accomplished. Just as King Belshazzar reached the time when he had to face the handwriting on the wall, there is a day appointed for all human beings to face the handwriting on the wall. Human beings can either face that day alone and be found wanting or cling to the cross of Jesus, secure for all eternity.

Gift of God

The clock on top of the Lamar Life Building has been recording time for well over sixty years or approximately one lifetime. The concept of time never ending is difficult to imagine. The gift of eternal life will never end!

As the previous meditation revealed, the first part of Romans 6:23 tells the extremely bad news of the condition of human beings at birth. However, the last part of Romans 6:23 is packed with great news for those redeemed by God’s grace. Gift, God, eternal life, Christ Jesus, and Lord are words that explain the bottom line of Christianity. God is the giver of the gift. By definition, gifts require nothing from the recipient but acceptance. The gift that God is giving is eternal life. This life of happiness, worship, bliss, peace, joy and love will never end. This eternal life is in Christ Jesus. He made it possible by his perfect life of obedience and his sacrificial atoning death. There is no other way to receive this gift but through him. Human beings can sincerely follow other religions and be extremely moral and good by human standards, but this will not result in eternal life. Believing, accepting, trusting, and submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is being in Christ Jesus. This is a relationship of love that is initiated by God….We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:16). This process is not like applying for social security where you sign up and return to your normal life style. It is a gift from God in which God, the Holy Spirit, applies a new heart in the recipient and enables him to willingly come and trust in Christ Jesus…..I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36-26). The only thing that man brings to the table is the sin. God, through his word and the preaching of his word, quickens sinners with his power…. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). As the old hymn so beautifully states, “There is power in the blood.” Praise God for this most amazing gift.

The myth of the carnal Christian

Does God hope, wish, and keep his fingers crossed wanting things to happen or does he ordain and cause things he decrees to happen? Does he regenerate and sanctify with power or does he hope believers will become disciples? Is it possible for a genuine Christian to reject following Christ and be all carnal all the time? Connect the dots……………

Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Romans 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I believe sanctification is fueled by grace from God that man is active in and responsive to. The N.T. is packed full of passages exhorting us to be involved in sanctification such as Rom. 8:9-17. Upon connecting these dots with the passages such as Phil. 1:6 and John 6:37 we learn that God does not fail in sanctifying true believers. He is 100% successful and will lose none who are his. In John 17 Jesus prayed to God that he would sanctify his disciples. It is inconceivable that God would not answer this prayer. To believe that it is possible for a true believer not to experience any sanctification defies Scripture, insults the power of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and means that the high priestly prayer of Jesus went unanswered. Anyone professing faith in Jesus who totally rejects being obedient, loving, and following Christ has not been regenerated and is in need of genuine faith. If they are all carnal all of the time (Rom. 8:8) then they are not saved period. True Christians may be carnal at times, slip, fall, sin and are not perfect, but they are not controlled by the sinful nature although the 'old man' is still causing problems in their lives. The will feel convicted when they sin and will experience true repentance because of the new nature they received at regeneration.

Wages of sin

A group of buzzards wait in an old dead tree to scavenge a meal made possible by death.
Adam was created by God and placed in the garden of Eden where he was given a covenant of works to obey. This covenant had but one simple requirement…… And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Gen 2:16-17).” The consequences of disobeying this covenant was physical and spiritual death. Romans 6:23 above states that death is earned by sin. Sin is disobeying God. The nature and traits of God are revealed in his word, the Holy Bible. Among many characteristics, God is pure, holy, just, and absolutely true to his word and when he says death is the result of sin, it has to be that way. Since the result of Adam’s sin (original sin) is that all men are born sinners, physical and spiritual death is the inevitable consequence for all of mankind…..Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Physically, man is born alive and remains alive until death. But spiritually, man is DOA (dead on arrival). Just as a physically dead man cannot make himself alive, a spiritually dead man has no hope in and of himself of making himself spiritually alive ….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 (Ephesians 2:1-2). Although man does not have the power to become spiritually alive, in the next photo meditation we will look at how God can and does breathe spiritual life into sinners as the second half of Romans 6:23 is considered.

