IN HIS IMAGE

 

IN HIS IMAGE

Gen. 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make people in our own image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.” So God created people in his own image: God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. NLT

We are unique, set apart from all the rest of creation. We have souls which never die; we are spiritual beings. We have the ability to reason and make choices based upon our reasoning ability. We have the ability to grasp who God is and respond to Him. We have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. We have the ability to love and be loved, to accept God or reject Him. We have the ability to discover and create new things. We have the ability to subdue creation and use it for our good. In other words, we are created in the image of God.

But, man messed up his privileged status. Man made a choice to sin against God. He became knowledgeable about sin and became subject to its consequences and condemnation. Man became a victim of his choices and hopelessly out of fellowship with God. Shame and guilt were introduced to his soul. His innocence was forever taken away. His pathway to God was no longer an easy road. Life became very difficult for him to live. Pain and suffering became his lot.

God recreated man at Calvary. He made it possible for man to once again have fellowship with himself. Jesus made it possible for man to break free from the bondage of sin and respond to God’s love for him. We are now able to think clearly about life and eternity. We now are able to understand how to live so that we will be able to live with God, both now and eternally.

Man was without life until God breathed into him life. Spiritually we have no hope apart from God breathing into us His life. He is the breath of our souls. If we don’t allow Him to breathe for us, we are spiritually dead, bound for an eternity in hell. It’s as simple as that. In order for Him to breathe for us, we must cooperate with Him. We must let Him into our hearts and have control of us. We can trust Him to keep us alive and healthy. Let go and let the Lord be the breath of your life.

GOD CREATED US

 

GOD CREATED US

Gen. 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves…” NLT

Mankind is not the product of some evolutionary process. We are not some accident of nature. We are the product of God’s creative mind and heart. God made us in His image. We are like God is. We have the reasoning ability of God. We have the ability of God to appreciate beauty, to love and be loved, to make choices, and to live with the consequences of our choices. We are like God in the sense that from early on in our conception we are eternal beings. God is spirit and we are too, albeit our spirit is encased in flesh and bones. Like God, we have the capacity for heart fellowship. We are like God, but we are never equal to God.

Notice that God declares himself to be more than one. We know He is three distinct personalities in one: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are like God in His essence and entirety, yet, never His equal. We have characteristics of all three personalities of God, blended together to make us unique and wonderful creations.

When we try to explain ourselves apart from God, we rob ourselves of any logical reason to exist. Only in God’s creative act do we find cause to believe we are special and life is worthy to live. Only in God’s creative act do we find a reason to have hope, joy, and peace. We are made by God’s design in His likeness. Think about it. We are more than our existence on earth. We are eternal spiritual beings who have the capability to enter into a relationship with God. We have the capability of living a holy life like God who is holy. We can be who God created us to be; it is our choice to make.

“Thank you, our Father for making us who we are. Thank You for making me, me. Thank You for your thoughtful design. Thank You for making me a mirror image of yourself. Help me, Lord, to live up to your expectations for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD

 

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD

Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NLT

God never set out to prove himself to us. He doesn’t give us any more information about himself other than He is. He tells us exactly what we need to know, in the beginning, God. If we don’t get it here, the very first book of the Bible, we are going to have a very hard time getting much of anything from the rest of the Bible. God is. Period. He always has been and always will be who He is, God. We can’t understand God’s origin, because He has none. We can’t understand His power, because He has the power to create all things. We can’t understand His mind, because He is the one who thought of all of creation’s details—from the minutest to the most majestic. We can’t understand His goodness because it is cloaked in His holiness. There is nothing about God we can know or understand about God apart from what He reveals to us. And, what God has chosen to reveal to us is only what we can handle. He cannot be contained by our limited ability to comprehend.

God begins His Word with the declaration of His existence. We start with faith. God is and He has created all things. We don’t depend on man’s knowledge about where we came from or how we came into being. God conceived us and brought us into being. We are the workmanship of His hands. We are who we are because we are His, the product of His design, not some accident of nature that evolved over millions of years. God exists independently of man’s understanding of Him. He always has been and always will be, God.

Everything that exists has the thumbprint of God on it. It is what it is because it is exactly what God intended for it to be. There is no part of creation that does not have a reason and purpose for its existence. What we don’t know God does. By faith, we rest in God, the creator of all things.

COME

 

COME

Rev. 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let each one who hears them say, “Come.” Let the thirsty ones come—anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge. NLT

It is an open invitation for all, “Come.” The heart of God is fellowship. He wants to have a relationship with everyone. He wants all to repent so that He can have fellowship with them. The Lord will not deny anyone who comes to Him for eternal life forgiveness and acceptance. He will satisfy the longing of every soul who comes to Him.

God created a thirst in every soul. There is a longing in the soul that needs to be satisfied. Man will always strive to quench his thirst, but only Christ can satisfy it. Everything man does is an effort to find that which satisfies. Everyone is looking for soul satisfaction. Some seek it in the things of the world, the pleasures of the world, or the religions of the world. Satan is a master deceiver and distracter. He knows how to occupy the heart of man so that he does not find his satisfaction in Christ. He knows how to convince man that other things will satisfy man’s longings other than Christ.

There is a huge price to pay when seeking satisfaction apart from Christ. All roads taken apart from Christ lead to self-destruction and ultimately to hell. The soul will never be satisfied unless Jesus is found. God freely gives eternal life through Christ to anyone who comes to Him. Whoever gets tired of chasing after those things which cannot satisfy and comes to Christ for the forgiveness of their sins will be saved and find what they are looking for. Only Jesus can satisfy the longings of the soul.

