"Spiritual Matters" - 3

 "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Hebrews 6:2 KJV)

  "But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering."" (Mark 10:38-39 NLT)

 As I was saying, Pastor Bryan started to almost say that the thief on the cross was indeed baptized, but he didn't really have time to get into that, as it was a whole different kind of baptism. His reason for sharing on the topic of baptism was because the church was having one later that afternoon. That said, this kind of baptism is every bit a spiritual matter! 

 Basically, you must totally and completely ignore your flesh, accepting its demise and destruction, and you must focus upon that which really matters: Your soul! I don't know how else to describe it, but truth be told, I really don't want to have to experience it myself. But if I did, I believe I would know what to do! 

 Moving on, is the laying on of hands, which is a spiritual matter because you are making a connection by the power of the Holy Spirit that is within you. I don't mean to get all mystified or anything like that; but it really is a spiritual matter! If you haven't had the Elders lay hands on you, as they pray for you, then you probably don't know what I am trying to say.

 Hopefully the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment is easy to understand, because neither one of them involve your fleshly body; this is not the body you will have in heaven or in eternity, wherever that might be after judgment...

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT)    

"Spiritual Matters" - 2

 "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Hebrews 6:2 KJV)

  "Once we too were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."" (Titus 3:3-7 NLT)

 Okay then, here is what this is all about, whether you believe it or not, the moment you received Christ Jesus into your heart, you were already baptized, which is basically called, "an inward baptism." There is a really good example of that, as we are washed by the blood of Christ as soon as we have been saved! We are washed by His blood; there for, when we actually do get baptized, in water, we are demonstrating an inward work that was done; signifying that inward work with an outward expression. 

 We can go into that with greater detail, but I think you get the just of what that means. The whole point that I am trying to make, is that of the spiritual matter! Our spiritual connection with God was dead! If you don't know what that means, it means we were spiritually dead! Even though we lived in these temporary bodies, we were basically like the walking dead; living a life that had no connection with the God that had created this living soul.

 When we accepted Christ into our hearts, we became alive; totally and completely connected to the God that made us; which we in inward baptism, the washing away of our sins by the blood of Christ. The main point is that this thing, "the doctrine of baptisms," is one that has several different ways that people have interpreted what it means.

 If you have followed this blog for long, you might have heard my conversation with a man that didn't like my shirt, because it had the symbol of a dove, and it said: Calvary Chapel. As it was, he didn't like my shirt because we didn't agree on the importance of baptism. He believed that you have to be baptized to be saved, and I believe you must get saved, then you get baptized.

 Pastor Bryan touched on this last Sunday but didn't really get deep into the illustration. There is a very power illustration of how this actually worked, with the thief on the cross. Was he not saved because he didn't get baptized? Well, if you really want to get right down to it, he was actually baptized inwardly, as soon as he received Christ into his heart...

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you're at it!" But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."" (Luke 23:39-41 NLT)   

"Spiritual Matters"

 "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Hebrews 6:2 KJV)

  "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)

 Before I get too deep into this, I have to think about why this verse is separated from verse one, as they both are shown to be the same sentence in the KJV. Having thought about it, somewhat without looking up any resources, I feel that the first verse is dealing with the faith we have with God, and how we must get right with Him; while the second portion deals with our spiritual matters, which actually means our spirit, or God's Spirit in us. 

 Hopefully you must all know by now that you have a spirit, at least you should! The basic principle is that we have a body, a soul, and a spirit. Conventional teaching is that the soul is actually a spirit also, but the spirit is that part of man which died, when Adam sinned. Adam's spirit was alive and connected with God's Spirit; but sin caused a separation between man and God, the moment Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. 

 From that time on, mankind has had a void within them, which needed to be filled. Through the ages, God has put His Spirit upon certain people, from time to time, as a means for them to perform the work He had called them to do. But in the case of this illustration, the spirit that lives within the believer, since Christ died and rose again, is now that same Spirit that was alive in Adam before he sinned. 

