"Believeth Thou This?" -2

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see Life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) For almost every word that is used for 'believe' in the New Testament that word that is used is the word 'pisteuo', with only a few exceptions. In the verse above there are two different words that are used in the same verse; the first is 'pisteuo' for the word "believeth", which means to believe, have faith in, trust; particularly, to be firmly persuaded as to something. The other word used is 'apeitheo' which is from the word 'apeithes' which means disobedient; but the word here in John 3:36 that is used for the expression of 'believeth not' is much like disobedient, but with intent. It is kind of like you know what is right and true, but refuse to accept it the way it needs to be accepted; instead, you have your own version of how it is to be, something more in line with the way you wish to live your life. This word 'apeitheo' is one that means not to be persuaded or believe, to disbelieve, or to be disobedient; and it is spoken of disbelievers in Christ, of those that are disobedient to God, and those who disobey, like unbelievers and heathens. Quite frankly, it is a word that puts a person on the road that leads to destruction, which is opposite the Glory Road! The verse above that was taken from John 3:36, was the last verse in a string of verses spoken by John the Baptist to his disciples, who had come to him after arguing with the Jews about purifying, because both John and Jesus were baptizing. We can see their question in verse 26: "And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to Him." What is interesting about this portion of Scripture, is how the fact that a question about 'purifying' would bring about a question of the authenticity of Jesus baptizing people, and the fact that He was gaining crowds of people. The word used for 'purifying' is the word 'katharismos', which means to make clean; but the deeper meaning that is implied, because this word is a noun, means to be free of guilt; as water cleanses the body in baptism, the grace it symbolizes cleanses the soul. {Guilt is a state of impurity which manifests itself in a consciousness of alienation from God and antagonism to the divine Law.} It is this sense of guilt that the blood of Jesus is said to 'sprinkle' or 'cleanse' men of, which is similar to the 'sprinkling of the blood' that the priest would perform during a sacrifice. The thought here is, that the 'sprinkling' was not for the benefit towards God that ones sins were forgiven, but for the benefit of the one which was 'sprinkled' so that his conscious would be clear. This is important to the believing process that we must have, because the blood of Jesus is able to cover or cleanse us from all of our sins; however, this requires us to bring all of our sins to the open that they might be sprinkled... "While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was He grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believe not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:15-19) {quoted from source}

"Believeth Thou This?"

You know what? I know that I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it really does not take a whole lot of brains to know if you are right or left. As James would say, "But wilt thou know, O vain man?"; no really, wilt thou know, O empty one, that knows every thing but what really matters? The word 'vain' that James uses means empty; void of anything that brings life to the faith that one confesses; and, what is expressed, is expressed for selfishness, or for self preservation; which, if you remember what I shared on last year about this time, anything that is done for self preservation, is done in vain! However, I am thinking that there is another form of preservation that needs to be considered, and it has to do with our eternal soul; more importantly, it has to do with our eternal destination. But Rich...Is it possible that our direction can be redirected? (Third person questions are fun!) I am not so sure that is the case, because the fact is, there may be some truth to the thought, 'Once saved, always saved". However, the real question that I see surfacing, is, How deep is your direction? Maybe deep is not the right word, and then again, maybe it is; because on the surface there may be the evidence of belief, but deep down there is emptiness. The source of that which makes you believe is only skin deep; which is not very deep compared to what is required for eternity; which must go all the way to our very core! Which brings me back to our analogy of the 'man who builds a house upon a rock'; because the other thing that makes his foundation so important to the strength of his structure, is the depth of his foundation and the fact that he has fastened directly to the Rock. So then, what I think we need to think about when it comes to our direction, is the question about really believing to the point where there is no doubt; which is the point of no disobedience!!! How is the possible, since we are so fragile to obedience? I think the key to that question has to do with our desire to do what is right... "For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." (Romans 7:15)

"The Glory Road" -3

"And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left." (Matthew 25:33) So; how do you like me now? If there is one thing that can cause people to move away from those that might be talking, it's the talk that makes them walk. But my next question is one that I have been wrestling with every since I first read this passage, and shared on it a week ago; which is, What is the difference between the sheep and the goats? Or, better yet, When did they become different? Can I tell you what I think? Well, I am going to anyways! I believe that the sheep and the goats have been that way since the day of their birth; their re-birth, which is the day that they received Jesus Christ into their hearts. Again, not all the people that profess to be His children shall be found to be a son of God; and it has a lot to do with the manner of what they believe. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and maker of the heavens and earth? I sure hope so, because the devil also knows this, and trembles. But the thing that we must ask ourselves is, What road are we on? and if we are not on the right road, then we need to ask the Lord to place us there!!! Only He can do it! Only Jesus can make you new and change us from a goat to a sheep! A goat cannot change it's self into a sheep; and for that matter, a sheep can not change it's self into a goat!!! So then, how do we know that we are on the right road? That's simple, because the right road leads to eternal life; and if you are on that road, eternal life dwells in you, and you will be living for that and not for this life... (How do you like me now?) "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is One God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:18-20)

