Allen Oikos

Proverbs 8:32-36

2010-06-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

"Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my door. For whoever finds me finds life. And obtains favor from the Lord; But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; and those who hate me love death."

Good instruction is always found in God's word. Some points to ponder;

Blessings comes to the person who listens to Jesus' voice and His obey His word. Jesus told his disciples to be careful how you hear! Are we listening and if so why. Is it to obey and follow Him. This is the source of the blessing, listening and obeying. Jesus said my sheep hear my voice. The 23 Pslam speaks of the Good Shepherd bringing the sheep into green pasture, restoring their souls, and bringing them to the still waters. InLk 6 Jesus asked His disciples why do you call me Lord and do not do the things that I say? He then tells them about the person who hear and does His sayings. He will be like the man who built His foundation on a solid foundation so that when the storms of life come the house remains standing.

Watching daily at His gates and waiting at the posts of my door. Jesus called Himself the door of the sheep. He also said narrow is the gate that leads to everlasting life. Jesus and His way's is the door and the gate that leads to everlasting life. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the father but through me. His way is the narrow way.

The Holy Spirit is our helper. In Jn 16:13 Jesus said the helper will guide you to all truth. We will speak whatever He hears. The Holy Spirit lives inside the heart of a Christian and He is there to speak, empower and to lead us into the will of God for our lives. May we learn to hear His voice and to obey Him in all things.

Letter From Bienvenue

2010-06-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Precious name of Jesus Christ!

I would like to share with you a story of Eric Hakizimana, one of the
lives the Lord has impacted through our ministry this month!

Eric Hakizimana was born in 1978. He never knew his father because his
father died right before he was born. 2 years later, Eric was left by
his mother at his grandmother when she went to live with another
husband who did not want Eric.

A few years later, Eric grandmother took him to roman catholic sisters
because she couldn't afford caring for him. She got a place in there
because she was a faithful member of catholic charismatic group and
was greatly appreciated for her devotion.

The catholic sisters received him and cared for him for 13 years.
Right after completing his primary school, his host family was sent to
serve upcountry and did not want to go with him because Eric openly
told them that he will never adhere catholic religion. His decision
forfeited his financial support which led him to drop school with no
where to go because both his grandmother and his mother had passed
away by that time.

With no diploma or job skill, Eric resolved to beg down street for his
survival and like most street boys, Eric sold to robbery and drug
addiction. Worst, Eric joined a group of murderers during Burundi
ethnic war of 1993 – 2005 when he was 15 years old.

Earlier this year, I saw Eric came to me with a couple of his friends
asking to be taught the way to eternal life because he wanted to
please his Creator and escape eternal fire! I shared the gospel with
him and he repented with cries asking God to save them. Months later,
he asked for water baptism which I gladly offered him.

He sleeps down streets, verandas or unfinished houses fleeing
policemen because since coupe of months ago, it is not lawful to sleep
down street. Last night, Eric and his friends (new disciples) were
mercilessly beaten by soldiers who found them sleeping outside late in
the evening.

Eric told me with great joy that since he repented of his sins he
doesn't see anymore the faces of people he willingly killed.

Thanks for helping me reach people like Eric, too.
Bienv

This is the brother I met in Burundi that has started over 700 house churches. He is on fire with the gospel and he goes for the worst of society.

Weak In Him

2010-05-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

2 C0r 13:4 - "For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward You".

To be weak is to be void of strength. In the world, the strength of man is celebrated and even worshipped. From the gladiators during Roman rule to the football teams of the modern era, men have always been praised and glorified due to their strength and human accomplishments.
Jesus Christ was crucified in weakness. What does this statement mean? Jesus stripped or emptied Himself of his strength, wisdom and will. Then He submitted Himself totally to the strength, wisdom and will of God which was the Crucifixion or the death of the cross. This is how He became weak in the Crucifixion. In the garden, He asked the Father to take this cup from me. He prayed earnestly as He was approaching the day of His betrayal and ultimately his death. He resolved in His prayer for God's will to be done in His life no matter the cost. And after the prayer He submitted and obeyed the will of God for His life.

Yet He lives by the power of God. Jesus is not dead He is currently alive. The Crucifixion brought the death of Jesus but the Spirit gave Him life and resurrected Him from the dead. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in the life of the person that is weak in Him. We are weak in Him when we strip ourselves of our human strength, wisdom and will and submit to Jesus' strength, wisdom and will for our lives. This is the live of faith and not fear. Fear comes as a result of living in our own strength, wisdom and will. The power of God comes through the person who is weak in Him and is living by the faith of the Son of God. This is the crucified life. Jesus said unless you take up your cross daily and follow me you cannot be my disciple. Disciples of Christ have become weak in Him. Paul said I am crucified with Christ and its no longer I that live but Christ lives in me. Disciples of Christ live by Christ living through them. Christ can only live through us when we are weak in Him. He is our source of strength. The Holy Spirit is Christ living in and through us. The Holy Spirit is the power of God!!!! That same Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. Jesus was God with us (Emanuel), the Holy Spirit is God in us. Christianity is not a powerless religion where we are weak against sin. Christianity is full of power to defeat sin, self and the devil. We must be weak in Him. We cannot be strong in our on strength. This is pride and sin. He must be our source. God demands total dependency on Him and nothing else will do. By the way Christ also has a body, the Body of Christ. We must be weak in Him through depending on our brothers and sisters in Christ. Submit to one another in the fear of the Lord is what the scripture teaches. We will see the power of God as we lay down our lives for one another in true sacrificial love. Praise His Holy Name!!!!

The Judgement To Come

2010-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Acts 24:15-16 - I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Acts 24:25 - Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self control, and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you".

Theses are some of the statements Paul answered to the religious Jews who were accusing him creating dissension among the people. He proclaimed the resurrection to come and the judgement that would follow. Because there would be a resurrection and judgement of all men, both the just and the unjust, Paul lived his life accordingly. Here is some more verses from Paul along those same lines. What life did he strive to live? A life that did not offend God and man. In the study of the word strive (exercise in the KJV), I found that it meant living a life in such a way that others looking at or following your life would not have an opportunity to stumble or sin.

2 Cor 5: 9-11 - Therefore we make it our aim, whether absent or present, to be well pleasing to Him, For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body , according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well know in your conscience.

Lets look at another preacher in the new testament, John The Baptist.

Mt 3:7-12 - John the Baptist in his preaching to the religious leaders of his day - But when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducee's coming to his baptism, he said to them, Brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? And do not say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from theses stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier that I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. We will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Proper biblical preaching prepares us for the resurrection from the dead and the judgement to come. It challenges us to prepare for the after life by living in such away as to not offend God and men. Have you ever asked yourself the question - Is my life offending God? See that God that alot of people believe in today is a God that has been made up by man. The God man has made up is a God that won't judge. How many times have you heard the statement "you can't judge me". Well many live their lives as if to be saying this to God. You can't judge me. Well folks the God of the bible will judge us for how we lived on the earth. We will Judge us according to the fruit we produce. His judgement will not be based on our idea of what is right and wrong or good or bad. It won't be based on what we think is good fruit or bad fruit. It will based on His word and on the example of His son Jesus Christ. Why do you think Felix was afraid after Paul talked to him about righteousness, self control and the judgement to come. Why would Paul describe the coming Judgement as the terror of the Lord. These are not descriptions we hear today of the God that has been made up by man. These men didn't proclaim how much God loved them and how much He wanted them to have better lives. But this is what you hear predominantly from the pulpits of America. The prevailing thought today is that everybody is going to heaven because God is a God of love. If you will be honest you know I'm right.

We all need to judge ourselves and the way we are living by the word of God. Please may we all wake up and began to live lives that are pleasing to God. We must all appear before God to give an account of how we have lived on this earth. Don't run to the excuse of "I'm not perfect". This is not how Paul thought or lived. Religion won't save you from the wrath to come. If so the Sadducee's and Pharisees had it made. Only a life that is pleasing to God by living and following His Son Jesus Christ and the leading and power of His Holy Spirit transforming and changing our lives to bear fruit worthy of repentance.

Good Morning

2010-05-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Mrk 1:35 "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place and there He prayed".

Reading about Jesus and His life gives me so much understanding as to how I can live my life. Jesus started His day seeking and praying to God. Wow!! Many people have a routine every morning and in that routine usually there's something that you have to have to get your day going. A kick start if you will. For many it's a cup of coffee or breakfast. Some have to get in the shower right away to awaken them. Jesus rose up before daylight and prayed. Jesus had to be with His Father before He was with any one else. We cannot imagine the time issues and pressures that Jesus faced on a daily basis. Jesus found His strength to go through His day by spending the first part of the day in prayer. Prayer is more than a one way conversation. Prayer is the time when we pray to God and He speaks to us. It's a time of reflection and meditation on the word of God. It's a time of direction and empowerment. It's a time where we seek and and declare our total dependency on God and His leading, Time is a precious thing to most people. Most people never have enough time in their day. We never have enough time to do the things that are important in life so they never get done. The bible tells us to redeem the time. Redeeming the time is to buy back the time that is wasted or spent on frivolous things. I see early morning prayer as the starting point of redeeming the time. A lot of our time during the day is spent on our will, doing our thing. Jesus showed us in His prayer in the garden how to pray when He prayed "Father not my will but yours be done". In Jn 15:5 Jesus said "I am the vine you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing". To abide is to remain or not to depart. We must not depart from our starting point or from our foundation. Everything that is built that lasts has a starting point or a solid foundation. Everyday has a staring point and everyday starts with someting or starts somewhere. Jesus' day started with His Father in prayer. Jesus is saying I am the starting point or I am the foundation of your life. With me you can do anything but without me you can do nothing. May we see our need to begin our day with Jesus.

2010-04-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

Judges 3:10 "The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he Judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim".

Some thoughts I had while reading this morning;

1. How important is the topic of judgement that God gave a whole book of the bible with the title of "Judges".

2. Israel's lack of proper Judgement led them into captivity and instead of waring against ungodliness they accepted it and joined themselves to it. Lack of proper or righteous judgement will always lead one into captivity.

The new testament has alot to say about war and the war we are in. Gal 5:17 states that the flesh wars against the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit against the flesh. It's interesting to note that in the beginning of Ch 3 we read where God left some of the tribes of the land in Israels promised land so that the new generation of Israelites would know war. We have a responsibility to fight or war. It's a Spiritual battle now God has given us the victory but we must fight in the Lord and the Power of His might. To not know war or how to fight in a war will lead to defeat. The weapons of our warfare are mighty in God but we must take up these weapons of God and go to war against the flesh and everything in our lives that God has judged as sin and unrighteousness.

3. The Spirit of the Lord led or was the catalyst to proper judgement. The Holy Spirit will always lead us into God's judgement. People make judgements everyday but only when our judgement lines up with or agrees with God's judgement will we truly judge righteously. The Holy Spirit, as part of the triune nature of God, represents Gods nature, will, etc. Our following Him will always bring us into God's judgement.

1 Cor 2:9-11. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God.

4. When a man of God led by the Spirit of God, Judged Israel, Israel was set free from bondage and captivity. A man has risen up to bring deliverance to all who are held captive and His name is Jesus.

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord".

5. 1 Pet 4:17 " For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first what will the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God". This verse is written in the context of suffering at the hands of the world for obeying Christ. When you walk in proper judgement you often times will suffer persecution from the world. We should judge our lives today. Are we being persecuted by the world because of our judgement. There will come a day when God's final judgement will be given to those who do not walk according to God's judgement. And a loving God, because He is a just and righteous judge, will condemn all who do not obey His gospel to an eternal hell.

6. The hand of the man prevailed against his enemy. I will say this again, we will always prevail against the enemies of our soul as we walk and use God's judgement. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Be Found In Him

2010-04-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Phil 3: 7-9-"I once thought these things were so very important but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done, yes everything else is worthless when compared to the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ. And become one with Him (be found in Him KJV). I no longer count on my own goodness or my own ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith"(NLT).

I've been thinking about how easy it is to get lost. In this world where there is some much confusion regarding right and wrong. In this age of tolerance we see where people are doing whatever is right in their own eyes and what used to be wrong is now right and what use to be right is now wrong. We have lost our way as a society. In this chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippine Church, he is admonishing the believers not to put confidence in their religious works to make them right with God. He list his religious pedigree and states that all of that was worthless to him when compared to the priceless gain of knowing Christ. People it's so easy to get lost today. Paul was lost in the strictest of religious life. Many are lost in the philosophies of humanism and humanistic psycology. Jesus Christ and being in a faith relationship with Him is the only way to be found. To be found in Him is to be right with God. The NLT states "to become one with Him". Are you becoming one with Jesus. Are you filled with His Spirit and seeking to obey His every command. Are you so thankful for what He has done for you on the cross. Is your life hidden in Him, or in other words, is the life you now live for and about Jesus and His glory. Do you know Him or just know about Him. I don't think there is anyone left in America who doesn't know about Him but do you know Him. Jesus said my sheep hear and know my voice. Do you know the voice of Jesus. Are you hearing and obeying it on a consistent basis. Jesus is the root and the vine of the plant. He is the source by which all things from God flow. In Him is hidden the wisdom from God that confounds the wisdom of this world. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. Jesus is the good and perfect gift from God. He is God's very best so what else do you need. Are you becoming one with Jesus today. It's time get back to the simplicity of knowing and following Jesus. You may be going to church every Sunday but you have lost your way. How would you know? I think you can know by being honest with yourself. Ask yourself the simple question, does my life reflect or prove that I am becoming one with Jesus. One of the great institutions that God has given mankind is marriage. Isn't it amazing how the bible describes the marriage as the two becoming one flesh. You can look at a marriage to see if the two are actually becoming one flesh. So many marriages never get to this point, they never become one. For two people to become one both have to die to their own agendas and desire and to live for a common goal. They have to totally 100% give themselves for the other person. Well Christ has already died and has given Himself for us. What about you have you died with Christ and now you are totally giving your life to and for Him. May we all today ask ourselves these questions and judge ourselves according to the word of God. And if Jesus chose to come back today may we be found in Him.

Establish The Work Of Our hands For Us

2010-04-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

I was reading Pslam 90 this morning and the last verse (17) stood out to me. Psalm 90is a prayer of Moses.

"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands for us.

The part of this verse that stood out to me was the "establish the work of our hands". When something is established it is settled, firm and reoccurring. Eph 2:10 sates that we are His workmanship (created by his hands) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them". The beauty of the Lord mentioned in Psalm 90 is the reflection that comes from a life that has been created by God through or in Jesus Christ. The beauty of the Lord shines out by the works that we do. We were all created in our mothers womb by God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are the works of His hands. As the works of His hands we were created to do good works or to continue the works of His hands through the works of our hands. Just like God created us in our mothers womb, He also created works that we all should walk or be established in. The key to being established in the works that God has established for all Christians to walk in is to be recreated in Christ Jesus. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things pass away behold all things become new. To be in Christ is to be in unity with Him. He lives in You and you live in Him. Your life no longer belongs to you but to Him.

Gal 3:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. Its no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son Of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me".

Col 3:3 - "For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God".

Paul said that the life that he now lives he lives by faith in the Son Of God. Paul's new life of faith in the Son of God was shown by his works or the works of his hands. The works of His hands came out of his faith in the Son of God. To be found in Christ is to be crucified with Him. Christians died and our old life of works died with us. Our life is now hidden with Christ in God. The new life that we are to live is the life of faith. Faith is trusting, believing and obeying Christ. Christ has given us His Holy Spirit who lives in us and creates in us the will and the power to perform the will of God. I see the will of God in this earth as being the redemption of man. Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world so that man could be redeemed. The entirety of the old testament pointed to the redeemer. The New Testament gives us the redeemer and the Acts of the Apostles was telling the world that the redeemer had come.

