GOD'S ANSWER is always Jesus

If My People

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:09:00 +0000

2nd Chronicles 7:14 ..."If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

I just finished reading a book by a Christian author who made the statement that, if believers in America claim this Old Testament verse and repent ... that God will not bring judgment upon America for it's national sin. Well, I'm open to that thought. It sounds good to me. But truthfully ... I really don't know exactly where I stand on that belief. You see ... America isn't mentioned in Scripture.

I have always thought that the first meaning of this verse was directed to the nation of Israel concerning God's promise to Solomon that if Israel turns away, forsakes God, and even worships false gods ... that the people couldrepent and God would withhold His judgment from them. I assumed it was speaking of a national repentance ... or is it?

In the above scripture, God is speaking to Solomon in answer to the dedication prayer over God's Temple that Solomon gave in the preceding chapter. Below is part of that prayer, and Solomon's plea on behalf of the nation of Israel, knowing they will later sin against God ...

2nd Chronicles 6:26-31 ..."When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinnedagainst thee; yet if they pray toward this place,and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance. If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be ... locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities ... Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel... Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive ..."

In Chapter 7, God answers Solomon's prayer ... which includes our key verse ...

2nd Chronicles 7:12-14 ... "And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turnfrom their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will healtheir land."

Even though the wordsrepentor repentanceis not used in either portion of scripture, I assume that is what it is referring to when it says to pray and God will forgive their sin.

Notice Solomon asks the Lord to forgive, whether it happens to be "any man" or "all of thy people Israel" that prays. So, may I conclude that when God said to Solomon the words ... "If my people" ... He wasn't referring only to a national repentance, but any of His people, even one person by himself could lay hold of the promise.

Notice also ... God is saying it will be Him that stops the rain, and sends the pestilence upon Israel because of national sin. So in essence, God uses "perceived evil" to turn the hearts of His people back to Him. So I ask ... could He not do the same with America?

Now, to the question ... "Does America or any other nation qualify to receive this same promise from God?" In other words, if you and I start praying a prayer of repentance for America, will God honor our prayer based on 2nd Chronicles 7:14?

Honestly ... I really don't know. I do believe this though ... if enough believing Christians start asking God to bring revival to our land; to bring repentance to His people who have grown lukewarm, even cold or indifferent to the leading of His Spirit, then ... "yes" ... God can change the heart of America.

But here is where I may be different than some. I have no idea what God's end time plans for America are. What I am about to say has "nothing"to do with scripture or doctrine. It's just a feeling that stays with me and has for about the last twenty years or so, ever since our leaders began systematically and methodically taking God out of our nation ... from our laws, schools, city halls, town squares and lately even Christmas.

As a nation, we have told God to get out of our livesso that we can kill millions of healthy babies, calling it "women's health." It has now become acceptable and politically correct to do what is unnatural by nature, perverted and vile ... same sex marriage by homosexuals and lesbians. It's still an abomination to God. So how can He bless and heal our land until we repent?

These are just some of the changes I have seen in America over my life time. So I ask ... has God given us over to judgment as He did with other nations in the past history of this planet? It's still true you know ... sin has it's own reward. We just don't know when it will come.

My second uneasy feeling(if that's the right term) is that America "must fall" from it's super power status to fulfill and bring about the final deception of Israel concerning the so called anti-christ and the 7 years of Tribulation spoken of in both, the Old Testament Book of Daniel and the New Testament Book of Revelation. I believe God raises nations up and also brings nations down at His willand for His purpose.

Dr. David Yeagley once stated ... "The rise and fall of nations is something God tends to. Nations are on probation."

I wonder if America has failed it's probation?

In conclusion ... yes, God canbring revival and repentance to America. I'm just unsure if that's all within His plansfor America.

One other thing I know and am sure of ... it won't do any harm to begin asking God to return America to it's roots... which is, trusting in the providence and love of God.

Comments welcome.

You Should Be Married to Another

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:55:00 +0000

Has anyone ever made that statement to you, that … "You should be married to another?" That's exactly what the Apostle Paul said to the Jews in Rome. He said it's time. Why? Because you're living with a corpse, a dead empty shell of what used to be. So move on.

That's what I want to look at today in Romans 7:1-4. In this epistle, although directed to the Roman Church in general, the majority of which were of Gentile origin, there was a large Jewish element in the church to which Paul was writing.

In this letter directed to Roman believers, the point to be presented by Paul was to bring the Jewish Christian converts to the understanding that the Gentile believers were on equal standing with the Jews without being obligated to keep the Law of Moses. There was an element within the Jewish converts that were still trying to live under the Law even though they were saved by grace. Old traditions die hard.

To these Paul writes … they were to consider the law as now dead, and themselves as married to another… namely Jesus Christ. So to make his point, the Apostle Paul uses the example of how a woman, married to a man, is married to him only as long as he is alive.

Romans 7:1… "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?"

With this question Paul speaks to the Jewish members of the Roman church, who were really the only ones qualified to understand the nature of the Law, having lived under it and therefore could appreciate the argument he is about to make. And so he starts with … the lawhas power over a man as long as he lives, but no longer.

Romans7:2 … "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to herhusband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of herhusband."

A married woman is bound to her husband while he lives … but no longer. When her husband is dead she is set free from the law by which she was bound to only him.

Romans 7:3 … "So then if, while herhusband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man."

In other words, Paul is saying, you Jewish believers are no more bound to the Law than a woman is to a deceased husband … you are as free to receive Jesus Christ without fear of judgment, as a woman in such circumstances would be to remarry.

Romans 7:4 … "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the lawby the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, evento Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

Paul is speaking to them as one Jew to another when he calls them … my brethren. A little later he says in Romans 11:1 … "I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, ofthe tribe of Benjamin."

To put it my own words, Paul is saying … "I know what I am talking about. I am from the same stock, the same Jewish heritage, and as such lived under the law. No one can say they are more Jewish than me."

He speaks of those qualifications of knowing the law in Philippians 3:4-5 … "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ofthe tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee."

Paul is saying that God has determinedthat the law shall no longer be in force … so that now, just as a woman whose husband is dead, is legally set freefrom her husband and from her vows … Jews may now legally be married to another. And so it is with allbelievers.

What an inspired argument Paul gives.

1.) Youare dead to the law. If you have died to yourself, it's no longer you that lives but Christ living in you; the law can no longer have dominion over you … as he says in verse 1.

2.) The law, which was once your husband, is dead. Therefore you are free to marry another … as he states in verse 3.

God, who gave the law which the Christian Jews at Rome have lived under till now … designed that law to be in force only until Jesus fulfilled and completed the law. So now, the law has consequently ceased; and it has in essence died. Paul is now telling them they are freed from the law and … should be married to another.

They should now be obligated to be … "married to Him who is raised from the dead" … Jesus; married to the one who set them free from the law… "to bring forth fruit unto God."

As in most marriages, the fruit love produces … is children.

Comments welcome.

Hashem

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:55:00 +0000

In this short discourse, I want to discuss the fundamental differences between the English names of God that Christians use and the sacred Hebrew names of God.

I have a wonderful Jewish lady friend named "Channa"who I correspond with once in a while when I have a question about anything Jewish, such as Hebrew law or traditions. I noticed in her replies back to me she never spelled the word "God"as I did. Instead, she wrote God as "G - d" leaving out the middle letter. So, with a little research I came up with the reason.

The words "God"and "Lord"(used for the Hebrew title of Adonai) are often written by many Jews as "G-d"and "L-rd"as a way of avoiding writing the name of God, so as to avoid the risk of sinning by erasing ordefacing His name. In the fifth book of the Torah, (Deuteronomy 12:3-4)it exhorts one to destroy idolatry, but adding ... "you shall not do such to the LORDyour God."

From this verse it is understood that one should not erase the name of God. Not being an expert on Judaism, it is my understandingthat the general rabbinicopinion is that this only applies to the sacred Hebrew names of God ... but not to the word "God"in English or any other language. But even among Jews who consider it unnecessary, many nonetheless write the name "God" in this way out of respect, and also to avoid erasingGod's name even in a non-forbidden way. My friend Channa, in respect for her Holy God follows this old tradition. And I respect herin doing so.

In Judaism, the name of Godis more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people. To showthe sacrednessof the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for them, the scribes of sacred texts used terms of reverence so as to keep the true name of God concealed. The various names of God in Judaism represent God as he is known, as well as the divine attributes and distinct personalities which He has.

It is also held in the Tanakh… (the canon of the Hebrew Bible) … that the only "name of God"is YHWH.

In English it is Yahweh; whereas words such as Elohim (God),El (mighty one),El Shaddai (almighty God),Adonai (my Lord, master),El Elyon (most high God),Avinu (our Father),etc. are not names buttitles, highlighting different aspects of YHWH,and the various roles He has undertaken.

In the Tanakh, YHWHis the personal name of the God of Israel, whereas the other words are titleswhich are ascribed toHim.

Concerning the Hebrew name of God, YHWH … the English pronunciation "Yahweh"... is not considered a legitimate name of God by most Jewish scholars.

(Halakha or Halakhah)… often translated "Jewish Law"… is the collective body of Jewish religious laws. It requires that secondary rules be placed around the primary law, to reduce the chance that the main law will be broken. As such, it is a common Jewish practiceto restrict the use of the word Adonai(my Lord, master),to prayer only.

In conversation, many Jewish people, even when not speaking Hebrew, will call God … "Hashem" … which is Hebrew for "the Name." Many Jews extend this prohibition to some of the other names and will add additional sounds to alter the pronunciationof a name when using it outside of a liturgical context, such as replacing the "h"with a "k"in names of God such as"kel"and "elokim."

Probably the most recognizable Jewish name of God to Christians is ... Jehovah, sometimes translated in the King James Bible asLORD, meaning ... the self existent or eternal one. Most Christians, wrongly perceivethe Jewish national name of God to be Jehovah, but rightlyunderstand this name is declaring Him as ... "the most high, eternal one."

Repeating myself ... Jehovah is not the name of God, but rather it is a title representing who He is. In Judaism, the only "name of God"is YHWH.

Many so called Christians do something that true Jewish believers would never do ... and that is, to take the name of God in vain ... and make His name or title a meaningless swear word.

I think it has something to do with the fact that some people who callthemselves Christians, (whether born again or not) believe in "grace,"and must think that this grace will cover all sin ... which it does ... but as Paul said, "What, should we keep on sinning so that grace can more abound? God forbid." Life and death is in the power of the tongue.

Using the Lord's Name in vain. I believe this means ... unless you are talking to Him, talking aboutHim or praisingHim and you invoke His Name, you are using it in vain.

It's useless to use His name without a reason and it shows a lack of respect for Him. Besides, it is one of the ten commandments ... not ten suggestions. God's name is Holy. So what if you believe that God's name is "Yahweh"as the Jews do; or "Jesus" the Son of God as Christians believe. Either way ... His name is Holyand it should not become a swear word.

It is to be respected and held in the highest esteem and regard ... especially so if you are a believer in Jesus. Why especially so as a Christian? Because there is "no other name given" whereby men mustbe saved except in and throughthe name of Jesus.

So my Christian friends, honor and respect God's name as "Yahweh" just as much as the name of Jesus... because we are speaking of one God, one Lord and one Spirit. It's just that we believe Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai and all the other titles of God are represented in the one person of Jesus, called Emmanuel... which means, "God with us."

As I said earlier, not being an expert concerning all things Jewish, I pray I have not done any harm, disrespect or injustice to the Word of God or His name.

May "Hashem" ... (His Name) ... be praised.

Comments welcome.

Why Do We Feel Guilty

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:49:00 +0000

The simple answer to that question is ... because we are guilty.

The Bible states in Romans 3:23 ..."all have sinned"... all of us, every single one of us who ever lived have broken God's laws in one way or another. (Except of course Jesus, who was God in the flesh.) It doesn't matter whatit was ... sin is sin ... therefore we are guilty of whatever we have committed against God, against someone else or even against ourselves.

The reason we feel guilty is because of something God put in each of us called a conscience ... theinner feeling or voice viewed as an acting guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior. This conscience causes us to be aware of or feel that we have missed the true mark God desires for our lives.

Knowing that we are guilty of wrongdoing causes us to have guilty feelings. In this short discourse, I want to speak about how you can get rid of one of these two, but not the other.

Because it is a fact that you and I have sinned ... we are guilty of that sin. It is something that we cannot change. It happened. It will always be part of our past history. It may be that only you and God may know about it ... but the fact that you know about itis problem enough. Guilty feelings come back whenever you think about that past behavior.

So what should we do about this problem? Well, I believe the first thing one should do after committing a sin, (and I am speaking now to Christian believers as well as non-Christians) is to repent and ask God for forgiveness of that sin.