Natural Disasters

God controls and directs everything in the universe and nature. He decrees whatever comes to pass in this world including natural disasters.
Before the fall, God, man and nature lived in harmony in the Garden of Eden. Man, due to his sin of disobedience, brought a multitude of problems upon himself, including difficulties with nature. God, in his mercy and grace, chose to redeem many from the spiritual death that resulted from the fall. God’s plan of redemption involves saving men from this spiritual death for eternal bliss in heaven where there will be unbelievable joy with no pain, suffering, or death. However, in this fallen world, God has not said that pain, suffering, death, tragedy and natural disasters will not occur. In fact, He has said the opposite….. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away (Psalm 90:10). Jesus said …..“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Quite simply, peace comes from Jesus and trouble will come from the world. Scripture reveals in many places that God has ordained all that comes to pass…. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please (Isaiah 46:10). Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are just some of the disasters decreed by God that are recorded in the Bible. The book of Revelation has prophecies about future natural disasters that have been decreed by God. While it is beyond human understanding, The tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 were also part of God’s purpose and plan. Though death and destruction are terrible in this world, they have no effect on the spiritual eternal destination of the redeemed. Paul even referred to dying as gain….. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). His point was that death was but a doorway to eternal glory. If people are searching and expecting health, wealth, fulfillment, physical and emotional happiness in this world, they are searching in vain and in the wrong place. However, if they are seeking these things in heaven, they will be fulfilled even if death in this fallen world comes from a natural disaster. (Matthew 6:19-21, Colossians 3:1-4)

Deer from bedroom window!

Psalm 42:1-2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God?

What a beautiful thing it is to see God's creation and glory from your bedroom window. The view of a mother deer and her offspring is quite a touching sight. Perhaps that is why Scripture uses deer to illustrate some wonderful truths. Psalm 42 paints a picture of a sinner desiring and wanting to be near God. This is a characteristic of those that God has redeemed. Their hearts will yearn for fellowship and closeness to God.

Excuse me, but I don't get it!

I can hardly turn on a Christian radio station without hearing someone proclaim without any elaboration, “God loves you unconditionally.” Is this the message an unbeliever needs to hear? Is this the message of salvation that we get from the Bible? This message of unconditional love implies that your sins of all kind are no problem whatsoever to a loving God who has no other attributes of consequence. Whether you are stealing or selling drugs to children remember now that ‘God loves you unconditionally’. Is that Biblical? What does the Bible have to say about God’s love and his message to a lost sinner? Is it to tell them of his love and to tell them to proceed full steam ahead in sin because his love is unconditional or is it possibly another kind of message? Perhaps we should do something controversial and look to the Bible for answers. Very early in the first book of the New Testament we read the following:

Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

These are clear words from John the Baptist and from Jesus. Repent! This certainly indicates that ‘Houston we have a problem’. Yet, we not only have Churches proclaiming unconditional love from God, we also have no-lordship proponents proclaiming that repentance is not a part of the gospel message and a changed life is really not necessary for salvation. Excuse me but I just don’t get it. It seems to me that we should read a little further and find out why Jesus thinks we need to repent, or would that make make a ‘sensitive seeker’ too uncomfortable.

Encouragement

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
This old abandoned church near Port Gibson was certainly well built. It still stands as a reminder of a church congregation that no longer meets together. While the history of this church is unknown to me, there are churches that do give up meeting together because of dwindling resources and attendance. The Christian life is one of endurance and encouragement where believers need to encourage each other and worship together…. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Meeting together as a body, whether in public places or in homes, is an encouragement to all believers…. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, (Acts 2:46). Jesus encouraged as few as two people to meet together in his name…. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20). Thus, it is apparent that the body of Christ should meet together and encourage each other even if their congregation should shrink to as few as two people. The Bible speaks of encouragement as a necessity and not an option …. Therefore encourage each other with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

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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End

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.

Worship

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
The writer of Hebrews, in this verse, not only tells Christians what they are going to receive but tells them to be thankful and to worship God in an acceptable manner. He names reverence and awe as two things necessary for this worship to be acceptable. From this verse, it logically follows that there must be ways of worship that are not acceptable to God. Therefore, men should stay away from the unacceptable ways of worship which would be anything that the Bible does not specifically direct man to do. In short, the worship of God should be done as prescribed by the Bible and not by the whims and imaginations of men. The Bible says the following when discussing proper worship…. See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it (Deuteronomy 12:32). Therefore, the basic principle concerning worship to God is that it should be done in the manner as prescribed by the Bible with nothing added or nothing removed. Worship to God can be ineffective and useless as Jesus verified when he quoted the Prophet Isaiah …. These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men (Matthew 15:8-9). The Westminster Confession of Faith article 21 contains the elements of proper worship that God has instituted in Holy Scriptures. The churches that have the seeker friendly worship services that are popular today should take care to insure that their worship services are God centered and God friendly. God does not call worldly principles to the church but rather calls sinners from worldly principles.