James 2:17-18 - Faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works.

What works are you established in today? To put it another way, what are you working for? Do your works point to the redemption of mankind? Are you working to see men to be redeemed through God's only way of redemption, The Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel. I believe we should all judge what and who we are working for. May the Lord establish the works of our hands and may that work be to lay our hands on man to get them to God. May we with our hands, cloth the naked, heal the sick, cast out devils, freely give what we have been given!!!!

They Did Not Ask Counsel Of The Lord

2010-04-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Joshua 9:18 - Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.

The nation of Israel was in the process of going into the promised land and the inhabitants of Gibeon heard they were coming. They schemed up a plan to deceive Israel into making a covenant with them. They put on old clothes and put moldy bread in their sacks to make it look like they had traveled from a far away place. They met the Israelites as they were coming toward their city. The Gibeonites told their story to Joshua and deceived him into making a Covenant with them. Joshua and the children of God were deceived because they did not ask God before they took provisions from the Gibeonites and before they made a covenant with them. I believe they wanted the provisions and to be in covenant with the Gibeonites more than they wanted to obey God. This condition will always open us up to deception or to be deceived. When we really want something bad enough most of the time we will do whatever it takes to get it. This includes not asking God if it's His will. The scripture talks of people who's god is their belly or their fleshly appetites. Eve never asked God before she ate of the apple. She wanted the apple because it was appealing to her flesh. There was something appealing about the Gibeonites to the children of Israel. Remember there is a way that seems right to a man but the end is destruction. Thee are many things that come our way in life that feel, look, taste or smell right but they are deceptive and will lead to death.

Deception is a big topic in the Bible. Lets look at another verse.

2 Thel 9-10 - The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and wonders, and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.

The lawless one is Satan and he is seeking whom he may devour and to cause people to perish. The lawless one is also our flesh or sinful nature. Rms 8:7 says the fleshly or carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be. Those who live according to their flesh cannot please God. In the above verse, people will be deceived because they loved not the truth. When you don't love the truth you open yourself up for a lie. The verse would go onto say that God sent them strong delusion that they would believe a lie. The problem with believing a lie is that those who believe a lie think they are believing the truth.

Finally Rm 1:24-26 - "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural for what is against nature". When we choose to live our lives without seeking the truth of God and seeking His counsel for our lives we are worshipping ourselves rather than God. Many today live their lives like this and yet say they worship God because they follow some religious creed or go to a religious service. Please don't be deceived. Women and men doing what is against nature is homosexuality and is a result of God giving them over because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. Everyday people are being led down the path of deception because they have a truth they fits the way they want to live and have even changed God's word to condone their beliefs. I know this rubs people the wrong way in our culture of tolerance, but God's word is God's word.

God is the only one who can keep us from being deceived. We must consult Him and depend on His truth in every part of our lives. The Holy Spirit is our helper from God to lead is into all truth. Jesus is our truth. Seek council from God everyday and in all things. Make His word a priority in your life. Pray and be filled with His Spirit everyday and don't make decisions apart from His council. be led by the Spirit and not by your flesh. Follow and learn His every word. Remember Jesus said as he rebuked Satan that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Let Your Conduct be without covetousness

2010-04-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

Heb 13:5 - Let your conduct be without covetousness, be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said I will never leave you nor forsake you.

We discussed being content yesterday in church from Phil 4:11. Contentment is a state of being and Paul states in Phil that he had learned to be content in all things and in every place. Are you content today? Contentment can be defined as the experience of satisfaction and being at ease with one's situation. In the above verse the writer of Hebrews is encouraging the believer to be content with such things as you have. As a Christian we should live our lives in a state of contentment because God is our provider and He is in control of our lives. The verse also shows the exact opposite of contentment which is to covet or be covetous. Covetousness is a greedy desire to have more or to not be content in what you have. The 1oth commandment is thou shalt not covet. Covetousness is a state of being and a result of a life that is controlled by the flesh and it's appetites. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were not content with all that God had provided for them in the Garden, they had to have more. The Devil tempted Eve by getting her to look at the things that she didn't have instead of what she did have. She began to covet the thing that was forbidden by God. She began to covet the thing that her flesh told her would bring her satisfaction but ultimately would bring her destruction. The children of Israel did the same thing in the wilderness. God provided Manna from heaven and water from a rock but they craved the food that they didn't have. Their cravings caused them to doubt God and His provision and they began to look back into the place of bondage rather than enjoy the place of freedom. God has provided a garden and manna from heaven that will satisfy every soul. His name is Jesus Christ.

In John 6:35 Jesus said "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst". Jesus is God's provision for contentment. No matter what the circumstance is in your life He will never leave you nor forsake you. This is what the end of verse 5 says. To be filled with Jesus is to be content and to not be covetous. Everyday he is the manna from heaven. God has filled us up wit the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are filled with contentment and peace. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the flesh that covets is crucified. The question today is what are you being satisfied with. If it is Jesus than Hallelujah. If it's everything but Jesus than you will never be satisfied and in the end your covetousness will send you to hell. May we all be found being satisfied with Jesus and not our circumstances in life.

Walk In The Spirit

2010-04-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Gal 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. What a promise from God's word. Walking is not just what we do to get from one place to the other. It is how we live our life from day to day. It's how we progress through life or make our way through life. Through the New Covenant and God's great gift of grace, God has given us His promise, the Helper who helps us progress through life in victory over the dictates of the sinful nature. The contrast here is walking in the Spirit or fulfilling the lust of the flesh (our old sinful nature). There are two masters competing for our life.

Verse 17 in the NLT says The old sinful nature loves to do wrong, which is just the opposite of what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.

The flesh is every man's master at birth. He controls and dictates our walk from the time we are born until we die unless we are bought by another master. The flesh will always make us to be against God or make us contrary to God's way. The word contrary means to be against or opposite. The Holy Spirit is the master to all who believe and follow Christ. The promise in God's word today is that the flesh or old sinful nature, our old ruler and king is defeated. The Holy Spirit of God has been sent to us and given us the means to victory over the sinful nature. May we all be found walking in this truth today. The means to victory has been provided for all men.

Rms 8: 1 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

All people who walk or live their lives by following the dictates of the flesh (sinful nature) are condemned. The sinful nature dictates that we sin. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. All men are condemned to death or eternal judgment. But those who are in Christ are delivered from the sentence of eternal judgment. To be in Christ means that we are living or walking according to or by the Spirit.

Rm's 8: 12-14 (NLT) So my dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by it's dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Children of God are those who put to death the deeds of the flesh by being led by the Spirit of God. Wow!!! What a concept in a day of religious confusion. Another verse I've been thinking about that goes along these lines is Jn 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name. Jesus gives power to those who receive Him and believe in His name. That power is to be sons and daughters of God. And the proof that we are sons and daughters of God is that we are putting to death the deeds of our sinful nature. 1 John Ch 3 is a great chapter about Sons of God and Sons of the Devil.

1 Jn 3:10 (NLT) - So we can tell who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

To live righteously is to depart from sin and to quit sinning as a practice.

1 Jn 3: 9 (NLT) - Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they don't keep on sinning, because they are the children of God.

May we receive and walk as Children of God today. Let Gods word be true and every mans word that does not line up with his word a liar.

Exhort and Strengthen

2010-04-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

Im my reading yesterday this verse really stood out to me. Acts 15:32 -"Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words". What encouraged me about this verse was the result of two men using their God given gifts to exhort and strengthen the brethren. The spoken word can have such a powerful effect on people. Here we see not only did these two brothers read the letter from the Jerusalem church but they spoke many words to exhort and strengthen the brethren. Prov 18:21a -"Life and death are in the power of the tongue". Jesus said in Jn 6:63b "the words that I speak to you they are spirit and they are life". One of the most spiritual things we can do every day is to speak words. Our words just like Jesus' words can bring life or death. The words that these men spoke did something for the church in Antioch.

Exhort - to encourage, comfort, admonish through speaking or teaching.

Strengthen - to render more firm or to confirm. To give more strength.

I don't think they used just any words to accomplish these things. I think they brought and spoke the words of Jesus. They spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The words of Jesus or words inspired by Jesus bring life it's that simple. This is how the church and family of God should operate. We are to speak to one another. According to the scripture we are to speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. By the gifts and inspiration of the Holy Spirit we are to use prophecy. We are to speak in other tongues with interpretation so that the body of Christ can be edified. In Mark 16 one of the distinguishing marks of the people that believe in Jesus would be that they spoke with new tongues. What a powerful understanding that the believer in Christ should speak with other tongues. I believe in speaking with and in other tongues. What about the tongue that you spoke with before you became a believer. How about the tongues that are being spoken everyday around you. Are you speaking with other tongues or using the same tongue of the world.

I am so concerned with the condition of our nation today. Listen to the words that are being spoken around you in conversations. Many are bitter, hateful, angry, etc. concerning other people. As Christians we have the power through the spoken word and the leading of the Holy Spirit to bring light in the midst of darkness, peace in the midst of turmoil, and life in the midst of death. Folks Jesus and His gospel message is the only thing that will save this world. Not conservative or liberal politics. As Christians are we being caught up in the fervor of the times. If so we cannot bring Jesus to a lost a dying world. May we be found today exhorting and strengthening each other with the words of Jesus.

Grace Flows Down

2010-03-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a video with everyone. His grace is so wondeful and amazing but it cost Him so much. Thank You Jesus for the cross!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzat9dx6v8k&sns=em#watch-main-area

Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed

2010-03-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

I was reading a sermon from Carter Conlon this week and it encouraged me and the title of it was fear not and neither be dismayed. I won't go through it point by point but will use the first of it in this post. To read the entire message you can go to the web site tscny.org and look under Sermon Newletters.

Deu 31: 6-8 - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of a good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord He is the One who goes before you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed".

Mr. Conlon wrote, "Fear and dismay! The devil will always come against the children of God with these two weapons. But if we recognize them for what they are and understand that God has given us a remedy to defeat them they will never take us down". He goes on to define fear and dismay and I will include these definitions here. "Fear is the anticipation that we may suffer harm or that things might go wrong. Dismay is discouragement. Fear comes when we are opposed by something of strength superior to our own. Dismay comes when we consider our own resources. We look inside ourselves and come to the conclusion that we are not strong enough to fight the battle that is before us." This is so true and is something the child of God is fighting on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.

The children of Israel given an inheritance, the promised land. As Christians we also are given the promise of an inheritance and that inheritance is Jesus. He is our promised land. Our lives are being plunged deeper into Christ, His word and His Spirit. Everything in his word that He has promised is ours. Every fruit of the Spirit belongs to to the child of God. He has given us His Holy Spirit as a downpayment to that inheritance and through the power of the Spirit brings us into our inheritance. 2 Pet 1: 3-4 " As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may become partakers of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust". Man what a promise. Our promise form God is that through the His divine power (the Holy Spirit) we become partakers of His Divine Nature which is the means by which we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. The deeper we go into our promised land (deeper into knowing and loving Christ) the more we become like Him. But on the other hand the deeper we go the more we see ourselves and our fallen nature. We see a besetting sin that we didn't see before. It could be a sickness or circumstance that has caused fear to rise up and that fear has turned to dismay. I've heard this statement so many times when people describe their failures - well that just who I am and I cannot change. This is a similar statement the ten spies gave to the children of Israel just before they were to go into the promised land. Num 13:31 "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger then we." The people were the giants in the land of their inheritance. They saw their inability to conquer these giants and it caused them to fear which turned to dismay (they cried all night and refused to cross over). Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We cannot gain our inheritance in our own strength. The only way we can inter into this promise is to go deeper into Christ. As we go deeper with and into Christ the more He drives out the giants and the things that are impossible for us to fight and win. The Lord goes before you to drive them out. We will fight but it will not be in our own strength or with our own weapons. Jesus has and will conquer and disarm every foe in our inheritance as we, by faith lay, hold of his promises and His word. God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. Fear and dismay is not a part of our inheritance in Christ. We must press through our fear by faith and lay hold of that which Christ has laid hold of for us. We must know the bigger the giant, the bigger our God is. We must not accept any ting other than the display of the divine nature in our lives. "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world".

Faiths Endurance

2010-03-06T05:12:00.000-08:00

Hope you everybody is well this morning. To continue some of my thoughts on Faith I would like to introduce the aspect of endurance. Faith can be described as enduring. Mt 24:13 - He that endures to the end will be saved. This statement is mentioned throughout the New Testament. Endure - to remain under. To persevere, sustain, bear up under, suffer. It refers to ones response toward circumstances, denoting perseverance in the face of difficulties. As Christians we will face circumstances that are very difficult to bear. In my study of this word I found that endurance was mentioned mostly in the context of suffering or hardships. Mt 24 speaks of some very difficult times that will come upon the earth and for the people of God. Jesus disciples wanted to know when the end would come and Jesus begins to explain what would happen before the end would come. Nations would rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom. Famines, earthquakes and pestilences would come. They will deliver you up to tribulation, and kill you, you will be hated by all nations for My names sake. Many will be offended will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold. I will not bring in all the scriptures on enduring and hardship because as I was typing these verse the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the last few verses. Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. And in verse 12 because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold. He who endures to the end will be saved. Enduring through what? Offenses, betrayal, and hatred. Another place in scripture mentions brother delivering over brother to death and a father his child (Mt 10:21). Wow its one thing when the world betrays or offends you but it's entirely another thing when those who are the closest to you do it. Husbands betraying wives and vise versa. How many have quit the faith because of adultery, molestation, physical abuse, etc. Maybe someone you gave an opportunity too or poured your life into has betrayed you. Just thinking of the mess our world is in and you wonder how the end must be near. This is the lawlessness that is abounding. So many who have found themselves betrayed and offended have ran to the nearest church building to find answers and remedies for their problem and wind up more betrayed and offended than when they came in. What a mess!!! Hw who endures to the end shall be saved. Wow are you enduring today. Is your faith growing or have you lost it. Has your love grown cold. Maybe you are on the verge of loosing your faith today. Jesus is calling you to Him. Endurance means to remain under and some of us have gone under. Where are we to remain or stay during these hard circumstances in life. Where are we to look to get back the faith that we have lost because of betrayal and offense. Jesus is our answer. Remain in Jesus. Jesus is the shelter from from the storm. He came to heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives. So many are captive or prisoners to their betrayal and offense. He came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Four your faith to endure and to not quit it has to be pointed to or focused on Jesus. Jesus is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. He said He would never leave your or forsake you. His seed will endure. (Ps 89:29,36) Being found in Christ will cause us to keep going, to keep living and to keep loving. Heb 12:1-2 Therefore we also since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Look to Jesus for your endurance. Our race is not a 40 yard dash it's a marathon. We need endurance that we can only get from Jesus. He endured the cross and the shame that came with it. Some many have let the shame of whats has happened to them cause their eyes to get of of Jesus. Get your eyes off the cause of the shame and get them onto Jesus. He will restore you and give you the stamina to go through and finish the race. May we today be found in Christ to get the endurance we need to finish this race.