Now right here, I want to say that even though God can and will forgive any sin ... and even though God has promised to never remember it anymore, and He won't ... but in truth, (now stay with me here) you are still guilty of committing that sin, because you did commit it. It"s just that God no longer holds you accountable for that sin. It's called God's grace and mercy. Your sin is expunged from your record.

Psalms 103:10-12 states very plainly how God deals with us and our sin ... "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is fromthe west, sofar hath he removedour transgressionsfrom us."

Even though God has removed the sin, never to remember it anymore ... the sin was committed ... a fact that can never be changed.

This fact is what I meant when I stated that you can only get rid of one of the two items, your guilt or the guilty feelings produced from sin. So therefore, I conclude that we are guiltyof sin, because the act of sin can never be undone,(just forgiven) so the other item ... the guilty feelings ... is the only one we can and should get rid of.

So now, let's deal with the remaining guilty feelings that torment us about certain sins. Do we really believe what God's Word says about forgiveness? Look at 1st John 1:9 ... "If we confessour sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us fromallunrighteousness."

Let's examine this Scripture in detail.

"If we confess our sins"...forgiveness of sin in Scripture, always supposes that there is a confession, acknowledging and owning up to that sin.

"He is faithful"... to his promises. God will do what He has assured us He will do in remitting and forgetting our sin. You can trust Him. What other choice do we have?

"And just to forgive us our sins"... The word "just"is not used as justice, as in (giving us what we deserve,) but it is used meaning ... asan act of mercy. Therefore we may have the fullest assurance that God is ready to pardon and forgive us if we exercise true repentance and faith in Him.

"And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" ... He cleanses us by forgiving allthat is in the past, and treating us as if we have always been sinless and righteous.

This act of confession and being forgiven should removeall the guilty feelings of our past sin from our heart and mind. But what if it doesn't? Why are we still troubled with guilty feeling from past, forgivensins?

There may be more reasons, but here are what I believe are the two main ones. The first oneis, "the accuser of the brethren." That's Satan and his fallen spirits. He will try and convince you that God hasn't forgiven your sin, that you aren't worthy enough, that God has given up on you, or that your sin is too great. He will bring it back up and say ... "How could you have done that? What is wrong with you?"

So, how do you fight the devil's argument? This just happens to be the second reason for those remaining guilty feelings. You simply haven't believed God.

For whatever reason ... could it be your own shame over the past sin, or could it be your arrogance? That's right ... your arrogance. Do you think that yoursin is so great or special that the blood of Jesuscan't wash it away? Are you worse then King David who had a woman's husband killed so he could have the man's wife that he lusted after? God was able to forgive David when he repented. Is your sin greater than the Apostle Paul’s? He said he was the chief of sinners. God forgave him. What makes your sin so great that it causes you to mistakenly believe you can't trust God to forgive you completely?

That's actually what you are doing when you dwell on your guilty feelingsfrom past sins. You are not trusting or believing God. It's that simple. Here's a thought that should help you.

If God has forgiven me... then there is hopefor anyone.

Quit bringing them back up. Yes, they happened ... deal with it. You failed ... who hasn't. If you have asked God to forgive you, then legally ... in God's court of judgment ... they are not there. No charges will ever be brought against you. How do I know that?

The Apostle Paul said this in Romans 8:1 ... "There is now no condemnationto those who are in Christ Jesus ..."

Don't condemn yourself, and don't let anyone else, including guilty feelingscondemn you anymore. Jesus has set you free.

Stay free.

Comments welcome.

We Are Within His Reach

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:59:00 +0000

Job 1:6 … "Now there was a day when the sons of God (fallen angels) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them."

From this scripture we can conclude there was a certain day when Satan presented himself before God, to give an account of his activities on the earth. It is doubtful that Satan and his fallen angels just showed up for a visit. I would assume that God summoned them for this meeting.

Albert Barnes, the old theologian from the mid 1800's made this comment ... "It is to be observed, that Satan, no less than the other fallen spirits, is subject to the government of God, and uses the ministry of this demon to execute punishment, or when from any other cause it seemed good to Him to send evil upon men. But he, although incensed against the race of mortals, and desirous of injuring, is yet described as bound with a chain, and never dares to touch the pious unless God relaxes the reins. Satan, in walking round the earth, could certainly attentively consider Job, but to injure him he could not, unless permission had been given him."

And it was. Job's afflictions began with the Lord's permission. God asked Satan if he had considered Job. The word "considered" literally means ... to place thy heart on. The question is really, "Hast thou placed thy heart on my servant Job?"

This phrase means more than merely to observe or to look at since it is clear from the following verses (8-10) that Satan had attentively considered Job but found that God had placed a protective hedge around him.

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job ... Then Satan answered the LORD, and said ... Hast not thou made an hedge about him?"

God was the one who first brought up Job to Satan. But Satan already knew about Job. From this ... could I conclude that Satan knows about each one of us and watches us as well?

Many people teach that Satan was wrong when he said that God had placed a spiritual and physical hedge of protection around all that Job had. They say that because of God's statement to Satan ... "All that he has is in your power." I believe that God did have a hedge around Job which is why nothing touched his family and property until God removed it. Otherwise God should have said ... "All that he has is already in your power."

This is the charge Satan made against Job to God ... that the only reason Job served God was because he and his family was under God's protection. So he tells God to remove it and Job won't serve you any longer.

Satan tells God in Job 1:11 ... "But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."

God answers him back in Job 1:12 ... "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power ..." Which means, "No I won't, you do it."

This is where the old saying came from that says ... "God afflicts not willingly, but if it must be done, let Satan do it." And that is exactly what happened ... God did not want to put His hand on Job, but instead said ... "Satan you do it."

The devil is real, and he is continually seeking to accuse, to lead astray, and, if possible, to destroy those who love God. How far his influence may extend in the world, we cannot say; but while we are on this earth, we are within his reach.

What we do know is this ... Satan did have access to God before Jesus defeated him on the cross through His death and resurrection, but it is unclear if he is still allowed access to heaven. But according to this scripture in ...

Revelation 12:7-10 … "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, he who is called Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole habitable world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a great voice in the heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night."

I am of the opinion, and you know what that is worth ... not much ... but my thinking on this scripture in Revelation is that this war happens during the Tribulation because Revelation Chapter 12 gives us a brief symbolical overview of events during the Tribulation ... as well as Israel, the sun clothed woman giving birth during the rule of the Roman empire, while the dragon, (Satan) waited to devour her man child, Jesus ... which he could not do, so he is in the process of persecuting Israel and will continue to do so until the end of the Tribulation.

I share these scriptures in Revelation to help put into context the question of whether or not Satan still has access to God as he used to have ... as the accuser of the brethren. Notice though, that it says that Satan no longer has a place in heaven any more.

So, I really don't know if Satan still accuses the brethren before God or not ... but if he does it won't do him any good. Why do I say that? Romans 8:1 ... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ..." Period.

And if that isn't enough, Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus ... "ever liveth to make intercession for" ... the saints.

What good would it do for Satan now to go before God, even if he could and try to accuse us when Jesus would intercede for us before God the Father on our behalf. I wonder if the only accusing Satan does today is to us, not before God.

So now ... I don't believe He will, but ... are you ready if God would bring up your name to Satan. The devil is real and we are within his reach.

Truer words have never been spoken than when Oswald Chambers, the Scottish Protestant teacher and W.W. I chaplain said this ...

"We look upon the enemy of our souls as a conquered foe; so he is, but only to God, not to us."

That is why ... The battle is real.

Comments welcome

Just Because God Said It

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:02:00 +0000

In this look at Scriptural "faith" as seen and spoken of by the writers of the Bible; I am going to try and assess why "their faith" ... (for lack of a better term) ... "worked" for them, when it seems so many of us struggle with ours.

So, in thinking about faith, which is one of the most important assets a believer has; and because it says in Hebrews 11:6 ... "without faith it is impossible to please God" ... I am automatically drawn to what many call the faith chapter, Hebrews 11.

Verses 1-8 ... (edited)

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

The author of Hebrews, whoever he may be, doesn't waste any time with this first sentence. He speaks of faith as something evidently I haven't been able to grasp hold of as of yet. He says it is the substance you are believing for, and is so real you have the evidence ... even though it can't be seen. I'm going to let that soak in a while.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

Am I right by saying that even God had to use faith when He created the universe from nothing? If God needed faith, how much more do we need faith when we make an effort to commit to something or believe for something, even from the hand of God.

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

This is quite a statement ... "By faith Enoch was translated." Through who's faith? God's faith or Enoch's own faith. Either way it was done because "Enoch pleased God." But how does one please God? The answer is in the next verse ...

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

"Without faith ... it is impossible." God loves to respond to faith in His children. That's what moves God. But right away I find a problem with faith. It requires ... "believing God."

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

Can you comprehend the faith it took to build a ship in the middle of the desert Noah lived in. He had never seen rain in his life, but God said it was coming so he built it anyway because if God said it, Noah believed it would happen. Noah wasn't fearful of God, but because he believed God, he was "moved with fear" of the coming flood and through obedience became an heir of righteousness even before Abraham, who was later called the Father of Faith.

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

Abraham, like Noah before him, simply believed God and "went out, not knowing" where he was going. Why did both of these men do as they were told? I believe they both came to know when God's presence was with them, and learned when it was God's voice speaking to their hearts and not their own mind, and most importantly understood who God was ... He was not a man.

They knew long before Moses recorded this truth years later in Numbers 23:16 & 19 ...

"And the LORD said ... God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

Whether it be with regard to things temporal, spiritual, or eternal, God never forgets His word. He foresees all events, He is also able to bring to pass what He has said, and is always true and faithful to His word.

Abraham was one of the first men the Scripture speaks about as having faith ... one who just believed God would do what He said He would do, period. That was it, case closed.

Continuing on in Hebrews 11:9-10, speaking of Abraham, it says when he left his home and traveled to a strange country ... "he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Abraham wanted a sure foundation to what he believed, a rock as it were ... only he didn't know the coming Messiah, Jesus, was that the rock. The only foundation Abraham found He could stand upon was the promise of God. How much faith did Abraham have? I really don't know ... but I know this ... his faith was in God.

God's promises are so certain, that He speaks of them as being "already" in existence. God, instead of simply promising that He would make Abraham the father of many nations, speaks of it as already being done. Genesis 17:5, "... for a father of many nations I have made thee." In God's own mind, it was done.

To put it in as simple a term as I can … Abraham just believed God because … if God said it, then he believed God would do it. It's just that simple. It didn't matter to Abraham if he was 99 years old with no children yet. God was not a man that He should lie.

In the Amplified Bible, the Apostle Paul speaks of Abraham in Romans 4:18 this way …"For Abraham, human reason for hope being gone, hoped in faith …" The word hope means to "anticipate with confidence."

Notice the word "reason." Abraham didn't use "reason" which was the power of his mind to believe. Reason is the opposite of "faith" and will do you no good when trying to believe God for a "promise." Just as believing is a product of the "heart," doubt is a product of the "mind," as is "reason." Human reason will tell you ... "Nope, can't happen, that's impossible."

In Romans 4:21, Paul continues with … "And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

Abraham's confidence was this … "that the truth of God" … since God can be nothing less, bound Him (God) to fulfill His promise to him; therefore God could do nothing less or He wasn't God; and he was confident that God had the power and ability to perform it.

Isaiah 14:24 ... "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand."

God never changes His mind, alters His counsels, purposes and decrees, or is unfaithful to His word.

Since "God is not a man, that he should lie," God's own truthfulness binds Him and obligates Him to fulfill all of His promises to believers … who like Abraham … without any other reason for believing God's promises will be fulfilled in the natural, believe it … just because God said it.

Comments welcome.

Deja Vu on the Temple Mount

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 04:39:00 +0000

The author ... an Italian journalist, looks at the situation on the Temple Mount, rubs his eyes and writes ...

Books that were written in Hebrew, discussed Judaism, or mentioned Israel were banned from the Soviet Union. Zionism was branded "pornography" in the state-run media, and devout Jews were called "parasites" by the Stalinists, just like drug addicts.

Something similar is happening on the Temple Mount.

The Islamic Waqf ... the religious Muslim authority ... has removed every sign of ancient Jewish presence at the most Jewish holy site. At the entrance, a Waqf sign says "The Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard and everything in it is Islamic property."

Today Jews are barred from praying on the Mount and are not even allowed to carry any holy articles with them. With Islamic observers supervising visits, Israeli police have frequently arrested Jews for various violations, such as singing or reciting a prayer even in a whisper.

Jewish women have been recently arrested following claims by police and Waqf officials that they noticed they were praying on Temple Mount.

Why is it a crime for a Jew to mention God’s name on Temple Mount? And why is the State of Israel complicit in enforcing this anti-Jewish rule?

