Paul's Blog

Supermen?

2009-11-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1 Corinthians 3:3

I like the way the New International Version puts it which says,

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:3 NIV

This reminds me of the movie "Superman" in which Superman's enemies are able to do amazing things and he makes reference to the "Mortals" as being a weak people.

The fact is we are not mere men, but we can act like mere men. Just because I run up and down the street barking like a dog does not make me a dog but in the moment I am acting like one. Beloved in the same way just because you are saved doesn't mean that you can't act like an unsaved person - you certainly can - but why would you considering all of the victory and the power that you've been given?

The apostle John states in 1 John 4:17,

...as he is, so are we in this world.

How is Jesus now? He's righteous, He is holy, He is seated in the heavens, He is sinless, He is a King, when He speaks there is power in His Words, He is victorious over sin and death and John says that as He is, not as He was - so are we!

I encourage you dear believer, take hold of God's Word, believe His promises, don't live any longer beneath who you are - you are made just like Jesus!

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A New Heart

2009-10-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I was watching a TV show the other night and they were interviewing a man that was a heart transplant patient. It was very interesting to find that the gentleman that received the heart transplant suddenly began to experience emotions, desires and other traits that were foreign to him before.

For example it was found that the person to whom the heart originally belonged was a person that liked to relax by playing the drums, the recipient of the new heart suddenly without any previous knowledge of the donors love for drumming began to crave playing the drums and was amazed that he already knew how to play. The recipient of the new heart also was amazed to find that he had the innate ability to "micro focus" something he never was able to do previously but was later found to be an ability that the donor had.

Doctors refer to this phenomena as "Cellular Memory" but isn't it amazing that a new heart gave this man new desires and new abilities that he had never had before? This is exactly what God wants for you and me today! God promised that He would take the old stony heart of flesh out of the Israelites and give them a new heart. After God had given the children of Israel the law it became quite apparent that laws rules and regulations do not make a person want to do right. As a matter of fact it actually causes them to resent the rules they have been given and even if they do put on a good show, in their heart, they want to do what has been forbidden.

The Bible teaches in Jeremiah 17:9 that,

The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jesus also said in Matthew 5:28,

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Many people think that Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for sin and rise again from the grave and He did, but these same people think that they must also add their own deeds and efforts to the finished work of Christ otherwise they are in jeopardy. The Truth is that those that think this way really believe that it's too good to be true that one could be made right with God simply by faith, they do not trust that Jesus saves them apart from their deeds. In fear they labor, in many cases simply because they don't want to go to hell!

Jesus instead of coming to give us the law came to show us the true intent of the law which is to reveal sin. After all, if you even desire to look at a woman and you lust after her in your heart then by law you have already committed adultery with her.

Jesus was more concerned with men on the inside then He was with what they did on the outside because it was what was on the inside that was producing those evil deeds on the outside. The religious leaders of Jesus day really had a hard time getting this; as a matter of fact most never were able to see what Jesus was saying. These leaders were so preoccupied with washing their hands ritualistically before eating, washing cups so they wouldn't be "unclean" that they were oblivious to the fact that their hearts were graveyards filled with dead mens bones and all manner of uncleanness. These Pharisees were experts at keeping the ceremony of the law but they were void of love, faith and mercy. It's like a mud pie trying to wash the mud off itself - it can be done! Why, because at its very core it is mud! It would need to be changed into something different to be something different. In the same way good deeds, keeping laws, rules and regulations can't change your dirty stony heart into something different - only Jesus can and He does through His finished work at the cross.

I don't want you to misunderstand, I am not suggesting that after you trust Christ as Savior you will never be tempted again, the point is that you have victory in Christ, The Greater One - by His power on the inside of you causing you to walk in His ways rather than you trying to change yourself by your own feeble efforts at trying to do right. It's good to do right but what is your source? Jesus and His life changing power or the efforts of your flesh?