Faiths Persistence

2010-03-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I know its been awhile, but I've been writing in my notebook instead of this blog. I wanted to share some of the things the Lords been showing me about Faith. James 2:18b "I will show you my faith by my works". The fact that someone is living by faith can be seen through their works. Mt 15:21-28 is the story of Canaanite woman who came to Jesus looking for help for a demon possessed daughter but Jesus answered her not a word (verse 23). Notice the object of this woman's faith was Jesus as it should be for all who follow Christ. How often do we come to Jesus in prayer in our time of need it seems that Jesus dosn't answer or even hear us. Also notice the reaction of His disciples to the woman's request, Jesus send her away for she cries out after us. This woman had a choice at this point. Walk away shamed and unfulfilled or persist until her request was granted. She chose the later. When Jesus finally answers her He tells her that He was not sent to her (a gentile) but to the house of Israel (Jews). How many people never get a hold of Jesus due to their race or their past. They may have thoughts like this - "Jesus is not answering me because I'm black or poor. Or maybe I've gone to far in my life, I've sinned to much etc. etc.. Throughout the gospels we see people, Jews and gentiles alike, who pressed pass these type issues in their life and layed hold of Jesus and received their miracle. Prostitutes, adulterers, the blind, etc. were the ones who showed greater faith than the religious of the day. Persistence can be defined as perseverance or continuation despite the shame that this would bring. In other words getting a hold of something despite shame. She came and worshipped Him after Jesus spoke these words to her. She didn't quit or go back to her problem. She pressed in to Jesus. She pressed through the shame of being a Gentile, of Jesus not answering her a word, and of the rejection of her request by Jesus and His disciples. On a side note, how many people have quit living by faith because of what Jesus disciples have done to them. You were once on fire but someone hurt you in church. In verse 27 this woman answers Jesus by saying "Yes Lord but even the little dogs get the crumbs from the masters table". Jesus had told her that he couldn't give His bread to the dogs. How insulting this must have been for this woman. Her response to this insulting words was not to get mad or quit but she agreed with Jesus and identified herself as a dog. This speaks to me of humility. To press through the obstacles of shame and insults we must humble ourself. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up. How many of us would have stayed humble through this whole process. Jesus finally answers her with these words (28) "Oh woman great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed in that very hour. Wow!! Today I hope you would judge your faith today. Or you being persistence in your seeking of Jesus or have you quit and just going through the religious motions. Without Faith it's impossible to please God. How pleasing must this woman's faith been to God. She didn't let anything else become her object of faith but kept her faith in Jesus until her request was granted.

They Looked to Him And Were Radiant

2010-02-06T05:48:00.000-08:00

Ps 34:5 - "They looked to Him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed". Sara pointed out this verse to me as we were reading this morning. There are a lot of scriptures that say or imply look to Jesus. Heb 12:1-2a - "Therefore we also since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." I like the verse in Jn 3:14 - "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." The serpent was the remedy for the poison and death that the children had received from the bites of the snakes that were loosed into their camp as a judgement. Those who were bitten were to look to the bronze snake that Moses lifted up so all who were bitten could see. All of mankind has been bitten and injected with the poison and death of sin and the Sin Nature. Jesus was lifted up on a pole so all that would look to him would be healed and saved from the poison and death of sin. Fix your eyes on Jesus!!!!! Look to Him He is your remedy for all that ails you!!! Put your trust and faith in the cross for your deliverance is there and only there can it be found. I like what this verse points out about about those who look to Jesus, they were radiant and their faces were not ashamed. Radiant is the Hebrew word "nahar" which means to to shine, beam, light, burn. It also has a meaning of a stream or something that flows. This is what describes a Christian. Their life shines, beams, lights and burns with the image of Christ. From their life flows a stream or a river that touches everybody around them. Their faces change from being downcast to one that looks up because their shame has been removed. Rev 22:1 "And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb". Ezk 47: 1 -"Then He brought me to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east". Ezk 47:9 - "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there, for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes". When we look to Jesus out of our lives will flow the river of God which is the Holy Spirit. The throne of God in this earth is the heart of a Christian who is looking to Jesus not only for healing but looking to hear every command. Also the temple of God is not a building but people. Christians are the temple of God and from His throne and from His temple flows His Holy Spirit. And wherever the Holy Spirit flows people will live and be healed. This is the radiance that flows from the life of a Christian. The most radiant thing in the universe is not the sun but the Church of the Living God. Those who are looking to the Son and out of them flows the beams and light of the Son. We are the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. We are the light of the world. Can you see what God has called us to. The sun gives so much to the earth in the way of bringing life. How much more should the Church of the Living God bring life to this earth and to all those around you everywhere you go. Jesus told his disciples "i will make you fishers of Men". According to Ezk 47 and the vision that Ezekiel saw, the river that flows from the temple of God heals fish. May we come to the understanding of who we are and what we are called to be in and through Christ. May you be blessed today and may Jesus radiate through your life today!!!!

God's Amazing Grace

2010-02-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but now I see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relived. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." My sin has gone I've been set free my God my Savior has rescued me. And like a flood His mercy reigns amazing love amazing grace".

Eph 2:8 - "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith not of ourselves it's the gift of God".

God's grace is truly amazing. Grace can be defines as God's Devine influence that changes the heart of man reflected through the appearance of man. His grace was given to us by the means of the cross. At the cross God's judgement against our sin and His love and mercy for us met. Through what Jesus did on the cross we have the means by which we are saved from sin and thus saved from hell. Hell on earth and eternal hell. This is God's grace. All men must access or bring God's grace to themselves by the act or means of your faith. Faith also is given to us by God. We receive faith to receive grace by hearing the message of the cross through men and women who have received the message of the cross. The means of grace or grace was given at the cross and what Jesus did there for us. The way we attain this grace for ourselves is through the act of faith. Faith is hearing, believing and obeying the word. Jesus is the word made flesh. So we must hear, believe and obey Jesus. The agent that brings grace into the life of the one who has acted on the gift of Faith is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings into reality the Grace of God. Grace is not just forgiveness of sins its deliverance from sin. The Holy Spirit sets us apart, saves, protects, and delivers us from sin and changes us to be like God. He changes us from the inside out. He starts with our hearts which because of Sin is wicked and dark and a rebel against God and his way. The wicked heart of man has no faith nor any means by which to get faith. When our inside is changed then our outside appearance will follow. Our words will change. Our minds and the way we think will change. Our actions will change. This is what grace does for the believer. May the message of grace and faith bring you to saving grace and faith. God's grace is truly amazing!!!

Childeren and Parents

2010-02-01T06:24:00.001-08:00

Eph 6: 1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord".

We had a lot of discussion Sunday morning about the family, and in particular, children obeying their parents. The verses for today start with a command for children to obey their parents, which is the right thing to do. Also children are to honor their parents which is the first command with a promise. The promise to the children that honor their parents is that they would live long on the earth. The last verse today is a command for fathers (parents) not to provoke your children to wrath, but to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. My charge today is to parents myself included. Are we being disobedient to Gods word while at the same time demanding that our children be obedient to us. Although Paul addresses the children first in his commands of how the family should operate, the chain of authority starts with the parents first and then comes the children. Unfortunately this has gotten backwards in many homes where the children are the authority and the parents are the children. The roles have reversed which is why our homes are being destroyed everyday. If that's the case for you it's not to late to cry out to God and to begin to put things back it order in your home. When homes are out of order, there is all kinds of confusion, anger and frustration. Many homes are ticking time bombs waiting to go off at any moment. Parents listen to Gods word for you today.

If we expect our kids to honor us, my first question to you is are you an honorable person. Are you someone that is worthy of honor. This is something to think about. To honor someone is to revere or to show respect. Do you live a life that demands respect. Are you demanding respect from your kids and yet not living a respectable life. Jesus Christ deserves the greatest honor because he lived an honorable life by laying down His life for others. Jn 12:26 - If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him [My] Father will honor. Jesus states that if anyone serves me Him will my father honor. Serving Jesus is the fastest way to get honor because God himself will honor you.

Fathers do not provoke your children to wrath! Could it be that our children cannot honor or obey us due to them living a provoked life that is full of wrath. Father here can be the male figure in the home or in the case of no male being present it could also mean mother or the parent that is in the place of authority. The term here points to a position of honor. We call God our father and this is how Jesus taught us to pray by addressing God as our father. Provoke means to arouse or exasperate. To annoy or irritate to anger or wrath. How often do we see kids walking around with chips on their shoulders and looking annoyed or irritated. Some kids live this way. We are quick to judge the kid but not so fast. Could it be the condition is being caused by the parents provocation. We must look at the word and let the word be our mirror as to what may be really going on. The word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway. We've already established where some of cause of provocation comes from. It comes from parents who are not living lives that are honorable in front of their kids. The next verse gives us some more details as to where provocation comes from.

Fathers bring up your children in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord. Have you every looked at the words "bring up". Well we are to bring our children up from a place of adolescence, immaturity, and infancy to a place of being mature and molded into what God has called them to be. Bring them up is to bring them to a standard that you have set and that they have not yet attained. What kind of standard are you bringing them up to. The standard that you have set for them or that God has set is in the person of Jesus Christ and His word. The standard that you have set for them better be the standard that you live for yourself. As Christians our standard or pattern is Jesus Christ. We should never settle for less than Jesus in ourselves or in them. The way we bring them up to the standard is to train and admonish. How frustrated it one day you woke up and you were placed in a job that required you to know calculus. Your sitting at your desk with this project that is needed by the end of the day and you are staring at a problem that involves you to have a knowledge of calculus. Think about what you would do as you set there looking at this problem. How would you feel as the end of the day approaches and the fact that you would be found to be a failure and the consequences that come with that. Depending on your nature you would do one of two things, you would run around like a mad man trying frantically to learn calculus, etc., or you would simply lay down and sink into a deep depression. This is often where our children are. They wake up everyday to life and like the person in our example above they have no training in how to deal with life and the impending deadlines that they are pressured to meet. We are called to train our children to reach the standard of Jesus Christ. Nothing else will do. Training is hard work and takes consistency. The scripture commands us to exercise ourselves to godliness. In training there is a trainer. How motivated would you be to go to the gym and exercise if your trainer was about 200 pounds over weight, sloppily dressed, etc. Is that what kind of trainer we are to our kids. We expect them to come up to a certain standard that we are not setting ourselves. Are we demanding our kids to submit to authority when we are not submitted ourselves. Well you are setting the pattern and you are bringing them up it. The other way we bring them up is to admonish them. Training and admonishment are very similar words but to admonish means to exhort or encourage. Sometimes admonishment takes on the form of a rebuke. To encourage means to give courage or bring to courage. Again this is our responsibility as parents. Encourage your child to the standard of Jesus Christ.

I pray that we are all found to be striving for the standard that has been given to us by the word of God. Don't settle for anything less. By faith lay hold of the promises of God. Like Noah did in his day build a boat to the saving of your household. Our boat is the standard of Jeus Christ. Set the standard in your own life first by seeking and serving Jesus with all your heart. Then bring your children to it through training and admonishment. Our pattern is Jesus Christ and His word. By the power of the Spirit and His Word we can all attain and reach the goal of being and looking like Christ in this lifetime. God Bless you as you build your boat!!!

Hearing The Call

2010-01-31T07:12:00.000-08:00

Heb 11:8 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going". I like that this verse starts with the words "by faith Abraham". Everything after that describes what he did by faith. James points out to us that faith without works is dead being alone. Abraham obeyed!!! Obedience is part of the work of faith. To say that you have faith and not obedience is to say that you have no faith at all. Before he could by faith obey he had to hear he call of God. God called Abraham to get out of his country and from his family to a place that he would show him (Gen 12:1). Abraham heard the call of God and obeyed the call! Faith is all about hearing Gods call. Have you ever been in a conversation and heard the other person talking but when they asked you what you said you could not tell them. You heard that they were talking but you were not listening to what they were saying. How many times have you sat in church and heard the preacher but could not relay what was said after the sermon was over. You were hearing but not listening. Listening is being attentive and engaged in what is being said. How many people could actually say that they are listening for God say. Jesus quoted an old testament verse in Mt 4 when he said Man shall not live by bread alone by by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. A man or woman of faith lives by listening to God and His words and obeying them not matter the consequence. One of the key elements of good relationships and communication is to be a good listener. Abraham had a relationship with God by and through faith. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God. Are you actively listening to and for God to speak to you. Jesus said my sheep hear and know my voice. There is such an inheritance awaiting those who hear God's call and obey it. Abraham would have never received his inheritance had he not heard and obeyed the call of God. What words will follow your declaration of faith. By faith _________, did not obey because he or she was not listening to God and did not go to the place God had for them as an inheritance. What place are you in today. Maybe it's a place God has not called you to go or to be in. It's not to late to seek God and to actively hear His voice so you can get back to the place where God has called you too. It's not to late to begin a life of faith and to hear the call of God for yourself!!!

"By Faith"

2010-01-29T05:33:00.000-08:00

Just read a wonderful verse this morning. I've been studying faith the past few day's and while reading Hebrews Ch 11 this morning verse 20 stood out to me. This is a verse I have never seen before but it's so powerful. "By Faith Issac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come". One of the common themes of Ch 11 of Hebrews is that those who live "By Faith" saw into the future. What did they see? They saw God's promises. Faith sees into the future regardless of whats may be seen in the present. Vs 13 sums up this thought "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth". Now back to our verse. Issac was the son of Abraham "the Father of Faith". Issac was the son that God promised to Abraham when he and Sara were to old to have children. Gen 11:3b "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". In you means in your seed or through your lineage all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Notice how the first son in the lineage blessed not just the families of the earth but his family, Esau and Jacob. Before the earth can be blessed our family needs to receive the blessing. Issac learned faith and how to bless from his father. Abraham blessed Issac and Issac blessed Jacob and Esau. What was the blessing according to this verse? Issac spoke to them concerning the things to come. Following the example stated in vs 13 Issac saw the promises of God afar off, was assured of them, embraced them and confessed that he was a pilgrim and stranger in the earth. Parents bless your children everyday by first seeing God's promises for yourself and then relaying them to your children. Can you see God's promises being fulfilled in your child. What about the ultimate promise that God has given us all. To be blessed by receiving Jesus and walking in His love and power. Seeing them be a blessing to others through serving and giving away Christ to those around them. We must bless our children and help them embrace what God has promised. Look at the words used in verse 13 again concerning the people that died in faith and their reaction to Gods unfulfilled promises;

Assured or Persuaded (King James); - to induce one by words to believe. To trust or to have confidence. Faith is to be firmly persuaded. We are persuaded through words. Gods word persuades us or build our faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We can build our Faith and the Faith of our children through speaking to them and helping them to learn Gods word. Also our word to our children must be consistent and true. If we say something do it!! We grow in faith but we must see what faith grows us into. One of my favorite verses is in 2 cor 3:18 "but we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of God". The mirror is Jesus and His word. We look into the mirror by reading His word. Jesus was the word of God made flesh and He dwelt among us. We see Jesus and what His word says we are or should be. The Spirit transforms us or brings us into what we see in the mirror. This is done by the Spirit through our faith or firm persuasion. We are being transformed to look and act like Jesus!!!!!

Embraced-to draw to ones self. To receive joyfully. What we embrace is what we will become. Parents help your kids through speaking Gods promises and then help them to embrace them.

Confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims. - People of Faith through their walking by faith will show through their life that they are strangers and pilgrims to this earth. Again they saw another earth or kingdom. They saw God's Kingdom and they sought to live in this kingdom. People of Faith are strange. What do you think the Noah's neighbors thought about him when he began to built a boat because God promised it was going to rain. Nut!! Religious freak!!! Holy roller!!! I can hear the jeers now. Noah didn't get caught up in earthly things nor was he moved by the words of his neighbors. He was a stranger and a pilgrim to the earth. He was firmly persuaded and for 120 years he was a preacher of righteousness and built an ark for the saving of his household. Noah blessed his family concerning things to come. Not only did he speak what God had promised but he lived it by preparing himself and doing what God to him to do to prepare him to receive the promise.

May you be found blessing your children whether they are spiritual childfren or physical ones.

"How can I Do This Great Wickedness and Sin Against God"

2010-01-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

In Gen 39 there is the story about Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Potiphar's wife looked longingly at Joseph and tried to get him to commit adultery with her. She tried on several occasions but to no avail. Josephs would not betray his friend Potiphar nor would he betray God through his sin. Joseph who was a faithful servant to Potiphar and to God had the right perspective about sin. His sin would be against someone. In other words his sin would betray Potiphar and ultimately God. The greatest commandment was summed up in the new testament, Love the Lord Your God with all your Heart Soul mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Joseph knew that to betray Potiphar would break this two commandments. Sin is betrayl! Verse 2 says the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man. Potiphar saw this favor on Joseph and made him master of all that he had. Joseph had the trust of God and man and when time came for that trust to be tested Joseph stood and rejected the temptation to sin. He remain loyal and faithful to God and to man. This particular part of Joseph's life does not end well because he was accused anyway by Potiphar's wife and was thrown in prison for something he did not do. Yet in all that was done to him for remaing loyal he did not accuse God or grow bitter, he remained faithful and ultimately he became the master of Pharoah's house. Wow!!! To remain faithful to God and man no matter what happens starts with the same attitude about sin as Joseph had. We must hate sin and all that it does to those around us and ultimately to God. A child of God does not see how close he can get to sin he runs from it. Joseph ran from the advances of Potiphar's wife. We must do the same!! Think about all the destruction adultry and affairs causes to those involved. Sin seems pleasureable for a season but it will ultimately bring death. What would our world be like if the men of our age would be like Joseph and stand and flee adultry. Maybe we would see revival!!!!

Contentions

2010-01-21T05:54:00.000-08:00

I was reading proverbs 21 this morning and verse 9 and 19 talks about a contentious woman. Better to dwell in a corner of a roof top or in the wilderness that with an angry contentious woman. Contentious means to be quarrelsome are one who causes strife. Contention is an argument or dispute. Proverbs has alot to say about contention. Lets look at a few more verses;

Prov 18:19 - "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle". Offense is the result of having contentions in a relationship. When someone is offended they build bars. Bars of a castle are for protection or prison - no one gets in or no one gets out. Another picture is burglar bars on a house. Think about all the relationships and people that are offended due to contentions.

Prov 19:13b - "The contentions of a wife are a continual dripping". You ever tried to go to sleep with a faucet that is dripping. It drives you crazy.

Prov 26:21- "As charcoal is to a burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife". Contention is the coals and wood that keep strife, fighting, etc., going in relationships. At any time the fire will blaze.

Prov 27:15 - "A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike".

Contentiousness is a horrible thing. Are you forever in a quarrel with someone you are in a relationship with. Did you ever stop to consider that you are the cause of it. Maybe that you are the contentious woman or man. Look at what others are dealing with that are living with you and that are around you. Does fighting seem to be spring up everywhere you go. Hello here. Maybe its not the other person who is at fault. Maybe it's you. The root word for contentious is to contend. Think of a boxing match where two people are contending for a belt. What are you contending for? Your way. Well this is the root of all contentions. I have to have it my way so I will fight to get it. Have you ever considered that it not about you? Jesus never contended for His way. He always lived His life for God's will and God's way. He lived and gave His life for others. He humbled Himself and carried the cross. James 4:1 "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members"? Wars and fights come from people who lust and desire to have it their way. People that are living to serve Christ should not be striving against one another but with one another against the work of the devil and the forces of evil and sin. I will close with this verse;

Prov 22:10 - Cast out the scoffer and contentions will leave. Yes strife and reproach will leave.
A scoffer is a mocker. Boastful, prideful and arrogant. A scoffer never shuts up and mocks with his or her tongue. Cast out the scoffer. Maybe the scoffer in you needs to be cast out. What if you wife or husband came home from work today and the scoffer was gone. Wow!!! What a pleasant surprise that would be. Scoffer be cast out by bringing yourself to the cross and nailing your tongue and heart there. Remember the problem is not your tongue but your heart. Out of the heart flows your words. Your tongue is attached to your heart. Let Jesus, His words, and His Holy Spirit cast out and do heart surgery on your rebellious and sinful heart. Thant contentions will leave and peace will come. May God perform this work in me.!!!!

It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God

2010-01-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 10 is the chapter I have taken a lot of the scriptures about Jesus being God's offering for sin. Today's blog title is taken from Heb 10:31 and to get the full context we need to read the previous verses; .

Heb 10:26-30 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. [And again, "The LORD will judge His people".

The scripture is admonishing all people who have come to the knowledge of the truth. What truth? The truth about Jesus and what He did on the cross for man. To know something is to come to a full understanding and to experience something. Adam knew his wife which means he knew her intimately. Heb 6:4 - "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame". Wow!! God will demand a high price for those who hear the truth and come to know it for themselves and still decide to Sin willfully. Read the words that describe what a person does when he or she knows about Jesus being our sin offering and yet deciding to sin anyway. The progression of this verse (Heb 6) speaks of coming to a knowledge of Jesus, His word and His Spirit. We crucify Jesus again and put Him to an open shame when we fall away from Christ by willfully turning again to the sin life. Look at the verses in Heb 10 - willful sin tramples the Son Of God underfoot and treats the blood of the covenant as a common thing and insults the Spirit of Grace. Now look at the words that describe God's reaction to those who choose to willfully sin against Him and His son. Vengeance is mine, I will repay!! The Lord will judge His people!! Fearful expectation of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour His adversaries!! You mean God will Judge and take out vengeance on those who have known Him and His son and have chosen the life of sin over the life of grace and obedience given to us freely by God through the Gift of His Son. According to the scriptures, Yes!!! This may be the time that some of you reading this blog will begin to discount the bible and say well it's imperfect or written by man etc.... Surely a loving God would never take vengeance or fiery judgement on people. Well God is loving and through His merciful love He has given everyone the way out of this fiery judgement and it is through the offering of His Son in the place of sinners like you and me. But God is also a God of Justice and righteousness. God cannot by His nature give man away to follow and not judge those who by their willful choice choose to go another way. If He did He would not be righteous and just. I know this may not be the God you believe in but please open your hearts to receive the scriptures and turn away from the God you have created in your own mind. What is your attitude about your sin. Do you have the attitude that oh I can do that or live this way and God will forgive men. After all I believe in Jesus and that He died on the cross. This attitude and way of thinking is what treads Jesus and His blood underfoot. This attitude and way of thinking insults God and His Spirit of Grace. What fiery judgement awaits those who believe like this? Hell!! Again Hell is not talked about much in our churches or our society. Every bodies going to heaven right. Well again we have to look at the scriptures and not to our made of doctrines. Please let this word sober up your mind!!! Sin is a killer, it always brings death and God will judge it and those who choose to follow it!!!

He who Knew no sin became a sin offering for us

2010-01-14T04:07:00.000-08:00

2 Cor 5:22 -For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus Christ was sinless. He never sinned one time. He was righteous before God. He had to be this way because God required a perfect sacrifice, a sinless spotless lamb. Heb 4:15 declares that He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Jesus is the pattern or the perfect image of righteousness. Rms 8:29 says He has predestined those He foreknew to be conformed to the image of His Son. 2 Cor 3:18 say we are being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit. Righteousness simply means to be made right. We all are made wrong with God if you will the day that we sin. We become unrighteous before God. 1 Cor 6:9 says do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The unrighteous shall not inherit or receive heaven. He was made sin does not mean that He became a sinner that would contradict the scriptures. It means that He became a sin offering. 1 Pet 2:24 - He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Gal 3: 13- in talking of Jesus redeeming His people from the curse of the law Paul quotes an Old Testament verse "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". People we are made righteous before God only through the sin offering that God made of His son on the tree of the cross. I am right with God because I have put my faith in what Jesus did at the cross. My standing before God is that I am right with Him. The verse from yesterday sums it up "for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" But folks the wonderful news is that it don't ever stop until we leave this earth and these fleshly bodies that are decaying. We are made right and everyday through our faith in Christ and His offering we are being conformed into the image of Christ. We are being sanctified or set apart from sin and the world too God and His image of righteousness. We are being transformed by the power of God's Spirit to bear the Fruit of Righteousness. Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it bears. Well a righteous tree will bear the fruit of righteousness. There is a wonderful liberty in knowing just what Jesus did for us and all that is available through His offering on the cross. We need to repent or change the way we think and quit living in defeat. Jesus Christ has made a way to abundant life. A life free from the guilt and power of sin. We can have peace with God everyday as we live righteous before God through our relationship with Jesus and His Spirit. What is your faith in today. Is it in the deception of "well i believe in Jesus but you know I'm going to sin". This is error and the wrong way to think. Rms 6:12 - Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in it's lust. Rms 6:14 - "Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace" The two words reign and dominion are words used when we speak of Kings or rulers. The Sin nature is the king and ruler over all who have sinned and not made Jesus King, Lord and Ruler. Jesus defeated or dethroned The Sin Nature when He offered Himself on the cross and on the third day rose again. Rms 8:37 - "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us", Praise God!!!!!

For by one offering He has perfected those who are being Sanctified

2010-01-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Heb 10:12-14 "But this man, after He offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

I wanted to continue my thoughts on "offerings" and the scriptures above tell of the offering of Jesus that all the offerings of the Old Testament pointed too. I want to write down some other scriptures concerning Jesus offering.

Heb 9:14 - "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Heb 9:26b - "He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"

Heb 9:28 - So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Heb 10:10 - "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The wages or penalty for our sin is death. Jesus paid our sin debt by offering Himself to God for us. He bore or carried our sins on His body when He offered Himself to God as the perfect Lamb. He was offered once and now no other offering for sin is necessary or acceptable. He has made a way for those who come to Him to be free of the guilt, power and stain of The Sin Nature and the sins that come as a result of being controlled by the Sin Nature. He has perfected or made a way for perfection for all those who come to Him. Perfection is completeness and wholeness. Through His offering we have the means by which to be made complete and whole. The process by which we come to the realization of this wholeness is the through the process of sanctification. The offering of Jesus didn't just stop after His death but was completed when by the power of the Holy Spirit He rose from the dead. That same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead broke the power and chains of death and He will come and live inside of you and break every chain and power that sin had over your life. We know that His offering was the was for perfection because He rose from the dead. Sins power was broken too all who come to Him by faith. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit in your life as He sets you apart daily. He will set you apart and make you His vessel of honor so that you will be a light to all who sit in darkness. May you be found in Christ today and may we become complete through His offering!!!!! Sin has no power of the Chrild of God because of the offering of Christ!!!!

God will Provide For Himself The Lamb

2010-01-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

Genesis Chapter 22 tells the story of Abraham when God tested him and asked him to offer up his son Issac as a burnt offering. From my last post I pointed out how offerings are such a large part of religion in the world. This story again is a story about an offering. God asked Abraham to bring an offering, the offering of his son. God is not into human sacrifice but God would ask Abraham to be willing to give everything to worship and to follow Him. This is still the call today. We are to lay down our lives and become His followers or His disciples. To follow Jesus we must lay down or offer our lives so that we can find His life and the life He has for us. Lk 14:26 - If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. If we love anything more than we love God we cannot be His disciple. Abraham, by faith, obeyed the command of his Father and in the process of obeying proclaimed the words that are the title of this blog post. God will provide for Himself The Lamb!!!! Abraham is called the Father of Faith and this test of his faith shows that faith is all about loving God more than we love our lives. Abraham obeyed God out of trust and loving obedience. Although God asked of Him a hard thing, he trusted the Lord to provide. By faith Abraham carried out God's command and through his faith he saw and became a partaker of God's offering, the Lamb that He provided. Christians live by faith and not by sight. As we lay down our lives through faith, God provides the offering that gives us His new life. The offering He provided is the Lamb that takes away our sin. His offering gives us a new heart and a new mind. His offering provided the means for us to be filled with His Spirit.

Heb 10: 12-14 - But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool, For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Today may we live by the same faith that Abraham displayed and offer up our lives. God has provided The Lamb and His name is Jesus!!!!

Sin Lies At The Door

2010-01-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about this verse alot lately. In the light of yesterdays post I will now pen some thoughts that will hopefully help others.

Gen 4:6-7 - So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it."

The verse my title comes from is out of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. Abel's offering was the first fruit of his flock, a lamb and Cain who was a farmer brought some fruit from his crops. God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cains. Cain became angry and His countenance fell or he was walking around with his head down and his face showed that he was angry. He was angry that God rejected his offering. What was this offering all about. I think if you look at what has transpired in the garden after Adam and Eve had sinned and disobeyed God we will get a better understanding of what this offering was all about. An offering in the old testament always represented a sacrifice. All throughout the Old Testament we see people bringing offerings to the Lord. This is a major theme throughout the Old Testament and giving offerings to God is a major tenant in all religions especially in the Jewish religion. Why was Cain and Abel bringing an offering to the Lord. I believe they were doing what they were taught by their parents and were continuing what God had started after Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden. Gen3:21 Also for Adam and his wife God made tunics of skin and clothed them. God had to kill an innocent victim, an animal, so that He could take it's skin in order to clothe Adam and Eve. Before they sinned they were naked and unashamed. Their countenance was up and not fallen. They walked in purity with and before God. Sin caused their countenance to fall and they hid themselves from the presence of God. Notice the parallel actions between Cain and Adam and Eve. Sin separates us from God. God rejects sin and He will reject the sinner that will not bring the acceptable offering. This is why mankind is getting more angry every day. It's they are b ringing the wrong offering and sin is dominating their lives. Have you ever been around an angry man. Well I can tell you He's been rejected by God and the only remedy is far him or her to being an acceptable offering that God will accept. God brought the first offering for sin in the Bible and He would bring the last His son Jesus Christ. The sin offering would become a normal part of everyday life for the seeker of God. Something very important should be noted here. God could have made tunics from the plants that he had created but He chose an animal most probably a lamb. God provided an acceptable offering for man to bring in order to have his sin clothed. Also it should be noted that the thing that Adam tried to cover his nakedness (sin) with was a fig leaf. This should give more light as to what Cain was doing in his offering and what God rejected it. His offering represented the fig leaves and represents man attempt to cover his or her sin in another way besides God way. The fig leaves represent religion. Religion covers and it looks righteous but it has no power to change the inside of man or his heart. This was actually the first act of self righteousness, mans attempt to be made right before God. He wanted God to accept Him on his terms and God want meet man on hos terms. Abel brought an offering that God accepted because he brought a lamb that had to be killed and it's fat was burned which was pleasing to the Lord. God has provided an offering for sin. It's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. All the offerings in the Old Testament would point to Christ the passover lamb. The Lamb that God would provide as an offering to take away the power of Sin in the world. It not only covers the Sin in our lives but it cleanses us from the effects of Sin in our lives.