Dear friend, if you are a child of God today, only Jesus will satisfy the longings of your heart so don’t chase after the things or pleasures of this world. If you have let other affections take over your life, return to Christ who alone will make your heart content. The more you set your heart on Christ, the more content and happy you will be.

If you are not a child of God, don’t waste another moment of your life. Bow at Jesus’ feet, confess your sins, ask Him to forgive you, and then embrace Him as your Savior. You will be glad you did.

ON OUR WAY HOME

 

ON OUR WAY HOME

Rev. 21:3-4 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” NLT

We are not home yet. We are not where God is at. He is amongst us and within us, but this is not where He dwells. God’s home is beyond description. It is a place where there is no sin, sickness, sorrow, soreness, or separation from God. It is a place that is filled with nothing but the glory of God. It is a place where all who live there are pure in heart and holy to the core of their being. It is a place completely devoid of all that is sinful and evil. It is a place of pure joy all the time.

There will be a shout from the throne of God declaring that we made it, that we are finally home. What a glorious moment that will be! The reality will hit us like a ton of bricks. All that we longed for will be before our eyes. The splendor and glory of heaven will be ours to enjoy forever and ever. Our faith will be done away with for then all faith will be made sight before our very eyes.

We live in a world that is dark and infested with evil. Sin manifests itself in a multitude of ways all the time. There is no reprieve on earth from sin. Wicked is the heart of man and we cannot avoid it. In this world, there is great pain and sorrow. We bear the consequences of sin in our bodies, minds. and souls. It takes tremendous effort to stay away from sinning against God. It takes tremendous dedication and determination to live holy lives on earth.

In heaven what takes so much effort on our part on earth will be the norm. Everyone will be holy and pure in heart. Everyone will exercise godly love naturally. We will no longer need to stand guard over our souls, because no sin will be found there. We will no longer be plagued by selfishness, greed, or pride. We will no longer feel alienated from God, for God will be there with us always. We will no longer feel like we are all alone, for all who will be there will be lovers of God like we are. There will no longer be divisions amongst us, for we will truly be one in Christ.

We are on our way home. When we get there it will be beyond anything we can imagine.

Hang in there, dear friend. It will be worth it all when we get home to see Jesus and live with Him forever.

STANDING BEFORE GOD

 

STANDING BEFORE GOD

Rev. 20:12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. NLT

Everyone who has ever lived will stand before God’s throne to give an account for how they have lived their life. God knows quite well what is going on in our lives and through our minds. He knows whether or not Jesus makes us tick or not. He has recorded in heaven how we live and whether or not Jesus is our Savior.

Now, whether or not there are actual books in heaven that God keeps to record each one’s life is not important to know. What is important is that God knows. He is able to distinguish each soul from one another, to know their hearts, and not forget any of it. He has personal knowledge of everyone and will hold everyone accountable for his life.

Those who are His have their names written down in the Book of Life. Each name written there has been put there by Jesus, written in the precious blood of Calvary. Jesus alone has access to the book. Only those who are truly saved will have their names written there. He alone has the authority to open it, write in it, and reveal whose names are written there. On Judgment Day He will open the Book of Life and those whose names are written there will enter into heaven with Him.

God will reward those who have done well and judge severely those whose names are not written there. All of the redeemed will receive their just reward. Those who are the most faithful will receive the greater rewards. We need to be faithful in our love for the Lord. Those who are faithful will live a life consistent with the life of faith, they will pursue and put into practice those things which produce strong faith, and they will let faith determine and impact the things they do, say, and think. Let us live so that great will be our reward in heaven.

When you are standing before God waiting for His judgment call, will you be trembling in fear, or will the peace that only Jesus can give flood your soul?

You will either bow before God in worship and proclaim Jesus is your Lord, or you will bow shaking in fear and proclaim Jesus is Lord, even though you don’t know Him as your Lord.

Jesus is coming to take the Church home to be with Him for all of eternity. Are you ready?

JUDGMENT DAY IS COMING

 

JUDGMENT DAY IS COMING

Rev. 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life were thrown into the sea. NLT

God makes it very clear, there is coming a Judgment Day. Every human being who has ever lived will stand before God, stripped of everything but their naked soul. God will know everything there is to know about the soul and will determine justly where we will spend eternity. His standard for judgment will be His holiness and the righteousness of Christ. God will show mercy to those who deserve it and judgment to those who don't. No one will escape their appointed time for judgment. Those whose names are recorded in heaven will be heaven and those whose names are not found will end up in hell.

There is a mystery surrounding God's judgment that we will never solve on earth. How He will judge fairly all humanity we will never know. There are multitudes of people who have never heard of Christ. There are multitudes of people who have never had the chance to hear. We don't know how God is going to treat them. We are told that all will be judged according to their deeds. God knows what we do and why we do them. We don't know what all will enter into God's judgment, but we do know that God is holy and will make no mistakes. Each of us will spend eternity exactly where we deserve to be.

The issue is not what we don't know, it is what we do know. Do you know for sure that you are ready to face God? The only opportunity you will ever have to be ready is in this life. There will be no second chances once you die. And, you may only have today to be ready. We don't know when our last opportunity may come to get right with God. Jesus wants to help you know for sure that you are ready. Will you let Him help you today?