Prayer request

Please remember the 25 year old wife of my nephew Brett in your prayers. Her name is Shelley and she will be having brain surgery on Tuesday Aug. 29 for the removal of a small tumor contained in a cyst.

Pride

1 John 2:16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
The dictionary defines one form of pride as inordinate self-esteem. The Bible and history reveal that this kind of prideful self-esteem has caused much pain, suffering, and strife throughout human history and is no virtue. Yet, many touted experts think, and popular secular opinion seems to agree, that in materialistic self-absorbed America today low self-esteem is a problem, especially with young people. You will hear it said that teachers should be careful not to harm the self-esteem of their students. They believe America needs more of the very thing that has caused so many problems for the human race. Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, expressed a different view of prideful self-esteem. The first thing he said was…. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). The opposite of pride is humility and Jesus is saying that the humble are blessed. The Matthew Henry commentary on that verse says ….” The poor in spirit are happy…….They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them.” Paul also taught that humility is a characteristic of a Christian…. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). Paul warned that in the last days people would be proud, boastful, and lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:2). A focus on self with pride is a value of the world; whereas, a focus on God with humility is a value of Christianity.

Gambling

1 Timothy 6:9-10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The dictionary defines gambling as betting on an uncertain outcome. Casino gambling is anything but uncertain because the mathematical advantage is held by the house, and the house will always win with repetition and time. They get plenty of repetition and are open 24 hours a day seven days a week which insures they will always win week by week, month by month and year by year. Just as a spider builds his trap bigger and better, casino operators build their traps with more lights, glitz and entertainment. Some people consider it harmless entertainment, but there is a percentage of people who will become addicted and bring devastation and financial ruin to their lives and also their families’ lives. Crime, divorce, and even suicide are all part of the cost of this ‘entertainment’. Entertainment was also very big in Sodom and Gomorrah, but it was not harmless there and it is not harmless in the United States. Las Vegas did not get the nickname Sin City without reason, and for a Christian, or anyone else, to view gambling as just another form of entertainment is pure folly. As Paul said…. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8). Think of the good that could result if the money, lost every year to gambling by professing Christians, were instead invested to please the Spirit instead of the sinful nature. May God enable us to sow wisely.

Evangelism

Fly fishing in North Carolina
Jesus last command was to evangelize…. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19). Jesus also told his disciples…."The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). Paul in his letter to Philemon encouraged him to share his faith…. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith,…... (Philemon 1:6). Peter instructed Christians to not only share their faith but to be prepared…. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15). Being prepared means knowing the gospel, knowing how to effectively communicate it to others and, as Peter says, do it with gentleness and respect. Such ministries as Evangelism Explosion (EE) teach effective ways to present the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing the gospel and knowing how to present it properly are two totally different things. The EE evangelism ministry always asks permission before sharing. It avoids arguments. It affirms the truth of the gospel without being confrontational. It keeps the gospel message from being side tracked and it precludes objections. The Apostle Paul used similar techniques…. Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious (Acts 17:22). To be successful in fly fishing it takes knowledge, planning, preparation, and discipline. It is no different in evangelism. The EE ministry depends on an outline that breaks the gospel into five parts: Grace, man, God, Jesus Christ, and faith.

Worldliness

Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson, Mississippi where a once beautiful home is no more.
The desires, goals and focus of a Christian are not on the things or pleasures of this world….Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). The world is presently controlled by Satan and he has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus told his disciples that they were chosen out of the world and would be hated by the world….If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you (John 15:19). Jesus also makes the point in this passage that the world will love people who belong to the world, and he even warns that when all men speak well of you, you have a problem (Luke 6:26). Jesus is basically saying that worldly people love the pleasures, things, and principles of this world and will love people of a like mindset. In A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards explores the signs of a true Christian and said the following…..”those who are spiritual are set in opposition to natural men, and carnal men.” It is obvious that the secular world is not going to speak well of men and religious leaders who are in opposition to the prevailing politically correct standards of the world. This is currently evident in the debate of such issues as abortion, homosexual marriage, gambling, pluralism, etc. It is especially interesting to note the religious leaders that are spoken well of by the media and those that are not. Those leaders that are well received have adopted views that are in accord with the prevailing secular world view. The Bible says the following about their popularity: You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). The early Christians were faced with a decision of whether to obey God or man. That is still true today. Choose wisely who you obey.