"The Glory Road" -2

Okay, I am going to set the record straight: once we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Saviour we are on the road to eternity, because we now have eternity dwelling within us. This is not our doing, but that which is done by God; and because it is done by God, only God can undo what He has done; which, by the way, brings me back to a declaration which I made last year: God does not go back on His promise!!! Which is why He hates divorce, because divorce is the ultimate breaking of a promise between a man and a woman; and it abandons the meaning of Love; something which God will never do. In John 3:16, Jesus says, "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life". The thought that is needed to believe in Jesus as your Saviour must incorporate being saved; saved from what? Well, in the next verses, Jesus also says that man is condemned; it is this condemnation that we are being saved from; which, once saved from it, places us on the road to eternity. And once we are placed upon that road to eternity, there really is no turning back!!! There, I said it! I know many there are that will not agree with me, but such is life; however, the point I just made is that once we truly believe that Jesus Christ has saved us from condemnation, then our fate is no longer in our hands, but in His! So, my next question... Believeth Thou This??? "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (Isaiah 30:21) (I didn't know I was drifting off the road; but my Mercedes did!)

"The Glory Road"

There was a rock group who had a song called 'The Highway to Hell', or at least I think that is what they called it. Interesting enough, there are a lot of modern day Christians that do not believe that there is a literal hell, in fact, I just saw one expert on the Bill O'Reily show last night. He so matter-of-factly stated that hell is only a historical reference, or place which no longer has any merit, or some such nonsense, and that he did not believe that there was a hell. Yet, when Bill asked, Do you believe in heaven?, the man shrugged his shoulder, and said yes. If I was to read that body language correctly, I would say that he had to confess that he believed in heaven, because his job depended upon it!!! This is kind of like the question from Jesus to Martha after He stated what He did in John 11:25 & 26, He said, "Believest thou this?" This was not a trick question, but was one that Jesus was very serious about. Yet Martha did not answer His question, but rather stated, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world". Now then, my question to you, anyone that might be out there reading this post, is very simple: Is that all that there is to Believing In Jesus Christ? In other words, can a heart that is stone be changed by just believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, which should come into the world? Think about what I am saying, because the question does have merit. In fact, I would even go as far as to relate that question with the study on Peter several months ago; where Peter, early on, confessed that Jesus was the Christ, and then denied Him later, as He was being judged for death. And then there is John the Baptist, who while in jail, sent his disciple to Jesus, asking Him, "Are you the Christ, or do we wait for another?" What was up with that? John the Baptist, the one who proclaimed Jesus in the womb; who proclaimed Jesus on the road, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"; this same John, is now doubting that Jesus is the One. Could it be because he had taken his eyes off of the goal, and had them on his current circumstance? This is why the believing that must be present in a man's heart is one that involves results!!! We must believe that Jesus paid the price for our sins, is never letting us go, and is waiting for us in heaven!!! Anything short of that belief will not stand the test... "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same to hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:18-21)

"On the Road to Life Eternal"

As I closed out yesterday's post, I wonder how many would suggest that my closing verses of Scripture were not well chosen. I doubted myself after choosing them; but then, after the church service yesterday morning, I realized that it was perfect. What Paul was describing in those few verses is the change that takes place with us, in us, and for us, when we accept and believe in Jesus Christ; there is a spiritual significance to that change which cannot be denied, nor put down; and thus, it is lived out in us! When Paul speaks about what we have become and what we will ultimately be, he does so to always be reminded and to remind us what is at stake on this road that we are on; not necessarily for us, but for those around us. Therefore, to prove my point I will close with the later verses of 1 Corinthians 15 which express the same message that I wanted to get across: Eternal Perspective Must Come To Life In Us!!! "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:54-58)

"The Road To Life Eternal"

"I Am the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believeth thou this?" (John 11:25 & 26) Okay, maybe I was a little harsh and judgemental about a few things? But the real deal is, that eternity is now!!! Oh, I am sorry: you thought it began in heaven, didn't you? Nope, not the case! Today is Resurrection Sunday, so I have to gear this blog towards the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; which is fitting, because our eternal life in Christ would not be, if Christ did not Rise! The above Scripture from John is an answer that Jesus gave to the statement of Martha about her brother Lazarus rising again in the last day. The Bible clearly speaks of two very different resurrections, one which is disembodied, and one which is not; but Jesus is speaking to Martha about both. The fact is, that those who are being judged at the Great White Throne Judgement are not disembodied, because it says in Revelation 20:11-15 that 'the dead' stood before the Throne to be judged, which are the same 'dead' that Jesus speaks about in His answer to Martha: "though he were dead". It is this manner of being dead that is the same death spoken of to Adam about which he would suffer, if he were to eat of the fruit. Then we see that Jesus continues His answer with a statement, "And whosoever liveth", which means not dead in the same such manner as the death suffered from the fall. Which, if my calculations are correct, means that eternal life in Christ has already begun for those that are believers in Him, because He continues by saying, "and believeth in Me shall never die"; never sounds pretty eternal in my book. So, what I am trying to say, without making more trouble than I need to, is that what we do right now matters towards our eternity; we are held to an account for our actions!!! But wait a minute, you might say, Didn't Jesus die for all my sins: past, present and future? MEGA-TRUE, every last one of them!!! So what gives with the scare? I am sorry again for having been harsh in my choice of words, but the simple fact of the matter is, that believing requires Living, because Living comes with believing... "And so it is written. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

