Are YOU Clean and Close?

WHAT SAY YOU

2010-03-11T05:43:00.001-05:00

I read an article by J.C. Ryle on sanctification and afterward read a readers (anonymous) comments about the article.

WHAT SAY YOU?

I read J. C. Ryle's comments on sanctification and agree with a lot of what he said. But he seems to struggle at the same place that most Christians do who are trying to find a way to put us under grace, and yet, demand works of us. He starts out by making the point that "unless we are sanctified, we shall not be saved". Then he defines "Sanctified as that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost , when He calls him to be a true believer."

So, in the first place, he is claiming that sanctification has to be part of salvation, because without it we are not truly saved. Then he makes the point that this sanctification is a work performed by Jesus Christ in a man. Up until this point he is speaking as a man who understands, and agrees with, the concept of the grace of God.

The fact that sanctification, as you call it, or spiritual growth, as I call it, is part of God's plan for us after salvation cannot be denied. What can be debated is how this growth comes about. Is it the Fruit of the Spirit, or is it the works of man to try to keep himself saved? Galatians 3:1-3 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Then when he starts out defining "Sanctification", he ties it right back into the fact that our salvation depends on the outward results of our sanctification. In doing this he is bringing Christians right back under bondage and guilt. If I have to show evidence of my sanctification in order to be saved, then how much evidence is enough? What if I fail like David did, does that mean I am condemned because I produced a work of the flesh? What if I struggle like Paul did in Romans 7:14-25? Paul would fail brother Ryle's test where he argues that a saved man cannot sin. Our Christian lives are a struggle between the our carnal selves and our spiritual selves.

Now, it is true that our spiritual selves cannot sin, but our carnal selves sure can. A man that denies that is just not being truthful with himself. 1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The trouble with trying to put the responsibility back on us for our sanctification is that you immediately put us back under bondage and take away all the assurance that God gives us... including the assurance that He will grow us spiritually! Galatians 5:1 Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherein Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Philippians 1:6 Being confidant of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

There are many more verses that deal with our freedom from bondage as well as God's responsibility for producing fruit through true believers. This doesn't mean that fruit won't happen, it will, because our faith is in God, not in ourselves. That's why Paul, when he was listing all his accomplishments was quick to add: " Yet not I, but Christ."

The danger in trying to bring that back to human responsibility, is that you get all kinds of flesh going around pretending to be holy, instead of the truth, which is that sinful human beings are slowly changed by God over our lifetimes. First, He changes us from the inside where a human cannot witness, and then these changes start resulting in outer fruit, which can be seen by others.

I have been a Christian for 28 years now. I agree that we can make ourselves more available to God by reading His word often, praying without ceasing, fellowshipping with Christian brothers and abiding in Him in every way we discover we can. If we do this, I believe we can grow faster because we are not resisting His work on our behalf. But, having been a Christian that started very slowly, and didn't make myself available to God in many areas of my life... I can testify to you that He did not stop working in me. I do believe He had to use more chastisement on me than on many, but He never abandoned me. In the early years of my Christian experience, brother Ryle would have accused me of not having salvation because he would not have been able to see any significant fruit in me. In fact, he would have seen a lot of the works of my flesh.

Now, years later, after a lot of suffering and chastisement, he would say that he can see some evidence of Christ in my life. I think it is a lack of faith in God when we demand quick results out of a young Christian. God works slowly, and we have a lifetime of bad habits for Him to clean up. In our efforts to try to motivate a young Christian to do what only God can do, we demoralize him and put him right back under works.

I could say so much more about this, but I have to go. I have been privileged by God to be teaching His word to some Indian tribes high in the mountains down here in Mexico. I go every other week for four days. Please let me hear your thoughts on this matter.

In the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

Click here to read J. C. Ryle's article on SANCTIFICATION

Nothing Between?

2010-03-09T06:51:00.002-05:00

Studying this morning on Romans 12:2 and came across this wonderful convicting song. Check out the lyrics of the song by Charles A. Tindley written in 1905.

The story goes that Tindley, whose many musical compositions includes hymns such as “We’ll Understand it Better By and By” and “I’ll Overcome Some Day,” was working on a sermon when a gust of wind blew some papers over the sermon he was writing. He reportedly thought to himself “let nothing between” which led to the theme of the hymn.

Like the gust of wind, the cares of this life are constantly attempting to blow things in the way of our connection with Christ and our duty to His service. Before we know it, we are not spending time studying the Word, or we are neglecting to serve others - growing cold can happen so easily - let nothing come between you and the saviour.

Here are the lyrics:

Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure;
Jesus is mine, there’s nothing between.

Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor;
Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

Nothing between, like worldly pleasure;
Habits of life, though harmless they seem,
Must not my heart from Him ever sever;
He is my all, there’s nothing between.

Nothing between, like pride or station;
Self or friends shall not intervene;
Though it may cost me much tribulation,
I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

Nothing between, e’en many hard trials,
Though the whole world against me convene;
Watching with prayer and much self-denial,
I’ll triumph at last, there’s nothing between.

Powerful words! They just don’t write them like they used to. Oh, that nothing would come between us and our Lord. Here is a video of an arrangement of this song combined with “I Surrender All”. May this be our theme today.

A Template of Christ-Likeness

2010-03-08T06:38:00.002-05:00

Romans 12:1-21

1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. 4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. 6-8 If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. 9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11-13 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. 17-19 Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." 20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

The Message

Joel Osteen, it's just the Truth - Paul Washer

2010-03-06T06:31:00.001-05:00

The sin of wasting life!

2010-03-05T06:24:00.001-05:00

Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days aright--that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

What is it to number our days?

One way is to keep a careful record of them. That is a mathematical numbering. Some people keep diaries and put down everything they do--where they go, what they see, whom they meet, the books they read. But mere adding of days is not the numbering that was in the thought of the Psalmist.