Cains offering of self righteousness will not make him righteous and neither will yours. God asked Cain a question "If you do well will you not be accepted". God was asking Cain if He did what God had asked him to do would he not be accepted. Man has a choice to be accepted by God. God only accepts His offering and His way. Jesus is the only offering acceptable to God. God provided the only offering He will accept. Sin lies at the door of all men's lives and it wants to have rule over you. The Sin Nature is ruling over all men that have not brought the offering that God will accept. The Sin Nature has a desire and all men are controlled by these desires. These desires could be better described as the lust of the flesh. Our Flesh lusts after things that are not of God. It lust or longs for pleasure or things that seems to be pleasurable. Sin seems pleasurable for a season. The Sin Nature will always cause man to be angry with his brother. Gal 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who are rejected by God are those who practice such things and God's ultimate rejection is that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Hell is the place of ultimate rejection. It's as far away from the presence of God that you can get. Notice after Cain killed Abel he left from the presence of God. This is the end result of Sins. The last statement God made in this verse is that you should rule over it. God's offering has made a way for man to rule the Sin Nature. Wow!!!! Probably not what your accustomed to thinking or hearing. God has made a way for us to rule or have dominion over our Sin Nature. Is Sin ruling you is it constantly at your door never to go away. Bring the offering of Christ to God everyday by putting your faith in Him and what he did at the cross. Start everyday with the offering of Christ and throughout the day offer Christ. Rule over Sin through Jesus Christ. Quit offering what is not acceptable to God. Only Jesus is acceptable!!!!

Blessed Is The Man That Endures Temptation

2010-01-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone haven't blogged since before Christmas. Hope everyone is doing well in the new year.

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

A friend of mine commented the other day on this passage and it blessed me so. We hear alot about blessing or being blessed in our world today. This passage give a true source of blessing - enduring temptation. We are tempted everyday in our lives. Verse 14 describes how temptation happens. We are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. The end result of giving in to or being controlled by our desires is that desire gives birth to sin and sin brings death. Sin will always bring death and is the opposite of being blessed. A man or woman who is always failing in times of temptation is not blessed but is actually experiencing death. To be bound and controlled by sin is death and again is far from being blessed. Sin will control every part of your life including our minds, will and emotions. To be in sin is like being in prison with no way of ever getting out. Think about the prisoners with life sentences or those on death row awaiting their execution, they have no hope of ever being set free. Well this is what sin does in the life of one who is bound in sin. Alot of people think they are free from sin because they don't do the major sins. Sin is sin and we need to call it like it is. Sin does not have categories it's all the same. The little sins are the same as the big ones it's sin and sin brings death. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. The scripture points out that we can endure during times of temptation. To endure means to remain, abide, not recede or flee. To preserve under misfortunes and trials. To hold fast to ones faith in Christ. The next part of the verse says for when he has been approved. Enduring or sinning during times of temptation proves something. It proves whats in our heart. The proof is in the puddin the old sayin goes. Do we hold fast to Christ and abide in Him during our times of trials or do we flee or worst yet we find that we never have been joined to Him in the first place. Another thing about sin is that it deceives. Sin deceives us to thinking we're not that bad or it prompts us to compare ourselves to someone who we think is worse than us.

We cannot endure temptation alone or in our on power or strength. We cannot endure temptation through will power or self helps, psychology, or religion. The only way we can endure temptation is to be joined to Christ through being saved by His grace and filled with His nature. The proverbs says a Leopard cannot change his spots because that's his nature or how he was born. Well a sinner cannot stop sinning because he is controlled by his nature and that's how he was born. We are all born with the Sin Nature and the first time we give in to the desires of that Nature we become sinners and the Sin Nature becomes our master who will ever control our life. Jesus paid the price that the master of all men demanded. The wages or the payment for sin is death. Well Jesus paid the debt of death by dieing on the cross to die for the sins of all mankind. This is what the blessing is all about. Man can take part in the payment plan by putting His faith in Christ and becoming His disciple. As follow Christ we will experience freedom from our old nature. He will no longer dominate our lives because Jesus is Lord of our life and we are partakers of His nature and we can endure anything temptations bring our way. Ever heard the saying God will never put anything on you more than what you can handle. Well many people go through trials that they cannot handle and fail even to the point of despair and death. Well the way God has given us to handle trials of life is to be joined to Christ. We can go through hell and high water as we are joined to Christ. We don't have to sin and live in death. Through CHRIST AND FAITH WE CAN BE OBEDIENT. The leopard can have his spots changed. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new. In this new year don't settle for failure and sin but be be joined to Christ and His Body and become a new creature. The crown of life is awaiting all who endure with Christ. Don't be cheated through religion and old ways of thinking that cannot and will not bring life and freedom from sin. Only Christ can do this. Be joined to Christ today. Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. This is His promise!!!!!

Temptation is the times we are put to the test in order to ascertain the character, views or feelings of someone.

Ministering The Gift

2009-12-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

1 Pet 4:10 - As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I thought this verse was appropriated considering the season we are in. The King James states "as each one has received the gift". The greatest gift of all is the Gift of Christ. God gave His only begotten son to the world so that the world might be saved. The gift of God saves man from their sin. We are not just forgiven but delivered from Sins nature and power.

As we have received the Gift of Christ we are commanded in this verse to minister it to one another. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. When we receive Jesus and become His disciple, He keeps filling us with gift. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit that in turn gifts us His gifts such as the nine gifts listed in 1 Cor 12. One of the things I love about Christmas is the excitement that comes with giving and receiving gifts. Shouldn't we as Christians be just as excited everyday to give the Gift of Christ to others.

Minister - to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.

Every Christian is called to minister. Through tradition ministry has been limited to professional people (Minister). Every one who has received the Gift of Christ has the ability and responsibility to turn around a minister the Gift to others. As each part of Christs body (the members) minister Him and His gifts to others God's manifold grace is spread and experienced by others.

Stewards - a steward, manager, superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age.

The scripture says it is required in stewardship that one be found faithful. We must be good stewards of the Gift that God has given us. God has given us stewardship over the Gift of His Son. We are called to administer Him to others. May we be found faithful today in doing what God has called us all to do. May we give and experience the true gift of Christmas by giving and receiving Jesus Christ!!!!!!

Those You have Given Me Part 2

2009-12-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Verse 12a - While I was with them in this world, I kept them in Your Name; Those you have given me I have kept - the definition of kept is to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard. What a picture of what relationships should be all about. We are to watch and keep guard over those God has given to us. The word keep is used many times in Jn 14 and 15 in the context of keeping God's commandments. We are to watch to make sure the people God has given us are keeping His commandments.

Verse 18 - As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Jesus was making disciples that followed and kept all His commands. Just like God the Father sent Jesus into the world to make disciples of those God had given Him, Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to do the same for those God would give them. This pattern is too take place until Jesus comes back.

Verse 20-21 - I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they may be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one with Us, that the world may believe that You sent me. - The last portion of the chapter deals with oneness or unity. The greatest thing that's brings unity is sacrificial love. The greatest example of this type of love is found in Jesus life with His disciples and ultimately His death on the cross. Laying down ones life for his or her friends is the greatest act of love. Vs 24 - You loved me before the foundation of the world. The bible says in another place that the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. The world was built on the sacrificial love of God and His Son. Just think about of God would have created the world without the foreknowledge that He would sacrifice His son for the sins of the world. What kind of world would we have today if Jesus wouldn't have died two thousand years ago. All Godly relationships must have as it's foundation sacrificial love. If it's anything else it will fall because the foundation is faulty.

May we all today follow the example of Jesus and give our lives sacrificially for those God has given us.

Those You Have Given Me

2009-11-30T05:50:00.000-08:00

I was reading John 17 the other day and this phrase kept standing out to me - "Those You have given me". Jesus was praying to His Father in sort of a farwell prayer and the course of His prayer Jesus kept refering to the people that God had given Him during His life on earth. During Jesus' ministry on earth He ministerd to thousands and saw them healed from sickness, delivered from demonic possesion, raised from the dead, etc. However there were 12 men that were specifically close to Him, the 12 disciples. These were men that Jesus shared His life with for three years. Look at some of the verses concerning Jesus' relationship to those God Had given Him out of the world. The principle and truth that is revealed in this chapter is that God gives us people out of this world too disciple and we should look at Jesus' and His relationship to His disciples as a pattern for our lives.

Verse 2-3 - That He (Jesus) should give eternal life to as many as He had given Him. (3) And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus whom You have sent.
The way to Eternal life was given by Jesus to his disciples. Notice Jesus equated eternal life to knowing the one true God and Jesus whom He had sent. How did the disciples find eternal life? - Through Jesus sharing and living His life with them in relationship. Notice something Jesus didn't do in showing His disciples the way to eternal life. He didn't get them to recite a sinners prayer and because they recited said sinners prayer ensured them that they had eternal life.

Verse 6 - I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You have them to Me and they have kept Your word. Jesus considered the men that God had given Him as the personal property of God Himself. Notice the end result of Jesus relationship to His disciples - they have kept your word. Our responsibility to those God has given us is to teach them to keep and obey God's word. Jesus didn't do this from a pulpit. He did it everyday as He walked together with those God had given Him. He shared His life with them and they shared their life with Him.

Verse 7-8 - Now they know that all things which You have given Me are from You, for I have given to them the words which You have given Me: and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You sent Me. Jesus gave the things that were given to Him by God (freely He received, freely He gave). The thing that Jesus gave were not just Gods word but His life. Jesus gave His way before He gave it on the cross. Through Jesus laying down His life, the disciples could see that Jesus was from God and that God had sent Him.

Vere 9 - I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me. for they are Yours. Jesus prayed for those God had given Him

Tomorrow I will look at the rest of the chapter. Needless to say we should look at people that are in our lives differently. We have a huge responsibility to look at the people God has given us. Jesus was a disciple who was making disciples. The great commission is to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus has given us the pattern we have the responsibility to obey!!!!

Knit Together

2009-11-24T05:29:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading in Colosians 2 and verses 2 and 19 stood out to me. The thought of being knit together is spoken of in these verses.

Verse 2 "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ.

Verse 19 - "and not holding fast to the Head from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

Eph 4: 15-16 - but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Jesus Christ is the head of His body the church. The church is not a building or a place it is a living organism made up of people. We as a people are attached to the Head, Jesus Christ. In a human body the joints and ligaments help keep the body together. Remember the old song we used to sing when we were kids in school. The ankle bone connected to the leg bone, the leg bones connected to the hip bone etc. etc. etc.. Joints and ligaments are the connectors that join these bones together. What a picture of the church. Each bone in the human body has a function that helps the rest of the body to move and to be healthy. They help give the body structure and mobility. Just like in the human body, the people that makes up Christs body has a function that helps give His body structure and mobility. In verse 2, 19 and Eph 4:16, the joints and ligaments that keeps the body joined together is love. The greatest function of each part of the body too keep the whole body functioning is love, agape love. Love is the more excellent way as described in 1 Cor 13. To love one another by laying down our lives for our friends causes His body to come together in unity. The members of the Body of Christ will experience the fullness of Christ's love when every part of His Body is laying down their lives for one another in love. His Body will never lack when this is taking place but in fact will increase with the increase that is from God. The Bible often talks of perfection. Perfection is the maturity of the believers in love. Love covers a multitude of Sins. Gal 6:1-2 "Brethren if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ". Spiritual people are people that are led and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Love is shown as we walk together in this life. Love teaches and speaks the truth. Love nourishes, rebukes, encourages, and supports. Love restores and bears the burdens of another. Love knits together and causes God's love to be realized to and through His body, the church. What we call church today is a far cry from what the Bible calls the church. May we ask ourselves today the hard questions. Am I knit together with His Body (the Church)? Am I actively laying down my life for his Body (other members of His Body). If not you are probably just going to church and not being the church. Notice how much emphasis is put on going to church in America. Well is time to stop going to church and start being the Church so we can all experience the fullness of who Christ is!!!!!

The Washing Of Water By The Word

2009-11-21T05:10:00.000-08:00

Eph 5:25-26 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

I wanted to talk more about what I believe the Lord has shown me concerning true authority and how it is to operate. Previously I wrote concerning the picture of Eph 5 as it concerned the Husband and taking up his authority by laying down his life for his wife through lovingly serving her as Christ loved and served the church through His death on the cross. Just a quick thought about this, men many have forfeited their authority in their home and the proof of this is that there is not order. Your wife is living like a widow and your kids are begging bread and living as vagabonds spiritually. Church service nor your demanding your position as head will not remedy this. It's time to look at yourself and not at those you are leading. Who have you given your authority too. Well you can get it back by receiving your authority from Jesus and by exercising this authority in your home. Remember what true authority is. It's giving yourself and laying down your life for your wife and kids. Getting under and in their lives to support them and to show them who Jesus is through your life. Wow!!! Find out whats in their hearts and give them yours. Wash your wife and kids with the water by speaking, teaching and living the word of God. You are the pastor of your home!!!!

The christian marriage is a picture of the body of Christ where Jesus is head or chief. Jesus is supreme authority and His authority is to flow down through His body from the head down through the fingers and toes. This authority is available for those part that seem to be important like the eyes and ears, and for those parts that seem to be less important like the finger and toes. Every part of His body has a function and a role for His body to fully operate. How is Jesus body operate or to be fully functional. Well this verse gives one of the basic functions of His body. His Body is to be clean from sin and to be sanctified from the world (vs 26). How does this happen? Well it happens through the washing of water by the word. The Church of Jesus Christ is to be set apart from the world and She is to be clean of the stain and controlling power of sin. This is not the case because the body of Christ has forfeited Her authority and is not properly functioning as a body. To regain His authority and to properly function The Body we give our lives for one another by washing one another through the water of the word. This is done through loving relationships not in church attendance and church run bible studies, programs, Sunday school, etc. It's done as we walk in this life with the the shod feet of the Gospel to make disciples of all nations.
Please take time and read John 13

Verse 3 - Jesus knew that the father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God. Jesus was secure in who He was and what His purpose was. God had given all things into His hands - Jesus was about to go to the cross and everything He needed to do this His father had given Him. He had taken up His full authority and knew that He was from God and was going back to God after He finished His life of serving. Wow this speaks so loudly of knowing who we are in Christ and our purpose to represent Him in the earth and through His authority go and make disciples of all nations. Remember Jesus gave His authority to His disciples. Only disciples of Jesus walk in His authority.

Vs 5-7 - Jesus began to wash the disciples feet and Peter didn't understand. Feet are the parts of the body that touch the world the most. They represent progression or walking through life. They represent our lives. What caused Peter not to understand. How could Jesus being His leader wash his feet. He understood worldly authority where leaders are not to denigrate there position by doing something so beneath them. Peter protests the fact and says in verse 8 you shall never wash my feet. Peters misunderstanding is not unlike the church of Jesus Christ who have been taught worldly positional authority where the leaders rule and lead from their places of position but never wash or teach the people to wash one anothers feet. Oh you say that's not my pastor. Whens the last time your pastor was in your house after supper talking to you personally about your life and sharing with you about his. When is the last time he showed you that what he is doing for you is what you should be doing for others. Preaching sermons on Sundays and coordinating programs is not washing feet. These are parts of a religious system and structure that has failed to cleanse the Church from sin and sanctify Her from the world. Four years ago I refused to participate in this system another day. Rather I am choosing to wash the feet of Christ (The Body of Christ) and to have my feet washed by Him through His body.