God's Wrath

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Sin is why sinners need to be saved, Satan is involved, and hell is the final destination for unsaved sinners. But, what are sinners saved from? In Romans 5:9, Paul teaches that sinners are saved from the wrath of God. From Romans 1:18 through Romans 3-19 Paul explains the bad news about mankind and God’s wrath. The popular thinking that man is basically good is not the conclusion Paul presents. Paul makes the point that sin is pervasive, effects 100% of mankind and that God is very much offended by sin. Man may be considered basically good by human standards, but by God’s standard of perfect obedience to the moral law, man falls very short indeed. Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, taught that observing the law of God goes much deeper than outward observance (Matthew 5-7). He taught that the inward condition of the heart mattered and compared anger with murder and looking at a woman lustfully as adultery. With those kind of standards it is obvious that everyone is born under the condemnation of God’s wrath….All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). It is also obvious that man, by himself, is powerless to save himself and have peace with God. Paul came to that conclusion and said…..What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:24-25)! God’s wrath is real, and although man cannot save himself, faith alone in Jesus Christ alone can save completely…..Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus saves completely. It does not take Jesus plus baptism, Jesus plus works, or Jesus plus anything. Praise God for his Amazing grace.

Hell

Jesus descended into hell before he rose from the dead so that sinners would not have to receive the justice due for their sins. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
In today’s culture it is not popular to acknowledge and consider the reality of the Biblical concept of hell. This is due primarily to a failure of human beings to understand the holiness and goodness of God and also the sinfulness and depravity of mankind. In short, man is considered to be ‘basically good’ and God is thought of as not being very serious about sin and as loving sinners unconditionally. God’s unconditional love implies that sinners do not have to worry about the consequences of sin or even make an effort to refrain from sin. This is an unbiblical concept of sin and God’s character. God is love and does not want to punish sinners, but he is also just and must punish sin to remain true to his character traits of truth, justice, and holiness. This sin is punished in hell as Jesus himself pointed out many times. The parable of Lazarus mentioned above is an example. Jesus, in his atonement, not only died a physical death to pay the penalty for sin, he also descended into hell and received the punishment of eternal death to pay the spiritual penalty for the sins of the redeemed. Through the atonement of Jesus, God executed his justice on sin in the person of Jesus Christ and justified those who have faith in Jesus …. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). Jesus went to hell for those sinners that put their faith in him. Sinners who do not put their faith in the atonement of Jesus for their sin debt will have to make the one way trip to hell and pay their own penalty for sin. The sentence duration is eternity and there is no pardon or parole provisions. The better choice is to accept, through faith alone in Christ alone, God’s offer to be declared not guilty on judgment day.

Heaven

There will be no rust in heaven….
The Bible tells us the following about heaven: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21).” This is a beautiful picture of the glory of heaven and the joyful eternal life that those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enjoy….. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27). The great news about heaven is that it is a free gift of God by the grace of God (Romans 6:23 & Ephesians 2:8-9). This free gift of eternal life is received by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. To quote from a great hymn…..’Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.’ After receiving this grace, the Holy Spirit will also move a person to a new focus and purpose in life. This new purpose and focus will mean that a sinner will be interested in storing up treasures in heaven. This will occur out of gratitude and love for Jesus Christ and not as an attempt to earn favor or merit.

Marriage

Mark 10:6-9 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Jesus in the passage above very clearly defines marriage. This definition by Jesus is under attack in the United States as the Supreme Court in Massachusetts has ruled that same sex marriages can not be prohibited by the state of Massachusetts. This puts Biblical teaching on marriage on a collision course with the state. Nevertheless, true Christian Churches can only recognize the marriage of one man and one woman as being legitimate and cannot perform these unbiblical marriages. Apostate Churches can perform as many same sex marriages as they want, but discerning Christians must obey God and not the state or false prophets…. Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29)! The Bible also gives other guidelines for marriage, such as a believer should not marry an unbeliever and that adultery or desertion should be the only causes sufficient to dissolve a marriage (1 Cor. 7:15,39, Matthew 19:9). The Biblical standard of commitment in marriage is much greater than the contemporary culture practices. There can be no doubt that the little boy fishing in the photo above is best nurtured by being in a family of one man married to one woman who are committed to providing an environment that will best convey the values and morals which have given our society the freedom and prosperity it enjoys. When one studies the development of western civilization, it is clear that the Christian model for a family is the best option for society. One goal of every Christian that enjoys this family blessing should be to reach out with compassion to help, assist, and pray for those that are not part of such a family unit. In our culture today there are many opportunities to minister and help such people as our savior Jesus Christ commanded us to do. The proper response to the ungodly forces at work in America today should be one of love to all people with an uncompromising commitment to Biblical teaching.