ON JESUS' THRONE

 

ON JESUS’ THRONE

Rev. 3:19-21 "I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends. I will invite everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne." NLT

Do you like to be disciplined? Most of us try to avoid it. We don't like the discomfort and pain that it often brings. We don't like to see ourselves deserving of it. We don't like to be shamed because of what we may have said or done.

The Lord disciplines those He loves. It can happen in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. More than likely He disciplines us when we wander away from Him and drift into sinful behavior. His discipline can come from the chastisement of others, His Word as we meditate on it, a lack of peace and joyfulness in life, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, God withholding His blessings from us and allowing us to experience troubled times of life, etc. However the Lord chooses to discipline us, it is always for our good with the intention of drawing us back to Him.

The Lord wants you to pay attention to Him today and quit treating Him with indifference. He is waiting patiently at your heart’s door for you to open it up to Him and let Him in. He wants what is best for you and to save you from yourself. He wants to show you just how wonderful fellowship with Him really is. He will not force His way into your life. You must invite Him in and let Him lead you into a life of peace and joy. It may not be comfortable for you while He fixes things up in your heart, but the reward will be victory over sin and it will be great.

Think about what it means to sit with Christ on His throne. We cannot possibly grasp all that it means for us. In fact, we probably know very little of what it truly means. What we do know is that Christ sits on His throne with constant exposure to God on His throne and that He sits in victory over sin. There is never a moment in which Jesus is away from God in all His glory. The power and authority that is God's rest in Jesus. He does anything He desires to do because He always does what is holy with purity of heart.

When we sit with Christ on His throne, we become like Him. All that Christ is rubs off on us. We become like Him and are able to live holy lives capable of doing anything our hearts desire because we desire from pure hearts.

The Lord is at your heart’s door knocking. Will you answer the door and let Him in? He wants to invite you to join Him on His throne. Will you accept His invitation? He is waiting for you.

I DON'T NEED A THING

 

“I DON’T NEED A THING”

Rev. 3:17 “You say, ‘I am rich, I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing! And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” NLT

It is a dangerous thing to get the attitude that you are just fine the way you are, that you don’t need anything else from the Lord. Whenever we begin to get the idea that we have arrived in our walk with the Lord and we don’t need to pursue growth anymore, we become fools in our thinking. In this life, no one ever gets to the point where they can stand on their own two feet and coast the rest of the way home to heaven. We need the Lord at all times and must always lean on Him and not our laurels for our salvation.

We stumble and fall whenever we become content with who we are in Christ. There must always be a need for Him and a desire for more and more of Him. We never have been and never will be self-sufficient in our spiritual lives.

We are easily convinced that we are where we need to be with Christ. What we must accept is that apart from a vibrant relationship with Him, we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked beings. Sin consumes the soul that tries to live independently from Christ. Sin takes over when we cease to understand our need for Him. When we lose our sense of need for the Lord, we quickly drift away from Him and lose our way to Him.

Take a moment, pause, and think about what you need from the Lord right now. What are you facing that sure could use God’s guidance, strength, grace, wisdom, comfort, encouragement, or patience? Or perhaps, you need His forgiveness, greater faith, a greater understanding of truth, or a better understanding of yourself and your place in His kingdom. Whatever your need may be, we need the Lord, every day and every hour. Blessed is he who understands this life-changing truth.

PASSIONS OF THE CHURCH

 

PASSIONS OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 3:14-16 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen--the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ‘I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!’ " NLT

There are so many professing Christians who need to hear this message over and over again. They are lethargic when it comes to their faith. They drift along in life without much of anything happening in their walk with the Lord. They profess belief in Christ and claim His forgiveness for their sins, yet that is about all that their faith amounts to. They go through life without much fire in their faith. They are not witnessing for Him, or seizing opportunities they are given to grow and serve. They are content to believe so that they won't go to hell when they die, but are not much interested in taking faith any further than that. Maybe you are one of them. They don't read their Bibles much or pray except when they are in need.

Jesus gives us this warning: it doesn't work. God does not accept lukewarm Christianity. It repulses Him when we treat faith as nothing more than fire insurance. He wants our passionate allegiance to Him. He demands it. If you are not set on fire for God, you are treading on dangerous ground. Only he who is passionate about God is able to accomplish anything for God. Passion is what drives us to do what we do.

Passion is what keeps us from living in sin. It is what keeps us seeking God. It is what keeps our flame of love burning brightly for God and others. It is what keeps us wanting to tell others about Him. As far as God is concerned, there is no such thing as a listless Christian.

A passionless Christian is no different than one who is cold towards the things of God. In fact, he is probably better off being cold than lukewarm. At least, someone who is spiritually cold is not pretending to be someone he isn't.

Hear what the Lord says about those who treat faith with such contempt, "I will spit you out of my mouth!" If you are treading water and not going anywhere in your faith, let the Lord fire you up now before it is too late.

It is easy to lose one’s passion for the Lord. We get caught up in the busyness of life and don’t focus on the Lord like we should. We take Him, our salvation, and His blessings for granted.

If you have lost your passion for the Lord, don’t let another moment go by. Turn to Him and ask Him to forgive you and give you a love bath. Commit yourself anew to Him. Vow to not let life rob you of your passion ever again. The Lord is waiting for you to return to your first love for Him. Will you do it? Put it off and you will probably forget about it and nothing changes, you will be rejected by the Lord.