Freedom of worship for all religions, including free access to the holy places of all faiths, has always been a cardinal principle of the Jewish state. And by and large, Israel has honored this principle, even under extremely difficult circumstances.

It is ironic that Judaism’s holiest site should be the only place in Israel where this principle is violated. Nothing can justify the infringement of religious rights in the Temple Mount and that infringement undermines respect for the rule of law in Israel by making a mockery of the law that guarantees freedom for all faiths.

Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel in the sense that Washington DC is the capital of the US. Jerusalem is the city of the presence of God. The Temple Mount is the reason for Jewish existence. It’s Israel’s testimony and license to the land. The Arabs know that very well.

Many devout Jews won’t set foot on the Temple Mount until it is "redeemed." They are afraid that they may be stepping on the ground covering the ruins of the Holy of Holies, allowed only to the High Priest on Yom Kippur, and that is enough to keep them away. But there are those who believe they have a right to pray in the grounds where the Temple stood, particularly on Tisha be’Av, the anniversary of its destruction.

Though many respected rabbis forbid praying on the Mount, others permit it. And there is a growing and brave movement, led by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel and Professor Hillel Weiss, which sensibilize the Israeli public on the Temple Mount.

After all, disagreements among rabbinical authorities have always been Judaism’s trademark. It is a religion that encourages questions and intellectual dialectics. That is not the Israeli authorities’ affair. Jewish worshipers should be free to pray on the holy mountain if they wish to.

Islamic leaders, aware of the centrality of the Temple Mount in Judaism, have whipped up a paranoid frenzy among their followers by charging that the intention of Jewish worshipers is to destroy the mosques. In October 1990, the mere sight at a distance of a dozen would-be Jewish worshipers (who had actually been turned away) triggered the blood-drenched Temple Mount riot.

Under these circumstances, the police prefer to avoid confrontation. The Wakf has obliterated the remnants of Jewish antiquities on the Temple Mount because enough Jews do not visit the Temple Mount. Nobody was there to guard the holy place.

There is a fine, but clear, line between doing everything possible to prevent unnecessary clashes and surrendering to terroristic threats.

The Temple Mount is the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (705 AD). However, way before that, it was the site of the the First Holy Temple, built by King Solomon (stood from 950 BC to 587 BC) and the Second Holy Temple (517 BC to 70AD) and is indisputably Judaism's most sacred site. The Western Wall, where Jews are allowed to pray, is merely a remnant of an outside compound wall of Herodian days and not part of the Temples.

The Muslim Waqf, the religious Muslim authority, has systematically attempted to destroy all archaeological evidence of earlier Jewish presence on the Mount, illegally excavating and destroying priceless and irreplaceable relics. Israeli archaeologists and volunteers sift painstakingly through the debris of the excavations, finding artifacts that are then transferred to Israeli museums.

The Muslim Waqf was allowed to manage the site after Israel succeeded liberating the Temple Mount in 1967 at the suggestion of then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. It maintains a discriminatory policy seeking to bar Jews entry to the site. The Israeli police, afraid of riots, allow the Jewish worshippers to be discriminated against to the point of not being allowed to even whisper prayers on the Mount.

Israel is the only democracy in the world in which Jews are forbidden to worship in an open space they consider hallowed. Those who lived in the country under the British Mandate or in the USSR must be experiencing a twinge of deja vu.

My Favorite Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:57:00 +0000

Three Nails

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:10:00 +0000

The commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem reported there was a new rebellious spirit not only in the city but in the surrounding countryside as well. But Rome wasn't going to allow it. We had received word that Rome was going to put down any troublemakers. Because of potential future needs from the expected trouble brewing, the supply sergeant ordered a new supply of nails to restock the materials crib in his military storeroom.

Since Rome executed all criminals by crucifixion, (whether murderers, thieves, or enemies of the state stirring up insurrection, or for any other charge levied against the citizens of a conquered Israel) the Roman army needed a good supply of the long iron spikes used to nail the hands and feet of the condemned to the many crosses that lined the roads into Jerusalem.

Roman crucifixion did two things. It got rid of criminals, and the sight of men stripped naked hanging on those crosses along the roadsides, many times for days in the hot sun with scavenger birds picking off the flesh of their dead bodies turned out to be the greatest deterrent to crime and rebellion Rome could offer. I can attest to the fact, Roman brutality was more than just a rumor.

After I hand delivered the new order for one hundred nails to the Jew on the north edge of Jerusalem, I followed the old man a few feet from his small house to his workshop to make sure he began working on them immediately. I stayed with him about an hour that morning looking around his shop at all his tools and asking questions about his trade. He also knew very well what the nails he was making would be used for. Herod, the Roman appointed king over Judea and Samaria, trying to stay in favor with the people, decided to send all his trouble makers to the Roman army for trial and punishment ... which usually meant crucifixion.

This old nailsmith made nails for a living, any size or length. This new order would be made out of three-eights of an inch, square iron bar stock he forged himself in his shop. Each bar was a little longer than a normal span, the distance from the tip of a man's thumb to the tip of his little finger when spread out wide. These spikes needed to go through a six inch wooden beam and then have the points clenched over with a hammer to secure them.

He had worked for more than thirty years in this small stone building just like his father before him who had taught him the trade. There was a fire burning slowly in the brick forge, so the old man began to pedal a leather bellows, which brought the fire to a white heat. Next he used tongs to place one of the small bars into the fire. It didn't take long before it turned red, the sign it was ready for him to put the hammer to it.

He pulled the first bar out of the fire with the tongs and held it down on his heavy anvil that was mounted to a big stone base in the middle of the shop next to the forge. With regular timed strikes of his blacksmith hammer he began to taper all four sides equally to a sharp point on one end of the bar. He said by doing so, he thought that his nails might not cause as much pain for the condemned as dull, blunt ones would bring. Why make the pain any worse than need be. He would repeat this process another ninety-nine times before he would be finished with his latest order.

Because he knew the Romans didn't seem to care if the condemned were guilty or innocent, he often wondered if his nails were ever used to crucify those who hadn't committed any crimes. How was he to know that this time, three nails out of this batch were going to be used to change the history of the world.

It was approaching the first week of the Jewish month Nisan just before the Jewish Passover, called by many, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The city of Jerusalem was beginning to get crowded with people bringing their sheep, spotless lambs without any kind of outward blemish on them to be used for a sacrificial offering for their sins. As I remember, that Passover day was bloody. It was going to be my third and last year stationed in Jerusalem.

Three years earlier I just happened to be down by the Jordan River, assigned to watch the crowds that gathered together as a wild looking man they called John the Baptist dunked people into the river to have their sins forgiven. The Jews said he was baptizing them in water. One day I heard this man John proclaim to all the people watching, something I didn't understand at all. He pointed to an average looking Jewish man walking toward him and said for all to hear ... "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."

I learned later this so called Lamb of God was really just a man from Galilee ... Jesus of Nazareth, who his followers believed was ... the Son of God. I had heard that said before about the Roman emperor, Caesar. It seems like men in power always think they are god. But this man didn't act like he was anyone special. I saw him once when he stopped a woman from being stoned to death. After the crowd left, he helped her up, said something to her, smiled and walked away. I think she became one of his followers.

The only reason I am telling you this story is because something happened that changed my life. I met this man again. I was called upon to be part of the Roman detail that crucified three men on that Passover day. Even though I had performed that gruesome task before, I never got used to it. But as a soldier under orders, what could I do. You do as you are told or the same fate might await you.

There were nine of us, three men assigned to each of three prisoners. I had charge of the man who was going to be crucified on the middle of three crosses, this very same Jesus that I had seen a few times before. I'm not even sure what his crime was. He was put on trial and convicted by Pilate for saying he was the Son of God ... at least that's what the Jewish priests said. While the other two prisoners tried their best to resist as the crucifixion process began, the man the three of us had, offered no resistance whatsoever. Most men do.

After the other two men threw him down and dragged him upon the cross that we had laying on the ground ready for him, we stretched out both of his arms as far as we could pull, one man on his right and me on his left. With my knee on his forearm I placed one of the three nails between the upper bones in the palm of his hand next to his wrist. What I cannot get out of my mind, what I haven't been able to forget, if what I was doing wasn't hard enough on me; as I raised the hammer to drive the first of the three nails into his body ... he turned his head and looked me in the eye, called me by name and with such love and compassion in his voice said ... "I forgive you."

Sweat was now pouring down my forehead, the palms of my hands were so wet I could hardly hold on to the big hammer I held in my right hand. I did not want to bring it down onto the nail I was holding in my left ... but the Captain in charge of the crucifixion was standing right over me watching everything we were doing. He allowed no mercy for anyone.

Then this man called Jesus closed his eyes, clenched his teeth and I hammered and hammered and hammered seven hard powerful blows. My eyes filled with tears, I couldn't see him clearly anymore. I dropped the hammer and stood there shaking with tears running down my face. How could this man have known my name? How could he forgive me? I had his blood on my hands ... literally.

From the very moment I drove the first of those three nails through his hand, until he died about three hours later; the heavens turned almost as black as night, lightning flashed and the wind blew over the top of that hill with so much force I thought the cross would come down. But when this man Jesus hung his head in death I really became afraid. The earth itself began to tremble and shake as if what we had done, should not have been done. Not to this man anyway. A few drops of rain fell as if heaven was even crying. I think the earth and nature itself was upset and started shaking and groaning because of his death.

Not too many days later I heard a rumor that the man I helped crucify had been seen in the city. What, he wasn't dead? He was alive? How could that be, I saw him die on that cross. I was there. I was the one with the hammer.

Another ten days came and went and then, I saw a man across the street ... it was him. I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't walk ... I ran to him. With both of my hands placed upon his shoulders, I stammered, "It is you. You're alive." Then with a lump in my throat, I asked him the same question I heard Pilate had asked him. "Are you really ... the Son of God?"

Once more, this man Jesus from Galilee looked me in the eye, smiled and said ... "I am."

My heart was pounding when I woke up. Thank God I was only dreaming. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, sat up and swung my legs over the edge of my bunk placing my bare feet on the cool stone floor of the barracks I was in. Half awake, I looked down at my military sandals beside the bunk. I could not believe my eyes.

The bloody hammer was laying beside them.

C0mments welcome.

He Sat Down

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:22:00 +0000

It had to be more than just the few words Jesus spoke to those in the synagogue that Sabbath day which drove the people in His hometown to try and kill Him by tossing Him over the edge of the high cliff that Nazareth was built on. Something else had to have happened, something else took place.

According to Luke 4:14-15, after the temptation in the wilderness ... "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all."

Because Jesus had been teaching in their synagogues throughout Galilee, in the power of the Holy Spirit, which they weren't used to ... He gained fame and honor as He explained in detail the Word of God as no one else had ever done. After all, He was the Word made flesh. Remember, at the age of twelve Jesus had taught in the Temple in Jerusalem and amazed the doctors of the Law. (Luke 2:46-47)

Josephus was a 1st century Jewish historian credited by many as recording some of the earliest history of Jesus outside of the gospels. He wrote that ... "When Jesus was about fourteen years of age, the chief priests, and the principal men of the city, were constantly coming to him to be more accurately instructed in matters relative to the law." If this were true, it is no wonder to find the leaders of the synagogues throughout Galilee now listening to Jesus, 16 years later to hear what He had to say.

Jesus was now ready to begin His ministry and Luke continues with the story, in verses 16-21 ...

"He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him (a rolled up scroll) the book of the prophet Esaias.

And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written (Isaiah 61:1-2) ... ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.'

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them ... ' This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' "

Temple etiquette was such that the one who read the Scripture, the Law, invariably stood up to do so; and in fact, it was not lawful for them to even lean against any thing while reading. When finished reading, that individual would sit back down in his seat.

The Jews generally sat while they taught or commented on Scripture. After Jesus read from the Isaiah scroll, He sat down as if to teach in His hometown synagogue, which was most likely expected of Him considering the fame generated from the other times He spoke throughout Galilee.

Luke makes note of the fact that all the eyes in the synagogue were fixed attentively on Him. Why were they watching Him? Was it His fame as a speaker or teacher? I believe it was more than that. They were watching because of where He took His seat. He took another seat instead of going back to his former seat.

Then as expected, He began to just speak to them out of His heart. In verse 22, Luke says that all spoke well of Him and of the grace that came out of His mouth, and they asked each other … "Is this not Joseph's son?"

So what's the real problem here? I think the problem was two fold ...

1.) After He read from the book, Jesus sat down in the chair that back then all synagogues had ... "in waiting" ... a chair reserved for the Messiah they expected someday to come and sit in.

2.) After being seated in Messiah's chair, Jesus, by saying ... "this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" ... was telling the very same people that watched Him grow up in Nazareth that He was the Messiah.

