"Ethier He's Lord or He's Not"

 "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 8 KJV)

  "Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. "Let us break their chains, "they cry, "and free ourselves from the slavery of God." But the one who rules from heaven laughs. The LORD scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the LORD declares, "I have placed me chosen King on the throne in Jerusalem, my holy mountain." The King proclaims the LORD'S decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your own inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God's royal Son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities - for his flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" (PSALM 2 NLT) [modified]

 Don't be alarmed, by my modification. There are certain things in some translations that I seriously will disagree with, and why the NLT translation made King and Son in lower case characters, I have no idea; but they did have a footnote that said, "Or Son". 

 There are certain things we think about taking control of or getting rid of; things that we might actually feel in our hearts that the Lord wants us to do. When we sense that the Lord wants us to do something, then our responsibility as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to do it! 

 Let me even go a step further, (if you will.) If you really are a servant of the Lord, then you will not just wait for His command or requirement; as any good and faithful servant, would do, you will look earnestly for ways to please your Master! That is why we have a Bible! It is our guidebook and roadmap to show us the way and teach us how to obey...

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)  

"Here Comes the Judge!"

   "In the same way, there people - who claim authority from their dreams - live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The LORD rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.) But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion." (Jude 8-11 NLT)

 "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah" (Psalms 52:1-3 KJV)

 Before I go any further, I just wanted to and a little something to the last couple of posts. I truly believe that everyone, not matter what they have done, can be saved! This I believe with all my heart! Jesus would have forgiven Judas, if he had only asked for forgiveness; yet he went and hung himself! But even still, if by chance he called out for forgiveness, even in the last two seconds, we would have received the Lord's forgiveness. Actually, I am would not be surprised if Jesus forgave him anyway; He surely forgave those who nailed Him to the cross! 

 There are so many things we mere mortals do not understand, even those who study long and hard; the 'swirling eddies' will always take us down the rabbit hole, chasing for deeper answers; but the deeper we go, the more lost and confused we become. Our minds cannot comprehend the complexity of God's, all so, misterious and amazing plan...

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14 KJV)  

"The Example" - TOO

 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7 KJV)

 "In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the very message that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:8-9 NLT)

 Well, first off, my misspelling of Gomorrah was the same way it was spelt in the Blue Letter Bible that I use every morning. I had a hunch that it was wrong, but yesterday morning was quite a mess, for my mind was clouded and I really couldn't do much about it. 

 Basically, this is the message, (in case you might have different thoughts, I would keep them to yourself, because), all of the souls could have been spared if they would have repented and turned towards God! Lot was godly; which he became by walking with Abraham for all those years. He sat at the city gates most of the time; and I am pretty sure he wasn't selling tickets to get in. 

 Abraham bartered with the Lord, starting with fifty being righteous, all the way down to ten; and even with only ten, the Lord said, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten." Before you cast any sort of judgment, thinking these people had it coming to them, know something that is very sure: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

 What I am trying to say, is that even those that are incredibly wicked, as long as they still have breath and the ability to speak, (even just a whisper and possibly just a thought,) and ask for God's forgiveness, they will be saved! If there was any reason that Jude made these comment about Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed, I am almost 100% sure, that is because of those who are self-righteous and might say that they all deserved to die, and that the deserved it!

 Worse than that, there are still some, even those who minister, that might not think those kinds of people could ever be saved; that their sin was too wicked, and bad enough not to allow them even to enter their church. We must never tear down that Jesus has built! This much I know is totally true...

"It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seeds grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building. Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have - Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials - gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, the builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3: 

"The Example"

 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7 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."" (Matthew 11:23-24 NLT)

 Most everyone knows about the destruction that took place in these cities. There was something not everyone knows about what went on before they were destroyed. The Lord and two angels were visiting Abraham, and when He told Abraham what was going to happen, Abraham tried to ask the Lord, 'If there be any righteous, will you still destroy them?' 

 Maybe there is a better example, but the main thing I was wanting to share about was Jesus! Yes, He was there speaking with Abraham, everywhere the Lord shows up, it is Him, the Son of God...

 "Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" 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 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!"" (John 8:53-58 NLT)

"The Origin" - Too

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6 KJV) 

  "O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I am far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" (PSALM 139:1-6 NLT)

 I really wasn't expecting to have many agree with what I was saying yesterday, because everyone has God planning for a perfect world when He created the garden and placed man in it. Oddly enough, the cross of Christ and His salvation for the entire world was established and planned out, even before the world began. So there must have been a reason, as it is, God knows the beginning and the end! 