There are days in some lives--that add nothing to life's treasures, and that leave nothing in the world which will make it better or richer. There are people who live year after year--and might as well never have lived at all! Simply adding days--is not living! If that is all you are going to do with the new year--you will only pile up an added burden of guilt.

Why do people not think of the sin of wasting life?

If you saw a man standing by the sea--and flinging diamonds into the water--you would say he was insane. Yet some of us are standing by the sea--and flinging the diamond days, one by one, into its dark floods! Mere eating and sleeping, and reading the papers, and going about the streets, and putting in the time--is not living!

Another way of numbering our days, is illustrated by the story of a prisoner who when he entered his cell, put a mark on the wall for each of the days he would be incarcerated. Then each evening he would rub off one of these marks--he had one day less to stay in prison.

Some people seem to live much in this way. Each evening--they have on day less to live. Another day is gone, with its opportunities, its privileges, its responsibilities and its tasks--gone beyond recall.

Now, if the day has been filled with duty and love and service--its page written all over with pure, white thoughts and records of gentle deeds--then it is well; its passing need not be mourned over. But merely to have to rub it off at the setting of the sun, leaving in it nothing but a story of idleness, uselessness, selfishness, and lost opportunities, is a sad numbering!

What is the true way of numbering our days? The prayer tells us, "So teach us to number our days aright--that we may gain a heart of wisdom." That is, we are so to live--that we shall get some new wisdom out of each day to carry on with us.

Life's lessons cannot all be learned from books. The lessons may be set down in books--but it is only in actual living--that we can really learn them.

For example, patience. You may learn all about patience from a sermon, from a teacher, or from a book, or even from the Bible. But that will not make you patient. You can get the patience--only by long practice of the lesson, in life's experiences.

Or take gentleness. You can read in a few paragraphs what gentleness is, how it lives. But that will not make you gentle.

Take thoughtfulness. You can learn in a short lesson what it is and how beautiful it is. But you will not be thoughtful, the moment you have learned the definition. It will probably take you several years--to get the beautiful lesson learned.

"So teach us to number our days aright--that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

(J. R. Miller, "Numbering our Days", 1912)

Why does God ... ? Why doesn't He ... ? (continued)

2010-03-04T06:06:00.001-05:00

(e) God is faithful ... God is the God of the Covenant. Though He is independent and absolute, eternal, mighty, righteous and holy, nevertheless He has condescended to make a covenant with men ... It was this covenant that entitled Israel to turn to God and say, 'My God, mine Holy One'. [Habakkuk] remembers that God has said, 'I will be their God and they shall be my people.' For those saintly men, the prophets, and all who had spiritual understanding in Israel, this fact was more significant than anything else. While believing in the eternal attributes of God they might have been chilled by the thought that such a God might be far away in the heavens and oblivious to their need. But what linked Him to them was the knowledge that He was a faithful, covenant-keeping God. God had given His word and He would never break it ... Whatever the Chaldean army might do it could never exterminate Israel, because God had given certain promises to Israel which He could never break ...

The prophet now proceeds to bring his problem into the context of those absolute and eternal principles ... He reaches his answer to this question about the Chaldeans by reasoning like this: 'God must be raising them up for Israel's benefit: of this I can be absolutely certain. It is not that the Chaldeans have taken the law into their own hands; it is not that God is incapable of restraining them. These things are impossible in view of my propositions. God is just using them for His own purposes ... and He is carrying out those purposes. I do not understand it fully, but I am quite sure that we are not going to be exterminated ... although ... there are apparently going to be very few of us left, and we are going to be carried into captivity. But a remnant will remain, because the Almighty is still God, and He is using the Chaldeans to do something within the purpose of the covenant. God ... is not being defeated ... He is doing this and doing it for His own grand end and object.'

From Fear to Faith, pp. 31-2

Why does God ... ? Why doesn't He ... ?

2010-03-03T06:07:00.005-05:00

Habakkuk 1:11-13 They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god." 12 O LORD my God, my Holy One, You who are eternal—surely You do not plan to wipe us out? O LORD, our Rock, You have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins. 13 But You are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will You wink at their treachery? Should You be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they? (NLT)

from the Works of Martyn Lloyd-Jones

By Let us follow [Habbakuk] as he applies this method* to the two major problems that troubled him ...

(a) God is eternal. After stating his difficulty the prophet declares, 'Art thou not from everlasting?' (1:12). You see, he is laying down a proposition. He is forgetting for a moment the immediate problem, and asking himself what it was he was sure of about God ... He had just said (1:11) that the Chaldeans, flushed with success, imputed their power to their god; and ... he began to think, 'Their god — what is their god? Just something they have made themselves (cf. Isaiah 46). God ... the everlasting God ... is not like the gods whom men worship ... He is God from eternity to eternity ... He has preceded history; He has created history. His throne is above the world and outside time. He reigns in eternity, the everlasting God.'

(b) God is self-existent ... the eternal I AM ... The name 'I AM that I AM' means, 'I am the Absolute, the self-existent One'. Here is a second vital principle. God is not in any sense dependent upon anything that happens in the world ... Not only is He not dependent upon the world, but He need never have created it had He not willed to do so. The tremendous truth concerning the Trinity is that an eternally self-existent life resides in the Godhead — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here again is wonderful reassurance ... The problem begins to fade.

(c) God is holy ... utterly, absolutely righteous and holy, 'a consuming fire'. 'God is light and in him is no darkness at all.' And the moment you consider Scriptures like that you are forced to ask, 'Can the Lord of the earth do that which is unrighteous?' Such a thing is unthinkable.

(d) God is almighty ... The God who created the whole world out of nothing, who said, 'Let there be light' and there was light, has absolute power; He has illimitable might. He is 'The Rock'.