Abortion

Psalms 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Abortion is the killing of human life in its mother’s womb. It is not part of the woman’s body, and a short time after conception it has its own heartbeat and circulatory system. To justify abortion under the pretense of a right to privacy defies logic in that it justifies killing as a privacy right. Who can forget the photo of the 21 week (after conception) old baby that was operated on in its mother’s womb? The photo shows a tiny hand holding on tightly to a doctor’s finger and is a devastating indictment of the abortion culture. Not many people have seen this photo due to the liberal pro-choice leaning of the main stream media which ignored it and even directed one journalist not to show it. This particular journalist resigned over the censorship. This photo can be easily found on the internet. Most liberal political leaders overwhelmingly supports abortion, including the ghastly partial birth abortion procedure which kills a baby that is partially born. The most recent president (Bill Clinton) vetoed the bill banning this procedure. President George Bush finally signed the law after he took office. When John Kerry made the statement that he wants abortion to be, legal, safe, available, and rare, it was obvious that he realized it is wrong. Why should it be rare if nothing is wrong with it? It certainly has not been rare as millions of abortions have been performed since it became legal. While God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass, he is not the author of the sin. He has given people free will and allows them to sin, including the sin of abortion… This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Love

Jazzy Cat on the left with her sister Cuffy

Love one another….
The core value of the Christian walk of sanctification is love. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment in the Law he said…. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). Love is the first fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5. Chapter 13 of First Corinthians says... If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

One Way

There is only one way to this mountain top in Colorado and the road that gets there is narrow. Not many people find and use this road.
Just as there is only one way to get to this Colorado mountain top, there is also only one way to receive salvation and eternal life and that is through grace alone, by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. The accusation is made that Christianity is being exclusive in teaching that this is the only way to God. Since the offer is made to all human beings, it is not exclusive at all (John 3:16). The complaint is not that God has made his chosen way of salvation exclusive, but that God has not accepted the other ways that human beings have devised as a means to salvation. Their thinking is that Christianity (God) is being harsh for not validating the Gods of their imagination as being equally acceptable ways to salvation. How dare God not accept false gods as a means to salvation is the absurdity of their thinking. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, died a cruel death so that men could receive eternal life. If there were any other way for God to reconcile mankind to himself, do we really think he would still have sacrificed his son to be just one of many ways to eternal life. That would be like a Doctor telling a father that his son had an infection in his heart and the father could either donate his own heart and die or give his son a pill that would cure the infection. The truth is this: The sin of human beings is so drastic to God that it required the atonement of a perfect person with an infinite worth. The Bible reveals that God’s chosen means for human beings to gain access to this atonement for their sins is through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Men can devise all the false religions they want, but there is only one way to be right with God as Jesus himself said…. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Eternal Security

A dog may snatch a dog biscuit from a persons hand, but Christians with saving faith can be secure that no one can snatch them from their Heavenly Father’s hand.
Praise God for his glorious grace which includes the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ and his promise of eternal security which Jesus affirmed in many passages such as the one above and (John 6:37-40). Jesus, in his high-priestly prayer, prayed to the father that eternal life would be given to all that the Father had given him …..For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him (John 17:2). In this passage Jesus is very clearly praying that 100% of those that are born again by the will of God will be saved, and it is inconceivable that the Father would not grant this request of Jesus. The other doctrines of grace, which are also clearly taught in Scripture, fit together with eternal security in a coherent system. These doctrines are laid out in sequence by Paul who said,….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. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:29-30). Notice that these verses are all about God taking action and accomplishing his will and not about man taking any action at all. They are not about God waiting and hoping that man will make the right decision and respond to God, but are all about God accomplishing everything in salvation. This is grace and it is mercy from God as Paul goes on to say…. It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy (Romans 9:16). These doctrines of grace are God-centered in contrast to a man-centered view of salvation which hold that man can will and work himself in and back out of the Kingdom of God. Even a faith plus works view of salvation would still make works rather than faith in Christ the deciding factor. Paul said in (Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:20) that no one will be justified by their works. Paul points out that if righteousness could be gained by the law, Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21).