 It has been said the Lucifer rebelled against God because of God's plan when He decided to make man in His own image; more than that, it was God's plan to have man judge the angels; which really made the devil jealous of man. He had also tried hard to prevent Christ Jesus from being born and providing salvation for the entire earth by being crucified on the cross! 

 As I have said several times before, the cross of Christ is imaged in so many things, both small and big! There is an image of the cross in the black hole, which is way out in space. There is an image of the cross next to every cell that within us; which is a cell call Laminin and is a cell adhesion molecule that holds us together! When it says in the Bible that Jesus holds all things together, it is no joke! 

 There are several more illustrations to be made, but this is primarily all about love! God did not create us as puppets or robots, that we would follow His every command. He knew firsthand that He had to make a way that we would love Him, by first doing the most amazing thing, ever! That was the act of being born as one of us, living among us, and hanging on a cross to free us from sin; that we would love Him, because He first loved us, and proved it on the cross...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9-10 NLT)     

"The Origin"

 "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6 KJV)

  "The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" "Of course we may eat fruit the trees in the garden," the woman replied. "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die." "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5 NLT)

 As most of us know, this was the beginning of the fall of man. There are several points to this meeting, between the serpent and the woman; some of which are not clearly noticed; but each and every one of them, God was not surprised by! I am certain that He was watching, just as He watches us when we do things that get us into trouble; even though we might not think He is watching us! 

 Whatever you think of Eve in this conversation with the devil, Adam was the one that allowed this to happen; as it was, he was the one God told to tend and care for all that was in the garden. That would have also involved caring for the wife that God made for him! Somehow or another, Eve had added something to God's command, "Do not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden," as she added, "or even touch it". 

 Having shared on this before, it really isn't that hard to figure out that either Adam had told her not to even touch it, or that she had witnessed Adam touching it, looking as though he wanted to eat it. Either way, she opened the door for the serpent to lie to her, because she said something that God did not say. If God didn't say it, then we should not add to it or make something different from what He said. 

 Obviously, the tree was somehow important in the garden; much like the Tree of Life, which was also in the garden. Adam was told by God to tend and care for all that was in the garden, which included tending for all the trees; which would also include the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. What makes me wonder, is why that tree was in the middle of the garden; as if it was there to tempt Adam's curiosity and wonder? 

 If you have been following me for a while, you might have known that I wrote about this before; and if you did, hopefully you didn't think I was crazy or stupid. But when God had Adam name all of the animals, there was certain that accrued to happen in Adam that is what I believe also allowed him to let Even eat of the forbidden fruit. That certain thing that he experienced was, "Want!" 

 Don't think of me as a nut, because I truly believe that Adam had nothing to want or need, until he started naming the all the animals, seeing they were all male and female mates; and he began to think, "Where is the mate for me?" Which was the beginning of his experience to want. 

 If you think about it, it is the one thing that takes us down, over and over, as we want things; even sometimes the things that are not good for us; including the things that we actually know God doesn't want us to have or do...

 "The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and she ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." (Genesis 3:6-7 NLT) 

"Repeat and Refresh" - 2

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:17 NLT)

 Let me tell you something, all of those things Jesus spoke about regarding those bad seeds, as I was typing out the words, I was remembering times when I had bits and pieces of those experiences. Not that I stayed in those conditions, but that there were days when I didn't believe that I was saved; days when I had fallen away, feeling as if I didn't belong; days when work and pleasures were more important than serving the Lord.

 Having been through the fire, if you will, I am somewhat more confident and secure about my belief in the salvation I have been given. There still are times when I feel discouraged and unworthy; but it is in those times that pick myself up and stand up like a man. And then there are times when I fall down to my knees and beg for forgiveness! If you don't know what all that means, then you probably haven't studied the Book of Job.