(continued on March 4)

*December 20, pp. 25-28.

From Fear to Faith, pp. 28-30

World, Christians Have Same Behavior Patterns

2010-03-01T05:52:00.003-05:00

Quoting James Montgomery Boice . . .

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world." This sentence in Romans 12:2 has two key words: "world," which is actually "age" (aion, meaning, "this present age" in contrast to "the age to come"); and "do not conform," which is a compound having at its root the word "scheme." So the verse means, "Do not let the age in which you live force you into its scheme of thinking and behaving." The idea is that the world has its ways of thinking and doing things and is exerting pressure on Christians to conform to it. But instead of being conformed to the world, Christians are to be changed from within to be increasingly like Jesus Christ. The chief problem with the evangelical church is that we have been increasingly conformed to this world's patterns and that, if we are to see a new reformation, we will have to break away from these patterns and seek to recover the authentic biblical gospel, learning again to think and act in God's way.

The first phrase of Romans 12:2 is a warning against worldliness, of course. But as soon as we use the word 'worldly' we have to make clear what real worldliness is. When I was growing up in a fundamentalist church I was taught that worldliness was such pursuits as smoking, drinking, dancing, and playing cards. A Christian girl might say, "I don't smoke, and I don't chew, and I don't go with boys who do." But that is not what Romans 12:2 is about. To think of worldliness only in those terms is to trivialize what is a far more serious and far more subtle problem.

The clue to what is in view here is that in the next phrase Paul urges, as an alternative to being "conformed" to this world, being "transformed by the renewing of your mind." This means that he is concerned about a way of thinking rather than merely a way of behaving, though right behavior will follow naturally if our thinking is set straight. The worldliness we are to break away from and repudiate is the world's "worldview," what the Germans call Weltanschauung, a comprehensive, systematic way of looking at all things. We are to break out of the world's categories of thinking and allow our minds to be molded by the Word of God instead.

In our day Christians have not done this very well, and that is the reason why they are so often "worldly" in the other senses too. In fact, it is a sad commentary on our churches, verified by numerous polls, that Christians in general have nearly the same thoughts, values, and behavior patterns as the world around them."

From: Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?

“Born Again”-ISM

2010-02-27T06:29:00.004-05:00

by Richard R. Ochs

THERE IS MUCH TALK these days about the rapid growth of the cults. Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Mormonism, the Unification Church, and a host of lesser-known groups are making converts at astounding rates. Yet, the combined effect of all these groups is overshadowed by a movement that in the last few years has grown to include over 30% of the U.S. population.

The amazing development of what might be called “Born-againism” is affecting all sectors of our society. In fact, if the latest figures presented in the religious polls are accurate, the current Born-again phenomenon could well be viewed as the fastest growing cult in America. Born-againism has permeated fundamentalist denominations as leaven in dough, and expanded into the culture at large. Candidates espouse it in order to get votes, entertainers use it to attract crowds, pro-football players proclaim it to give respect to their Sunday afternoon brutality, and the business world promotes it in order to make money. Even the secular press, radio, and T.V. have found it fashionable to occasionally slip the little words “born again” into their speech and print.

That the world has jumped on the Born-again Bandwagon in order to exploit it is sad but not surprising. We really shouldn't expect anything else from the spiritually blind worldling. The real tragedy is that the whole mess was spawned and spread by the “Church,” and is now lauded as a great revival of Christianity.

The truth is that much of contemporary evangelicalism, like the church of Sardis, appears to be alive, but actually is dead (Revelation 3:1). And we can't blame the atheists, the agnostics, or the liberals for this condition. No, the fault lies with the supposed “Bible believers.” Error has been preached as truth and propagated with cultish zeal. As a result multitudes have believed a lie and are headed for hell from fundamentalist church pews with a Bible in their hands and a prayer on their lips. Many others have become disillusioned with all the hypocrisy and false “fulfillment,” and have concluded that there is really nothing to this “born-again” stuff after all.

Truth Turned to Error

But doesn't the Bible teach that men must be born again? Was this not an absolutely fundamental teaching of our Lord, His apostles, and the Church down through the ages? Yes, of course it was, and without this there is no true Christianity. But error cloaked in Biblical terms is still error. In the case of the current born-again movement, Scriptural terminology is being used to teach just the opposite of its original meaning. The great doctrine of man's need for regeneration (i.e., miraculous new birth) is being presented in a way that denies the very point it is supposed to teach. Stated simply, the error is this— that men are born again as a result of something they do. This something may be “going forward” at the close of an evangelistic message, making a “decision” for Christ, or “repenting” and “believing” the Gospel. Whatever the requirement that is put before the sinner, the impression is given that sinful man himself is the one who brings about regeneration.

The sad results of such a teaching can be seen all around us. Evangelists, who believe that men dead in sin can and will turn to God if the right kind of emotional and psychological inducement is presented, push and pressure lost people into making “decisions.” Whatever is necessary to get people to come forward, or raise their hand, or sign a card, is tried by today's “soul winners.” Highly emotional meetings, prolonged appeals, repeated musical choruses, and even the deceitful tactic of having counselors strategically placed in the audience to come forward at the time of the “appeal”—all smack of the techniques of crowd psychology.

Those who do come forward (or raise their hand, or sign a card) are then coached into believing that God has come into their lives, and that they are now “saved.” Deep down, though, they know that nothing has really happened. The evangelist has done something, the lost person has done something, but God has done nothing. There has been no miracle. The person may give mental assent to the doctrine of the new birth and try to rejoice in it, but there has been no supernatural passing from death to life (Ephesians 2:4-5). This is why most of the “converts” of this kind of “born-againism” show no real zeal for God, and many fall away completely after a month or two.

That some people are brought into the kingdom in these situations is no doubt true. But it is in spite of these methods, not because of them. If we turn to the section of Scripture most often quoted regarding the new birth, we find the Lord teaching just the opposite of the modern “soul-winner.”