Jesus response to Peter's protest was if you don't let me wash your feet than you shall not have a part with me. By the way Peter was always protesting. Does that make Him the first protestant. Before you protestants get exited, Peter's protests usually were against the will God and came out of fleshly positions of understanding.

Part - a position or place assigned to one. One of the constituent parts of a whole.

Jesus was telling Peter if you want let me wash your feet, you cannot be a part of my body. Also if you don't get the proper understanding on authority than you cannot be a part of my body. Jesus washed our lives in His blood when He died on the cross. He is continually washing our lives with His word as we commune with Him. This brings us into His body. Now what is our function as part of His body. We are to do the same to the other parts of the body. We are to knell down (speaks of humility) and wash the feet of Jesus by washing each other with the water of the word. We are to serve one another through loving relationships. We are to allow this to happen to our lives and we are to do it to others. If we will not we are not a part of His body. This is the criteria for being a part of His body. Wow no wonder the body of Christ is so dysfunctional and confused. It's time for the Church of Jesus Christ to step up and function as His body.

Vs 13- 15 - Jesus asked them Do you know what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you say well for so I am. If i then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, we also ought to wash one anothers feet, For I have given you and example that you should follow.

Vs 16 - Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent.

Another has taken His office (see previous post) and it's time to put Jesus back as the head of His body through each part taking up his and her authority. Hallelujah!!!!!

Proverbs 20:28

2009-11-20T04:04:00.000-08:00

Reading this morning Proverbs 20:28 stood out to me in the light of authority.

"Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy", in the New Living translation it says "Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love".

A king is a person of authority and he represents a place of authority. Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He's above all authority in heaven and on earth. Other English words used in the bible for this Hebrew word is goodness, kindness, faithfulness and again the New Living translates the word to be unfailing love. Truth is faithfulness, firmness, reliability, stability, continuance. These are all words that describe King Jesus and who He is. The verse says that these attributes preserve the king. Jesus throne and authority is established and preserved through mercy and truth. He has the right to rule because He is and does these things as He rules His subjects. The last part of the verse says his throne is upheld by mercy or loving kindness. Jesus throne or place of authority is upheld through love. Godly authority rules by and through love. The sacrificial love of the cross upholds Jesus place of authority. Jesus has the right to rule because of His death on the cross which represents the greatest act of love, laying down ones life for His friend.

We can judge our lives by this word. Does the words mercy, love, faithfulness, kindness, etc. describe who you are in your relationships. Jesus must first rule us before we will see these attributes become a part of who we are. The great thing is that as we come under the Lordship of Jesus we will begin to do what He does. We will establish His rule in the earth through our living out mercy, truth and loving kindness to those who are around us. May the throne of Jesus be established and may it continue as His people walk in the authority of Jesus the King of King and Lord of Lords.

Marriage the picture Of Christ and His Church

2009-11-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

The last part of Eph 5 begins in verse 22 and Paul speaks of the proper order in marriage which is a picture of how Jesus is to be head or chief of His body the church. The husband is to be head of the wife. This statement alone has caused much abuse and sorrow in marriages for centuries. Paul calls the husband the head of the wife. The husband, if he is to operate or function in the authority of Jesus is to follow the same example as Jesus the head of the church. Well as I wrote yesterday, in true Godly authority the those who desire to be chief or head must become last and become the servant of all. This is why this verse has been misunderstood because most people view this verse in the context of worldly authority which is top down rule and lording over people because of our position. Again the reason christian husbands have misunderstood this verse is because the leadership and authority in the church is worldly.

Wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. Well this can be rightfully understood when we apply this is the context of the previous verse "submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord". The husband and the wife are submitting to one another because they are part of the Body of Christ. The husbands response to his wife in true authority is that he gives his life for his wife just like Christ did for the church. Again Jesus is the example of true authority and He gave His life for the church. This is how husbands are to relate to his wife and this is how the wife is to relate to her husband. Each giving their life for one another in serving and sacrificial love. Remember this is a picture of the church not just marriage. Christ the chief gave His life for the church well for Christ to remain as chief and not man, each person in His Body has to do the same for one another. When this is not taking place worldly authority creeps in and man becomes the chief and not Jesus. One thought I have not said but need to introduce now, true authority can been seen and demonstrated in loving relationships. This is why I believe Paul would talk about the strongest relationship outside of our relationship with Christ, the relationship of marriage. Loving relationships is where people are giving themselves for the other is where true authority is lived out and experienced. Again the reason this has been misunderstood is because relationships are not the norm in the church today. We've replaced relationships with church attendance and church programs. Ungodly authority is the result or the fruit of the lack of Godly relationships.

There is a beautiful picture of how Christ and the church is supposed to relate to one another in verses 25-27. The loving authority that flows in the church operates again through the example of Christ and what He does and did for the church. He gave himself that He might sanctify or set apart the church for the purpose of cleansing her. The church of Jesus Christ is to be set apart from the world and the way she is set apart and cleansed is through the washing of the water of the word. Husbands are to wash their wives to set her apart and to cleanse her from the world. This is done by speaking and living the word of God. The bible says to not only be hearers of the word but to be doers of the word. Speaking the word of God which is true authority and living it out through relationships is how we as the church are set apart. The church of Jesus Christ must follow His example. Wash each other through speaking and living the word. We are all dirty and get dirty by touching and going through the filth of this world. Be filled with the Spirit and speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Walking in the authority of the Spirit and the authority of His word is how we are to relate to one another. Tomorrow - washing feet!!!

Imitators of God - True Authority

2009-11-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

Something that God has been showing me over the past few days comes from Eph 5:21. "Submitting to one another in the fear of God". Submission means to bring oneself under another. This word was a Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden". I think this also speaks of the authority that is to be found in the body of Christ. This speaks so clearly to how we are to relate to one another in the body of Christ. We are to get under and support one another through serving and love. This was God's reaction toward man and mans sin. He being God would subject himself to man (Jesus) by becoming a servant and laying down His sinless life for the sins of man. Phil 2:5-8 describes what Jesus did for us and we are to have the same mind or we are think the same way. Jesus who is God and the supreme authority, laid down his position of authority and became a slave to man. All of us may feel like we have positions of authority or we have a right to rule our lives or the lives of others. Well who has more right to rule than Jesus. To imitate Jesus is to follow Him. Look at this verse that Jesus said;

Jn 12:26 - If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me him my father will honor.

We should be servants of Jesus if we are following God. To serve Jesus means that we are serving others. Jesus laid down His life for others we should as followers of Jesus be doing the same. This is true submission and is how the church should operate. Unfortunately tradition has blinded God's people to this. Worldly authority is the norm in the body of Christ where top down positional authority is practiced and instead of getting under people to support and serve, man gets over people and makes them submit through fear and man made rules and regulations. True honor comes from God and he only honors those who are serving Jesus and others. Verses 9-11 in Phil 2 gives us the results of Jesus' submission. God highly exalted him and have Him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is lord means Jesus is supreme authority. Remember Jesus having obtained supreme authority gave it to His disciples in Mt 1o, Lk 10 and Mt 28. This authority is not top down leadership but bottom up serving. Sacrificial love that costs something. It costs us our lives. This authority was given so that His disciples could go out and make other disciples that do the same thing and walk in the same authority. Judge yourself today in all your positions or roles in life. Which one of these ways describe your parenting, employment, friendships, etc. May we be found imitating God today and walking in His authority.

Be Imitators of God

2009-11-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

Eph 5:1-2 says "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma". Another word for imitator is a follower. Paul describes how we are to follow or imitate God. It's by walking in love. What kind of love should we be walking in. The kind of love Jesus demonstrated while he followed God. He gave himself for us. Jesus would say it this way in another verse "greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friend." A follower of Christ lays down his or her life for friends. The rest of the chapter goes on to say what I believe are some actions of walking in love or laying down our lives for others. I would like to speak on these things over the next few days. But before than imitate God today. Imitate Him every where you go. Remember it costs you something to follow God. It costs our lives!!! Loose your life today and find the life that is filled with Gods love!!!!

Prov 11:24-25 NLT

2009-11-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able post in the past two days because of school but I was so blessed by these two verses he other day. These verses describe the operation of the New Testament Church. Jesus told his disciples as he sent them out to freely give what they have freely received. This is my mission to give freely and to refresh others. This is the true riches or the abundant life that Christ has promised to His disciples. Enjoy the verses today and may they give you vision as to what your life could become in following Jesus as His disciple.

"It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed".

Also the Lord has been showing me so much more on Authority I will share it later as I get time to put it all together. Blessings

Regaining Lost Authority

2009-11-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I talked about authority and the results of lost authority as I saw it in Ps 109:8-13. The question I pose today is if you have lost your God given authority how do you get it back, can it be gotten back if it has been forfeited? I think the answer to the last part of the question is yes you can regain Gods authority in your life.

The three most important times I see in the bible where Jesus gave authority is in Mt 10: 1 (Lk 9:1), Lk 10:1, and Mt 28: 16-20. In these verses Jesus gave authority not to everybody or anybody but to His disciples. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus. Well in the case of the original 12 disciples these were men who left all to follow and learn all that Jesus commanded. They left and laid down everything that would hinder them from learning from and following Jesus. Peter would tell Jesus in Mrk 10: 28 - "See, we have left all and followed You". Also in Lk 5:27 Jesus called to Levi (Matthew) "Follow me" and Levi's reaction in verse 28 was "So he left all, rose up, and followed Him". These verse give us examples of what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus. You must hear the call to follow Jesus and you must rise up leave all and follow Him.

In Lk 14:25 while talking with the great multitudes, Jesus gives two reasons one cannot be His disciple. "If anyone comes to Me (hears my call to come and follow me) and does not hate his father or mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Wow! Jesus could not be telling someone to hate those in his or her own families but at the very minimum the requirement to be his disciple was that you could not love them more than you love Him. This verse makes more since when you put it into the context of who he was talking to. To convert to following Jesus would mean that someone would have to renounce their Family religion, in this case Judaism or paganism. To renounce your family religion often and in most cases meant renouncing your family or your family renouncing you as part of the family. We have recently seen an example of this in the case of the Muslim girl who had to flee from her family to Florida because she converted to Christianity. She knew that her life was now in jeopardy because converting to Christianity from Islam is an offense punishable by death. So she loved Jesus more than loosing her place in her earthly family. Did she loose her love for her family, no. But given the choice to follow the family tradition and religion or the choice to follow and be a disciple of Jesus, she chose Jesus.

Verse 27 - "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" and in verse 33 - "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple."

The first question we have to ask ourselves especially if we have lost our authority, or in a majority of cases never had it, is are we disciples of Jesus? Judge yourself by the word of God not by your own beliefs and religious upbringing. Look at the examples of the disciples in the bible. Most of the original disciples lost their lives, literally, because they were followers or disciples of Jesus. Contrary to most of the preaching today, being a disciple of Jesus costs you something. We cannot have our lives and Jesus too. He didn't come so we can have a better life but so that we could loose our lives. And in loosing our lives we will find true abundant live that can only be found in serving Jesus as His disciple and we will regain the authority we have forfeited through following and living our own way. Becoming religious is also not the answer either. Is not time to go to church its time to become disciples of Jesus so that we can be the church. Jesus never asked the original twelve disciples to come or go to church. He said follow me......... So i am saying to you follow Jesus and learn from Him and walk with and learn from others who are doing the same thing.

One last thought, the reason Jesus gave His disciples authority was to go and make other disciples or followers of Jesus. And there was power that would go with them. In Mt 10 some of the results of having Jesus' authority was that unclean spirits would be cast out of people and sickness and diseases would be healed. When we all become disciples of Jesus and lay hold of His given authority we will see these power again in the church. I look forward to seeing this again as the Church of Jesus Christ once again regains it's true authority and it's true mission. May it start in you and spread to others.

Let Another Take His Office

2009-11-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Ps 108 today verse 8 stood out to me. "Let his days be few and let another take his office". In this chapter of Psalms David is basically venting to God about people that have wronged him and what he desired would happen to them. Verse 8 has a star by it in my bible which means the publisher thought that this verse would be fulfilled during the time of the Jesus. Well this verse and the verse that follow it speak of Judas and what happened to him after he would betray Jesus.

Let his days be few - well he killed himself shortly after betraying Jesus
Let another take his office - well we know that another person took his place as one of the apostles. Matthias was chosen to take his place.

Here is the wisdom I received from these verses and the story of Judas? When I think of the word office I think of a place or a position of authority that is given to you by God. I'm not going to list all the positions of authority that we see everyday. Granted some are man made authority and some are God given authority. Authority can be defined as the right to do something. Believe it or not Judas was chosen by Jesus to be one of His disciples and later became an Apostle. Jesus chose and gave Judas the right do represent Him, on earth and later when He would return to heaven after His death. Wow what a powerful office! When I think of the Apostles and what they did while Jesus was one earth I think about Luke 10:1 "After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city where He Himself was about to go." Also after His death we See that the apostles would plant and built the structure of the church that Jesus said He would build in Mt 16.

The tragedy is that Judas forfeited his authority for 30 pieces of silver. We see this throughout the Bible in the stories of Sampson, King Saul, and Esau who sold his birthright for a morsel of meat.

How do we loose our God given authority or the right to do something? Well just like Judas, the way we loose or forfeit our authority is by betraying Jesus. Betraying Jesus is to sell out our relationship to Him by choosing to quit following Him and His way and to follow our own way. We sell out by going back to a lifestyle of sin and self seeking. We leave and quite being a disciple that is seeking to learn and follow all that Jesus commanded. I think of the places of authority or offices that are dearest to me and that I respect the most, The Church of Jesus Christ, Ministers and Father (parents). In Mt 28:18-20 Jesus said "all authority has been given unto me in haven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to obey all the things that i have commanded and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. As Christians we have been given authority to go and do something and that is to make disciples that are learning to obey all that Jesus commanded. What happens when we sell out and not doing what Jesus commanded us to do. Just like Judas we loose our office and it is given to another. Ask yourself an a honest question are you walking in life with the authority that Jesus gave his disciples in Mt 28. If your not than maybe your not a disciple of Christ but a follower of Religion or the traditions of Man. Fathers do you have authority in your kids life or has it been given to another? Are they following you as you follow Christ? Lets look at the results mentioned in the next verse in Ps 109 that speak of someone who has betrayed Jesus and lost his or her office.

Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow- Children can be fatherless even when a father is present in the home. This is epidemic in the church and in the world. What about the father son relationships in the church where older men are fathering younger men how to be godly? See Eph 5 of how a husband is to treat his wife. Again although husbands are present in the home the wives feel like and are basically widows. Results of Forfeited authority.

Let his children continually be vagabonds and beg, let them seek their bread from desolate places - a vagabond is someone that is tossed about or tottering. Eph 4 talks about when Gods ministers properly equip Gods people that they would no longer be tossed about by every wave and wind of doctrine. How stable and established are those God has given you charge over. A picture of a beggar should be self explanatory. Are we giving fresh bread (the word of God, see Jn 6) or are they beggars sitting is desolate places.

Let the creditors seize all that he has and let strangers punder his labor - what a picture of the most of the church world - in credit up to their eyeballs buying stuff that will never fulfill, stressed out and selling out our flocks and families so that we can pay the next bill. Husbands think about
another man or woman coming into your family because of divorce and neglect and plundering all that you worked for. Raising your children and sleeping in your bed.

Let there be none to extend mercy to him, let there be any to favor his fatherless children

Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. - Posterity is the end of ones life - Being cut off is being gone or remembered no more. This is the greatest result in my opinion - the generation after you is lost or gone. Thousands and thousands every year of the next generation are leaving Christianity all over the world.