"Preparation For Eternity" -3

"But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:49) I have to be totally honest and tell you that I thought this portion of Scripture dealt with trials, and how we are doomed to any trial if we are not anchored on the Rock Jesus Christ; but I am not so sure that is the case. If we look at the topic that Jesus was speaking about just prior to this house building analogy, we see Him talking about 'A Tree and It's Fruit'; which, if you can connect the dots, translates to something which is embedded into a man's heart. In the spiritual world, things which would otherwise seem solid, are not, unless they are secured in Jesus Christ. So, the question I must ask now is, What is the house that Jesus is referring to? And, why is there digging involved? I know what the foundation is to represent, that is easy; but the house; that my friends is a whole different story. Try to follow me on this, because I am not sure what I am saying? First off, this body which we are housed in is very temporary, and is not the house that I believe Jesus is referring to; nor is anything which has to do with this world. But the house that I believe Jesus is referring to is eternal, and in order to secure that home to the Rock foundation, one must dig deep, with the intention of being able to secure to the Rock and nothing else. This ability to secure directly to the Rock is made possible by doing those things which we hear the Lord telling us to do, because that ground in the way of fastening to the Rock is disobedience. Which means that the house Jesus is referring to is our eternal soul, not this temporary dwelling place called our body. So, the stream which is beating vehemently against the house, is not necessarily a trial that we face in our natural bodies, but is instead a trial that involves our soul in the spiritual world; which deals more with eternity than with this which shall pass away... Right or Left: Which side will you be on?

"Preparation For Eternity" -2

When we are talking about the preparation for Eternity, we are not talking about Salvation per say, but the manner to which we live that gives direction to our destination. It might sound odd, but Eternity does have a direction; and the direction in which someone is headed is relevant to the direction of their walk. Here is where we get into trouble when it comes to sharing this very touchy subject, because there are those who say, But you can not loose your Salvation! And, on the other hand, there are those that say, You are only saved if you show fruit of Salvation. It's not really that cut and dry, because the way I read what Jesus is saying here in Matthew 25, is that there are good people and bad people; some of those that you would otherwise think were surely saved because of their righteousness, will find themselves on His left; while those that are on His right will not even have counted those things that they did for Him as righteous. In verse 34, it says, "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"; and then He starts naming all the things that they had done for Him: feed Him, gave Him drink, took Him in, clothed Him, visited Him while sick and in prison. But the sheep on His right were not aware of their extraordinary acts towards Him, because in verse 37 to 39 we see their reply: "Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?" But, you might be wondering how this is relevant to a persons Salvation, if Salvation is to be based upon Grace and not of works? Are you? Maybe I should ask, Should you be concerned about it? First off, we must realize who these people are that are on His right and His left; because these are those that are in the church, and are the ones who have called upon the name of Jesus as Lord of their lives. However, not everyone who calls Jesus Lord shall enter in to His Kingdom!!! "And why call Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a Rock." (Luke 6:46-48)

"Preparation For Eternity"

"Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:45 & 46) I am thinking that we are going to have eternity no matter what path we are on, so really the question comes down to, Where do you want to hang out? This flesh will be gone either way, because it is attached to this world and the things that are corrupted; but our soul, that is another issue all in of it's self. When God breathed into man's nostrils at the time of creation, it says that man became an eternal soul; and at that time man's soul and God's Spirit were united as One. When Adam sinned, his soul did not stop from being an eternal soul, but instead, God's Spirit was taken from man, causing man's eternal soul to be separated from God, and thus, separated from eternal life. This is where I think some confusion comes in about what death really means, because life and death have two very, very distinct different meaning; however, they are both definitely eternal! Before I get into that, I wanted to share about the word 'righteous' which Jesus uses to describe those that go into life eternal. This word 'Dikaios' is the equivalent of the word 'Just', but with legs; meaning that: "The just shall live by faith, but faith without works is dead". In the Old Testament those that were considered to be righteous, were righteous because they were looking forward to Jesus Christ. They were those whose conduct was made conformable to God and whose justification was made possible through their faith in the promised Redeemer. In the New Testament those that are called righteous are those that have conditioned their lives by the standard which is not theirs, but God's. They are people related to God and who, as a result of this relationship, walk with God. A righteous person is one justified by faith and showing forth his faith by his works... "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:10 & 11)

"Preparation For Death"

I was driving home yesterday from a job in the Folsom area, and was thinking about all that we do to prepare for retirement and our later years; but what about our preparation for when we die? If you read about many of the patriarchs in the Old Testament, they all prepared for their death and assured that they had their house in order before they went. Really, if you think about it long enough, the time you will spend after this earth is a lot greater than the time spent here; so then, why are we so stuck on the things of this world? Why are we so captivated by this stuff? It's all going to burn away, and we can take nothing with us; so what is the point? If we look into the context of Matthew chapter 25, we can see a pattern that continues from Jesus speaking about His second coming in chapter 24; and in the closing Scripture that I shared yesterday, He was not speaking a parable, but the reality of His judgement upon those that say that they are His. I find it interesting that before judgement is cast there is a separation, with the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The funny thing about this, if you want to find humor in it, is that the goats on His left will probably not even realize that they are on His left, because they are so selfish and in love with themselves, that they will be thinking their right instead of His... Be ready, and be sure!!! "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as in the day of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:36-39)