You Must Be Born Again

In the third chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus tells Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” What did the Lord mean by this statement?

First of all, it should be noted that Jesus said nothing of any action or decision that Nicodemus must make, nor did He even tell him to repent and believe the gospel. As a matter of fact, Jesus was not telling Nicodemus to do anything! “You must be born again” was not a command Nicodemus was to obey, it was simply a statement of fact. Nicodemus, in his blindness, misunderstood this statement and asked how anyone could do such a thing as that—a man “cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” To this Jesus said in effect, “I’m talking about the Spirit of God coming and miraculously generating life in you. You being flesh can only produce flesh. Only the Spirit of God can produce the spiritual birth you must have in order to enter the Kingdom of God, and God's Spirit blows where He wishes” (see John 3:1-8). The modern evangelist's techniques and teachings are conspicuously absent in this account. The Lord gave Nicodemus no “Four Spiritual Laws,” nor any instructions on “How to Be Born Again;” and He certainly used no manipulative tricks. He was concerned to emphasize just one thing: Regeneration is a miraculous work of God's Spirit.

We can and must tell men to turn from their sins and believe the Gospel, but in doing this we should realize that when a man does repent and believe, it is the result of God's prior regenerative working within him. If this were not the case, if man must actually initiate his own salvation, then it would be impossible to escape the conclusion that men do not need regeneration at all, but possess in themselves an innate goodness which causes them to seek after God. Though it be ever so slight, this goodness is then the ultimate reason why one man is saved and another is lost. But the Apostle Paul clearly teaches the contrary when he writes:

“There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12).

Here Paul states plainly that there is no “spark of goodness” in man that causes him to respond to the Gospel. In fact, man, blinded by sin and Satan, does not even understand the Gospel. He is in total rebellion against God and His truth. If regeneration were contingent upon man first desiring God, no one would ever be born again, for “there is none that seeketh after God.” Moreover, if man must ultimately be given credit for coming to God, Christianity is turned into just one more of the world's man-centered religions or cults which teach salvation by works. All such man-centered systems offer a false hope; for it is simply impossible for sinful man to make himself different than he is—he needs a new heart, he needs to be “born again!”

Again, it should be stressed that we are certainly to tell men to seek God. We must tell them to believe and receive Christ. But these commands will fall on spiritually deaf ears unless God first generates life through the inward workings of His Holy Spirit.

You may protest that this makes God the ultimate determiner of who is saved. To this the apostles and prophets with one voice cry, “Amen!” “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). Christians, as John puts it in the opening chapter of his Gospel, are people, “who were born not...of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). That's why we give thanks to God when someone is converted. We know that God has graciously wrought a miracle—the sovereign, supernatural miracle of the new birth.

This truth should give us confidence to present the pure Gospel, knowing that it is not up to us to somehow maneuver and manipulate men into Christianity. It should also bring us to our knees before the God Who is sovereign in salvation. Only He can remove the heart of stone and give a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). Only He can give life to the dead. Only He deserves the blessing, glory, and honor.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ” (John 6:44)

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. ” (Revelation 19:6)

“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. ” (Romans 9:18)

Man - I love this Song

2010-02-26T06:35:00.001-05:00

Turn it up

Wisdom from Proverbs

2010-02-25T06:18:00.001-05:00

Isn't it amazing to read the scripture and see truth that has been around for thousands of years - truth that if heeded could make tremendous differences in the lives of people. Proverbs has so much truth - and the following is an example of that.This is from Principles to Live By - Dr. Gil Stieglitz on Proverbs 22:26-27

Proverbs 22:26-27 Do not be among those who give pledges, Among those who become guarantors for debts. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you?

Pledges: This word is two Hebrew words taqa which means to strike or clap and kaph which means flat of the hand or palm or hand. The idea was to make a deal was to shake hands on it or to strike hands. It was a way of remembering and solemnizing that two people had a deal.

Guarantors: This is the Hebrew word arab which means to take on a pledge, to become surety.

Debt: This is the Hebrew word mashaah which means a loan or a debt.

Nothing: This is the Hebrew word ayin which means nothing.

It is clear from the verses above that the Scriptures are against taking on loans unless there is a certain way to pay for the merchandise.

We are slowly becoming a credit society in which everyone is upside down in what they owe. They owe more than they make or they have purchased more than they can pay for. The Scripture is very clear that this is foolishness -- to want something so badly that you are willing to commit to pay for something that is beyond your ability to pay. You go into a debt in which you do not have a way to pay for it.

Notice that in verse 27, it says why would you go into debt if you had no way to pay for the debt? Unfortunately this is happening all the time. We see a bed we want, or a car, or a house, or boat and the company will loan us the money to have it right away; when even they know that we will not be able to make the payments over the long haul.

I watch people purchases houses they can't pay for but it is what they want. So two to three years from now they lose the house and their marriage is in trouble if not already destroyed. I watch people refuse to say no to themselves about the lifestyle they live: cars, boats, furniture, vacations, etc., and the payments get higher and higher until they are buried and the strain on the relationships in their life is huge. All because they did not heed this verse. Do not take on a loan unless you have a certain way to pay. It would be better to just wait until you can save up and pay for the item. If it is too big of an expense so that it needs to be stretched out over time, then make sure that the numbers work over the long haul. Do you have a certain way to pay?

Understand that what credit does is it allows you to increase the level of foolishness in your life to the point where you will be swamped by it. A lack of cash is a way of limiting the impulsiveness and selfishness that you can indulge in. It is a good limit. Credit becomes like a blank check to your desires. Until you have the discipline to save, research, and understand the thing that your desire must have now, you really do not know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing.