May you examine yourself to see if you have lost your authority in your family and in your life. We all need to examine the church and began to ask the honest questions and what can bee seen clearly that the church has become something that God never intended it to be and she has lost her authority in this world. Yea I'm talking to your church and your denomination. The church that Jesus is building is not built on or by man's authority but its built on Jesus Christ and His word, It's filled with His Spirit, and is filled with His love and it is going and making disciples that follow and obey all that Jesus commanded. It's is submitted to His authority and the authority of each person in His body. My spirit this morning in not ON of arrogance or finger pointing but of humility and compassion asking all who read this blog to examine yourself and ask the hard questions. And if you find yourself having lost God's authority REPENT or change and start by seeking Jesus and his commandments and following them and asking God to have mercy on your soul and to change your heart. He will because He did it and is doing it for me.

Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfill

2009-11-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

I heard this song yesterday and was so moved by the words of this old Hymn of the faith. May the words bring revelation and freedom to know and understand that Jesus paid the price for our sin and through His death and resurrection he broke the power that sin hold in our life. We are free from the bondage of sin because Jesus paid it all!!

Verse 1
I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small.
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

Chorus
’Cause Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Verse 2
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow'r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots,
And melt the heart of stone.

Verse 3
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save
my lips shall still repeat.

Bridge
Oh, praise the One who paid my debt,
And raised this life up from the dead.

Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfill

Be Still and Know That I Am God

2009-11-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Ps 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth!!!

What a wonderful verse to ponder and consider. Be still - this means you. Does this describe your life today. Most people are sooooo busy with life we don't have time to be still. There's to much to do in our fast paced society and so Little time to do it. God is calling us to be still and to know that He is God. I was looking up some of the meanings of still and the words that stood out to me were to let drop, to be quite, relax, withdraw, refrain, etc. Wow this is how i want to be in my life. Think about all the world running around stressed out no peace or rest for their souls.

Ps 4:4 - Stand in awe and sin not, commune with your own heart on your bed, and be still

The greatest way to be still according to this verse is to commune with your heart with God. This is how we get still by communing with God. Commune in the Hebrew means to speak and in this context to speak with God. In true communion their is a two way relationship, you speak with God and God speaks to you. Adam in the cool of the day talked or communed with God. What a picture of how we should be with God. On your bed to me speaks of when ever you wake and when ever you go to sleep we should be still. In the morning we speak so we can make it through the day in the evening we speak because of what went on during the day. When we are still and commune with God, we will get to know God and God will be exalted among the heathen and in the earth.

The other way to commune with God besides your personal time with Him is to commune with other believers or with the Body of Christ. What a way to know God in a greater way as we share our lives with one another. So be still today!!!!!

Keep Your Heart with all diligence

2009-11-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

Prov 4:23 - Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

I spoke on this verse last week in our father daughter banquet. As parents, espically fathers, we should keep watch over the hearts of our children because what is planted in their hearts will come out in the way they live. Jesus said out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth will speek. In Mt 15:19 Jesus said - For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are issues that people are dealing with everyday. Well where did they start and where did they come from. Well proverbs tells us where they come from, our heart.

Verse 25 of Prov 4 gives what I think is one of the avenues by which things get into our heart. The verse says let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you. Verse 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. What we see speaks of what our focus is on. For example Eve looked at the apple before she began to think about eating it. Her focus was on how good it looked and how good it would taste for her. Her eyes cause her to think about herself rather than obeying the commands of God. Her eyes brought in the seeds of rebellion and disobedience that were planted in her heart thus the issue of her life was rebellion and disobedience to God and his word. I would like to ask the question today to all who read this blog, who do you see Jesus as. The scripture says in Heb 12:2 to look to Jesus. Who is the Jesus you are looking at today. Is he the Jesus of the bible or another Jesus that man has created. The scripture says that in the last days many would say here is Jesus or there is Jesus. But who do you say that Jesus is. In Mt 28:18 - Jesus says about Himself that "all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth". The world authority here is the greek word exousia or the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed). This is who Jesus said He was and represents all power and authority and because of this He must be submitted too. Do you see Jesus as someone who must be obeyed or is it optional. Jesus is called Lord over 600 times in the new testament while He is called savior only 15 times. Many people see Jesus as savior which means that they see Jesus as a way to be saved from that bad place called hell and a means to get to the good place called heaven. This is such a distortion of who Jesus is and what He has saved us from. Jesus the Lord of the universe has saved us from our sins which means He has provided a way for us to become free from the bondage of sin (disobedience to God) to that we can obey God and Jesus can become the Lord or supreme authority over our lives. As we look to the Jesus of the bible our hearts change from a heart of rebellion against God to a heart of submission and loving obedience to God. Out of a heart that now has gratitde and thankfulness because we've been saved from sin, we become loving disciples of Christ. Remember the eyes are the gateway to our hearts and also are things that sets the pathway or direction for our feet. AS we look to and our focus is on serving the Jesus of the Bible our feet will be established to go and to tell others that Jesus is supreme authority and that he must be submitted too at all cost.

The Wilderness Will Show You Your Heart

2009-11-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

Ps 106: 14 - "But they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tested God in their hearts". I was reading Psalm 106 this morning and I was drawn to verses 13-15. Starting in verse 6 the psalmist begins to recount the history of the Nation of Israel in their journey from Egypt to the promised land. The verses tell of how God was faithful even when Israel sinned against Him and rebelled against Him in the journey. The journey of Israel through the wilderness is such a picture of someone who is unconverted and uncomitted to God but yet wants all His benefits. It tells of the ups and downs of a people that God called His own but yet they didn't belong to God in their hearts. The tradgedy about Israel is that as a nation they never really changed throughout their history and to this day have rejected God's redemtive plan for them and for all of mankind, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They were never converted in their hearts to be Gods people although they were called God's people by name. Your actions or works will always prove where your heart is. Your works prove the real condition of your heart not what you or others call you.

They soon forgot his works - God had just delivered them through the Red Sea but yet they were fretting and complaining about God providing for them in the wilderness. A uncoverted person always worries and frets about his or her present situation or the future never resting in the past provision and works of God.

They did not wait for His counsel - An unconverted person never waits to hear from the counsel of God. To me this speaks of not relying or seeking Gods word but relying and doing what your flesh dictates. The scripture that Jesus quoted while in His trial in the wilderness was "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Deu 8:3) The devil had tempted Jesus to use His flesh to turn the rocks into bread. Jesus was probably exceedingly hungry but He would not let his fleshly appetites and carnal mind dictate to Him how to act. He knew that every converted man, in His temptation and trial, must wait for the council of God. Man must live by the council and words that God speaks not by his fleshly wisdom and council.

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tested God in their hearts - As mentioned in the previous verse, there are two things that will lead you in the wilderness - your lust and your flesh or Gods word which is his council. The hotter the trial the greater the flesh will lust. The bigger the circumstance the more your carnal mind will race and worry and scheme. A converted person has learned through trials to wait on the Lord and to bring his fleshly mind into the obedience of God's word. The sword of the spirit is the Word of God and the peaceful mind in the times of trials is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind of a person. Remember Romans 8:6 "To be carnally minded (Fleshly controlled) is death or brings death, but to be spiritually minded (or controlled by the word and Holy Spirit)is life and peace". Verse 5 - For those who live according to the flesh (they are led by and controlled by there fleshly mind not by Gods Spirit and His word) set their minds on the things of the Flesh (They are exceedingly lustful in their mind and thus in their actions) but those who live acording to the Spirit the things oif the Spirit (their mind and live is controlled by the Holy Spirit and thier words or actions prove this out, See the works of the Spirit in Gal 5:22 and the works of the flesh in Gal 5:19-21). To test God in your heart is to say that God cannot or will not provide due to HIs lack of power or love.

He have them their request but sent leaness into their souls - God will give us what we are lusting for. We can and do get what our flesh desires and often call it a blessing from God. But we will soon find out that the end result of what our flesh has aquired and asked for will bring leanness to our soul. Our soul becomes barren of the life of God although our flesh was satisfied. The perceived blessing becomes a curse in our lives.

"Is There Not A Cause"

2009-11-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

Reading Job 29 this morning I was encouraged as Job began to describe how he lived his life. His character describes what I think the church and the people of God should look like. Here are some of the things that stood out to me.

He delivered the poor, the fatherless and the ones who had no helper when they cried out - (verse 12)

The blessing of the perishing man came upon him and he cause the widows heart to sing (sounds like pure and undefiled religion spoken of in James)

His clothes were the clothes of righteousness and Justice was like a robe and turban

I was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and I was a father to the poor. And I searched out the cause that i did not know.

I broke the fangs of the wicked and plucked the victim from its teeth.

What a powerful description of who the church should be and what the church should be doing. In my post yesterday I talked about the eye being the lamp of the body. Can you see what God has called us to be. Can you see yourself as Job saw himself. Look at Gods word today and began to open your eyes to what God has called us to be! As Job stated he searched out the cause that he did not know. God has a cause that is worth searching out. It's to bring people into the Kingdom Of God and to build His Church!!!!

"Lift Up Your Eyes and Look at the the Fields"

2009-11-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Jn 4: 35 - Do you not say, "There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look to the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Jesus commanded His disciples to lift up their eyes to look at the fields. Jesus said in another place that the eyes are the lamp of the body. If your eye is good than your body will be good but if your eye is bad your body will be evil and full of darkness. In another place Jesus in speaking about the eye said if your eye causes you to sin than pluck it out. What we look at are see determines what we treasure or what gets planted in our hearts. Jesus was saying put your eyes and the fields because now is the time for harvest. The disciples obviously had their eyes focused or looking at something else. There were looking at getting something to eat. Their eyes were fixed on themselves and their fleshly appetites. Today we must ask ourselves were our eyes are and what are they looking at. Are our eyes fixed on the Fields or on souls that are lost and perishing. Some fields are already ready to harvest because someone has labored in preparing the ground and sowing the seed of the word. While other fields are not ready because no one has labored in plowing the ground and sowing seed. The churches eyes should be on the fields and we should be harvesting are preparing for a harvest. What are you looking at today. Is it anything else besides the fields that God wants the church to harvest. Lift up your eyes to the fields!!!!

Freely You've Received Freely Give

2009-10-30T03:07:00.000-07:00

Jesus gave these instructions as He sent His disciples out to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. The mandate of New Testament Christianity is we must freely give what we have freely received. The question should be asked what have you received from Christ. Well the first thing we must receive is Christ as Lord and Savior. He must be Lord before He can be your savior. Who is your Lord today? There are many lords in the world today. Even for those who claim Christianity. When Jesus is Lord You are committed to be His disciple and to following Him wherever He would go. The Cost does not matter and obedience is not an option. To have Jesus as Lord is to serve Him and to lay down our lives for Him, for His Body (the church) and for the world. All of this is out of Love and devotion for what He has done for us. When Jesus is Lord of your life the proof of this is that are giving your life to Him, His body (the Church) and to the world that it might be saved. I love the story of the woman in Lk 7:47 who the bible described as a sinner. It seems that she must have been a prostitute. She is the woman that broke the costly oil at anointed Jesus' feet with it. She rinsed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. At the end of the story the religious Pharisees were wondering why Jesus allowed this woman who was a sinner to do this to Him. They were very uncomfortable with this show of love and affection. It's still the same today. Religious and people who claim Christianity but have not received Christ as Lord are very uncomfortable with this type of devotion. He explained that she was doing this because her sins were great and she was showing her love because her sins, though many, were forgiven. He who has been forgiven much loves much. Wow what a picture of what every forgiven soul should be doing. She was giving what she had received. We have been forgiven much so we should be giving much. Scholars say that the oil that she used was very costly but cost didn't stop this woman from loving. What we have been given in Christ is very costly it was given at a very high price. But once we have been forgiven it all belongs to Jesus. In the great throne of Judgement our proof that we were His sheep will be that we freely did things for the least of these. Jesus said as much as you have done it to the least of these my brethren you've done it unto me. As we give to the least of this world, those in prison, the sick,
and the poor and broken we have done it to Jesus we have anointed His feet with the costly oil of our lives and our loving devotion. Hallelujah!!!! Please judge your life by the word of God and not by what you have justified yourself with. Does what I am saying describe your life? Are you giving and pouring out your life to Christ and for Christ? Is it out of a loving gratitude because your sins are forgiven and you've been set free? Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it produces? Is this the fruit of your life? Please Judge yourself harshly by the word of God. If it is not than begin to seek Jesus and his word and pray that He will become the Lord of Your life. Become His disciple and follower and He will give you the same devotion and love that this woman had!!!!

Alive in Christ

2009-10-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Eph 2:1 - "And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sin" One of the definitions I found for the word dead is to be destitute of a life that recognises and is devoted to God, because of being given up to trespasses and sins. I can remember being dead to the things of God. Growing up I knew about God but I never knew them. When I think of the word destitute I get a picture of the desert. This is how I was in my sin, barren and dry a place where no life existed. The problem with being dead is that those who are dead don't even know it. I was dead to the life of God. I couldn't see it, taste it, smell it or hear it. Dead men are just that they are dead to life. One of the wonderful things about God and His grace is that in our dead state He is calling out to us so that we can be made alive. God is the only one that can speak to dead men. Somewhere is our dead state God calls out too us. Man throughout his history has used Religion to try to make himself alive. Your or my religion cannot bring life only Jesus can. Spiritual dead men can go to church, synagogue, start doing good things, turn over a new leaf but they are still dead. Jesus Christ is the only means by which spiritually dead men can be made alive. Jesus said if any man believe in me though he were dead yet shall he live. Jesus died and rose from the dead so that we who are dead can rise from the dead. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. Please do not resist those times when God is calling out to you. He is calling you out of your death. The time when you begin to think about the meaning of life and what is life all about. This is God calling out to you don't resist or let His voice go away. Don't allow other things to give you a sudo-life. Seek Jesus and His word. Start reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Ask God to show you the way to true life. Jesus said that His words are spirit and they are life. Thank God that He lets dead men find true life!!!!!

Seeing What God Sees!!!

2009-10-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen then afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on the earth" Heb 11:13.

This morning as I read and meditated on this verse I got a glimpse of how important sight is. There are two realms of sight talked about in the scripture. Physical sight and spiritual sight. People that live by faith have spiritual sight. They see through the eyes of faith. The scripture says we walk by faith and not by sight!!!! God's promises to us is what God sees for our life. The reason these people died in faith is because they saw and embraced what God had promised them. They embraced what God saw for their life. When our physical eyes sees an impossibility faith sees the God that does the impossible. Assurance is being sure that something will happen. The one thing I am sure of is that no matter what is going on in my physical circumstance, God sees something bigger and the bigger is given to us through His promises. For me to overcome the circumstance in my life I must see what God sees and walk accordingly. When I assured and embrace what God sees I will speak and say what God would speak and say. Rm 10: 9 states that "if we will confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". I believe what we say is what we believe. When we believe in our heart what God has promised than we will confess it through our words. The scripture says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. People around you can see what you believe by what you say. Parents can you see what God sees for your children if you can than you are probably speaking it to them on a regular basis. Praise God for His promises and we must diligently seek them out for our selves so that we can see what God sees.

Therefore from one Man

2009-10-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

Heb 11:12 - "Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitudes - innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore".

Its amazing to see the results of Sara and Abraham's faith. The verse gives us a glimpse of what God can do through the faith of one man or the faith of one man and one woman in this case. From the fruit of Sara's faith was born innumerable numbers of descendants. What a encouraging word for us today. If God could bring about His purpose through two peoples faith why can't he use you. This verse also brings up the physical limitaions of Abraham - he was as good as dead in his ability to produce children. We are all dead and limited in our ability to produce the purposes and fruit of God in our lives. This is whats so wonderful about Faith and the power of God. With man its impossible but with God everything is possible. Rms 4: 17-25, Paul tells the story of Abraham and Sara's faith for the sole purpose of teaching the Romans about imputed righteousness. Through one man's faith and obedience, the way to righteouness or right standing with God was given. Jesus is this one man that lived and gave His life by faith and through His act of faith all men are given the way to become righteouness. Through this one act of obedience many children have been and are still being birthed into the Kingdom of God. It would be safe to say that the numbers of children that are and will be birthed into the Kindom will be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand is on the sea shore. Righteousness is the child that is born through our faith in the way to righteousness as given by what Jesus did at the cross. The fruits of being righteous before God is innumerable but it can be clearly seen by you and by others. We can literally see the result of Sara and Abraham's faith as we look at physical Israel and also at the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the seed of Abraham that would be the blessing to all nations and that through Him would come the innumerable desendents. Remember the verse from yesterday talked of Sara receiving strength to conceive through her faith. Well that same strength or power is the same power that we receive through the person of the Holy Spirit. He produces righteouness in our lives. Remember faith can be seen and touched, it is tangible or evident. Many say that they believe in Jesus but the evidence or fruit of this is not being born or produced in their lives. Don't loose hope today. Repent which means to change the way you think and put your faith in Jesus. Start living by faith in who He is and what He has done for you on the cross. Remember just like Abraham you are past dead in your ability to produce the fruit of God in your life. But also Just like Abraham God will do a miracle in your life just like He did in his.

Looking At Faith

2009-10-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

"By faith Sara herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised" Heb 11:11

I had a thought yesterday that people of faith do extraordinary things. It should be noted that the faith that I write about is the faith that has it's object as God and His Word as given to man in the Bible. In this verse Sara gives us a glimpse of what can happen through proper placed faith. Through her faith, Sara received strength to conceive a seed. Strength here is the Greek word Dynamis, the word we get the English word Dynamite from. It is the power given by the Holy Spirit that produces miracles. Notice that faith produced power to conceive a seed that gave birth to a child. Giving birth to a child was Sara's desire but she was limited by her age and her physical circumstance. Sara judged or considered in her mind that what God had promised her would come to pass because God is faithful. This is called repentance. Repentance is changing the way we think. Repentance and faith Faith depends, trusts and looks to God's promises which are found in His word and the faithfulness of God to do what He said He would do. God produced the miracle through the power of His Spirit but Sara's repentance and faith was the foundation and catalyst by which the miracle came. One of the greatest promises that God has given man is that He would save His people from their sin. Our Sin seperates us from a God and the penalty for sin is eternal judgement or hell. God in His love has provided a payment for our sin and it was the death of His son. His death and eventual resurrection is the means by which we are forgiven for our sin and by which we are delievered from the power of sin in our lives. The sin nature controls every mans life. It is the thing that enslaves us and controls us to disobey and sin against God. When we place our faith in what Jesus did at the cross we will receive the same power that Sara received to conceive and give birth to a child. This is a miracle of the same magnitude as what Sara experienced. There is a birth here also, it is the birth of a new creation or creature. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things pass away behold all things become new. God has given you the same promises he gave Sara and he has given to all men. Have you considered them. Let Gods word change the way you think and then put your faith in What God has said he will do. Its the only way to live!!!!!!

Looking Unto Jesus

2009-05-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

Heb 12: 2 is a very familiar scripture for those who have been around Christianity for any amount of time. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God". Why do we need to look on Jesus? Well, according to verse one, we all have a race that is set before us and we need to finish it. The race is not a forty yard dash but a marathon which lasts until we die or until Jesus comes back. It's the race of Faith which is clearly defined and displayed in chapter 11 of Hebrews. The word looking in the Greek text means to turn your eyes away from other things and fix them on something else. The object that the verse is exhorting us to fix our eyes upon is Jesus. The Jesus that is the author and finisher of our faith. A faith that required a cross to die upon. A faith that required suffering and hostility from others. A faith that required obedience even unto the point of death. Fix your eyes on the Jesus of the Bible not another Jesus that has been created from fleshly minds. In life it's so easy to fix your eyes on other things. I get discouraged when I fix my eyes on the condition of our nation. I get discouraged when I fix my eyes on the "church" and what it's turned into in our nation and around the world. I get discouraged when I look at my circumstances or when I keep looking at what happened in the past. Just like in a natural race when we lose sight if the object (the finish line) we began to slow down and may even come to a stop. We lose our endurance which is the very thing we need to keep running and to finish the race. Mt 10:22 "And you will be hated by all for my names sake but he who endures to the end shall be saved." Wow, not a common memory verse but one that gets the point across. Endurance means to remain steadfast and to overcome a foe. To finish my thought this morning I would write the following verse. 2 Cor 3:18 - "But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (Jesus), are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." The end of the race of faith is for the one who is fixing his eyes to be transformed into the image of Christ. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, His character, His works, His words we will by the power of the Spirit be changed into His image. Hallelujah.

Going Through the Motions....

2009-05-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we talked about just going through the motins, which to us means to just go through life without much meaning. Wake up, got to school/work, come home, go to sleep. Nothing you do really has any meaning. We played this song called Goining Through the Motions by Matthew West and I just wanted to share it.

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

Chorus

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming
passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything,instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

Chorus

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything,instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming
passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything,instead of going through the motions?"
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything,instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions........

A Generation That Did Not Know God

2009-04-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Judges 2: 10 - "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers (died), another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." This theme is repeated throughout the old testament and especially in the book of Judges. Why couldn't the knowledge of God be passed to the next generation? My hearts desire is that I would raise up a generation after me that will know and Follow God even more than I do. Two things I noticed in the reading of Israel as they took the promised land God gave them. The first is that the generation that proceeded the generation that didn't know God was always in a battle. They were fighting to take what God had given them as a result of His covenant with them. Was the next generation involved in the fighting or were they spectators that never experienced a fight nor were they taught to fight. We as the first generation can get so caught up in fighting spiritual battles that we forget to teach the next how to fight. The next generation never learned to know God in the midst of battle. They never experienced His faithfulness to drive out the enemy before His people. They never experienced these things for themselves but were benefactors of the blessing God was given there fathers. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into the captivity to the obedience of Christ. We as Christians are in a warfare and God has given us spiritual weapons that we can and will win with. Are we giving these weapons to the next generation and teaching them to use them or are they sitting back and watching us fight. The other thing I saw is that the first generation didn't fully obey God in that they did not fully drive out the inhabitants of the promised land. One generations disobedience can be the cause of the next generations curse. Future generations will suffer the consequences of the prior generations wrongs. The first generation disobeyed God and consequently began to take on the idolatry of the people they did not drive out. When we become friends with the world through sin and compromise we cause the next generations vision to be cloudy. We introduce them to another god and instead of knowing and experiencing the true God they are introduced and began to know a god we have made with our own hands and imaginations. Rms 1 clearly points this out. Rm 1:21 -"because although they knew God, they did not glorify His as God (did not fully obey Him) nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping things." When one generation does not fully glorify God through their lives the progression begins as mentioned in the verse. Futile thoughts and foolish hearts become darkened so that in this condition another god is made that is full of corruption. What is left for the next generation is a god that has been made up from minds that became futile and hearts that were darkened. We must get back to knowing the God of the bible and teach Him and His ways to the next generation. As Christians we have been given the Holy Spirit who will bring revelation to us all as we follow Christ. We must pray as Paul prayed for the generation that would follow him (Eph 1:15-19). Father give us and the next generation the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Amen!!!

Wisdom Speaks

2009-04-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I have been writing from the topic of treasuring Jesus and His words. Through reading Proverbs 7-9 I have noticed a reoccurring word, wisdom. Wisdom seems to come as a result of having Jesus and His word as your treasure. According to 1 Cor 1:30 Jesus is to us the wisdom from God. As Christ and His word are the center of our lives we can know wisdom. Wisdom is a person. Go through and read Proverbs 8 and 9 and place Jesus in the place of the word wisdom. Prov 8:1 Does not Jesus cry out. We know in Mt 11:30 Jesus cried out come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. We know that he cried from the hill of Calvary "it is finished". (Vs 2) He takes his stand on top of the high hill beside the way where the paths meet. Jesus talked about two paths in the scriptures (Mt 7:14), the broad way that leads to death and the narrow way that leads to life everlasting. He stands at the point of the two paths choose Him and His ways and you choose the narrow way that leads to everlasting life. Reject Him and His ways and you choose the broad way that leads to death. (Vs 3) Jesus is at the door knocking (Rev 3:20), to him that opens that door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens that door Jesus will come in and commune with him. Wow that is powerful. But we must hear His voice and open the door. Our responsibility is to hear His voice and open the door by following and obeying His voice. Fellowship with Jesus awaits all who will hear his voice and obey Him. (Vs 6-9) Listen, for I will speak excellent things and from the opening of my lips will come right things; For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips all the words of My mouth are with righteousness nothing crooked are perverse is in them, they are plain to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. What a wonderfact that wisdom speaks and what He speaks is always truth never crooked or perverse only righteous. So will be the man who follows the words of wisdom. He will be a man of righteousness, truth and no perverse way. Lord may we be filled with wisdom by being filled with the wisdom from above, Jesus Christ. Amen!!!!

The Seductress

2009-04-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I shared a word on treasuring The words of Jesus in our hearts. My inspiration came from Prv 7:1. The rest of Prv 7 gives the reason we should treasure and obey His word. Verse 4 say to wisdom, You are my sister and call understanding your nearest kin. Verse 5 - That they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words. When we put the most value in hearing, keeping and obeying His word understanding and wisdom become a part of who we are. True understanding and wisdom can only come from treasuring His word. Now this verse could apply literally to a immoral woman wanting to catch someone in adultery. But I think the meaning is deeper than that because there are things in this world that are continually calling out to us to seduce us into committing adultery against Christ. Seduce means to entice lead astray. Verse 12 At times outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner. The immoral woman can be openly apparent or she can be subtly hidden. Col 2:8 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit: according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. This verse describes the things that will seduce us into leaving our relationship with Christ. We should beware and make sure we are not being led astray by other voices that seem right and are very attractive but the end of following them is death. Jesus is the only way to life and peace. There is no other way to abundant life but through hearing and obeying Jesus. In verse 7 of Col 2 we are encourages to be rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Roots come out of a seed and are the foundation of a plant. The words of Christ are seeds that are planted in out hearts. As these words are planted in our hearts they become nourished and watered by the Holy Spirit and become plants that produce the fruit of Christ in our lives. These words abound inthe life of a faithful christian. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God (Rms 10:17). Lord I pray that we may be rooted and grounded in You and Your words and keep us from the immoral woman. Amen!!!

Where Your Treasure Is There Your Heart Will Be

2009-04-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

In Mt 6:21 Jesus states "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also". Jesus said alot about treasures in the scripture. A treasure could be defined as something that you value the most. I was reading this morning in Prov. 7:1 "My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you." Solomon is instructing his son to make sure that he treasures keeping his words and commands within him (his heart). This principle is repeated throughout the bible. The foundation of all Christianity is that we are to put the most value in keeping and obeying the words of Jesus. Its the proof that Jesus is Lord of your life. In Lk 6:46--49 Jesus would explain to all that hearing and obeying His words is the paramount way to proof that He is Lord and that we are built on Him as our foundation. The words of Jesus are more valuable than gold that will perish. They give riches that money can never give. His word will never fade away but endures forever (1 Pet 1:25). Jesus said that what you treasure the most is where your heart will be. Mt 6:19-20, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moths nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal". To lay up treasures in heaven is to first treasure His words and His commands and as we obey and follow them we are laying up treasures in heaven. Lord help me to put your word as my greatest treasure on earth. May hearing and obeying it be the center of my heart. Amen!!!

At the Allen's

2009-04-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

This week we met at the Allen's house. We had a wonderful lunch of ham, baked potato casserole, white beans, and two different desserts; a raspberry torte and a pound cake with strawberries. We talked about hearing the Voice of the Lord. Sara red the children a story that taught them about Jesus's death, burial, and Resurrection.

Church at Penny's

2009-03-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Dalton was Joseph, and the others were his brothers.

Hannah and Ashton.

Danny is aways trying to steal peoples food...

Ava

Two weeks ago we met at Penny's house. Penny made some Chinese beef that was heavenly. Sara has been teaching the children about love from 1Cor. 13:4. This week we were on love does not hold a grudge. The kids preformed a play about Joseph and his brothers to teach the grown ups about love.

March 1, 2009

2009-03-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

The church that met at Darren and Kandi's house had a good time of fellowship. It was so good to hear what the Lord was saying through His body. To start our gathering we played a song from Casting Crowns called "The Voice of Truth". The words of this song are so powerful. It speaks of giants and waves that come up in our lives. Often times these trials and storms can cause us to doubt and live in fear or even fail in our faith. But the voice of truth tell a different story. The words of Jesus speak truth and faith and as we hear and obey them, they cause us to stand in the midst of the storms and overcome the waves. They empower us to slay the Gaint and to see the mountains move. Hallelujah!!!! One of the younger girls in the church read Jer 29:11-13. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart." This word prompted a lot of discussion. A lot of the talk centered on seeking God with all of our heart. What a promise - If we seek Him, we will find Him if we seek with our whole heart. Even in the midst of fiery trials we must seek Him because He has a future and a hope for us all. Heb 11: 13, 24-26 was read and we talked about the perseverance of and action of Faith. Faith is more than just believing with your head; it's obeying with your heart. Faith obeys even when the promise is long in coming. Faith keeps believing thus keeps obeying. One of the last scriptures read was 2 Pet 1:1-11. The high points touched on by the reader was vs. 3 which states "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." She began to proclaim that Jesus has given us everything we need to live in this life to live godly through his divine power. She also pointed out that we as born again Christians have taken on His divine nature through the indwelling Holy Spirit. And that because of these facts we should be adding to our Faith, virtue (moral excellence), to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self- control, to self-control perserverance, to perserverence godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. Through our Faith in Christ, and because of what He has supplied to us, we should see these things abounding in our lives. This is the new nature being lived out through our lives. These characteristics are a result of our faith. They are the fruit of our faith. They are the actions of our faith. Hallelujah!!!! We prayed for one another and finished off the day eating Kandi's famous spaghetti.

80's Valentine Party!!

2009-02-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we had an 80's Valentine's Party at our house.... Danny had no idea that we were dressing up. He was very surprised! We ate P.F. Changs...it was great! Paul Michael Fryday and April Denham won the 80's trivia and won Reese's heart and bath stuff!

Christmas

2009-02-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is our Christmas Sunday. We met at Penny's house and ate breakfast!!

Bonfire

2009-02-05T12:06:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had a bonfire with our house church. The Cashio's house church and Holly came also. We had alot of fun. We ate hot dogs, played outside, and played our version of flashlight tag. Holly was the best hider!!

I don't know why this post is so long..................................................

The Allen Oikos

2009-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

We are the Allen Oikos, the church that meets at Danny and Sara's house. Keep checking this blog to see what we have been doing!