Dear believer there is an entirely new life for you in Jesus, your old man has passed away and all things have become new and as you learn to depend on Him more and more,exercising faith in His already finished work, you will see yourself being changed into His image day by day. You will find that those things that tempted you no longer tempt you and you will find yourself with new desires that you have never had before.

Temptation

2009-10-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? Exodus 17:7

Most people think of pornography, theft or drug abuse when they think of temptation, but the worst kind of temptation that one can yield to is that of unbelief. According to the Bible Israel sinned when they yielded to the temptation of doubt, this occurred when they questioned whether or not the Lord was with them. It says in Exodus 17:7,

And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

I remember I use to struggle with doubt as an early Christian; since I had never been taught how to walk in faith I was ruled by the sight of my eyes and by my feelings; If I woke up on a given morning and didn't "feel" like God was with me then I worried that He wasn't! If I prayed and it seemed like God wasn't answering me then I would fall into the trap of thinking "God if you're really with me let me feel your Presence or do this for me or do that for me."

In Matthew 4:3-11 Jesus had a similar temptation in the wilderness when several times satan tempted Him to perform a sign to prove that He was the Son of God. Notice how satan used the phrase, "If thou be the Son of God..." do this or that. Jesus could have yielded to the temptation to perform a sign to prove He is the Son of God but He refused to do so. Also note that after God pronounced His Word over Jesus in the previous chapter (This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased ) that satan attacked that Word. Know this: Satan will always attack the Word that God has given you, He did it to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He did it to Jesus in the wilderness, he did it to the Church through false teachers and he'll do it to you.

Dear believer I encourage you to stand firm in faith - stand on the promises of God and remember that while your feelings change from day to day, His Word will never change. Let's not give in to the temptation to doubt but remember rather that we walk by faith not by sight, feelings or anything other than God's Word.

Never Alone

2009-09-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

... For I am not alone, but I and the father that sent me. John 8:16

According to a recent national survey, one quarter of all adults experience painful loneliness at least every few weeks, and the incidence among adolescents and college students is even higher.

It is also reported that loneliness is not necessarily being alone; the condition has been reported amongst those who are married with families and even those in the midst of large groups of friends. Also, loneliness occurs among people of many different age groups and classes.

What is loneliness? Loneliness extends much deeper than the actual fact of "being without company" as Websters dictionary defines it. Surveys again have determined that even college students often feel lonely even in the midst of attending classes and living in dorms with other students.

I believe loneliness is a bondage no different than any other kind of bondage in the sense that much of it stems from faulty beliefs and misplaced dependencies.

Jesus said in John 8:32,
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

If you aren't free then you are in bondage. You may not be in bondage to drugs or alcohol but yet struggle daily with thoughts of anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Now the Truth is you have to actually be alone to be truly "lonely" but the believer unlike the unbeliever is never alone. If you have trusted Christ as Savior then there are at least four people are with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The first person that is with you is God the Father, the second person is God the Son and the third person is God the Holy Spirit, you also have a fourth person with you and that is your guardian angel unless of course you have been assigned more than one depending on your mission in this life. In addition to this the Bible teaches that you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses - this could include both angelic beings and saints gone on before and if that is not enough the Bible also teaches that both you and every believer are made one with each other and with God Himself. So if we look at the Truth of the matter are you really alone? No. You may think you are alone and if you judge by the sight of your eyes you may "see" that you are alone but we walk by faith and not by sight. We must learn to place our dependency on God and not in the things of this world. Paul the apostle wrote in 1 Timothy 6:17,

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy...

God is to be our Source, not a car, a house, a job or even a person - family, friends, etc. The source of loneliness stems from a misplaced dependency on the creature rather than the Creator of all things. It's fine to have things and enjoy them, Paul says that God giveth us richly all things to enjoy. But don't place your dependency on them. You can depend on your job, your wife, your husband, your children, your money and a plethora of other things but God is the creator of all these things. You could have none of these things but if you have God - you have everything.