"Blameless" -2

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12 & 13) You see, the point that Paul was making in his statement to the Philippians was one about being blameless in the church, as a believer in Jesus Christ, and as a representative of the Love of God. In my Bible, the caption above this portion of Scripture beginning with verse twelve reads, Work Out Your Own Salvation, which, in the context of what Paul is saying, would be like the meaning to the Sunday School song about clapping your hands if you know it, and your life will surely show it. As a child of God, we are held to a standard which must shine forth as a light in the world as to what it means to be a Christian. And, in case we might have forgotten, to be a Christian means to be Christ-like; which means that we are to be an example of who Christ was; which, if we are to examine His movement here in the flesh, He was one that put others first. It is a little more complex than that, but that is the general picture of what was His motivation to the cross. Where we tend to pick up blame is when we move contrary to that practice of putting others first, and look out for our own best interest before that of others. Jesus was pretty clear about this manner of living out His love when He spoke about the sheep and the goats. It is not so much the sin which one might commit in the absence of others, but the reality of who we are in Christ, and that we know it; and because we know it, there is a natural working that God does in us, because our will is conformed to His will. It really comes down to the fruit of the Spirit and the way we put forth the Love of God for one another. This is more real than you might think... "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left." (Matthew 25:31-33)

"Blameless"

If I had a nickel for every time I felt guilt or shame I would not owe any taxes right now; but, unfortunately that is not what we are talking about here. We can only hope for the day that we will be found blameless, while being seen; because in this body of flesh we have spots in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others; but not with the Father, for He sees us as we shall be!!! The reason we are blameless in the Father's eyes is because Jesus was blameless, and His sacrifice has satisfied the condition required to remove all of our sin; therefore rendering us blameless unto God. The word that Paul uses in Ephesians 1:4 for blame is 'amomos', which means blemish; and when talking about a sacrifice, a blemish would render it unfit for sacrifice. When talking about heaven, to be worthy of entering into the presence of a Holy God, we must be found without blemish also: this is what Christ has done for us; He has made us pure, holy and acceptable; so that we may dwell in the presence of a Holy God. While here in this body, well, let's just say that we are still earning nickels; but even though we are not yet without blame in this flesh, our responsibility as one who is blameless before the Father, is to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling. You know, we can argue the point about what it takes to be saved, until Jesus comes back; but the truth in the matter is: if you are saved, you will know it! And, so will those around you!!! This is the tricky part about the flesh, because if it is not dead in Christ, then it will live in us; and sooner or later the flesh will leap forth, taking control of what it should not have any control over. There are several different meanings of the word blameless; some are speaking about the law, and being found blameless before men; others speak about our actions, and that we should be without blame before the brethren; but the blameless which we need to be focused upon is the one that speaks about being blameless at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is the one which is alive; meaning, that we live out blamelessness in our lives, because it is what we are in Christ; which means that we are living out the life of Jesus Christ, because we want to be as he was: Blameless... "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Philippians 2:15)

"Hope To The End" -3

Finally, I think the point that needs to be made in this, is what 'blame' means; besides to be the one that is to blame for our own situation, or to blame it on someone else; oh, not that meaning at all; I want to express what it means to be without blame, because that my dear brothers and sisters is what it is all about. Jesus was without blame, which means, as a sacrifice before God He was without spot or blemish; and, because He paid the price for our sin, then we now are also without blame, which means without spot or blemish, deserved or undeserved. This is our Hope to the end that is possible by the grace of God, and only by His Grace can it be possible!!! I have said it before, and I will say it again: Grace takes over where Mercy leaves off; because not only has He forgiven us of our sins by His rich Mercy, but He has placed us in the highest place by His abundant Grace. Which is all made possible by Jesus Christ the Lamb of God from before the foundation of the world, for the children of God that were chosen before the foundation of the world!!! This being our destiny, and the fact that we Know it, is what makes us not ignorant and to strive to be holy. Add to that, the fact that we have been given a Helper, being the Holy Spirit who is to help us with Knowledge and Holiness, and we can understand again what it means to be 'led by the Spirit'; which, in case you missed it, is a mutual agreement between our spirit and the Spirit of God to stay the course... "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in Love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Christ Jesus to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather us together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." (Ephesians 1:4-10)

"Hope To The End" -2

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ: as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I Am Holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16) The word 'end', as I mentioned briefly, means perfect, complete; and in the context of what Peter is saying, it means perfectly, entirely, steadfastly, unwaveringly. If we contrast that to the word 'ignorance', we find a word that means the want of knowledge, and it is the word 'agnoia'; which we have looked at in one form or another before. The word 'agnoia' is the characteristic of heathendom, according to Paul's explanation in Ephesians 4:17 & 18, and is a state which renders repentance necessary. Thus it eventually furnishes ground for blame, or otherwise for forbearance; which means that there is no movement forward, and one can become stagnant. The reason for the lack in motion is because of what blame causes the human heart to do, which is what Adam and Eve did in the Garden after they had eaten the fruit: they hid from God. It is this condition of hiding from God that renders a person stagnant, because there is no movement towards God, consequently there is no fellowship either; and when we are out of fellowship with God, then we are in need of repentance to be brought back into position where there is Hope to the end, because blame has been removed... "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the Life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:" (Ephesians 4:17 & 18)

