"True Confession"

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) In order to truly confess our sins to God we must know what our trespass is. This is nothing new, because the 'young rich ruler' which came to Jesus asking how to inherit eternal life, did not know what he lacked until Jesus showed him. Likewise, Isaiah did not see his 'unclean lips' until he was in the presence of a Holy God. To help understand the point that I am trying to make, we should look towards our example, Jesus Christ, and what His reaction was towards them which crucified Him on the cross. In Luke 23:34 we can find what Jesus said to the Father regarding those that had just nailed Him to the cross and planted Him there on Calvary between the two thieves, He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". This is not something that is easy to do, although there are many which claim that they have done it; but there is only one other example we find in the New Testament of this kind of charge, and it is involving the killing of Stephen. In Acts 7:54-60, we can find the account of what took place, and in verse 55, Stephen, being filled with the Holy Ghost, looks up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Then in verse 59 as they begin stoning Stephen, he cries out, still looking at God's glory, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit". And then finally, in verse 60 he makes the same request that Jesus did on the cross: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge". This is an example of true forgiveness, which requires the one doing the forgiveness to first give up their rights, and to accept whatever is done to them as done in ignorance. In other words, it is to say, Lord, don't hold them accountable for what they have done, because they really don't know what they are doing. This is no little thing we are talking about here, and it requires the person who is performing this action to be in complete submission to God's authority. Think about this for a moment, and see if you get what I am saying; because our tendency in this matter, is to say that we forgive someone, and yet we continue to ask God to hold them accountable for their actions. Maybe not knowingly, but deep down inside, we wish for vengeance to be done on our behalf; why? because we hurt, that's why!

"Fully Exposed"

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:6 & 7) I am not trying to say that people who do not pray for extended periods of time walk in darkness, that is not the point I wish to make; although, there may be something about that concept. What I am saying, is that when we spend enough time praying to the Father, all of our darkness gets fully exposed by His light. However, just so you know, the times that I personally will find myself not committing to my block of time to be in fellowship with the Father, are usually times that I am not really wanting to have something fully exposed. That might sound like someone who is holding onto sin, right? Yes, I think that anything we put between us and our relationship with God is sin; even the stuff we might not agree is sin, like hurt or unforgiveness. As I was saying before, and I will say it again: to be forgiven of all my sin, I must give Him all of it to forgive. If anyone thinks that he is without sin, then they really have not spent enough time in the Light; and if you spend enough time in His light you will find out that hurt is also something which must be given up. I know that I have spoken about this before, but not like this; because in order for me to fully love someone unconditionally, I must not associate that person with hurt. But you say, But I've been hurt, and the pain never goes away. Really? How bad were you hurt? Were you spat upon and beaten? Were you mocked and crucified? Probably not! It is not easy to do, but God can do it; because all things are possible through Him; even stopping the hurt, so that love can be given unfiltered...

"Making It Real"

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:4) I really don't know why we can't see how important it is to make time for prayer, after all, it is prayer that really changes things; but I think it might have something to do with light verses darkness. I am not really into vampire movies, but there is something there to relate to what I am saying, and it has to do with the light verses the darkness. If you are familiar with the concept, vampires are creatures of the night because they are destroyed by sunlight. They can withstand small amounts of sunlight, which might make them shriek, but will not do any serious harm; however, left in the light for a certain period of time, and they are done. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to insinuate that those who do not take time to pray dwell in darkness; I am trying to show what happens in the Light. You see; for the times which are given to get alone with God and to sit in His presence, these are times when we can bask in His marvelous Light; and the more we are exposed to His Light, the more our darkness is dealt with. Now then; when it comes to fellowship with God, who is Light, making it real requires some time for that Light to deal with the darkness. Am I saying that we have darkness that must be dealt with? That's an interesting concept!!! "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)

"A Time to Pray"

'Hold me Lord, in Your arms...' You know the song I am thinking of? I heard someone say once, that it did not matter how we prayed to God, but that we just would speak to Him; even little short prayers throughout the day were adequate for fellowship, and would sustain a good relationship with God. That might be true; however, I am thinking that to really have an intimate relationship with the Father, we must make a time to pray; to really spend the time required to hear from Him. I have a really good example of this requirement in my current relationship with my wife, which I do believe that I have shared before, but maybe not like this. Because, if I come in and say hello to her every thirty minutes, kiss her on the check, and then dart back out of the room, the effect upon our relationship is not the same as when I sit or lay with her for hours at a time. Don't get me wrong, she will acknowledge me darting in and out and saying hello, but there is no intimacy established, only acknowledgement of my presence. Here we can see the small example of what it is like for God, as we dart in and out of His presence throughout our busy day, to say hello. God will acknowledge our presence, and He hears our voice, but there is no time required for us to know Him; to really feel the heartbeat of the Father, we must take the time to rest in Him. To really know Him requires us to fellowship with Him: and darting in and out of His presence does not constitute fellowship...