 If that makes sense to you, then you should understand why baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, are all connected to spiritual matters. The transformation that Paul is talking about is a spiritual condition: We are made new because we now have God's Spirit living within us; therefore, it is important that we give our bodies to God, seeing that He now lives within us...     

"Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT) 

"Building a Superstructure" - 2

 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Hebrews 6:1 KJV)

  "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT)

 Just so you know, I took this title from Matthew Henry's commentary on this chapter; specifically, this verse. Which, from what I gathered, does not signify a gigantic structure, as if it means size; but of a structure that is strong and able to withstand the storms and the difficulties of this life, here on earth. 

 Much like the lesson Jesus taught about the house built upon the Rock; we are building on Christ Jesus, as the Foundation of everything we set out to do: He is the Rock on which we stand! There is a structure that is unmovable and strong, which is super because He is Super! 

 More than that, He is the Head of the church, which is us, as we represent the body. Which, whether you like it or not, means that we are one body! There must be unity and compassion for one another; just as if you need one another to be complete. In other words, we all share the same body; each one doing their own function and purpose, which God has called us to do, and chosen us for His perfect will. 

 I know this isn't anything that we haven't heard before; but it is something we sometimes forget...

"Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:14-16 NLT) 

"Building a Superstructure"

 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Hebrews 6:1 KJV)

  "The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the first light of day." (Proverbs 4:18 NLT)

 Having been in ministry, there are certain things I believe we must do, the most important is that of making disciples and sharing the Good News. The thing I learned, right from the start, is that you grow in the Lord by sharing His word and proclaiming the wonderful things He has done; 100% true! If you do not share and keep it all to yourself, you become stagnate, which is the opposite of having 'A River of Life' flowing out of you. 

 Something else that we are instructed to do is grow! We do not remain babies, just as natural life of a newborn babe, we learn to walk, to speak, and to understand what is going on around us. You would be surprised how many believers don't know certain things they should know, only because they do not feel that should care what happens in this world. It is the same reason that they do not vote; they do not feel as though they should participate in elections.

 One of the things which really drew me towards caring about elections, was reading books like, "This Present Darkness." It took me two weeks to read; but when "Piercing the Darkness" came out, I read it within 48 hours! The main point I am trying to make, is that the evil in this world is not man-made! It is we workings of the devil and the spiritual darkness. 

 We do not have hate towards our enemies, as they are just flesh and blood, just like us. Mankind is not the enemy; the real enemy is the devil and all that he causing to happen on this earth. Never forget that he is the ruler on this planet. Although he might be restricted by certain things, he can still cause more destruction than you know.   

 Adding onto that, we must never underestimate the power of prayer! Whether you are praying for something, someone, or even yourself; or someone is praying for you: never forget that God is more than capable of hearing and acting upon our prayers! I truly believe that He does act upon our prayers, in one way or another. They might not happen right away, but in His time and purposes, they be brought to light.  

 And, to that, I will end today with the Proverb I started with: The sun comes up, it doesn't just sit on the horizon! In other words, we grow, one way or another! And there is always a way our Father helps us to grow...

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4 NLT)  

  

"The Peril of Falling Away"

   "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again, Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. 

 "For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened - those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come - and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

 "When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing. But if the field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it." (Hebrews 6:1-8 NLT)

  "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19 KJV)

 This particular portion of the Book of Hebrews has some very direct things to say about those who might fall away from the goodness of God; some of which is very hard to explain, especially the idea that you can be eternally condemned, if you turn away after you have known the truth. 

 Whatever you might be thinking, right now, you should know that there are certain conditions that are needing to be considered, especially about the exact reason you came to Jesus in the first place! Yes, there are big differences between those who come to Christ for repentance and the forgiveness of sins, and those who come wanting feel better about life: as if the magic of asking Jesus into their lives will heal their marriage or make correct the wrongs they have done. 

 We have discussed this before; as I shared about the book, "Hells Best Kept Secret." We are not to expect to feel comfortable and free from any harm when we come to Christ; if we expect that our lives will be all warm and fuzzy once we become a Christian, we have a very good chance of falling away...