Be very, very wary of credit, as it is a product that others are selling to you. It is not a tangible product per se, but it is a product. They are selling you money you don't have to purchase something that you don't have the money for. Therefore you must have a certain way to pay back the money you are buying. You must also make sure that what you are needing the money for is really something that is needed and not just a desire.

Romans 12:1 Surrenderd - R U?

2010-02-23T05:38:00.004-05:00

Are U an R12 Christian? (Romans 12)
The R12 Revolution (as some refer to it) uses Romans 12:1-21 to point out five things that all Christians are called to do:

1) Surrender your life to Christ (Romans 12:1)
2) Separate from the ways of the world (Romans 12:2)
3) Use sober judgment to assess ourselves (Romans 12:3-8)
4) Serve others in love (Romans 12:9-13)
5) Supernaturally respond to evil. (Romans 12:14-21)

Starting with # 1 - Are You surrendered?
Use the following to help you determine that.

Living the Surrendered Life: Making it Practical
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

One of the most beloved hymns of the church reflects was penned in 1874 by a single woman named Frances Ridley Havergal. Written as a prayer, each line focuses on one dimension of what it means to be fully consecrated to Christ.

The following questions are intended to help you personalize and apply this wonderful text. I would encourage you to set aside some time for thoughtful, prayerful reflection and response.

My life
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

1. Have I made a volitional, unconditional, lifetime surrender of my life to Christ?
2. Am I seeking to live out that surrender on a daily basis?
3. Are there any "compartments" of my life over which I am reserving the right to exercise control?

My time
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

1. Do I live with the conscious realization that all my time belongs to God, or have I merely reserved a portion of my time for the spiritual "category" of my life?
2. Do I set apart time each day for worship, prayer, and personal devotion?
3. Am I squandering time with meaningless, useless conversation or entertainment?
4. Do I become resentful or impatient when others interrupt my schedule or when I am faced with unplanned demands on my time?

My body
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

1. Am I yielding the parts of my body to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13)?
2. Do I use the parts of my body to express the kindness and love of Christ to others (e.g., using my hands for serving, for gentle touch)?
3. Are any of the members of my body—eyes, ears, hands, feet, mouth—being used to sin against God (e.g., stealing, lying, listening to or repeating gossip, inflicting physical harm on mate or children, listening to profanity, viewing pornography, sexual sin)?

My tongue
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

1. Do the words that come out of my mouth reveal that my lips and tongue are fully surrendered to God?
2. Do I habitually verbalize the goodness and greatness of God?
3. Before I speak, do I ask the Lord what He wants me to say?

My possessions
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.

1. Do I treat any of my possessions as if they were mine rather than God's?
2. Do I give generously, sacrificially, and gladly to the Lord's work and to others in need?
3. Do I own anything that I would not be willing to part with if God were to take it from me or ask me to give it to another?

My mind
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

1. Am I bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)?
2. Am I disciplining my mind to get to know God and His Word better?
3. Do I habitually think about things that are just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (see Phil. 4:8), rather than things that are unwholesome, negative, impure, or vain?

My will
Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.

1. Do I consistently seek to know and to do the will of God in practical, daily matters?
2. When I read the Word of God, am I quick to say "Yes, Lord" and to do what it says?
3. Am I submissive to the human authorities God has placed over me (civil, church, home, work)?

My affections
Take my heart; it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.

1. Am I allowing Christ to reign and rule over my affections, my emotions, and my responses?
2. Am I easily angered or provoked?
3. Are my desires, appetites, and longings under Christ's control?

My relationships
Take my love; my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

1. Is it my desire and intent to love God with all my heart, above all earthly relationships?
2. Do I enjoy and seek out the friendship of God as much as I do human friendships?
3. Do I love God more than I love myself? Do I seek His interests, His reputation, and His pleasure above my own?
4. Have I surrendered to God all my desires, rights, and expectations regarding my family? Am I willing to sacrifice friendships, if necessary, in order to obey God and His call in my life?

Myself
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

1. Have I surrendered all that I am and all that I have to God?
2. Is there any part of myself—my plans, relationships, possessions, emotions, career, and future— that I am knowingly holding back from God?
3. Have I settled the issue that the ultimate purpose of my life is to please God and bring Him glory?

You may have expressed your desire to be fully surrendered to God many times before. Or you may just now be recognizing what it means to be totally surrendered to Him. Regardless, would you stop—right now, if possible—and slip to your knees before the Lord and pray, "Lord, I surrender every part of my being—all I am and all I have—to You"?

As you pray these words, visualize the place where you are kneeling as an altar of sacrifice, and picture each part of yourself being offered up to God as a living sacrifice.

Totally Like Whatever, You Know?

2010-02-21T06:34:00.001-05:00

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Taylor Mali's poem, "Totally Like Whatever, You Know?" (HT: Justin Taylor)

A Superabundance of Blessing

2010-02-19T05:16:00.000-05:00

The following is the end of a chapter written by Martyn Lloyd-Jones in a book entitled Spiritual Blessing - Very Encouraging.

'For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known' (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Again, if you examine the lives of the saints, I think you will see that this is constantly found in all their records, and, I say again, thank God for this! They went on enjoying this life, and it went on deepening and increasing. Then when we come to look at them on their deathbeds, we find, as John Wesley put it, 'Our people die well.' Indeed, some of them had their greatest experiences of all on their deathbed. There they received in yet greater measure than they had received before.

The effect, then, is that our faith is increased. That is why John leaves the account of the miracle at Cana of Galilee with these words: 'This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.' Now they had already believed in him. That is the point - they were already disciples and they had already believed - but as the result of this they believed more than ever. And that is one of the great principles and rules in the whole of the Christian life - the more you receive, the more you desire. It encourages you, it gives you proof, and you know, and therefore you seek him more and more.