Persecution

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Persecution against Christianity is ongoing and growing in the United States. Secular culture has no problem with apathetic, nominal, or liberal Christianity. However, Christians that believe and practice Biblical teachings are a problem to them and have come under attack in the United States. Stereotypical labels and personal attacks have been used to demonize these Christians by political leaders and liberals in general for several years. The terms religious right, fundamentalist Christian, fanatical fringe, born again Christian, are some of the names given to such Christians. When a prominent senator said in July, 2004, “The religious right has never looked so ridiculous,” he was continuing the slander and manipulation that has been directed at a particular segment of Christianity for at least a decade. His slander was due to the fact that Evangelical Christians were supporting a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. Also, a current United States senator publicly stated that speaking in opposition to the homosexual agenda is hate speech and such speech could incite hate crimes against homosexuals and should also be a crime. Christians should be alarmed at the danger that religious liberty would be under if speech upholding Biblical principals becomes a crime. Speech in favor of Biblical cultural values is often labeled as ‘hate speech’ by the secular left, while crude slanderous personal attacks against political conservatives and Christian leaders are called ’free speech’ by these same people. One city recently brought legal action against a group of people who were having a Bible study in their home under the pretense that they were violating a zoning ordinance. People are being asked not to wear crosses or place Bibles on their desks and the list goes on as the political correct thing has become to view Christians as intolerant, hateful, and divisive. Nativity scenes are being banned and the term Christmas is being replaced with ‘winter holidays’ in many places. However, the vile and the pornographic is being zealously protected under the guise of free speech. It has been gradual, but the loss of Christian religious freedom in the last thirty years, has been dramatic. The Bible has much to say about the Christian response to worldly secular principles such as the verse above.

Trinity

In complete harmony and unity, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three separate persons in one Godhead.
The doctrine of the Trinity is complex for the human mind to comprehend. The Bible teaches that there is one God. The New Testament clearly teach three personal agents in the godhead at the baptism of Jesus. Jesus, in his last words before his ascension, told his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Godhead have distinct roles in the salvation of fallen sinners. God, the Father, from all eternity predestined sinners for salvation….. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— (Ephesians 1:4-5). Jesus Christ, from all eternity, redeemed sinners by paying their sin debt….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,……(Romans 3:23-25). God, the Holy Spirit, quickens and makes spiritually dead sinners alive so they can respond to Jesus…..Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.' (John 3:5-7) (Also see Titus 3:5-7). J.I. Packer, in Concise Theology, says the following about two common heresies concerning the Trinity: They are not three roles played by one person (that is modalism), nor are they three gods in a cluster (that is tritheism). All non-Trinitarian formulations of the Christian message are, by biblical standards, inadequate and fundamentally false and will naturally tend to pull Christian lives out of shape.

Discernment

Philippians 1:9-10 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

The dictionary has a lot to say in defining discernment, but perhaps the most important thing for a Christian to consider is that discernment stresses accuracy. This is important in Biblical theology because believing and following false teachers can not only have eternal consequences but, as the ‘Jim Jones’ tragedy illustrated, grave dangers in this world as well. The Bible has many warnings about false teaching and being deceived. Some of them came directly from Jesus who said…. "Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Mark 13:5). To be sure that no one deceives you requires a knowledge of Biblical doctrine. The best way to understand doctrine is through reading and studying the Bible as did the Bereans…. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Discernment requires knowledge. Knowledge requires prayer and study (Col. 1:9) (Heb. 5:11-14). Once a person has knowledge, the Apostle Paul tells us the following: “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14). Therefore, a Christian should seek knowledge in order to attain the quality of discernment.

Doctrine

A rock climber must hold firmly to a vertical cliff to reach the top and the Apostle Paul exhorts us to hold firmly to sound doctrine.
The Bible’s teaching on man, sin, God, Jesus, salvation, grace, faith, love, resurrection, atonement, heaven, hell, etc. gives human beings knowledge and information about God. A person will inevitably form opinions about this knowledge and develop a system of belief based on those opinions. This is doctrine and it is unavoidable. For someone to say that he loves Jesus Christ and doesn’t care or get involved with doctrine is pure nonsense. He must believe something about Christ to love him and that is doctrine. The four gospels are packed full of the teachings of Jesus. If someone is teaching, it requires that someone must be learning. Jesus taught and people learned and continue to learn. The knowledge people acquire from the teachings of Jesus is processed into doctrine. Doctrine may be sound, contain some minor error, or possibly come from Satan and be deadly to the soul. That is why Paul told Timothy to….Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:16). Sometimes sound doctrine will not be acceptable to worldly wisdom and Paul goes on to warn Timothy…. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). While doctrine can get quite complicated on some issues, the things necessary for salvation are clear enough that the unlearned may attain a sufficient understanding of them. Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is the core and focus of the gospel message.