"Checking Myself for Errors"

I have to admit that I was a little upset this morning for this Blog Site being down; let alone that they also deleted my posting from yesterday. What makes it even more aggravating, is that I was trying to see how long I could go without missing a day. Now that I think about it, I was thinking just yesterday about how many days it has been, and when I might be satisfied with a number reached. Could that be compared with King David taking of a census? I might have to pray about this one...

"Fullness of Joy" -3

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life, (for the Life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4) Having joy is something that requires peace to be present in our lives. We can be happy in the moment of doing something which we like to do, but without peace, that happiness will not last long. When John speaks about having fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ, he is speaking about sharing in that Life which was manifested; eternal life which we have participation in, and which we have the pledge of communion with. When was the last time that you communed with God? When was the last time that you sat alone with Him for hours at a time, to actually fellowship with Him? Don't you know that real peace comes only from fellowship with the Father? It is because of Jesus Christ that we can have access to the Father; because of the fellowship we have with Jesus, we have access unto the Father, and it is only throw Jesus that we can have this relationship. Having communion with God gives us the peace that can conquer anything; which supplies the joy, deep down in our hearts, which can last through the toughest trial; but it all begins with fellowship with the Father! As a child, carefree, and surrendered to the love of the Father, we have the fullness of joy that comes from resting in His arms of love; but, resting in His arms of love requires that we actually take the time to rest in Them! Make it something that you do as a pledge of communion: that your joy may be full...

"Fullness of Joy" -2

Have you ever heard the saying, Looking beyond the forest to see the trees? That is what is required for real fellowship with God. We need to be able to look beyond all this stuff, and all of our guilt and shame; which requires us to focus on God, and Him alone. In the closing verse from yesterday, which in case you missed it, it was Proverbs 18:2; what the fool has no delight in was understanding, which is wisdom. The reason that this verse was so gripping to me, and the reason that I felt it was relevant was the word 'delight', which is parallel to the word interest; meaning that 'A fool has no interest in wisdom, but is just interested in himself'. Sometimes that can be so true for what holds us back from having real fellowship, because, we can not actually discover all that God is, while we are stuck on stupid. And, as far as that goes, the same works for our relationships with others; including our families, who need us to have an interest in wisdom, so that we may be the 'man of God' we have been created to be. Don't get the connection yet? What does this have to do with 'Fullness of Joy'? It is interesting how much our lack of real fellowship robs us of our joy; maybe not right away, because at that particular time all that really matters is our self, and not the ones we are to be spending time with; but just you wait. These are moments that are never regained, and you relive them over and over! If only I had spent more quality time with my children, my wife, my best friend. This is played out in our hearts and minds for a long, long time; and you can bet that it robs you of your joy and creates a very heavy heart. Going back to 1 John 1:1-4, and the declaration by John in verse 4, "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full"; what John is declaring by the use of the word 'full' is completeness of joy; that our joy may be complete or made perfect. This is very critical to finding peace, real peace that passes all understanding. You can not have real peace without complete joy, because they go hand in hand together. However, this is the glorious grace that God has given: whereas, because our focus is upon Him and what He has done, and not upon us and what we have done, we can have complete joy in Him; which brings with it, the peace of God, that passes all understanding... Delight in that!!!

"Fullness of Joy"

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:3 & 4) There is something about having fellowship that brings a fullness of joy. When was the last time that you actually had real fellowship? Stop; I don't think you know what I mean; because what constitutes real fellowship has to do with not wanting to be somewhere else! It has to do with being where you are, and no where else. Don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about, because I know we all do it. But the fellowship I am talking about involves full participation in what is taking place, and no clock watching, waiting for the time that it is over. For me, this has been something that I have not been able to enjoy as much as I would like; but every once in a while I will have someone watching my wife, so I can go to a Men's Conference or Retreat and actually have some good solid fellowship. But even then, the desire of other things can rob me of the fellowship which is available; things like, Who's winning the Golf Tournament? Seriously, does it really matter to the real meaning of joy? or is it just one more distraction that is placed in the way of fellowship? How about having fellowship with your spouse or children? When was the last time for that? Do you know what I am talking about now? Fellowship that requires your full devotion to their life; as if you were living as part of that life, right in the here and now. I really don't think many of us even know what that means anymore, because we are so wrapped up into our own little worlds, that it is hard to expand our bubble around the ones we should, for fear that our bubble will burst. But guess what; that is what is required for real fellowship to take place: our personal little bubbles must burst! "A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself." (Proverbs 17:2)

"Taking Hold of Life" -3

Finally, I must put this out there, and I hope that it does not ruffle to many feathers; but the real point that I have been making in this, is that to be secure in Christ we must have first grabbed hold of that rope. In other words, sometime during our New Life experience, preferably at the time that we accepted Him into our heart, we must have reached out and taken hold of that rope; knowing in our heart what we are being saved from and who it is that is saving us. Does that mean we are not saved unless we have encountered the metaphorical cliff and rope scenario? