Month: July 2012

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.  Jude v. 20-23

Jude, rendered “Judah” in Hebrew and “Judas” in Greek, was one of four half-brothers of Christ. Jude lived in a time when Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome and aggressive spiritual infiltration of gnostic-like apostates and libertines who sowed seeds of abundant discord through doctrinal error. Apostasy – meaning defection from the true, biblical faith, Jude wrote this short one chapter epistle to urge Christians to contend for the faith. When apostasy arises, when false teachers emerge on the scene, when the truth of God is attacked, it is time to fight for the faith. And only believers who are spiritually “in shape” can answer the call. Every true believer has a sure foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) and cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) in Jesus Christ. The truths of the Christian faith have been provided in the teaching of the apostles and prophets, so that Christians can build themselves up by obeying the Word of God. But even in this, without God’s help we can’t do anything that resembles a life of faith that is rooted in the Word and demonstrated with His power. Praying in the Holy Spirit—As we call on the Lord the Holy Spirit brings to God on our behalf divine articulations that cannot be expressed in words, but carry profound appeals for the welfare of every believer (Romans 8:26-27). No words are necessary because the Father understands and agrees with what the Spirit thinks. This is not a call to some ecstatic form of prayer, but simply a call to pray consistently in the will and power of the Holy Spirit, as one would pray anything in the name of Jesus Christ. Keeping yourselves in the love of God— The response of every believer is to be faithfully living out what God is working in (for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure) Philippians 2:13. Although the believer is responsible to work, the Lord actually produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of believers (John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 12:6). And the fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22.) It means also of a firm stand in the place of obedience where God’s love is poured out on His children so we will not lose hope (Romans 5:5), as opposed to being disobedient and incurring His chastisement. How can this be you may ask? By looking ahead in anticipation to Christ’s second coming, and to receive our eternal life in Him, in it’s ultimate resurrection form, which is the supreme expression of God’s mercy on one to whom Christ’s righteousness has underservedly been imputed to. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (1 John 3:2-3).

Beloved friend, The time of apostasy is now here, the Church is being inundated with floods of false teachers and their false doctrines, Israel, whom we are told to always keep our eyes on, is in the process of soon to be rebuilding another temple to which they may resume their sacrifices. All these are indications that Christ’s return is near. To know that you can have eternal life in Christ is possible, the Scriptures make this clear, but to remain undecided, or remain in unbelief and try and make it out of this life without God’s offer of forgiveness, is eternal damnation. I leave you with this thought from the end of Jude’s epistle: Glory to God— Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen v.v.24-25

May the Lord bless your walk with Him!

 

 

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Here Paul is near the end of his life, and is giving Timothy a very sobering reminder, “I charge you “ Or better “command” the Greek word has the idea of issuing a forceful order or directive. In the presence of God, even Christ Jesus, is probably the best rendering since He is about to be introduced as the judge. For everyone who ministers the Word of God is under a closer watch of scrutiny because of the importance of rightly dividing the Word of truth. Christ, who will judge—Paul is emphasizing the unique accountability that all believers, and especially ministers of the Word of God, have to Christ as Judge. For service to Christ is rendered both under His watchful eye and with the knowledge that as Judge He will one day appraise the works of every believer (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). This is not a judgment of condemnation, but one of evaluation. With regard to salvation, believers have been judged already and declared righteous -Through Christ they are no longer subject to the condemnation of sin. The entire written Word of God His complete revealed truth is contained in the Bible. Be ready in season and out of season—The Greek word word has a broad range of meanings, including suddenness, or forcefulness; Here the form of the verb suggests the complementary ideas of urgency, preparedness, and readiness. It was used of a soldier prepared to go into battle, or sentry guard on alert of enemy attack. These attitudes therefore are imperitive for a faithful preacher, especially one as young as Timothy was. The faithful preacher must proclaim the Word of God when it is popular and or convenient, and when it is not; when it seems suitable to do so, and when it seems not. The dictates of popularity of culture, traditions, or reputations of esteem in the community, (or in the church) must never altar the true message of God’s Word spoken of by any preacher, who’s commitment is to preach all of God’s Word. Convince, rebuke—The Greek word for “convince” refers to correcting behavior or false doctrine by using careful biblical truth to counter any argument against it.

Beloved friend, There is certainly much more on this subject, my desire is to feed those who are beggining in the Word a steady diet of sound biblical truth that will be of great help in your spiritual growth. Being ready for Christ’s return should be everyone’s focus, and preaching His Word, is how we prepare for His return.

May the Lord bless your walk!