The world says, "If I can just get that new car, I'll be happy." or maybe, "If I can get debt free" or maybe you say if I can own this house or that house I'll finally be where I want to be - content and happy. The problem is dear friend is that things can't make you happy. Think about it: In 200 years your car, your house, your money and yes even your physical body will be dust

Paul the apostle states in 2 Corinthians 4:18,

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.

Everything that you can see with your physical eyes is passing, only God is eternal and He must be the Source of your happiness, otherwise you are building on a shaky foundation indeed.

Dear believer I encourage you to remember that because God is eternal and the source of all happiness you can be secure because regardless of what may come He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

Justified Now

2009-08-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25

In our day and age there are a number of ideas about how one becomes right with God; one particular problem I see consistently among Christians is that they often wait for God to do something as if it's not already been done or they act as if God is unwilling to fulfill His promises towards them. Many Christians see sin for instance as something they continually need to be forgiven of (future tense) instead of believing that Christ has already taken away their sins and made them the righteousness of God other Christians try to get healed putting that also as a future possibility instead of believing that with His stripes they were (past tense) healed; this approach is fundamentally wrong.

Paul said in Romans 4:25, Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

At first glance it appears that this verse teaches that Jesus was raised from the dead so that we could be justified, right? If you look into the Greek text we see a very different meaning: The Greek word that was translated "For" is the word διά or "Dia" and means, "By reason of, by the means of, on account of." You could just as easily say that he was "Delivered because of our offences and was raised again because of our justification."

Before I was saved, I always used to wonder what the significance of Christ's resurrection was; The Bible teaches that Jesus is God and that death couldn't hold Him so I knew that because of His divinity Jesus arose but I also knew there had to be more to it than that. Christ was raised as a sign that God had justified His people! No wonder Paul wrote and said,

And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17

The fact is dear believer that when Jesus was raised, you were raised. Paul the apostle writes,

And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:6

When Jesus died we died with Him and were forgiven all trespasses and likewise when He was raised from the dead we also were raised up with Him; God has forgiven you finally and forever! You never have to worry about the sin issue between you and God because it is forever settled in the finished work of Christ.

Giving: Under Law or Under Grace?

2009-07-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. Genesis 28:20-22

If you've been in church for any length of time then I'm sure that you've heard appeals being made to give to your local church or ministry in particular. Now there is nothing wrong with giving and I am convinced that if you love God and you see that your brother has a need then you will certainly give as much as you are able to give.

On the other hand I think that many believers have gotten off track when it comes to giving; many try to live under the law of Moses by giving to get blessed.

There are many mature Christians that love God, have trusted Christ as their Savior and know that by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified and yet they are waiting to be blessed by God if they are faithful in tithing.

If Jacob were to pray the prayer that he prayed in Genesis 28:22 today, some well meaning brother or sister would stop him and say, "Now wait a minute brother, that's not right. You've got things upside down; you must tithe first and then if you're faithful in your tithing - then God will bless you, it's not the other way around."

The fact is that Jacob was already blessed. Isaac had died and Jacob had inherited the blessing of his father; Jacob was blessed just because of whose descendant he was. It wouldn't have mattered if Jacob gave anything to God or not, he couldn't change who he was nor the fact that He was under Covenant with God; God had already promised to bless Him. Just as Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils, Jacob gave a tenth in thanks and appreciation for all the blessings God had given him - not the other way around.

But then another well meaning Christian will come and say, "But what about all the promises of God about giving? What about the curse that was upon Israel because they had robbed God?" Did you notice why Jacob and Abraham were blessed before they gave anything? They weren't under any law, they lived before the law was given.

In the same way believer you are not under law, you're under grace; just like you don't perform good works to get saved, you don't give to get blessed.

The Bible teaches that all the promises of God (including those concerning giving) are in Him, yea and amen. In the Greek text "Yea" means, "even so." All the promises of God are even so in Him! We are already blessed with every spiritual blessing!