PLEASURES OF THE CHURCH

 

PLEASURES OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 3:11-12 "Look, I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God--the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And they will have my new name inscribed upon them. NLT

The Lord is coming quickly, how soon we don't know, but when He does it will be very quick. We must always strive to be ready at all times. We must hold on tightly to the faith we have. We must not let anyone hinder us from living in Christ or for Him.

We must stay the course and live in victory over our sins. We who do are the pillars of the faith. We are in Christ and Christ is in us and that will not change. God puts His name on our hearts; we are children of God. Jesus will help us live up to His name and when He comes to take the Church out of the world, we will be included in it.

Oh, what joy is ours! Heaven is our eternal home! We are not on our own, God is with us each step we take! God is not ashamed to call us His children. He goes the extra mile to keep us strong and steady in faith.

There is no greater pleasure than to know that God is for us. Think about it; Jesus today is preparing for us our heavenly home. He ministers before our Father on our behalf. He protects us from God's holy wrath. He stands before our Father and speaks on our behalf. We are loved by God! We are claimed by God as His own! We have been given a reason to live and die. No one can pull us away from our Lord as long as we cling to Him. Delight yourself in the Lord for when you do, He delights himself in you.

PRACTICE OF THE CHURCH

 

PRACTICE OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 3:4-6 "Yet even in Sardis there are some who have not soiled their garments with evil deeds. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches." NLT

Have you noticed? The Church is losing its grip. We are not as faithful and careful as we once were. We are not as intense in our love for Christ as we once were. We aren't as hungry or thirsty for the things of God as we once were. There isn't as much fire and zeal in us as there once was. We are not as united as we were before. Sin is not deemed to be the issue it was in days gone by. Our garments have become soiled.

Yet, there is still hope. There are many in the Church today who have kept themselves pure. They are diligent for the things of God. They care about sin and strive to live holy lives. They are worthy to walk in garments that are white. They live in victory in this life and will be raised with Christ in great victory when He comes to take us home.

The names of all who keep themselves pure are written in the Book of Life and their names will never be erased. Jesus has written their names down and they are written in the ink of His shed blood. He stands before our Father in heaven and proclaims us as His own. All heaven hears the message loud and clear. Great is the rejoicing in heaven as Jesus claims us for His own!

Hear now this message loud and clear, "All who live faithfully and obediently before Christ today will be rewarded greatly in heaven when they die. He will be rewarded with the crown of righteousness placed on his head as the great cloud of witnesses in heaven rejoice. He will join all those who have gone on before him and bask in the glow of Christ our King forever and ever."

Are you ready to receive your reward in heaven? Or, are your garments soiled? Have you let the things of the world soil them? Do you have sins you need to have washed in the blood of the Lamb? Confess your sins to Him today and He will make your heart pure, whiter than snow, before God.

BACK TO THE BASICS

 

BACK TO THE BASICS

Rev. 3:3 "Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief." NLT

The Lord has the final word. He makes it very clear that if we don't get back to the basics of the faith and hold firmly to them, He will come like a thief and we will be caught unprepared. There is a real problem with overthinking the faith. Knowledge is good and we need to pursue understanding, but when our quest for knowledge and understanding robs us of our childlike faith, we have a problem.

We must never forget; we are saved by God's grace alone. God loves us and extends to us His love through His son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the one who purifies the heart and makes us holy. It is the righteousness of Christ that gives us an audience with God. It is what God does for us that makes us righteous. It is Christ alone who washes away our sins and casts them into the sea of God's forgetfulness. It is God who gives us the strength and power to live the life of faith. We dare not ever forget these things.

We need to passionately remember these things and build our lives on these truths. We can never move away from these truths. We must hold firmly to them. If we don't, we will lose our bearings and not be ready when the Lord comes for us. Stay alert and never lose sight of the wondrous truth, Jesus included you and me when He died on the cross for our sins. It is by His precious blood that we have fellowship with God. He is our wisdom, righteousness, and holiness before God (I Cor. 1:30).

We need to get back to the basic truths of the faith. We MUST get back to them for there is no other way we will know or see God. Jesus is coming soon and unless we are living in agreement with God that He is the way, truth. and life, we will not be with Him when He takes the Church home to heaven.

TIME TO WAKE UP!

 

TIME TO WAKE UP!

Rev. 3:1b-2 "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive--but you are dead. Now wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right in the sight of God." NLT

It's time to wake up! Appearing to be right with God and being right with God are two totally different things. We can put on our Christian faces while being out of fellowship with God. We can even fool ourselves into thinking we are right with God when we are not.

We need to be honest with ourselves about who we really are in God's eyes. We need to get back to the basics and examine ourselves in light of God's Word. Are we living what we profess to believe? Are we striving to live pure and holy lives before God? Are we submissive to Him and striving to serve Him? Is the Lord the driving passion of your heart? Are you ready to stand before Him today and give an account of your life?

If you have faith in God, strengthen your faith today; if you don't, it may very well die out. Get into God's Word and let it captivate your soul and mind. Learn what it says and prayerfully seek to apply it to your living. Renew your commitment to prayer. Spend all the time that you need in prayer to know that the Lord is near. Learn to trust the Lord in all things. Take Him at His word and do not doubt. Let the Lord stretch your faith and make it stronger.

Make sure your heart is right with God today and your deeds will soon follow. He will be well-pleased with your living when your heart is right with Him. If your heart is not right before Him, what you do won't matter. God will not acknowledge the works of those out of fellowship with Him.