O Lord, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field also cry out to You, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the open pastures.  Joel 1:19-20

As the first to call others to repentenance, the prophet Joel had to be the first to heed the warning. He had to lead by example and exhort the people to respond. In the midst of proclaiming judgment, God’s prophets often led in intercessory prayer for mercy and forgiveness for God’s people. True prayer of repentance will always be in response to the Word of God, and is characterized by fervency and self-denial, and identifies itself unselfishly with God’s people. We are always strengthened by confession knowing that weakness in us, brings strengthening grace given by God to overcome our sinful desires and turn to the ways of glorifying God. Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, to name a few of the prophets of God who interceded for their fellow man. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that I may consume them. And I will make you a great nation.” Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the Land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:11-14  could have consumed all the people and started over again with Moses, just like he had earlier with Abraham (Genesis 12). Moses appeal for God to change His mind to relent succeeded because God had only threatened judgment, and not decreed it. A divine intention is not an unchangeable divine decree.

Beloved friend, Today, we do not have to plead with God to turn away His wrath from us, He loves us, and wants to save us. But we do need to confess our sins to Him in true repentance. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10  Continual confession of sins is a part of the genuine Christian’s life. The term “confess” means to say the same thing about sin as God does. Where does my example do the most good? To those I love most! My family, my friends, my church family, and my neighbors. The greatest need in our world is the need for more godly men, and women  leading the way for others to follow after their patterns of authentic Christian living. There is no substitute for God’s people in our society!

May the Lord bless your walk!

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear   1 Peter 3:15

God knows our future, rules over every circumstance, and cares for us in ways that are far beyond our understanding.” Christ ” is to be preferred here, so the reading is “set apart in your hearts Christ as Lord.” The heart is the sanctuary in which He prefers to be worshiped. As we live in submission to God’s Word, we have fellowship with the Lord Jesus, loving and obeying Him brings us an absence of fear. There is a huge problem with many Christians not knowing the Word of God, and worse yet, many churches are not teaching the Word of God they way it should be taught. Always be ready to give a defense— The English word “apologetics” comes from the Greek word here translated “defense”  The apostle Peter is using the word in a informal sense and is insisting that the believer must understand what he believes and why one is a Christian, and then be able to articulate what and why one believes the Word of God. Yet, it must be humbly answered, thoughtfully used to the benefit of others, reasonably and biblically sound doctrine; which brings out the hope that is in you. A salvation with its anticipation of eternal glory. Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

Beloved friend, we’ve been given both a command and an exhortation in our text today. God says, We are to be letting our light so shine before the world, and that we should be salt preserving truth Christians. We need to study the Word of God to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us, for the reason we have hope? Paul wrote to the Corinthians, For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corithians 2:2  Knowing God’s Word is the best answer to give as to what you believe.

May the Lord bless your walk!

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.1 John 4:7-11

The gospel writer John, true to his pattern to develop the same subjects, each time broadening and expanding, and enhancing their significance, returns again to the moral test of love. Describing what perfect love is, is to describe what the heart of God looks like. Yet, it is personafied in Jesus Christ, and John is emphatic about it being availiable to all men. John introduces the reader to the first of 5 reasons why Christians love: because God is the essence of love. The gnostics of John’s day believed that God was immaterial spirit and light, but never defined the source of love as coming from His inmost being. As He is Spirit (John 4:24), Light (John 1:5), and a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), so He is love. Love is inherent in all He is and in every act He does. Even His judgment and wrath are perfectly harmonized with His love. Let us love one another—This phrase is the key to the entire text; That we must be sure that love is a habitual practice and that those who are truly born again do exhibit the characteristic habit of love, because those who are born again receive God’s nature inside of them. And since God’s nature exhibits love as a chief characteristic, God’s children will also reflect that love too! Propitiation—The word means “appeasement” or “satisfaction” The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross satisfied the demands of God’s holiness for the punishment of sin.

Beloved Friend, Someone may profess to be a Christian but only those who display love like their heavenly Father actually possess His divine nature and are truly born again. Is this the love that describes you?

May the Lord bless your walk today!

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:1-8

 

The psalmist does not look to creation for help, but to the Creator. From the place of utter helplessness God can be found from the viewpoint of looking up to the heights of the hills or in the banks of the valleys below. God can be found when He is sought for for by those who are looking for no other help other than the one true God. Being a Christian today, you are in the cross hairs of the enemy, Satan our adversary who opposes God and the truth of His Word. Yes, the enemy of our soul is seeking to destroy us and make into nothing our faith. How can we stand against such villainy? Where do we turn to for aid in the spiritual war in which all the children of God are engaged? Turn to the Lord! He is your help. The Creator of heaven and earth will not allow your foot to be moved into unbelief, He who holds power over every living thing neither slumbers nor sleeps. He will keep you under His wings of protection, The Protector of His sheep, protects and preserves His child from every spiritual harm.

Take comfort and love Christ! His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace {Isaiah 9:6}.

May the Lord bless your walk!