Do you know why all the promises of God are "so" in Him? Because every promise under the law had a condition that needed to be fulfilled, Jesus fulfilled the law so the promises are fulfilled as well. Jesus didn't come to destroy the law and the prophets, Jesus lived a perfect life never sinning, took your sin at the cross and was judged in your place and when you place your faith and trust in Him then His perfect lawkeeping is accounted to you while your unrighteousness was accounted to Him. You can't work to get blessed by God because He has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ through faith in His Son.

Do I give? Yes. Do I give to get blessed? No. I remember that I went a full year before I started giving anything to God and witnessed some of the most miraculous accounts of God's provision in my own personal life just by claiming His promises of provision, yet I had not given a single dime beforehand.

Again, God's blessing isn't based on your tithing, on your good deeds, on your church attendance or anything else; God's blessing is based on the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ that is freely accounted to you when you place your faith and trust in Him.

Incorruptible Seed

2009-06-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:23,

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

Also, in Genesis 1:11 we find it says

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so."

Imagine this: you go out and plant a seed in the ground, all it takes is one tiny seed and eventually it springs forth into a tree.

Jesus said,

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." - Matthew 13:31-32

Believers have been born of the Word of God and as a result they bear fruit that matches the seed they are born from. You don't plant an apple seed and get an orange tree; neither do you plant an apple seed and expect to get any other kind of fruit from the tree than apples.

John writes in 1 John 3:9,

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Dear believer just as the Word of God is incorruptible so you - the real you - the new man that lives on the inside of you is incorruptible. Just as the Word of God lives and abides forever, because you have been born of that same seed you will live and abide forever.

Jesus said in John 11:26,

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

Make no mistake about it, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior then your new nature, the Life of God in you and your position in Christ is sealed and you will never taste of spiritual death.

A Raven, A Dried Up Brook and the Blessing

2009-06-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that [is] before Jordan.
And it shall be, [that] thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that [is] before Jordan.
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 1 Kings 17:1-9

In 1 Kings chapter 17 we read about Elijah and how God gave him a Word that it wasn't going to rain for for an appointed time; during this time Elijah was to go and hide himself by the brook Cherith where God would provide for his needs.

After continuing some time, feeding on God's provision, the brook ran dry and the Word of the Lord came to him telling him to go to Zarapheth.

A number of different scenarios could have played out in Elijah's experience. Elijah could have gotten mad at God - "Hey God, I like this brook, I'm use to this, I've been here for a while, I don't like the idea of leaving and going somewhere else." Elijah could have said, "Well the brook has dried up - God has forsaken me and then had a pity party right there by that dried up old brook. Elijah in anger could have ran off in search of his own provision instead of listening to the Word of the Lord.

There are many things we can learn about Elijah's experience:

First, he knew his source wasn't the brook, he knew it wasn't the ravens it was God. In the same way your source isn't your friends, it's not your parents, it's not your job, it's not your wife - it's God.

The fact is that since God is the Source of all your needs He can sustain you in any way he chooses and He will. When one job dries up, God will bring you into another one, if one plan doesn't work out then God has something better around the corner.

Paul the apostle wrote,

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Romans 8:28

Another thing we can learn is that Elijah was open to whatever God said and just because the brook dried up didn't mean Elijah wasn't where God wanted him, in fact, it was because of the Word of the Lord that the brook dried up.

I would encourage you dear friend as Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:17,

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

Life can be uncertain, but God's promises are always certain; just because a brook in your life dries up doesn't mean the Blessing has dried up. God is your Shepherd and He has promised that because you are His sheep you will never lack.

Stinkin Thinkin

2009-06-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John 15:3

In the mornings when I wake up one of the first things I like to do is take a shower, in fact, a shower is like my morning coffee, if I don't have one I feel groggy for the rest of the day and not quite up to par.