How could this be? They knew Him as the son of Joseph the carpenter. I am of the opinion ... because Jesus said in so many words that He was the Messiah and then taking His seat in that special chair must be what set them off in such a rage that they tried to kill Him.

May I suggest a shadow and type in this story of what was to come later in the Heavenly ministry of Jesus as our High Priest as shown in Hebrews 10:10.

In the Amplified Bible it reads this way … "we have been made holy through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ."

Now here is where it gets interesting. The writer in verse 11 continues with … "Furthermore, every human priest stands (at his alter of service) ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which are never able to strip the sins that envelop us and take them away."

Notice it says the priest "stands" in the place of service whether in the tabernacle or temple. Did you know there were not any chairs or seats in either the tabernacle in the wilderness, or later in the temple in Jerusalem? They were both different than the synagogues where the Scriptures were discussed each sabbath.

The priests always stood while they performed their duties in the tabernacle and temple. They couldn't sit down for two reasons.

1.) There were no chairs, and 2.) They were never finished offering sacrifices … it had to be done daily, over and over.

It gets better. As we continue reading with verse 12 … "Whereas this One Christ, after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins that shall avail for all time, sat down at the right hand of God …" This time not in Messiah's chair, but in the Mercy Seat of Heaven.

Verse 14 ... "For by a single offering, He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy."

This is telling me, that what Jesus did … one time only … when He sprinkled His own Blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven … was enough … to satisfy God the Father. Nothing else can be done, or should be done. It is finished for all time.

This is why the resurrected Jesus sat down at His Father's right hand … to show us He completed His work … it's now finished.

I really don't know, or even care if my opinion is right concerning what chair Jesus used when He sat down in the synagogue in Nazareth that day. I just wanted to show the shadow of what is important, the fact that all the priests of the past, together with all the offerings ever given … could not and did not match … the one offering Jesus gave, on and for, our behalf.

Because His work is finished, Jesus, our High Priest, unlike all of the other priests is now … seated ... once again.

Comments welcome.

Whom Do You Say I Am

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 05:21:00 +0000

Jesus asked His disciples the above question in Luke 9:20. Of course Peter, the bold one of the group was the first to answer and said … "the Christ of God."

What would your answer be? Who is He? Is He God? A part of God? The Word of God? The Son of God? I want to look at just a small portion of what's said about Him in the Scriptures.

After Peter answered the question correctly, Luke says that Jesus ... "commanded them to tell no man that thing; Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." (Luke 9:21-22)

Peter said Jesus was the Christ, which was true, but to the Jews that would also be the same as saying He was the Messiah. Maybe that was why He told them not to tell anyone yet, because it wasn't time for Him to reveal who He truly was.

But notice who Jesus said He was … The Son of man. By using this term, Jesus was also identifying with His humanity. He had been after all, born of Mary and had taken on the covering of human flesh.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of Jesus, said in Colossians 1:15 … "He is the exact likeness of the unseen God, the visible representation of the invisible …"

The image that is seen of Jesus therefore is that of ... the Son of God. He is the perfect and complete eternal image of God His Father; more than a shadow or a representation, more than just a visible likeness; this "image" includes the same nature and perfections as the Father, but with His own personality and distinction as the Son, even while He was in the flesh as … the Son of man.

As the Son of man, was Jesus God? The Apostle John had no reservation at all in declaring Jesus, "the Word of God" and then with the same breath states that Jesus … "was God."

John 1:1-2 ... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God."

The Apostle John proves that he is speaking about Jesus when he says ... "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …" (John 1:14)

In John 1:34 & 36, John the Baptist adds a new dimension or description of Jesus when he says ... "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. And looking upon Jesus ... he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!"

Why was Jesus said to be (the Word) in Heaven and not the Son of God? In Hebrews 1:5 we find a quote from God about Jesus ... "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee …" This shows a particular place in time (this day, today) the day Jesus was born.

Jesus did not become the Son of God until He was born of Mary, and became human flesh. Until He became the Son by birth, He was "the Word of God" … or as I like to say … He was the words spoken by the Father.

As the "Word of God," Paul states that Jesus was equal with God.

Philippians 2:6-11 ... "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

This gives us a hint of just how much Jesus gave up to become the Son of man. Being equal with God and in the form of God … Jesus stripped Himself of all that was God … in that He became like men and became flesh, even unto death.

I'm going to try and paint you a word picture using two illustrations, both faint shadows as to why John the Baptist said of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God."

I want to take you back in time to Genesis 4:1-10 and the story of two brothers. We find Abel killing a lamb for a blood offering for his sin which God accepted. His brother Cain also presented a sin offering, but it came from his own works, the fruit of his own labor which wasn't accepted by God. Therefore we have Cain angry and dejected, killing Abel after taking him to his field, which is a shadow and type of the world.

So what’s in this picture? This is the first look at both ... a man and a lamb ... together bleeding in man's field of sin. This first illustration is a shadow and type of what was to come 4,000 years later … Jesus, the son of man dying as the Lamb of God in man’s field of sin after being sent into the world.

The next picture of Jesus is found in Genesis 22:1-14 where Abraham is told by God to offer Isaac, his only son as a burnt offering. Abraham takes the wood and lays it on Isaac’s shoulders for him to carry up the mount. Years later, Jesus also had to carry the wood, His cross, up the very same hill. When Isaac asked where the the lamb was, Abraham said, "God will provide himself a lamb," which is exactly what John the Baptist said of Jesus, "… behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." Another shadow of what was to come.

Jesus came to show us who "God" really was and what He was really like.

Hebrews 1:3 … "He is the sole expression of the glory of God, and He is the perfect imprint and the very image of God's nature …"

One day Jesus had been talking to His disciples about God the Father when Philip asks Him to show them the Father. Jesus responds with this question in …

John 14:9 ... "Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." (Amplified)

I don't teach "Jesus Only" as some do. I believe in the Trinity … Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe each one is a separate being. I also believe that all three are ... ONE … and that all three are equally God. No, I can't explain it … but that doesn't mean it's not true.

Follow these questions and the answer I give to each one ...

Who is the creator? Jesus. Who is the Lamb of God? Jesus. Who died on the cross? Jesus. Who is the Healer? Jesus. Who is seated on the Mercy Seat? Jesus. Who is coming back for His church? Jesus. Who has been given all power both in Heaven and in Earth? Jesus. Who is the same yesterday, today and forever? Jesus. Who ever lives to make intercession for you? Jesus. Who is Lord? Jesus.

Do I see only "Jesus" most of the time? Yes … I admit I do.

I started with the question Jesus asked His disciples … "Whom do you say I am?" What is your answer now? It should be … God.

Comments welcome.

If We Confess Our Sins

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:46:00 +0000

R.C. Sproul says ... "According to God's Word, we feel guilty because we are guilty. Only when we experience God's grace and mercy ... by trusting in Christ as our Savior, confessing our sins, and asking for forgiveness ... do we deal effectively with guilt and experience real freedom."

1st John 1:4 ... "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."

"That your joy may be full" ... is the purpose for the Apostle John's letter; not written to unbelievers, but to believers, those who already have been pardoned from past sin. John, knowing that his fellow believers in Jesus would still be troubled with the guilt that sin leaves behind, set pin to parchment and wrote about the faithfulness of the Lord to forgive every blunder ... every careless, stupid or blatant mistake involving behavior or judgment.

He is giving instruction about what we should do ... not if we sin ... but when we sin. And if you haven't yet, you will.

John speaks about several things in this short letter, including the one thing all believers have in common ... occasional sin. I'm not speaking of habitual sin as a way of life, but the times when we just don't act like Jesus; times when we miss the mark and we fail; the times we make wrong choices or give in to whatever. It doesn't matter what it is ... sin is sin.

1st John 1:8-9 ... "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The point made, even to believers is this. In the Word of God, forgiveness of sin always supposes that there is confession ... and there is no promise that it will be imparted unless a full acknowledgment has been made. What's the promise again? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive ..."

In spite of the fact that believers are cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ, they still are not without sin; no man is without sin. This is not only true of all men conceived in sin so that all are in a fallen state, but it is even true of God's elect. Even though you are a born again believer and the flesh may no longer have control of your life ... these things do not take out the being of sin, or cause it to cease to act, nor do they make sins cease to be sins.

While it is true that we have been redeemed from the fallen state we were in through the blood of Jesus, there is a continual war going on between our flesh and God's spirit within us. So when we do sin by frequent slips and falls, and we confess that sin ... we have a fresh application of the blood of Jesus for cleansing.

Although our sins have been, not just pardoned, but done away with and we are now justified from that sin by the righteousness of Christ; and although we are free from any judgment on account of that sin ... yet we are not free from the doing of it or the guilt that newly committed sin brings.

So, through confession and repentance we are redeemed from them, and are acquitted, discharged, and pardoned, so that sin is no longer imputed to us, and even though God no longer sees the sin that was cleansed by the blood of His Son ... as to the guilt that remains of that sin ... that is another question.

When we do sin, it will help us deal with the guilt if we realize as the Apostle Paul once stated in Romans 7:14, 17 & 21 ... "I am carnal, sold under sin. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."

This is not an excuse or an attempt to lessen the blame; I'm not trying to defend or justify our acts of sin. All I am trying to do is to establish the obvious fact that we do sin because our carnal flesh never, ever gets saved. Confess that sin and move on with your life. Do not allow guilt from that sin to remain.

If the blood of Jesus removes the sin ... shouldn't the guilt of that sin ... also be removed?

Once our sin has been dealt with and taken out of our sight and God's; our conscience being cleared of them, our hearts sprinkled and purged by the blood of Jesus ... we should therefore be free of all condemnation from them.

Do we think we are somehow punishing ourselves for that sin by holding on to the guilt that remains from that sin? All we are doing is making ourself miserable. Once confessed, the sin is no longer there. Nor should the guilt according to ...

Romans 8:1 ... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus," ... period.

What a promise ... "If we confess our sins ..." What does it say? "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Comments welcome.

Understanding Men

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:42:00 +0000

It was another hot July day in the Midwest. The heat from the afternoon sun was beginning to take it's toll on the two men nailing new shingles on the parsonage roof. The older man, the church pastor, now in his late sixties, had asked one of the young men of the church to help him with the roofing job. They had just finished the back side of the roof and now had about three bundles of shingles down on the front side facing the street.

The pastor had to smile when his younger friend stopped and stood up so he could take a better look at a pretty girl walking by the church parsonage. She looked about the same age as his young friend, twenty something or there about. She had a nice figure, a dark tan, and was wearing a white tank top with tight cut off jean shorts ... you know, she looked like the beautiful all American girl. She also noticed him because she looked up and smiled as she walked on down the sidewalk.

After he grabbed another shingle and went back to work, he said to his Pastor ... "I guess you noticed I was watching that girl. I'm sorry, I just can't help looking at pretty girls."

After another minute or so he asked this question ... "Pastor, when do you think I will stop being attracted to pretty girls?" His old pastor's reply was ... "When they take a shovel and pat the dirt over your face."

Men are just made different than women. I don't know why God made women so beautiful and attractive to the male species. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great ... if we males weren’t sexually attracted to women, the human race would cease to exist. I heard one man say once ... "If women weren't physically made like they are, men would put a bounty on them." He had gotten into an argument that morning with his wife.

But that does just about sum it up. In the first marriage class my wife and I attended after we were married, our pastor's wife made this statement explaining the difference between men and women and their motivation for ... "love and marriage." She said, "Men love, because of sex, and women have sex, because of love."

And from observation over the years, I think she was right. Men are just wired differently than women. To a man ... the importance of the God ordained sexual relationship with his wife would rank second, right after honor. To a woman ... that same God ordained sexual relationship would rank about fourteenth, right after gardening.

Because men are wired as they are, Jesus forewarns men about "girl watching."

Matthew 5:28 ... "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

It's not the attraction that the beauty of a woman brings to man that is the problem. God gave men the attraction and interest in, and even the desire to find a woman to be a life partner. That's why in Genesis 2:18 God said ... "it wasn't good for Adam to be alone" ... he needed a life partner, a woman to be with him.

The warning Jesus gave, was not related only to looking at the beauty of God's female creature ... it was warning man not to lust after her. Men are stimulated by just looking at a woman.

That's why carnally minded men look at pornography. I was going to say un-regenerated men, but sadly ... so do some believers in Jesus. I'm not trying to give men an excuse ... because they have none ... but men are very weak when it comes to the physical beauty and attractiveness of a woman.

Notice this warning is to men ... not women. Generally a woman responds more to the loving touch of her man, not from the sight of him. But in todays society it seems as though all general rules have been done away with. The world (Hollywood) tries to portray men and women as sexually the same ... but they’re not. Women's lib openly suggests for women to be the aggressor, on the hunt looking to satisfy their own sexual passions. The male is the hunter gatherer, not the female.