Confess your sins to the Lord today, ask Him to forgive you, and change your ways. Your eternal destiny depends on it. If you wait, tomorrow may be too late.

It’s time to wake up! Don’t let life lull you to sleep. Eternity is but one breath away.

WHAT JESUS KNOWS

 

WHAT JESUS KNOWS

Rev. 2:23 "I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve." NLT

Jesus makes it very clear; He is the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. Jesus knows what you are thinking all the time. I don't know about you, but there are times in which I wish that the Lord did not know what I was thinking. It’s impossible to always keep our thoughts in order. We may not express how we feel, but the Lord knows what is going on in our heads. We need to strive as much as possible to keep our minds focused on that which is good and wholesome so it won't be filled with things that are harmful to our souls.

Jesus makes it clear; He knows the intentions of every person. He knows why we do what we do. He knows better than we do why we do things. He looks deep into the soul and understands the direction of our souls and how it affects what we do and say. We can fool one another easy enough, and sometimes even ourselves, but we can never fool the Lord.

Jesus makes it clear; we will get whatever we deserve. God never makes a mistake when He doles out justice. He judges us according to His revealed truth. No one will stand before the Lord and receive from Him more or less than he deserves. This truth can either comfort us or frighten us. We need to live in such a way that we are comforted by this wonderful truth. The Lord is a rewarder of those who are faithful to Him.

PREACHING IN THE CHURCH

PREACHING OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 2:20a "But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman--that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet--to lead my servants astray." NLT

What kind of preaching do you listen to? In some of the early churches, false teaching entered in. There were people who were proclaiming a different message than the Gospel message and it was leading people of the Church astray. We don't know all that was being taught, but we do know that it could not have been consistent with Paul and the apostles' teachings. Many wanted to cling to their traditions and old ways of living in their walks of faith. Many used the Gospel for their own personal gain.

There are a lot of different things being proclaimed in the Church today that are different than what is proclaimed in God's Word. Some churches have changed the Word of God to suit their own interpretations of it. Some have softened the message and no longer preach about God's holiness. Some declare that hell is not real and we don't have to concern ourselves about it. Some take a more universalist approach and declare that there are many ways to God other than Jesus. There are so many different spins on the truth of the Gospel that the Word of God is no longer considered to be infallible and relevant to our daily living. Some add to it and take away from it what they want in order to suit their own whims.

It is imperative for the wellness of our souls that we be diligent students of God's Word. We must not take an intellectual approach to the Word without a heart approach. We must let God speak to us and guide us into all truth. We must submit to its authority over us and have nothing to do with any teachings that go contrary to it. God has clearly made known to us the way of holiness and we must follow it. Without it, no one will see God.

Preaching that is all love and no holiness is not Biblical preaching. Preaching holiness may not be popular, but it is the meat and bones of the Christian life.

PURITY OF THE CHKURCH

 

PURITY OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 2:14a "And yet I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you who are like Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel." NLT

One of the things that has become common in the Church is the presence of people who trip others up in the faith. Some troublemakers are very easy to see and others are hard to find. If the Church is sincere in wanting to do things God's way, she will break fellowship with those who teach or preach things that would cause people to not live holy lives. Holiness is a mandate from God and essential for our getting into heaven. Therefore, the Church must not allow anyone to lead others away from holy living.

There are some people who trip up the faith of others who are not easily noticed. We need to be on the lookout for them. We need to shun anyone who would pull us away from holy living. Anyone who would entice us to sin must not be allowed into our lives. Anyone who would discourage us from living holy lives must not be in our fellowship. Anyone who would promote all heaven and no hell must not be listened to. Anyone who would promote God as love and not holy love must not be tolerated. Anyone who does not spur us on to holy living is not good for us. Anyone who would minimize sin's impact on us because of grace should be avoided. Anyone who is a hindrance instead of a help to us is not good for us.

We must be careful who we hang around with. Our goal is to remain pure before God and anyone who influences us to not be pure must not play a prominent role in our lives. It is not easy to keep our souls pure before God and letting people into our lives who work against us is not a very good idea.

PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH

 

PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 2:10 "Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The Devil will throw some of you into prison and put you to the test. You will be persecuted for 'ten days. Remain faithful even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life. NLT

Some believers know very well what it is to suffer and be persecuted for their faith, while for others there is very little knowledge of what it is like. The early church lived in a very hostile world towards Christianity. Christ changed everything; He made enemies of the Jewish community that did not accept Him as the promised Messiah and He was deemed to be the enemy of the Roman world who was threatened by His claims of kingship over mankind. As a result, Christians were the target of much persecution, even to the point of death for many. In many parts of the world today, the same thing holds true. Many religions of the world despise Christians and often will persecute them, even to the point of death. The world in general despises Christians because of Christ's standards of holy living that they refuse to accept, let alone live by.

On the other hand, in many parts of the world, suffering for Christ is not very well known. There may be public scorning for one's beliefs and ridicule, but that would be pretty much it. What needs to be understood though is that the closer we get to the Lord's coming, the more likely it is that the body of Christ everywhere will be subject to persecutions and sufferings.

Jesus reminds us here to remain faithful. We need to strengthen our faith every chance we get so that we will be strong enough to remain faithful when the tough times come upon us. If we are able to remain faithful, even if it is in the face of death itself, great will be our reward in heaven. The time to grow strong in faith is today, tomorrow may be too late. Draw near to God and stay there. If you do, you will be able to stand up and be faithful regardless of what you may face in the days ahead.