In our daily lives we go out into the world, we work, we are exposed to pollutants, car fumes, smog, and all kinds of different things - we get dirty. In the same way spiritually in our daily lives we are exposed to the pollutants of the world and if we don't bathe spiritually then it leads to something that I like to call "Stinkin thinkin."

This world, in it's sin, is naturally negative! Regardless of how many self-help and motivational books are available in any bookstore, the world is a generally negative place. .

If we aren't diligent it can be easy to be polluted with negativity to the point that we actually begin to think and act as the world does.

Just like a daily shower, God has the remedy for the pollutants of this world - many times we need to take a spiritual shower. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians that Jesus died for the church so that ...

he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5:26

Paul also said that believers should
...be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Ephesians 4:23

and how do we do that? Paul says,

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

As believers we have no reason at all to be negative, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, seated with Christ in heavenly places, more than conquerors and are over comers.

I encourage you to get in God's Word, cast off the garment of stinking thinking and be renewed in the spirit of your mind so you can walk in the perfect will of God for your life.

Now

2009-05-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus...Romans 8:1

When Paul the apostle was writing the Romans he said that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The little word "now" is a very powerful word!

It is impossible to be in the "Now" yesterday or even five minutes ago; it's also impossible to be in the "Now" tomorrow or next week. The only way to be in the "now" is right now! The wonderful Truth is that your present moment is always right now and right now if you have trusted Christ there is no condemnation for you.

You don't have to work and struggle as if you are on probation with God hoping that if you are good enough then someday God will accept you. God accepted you when you came to Him, trusting in His only begotten Son, and because of Jesus, right now you are the righteousness of God in Him.

The Greek word for "Now" is νῦν (Nyn) and means, "At this time, the present, now"

We should always live in the present; Paul the apostle wrote that we should forget those things which are behind, the Lord Jesus told us not to worry about the future so I would encourage you - don't live in the past, it's already gone, don't worry about the future but live now as a righteous child of God free from any and all condemnation.

God will never condemn you because all of your future moments when they arrive will at that point be "Now." and remember there is no condemnation - right now if you are Christ.

Running On Old Information

2009-05-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, [and] mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto [them], and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18:24 -36

A man was having an important operation to have a pacemaker installed when a friend of his did some research on the Internet and gave this man alot of facts about pacemakers and what he could and could not do once it was in place.

The friend told him he couldn't run a microwave, he couldn't use a television remote, he couldn't use a cellphone, etc.

The man having the operation went to see his doctor for his pre-operative counseling session and began to ask about what he could and could not do after having his pacemaker installed.

Upon hearing his questions the doctor assured him, "Oh, that's the way it used to be, pacemakers have gotten alot more advanced over the years so don't worry about it, you can use a cellphone, a microwave, a remote control and none of those things will harm you.

The Internet, as wonderful as it is, often contains outdated or just plain wrong information because let's face it, all of us like to give our opinion about something. This man's friend does what many are doing today - running on old information.

The Bible contains Old information and New information; it is comprised of two main Covenants, one is a Covenant of law, the other of grace.

If we run on old information we would conclude that in order to be accounted righteous we must strictly adhere to the laws of God, of course when most people think of the law of God they think of only 10 commandments but really under Jewish law their are 613 commands which comprise the Old Covenant Torah.

Many struggle with guilt everyday trying to be righteous by keeping Sabbath days, not eating certain kinds of foods, trying to act better towards their neighbor and be more devoted to God and if we are running on old information then this is perfectly normal but if we go along with the new information God has given us then we realize that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Romans 10:4.)

God has something He wants you to do and that is to trust in His Son. When you trust in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus for the remission of all your sins then you are not only forgiven but your account is credited with the everlasting righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Additional Time Granted

2009-05-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I work for a large company and often we have to collect money for past due balances. Often someone uses our services but may not have paid their bill and as time progresses they could be disconnected i.e. cut off.

Many times I have noted accounts "Additional Time Granted" and yet many of you reading this page have had your account noted in the exact same way by God.