"Hope To The End"

Not knowing the work God is doing in this moment is not really that important; although, it would be nice to know, but it is really not our place. I say that because, sometimes if we know what He is doing, our first intuition is to try and help Him along; which may not be any help at all. However, we are called to love one another first and foremost; which means that even if we don't know, or if we think we know what God is doing in any given situation, we must put love first; love for God and each other. Jesus on the other hand knew everything that was going to take place in His own life, and even in the lives of His followers; this was one of the benefits of being God, knowing things. And God, we are not; therefore we are instructed to "hope to the end", which means to the completion or perfection of what God has done. You notice I said 'has done', because I am convinced more and more everyday that we are just playing out an act; as in a theater performance, that has all ready been written; and we, like actors in the play, are not the ones who get to choose how the story is told, or what the plot may be; but we are just to do our character to the best of our acting abilities. God being the Master Writer, Producer, and Director of this Theater of Life, has gifted each and every one of us with special talents and gifts, all of which are brought to life by our circumstances and our trials. You may not even know what your gift is, even as you are using it or putting it to use; but God, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, will work that gift in and through you, as you trust in Him, and walk in Love. If we look at the portion of Scripture in 1 Peter, and relate the above illustration to the opening chapter as we read it, I believe we can begin to understand what Peter is meaning by his expression of words in the following verses. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trail of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the Salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9)

"Keeping The Faith; Again"

Some days I just want to crawl under a rock and die, and today feels like one of those. The thing that keeps me going is the hope that Jesus is going to do something spectacular that I am not aware of; something totally off the radar screen. This much I know, God is not finished with me yet; nor has He finished doing a work in my marriage. This morning as I was getting up for prayer, I took some time to lay next to my wife and pray for her. It was relaxing just to hold her and just let the Spirit of God minister to the moment. After about twenty minutes my wife moved her head down onto my chest and let out a big sigh, and I felt compeled to just lay there still and quiet, as she rested in my arms. Not everyone gets to experience the pleasure that is brought upon a heart that yearns for companionship, by such a simple jesture or expression; but, then again, not everyone is in my situation. There is a reason that God allows us to go through certain trials and experiences, and sometimes we know that reason, and sometimes we don't; but God has His perfect plan, which is good enough for me! In the mean time, what we are called to do, and what we must do; is to crawl out from under that rock, stand upon Thee Rock, and give God glory for another day to live out His plan!!! And, if that dosn't work for you; then lay your head on His chest, and let out a big 'o sigh...

"The Lamb That Was Slain"

"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1:20 & 21) Here is the thing about trying to be perfect: it ain't going to happen! Only Jesus was perfect, in every way! We, on the other hand, can only be made perfect by the blood of the Lamb of God who was slain; and by nothing else, will we be made white as snow. In the Passage above, Peter is putting across a point about how Jesus being slain for us, is also the power to believe in God; that His being manifested to us, for the purpose of redeeming us, is the manifestation of the God that Loves us! Not only that; but the fact that He has risen from the dead, and been given Glory as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, means that we can be assured our sins have been removed because it is God who has removed them. This portion of Scripture is very similar to what Paul is putting forth in Romans chapter 8; because, as we continue to read on through the rest of this chapter and on into Chapter 2, we can see that the common thread is the Spirit of God living in us, that provides the means by which we Know the Truth; and the same Spirit will guide us, even carry us through this journey, as long as we are abiding in the Truth. Whereby Paul uses the "sons of God" to describe those that walk in the Spirit, Peter uses "living stones" as his description of those that are led by the Spirit. There really is no difference in the way living stones and sons of God are pictured as to their roles in the here and now, or even the here after; because they both are to be examples of Jesus, who is not only the Son of God, but also the Chief Corner Stone.

"The Lamb of God, for You"

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." (1 Peter 1:18-20) 'And the wheels on the bus go round and round!' I don't know why, but that just popped into my head as I was reading what Peter was putting forth about "tradition from your fathers". It's not really the fault of what is being taught to the children, but more the stuff that surrounds the lessons. I think that the hardest thing to get across to our children is the price we pay for the mistakes we make; and when it comes to teaching them about Christ, well, let's just say that actions speak louder than words. As we get into this time of year when we celebrate the traditions we have been given, let's remember the cost of the Salvation we have been so freely given. More than that; I think we should take it up a notch on the Love Meter, and try to express the way Jesus went to the cross for us. Because the way Peter is trying to express it, requires us to step back from the normal routines of life, and actually see the man who was the Lamb; and not just that He paid for our sins with His precious blood, but that He did so with a passion for it. Not only did He have a passion for it, but as Peter is saying here, this was something that was prearranged from the foundation of the world for Him to do, and He did it perfectly...