PINNINGS OF THE CHURCH

 

PININNGS OF THE CHURCH

Rev. 2:4-5 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” NLT

The Lord has a complaint against all in the Church who have wandered away from godly love. It may not bother us so much, but it sure bothers God. We need to take a serious look at ourselves and examine our love meter. Do we love God and others as much today as we did when we were first saved?

Much of our initial love for the Lord is emotion-driven. We ride high on the fact that our sins are forgiven and we respond to Christ in love. But as we settle back into the routines of daily living, the edge of emotions wear off. If we don’t grow deeper in our understanding of Christ and His works of grace in us, we soon drift away from Him. Part of the wonder of grace is that it drives us deeper into an enduring love as opposed to an emotional love. We learn to appreciate what it is to live in a relationship with God. We respond to Him on a much deeper level than when we first believed.

If we don’t grow in the love of God, we soon quit producing evidence that Christ is in us. Our service tapers off and our witness takes on a mundane routine. We no longer have the spark, the desire we had when we first believed. In order for us to not fall away from our first love, we must work hard at maintaining our love. We must develop consistent Bible study and prayer time habits. We must stay connected to the fellowship of the church and strive to be involved in her activities as much as we can be. We must seize opportunities to serve the Lord in and outside the church. We must work hard at valuing our relationship with Christ above everything else.

The consequences of falling away from our love for God are severe. God will not force us to stay in His love. He will have fellowship only with those who desire to have fellowship with Him. It is a very dangerous thing to take our salvation lightly. If you find yourself out of love with the Lord today, you need to fall on bended knee before Him, repent of your wandering away, and renew your love for Him. You need to do it today, because tomorrow may be too late.

What are you pinning for, the things of the world or the things of God?

FIRST LOVE

 

FIRST LOVE

Rev. 2:4-5 "But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don't, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches." NLT

Do you love with the same intensity as you did when you first fell in love? Take a moment and think back. What was it like when you first discovered true love? I remember that my whole outlook on life was one of excitement and focus. I enjoyed being in the presence of my wife-to-be and it was all I cared about. I lived for the moments when I could spend time with her. It gave me great joy and renewed hope. I remember that I would not let life get to me because I was in love and knew she loved me. It was true when I fell in love with my wife, and it was true when I really fell in love with God. The issue now is, "Do I still love my wife and God like I did at first?"

How far have you fallen away from the time you first fell in love with God? Does He excite you like He once did? Do you long to be with Him like you once did? Do you see life positively and hopefully like you once did? Are you as focused on Him like you once were? Does knowing God bring you great joy? Are you living to please Him like you once did? If not, what has happened? What have you allowed to come between you and God? What has become more important to you than your relationship with God?

Listen! Turn back to God while you can. Don't waste another moment of your life drifting away from Him. Turn back to Him and renew the love you had for Him when you first got to know Him. Repent of whatever sins you have allowed into your heart. Repent of your neglect. Repent of your failure to stoke the fires of your love. Repent and turn back to God before your heart turns so cold you won't even want to. Don't let your light grow so dim that the darkness swallows it up.

Today is the day for your turning back to God. Now is the time for you to rekindle the flame of your love. Tomorrow may be too late. Right now is the moment God has given you to repent. Will you do it?

GLORY, GLORY, GLORY

 

GLORY, GLORY, GLORY

Jude 25 All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen. NLT

Give God the glory. He alone is able to save us. He gives us salvation through Jesus our Lord. Jesus came to earth for no other reason. He died on the cross of Calvary so that you and I could become His children.

As a young lad, I can still remember old Brother Schaeffer giving God the glory in church. I was raised in a conservative church and showing emotions in church was not the norm, except for Brother Schaeffer. We would be in worship and the Lord would bless Brother Schaeffer in a powerful way. It may be a song sung, a testimony given, or a message from the pulpit. When the Lord moved him, Brother Schaeffer would stand up, raise his arms in the air, and start walking around the church aisles. He would start saying, “Glory, Glory, Glory” as he walked. That is all he would say. When he had walked around the church pews he would return to his seat and sit down quietly. You knew he was in the Spirit, and we were too. So overwhelmed by God’s presence, he gave God the glory due His name.

God alone is worthy of our adoration and praise. He alone is glorious and majestic. He is all powerful and all authority belongs to Him. We behold all that He has created and our souls are filled with awe. He displays His glory, majesty and power through all we can see and in the things we can't see. Man is constantly discovering new things in creation that bear witness to God's indescribable glory, majesty, power, and wisdom.

God rules over all He has made; He holds it all together by the sheer power of His word. Nothing happens in creation without His knowledge and permission. He alone is able to rule over all things. He always has exercised authority over all things, and He always will. Things happen at His command and someday He will command Jesus to come to take us home to heaven. He will command the events needed to create the new heaven and earth to unfold and the transformation will begin.

Brother Schaeffer is home with his Lord and living in His glory. He is there with the multitudes who have preceded and followed him, singing the praises of the Lord whom he loved so much.

God alone is worthy of our adoration and praise. Let us praise His wondrous and holy name today and all the days of our lives. I look forward to joining Brother Schaeffer in heaven’s choir singing God’s praises for all of eternity. To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

ALL GLORY BE TO GOD

 

ALL GLORY BE TO GOD

Jude 24 And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. NLT

Glory is the radiance of God, the splendor and majesty of God. All glory should be attributed to God. We use glory in a secular way to describe someone in their natural state. The glory of God is God seen for who He is in His holiness and love. It is the natural state of God's perfection and purity. It is acknowledging God as set apart from everything else and the absolute standard for all that is good. It is declaring that God is and there is none other besides Him.