That is Paul's argument in Philippians. Here is a man who had experienced so much but he still tells us that his desire is, 'That I may know him' - Paul knows him, that is why he desires to know him, he wants more and more - 'and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings' (3:10). And Paul continues in verse 12, 'Not as though I had already attained...' By that he means: I have not got it all. I have not arrived at the end. I have not exhausted it. 'Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended' - I have not got there - 'but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind' - and I sometimes feel like telling many Christian people that: Forget what has happened to you. What is happening to you now is the question. And what are you expecting? 'Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (verses 12-14).

The effect of all this, then, should be to make us utter something like this:

O Lord, I cast my care on Thee; I triumph and adore;
Henceforth my great concern shall be
To love and please Thee more.
(John Ryland)

Or take another hymn:

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The baptism of the Heaven descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.
(George Croly)

So there are the lessons of this first miracle performed by our Lord in Cana of Galilee. It is a picture which opens our eyes to the possibilities of the glorious fullness of the Christian life, this life which is life indeed, life more abundant. It is life developing and increasing until we find ourselves face to face with him, knowing no longer in part, but knowing even as we are already known, and filled and glorified and made like unto him. May God by his Spirit give us the understanding to realise that this is Christianity and all this is meant for us.

Grace Gems

2010-02-18T06:14:00.001-05:00

Today's Puritan Audio Devotional:

If he is a liar, a talebearer, a railer, a flatterer or a jester
by John Newton Play Audio! Download MP3

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They want to keep just as near to Sodom as possible!

(J. R. Miller, "The Outcome of Lot's Choice" 1908)

"Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" Genesis 19:17

This is still the gospel message. We are in danger of God's judgment--and must escape from it--if we would live. We must not stay anywhere in all the plain of sin--for there is no safe spot, no shelter anywhere, no place where the fires of judgment will not fall.

Some people would like to compromise; they are willing to flee from some sins--but not from others. There are some professed Christians who like to stay on the borders of their old life. They are continually asking whether they can do this or that, go here or there--and still be Christians. They want to keep just as near to Sodom as possible--so as not to be burnt up in Sodom's destruction! The answer to all such questions is, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" Even the borders are unsafe! The only safe place is the mountain, the mountain where Christ's Cross stands!

Lot's wife 'looked back'. There had been a specific command, "Do not look back!" Why Lot's wife looked back is not explained. Was it curiosity to see the nature of the terrible destruction that she heard roaring behind her? Or was it her dismay as she thought of her beautiful home, with all its wealth of furnishing and decoration, and all her jewels and garments and other possessions--which were now being consumed in the great conflagration?

It would seem to be, that she was appalled at the thought of leaving and losing all her beloved possessions, and paused in her flight and looked back, with the hope that possibly she might yet run back and snatch some of the ornaments or gems--something, at least, from the awful destruction. "But Lot's wife looked back--and she became a pillar of salt!"

"Remember Lot's wife!" Luke 17:32. We should not miss the 'lesson' which our Lord Himself teaches us from the tragic fate of this woman: we cannot have both worlds! Lot's wife could have escaped with her husband and her daughters--but she could escape only by resolutely and determinedly leaving everything she had in Sodom. Her love for her possessions, cost her her life!

Just so, there are thousands today, to whom God's message comes, "Run for your lives! Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Do not look back! Escape to the mountain, or you will die!" They somewhat desire to follow Christ--but their love for the world is so intense that they cannot give it up--they cannot renounce it. They must decide, however, which they will renounce--Christ or the world. They cannot keep both!

In Lot's wife--we have an example of one who was almost saved--and yet lost! She was lost because she loved the world.

"Remember Lot's wife!"

IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIBLICAL HUMOR

2010-02-17T05:30:00.000-05:00

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.
Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?

A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?

A. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan, The banks were always overflowing.

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan .....)

PS. Did you know it's a sin for a woman to make coffee?

Yup, it's in the Bible. It says . .. . "He-brews"

Grace To You - Excellent Study

2010-02-15T06:30:00.001-05:00

The Great Commission

Many of the people you see in your neighborhood, your favorite restaurant, the shopping mall, and the gym are lost – separated from God and heading for eternal death. How might you fit into God’s plan to save any one of them? John MacArthur shows you in his study The Great Commission.

Today's Message: The Making Disciples of All Nations, Part 1

The Great Commission

We live in a world full of lost people. You can find them in your neighborhood, your favorite restaurant, the corner market, and the shopping mall. You may even know some of them—some may even be family members and friends. You want to see them saved, but you don’t know where to start.

As a believer, you are well aware that evangelizing the lost and making disciples is a responsibility of every Christian—one that God has equipped you to fulfill. But how can you do it effectively? Just what are the key ingredients for leading people to Christ?

In The Great Commission, John MacArthur leads you in an examination of five keys to effective evangelism that our Lord gave to His disciples after His resurrection. God has given you a green light to be His witness. Are you ready to go through it?

Did You Say, "I Love You"?

2010-02-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Jim Elliff

An elderly, deep-south, retired couple sat on the porch. The man was reading the paper intensely, as he did every day. The woman was staring at the old man to whom she had been married for 60 years, conjuring up memories of good times and even difficult seasons which they had suffered through together.

With moist eyes, the sweet old lady finally uttered a simple uncluttered declaration. It was kind of a summary of her tender emotions following her romantic revelry.

She said, "I adore you."

The crusty old southerner didn't move his paper, nor his eyes off the paper, then grunted, "I'm a' tored a' you too!"

How are you doing in expressing your love?

In the acclaimed musical which is still the favorite of many, Fiddler on the Roof, the central couple of the plot, Tevye and Golde, come to a revealing moment. The theme of the song is introduced by Tevye, the milkman husband, but echoed by Golde, both a product of an arranged marriage now far along in years. He asks the question, "Do you love me?"

(Golde) Do I love you?
For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow
After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?