The Bible says in Hebrews 3:15,
While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Many of you reading this even now have been called over and over again by God and God repeatedly has said, "Additional time granted" and yet you have not heeded His call.

Realize, I'm not talking to believers here but unbelievers; you have been raised in church, you know whats right and yet you refuse to do it. There is always an excuse "Oh, there are too many hypocrites in church" But Jesus was never a hypocrite was He? How well will that excuse stand when you stand before the King of kings to give an account for your sins? How well will that excuse stand when the sins you died in are only there because you wouldn't accept the free gift of God's salvation?

"I had a bad experience in church" Believe you me dear friend, Jesus had a very bad experience in the religion of the Jews - they crucified Him.

"Well I got my feelings hurt at church when I was a kid and now I don't want anything to do with Christianity." I'm sure that the way Jesus was treated by His own people was far worse than anything you've ever endured; besides when has Jesus ever done anything but love you?

The Bible teaches in Genesis 6:3,

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

God does love you and He loves humankind but He has proven many times thoughout the Bible that, while He is patient, His patience is not something that doesn't have a definite end.

God was patient with Sodom and Gomorrah and yet He rained fire and brimstone down on those cities, God was patient with Israel and yet their rejection of Jesus the Messiah led to their final prophesied destruction, God was patient in the days of Noah but the end came! The fact is that whether the world comes to an end or not, your personal world will end someday and it's important to determine now what you will do with Jesus Christ.

I used the analogy of a debt that was owed now imagine this: Let's say you have a debt and a person comes to you and offers to pay that debt for you, all you have to do is accept it from his hand and yet for whatever reason you deny his offer. Who is to blame you or the one who offered to bail you out of debt?

In the same way my friend don't blame God, blame yourself! God has given His Son freely to whosoever will trust in the finished work of His Son and yet many of you still progress along your daily lives playing games, going to church, playing Christian and yet refusing the free gift of His Son.

Let me tell you, you may have been raised in church, you may be a preachers kid, you may be a Sunday school teacher, you may even be a pastor, but if you have not accepted the free gift of God's salvation through the finished work of Christ then you are not a Christian - you are condemned already.

Jesus spoke a parable in Luke 13:6-9 that goes like this:

A certain [man] had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung [it]:And if it bear fruit, [well]: and if not, [then] after that thou shalt cut it down.

God has called you many times and has been very patient with you - what more must He do? Why wait? Don't wait, you don't have time to wait because you aren't promised another day. Get right with God now and the only way to do that is to simply trust that Christ has taken away your sins. Jesus took your sins at the cross and justified you completely in His resurrection if you will step into it by faith believing that it is so, confessing Him as your Lord and Savior.

Choices, Choices

2009-05-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:16 -17

In Genesis chapter 2 we find that God caused two trees to grow side by side right in the center of the garden of Eden; one tree was a tree of life, the other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God, in Genesis 2:16-17 offers both an invitation and a warning. God told Adam that from all the trees of the garden he could freely eat with the exception of one - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Think about it: you have two trees side by side, one a tree of life everlasting, the other a tree of knowing what is good or bad. Why in the world Adam didn't choose the tree of life is beyond me but in reality we are also faced with the same choice.

The fact is that two-thousand years ago there was a tree that would become a tree of life. It was Jesus Who is Life Himself that hung on that tree and all who freely partake of Him have life everlasting; Often people make the other choice, the choice of death.

God told Israel in Deut 30:19,

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

So often people choose law, they choose their own works and efforts, they choose simply knowing what is good or bad and trying in their own strength to live up to the laws of God (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) instead of simply trusting in the one who hung on the cross to give them life (A type of the tree of life.)

The fact is that the cross, a tree of death became a tree of life and it becomes a tree of life - a tree you can eat freely of - to all those who trust in the finished work of Christ.

The law can do nothing but show you what is right and what is wrong, it can't make you righteous and it can't empower you to obey, but when you trust Christ as Savior you are automatically accounted as righteous.