I'm reminded what John Wayne once said ... "If women would get back up on the pedestal where they belong, men would keep them there."

Sorry ... I've strayed off my message, which is ... men, be careful what you look at. Looking at the wrong thing can change your life ... if you allow it to.

In the following example, we have a man looking at the wrong thing accidentally ... in this case it was a beautiful woman; and then through it, he allowed lust to form in his heart. This is the situation King David found himself in.

2nd Samuel 11:2 ... "And it came to pass in the evening, that David arose from his bed, (perhaps from the evening heat, which would explain the following) and walked upon the flat roof of his house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon."

No one really knows why Bathsheba was bathing late in the evening. She may have waited until it was cooler after sundown which would allow her to bathe on her balcony or even on the rooftop in seclusion ... or so she thought.

So with David, looking turned into watching, and watching turned into thoughts of desire, and desire grew into lust, and lust became sin. All David had to do was divert his eyes and turn away ... but he didn't. He was a man.

When men, trying to excuse their lustful desire say ... "I can't help myself" ... they're lying. Go ahead, try blaming God for making you this way, it won't work. The Apostle James wrote about this very same subject on the first page of his letter to the Christian Jews when he said to them ...

"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."

Let's be real honest here ... Bathsheba bathing in the moonlight would catch any man's eye. Any normal man would be tempted to take a second look even longer than the first glimpse was. I'm being as honest here as I can. Even me.

This was perhaps the greatest temptation David ever faced. But do not ever forget ... temptation is not sin.

Looking, wasn't sin. You can't help what you see. But was watching Bathsheba bathe sin? Not quite yet, but it opened the door to sin. Watching I'm sure, quickly turned into desire ... now David is walking through that door. But is desire, sin? Take the next step with David ... his desire from watching a beautiful woman bathe, now turns into lust.

Okay, let's look at what James said ... "when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin."

The Greek word for lust, as used here is "epithumia" (pronounced ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah) and means simply ... a longing (especially for what is forbidden) a desire.

I also want to look at the word conceived. Normally we think of a baby being conceived in the womb. This isn't quite like that, although it is close. The word James uses in the Greek is "sullambanō" (pronounced sool-lam-ban'-o) and means ... to clasp, that is, to seize, to catch and take captive.

I may be splitting hairs with this conclusion, but when David saw Bathsheba bathing; as far as we know an unplanned accident; and then because he stayed and kept on looking, David's desire became ... "lustful desire" ... and just as James said, lust was conceived and took him captive.

When you are taken captive by someone or something, you are not in charge any more ... your captor is in charge. Each and every step David took in the process that night, set him up for sexual lust, that longing, that forbidden desire to have Bathsheba and it took him captive.

Let me once again give us weak men and perhaps women who may also need this good advice from Nicholas Herman, the old seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine that I often quote. He said ... "We should seek to learn the sins that do most easily beset us and the times and occasions, when we do most often fall."

With men, the times and occasions just might be ... looking at their own Bathsheba.

Comments welcome.

Oh yes, I thought that my next post might be ... "Understanding Women" ... but after thinking about it, I realized that is impossible.

Blessings ...

Repentance

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:51:00 +0000

What is repentance? My dictionary describes repentance this way ... "To feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin; to view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse."

The origin of the word repent in Middle English comes from the Old French word ... "repentir." Breaking it down we have ... "re," meaning to express intensive force, together with "pentir," which is based on the Latin word "paenitere" meaning ... cause to repent.

This is speaking of natural human regret, wishing we hadn't done or said something in the way we proceeded.

Spiritual repentance though is a different matter. Repentance first comes to the sinner when he says ... "Lord, forgive me." Usually there is a conviction in the heart of wrong doing; you have missed the mark and you know you have failed in some way. This conviction you feel comes from God, and it is exactly as the French and Latin words express ... an intensive force which causes repentance. It's called, the Holy Spirit.

Dealing with simple minds like mine, I like to say, when a person repents ... not just of sin, but from sin ... it is a 180 degree u-turn in your walk. You change direction, you turn and walk the opposite way. There will be a change in your life style ... although it may not be an instantaneous change.

Nicholas Herman, the seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine, said it this way ... "One does not become holy all at once." He continued with ... "We ought to put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, receiving the abundance of His grace, without which we can do nothing but sin."

He also said ... "We must leave the creature behind, distrust our own strength utterly, and commit ourselves wholly to His safekeeping."

"Leave the creature behind." That's the old nature of the sinner. This step is missed by many believers. How do we do that? One way is to have a heart of repentance every day.

Salvation isn’t just a past event, it’s an ongoing journey. Repentance is not a one-time event. Daily repentance is like throwing another log on a dying fire ... it brings that fire of submission and surrender to God back to life.

Live a life of repentance. Never, ever, make peace with your sin. And, yes, Christians still sin.

Repentance is an active daily posture, an ongoing change of heart, not a magical one time grouping of words we repeated when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.

The good news? It’s not about more effort ... because you can’t fix yourself ... it’s about more submission. It’s about having the courage to face your brokenness, to admit your sinfulness, and to surrender who you are to Jesus. Daily.

Today. Tomorrow. Everyday.

I don't care whether you’ve been a believer for 30 minutes or 30 years.

Are you still struggling to conquer the so called demons that "good Christians" aren’t supposed to have? Embrace repentance as a way of life.

Repentance is a daily confrontation with our brokenness and the ongoing application of the only remedy that really works ... submission to Jesus Christ. In everything.

While it is true that Satan, our tempter, the enemy of our souls, the one who lies in wait ... has been defeated by Jesus ... it is also true that the devil is still lurking around trying to get you to follow the dictates of the flesh, rather than obeying your heart and spirit.

Oswald Chambers, (1874-1917) the Scottish Protestant teacher and W.W. I chaplain spoke to this very thing when he said ... "We look upon the enemy of our souls as a conquered foe; so he is, but only to God, not to us."

Because of this very same fact, that the devil is lurking around tempting believers, the old French monk, 300 years ago also gave us this word of encouragement ...

"Think not that I counsel you to disregard completely and forever the outward things that are around us. That is impossible.

The world, the flesh, and the devil join forces and assault the soul so straitly and so untiringly that, without humble reliance on the ever-present aid of God, they drag the soul down in spite of all resistance.

The presence of God is thus the life and nourishment of the soul. The most needful, is the presence of God."

Repentance and submission brings the presence of God into your life.

Comments welcome.

The Fruit of the Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Regarding the qualities that are to flow from the heart of the followers of Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote, "... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

I am of the persuasion that the word "fruit" is singular in it's meaning. I believe that the outgrowth from having the Holy Spirit in your life is supposed to produce, if not all of these attributes Paul mentions, then at least some of them.

Of course "the fruit of the Spirit" ... if singular ... is "love" and rightly so because God is love and He is in you in the person of the Holy Spirit. Right or wrong, I look at this "love" as not just a singular fruit, but rather the whole fruit tree that produces the other eight fruits Paul names, which grow and develop out of God's love in you.

I also wonder if we aren't suppose to be like the "tree of life" that John saw in Revelation 22:2, which produced twelve types of fruit and even the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Is it too far off for me to believe that the fruit we bare might help heal the people around us? If we love people ... well, it can't hurt ... it might even be healing.

1st John 4:7-8 ... "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God ... He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

Since "God is love," should not the the mark of the followers of Jesus be love also. Shouldn't we desire to be like Him?

Just before Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit, he reminds the Galatians about the Jewish Law from which he came from. Galatians 5:14 ... "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

I believe Paul was referring to Leviticus 19:18 ... "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

Romans 13:8 ... "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

In the preceding verses of this chapter, Paul has been showing the duty which all Christians owe to the civil magistrates of the state. But to our fellow man, we owe nothing but mutual love. Therefore, it is as if the apostle is saying ... Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled.

Love is the source from which all the other Christian virtues flow, and love is the primary obligation we have in life. And isn't this what Jesus did?

Even though this love has been placed into the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit, love is more than mere sentiment or a matter of your affections. It is a matter of your "will."

Now ... because it is a matter of your will ... many times you will be called upon to exercise that Godly "will" because loving those around you is a duty and a divine obligation. So, we have to practice acts of love and righteousness that will benefit our neighbors. Even if we think they don't deserve it.

Continuing with the fruits ...

"Joy" ... in the Greek it is "chara" (pronounced khar-ah') and means cheerfulness, or a calm delight.

A characteristic mark that this fruit of the Spirit brings to your life is an inward sense of joy regardless of circumstances; even in the midst of sorrow.

"Peace" ... translated from Greek it is "eire ne" (pronounced i-rah'-nay) meaning simply ... peace; by implication prosperity ... quietness, rest.

In Hebrew, the word for peace is "Shalom," which differs from the Greek in that it means more than just the absence of strife, but also includes the idea of "wholeness, health, balance and reconciliation." In addition to the idea of having peace with God, shalom implies the peace of God ... which Paul said, "passes all understanding." (Philippians 4:7)

"Long-suffering" ... The Apostle Paul uses the word "makrothumia" (which is pronounced mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah) meaning forbearance and fortitude ... in other words, long-suffering with patience.

This Greek word comes from two other words ... "macros" or great, and "thuo" meaning sacrifice, which together suggests someone who is slow to anger, with patient endurance of wrongdoing without taking vengeance. The idea implies that we are not easily offended by the faults of others. Long-suffering does not mean you will suffer long ... but you are willing if need be toward others.

"Gentleness" ... or "chrestotes" (pronounced khray-stot'-ace) meaning usefulness or kindness to others ... a moral excellence in character or a demeanor like gentleness.

This word conveys tenderheartedness and is associated with a generous disposition or benevolence.

"Goodness" ... the Greek is "agathosune" (pronounced ag-ath-o-soo'-nay) translated correctly as goodness, meaning a person of virtue or beneficence ... the practice of love, acts of goodness.

"Faith" ... or "pistis" (pronounced pis'-tis) as a persuasion, or a moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God), especially constancy in such profession ... assurance, belief, faith, fidelity.

The word faith can refer to the attitude of believing, the trust placed in the integrity of a person or in God, such as their ethical qualities or dependability.

"Meekness" ... "praotes" (pronounced prah-ot'-ace) meaning in the Greek, gentleness. This word is not the same as the fruit, gentleness.

In today's vocabulary, meekness is thought of as kind of "milk-toast" or the 97 pound weakling. This fruit of the Spirit should really be translated as ... "humility." You can have a humble demeanor, not boastful or proud, and still be a physically and mentally strong, healthy and vivacious person. Like Jesus was.

In the Jewish tradition, humility is among the greatest virtues, whereas pride is one of the worst attitudes. In this sense, humility also allows you to be teachable ... a very good trait or characteristic in a person; especially one trying to be like Jesus.

"Temperance" ... "egkrateia" in the Greek, (pronounced eng-krat'-i-ah) means self control, temperance. In Latin versions it can be ... "continent" ... holding together, restraining oneself, as in exercising self-restraint, especially sexually.

This word, often translated as "self control" refers especially to the inner strength needed to overcome sinful sexual desires. This inner strength comes from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, providing the self-restraint needed to please God, not only in this area, but in other areas where moderation is needed as well. Being placed last in this list of virtues, allows temperance to be sort of a summation of ... "the fruit of the Spirit." It's that important.

1st Peter 1:23 ... "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

Galatians 6:7-8, "... whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

If there is no seed planted, there will be no fruit. The type of seed always determines the type of fruit.

Comments welcome.

If it wasn't for the Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:16:00 +0000

I just don't have what it takes. I'm speaking of the gray matter, you know, brains. I'm trying to wrap my mind around the thought ... no ... the fact that God had no beginning. But I can't quite completely do it.

My heart says, "believe it," because the Word of God says so. But what little understanding my mind has on that thought, it says, "how can that be?" Everything has to have a beginning, right? So ... some days, my mind has a battle with my heart. So far, my heart has always won the battle.

If it wasn't for the stuff ... things like the green grass, the fluffy white clouds in the sky, the snow capped mountains and the deep blue lakes between them, I just might wonder myself if the agnostics aren't right. An "agnostic" is a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God. Or even if God has an existence.

The agnostic then, is a person who claims neither faith in nor disbelief in God. So, since they really don't know, they too have to question ... is God really real? All they really can believe in is the material stuff they see around them. But as I have already stated, when I see the same stuff, it makes me say ... yes, there must be a God.

I say, yes ... God must be. And I say that, not necessarily because the Holy Spirit put that belief in my heart, although He may have, because it's there ... but intellectually it's because I see the stuff. Where did all this stuff come from? It didn't just happen. Study it, look at it closely and you will see evidence of an intelligent design. That means ... God.

Intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Through the study and analysis of a system's components, a design theorist is able to determine whether various natural structures are the product of ... chance, natural law, intelligent design, or some combination thereof.

Honest critics of intelligent design acknowledge the difference between intelligent design and creationism. Creationism typically starts with a religious text and tries to see how the findings of science can be reconciled to it. Intelligent design starts with the verifiable evidence of nature and seeks to ascertain what inferences can be drawn from that evidence. Unlike creationism, the scientific theory of intelligent design does not claim that it can identify whether the intelligent cause detected through science, is supernatural.

But that is my personal belief. Who other than God could design such a creation and then have the power to bring it into being, materially ... so we could see the stuff.

The watchmaker argument for intelligent design ...

The watchmaker analogy was formulated by William Paley in 1802. Paley wrote that if a pocket watch is found on a heath, (an area of open uncultivated land) it is most reasonable to assume that someone dropped it and that it was made by one or more watchmakers, and not by natural forces. He wrote ...

"In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there; I might possibly answer, that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it had lain there forever: nor would it perhaps be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think of the answer I had before given, that for anything I knew, the watch might have always been there. There must have existed, at some time, and at some place or other, an artificer (a skilled craftsman or inventor) or artificers, who formed [the watch] for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction, and designed its use. Every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater or more, and that in a degree which exceeds all computation."

Paley went on to argue that the complex structures of living things and the remarkable adaptations of plants and animals required an intelligent designer. He believed the natural world was the creation of God and showed the nature of the creator. According to Paley, God had carefully designed "even the most humble and insignificant organisms" and all of their minute features. He believed therefore that God must care even more for humanity.

Paley recognized that there is great suffering in nature, and that nature appears to be indifferent to pain. His way of reconciling this with his belief in a benevolent God was to assume that life had more pleasure than pain.

Paley and others have looked at this theory of intelligent design from most every direction and have come to the only conclusion possible, and that is ... only God ... could have placed all this stuff we see, from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the largest planets in our solar system, including the entire universe that has no end.

So ... I believe exactly what the Apostle Paul said in Colossians 1:15-17 ... "Who (speaking of Jesus) is the image of the invisible God ... For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible ... all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." ... (are held together).

Why does the Earth spin on it's axis and rotate around the Sun? What keeps the solar system from flying apart? It's not gravity. It's God and God alone. He has made the universe like a watch with different causes and movements. He has wound the main spring of time and it is winding down. It will be over some day, just like the keeper of time designed it to be.

There are no accidents. Everything that is ... is because God designed it ... as it is.

Comments welcome.

Have You Forgotten That He Is Holy

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0000

Three thousand or so years ago, the descendents of Abraham, the people who worshiped the true Hebrew God, generally understood that He was a Holy God. They lived under the Law that Moses received from God Himself. In fact, what kept most of them in line turned out to be ... the fear of God.

A healthy fear of almighty God can be a good thing. But today, having been set free from the Law by faith in Jesus' death on the cross and by the grace which we have been given ... has in fact created another problem. And that is, it seems as if the Christian church today has forgotten that God is a Holy God.

While it is true that Jesus Himself has called us ... "friends" ... He still is just as Holy as He was in the Old Testament. God can never be less then He is. He is holy, we aren't. And we never will be, at least not of ourselves. Any "Holiness" we might profess to have, is like our "righteousness" ... it's not ours, it's His. His righteousness is a gift freely bestowed on us that allows us to stand in the presence of God as if we have His Holiness.

We need to look at what the word "Holy" really means if we are to understand God's holiness. The English dictionary defines holy as ... "something dedicated or consecrated to God; or a person who is morally and spiritually excellent."

Well, that is right as far as it goes, but that's still a little shallow ... there's more.

The First Epistle of Peter is addressed to believers, reminding us of the blessings which God has already bestowed on us through Jesus ... and gives the reason that as obedient children we should live a holy life before God.

1st Peter 1:15-16 ... "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

God has implanted principles of holiness in us, otherwise the command ... "be ye holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44) would be unjust. The foundation of the command is this; that the Israelites professed to be His people, and that as His people they ought to be like their God ... holy. And so should we.

Since man hasn't changed, nor has God ... don't you think this declared will of God should be passed on to the believers of Jesus? Peter thought so. Because Jesus, the object of Christian worship is holy, the character of His worshipers should also be holy.

Although our personal holiness, as becoming equal to God's, will never be attained to by fallen man, it is still a desirable goal to continue the quest for such holiness as far as we are capable of attaining.

The word that Peter uses for Holy, as well as most of the other writers that are translated from the original manuscripts, is "hagios" (pronounced hag'-ee-os) and means ... an awful thing ... fearful, sacred, pure and blameless.

This is why it says in Hebrews 10:31 ... "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

The term, "a fearful thing" means ... frightful, (that is objectively: formidable, fearful, and terrible.) Almighty God wasn't fearful to man until he sinned. But in our fallen state we recognize that He is "Holy" and that type of holiness is fearful to man.

Jesus said this about fearing (or respecting) God in Luke 12:4-5 ... "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

Jesus was speaking to the general population, those who came to hear Him teach or perform miracles of healing. All those who believed in who He was, came to love Him without any fear of judgment or of being turned away.

In the Apostle Paul's opening remarks in his letter to the Ephesian Church, he states that God has already blessed us with all spiritual blessing, and one of those blessings is the fact that God ... "hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him ..." (Ephesians 1:4)

That we should be holy ... Paul states this is the reason or objective for which God has chosen his people. It is not merely that they should enter into heaven. It is not that they may live anyway they please. It is the design and purpose of the doctrine of Christ to make people holy, and without blame ... period.

The objects of God's love were not chosen because they were holy; they were just the opposite ... but that they might be made holy by His Spirit and live holy in this life without blame.

To be "righteous" is a gift from God through Jesus. To be "holy" is a lifestyle. It is how you live out your faith in Jesus. It's not that you can't or won't sin anymore ... we all do. But it's the effort we make walking each day with the Lord's help. And ... it is expected.

Romans 12:1 ... "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Paul wrote a letter to a young believer named Timothy, instructing him in the Christian life. One of the things Paul told him was that all believers should continue in the Jewish custom of raising their hands in prayer.

1st Timothy 2:8 ... "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

The word holy used here is "hosios" (pronounced hos'-ee-os) and means simply ... right. So I take that to mean that our hands have been washed from the stains of our old sinful lifestyle and are now clean and made holy in the sight of God.

So then ... lifting up holy hands, or hands made right by Jesus ... was to lift up or spread out their arms and hands when in prayer. It is the act of request in an effort to embrace the assistance requested.

The Apostle Paul probably alludes to the old Jewish custom of laying their hands on the head of the sacrificial animal they would bring for a sin offering, confessing their sins, and then giving the life of the animal as an atonement for their sin.

This example shows us how Christians should pray. They should come before God, humble themselves for their sins and bring their sacrifice ... Jesus the Lamb of God. The only way believers today can lay their hands on the head of their sacrifice, is to raise them by faith to Jesus, as a sign of surrender unto God.

The lifting up of our hands also aids in the worship of God.

Revelation 15:4 ... "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy."

Yes, God looks upon us as holy ... but only because of Jesus. Yes, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sin. Yes, we are made righteous in Christ. But even so ... we will never attain to or become equal to the Holiness of God Himself, which is why John writes ...

"For thou only art holy."

Even so, God said ... "Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Comments welcome.

Time Will Tell

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Having written about this before, I feel the need to repeat myself … because some things need to be repeated. If it was worth saying the first time, then it just might be okay to repeat it again. Is it possible to hear too much about the Lord, or try and learn of His character … who He really is and how He responds to our prayers when we cry unto Him?

I said before that when people ask me to pray about something, I usually ask them if they are sure they want me to pray for them, because everyone I pray for dies. They will usually laugh or say something like, "Oh no, you don't mean that." I just smile back … they don't realize I'm serious about it. (And no they don't all die … but some have.)

The prayer requests I have been asked to pray about, I believe were answered in the way God wanted them answered. I have even asked myself if I really believe what I just stated … especially if you look at the outcome of each one through our human emotions. Some look like complete failures while others are deemed to be successful strictly on the end result. Example … if the one you might be praying for dies, does that mean God's will in the matter wasn't accomplished?

1st Corinthians 2:16 … "For who has known or understood the mind and purposes of the Lord …"

We must come to understand that His purposes and thoughts, as He has shaped and drawn the image of things in His own mind; including everything that is … is determined by the Lord. Nothing comes by chance; everything is … as it is purposed by God … everything comes to pass which He has resolved.

Therefore, every solution to prayer, every answer … proceeds from Him … and is the product of His Sovereign wisdom and Providence. Each of His purposes shall be accomplished, no matter what is in the heart and mind of man concerning how we want our prayers answered … it will be His will, done His way, in His time.

You see … I believe that God is ultimately responsible … for everything. You do not have to agree with me … that's okay, I don't mind. I believe that God is in control for several reasons, one of which is from the Psalmist David in Psalms 24:1 … "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

This covers everything; the earth (the physical planet); the fullness (everything it produces); the world (the social systems); and they (all men and creatures).

God made all things, and He has never lost possession or relinquished His control over any of His creation, with the exception of … "the free will of man" … because choice must always be left to us.

So … what happens if we don't get the answer we are looking for when we pray?

I want to have enough confidence and trust in God to believe that all His dealings with us proceed from His heart of love. I'm not saying He will, but what if He takes one or all of our possessions away; do we feel that He has taken only what belongs to Him … of which we have no right or claim to anyway? Do we submit to all of God's plans for us without a complaint only during good times when things are going well … or even when pain is allowed in our lives as it is many times.

If this world is God's, and it is, shouldn't He be allowed to govern the world as He sees fit? But our biggest problem is … we cannot see the reasons of His conduct or know why He answers some prayers and not others.

So I ask this question, are we going to accept the truth, which is … that God can dispense His blessings in answer to prayer to whomever He wants and with whatever terms He so chooses. God can and will do whatever He wants, anytime He wants … and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

I was caught off guard in a life experience concerning prayer. I say I was caught off guard because I really was; I wasn't expecting the bad news that came on that Sunday evening while I was eating supper. I lost my appetite. Really. After finally stepping up and trying to become what I thought He expected me to be, I just knew everything was going to be okay. That shows you we just think we know … until the cold hard reality of life shows up, when something like this happens.

What made me think, that after 4 years with many other people praying … so what if God Himself showed up and told me to take on the role like that of the Roman centurion, and ask Him to send His Word just like Jesus was asked to do in Luke Chapter 7.

God Himself, two days earlier, had convinced me that with the same kind of faith that Jesus said the centurion had; if I would ask with this kind of faith, it would be enough to move God the Father to speak and send the Word that had been needed the past 4 years.

But I was wrong and I don't know what to do about it now, or even in the future. I forgot one very important detail.

It was God's "will" in the story of the centurion, to heal his servant. So, even with all of the many prayers offered up, (including mine, after being told to step up and ask) I must conclude, that it wasn't God's will this time, for whatever reason, to fulfill the promise of healing that Jesus obtained for us by the stripes His body was beaten bloody for.

A promise in the Word of God must be God's "will" or it wouldn't be a promise … right? So what is wrong? Is there a condition attached to the promise that we don't know about. I thought Jesus already paid the full price for healing. I thought all we had to do was believe.

Oh … Could it be that simple?

All of us, including myself didn't believe? And so now, a small 8 year old boy is in Heaven; his father and mother, along with his older sister, all left behind heartbroken, asking … why?

From now on, when I am called upon to believe again, and I know I will be; will my first thought be … "is it His will?"

I don't know … time will tell.

Comments welcome.

What a Friend we have in Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

One of the best things that Jesus has given us is the fact that He is our friend. I'm not sure if friendship was one of the purposes for God to become flesh and blood like we are, but I'm glad Jesus is our friend. A friend is someone who sticks by you ... no matter what.

Someone once said the best friend a man can have is his dog. It doesn't matter to a dog what color, sex, size or how intelligent you are ... he still loves you and will be loyal to you even if it costs him his life. I don't feel right comparing Jesus to a canine, but ... Jesus is like that ... only more so.

My favorite hymn is ... "What a friend we have in Jesus." The 1st verse goes like this ...

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

I don't know exactly why I like this song so much ... I think it has to do with Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs. It is a privilege to speak to God ... about anything. Why do we forfeit our peace or carry needless pain when all we need to do is talk to Him about it.

Jesus said in Luke 12:4 ... "I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid ..."

What is a friend? According to the English dictionary ... "a friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection; someone who will support and give help at a difficult time, or use their influence on one's behalf."

For lack of a better term, let me say this explanation is how the "world" describes friendship. But, you know what, it's not that far off from how the Scripture also describes what a friend is.