(Tevye) Golde, The first time I met you
Was on our wedding day
I was scared
(Golde) I was shy
(Tevye) I was nervous
(Golde) So was I

(Tevye) But my father and my mother
Said we'd learn to love each other
And now I'm asking, Golde
Do you love me?
(Golde) I'm your wife
(Tevye) "I know..."
But do you love me?

(Golde) Do I love him?
For twenty-five years I've lived with him
Fought with him, starved with him
Twenty-five years my bed is his
If that's not love, what is?

(Tevye) Then you love me?
(Golde) I suppose I do
(Tevye) And I suppose I love you too

(Both) It doesn't change a thing
But even so
After twenty-five years
It's nice to know

Do you express your love, or just assume that your love will be seen in your actions alone? John wrote, "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth" (1 Jn 3:18). But he did not mean that we are not to express our love. He does otherwise himself, referring to his readers as "beloved" five times in this small letter of 1 John.

Perhaps no one in history has openly repeated the sentiment of love like the apostle Paul. Over and over again, he speaks of it. For instance, he said this to the Thessalonians:

Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. (1Thess 2:8)

Here is love both in word and deed. We should learn by his model, especially toward those we care for the most—like a spouse or a family member with whom you have shared life for years. Live your love, certainly, but also say it often.

The "WORD HAND"

2010-02-11T05:48:00.002-05:00

The "Word Hand" shows five very important methods of learning from the Bible.

HEARING
Romans 10:17
Hearing the Word from godly pastors and teachers provides insight into others' study of the Scriptures as well as stimulating your own appetite for the Word.

READING
Revelation 1:3
Reading the Bible gives an overall picture of God's Word. Many people find it helpful to use a daily reading program which takes them systematically through the Bible.

STUDYING
Acts 17:11
Studying the Scriptures leads to personal discoveries of God's truths. Writing down these discoveries helps you organize and remember them.

MEMORIZING
Psalm 119:9, 11
Memorizing God's Word enables use of the Sword of the Spirit to overcome Satan and temptations...to have it readily available for witnessing or helping others with a "word in season."

MEDITATING
Psalm 1:2, 3
Meditation is the thumb of the Word Hand, for it is used in conjunction with each of the other methods. Only as you meditate on God's Word--thinking of its meaning and application in your life--will you discover its transforming power at work within you.

Taken from: The Personal Growth Series, The Navigators

2010-02-10T06:18:00.000-05:00

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) – Chris Tomlin

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbade to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSIONS OF THE MATERIAL HERE:

PDF Version:Bible_StudySept172009.pdf

Word Document Version:Bible_StudySept172009.doc

Making the Best of an Ugly Wife

2010-02-08T06:23:00.001-05:00

by Jim Elliff

James Fraser of the Scottish Highlands (1700-1769) was known for his ugly wife. I don't know what she looked like physically, but as far as demeanor, she was as ugly a woman as could possibly be found. I hope her behavior changed after their marriage began. Regardless, he was stuck with her for life.

Fraser was a beloved pastor, an author of a couple of useful books, and a battered husband. It is unclear how the Presbyterians of that day could allow a man with a disobedient wife to pastor. Nonetheless, his labors in Alness were appreciated by all but her.

It is said that she never provided him a sit-down meal at their home. Everyone in his parish knew this. He would have starved to death if the church members had not left him pouches of food by the fence post when he passed by on his pastoral errands.

When he returned home at night, he was not able to be in the same room with his wife because he would get a tongue-lashing, so he went to his study. But his wife controlled the coal bin and the oil for the lamp, allowing him no fire to warm himself or oil to light his lamp. If he sat still in the dark, he would nearly freeze. Because of this, he walked back and forth from one end of his study to the other, in the dark, with his hands in front of him. After he died they examined his study and found indentations in the plaster where his hands hit the wall on his nightly beat.

Once, when the local Presbyterian pastors were gathered, a toast was offered for the wives of the pastors. The man offering the toast turned to Fraser and said, probably with a knowing smile, "You'll want to offer a toast to your wife as well, James?"

"So I will and so I should," said Fraser. "For my wife has been better to me than all of yours put together!"

"How so?" they asked, with their mouths agape.

"My wife has driven me to my knees seven times a day, and that is more than any of your wives have done for you!"

Ugly Turns Beautiful

Here is a man who made the best of an ugly wife. And we can learn from him, without having to be married to a spouse like her. There is benefit in every difficulty you've been given in life.

First, we can learn to bear up when the difficulties are bearing down.

Fraser's constant dependence on God was legendary. He preached Christ by his tolerance in a difficult situation.

Second, we can learn to rejoice when our situation is not joyful.

It is hard to believe that James Fraser could be happy with such a wife. Having written a book on sanctification perhaps helped him. He saw that problems such as he encountered actually have a purifying affect. His ugly wife made him a more beautiful Christian.

Third, we can learn to speak about the kindness of God even when being treated unkindly.

Fraser was not afraid to let his fellow pastors know the truth: God was kind to him. No doubt James often thought through the benefits of God's divine hand on him. It was not mean of God, but kind, to bring him closer to God through prayer because of the ugliness of his wife.

I doubt if your spouse is as ugly as Fraser's, but when problems come from within the family they can be some of the most grievous. Regardless of the source of your problem, do you have a Fraser-like response?

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

God's Wrath (Are you ready?)

2010-02-07T06:21:00.000-05:00

Are You REALLY a Christian?