 Father, I pray that these next couple weeks will be something that causes us, (me especially,) to affirm the salvation that we so desperately need: The ability to love you as we should, and to love others as we must! Show us the hope we have within us and give us the desire to share that hope with others. Please relight the flame of our first love! In the might name of Jesus, Amen.   

"To Practice Being Perfect"

 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14 KJV)

  "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called - his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 1:18-20 NLT)

 As much as I want to be, perfect, I know very well that it isn't something I can achieve on my own; and even when I have help from the Holy Spirit, there are still times when I blow it, and I need to ask God for His forgiveness. But even though we fail sometimes, making stupid mistakes or having a moment when our own ego gets in the way of loving others, we must always ask for forgiveness and keep practicing for perfection, as Jesus has commanded us to do! 

 If you didn't recall reading that, it is several placing in the Bible, some of which are spoken straight from the mouth of Jesus: "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) Understandably, we don't have the ability to be perfect in these fleshly bodies; there will be times when we have something in us that will cause us to sin; but we must be able to realize that we have sinned, and then we ask God to forgive us! 

 Hopefully that makes sense, because it is just the way we practice being perfect! We are not going to be perfect as long as we are on this earth, but our Heavenly Father sees us as if we are perfect, when our sins are covered by the blood of His Son, 100% percent of the time...

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT)

"Baby Steps"

"For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." (Hebrews 5:13 KJV)

  "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you." At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for reveling them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!"" (Matthew 11:23-26 NLT)

 I know it might seem as though I am, understandably, looking at this from a different point of view; however, there is something here that needs to be brought to light. As far as the milk goes, it describes this certain thing, 'uncertain affinity.' Basically, it means that there is doubt or uncertainty: a lack of surety and clarity. In other words, it basically means, 'for the less difficult Christian truths.' 

 By the way, I heard something yesterday that was quite interesting, that had to do with having milk and meat together, as the law supposably of the Jews implies. Which was actually something that was added to that actual law, which was that they should not cook the meat of a calf in its mother's milk. Strange, I know, but it is interpreted by scholars to prohibit the mixture of meat and dairy. 

 Anywho: this might seem a little hard to comprehend, but it the word, 'useth', is the part which actually makes this all come together, as it implies that is where you stay, stuck on the less difficult Christian truths. Which, not that it is something we don't need, the basic truths, because we most certainly do, but we also need to grow. However, we must also believe and understand the spectacular and impossible things that God has done, because they too are true!  

 Without the complete picture, (not that I mean everything about God,) we don't really have a chance to grow and share the experience that the Lord has brought us through. In other words, we have to study His word, in order to explain certain things that need to be told! That said, we also need to be childlike; which means, we are never fully grown, but always in need of learning...

"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:10-16 NLT)  

"Slight Adjustment" -2

 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. A you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT)

 A quick and easy way to see this, somewhat practical matter, is to understand where it is that you belong! First of all, we are no longer citizens of this earth; although we live and move here, as we have since the beginning of our past life, we have been born again; living the rest of our days as if we belong somewhere else: with Jesus up in Heaven! Obviously, we sometimes forget this, very simple understanding, because there are so many things we get involved in from time to time, things that reattach us to this earth. 

 There is really no other way we have to say this! Who is it among you that has a dusty Bible? A Bible that just sits there, not being read, as if that takes up too much of your time, time you need for the other things that distract you from thinking about God or your real purpose on this earth! 

 Not judging, just making a point. Take an observation next time you go to church, of how many people actually carry a Bible; even the large percentage of children don't have a Bible under their arms; which actually should be the instruction of the Sunday School teacher: "Bring Your Bible!" 

 Anywho, don't get me started. When my wife and I taught Sunday School, if a kid didn't have a Bible, we made sure to give them one. And then we would have a chance to encourage them each Sunday that they showed up with their Bible. Hardly any of them didn't ever bring their Bible; and if they did forget, they would feel ashamed for not having it. 

 By the way, this thing about using an electronic device instead of an actual Bible, although it might seem cool and easy to have on hand, it could become something that be detrimental and hinder your life or wellbeing. I know that might sound crazy and over the top; but these devices keep track of you. If things get bad, as they are going to sooner or later, your electronic device will show off the fact that you are a Christian! 

 Crazy, isn't it! People sometimes don't carry a Bible, because they don't feel cool when they do; but if the powers to be crack down on Believer's, things will get real, and you will be found out! Which actually is okay with me! I am more than ready to go home...     

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:20-21 NLT) 

"Slight Adjustment"

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12 KJV)

  ""Who does the LORD think we are?" they ask. "Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? He tells us everything over and over - one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!" So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! God has told his people, "Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest." But they would not listen. So the LORD will spell out his message again, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured." (Isaiah 28:9-13 NLT)

 This might take a moment to talk about, as there are certain conditions we all seem to discover, without even knowing that we have gone totally off the path, just by making a slight adjustment! This is really not that hard to understand, because there are certain things that can change the direction we should be going, into the direction that we don't belong going down. 

 I have heard explained as a ship which is crossing from one side or the sea to the other: just one little bit of a degree off, and instead of reaching the destination you wanted, you end up somewhere else, without even realizing you were going in the wrong direction. 

 I have no desire to even try to know all the answers; it really isn't my place to think I can even try. But we should all know the truth about our salvation: as to the reason He came, the purpose of the cross, and the power of the resurrection...

"Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship be the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!" (Philippians 3:1-4 NLT) 

"By Implication" - Too

 "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing." (Hebrews 5:11 KJV)

  "Then the LORD answered Job from a whirlwind: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them."" (Job 38:1-3 NLT)

 Most people who want to ignore God's word, have very little respect for what He has to say; maybe it's because they just don't fully believe He is really there, as if the Bible can't really prove anything. Well, we really don't need to depend upon the Bible for proof that God is real; just creation on its own proves that there is a God, the Creator of heaven and earth! 

 I was sharing with a customer the other day about how Scientist have had to enlarge the timespan of the earth's existence, from a few billion years to six or seven billion years; all of this change is because the evolution of species needs more and more time; the more they discover how unique and complex they really are, the longer the earth has existed. The point I was trying to share was about the new knowledge they have from DNA taken from cockroaches and termites, finding a common strand within both, they determined that termites evolved from cockroaches. 

 When I heard this, hogwash, I was sitting next to a friend who also is a Christian and wrote a note to him that said: "Behavior Matters!" The point that I was making had to do with social insects being totally and completely different from non-social insects. One raises there young, while the other does not! As a matter of fact, of the social insect world, termites are not only raising their young, but they also care for each other; even those that are sick, they will try and nurse them back to health. Even ants, that are also social, do not take care of their sick, they discard them from the hive, as they become dead weight! 

 Sorry for being weird about bugs, but it really bugs me to listen to the speakers at our conferences that spout off about this evolutionary hogwash! Just because God designed a mature earth, does not mean it is older than when He made it. The same is the case for all the animals and man; God made them fully formed and mature, telling them to multiply! The question about what came first, the chicken or the egg, is pretty much a stupid question: You can't have an egg without a chicken! 

 But I am curious to know if Adam and Eve have a bellybutton...

""The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn't care if they die. For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider."" (Job 39:13-18 NLT)     

"By Implication"

 "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing." (Hebrews 5:11 KJV)

  ""So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments. Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused? We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence."" (JOB 37:19-24 NLT)

 This message to Job was given by Elihu, which was most likely just sitting nearby when Job's friends were having their, so called, intervention with Job. Being much younger, he held his peace, until he just couldn't take it anymore. For several chapters, Elihu speaks and confronts Job about his error. As it was, Job, in defending himself, had unjustly accused God.

 There is something we need to try and understand about why certain things happen to good people, some of which have to go through overwhelming trials, without even realizing where all of the devastation is actually coming from. God's great love for His children goes far beyond most of our understanding; we might think we can see the reason and the purpose in certain things, but God's purposes are unlimited and performed on a whole different level! 

 As I was saying, on the introduction to the Book of Hebrews, it is my belief that more than one person is writing this book. I know I can't prove anything, and most commentary has either Luke or Mark being the author. Truth be told, the Holy Spirit is actually the Author, man is just used to take notes! 

 Anywho, there are so many things we just don't understand; most of which are the things that cannot be seen or are out of the ordinary. Which brings up the subject of matter. Why do the molecules stay together, when they actually should be coming apart? Well, to answer that, we get told from the Bible that Jesus holds everything together: "He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:16b -17 NLT) 

 If you really want to get right down to it, if He lets go of all of this, it will dissolve and melt away in an instant. Oddly enough, that is also information for that given in the Bible...

"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectantly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10-13 NLT)  

  

"A Call to Spiritual Growth"

  "There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong." (Hebrews 5:11-14 NLT)

  ""Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:7-12 KJV)

 Sometimes we just need to ask God to show us what He means, instead of just thinking we know all the answers! I really do like listening to Pastor Chuck, because he likes to keep the message simple and very easy to understand. The more you add to the certain message, the more you need to dress it up, trying to make it seem more interesting, the less the real message comes out understandable and simple...

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 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 us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10 KJV)   

"Called of God"

 "Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 5:10 KJV)

  ""Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God." The people retorted, "You Samaritan devil! Didn't we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?" "No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father - and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!" The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"" (John 8:47-53 NLT)

 Much like many other things that Jesus had said, those who didn't want to listen, really never could understand what He was telling them; as a matter of fact, His words, which should have given them hope, ended up offending them and making them turn against Him. This is really not that difficult to figure out, we are all protective of the things we try to hold onto, so when we feel convicted, we tend to fight for the right to have our own way. 

 Just so happens, there are several things happening in our nation right now, that is very familiar to what we are seeing here today, on so many different levels. The main thing we must understand, which we often forget, is that the devil is the one that is pulling the strings and causing the people to gather together and fight against that which is good. It is the devil that causes the chaos, because that is nature, to upset and cause people to hate what is good! 

 There is nothing I love more than hearing the Word of God taught and explained in ways that cause me to take it to heart, and to not only listen, but try and apply what I heard to my life. We are meant to apply what we hear God say, not just listen! There is a really big difference between listening gladly and listening sadly; those who choose to hear what God says and don't receive it, usually end up offended. 

 If you don't believe it, go back to the beginning, when God gave instruction to Cain, before Cain killed his brother, Able... 

"Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!" At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple." (John 8:54-59 NLT) 

   

"Being Made Perfect"

 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)

  "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfil Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30 NLT) 

 Whatever you might think about the title of today's post, it is finished for Jesus, who was always made perfect! He came into this world perfect, being that He was God! Yes, regardless of what you might have been told, Jesus was made to take on the body of a man, but He was always still God! It might be hard for some people to understand, but the Bible tells us so, so we better believe it.

 With that, there is an indication made that this perfection is also made available to us; crazy as it might sound, we that have been born again, are being made perfect! It might not appear that we are, having to deal with sin and temptations day after day, but the blood of Jesus has washed all of that stuff away, even if you feel as though haven't reached perfection, He has already perfected you; and you will make it to the other side! 

 Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone that still thinks they need to do something in order to earn their salvation, because there is really nothing left for you to do, but to listen and obey! But you might say: "Isn't that the same as work?' No! It is about following Jesus! You cannot follow Him without obeying Him, as difficult as that might be, it is the least we can try to do.

 By the way, I heard this message yesterday from Pastor Jack, who was really excited about the chance to share his massage; so much so, he kept telling the congregation to keep looking up to him, as he spoke. He was sharing about hell and paradise, how that those in paradise, (before Jesus provided eternal salvation,) had been there from the very beginning, and they had been there for a very long time. Yet guess who showed up in paradise, only to stay for a very short time? The thief on the cross!

 Take about not having to work for salvation...

"So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NLT)