In the New Testament, the word friend is "philos," which in the original Greek manuscripts mean ... someone dear, actively fond of, a friend or neighbor.

A friend then is someone you care about, having a mutual bond ... not only are they your friend, but more importantly ... you are their friend, you are there for them.

Jesus also said this in John 15:13-16 ... "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you ..."

God has chosen you and me to be His friend ... even knowing all about us. But what if we don't do what He commands us to do in the above verse? Is He still our friend?

"You are my friends ... if you do ..." Is Jesus saying our actions either qualify us or disqualify us to be His friends? If we do something offensive, do we become unsuitable to be a friend of His? The word friend in this phrase is not speaking of Jesus' friendship toward us, but rather ours toward Him. By obeying His Word and following His teaching ... you are showing that you are His friend. That is how you, (for lack of a better word) "prove" to others that you are His friend.

Let me break down the two "catch words" that trip up many people ... do and command.

The word, do ... as translated into the Greek, means "to commit to make an effort," which in my case really means ... I'll try to follow your commands. The word command as used here is, "enjoin" ... meaning, "to urge or prescribe an attitude." Once again ... it's the attitude of the heart that God cares about.

In this portion of scripture in John, Jesus has been teaching about "agapao" love, the ... moral, social love one might have for a friend. It's not a burdensome law or command ... it's the attitude of the heart He wants His friends to show to one another.

What type of attitude did Jesus possess? He was a friend to all men, even sinners ... thank God for that ... that gives me hope.

Matthew 11:19 ... "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." And so He was.

Why was Jesus a friend of sinners? Because His mission was ... "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10.)

Mark 2:16-17 ... "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick ..."

Sin is a sickness ... this expression Jesus used is almost proverbial, signifying that He was a physician, and that these publicans and sinners were sick persons, and needed His healing. But the Scribes and Pharisees were whole, and in good health ... in their own estimation, and therefore didn't want or need His services. Even though all men are sinners by nature, this answers the question as to why Jesus attended to the one, and not the other.

If you need help ... you just need to ask Him. Jesus still makes house calls free of charge.

Those that are truly sick of the sin in their lives usually are sick of themselves. They see their sinful nature and how unhealthy they really are ... that from the crown of their head to the soles of their feet, there is nothing but wounds and bruises, their insides filled with the disease of sin. Many have tried to cure themselves without success; so they must eventually turn to the only one whose blood cures every wound and hurt. The blood of Jesus is a medicine for every sickness and disease, including the sickness of sin.

Have you made Jesus your friend? If you have, you are in some pretty good company. There are many, but I'll name the two that I know for sure the Scripture names.

Exodus 33:11 ... "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."

2nd Chronicles 20:7 ... "Art not thou our God, who ... gavest it (the land) to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"

James 2:23 ... "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God ... and he was called the Friend of God."

Proverbs 18:24 says, "... there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

And that friend is ... Jesus.

Comments welcome.

Because You Can't Fix Yourself ... Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:52:00 +0000

We have a sin nature. Even if you are born-again. When Paul the Apostle said that you have become a new creature in Christ, he was speaking about the spirit man inside of you ... your newly awakened free self will ... not the body of flesh you dwell in. Flesh is carnal, it relates to physical needs, strong feelings of wanting to have something to fulfill these physical desires whether they are sinful desires or not.

It's been said that the greatest desire man has is food when hungry. Do you know what the difference is between an honest man and a thief? About three meals. Man is born with a nature of self preservation. Watch a couple of two year old toddlers at play. They always want what the other one has. They will take it from the other one and say ... mine. That's one of the first words they learn.

So how do we fix this problem ... or can we? There is only one way, and I have spoken of this often. Nicholas Herman, a seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine gives the answer, although doing this completely as he suggests will also take the Holy Spirit's help. But then again, that's what the Holy Spirit is given for ... to help us walk the walk.

He says ... "We must empty the heart of all other things, because God will only possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone unless it is empty of all other things ... and neither can He do in it what He pleases, unless it is left vacant to Him."

Is this old monk right? Is he saying you can't keep anything but God in your heart? If he is, then I have failed to do that. My wife is in my heart. My two daughters are also in there. I have four grandchildren that reside pretty deep in there too. I believe that's where the Lord wants me to keep them ... deep in my heart.

You see ... God made them. He gave them to me. He can love them ... in my heart. I think what we are supposed to empty our hearts of, are the carnal, fleshly desires. Paul tells us what type of things should be in our hearts and minds.

Philippians 4:8 ... "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Thinking on these type of things will keep your mind off the carnal lusts and desires of the flesh. Well, I should have added the word ... help. Keeping your mind on good things will only help ... it won't do it all. But it's a start.

Paul gives us some very good advice in ...

Galatians 5:16-17 ... "But I say, walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other[continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do." (Amplified)

When Paul says ... "what you desire to do" ... he is speaking about your self will and your spirit man, the real you ... which really wants to follow the leading of the Lord rather than following the carnal natural fleshly appetites of fallen man.

Paul continues his instruction with two results we will gain from allowing God's Spirit to help fix what's wrong with our fleshly nature.

Galatians 5:22-23 ... "the fruit of the Holy Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is ... self-control and self-restraint." (Amplified ... edited)

Knowing the truth about who we are, the state we "barely saved sinners" are in, (1st Peter 4:18 ... "if the righteous scarcely be saved ...") Paul issues a warning to believers in ...

Galatians 6:1 ... "If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual should ... restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also."

None of us are immune from falling back into fleshly sin. Here is some more advice from Nicholas Herman, the old French monk ...

"We should seek to learn the sins that do most easily beset us and the times and occasions, when we do most often fall. We ought, once for all, put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, receiving the abundance of His grace, without which we can do nothing but sin. One does not become holy all at once. Yet, think not that I counsel you to disregard completely and forever the outward things that are around us. That is impossible."

That's why it says in Proverbs 4:23 ... "Keep and guard your heart ... above all that you guard ..." (Amplified)

The Apostle Paul sums up the real truth for us when he says in Galatians 6:5 ... "For every person will have to bear ... his own load of oppressive faults." (Amplified ... edited)

No, you will never get rid of your fallen flesh. But, with the Lord's help you can rule over your own body. Is Jesus your Lord? Then He has set you free ... not from the desires of the flesh ... but from being controlled by the flesh.

Galatians 2:20 ... "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God ..."

Let Jesus fix ... what you can't fix yourself.

Because You Can't Fix Yourself ... Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:50:00 +0000

You need Jesus.

Trying harder might do it ... if you could live long enough ... which you won't. Even living ninety years following a self-help program won't completely fix what is wrong with man. Why is that? The problem is this ... man is completely fallen.

We have a sin nature. Adam and Eve have passed on to every human what is commonly called, original sin. And yes, even if you are born-again you still have this sin nature. You didn't lose it when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

I know some people teach that you have become a new creature in Christ, which is true ... even the Apostle Paul said that. Paul was addressing the new spirit man with-in you ... meaning your old will is set free ... but not the body of flesh you dwell in. I wish it was that simple; our old sin nature washed away with our sins, that would solve a lot of problems. But it wasn't, it's still there.

Proverbs 3:5-7 ... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."

Why did Solomon say ... "lean not unto thine own understanding." Because try as you may, you can't fix yourself. It's only with the help of the Lord that we will ever overcome our sinful nature, which is ... the propensity to desire sinful things.

Never, ever, make peace with your sin. If you need to repent ... repent. Repentance is an active daily posture, an ongoing change of heart, not a magical one time grouping of words we repeated when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.

It’s not about more effort ... because you can’t fix yourself ... it’s about more submission. It’s about having the courage to face your brokenness, to admit your sinfulness, and to surrender who you are to Jesus. It’s an ongoing journey ... a daily confrontation with our brokenness and the ongoing application of the only remedy that really works ... submission to Jesus Christ.

1st John 2:15-16 ... "Love not the world neither the things in the world ... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

For all that is in the world ... meaning the objects visible to the eye, things that belong to this life, things that bring pride or sinful desires which men that love the world seem to value most highly and esteem important to them.

The lust of the flesh ... lust in general, meaning ... "a longing, a strong desire or corrupt principle." Some may be fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, and unclean thoughts about sensual pleasures. Desires of the flesh do not have to always be sexual ... they may include things like gluttony and drunkenness or drug use. Any craving of mind or body may be placed in this category.

The lust of the eyes ... the eye of man is never satisfied; objects, the visible things, gold, silver, houses, lands, and possessions, all of which will pass away and cannot satisfy the heart of man anyway. If there is any satisfaction in things, it is just temporal, like hunger ... you eat till you are satisfied and soon hunger again for more.

The pride of life ... by which seems to be meant, ambition, honor, prestige, living the fine life that money and wealth brings. There is nothing wrong or sinful about money ... it's the "love of money that is the root of all evil."

2nd Corinthians 5:17 ... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Really? All things are new? I don't feel much different.

Is the Apostle Paul saying ... every man in Christ is "a new creature," or as some older translations read, "let him be a new creature" ... understanding that the real true sense is this ... whoever is in Christ, who professes himself to be a Christian, "ought to be" a new creature.

All who are in Christ may not be new creatures instantly ... immediately upon conversion ... yet they shall be sooner or later if they are open to Him and His Holy Spirit at work in their lives. With the implantation of new principles of holiness through God's grace and mercy there will be an improvement over the old sin nature you were born with.

The Holy Spirit is the one who creates the new creature, or if you prefer, the new man. This new man is in opposition to the natural man with the old sin nature because he has something new implanted in his soul which was never there before. It is a new heart and a new spirit ... and in them there is new light and life bringing new affections and desires.

I am not saying the battle with the flesh will be easy. But if you are in Christ, you now have His life in you ... before you had absolutely no chance to overcome your sin nature.

Let me explain why even being in Christ, life is still going to be a spiritual battle. The truth is this ... "Our flesh is just as much who we are as is our spirit man."

The sin nature will always reside or dwell with-in our bodies of flesh. And you are stuck with this body of flesh that will never get saved. But you can gain control over the desires of the flesh with the help of the Lord.

Only then can you rule over your flesh ... rather than your flesh making you give in to it's desires.

Because you can't fix yourself ... you need Jesus.

Continued ...

From Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

In this discourse, I want to discuss the difference between the creation of the universe and what I am going to call ... recreation. Most likely, "recreation" isn't the correct word for how God brought the things into being in the third verse of Genesis, but that's the term I am going to use.

The original creation. Genesis 1:1 … "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

"In the beginning" ... Before the creative acts mentioned in this chapter, all was eternity past. There was no time. Time is a measurement of duration, so before the "beginning" it was just the eternal past. "In the beginning" then must necessarily mean the commencement of time which followed, or rather as produced by God’s creative acts.

The first word to look at is ... beginning ... and in Hebrew it is ray-sheeth' and means … the first (in place, time, order or rank.)

Now right away we come to a difficulty. Is this first creation … in the beginning … speaking of our universe, or is it speaking of God's realm, where He dwells with the angels, where the plan of the ages was thought out; in other words … the spiritual realm where His throne is.

As a child I used to make my mother scratch her head for answers when I would ask her questions like … "Where was God before He created the first anything? Before He had a throne in Heaven, was God just floating around in the nothingness of the absence of even space? Better yet, what was He doing?" All of these questions came to mind as I was developing my understanding of an eternal God.

I do not feel the need to address my childhood questions today … I'll leave that for another day. Today I am using the assumption that the creation spoken of by Moses in verse 1, deals with us, our realm, our universe and our earth since the commencement of keeping time begins there.

The second word to look at is … created … the word in Hebrew is bara, pronounced baw-raw' … which means (to bring into existence from nothing.) Notice in verse 1 that Moses just states that God brings the heavens and the earth into existence, he doesn't say how. A lot is said in the Bible about speaking, whether it's God or us. But here God is not shown as saying anything. The heavens (the universe) and planet earth just come into being as God wills it so.

Genesis 1:2 … "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."

Chaos … this is not how God originally created it.

"The earth was without form, and void …" The word void in Hebrew is ... bo hu … pronounced bo'-hoo … and means, (an undistinguishable ruin, emptiness, void.)

Where verse 1 tells of the original creation … verse 2 is speaking of the earth in a fallen state of chaos, cold, dark and lifeless. But it won't stay that way much longer. God is getting ready for it's recreation.

So what happened to cause the earth to fall into the state of chaos that it was in.

In the dateless past, millions of years ago, the first earth was made for Lucifer, (the anointed cherub) one of only three named angels. When he tried to overthrow God, he was cast back down to the earth, which I believe was the main reason for the earth being in this state of chaos.