Finishing Well

2010-02-05T06:16:00.001-05:00

INTIMACY WITH CHRIST Our highest calling is to grow in our knowledge of Christ and to make Him known to others. Does our desire to know Christ exceed all other aspirations? If not, whatever is taking His place in the center of our affections must yield to Him if we are to know the joy of bearing spiritual fruit. A key secret of those who finish well is to focus more on loving Jesus than on avoiding sin. The more we love Jesus, the more we will learn to put our confidence in Him alone.
FIDELITY IN THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, study, worship, and submission are not ends in themselves, but means to the end of intimacy with Christ and spiritual formation. When left to itself, however, any one of these disciplines tends to decline and decay. An infusion of directed intentionality and effort is necessary to sustain order and growth and to bring repeated times of personal renewal.
A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE Part of the purpose of our suffering and trials is to drive us to dependence on God alone. God responds by revealing more of Himself to us. This knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His character and His promises through the times we do not understand His purposes and His ways. When we view our circumstances in light of God's character instead of God's character in light of our circumstances, we come to see that God is never indifferent to us, and that He uses suffering for our good so we will be more fully united to Christ.
A TEACHABLE, RESPONSIVE, HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT SPIRIT Those who finish well maintain an ongoing learning posture through the seasons of their lives. Humility and responsive obedience are the keys to maintaining a teachable spirit. Humility is the disposition in which we displace self through the enthronement of Christ in our lives and realize that all of life is about trust in God. Obedience is the application of biblical faith in that which is not seen, and that which is not yet. As we mature in Christ, we learn to trust God's character and promises in spite of ambiguity or trials.
A CLEAR SENSE OF PERSONAL PURPOSE AND CALLING God has called each of us to a purposeful journey sustained by faithfulness and growing hope. This calling or vocation transcends our occupations and endures beyond the end of our careers. As we seek the Lord's guidance in developing a personal vision and clarity of mission, we move beyond the level of tasks and accomplishments to the level of the purpose for which we were created.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESOURCEFUL PEOPLE Relationships such as spiritual mentoring, servant leadership, and personal and group accountability are valuable resources that encourage, equip, and exhort. People who finish well do not do so without the caring support of other growing members of the body of Christ. These relationships help us to increase in intimacy with Christ, maintain the needed disciplines, clarify our long-term perspective, sustain a teachable attitude, and develop our purpose and calling.
ONGOING MINISTRY INVESTMENT IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS Spirit-filled living requires us to discover and develop the spiritual gifts we have received and exercise them through the Spirit's power for the edification of others. Believers who finish well are marked by ongoing outreach and sacrificial ministry for the good of other people. Those who squander the resources, gifts, experiences, and hard-learned insights God has given them by no longer investing them in the lives of others soon wither and withdraw.

Ken Boa – The Navigators

The Road to Reality

2010-02-03T21:56:00.003-05:00

(from K. P. Yohannan's book, "The Road to Reality")

All too often, we are willing to be 'students of Christianity', rather than disciples of Christ. The fact is that most are substituting 'learning' and 'information' for practical obedience. Never in history has there been a society with so much 'information' about God, but so little real knowledge of the Holy One. Right doctrine without right living is worthless in the sight of God.

Obviously, the gap between Biblical Christianity and the way we live today is a very big one. The amount of time the average believer spends before a television, reading worldly novels, and in recreation, is amazing.

We are content to sit in our comfortable pews week after week sucking on our 'spiritual baby bottles', so long as the 'religious entertainment' does not interfere with lunch or the ball game. This is 'convenience store' Christianity. The pastor's main job is to find ways to sugarcoat the Gospel message, making sure that he preaches a gospel that offends no one, and runs a church that meets every imaginable mental and physical need.

How 'the flesh' twists and turns to refuse the work of the cross! Where are the believers who will make a deliberate calculation to accept sacrifice and suffering for the sake of following Christ? Real Christians accept suffering as a normal part of following Christ. Unless we choose the 'way of the cross' we will always find ourselves automatically falling into that pattern of 'extravagance' and 'waste' that has become the norm of this culture.

We don't accept 'the nail' because it would mean death to our 'self.' We demand instead the pleasure our desires for self gratification. And we have found 'shepherds' and Bible teachers who will give us a 'feel good theology' to match and justify our lives of sinful rebellion. Much of this 'Santa Claus religion' is centered around a horrible distortion of Bible doctrine. It denies the demands of the Gospel and says, "You can have the good life NOW, and heaven besides!" It tickles our ears to hear this religion taught. It promises us the services of a god who exists to solve all our problems; making us happy, healthy, popular, successful and rich. This sounds like the false promises of Baal or the idol gods of paganism.

It is obvious that Jesus will have no one among His followers who is wanting to put comfort, family ties or security in this world, ahead of His kingdom. Jesus is saying in effect, "I offer you what I have; hardship, hunger; labor, loneliness rejection, sweat, tears and death. I'm a stranger and pilgrim in this world, and if you follow Me you will have to break away from the clinging attachments of this present life." There is no place in His band for those who are not willing to accept inconvenience, sufferings, and uncertainty. This is still the price of following Christ today, just as it was then.

How many of us need to confess our adulterous love affair with the world? I fear for the nation and people whose Christian churches have forsaken holiness, and separation from sin and the world. The 'spiritual thermometer' of most churches is so low, that a new believer has to become a backslider to feel at home. When the Lord calls you away from this mess of lukewarm, half hearted, plastic Christianity, you can be sure that many will say you are an idiot.

"Dear Lord, we acknowledge that our commitment to You is so shallow.
We say we love You, but our actions betray us.

Open our eyes so that we see time and eternity as You see them.
Forgive us for forgetting we are only strangers and pilgrims on this earth.
How foolish we are, O Lord, to store up treasures on this earth and fight to save our lives and preserve them, when You tell us we will lose our lives if we try to do that.

We ask You, dear Lord, to forgive us and help us to walk in Your footsteps; forsaking all, denying ourselves, carrying our crosses daily and loving You supremely so Your causes might be furthered in this dark and dying world.

In Jesus' name, Amen."

It Will Cost You Everything!

2010-02-03T06:08:00.001-05:00