"The Lamb of God"

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world !" (John 1:29) Marianne loves to cook, and every year for Easter Sunday, we would always have the family over for a Easter feast, and she would always bake a cake in the shape of a Lamb. The Lamb of God was able to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, take away our sins! When John spoke about Jesus being the Lamb of God, his reference was being made to a lamb for sacrifice, but this Lamb was provided by God. The word used by John for Lamb is 'amnos', which means Lamb for sacrifice, and is used only four times in the New Testament to describe who Jesus was (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19). The other uses of the word Lamb which are found, such as in Revelation, is the word 'arnion' which means more of a sacrificial death, or slaughter. The Lord Jesus is called the Amnos of God because He sacrificed Himself at the time of the Passover; thus John the Baptist was likening the deliverance for sinners to the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. The lamb during the Exodus was the means of sparing the people, and on account of it, destruction passed them by. In like manner, Jesus is the means for deliverance for sinners that are willing to apply His blood, so that the judgement of God may bypass them. This word 'Amnos' designates more often the sacrifice of the Lamb, referring to the Lamb and His sacrifice given in the service of God. In Acts 8:32, we see Philip reading to the Ethiopian from the Book of Isaiah, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgement was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth". The word used for "his judgement" is a word that means opinion formed or expressed; which, for a lack of a better word, it means that He no longer had a say in the matter. It is this expression for the way He gave of Himself, which is the point of what I was trying to say: He had no say in the matter, because the Will of the Father was being played out! Likewise, we who are led by the Spirit of God, also must have this same type of humility when it comes to being led by the Spirit; we no longer have a say in the matter!!!

"Washed By The Blood" -4

Do you see yet the implication? Yes or No? How about the application? The life of Jesus was the manifestation of God in the flesh, which was the representation of man's sinful nature; however, He was without sin. His blood that was shed on the cross; a cross that represented the curse of sin upon all mankind; and was shed by the life in the flesh that He had given, or was taken by force; either way, it was by His death. What I think we need to understand in all of this, is that His blood was more than enough to wash away every sin; because His life was eternal, in that He always was, is, and always will be! Yet; His life in the flesh, which required blood for life, had to die by the act of being taken by force, which is what is required for a sacrifice; and that life which was taken was a life like no other: God in the flesh; the God-man; Immanuel; God with us! Okay, I know what you might be thinking, Hey, this is common knowledge, what's up? Yes, you are right, this is common to those that Know, because those that Know, know the Truth; however, not everyone is washed in the blood, which is what is required to Know. This is really what this application of being 'washed by His blood' is all about, besides the washing away of our sins, it allows those that are washed to have fellowship with God, and to be reconciled to our Creator by that which was created in the flesh. We cannot have fellowship with God, without the removal or covering of our sins; the blood of Jesus has washed away our sins, allowing us to have fellowship with God, and to Know Him. And when we Know Him, we know the Truth, and when we know the Truth, the Truth will set us free from the flesh and it's desires. How is this possible? Jesus Christ has set us free from the body of sin; with the death of His body on the cross, our body of sin was put to death also. And, because He has risen, that same Spirit which has raised up Jesus, will raise us up in the Spirit also; meaning that we are not subject any longer to the law of the flesh, but are now under the law of the Spirit. Which, in case you have just joined in, is how we are "led by the Spirit of God"... "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:9-11)

"Washed By The Blood" -3

But, you say, Jesus' life was not taken by force, because He laid His life down for our sins. Yes, it is true that He went to the cross freely, however the manner by which He was killed, and the brutality by which He suffered was force enough. The animals used for sacrifice, who's blood would be shed for sin offerings, they also would be led freely to the alter, because for many of these sacrifices the owner of that animal would be the one bringing them. The thing that we are talking about is such a little issue, but it means quite a lot; because the blood of Jesus being spilt, although it did happen after His death, it was not the means by which He died for us. However, the life of the flesh is in the blood, and during a sacrifice all the blood of the animal had to be drained and distributed; the life blood of the animal sacrificed was a substitute for the worshipers own life, and an atonement for his sins. In Romans 5:10, Paul declares, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by His life." There are several different implications that can be attributed to the meaning of 'life' when saying we are "saved by His life". One that is obvious to the verse that comes before, and has to do with "being justified by His blood"; which, if taken in the context of what the blood represents, then we could assume that Paul is talking about the physical life of Jesus being taken for our life; the life blood of His sacrifice was a substitute for our lives. The other meaning of this word 'life' which Paul uses, and one that can also be used, has to do with the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Which, if used in this context would mean that we are justified by His death, or the spilling of His blood, but we are saved by His rising from the dead. I am thinking that this line of thought would lead someone to think that they must be baptised in order to be saved, whereby the act of submersion and then rising up out of the water would simulate being washed from our sins. However; if we are talking about His life meaning His existence, well, the implications could be far reaching... "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be upon you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:4-6)