Jeremiah 4:23-26 … "I beheld the earth, it was without form, and void; and the heavens had no light."
Ezekiel 28:14-17 … "Thou art the anointed cherub, thou was perfect til … thou hast sinned … thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, I will cast thee down to the ground."
Isaiah 14:12-14 ... "How art thou fallen O Lucifer, how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations."

What nations? (The word nation here means … a massing of people.)

The New Testament also speaks about this period of time some call, the pre-Adamite world found in 2nd Peter 3:5-7, "… the heavens of old, and the earth standing out of the water … the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished, but the heavens and the earth, which are now …"

Some people say "the world that then was" is talking about Noah’s flood, but I don’t think so. Notice it says "the heavens of old," and continues with "but the heavens which are now." If this were talking about Noah’s flood, it wouldn’t say that the heavens perished. Only the earth’s surface temporarily perished, not the heavens above.

The facts as I see them. In verse 1, God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Then we have an unknown period of time until the fall of Lucifer, (when he tried to overthrow God) which caused the earth to fall into a state of chaos … from God's judgment. Again, an unknown period of time passes between verse 1 and verse 2 … until God decides to recreate the earth, starting in verse 3. Here God either speaks things back into existence, or makes them out of existing material.

And then in verse 3 we find these words … "And God said ..."

Now we have God speaking things back into existence from the chaos, the ruin it was in. He calls for light and then divides it into night and day. He calls for the atmosphere ... the firmament … which is the visible expanse of sky.

Continue on to verse 7, Moses writes ... "And God made …" which is showing that something is different than when he said God created our universe in the beginning.

The third word to examine is ... made ... the Hebrew is asah, pronounced aw-saw' … which means, to make out of existing material.

In verse 1, God created (bara) the heavens and the earth out of nothing … but here in verse 7, God made (asah) things out of stuff (existing material) He had previously created in verse 1. He just speaks them back into existence … out of the chaos … like the dry land, the grass and fruit trees, etc.

Notice in verse 26, when God said … "Let us make man" … Moses uses the word asah, (to make out of existing material.) Which is what He did. God takes red clay and makes ... "dirt man" and names him Adam, (pronounced aw-dam') because he is ruddy colored.

In the next verse, Moses switches back to the word bara, (to bring into existence from nothing.) God (asah) made, (or formed) man from existing material … but (bara) created man as something (which never was before) when He breathed His breath into Adam and he became a living soul.

God can and has created things from nothing … that's bara.

I sometimes feel that He has done that with me. But I guess, what He really did was take the empty clay vessel of my life, place it on the potters wheel, add some living water to it to soften it up and then remake it into something He could use … that's asah.

Comments welcome.

The True Facts of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Seven hundred years before the first Christmas, the Prophet Isaiah stated that a "virgin" would give birth to a Son conceived by God, not man. Later the Prophet Micah said this Son would be born in Bethlehem. (Two different prophets … same Son.)

God arranged for this virgin named Mary, to be in Bethlehem at the proper time with a decree from the then Caesar of Rome, Augustus (Caius Octavius who reigned from 29 B.C. to 14 A.D.) to have a census taken for taxation.

At the same time as the birth of Mary’s first child, an unknown number of shepherds tending sheep on the hillsides around Bethlehem, had an Angelic visitor who told them of the birth of Christ, which prompted them to go and find Him. When they did find the stable, (the only place left because of the taxation crowd) He was still in a stall, His birthplace.

The date of the birth is unknown. It was not on December 25th as is celebrated today. Shepherds never kept their flocks in the open fields in the winter from late fall to spring. The time of year is not important, but the fact that He was born is.

After the birth of Christ, some men of unknown number or nationality, (perhaps astrologers since they had been watching the stars) came from the east to worship the new "King of the Jews," whose star they had seen. They knew of the prophecy given seven hundred years before. (Many think there were three because of the gifts.)

When they arrived in Israel, they inquired about the birth with King Herod, who being worried about the birth of a new king, asked the so called "wise men" how long ago they had seen the star. It must have been close to two years earlier since Herod later had all males put to death that were two years of age and younger. So, by the time the wise men saw the star, traveled to Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem, the star went before them and stood over the "house" (not a stable) where the young "child" (no longer a baby) was with Mary, His mother.

Since the star moved to a new location, many believe that Joseph, Mary, and her Son went back home to Nazareth and lived there until the wise men came one or two years after the birth of Christ. They then had to flee to Egypt when Herod killed all the male children two years old and younger.

Many stories and legends have perverted the actual true facts about the birth of "the Son of God," so as to cause doubt and confusion as to who He really is, and why He came.

One of His names was "Emmanuel," which means "God with us." He was Jesus, "the Lamb of God." He was God wrapped in flesh. He is our Hope of Salvation, for there is no other name given whereby man "must" be saved.

These are the true facts about Christmas. He "is" the reason for the season!

Showing Mercy

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:44:00 +0000

In the following scripture, Moses has just asked God to allow him to see God's face in all of it's power and glory, to which God responds … "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." So God covers Moses with His hand while His glory passes by … and then removes His hand so Moses can see Him from the rear as He walks on by.

Right in the middle of all this, for whatever reason, God says to Moses in the last half of Exodus 33:19 … "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."

This statement by God, on the surface, doesn't give us a complete understanding of why God said this or what God actually means by these words.

The word gracious usually means ... "courteous, kind, pleasantly indulgent, especially toward an inferior." As it is used here in the original Hebrew, it's meaning is ... "to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow."

There's an old Christian song that says … "When the Savior reached down for me, He had to reach way, way down for me …" God did indeed have to bend or stoop way down to reach fallen man, who was and is inferior in every way to the Lord. But He was willing … for He said, "I will," and God became a man.

The thought in this song of God reaching down is taken from Psalms 40:2 ... "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." That's where man was, always digging deeper into the muck, the horrible pit that here in this Psalm represents the sin of the world. What a gracious and merciful Savior.

There is another very important word we need to look at in this same scripture, and that is … mercy … meaning in Hebrew, "to have compassion on."

Take a look at Romans 9:15 where the Apostle Paul basically quotes this same scripture, but he changes his wording slightly from that of Moses …

"For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

"Mercy" in the Greek is close to the Hebrew meaning … to show pity through compassion.

"Compassion," as used in the same verse, strangely enough means almost the same thing ... to exercise pity.

What Paul's words are saying to me, if I may rephrase them are … "God said, I will show pity on whomever I choose, and I will exercise pity on whomever I choose." And does He not have that right?

When God said … "I will" … He was expressing His intention to initiate action; in this case it was to give mercy rather than withhold it. Either way, God's "will" … was to be done.

John Gill (1697-1771) the old English Baptist biblical scholar and theologian speaks about God's willingness in Exodus 33 to show mercy to Moses and his people …

" 'I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy' … the children of Israel had sinned against Him such as they had, yet He would show favor, grace, and mercy to them, in pardoning their sins. It would be distributed, not according to any merits of theirs, but according to His sovereign will and pleasure, and not to all, but to whomsoever He thought fit.
And so it is with respect to grace and mercy, as displayed in Christ to sinful men; it is not in proportion to their deserts, but according to the purpose and good will of God, and 'that' not unto all, but unto some whom He has appointed, not unto wrath, but unto salvation by Jesus Christ … and the more enlarged view men have of this, the more clearly and fully does the goodness and glory of God 'pass' also before them."

So, if I understand what he is saying ... God, who is still sovereign, has reserved the right to give or to withhold grace and mercy at His discretion. He therefore may dispense His blessing to whomever and with whatever terms He pleases.

Do God's words to Moses show that He has a right to dispense His blessings as He pleases?

Adam Clarke (1762-1832) a British Methodist biblical scholar and theologian answers this question with this statement ...

"It's as if God had said: 'I will make such a display of My perfections as shall convince you that My nature is kind and beneficent … but know, that I am a debtor to none of My creatures. My benefits and blessings are merely from My own good will. And therefore I now spare the Jews; not because either you, (Moses) who intercede for them or they themselves have any claim upon My favor … but of My own free and sovereign grace I choose to show them mercy and compassion. I will give My salvation in My own way and on My own terms.' "

Romans 9:16 … "So then [God's gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God's mercy."

I conclude, therefore, that we have nothing to do with receiving God's mercy … it is strictly given according to His sovereign will for our lives.

Paul continues using the example of Pharaoh as one whom God didn't show any mercy too.

Romans 9:17-18 … "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in [dealing with] you ... So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills."

And lastly … I will present the same question Paul does in Romans 9:21 …

"Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use?"

Paul is showing that even as the potter has a right, out of the same lump of clay, to make one vessel more honorable and another less honorable … does not God also have the same right with the vessels He creates?

Showing mercy is one of the things God does best.

So, whether you think your vessel of clay is in the more honorable category, or the other one, remember … "He brought whatever type vessel you are out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set you upon a rock, and established your goings."

And that Rock today is Jesus.

Suffering According to the Will of God

noreply@blogger.com (Following Him) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:14:00 +0000

1st Peter 4:19 … "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

You know, most of the time I enjoy reading and studying the Word of God. But when I take an in-depth look at a few certain scriptures … like the one above … well, I want to make sure I have my theology right.

The very first thing I notice is the declaration that some people do … "suffer according to the will of God." Peter isn't just suggesting such a thing, he is saying … "let them that suffer" … meaning some do. The word "suffer" means … to experience pain of some kind; but it doesn't always mean physical pain.

So then next, I want to find out, (1.) why God would want them to suffer; (2.) who Peter is speaking of; and (3.) the reason they should suffer. I have selected four other verses in this same chapter which will help us understand these three points.

1st Peter 4:1 … "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind …"

1st Peter 4:12 … "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you …"

1st Peter 4:14 … "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ …"

1st Peter 4:16 … "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

It looks to me as if the answers are …

1.) Why … "Christ suffered for us … have the same mind."
2.) Who … "you, the beloved."
3.) The reason … "reproached for the name of Christ … or for being a Christian."

From the beginning of this chapter to the end, Peter continues to exhort his fellow Christians to walk in love and avoid the lusts of the world.

The main principle was this … they had accepted and followed Christ whom the world rejected; they were walking in His footsteps in righteousness, abandoning the sin in the world. They were to do good, even if it meant suffering for it; for this is what Christ did.

Observe what Peter wrote earlier in this letter, Chapter 2, verses 19-21 …

"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps …"

Notice the phrase … "hereunto were ye called" … not to suffer for wrong doing; you might well deserve that anyway. But if God saw fit that you suffer for well doing … "take it patiently" … like the example that Jesus gave us to follow.

As an evil doer, the Christian should never have to suffer; but if he suffers for well doing or because he is a Christian, Peter is saying that he was not to be ashamed, but to glorify God for it. God takes no pleasure in allowing His people to suffer, but He permits it. The Book of Job explains this, but not to our full understanding.

In every form of God's dealings, including discipline as He has established it … it is always done in love. He did so with Israel and He does so with the Church today. If the Church attaches herself too closely with the world, God allows the enemy to trouble her … or so it seems. But the truth really is that sin has its own reward.

God judges everything according to His own nature. He desires that all should be in accordance with His nature, especially those nearest to Him … we the body of Christ. God is pure and holy and wants us to be also.

I woke up one morning to find six inches of new, pure, white snow covering everything I could see. It was a beautiful sight. It made me think of the following scriptures …

Isaiah 1:18 … "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow …"

Daniel 7:9 … "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow …"

Snow is at its prettiest right after it falls and even more so when the sun shines on it. It looks pure and clean. That's the way we are after the blood of Jesus cleanses our lives … we become pure and clean like the snow.

The home my wife and I live in is maintained clean enough for our personal desires. It's not sterile, but it's clean. We both like things around us to be clean. The principle is the same with God … His house must be pure and clean. I'm speaking of both houses; the church at large as well as the individual personal temples we live in … our bodies.

1st Peter 4:17 … "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God …"

The word "judgment" in this verse means … a decision. Peter is telling us to make a decision to discipline ourselves and keep God's temple pure and clean.

As a Christian, there is but one thing to do; commit yourself to Him who watches over the revealed decision He has made for you. And that may be to suffer according to His will … as Christ did.

You may ask … why would God want his children to suffer? The Apostle Paul speaks to this question from a little different angle. I have edited these two verses and in parentheses added the proper meanings from the original Greek that it was written in.

2nd Thessalonians 1:4-5 … "all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure (hold up against) … (are) a manifest token of the righteous judgment (tribunal) of God, that ye may be counted worthy (deemed entirely deserving) of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer (experience pain) …"

Honestly … I am unable to fit this scripture with-in my theology except to say … by enduring this "suffering" you are proving to all who watch … your faith in God. And they are watching.

Let me be very clear about one thing. Where this verse says … "that ye may be counted worthy" … you had nothing to do with being counted "worthy."

It was all Jesus.

Comments welcome.