It is God who is able to keep you from stumbling. When we cling to the Lord as we should, we will remain steady and not keep stumbling over sin and ourselves. We will do what is right before God. It is when we let go of the Lord in the moment we are in that we stumble and fall. The more we cling to the Lord, the less likely we are to fall.

It is God who will bring us into His presence. It is God who knows the way and He is committed to helping us make it home to heaven if we will let Him lead the way. It is God who knows what we need for the journey, and He supplies it. It is God who knows how to ward off the enemy of our souls, Satan. It is God who keeps us moving, even when we feel like giving up.

It is God who will get us home free from sin. As long as we live in the righteousness of Christ, we are considered to be innocent before God. We are accepted in the presence of God strictly on the merit of Christ's righteousness. As long as we stay closely connected to the Lord, we have peace with God and are welcomed into His presence.

It is God who gives us great joy. There is no greater joy than to know that God does not condemn us. The joy of salvation is God's guarantee that we are going to be with Him someday in heaven. Nothing can take joy out of our hearts when we live in and for Christ.

A GROWING FAITH

 

A GROWING FAITH

Jude 20-23 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins. NLT

What are you building your life on? There is only one foundation that means anything and lasts, and that is your relationship with Christ. When life is over on earth, there is nothing that can hold you up as you face God on Judgment Day except for your faith in Christ.

Note that Jude calls this faith a holy faith. Holy faith is a faith that is life-changing. It is not just giving lip service or allegiance to God. It is a life that is sold out to Him, a life that is deeply affected by God in him, a life set apart from sin for all to see.

We are to pray as we are led along by the Holy Spirit. Much can be said about this, but let me just say this: In order to be led by the Spirit we must be willing to wait before Him to learn where we need to go and we must follow Him willingly. Most of us are in way too big of a hurry to get somewhere to wait, but wait we must if we want the Lord to lead us.

Live in such a way that God can bless you as you wait for eternal life to unfold for you. This doesn't mean you can put your life on cruise control. We must live faithfully and serve faithfully as long as we have opportunity and breath.

Our living must be characterized by mercy. We are to reach out to those whose souls are in jeopardy. We are to come alongside them and strive to help them find their way to God, especially those who profess faith in Him. If you know of someone of faith who is struggling and drifting away from God, be merciful and lovingly help them find their way back to God.

We need to show mercy to all who will listen, but be careful. As you reach out to others, protect your own soul. Don't let the sin of others infiltrate your soul. Stay prayed up and in the Word so that you won't get sucked into sin. Do all you can to help others while you stand guard over your soul.

In other words, your faith must be a growing faith built on the foundation of God’s Word and exercised daily. It begins at Calvary and does not stop until we get to heaven. It is lived out, not just talked about. It is a living faith that matters.

SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS

 

SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS

Jude 22-23 Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins. NLT

Life is tough and at times the life of faith is tough. Some of us at times really struggle holding onto faith. Instead of judging one another for their struggling faith, we should show each other mercy. We do this by being compassionate towards one another. We come alongside each other and lovingly seek to help. We offer guidance from the Word. We pray with and for one another. We offer understanding and not condemnation. We patiently help each other get our footing back on solid ground.

Some people of faith are hanging on by their fingernails. They are wandering away from God and barely show any resemblance to a child of God. We are not to sit by idly and watch them get closer and closer to hellfire. We are to show compassion for them by getting involved in their lives and try to guide them back to Christ. You cannot say you love someone’s soul and let them self-destruct. We must care enough for each other to rescue all we can from the flames of God’s judgment. If you don’t care enough to get involved, you need to pray and ask the Lord to change you.

Some people have no faith in Christ at all. We are to show them compassion and reach out to them with the love of Christ and the Gospel message. In doing so we must always be on guard and protect our own souls, lest we fall into the sin that ensnares them. It is easy to be influenced by sinful practices or thinking and we must never let down our guard.

Don’t ever think that you are too spiritual to not be contaminated by sin. It happens all the time and we must always diligently keep our hearts pure before God. If sin does creep into your soul you must confess your sin and seek Christ’s forgiveness. He who ignores or harbors sin in his heart drives God away from him and makes fellowship with God impossible.

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD'S LOVE

 

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD’S LOVE

Jude 21 Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. NLT

There is a way to live that prevents God from blessing us. We are to protect our souls so that we don’t fall into that way of life. God desires to pour out His love on us, but because He is holy He cannot do it if we are living in disobedience.

The outpouring of God’s love on our souls overwhelms the soul. Just to think about the fact that God, the creator and sustainer of all things, chooses to have a love relationship with us is too much for the soul to comprehend, but He does. To live in the warmth of His love blesses the soul.

Consider for a few moments what it is like to be loved and taken care of by God. Consider what the Lord saved and kept you from. We can only imagine the type of life we would have lived if God would not have reached out in love to save us. Look back and think about how the Lord has impacted your life. Consider how He has carried you through the ups and downs of living. Consider how the hope you have in Christ has sustained you through life’s difficulties. Consider how the Lord has provided for your daily needs of life. Consider the people He has brought into your life since you were saved. Consider how He has given you understanding over many things that were foolishness and meaningless to you before you were saved. Consider who you have become and are still becoming because of your love relationship with God. We are so wondrously and richly blessed by our Father who loves us and treats us with such kindness and goodness.

As you think about these things, thank the Lord. Let your heart swell up in praise to Him from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him knowing that the best is yet to come. We will be with our Lord for eternity! We can only imagine what that is going to be like, to be with He who has redeemed our souls. There is coming a day soon in which faith will give way to sight. We shall see our Lord face to face! We will live forever in the glory of God. The Lord is waiting in heaven to greet us as we come home so He can lavish upon us the blessings He has stored up for us, the blessings of His love, uninhibited and pure, for all of eternity.

We now wait for that day to unfold. While we wait, let us live in such a way that God’s love can bless us here and now.

FAITH'S FOUNDATION

FAITH’S FOUNDATION

Jude 20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. NLT

We must continue to build our lives on the foundation of our holy faith. First of all, faith is holy living. We don’t often think of it in this way, but it is. Faith is a process of becoming like Christ, who is holy. It is changing who we are to become like who He is. Faith is a life of excellence before God. If our faith is not moving in that direction, then our hearts have not been truly saved. We are to build our lives on holy faith. Holiness is the goal for all living in Christ.

No structure will survive without a good and proper foundation. A foundation is tailored to fit the building that is built on it. So it is with the soul. The foundation of the soul is that which makes us holy. Anything that works against making us holy must be discarded. We must be diligent pursuers of all that makes us holy. It begins at Calvary and includes faithful learning from God’s Word, prayer, and serving the Lord.

Led by the Holy Spirit, we are to be a people of prayer. The Spirit actively works in God’s children to develop within them a prayer life. Prayer is essential for godly living and being a godly witness in the world. We need to pray for the vitality of our souls. We need to pray for the wellness of other souls. We need to pray for the working of the Spirit in the world to convict people of their sins. We need to pray for those who are in the world laboring for Christ. We are to pray, not to impress others, but to align ourselves up with God so that His will on earth will be done.

We are to pray always, not just when we feel like it, but when we don’t feel like it as well. We are to pray whenever the Spirit prods us to pray. There are times when we are led to pray when we don’t have any clue as to why. When the Spirit is working in people’s lives, He often bids the children of God to pray without them knowing anything except to pray. Don’t disobey the promptings of the Spirit to pray. Our Father knows best. He knows who, or what, needs immediate prayer. Sometimes we don’t even know what to say, or are so overwhelmed that we can’t even utter words, but that is okay. The Spirit knows the heart of man and will utter the words we can’t say before our Father.

Prayer is a partnership with God to accomplish on earth what God desires to be done. Prayer is good for our souls and accomplishes much when led by the Spirit. He who strives to excel in his prayer life will be holy in God’s sight.

LIVING PROOF

 

LIVING PROOF

III John 11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. NLT

Don’t let the poor execution of faith in others throw you. There will always be those who profess faith but do not live up to the standards of faith. How someone else lives out faith should not determine how you live it out. You are responsible for your walk of faith. You must be determined to follow that which is good. You must follow the example of those who do good. You must focus on doing that which you know is right in God’s eyes. God will deal with those who are bad examples. You do what is right before God.

Those who do good are those who are right with God. Goodness is seen in those who live by godly principles and standards. It is consistently living what is known to be true. Those who do good are children of God.

On the other hand, those who do not do good are not children of God. It does not matter who they claim to be, the proof of salvation is in the living. Those who live by sinning against God are not children of God. I know this may rile some feathers, but I can’t understand God’s Word any other way. A righteous heart produces a righteous life which produces righteous fruit. I see nothing in the Word that would allow me to keep on sinning against God and still be His child.

Saying we can get away with sin because we profess to be His children, cheapens the holiness of God. It also cheapens Calvary. Jesus did not die on the cross to make allowance for sins. He died to take away our sins. If you think that what we do after we accept Christ as our Savior doesn’t really matter because we live in grace, I challenge you to rethink your position. Sin matters to God and it should matter to us.

FALSE TEACHERS

FALSE TEACHERS

II John 10-11 If someone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite him into your house or encourage him in any way. Anyone who encourages him becomes a partner in his evil work. NLT

We need to be aware of those who would teach things in Jesus’ name that are not Biblically sound and true. We need to be knowledgeable enough about the truth that we can tell when someone is preaching or teaching another gospel. We need to examine the Scriptures and think for ourselves to discern whether or not what we hear is the truth. God gave us brains to use and we should use them. Don’t let others do your thinking for you.

When we encounter those who are not proclaiming Biblical truth, we should not entertain them or encourage them in any way. We should point out the truth in a loving way to them and not let them get by with false teaching. If their hearts are right with God, they will change their ways of thinking and proclaim the truth. If they have rebellious hearts, they will not change and we are not to have fellowship with them. If we fail to expose false teachings we are in essence supporting the false teachers. We are telling them and others that what they are saying is okay and we become partners with them in their false teachings.

We must stand guard over the truth at all times. We are protectors of the integrity of the Gospel message and God holds us accountable when we fail to do our job of exposing false teachers and their teachings. This means as well when godly teachers and preachers say things that don’t ring true with the Word, we must bring it to their attention and expose that which is false in order to prevent them from leading others astray. If they fail to listen, have nothing more to do with them except pray for them and those they expose to their false teachings.