Jesus said in John 6:63,

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

Many think that they can become righteous by their own ability to keep God's law, many have the idea that with enough self discipline they can be good enough to enter heaven but the Truth is that the law was a ministration of death (2 Cor 3:7) but the finished work of Christ leads to life everlasting.

The decision is set before you, life or death, blessing or cursing, you can choose to try and merit your own salvation by being good enough or you can receive it freely by simply trusting that it has been given you through the finished work of Christ.

A Place Prepared Just For You

2009-05-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

My wife lives in Indiana - or she did as of yesterday - she's moved down now. Not too long ago we looked at the house we now occupy and fell in love with it - we had to have it.

After we got the house and I went ahead and moved into it. I moved my things first and started working away earnestly, unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, setting furniture. You name it, I was right in the middle of it. What was I doing? I was preparing a place for my wife - my bride.

In the same way Jesus said,

In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. John 14:2-3

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9,

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Heaven is a most beautiful place and Jesus has prepared the way by making Himself the Way and now He is preparing a place just for you if you have trusted Him as your savior; with love and care Jesus is continuously working on your place until either by way of His coming or through the gateway of death, He calls you home.

I would always encourage you to stand firm in the faith and "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)

After all is said and done, one day the troubles of life will be over and you will see Jesus face to face.

Out of the Box

2009-05-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

I was in my study the other day having my personal time with the Lord and as I sat there I waited and waited and waited - nothing. I read the Bible, I prayed and waited some more, still nothing. So I closed my Bible, thanked the Lord for His Word, cut out the lights and went upstairs. We just moved into our house so I went about the task of moving boxes, putting things in their place and went outside to get some air and about that time the Lord started speaking to me.

Verses of scriptures flashed through my mind as the Lord began to reveal various Truths; I thought, "Why didn't He speak to me when I was waiting on Him; why did He wait until I was out and about and getting stuff done to reveal what He wanted to say? It was then it occurred to me that God is out and about working in this world. Too often we want to hide in a church building or in our personal prayer closet but God is out in the streets working and moving in a lost world.

God will move where many of us would not dare set foot lest we be "tainted" by some uncleanness. Many of us, like the disciples after Jesus death hide out and keep to ourselves rather than going out seeking those who are lost.

Did you know that most of the miracles you see in your lifetime will happen outside the four walls of a church fellowship rather than within?

Jesus loved people, He ate with the publicans and sinners, he was called a drunk and a glutton by the same guys - the Pharisees - who kept as far away as possible from common people lest they be tainted by the "sin" and uncleanness of others.

Now don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with private prayer where we steal away from anything and everything and focus on the Lord. There is nothing wrong with going to church and edifying each other in the faith but there comes a time when we need to step outside of the four walls and minister the gospel to the world - after all it's why we are here.

Many think the only way you can pray is to be in a certain posture when the Truth is that, as a believer, since God is in you and is one with your spirit He can speak to you at any place or time and more often than not you may just find him speaking to you as you progress through your daily life.

I would encourage you not to limit what God can do, don't limit how, when or where He can speak to you; if you don't limit Him and if you obey His voice you will find yourself in the middle of a holy adventure called the Christian life, in front of the eyes of men and as a result your Father in heaven will be glorified.

Heading to Indiana

2009-05-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well I'm off today heading to Indiana to see my honey. My wife, Jeannie Rupe lives in Franklin, IN and will be moving shortly to our new home in Johnson City, TN.

The trip to Indiana takes about 7 hours to complete, her plans to move to Tennessee should be realized a few days after Memorial Day.

I created this blog to let all my friends know what I'm up to, my whereabouts, and to share those inspirational things that God makes real to my heart.

You can always tell a difference between "revelation" and simple head knowledge. Usually when something comes to you and it seems a light "flipped on" in your understanding - that is revelation.

God is so good! And we are anticipating many wonderful things that He has planned for us in the future.