 Here is the thing that believing actually means when it comes to following Christ: Just as Jesus said to His disciples, ""The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."" (Mark 12:29-31 NLT)

 Basically, if you love God as you should, then you will do what He tells you to do, and you believe what He says, and you put forth the effort to listen and obey, even if you don't really want to! It sounds really simple, but it sometimes is really hard! When those times come when we are not willing or have excuses for ways out, remember that Jesus wept and begged the Father, saying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."" (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

 When I think of it that way, my choices get less important...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."" (Isaiah 55:1-3 NLT)  

"Repeat and Refresh"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says, "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people Moses led out of Egypt? And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn't it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest." (Hebrews 3:14-19 NLT)

 Hopefully there will be something that really matters in this, so called mistake; but either way, I am sure that everything happens for a reason; even the stupid things we might do, God can use them, somehow for good! With that, I will try to make a better effort to define what it means to believe; mostly because the majority of those who fail and do not enter into His rest, do so because their belief is only imaginary and not based upon the whole truth.

 To explain what it means to believe, as if we don't already know, is to understand that we have been set free from sin; which, believe it or not, is the power of forgiveness, that we should: "Go, and sin no more!" Having said that, it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this has the ability to "sin no more," as if that was even possible! We are made perfect because we are in Christ and He lives in us; otherwise, we have no standing at all! 

 There is a very significant difference to the ones who believe the truth and those who do not; and even then, those who know the truth, will somehow still make mistakes! We really don't have to debate that isn't so, because the Bible is full of examples that what I said is true. The main point that we need to keep in our hearts and minds, is that God really does love us, even when we make mistakes! 

 Think of it this way, if you will. Believing in God's promises is something that makes you know that whatever He says He will do, is absolutely true. Which is basically the whole reason those who died in that wilderness didn't enter into His rest: They did not believe that He would take care of them, even after seeing with their own eyes the power and glory of their God!

 When we were first saved, we experience something that was supernatural and real; something that made us feel as though we had no worries, as if all the burdens that had us bound up and afraid were simply taken away, and a heavy load was taken off of our shoulders. This was not something that we made happen; and it surely wasn't something that we should ever forget...

""This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is God's word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest."" (Luke 8:11-15 NLT)   

"Clearing the Air"

   "So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Isreal from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment." (Jude 5-7 NLT)

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV)

 Much to my chagrin, I realized this morning that I messed up placing the '5' where it didn't belong; as it was, the plan was to do 5, 6, and 7 together, leaving only 3 & 4 on their own. If that doesn't make any sense, don't bother trying to figure it out. I am over the being worried about the mistake and have made the decision that it might have actually been for a reason. 

 This portion of Scripture from 2 Corinthians is something I seriously focused on back in February 1989 to April 1990; and continued to use it, off and on, since then. The main reason was based on a simple book that was called "CounterAttack." Basically, what the book was meant for, was, "Taking Back Ground Lost to Sin." The book was written by Jay Carty, who used a character in the book as an illustration of warning, which was called, "Polar Bear Alert". 

 It might sound silly, but it does actually work! Unfortunately, like most all of us do, when we practice something that really works, we sometimes put it down because it takes away from our, so called, freedom to sin! Sad to say, but the freedom to sin is a myth! If you don't know what a myth actually means, much as it may, the Polar Bear Alert is also as co called myth; but it is used to counter the thought of thinking to sin. 

 The thing is, as simple as it might sound, we only sin because we allow the seed to be planted that will give us the speculation to sin. I you don't know what that looks like, it is putting something away, as if it might not harm you, which is actually something that you might think is good for you at a later date. 

 Paul makes at very powerful illustration of this, if you are thinking that you have freedom to sin; as if God's grace gives you that right! When we do sin, we sometimes think it is afforded to us, much like having your cake and eating it too...

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should also walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1-7 KJV)  

"The Grace of Believing" - 2

"I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news - that God has prepared this rest - has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though this rest has been ready since he made the world." (Hebrews 4:1-3 NLT)

 This might be a little strange, but the no matter what it is that we are going through, if we are His pride and joy, nothing on this earth will destroy us! It isn't that hard to believe what I just said, because Jesus has shown us the way; as it was, He was brutally punished and hung on the cross: yet He lives! As we also will follow in His footsteps; no matter the devastating effect this world might try to do to us, we will come out better than we ever were, even if it involves death!  

 That is what I believe, and because it is etched in my heart, it keeps me moving forward, even though I might sometimes stumble or fall, it makes no difference to my believing that He saved me, and He will never abandon me or cast me away! That is what believing means to me! We have no standing believing in ourselves, whatsoever; but we must put all our faith in Christ and what He has done, and He will give us rest!

 About this 'rest' that we see here in Hebrews, that pretty much is the same as peace; which is what faith in Jesus Christ provides for us, in any situation or circumstance: Peace that comes from knowing that nothing in this life can take away the salvation we have in Christ; absolutely nothing! Even though we might have, shall I say, a serious breakdown, because of our circumstance; when we give whatever it is to God, His peace will absolutely absorb all of the pain and emotions we feel. Believe me, I know! 

 I have shared this before, but when I got home from the hospital, after the nurses told me to go home, I fell to the floor and wept bitterly, crying out, "Why!" Begging God to do something! I could actually feel a hand upon my shoulder, as I kept weeping and shaking, overwhelmed by the condition that my wife was in. 

 After an hour or so went by, I somehow felt a certain peace; peace enough to actually crawl into bed and get one- or two-hours of sleep. When I woke up at 4:00 I rushed back to the hospital to set beside my wife and pray for her and read Scriptures to her. Even though I was still devastated by her condition, I still had peace in the situation! Peace enough to be calm and focus upon the fact that she will be okay; even if she didn't make through, I still believed that she would be okay!

 If you are dealing with something that seems overwhelming and it's too hard to understand why God would allow it to happen, there is really only one thing you should do: Surrender to God believing that He loves you and cares for you, no matter what it is you are going through! There is always a reason that He allows certain things to happen to us; because they are always for our good...  

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God know his people in advance and chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who (or what) can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31 NLT) 

"The Grace of Believing"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD." (PSALM 106:24-25 NLT)

 Here is the thing that makes a little more sense, however, it will also make us wonder. God's grace is all sufficient and is given to those who believe in His promise! This grace, as most people should know, is actually something that we do not deserve; it is a gift from GOD! 

 On the other hand, mercy, which is Him not giving us what we do deserve, is something that is altogether different; something that is, shall we say, the goal of our award into heaven! How else can we explain it! This life affords us no mercy; good people are suffering and dying every day; saints that have believed and done all that they could to be godly, are dealing with cancer and waiting to die. 

 What I am really trying to say, is that what is important for those of us that believe in His promise, is that we also must be willing to except any threat or hardship that is placed upon us, here on this earth. Not that God can't or won't get us through certain issues; because I absolutely know that He can and he does! 

 God's main goal for each and every one of His children, is that we will all be with Him, regardless of the stupid mistakes we might make, He knows your heart and is never going to let go of you! That is His promise, and that is what we must keep believing: No Ifs, Ands, or Buts...

"The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Massiah, tell us plainly?" Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill him." (John 10:24-31 NLT) 

 

"The Warnings of History to the Ungodly"

   "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grave of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4 KJV)

  "Dear friends, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God." (3 John 11 NLT)

 Without a doubt, I am certain that there are certain people that did not agree with what I shared in yesterday's post; and I am totally fine with that, because it doesn't cause me to be offended or upset, not in the least. I believe that the Father called me to His Son that day, and it was more than any of the other times when He had called me before. And yes, there were several times before that when Jesus knocked on the door of my heart, but I refused to open my heart to him. 

 When I received that call, on the day of my new birth, it was totally different; it was as if I needed to go; even if my mind said no, my heart said it was the time for me to go! Maybe that doesn't make sense to some, but we all have our own, somewhat different, awakenings. And without a doubt, I also believe in the fact that we sometimes fall asleep, as is it; and guess what: He wakes us up again! 

 That is not meant to mean we are born again, again; because as it says, that only happens once! But we can have seasons in our lives when we fall asleep; meaning that we blend back into this world; as some will call it, "Back-Sliding." Believe it or not, we can only slide so far, and He will catch us, either by correcting us or taking us home! 

 There is where the lines are drawn, between what is in our hearts and that which is not! And yes, there is nothing we can do to take away our salvation, as if it can be taken; not if it was real! If your salvation is for sure, then you will know it, because He will always discipline those who truly are His children, whenever they fall away... 

"Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT)  

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Infinitely!

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto all the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

 What is this faith all about? And why the struggle? To try and make a point for what I truly believe, I will bring the humanistic view of birth into conversation; which basically tells us that we are only born once in this world, and then we are dead! If that doesn't compute or meet with your understanding of this life, then you don't know what the Bible says about the basic human life: "For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." (Genisis 3:19b NLT) 

 With that, I will try very hard to make this very simple and easy to understand. When we have been born again, that new birth is not temporary, as the human life; the new life we were given is eternal and is once and for all time; infinitely! This is the foundation of the faith we have in accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts; that is because Christ Jesus in alive forever and ever, and when we were given new life in Christ, we too are alive forever and ever! 

 Whatever you might think of that, the main thing is whether or not your faith is genuine and you are sure about the new life that you have been given. I hate to say it, but that is where we have the struggles and the doubts! It really doesn't need to be that way; but from time to time, even the strongest saint will have some doubts, it is only because they are still human. 

 I am bringing this point up, only because Jude has made it apparent, saying, "which was once delivered to the saints." Looking up that word, "once," it basically means, "one time," and "once for all." In other words, the new life that we have been given in Christ has no end! This makes no sense to some; I am pretty sure of that! Be that as it may, those who might possibly lose the salvation they might have been given, if it is true salvation, it was secured by His grace and not human effort; therefore, human effort is not able lose what Christ has already done! 

 With out a doubt, I know for a fact that this that I just said will not be accepted by many; which is not really all that surprising. I have seen the hate in some who have witnessed the fall of someone that was once a great minister; it is hard to imagine what that might feel like, from whatever side you are on. But I truly believe that God's word is not void, just as He has said...

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations."" (Isaiah 55:3-4 NLT)

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Too

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only be believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:21-22 NLT)

 Maybe there was a simpler way to describe what it means to struggle; because believe it or not, in this world we are living in, everyone struggles in one way or another. How else can I explain this, except by stepping back to the term, "common salvation," which is more than likely the major portion of many churches. Basically, Jude has used the word, "common," as if it were to mean it was, unclean, defiled, or unholy. 

 In other words, it has a since of being ordinary! Please forgive me if I step out of line, but I certainly do not believe that my relationship with my Lord and Savior is ordinary! I hate to admit it, but there are times when I might treat my walk with the Lord, shall we say, as if it is ordinary and He isn't there; but those are the times when I feel free to sin, as if I am alone and can get away with it. 

 Do you know what I mean? Because we only sin when we think He isn't looking! But this relationship is something absolutely different than any other, because Jesus is living in my heart! He is there all along, wanting me to learn of Him and surrender my life to Him; which is struggle enough, without making any effort to share this extra-ordinary life to others.

 But that is the whole point of being here, in this world; whether you like it or not, we are meant to be a vessel that can be used to share about the relationship we have, in one way or another; even if we have, so called, mistakes! Call it Living Water, if you will, because that is what Jesus called it; the more we share, the more the Water flows, and the more we don't feel ordinary...    

"For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:7-11 NLT) 

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!"

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jeaus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:13-14 NLT)

 Please forgive me if I haven't been putting a "1" in front of the verses, as there are no more chapters in this book, than that of chapter "1"; therefore, I simply have listed the verses. Back in the day, maybe it was 25 years ago, I started a non-profit entitled, "Jude 2 Enterprises". It was meant to be a ministry that would provide venues for events; as it was, we had a Coffee Shop that had bands come out to play. It was really taking off, at least for a bit; until I got bitten! 

 As much as I could, I did everything I could to keep it together; but my personal life was totally wrecked, and I was doing all that I could just to keep it all together. Long story short, I flushed the non-profit and just focused on getting my life back on track. I needed to keep my business afloat, having to let everyone go, except my mother-in-law and Dave, my general pest guy.  

 Not that it really matters, but we live to survive in this world; and if you have someone to take care of, then you really make every effort to keep a place for them to live! Only my wife knew this about me; but I had a little red rag in my desk drawer, that every once in a while, I would stuff it into my back pocket and carry it around. Basically, what it meant was that I was wishing I could be pumping gas at a Gas Station, not struggling to keep a business afloat! 

 Anywho, "Earnestly Contend" is something that, believe it or not, means, "to struggle for". This is not just something we are easily able to do, as there are certain things that make us feel as though we are, shall we say, judgmental. The best thing we have, is the ability to judge ourselves first and foremost; making every effort to be sure of ourselves; knowing that our faith is in Christ, and that salvation is only available through Him, and Him alone! Only by the blood of Jesus are we saved...

"This is the message we have heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all our sin." (1 John 1:5-7 NLT)