"Washed By The Blood" -2

When we are talking about the shedding of blood, we are talking about life being given; just as in the Old Testament sacrifices, that required blood to be shed for the remission of sins, that blood that was shed represented a life being taken away by force. I am not trying to say that the blood of Christ was divine, in the sense that God has blood; but the implication I was making is that His life was special, and not the same as yours and mine. Simply put, all life in the flesh gets it's life force from the blood; therefore, when you take a life by force, you are shedding the blood of a life. However, what I am saying, is that God gave His own blood for our sins in the manner that He came in the form of the flesh, which requires blood to have life. Now, regarding the curse, and whether or not Jesus was born into that curse: we need to understand why the virgin birth was important to the way God was going to provide the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. To put things in perspective, we must remember that Adam was the first man, and that the sin committed in the Garden of Eden was attributed to man, and not necessarily to the woman, although both suffered in the fall. The curse of sin, which was the factor that separated man from God, was handed down through the malefactor, because Adam was first created by God, and then Eve was taken from man. This is not a question of whether or not Eve sinned, because, clearly she did; but it is the fact that the curse of the sin was imputed upon the seed of man; yet the seed of the woman would provide the way of relief from the curse. This is a topic for some great discussion, but for now, I really want to focus on the blood of Jesus, and why His blood being shed for our sins was special blood. Because Jesus had no earthly father, He was born without the curse of sin which was imputed upon the man. All other lives require the seed of a man and a woman to be produced, yet His life was brought forth without the man's seed being used. The life that was manifested in the flesh of Jesus Christ, had to be sustained by blood, because all flesh has it's life in the blood. When we talk about His blood being shed for our sins, what we are talking about is His life being taken from Him by force, that His blood would be shed for us; because, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Which would mean that it was the cost of the life of the Second Person of the Godhead by which the elect people of God were redeemed. "Therefore, as by the offense of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18)

"Washed By The Blood"

There is one thing which I forgot to mention, and I think it is very important; because the blood of Jesus was very special. We have a tendency to forget something that separates His blood from that of those that are born under the old inheritance, which is the absence of the man required to continue the curse. This is the reason that His blood being shed was very special, since the curse is handed down through the blood of the man, His blood did not contain the ingredient to make Him born in sin. If we look at the description of Jesus in Romans 8:3, Paul writes, "God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin", making sure to clarify that He was not born in sin. The concept of the virgin birth, is not just about God becoming flesh, but also about the flesh being born without sin. This is why the Bible says that He knew no sin, and why Jesus would make it perfectly clear that His Father was in Heaven, and was not of this world; which made His blood not tainted by the curse of sin, although He was in the form of sinful flesh. Do you see the implication here? Yes, or no, is the answer required; because the easy way to try and answer that question is to try and relate His likeness to ours, with like passions and like desires; and yet to also say that He was God in the flesh, not having any sin. I am not so sure that line of thought applies totally here, because the one thing we might have forgotten is where life comes from: it is the blood! His life was pure and free of sin, right out of the womb; making His death on the cross a symbol of the cursed, but without having the curse. "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

"A long time Ago"

I am thinking that one thing that makes the word 'Ago' so complex, is not the fixed things or the things that are in question, but the things which are flesh and the things that are of the Spirit. Prior to our new inheritance in Christ, we all were the product of another inheritance, one that was of the flesh; making it so we were born into sin. This was our previous state, but not what we had chosen for ourselves; rather, what we had been born into because of the sin of one man, Adam. And yet, the thing that continued this inheritance to be handed down through the ages was the flesh. Which was the reason for Jesus to come in the form of the flesh; that through His obedience to the Spirit, yet, while in the flesh, He could establish the way to put an end to that old inheritance of the flesh, and of sin; creating a new inheritance of the Spirit, and of Life. So then, where the complexity comes into play, is that we are gifted with this new life in the Spirit, yet living also with the things of the flesh. The old inheritance of the flesh was to be put to death, wasn't it? Then why is it still hanging around? or is it? This is where that word 'Led' comes into the picture, because there are two forces at work here; one which is of the flesh, and one which is of the Spirit; and get this: one is dead and temporary, while the other is alive and eternal; go figure, how it is that the dead and temporary one, finds a way to become alive and relevant. But this is the point to what Paul is trying to make in Romans 8:14; by using the word 'Ago' to describe that direction we are to move in, he places the force within that direction out of our control; while at the same time, expressing that the control of the force, is based upon our direction. In other words; when we are walking in the Spirit, then the Spirit has control of our lives, and we are freely living a life that reflects Jesus Christ; but the key to walking in the Spirit, is to be living in and towards the new inheritance, and not the old one, which is dead... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His Own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)

"Joint-Heirs With Christ"

Did I mention that the young man asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life? There is of course no way for us to earn our way into Heaven; although, many will try. But, that is the benefit of being a son of God: that we inherit eternal life, based upon our adoption into the Kingdom of God. Not only do we inherit eternal life, but we are granted the right to be joint-heirs with Christ Jesus; which is not based upon what we have done, or what we shall do; but is only made possible by the blood of Jesus, that covers our sins. So then, why the need to suffer with Christ? Well; do we need to ask again? Possibly, we need to ask ourselves again and again; and remind ourselves that the servant is not greater than his Master. Just because we are given the right to be called a son of God, does not mean that we are to be compared to, nor equal with the Son of God: who, by His precious blood, has given us our inheritance with Him. And, even though we are joint-heirs, does not mean that we are equal with Him, in that which He has established. Neither will our suffering ever come close to the price which He paid to give us the right, power and authority, to be heirs of God. Having said all of that, I must restate the fact that there is nothing that we can do which can effect our standing with God, because Jesus paid the price in full. But, what stands in the way of our receiving our inheritance, is only those things which are placed between us and our ability to make Jesus the Lord of our life. Which might sound like our inheritance is based upon works, but the truth of the matter is, that it is based upon our willingness to be obedient to the Lord: Who, by being obedient to the cross, paid the price for our disobedience. (Just a little complex, I must admit!) "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His Own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3 & 4)

"Good Sheep" -2

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14) Another concept of what is Good Sheep, besides that of security, is that of conformity and profitability. For to be considered as something or someone that is lost to someone else, requires that there is a value or worth to that which was lost. The word 'For' at the beginning of Romans 8:14 is very similar to the word 'Therefore', in that it requires us to look at the previous text to see what it is there for. In doing so, we can see how 'Good, Led and Follow' are all interconnected, and how they all point towards the means to be considered 'a son of God'. "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall Live." (Romans 8:12 & 13) Now then, when we consider also the word 'Good' that was used in the address to Jesus by the young man, "Good Master", the word is a description of someone who is of great worth, profitable, benevolent. And as we also consider the word 'Follow', as in "follow Me", we can see that it is a word that means to conform to, as in to resemble the Life of Jesus Christ. Which makes it all the more interesting that Mark's account of this encounter differs from the other two Gospels that record it, in that he adds "take up the cross" to the instruction by Jesus to the young man. It is the concept of what this means to the individual who makes the choice to do this, that brings attention to the cost of suffering for the greater purpose of a passion for God, and for the Love of God. Further more, we can add to that, the description in Mark's Gospel of how Jesus reacted to the young man's statement about having kept the Law since his youth, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him", and we can see the personal connection between the writer and His Shepherd; having come to the understanding, that the real fulfillment of the Law, is Love. In doing so, he can get the greatest meaning of the answer to his original question, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (It is also a good idea to also look at the verses after any given verse!!!) "For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, the heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17)

"Good Sheep"

"And when He had gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto Him, Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." (Mark 10:17 & 18) As I thought about this title for today's post, I pictured a lamb sitting at the feet of Jesus, as Jesus sat upon a rock, looking out among the sheep, and being the Good Shepherd. When the Shepherd would rise up, then so would the lamb, expecting that it was time to move, and not wanting to be out of the Shepherds protective reach. This picture also made me think of the concept of 'waiting on the Lord'; however, this waiting is for a reason far greater than one might think, because the reason for this lamb to be waiting was for the protection of His Shepherd. One of the meanings of that word 'Ago', in the sense of being led, is that of 'bringing forth', or 'to bring forth'; which is to carry someone through a journey by leading. To carry someone through a journey may or may not require that the person be actually carried, but it might just imply that they are carried because they are so close. This is what is meant by being 'led by the Spirit'; and when we receive Jesus as our Lord, then we are to be carried through our journey, just as that lamb who is afraid to be out of the Good Shepherd's reach. It requires more than just acceptance of the fact that He is the Good Shepherd, because it also requires the knowledge of what you are being protected from; and also, in the case of our Salvation, what we are being carried to! This is also the purpose of the word 'follow' which was used by Jesus in His answer to the young man above: "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt receive treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." (Mark 10:21) Which might also explain the actions of this same young man, when he latched onto Jesus in the Garden, as the soldiers were taking Jesus away! (Mark 14:51)

"This or That?"

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14) I have my niece coming to spend a few days with me this weekend, so we can get a couple of days in snowboarding. The last time I was with her we were in Ontario, CA and went to a Calvary Chapel there for church, and on that day she was singing, 'Will you get with this, or will you get with that', which is off a KJ52 cd. If I am not mistaken, I think that pretty much sums up what I have been saying, for as long as I can remember. Here is your life: set before you are two paths; one leads to Life Everlasting, and the other to eternal damnation; so which one do you pick? Okay; maybe you need some help deciding which path to choose? The word 'led' in the verse above from the Book of Romans Chapter 8, which happens to be one of my favorite chapters of that Book, is a word that is a little complex. The word is 'Ago' and can imply a variety of things, some of which are fixed, and some are not; which means, some things are in question, and some are unquestionable. For example, where you will end up for all eternity is a question of what you do about Jesus Christ: Do I follow Him or not? While, on the other hand, where you will be for all eternity will be unquestionable if you choose to follow Him. Now, where the 'led' comes into play when we are talking about being 'led by the Spirit of God', is the fact that we are more enticed or induced into making the proper choices. This is the part of the word that is not fixed: your choice in the matter of following. The part that is fixed, is that He will lead you, and even sometimes carry you; which is what a Good Shepherd will do for His sheep. Okay, now we have settled that; so let's look at the 'received' from yesterday's closing verses; because the next question you must ask yourself has to do with Him being Lord of your life. All the good sheep that want to be taken care of by their Good Shepherd, will obey His voice; that is of course, if they want to Live... "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." (John 1:12)

"More Than Enough" -2

"Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And He spake this parable unto them, saying..." (Luke 15:1-3) The following 29 verses in the chapter of Luke 15, have to do with three separate issues: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. All these issues have one thing very distinctive in common, which is that the father who loses his son, the woman who loses her coin, and the shepherd who loses his sheep, do not give up the right of ownership. In the same manner, God is presented as still claiming His right of ownership even of those who are lost. When they are reclaimed, it is not He who becomes their Father or their rightful owner, but they become His again. I cannot stress enough how important it is to remember that we are His child, because this is what keeps us from giving up!!! God will never give up on us; Never! He will never dismiss ownership of those that are His; even in judgement, He will be judge of that which is His. I hope you got that? "He came unto His own (His!!!), and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power (Authority!!!) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." (John 1:11 & 12)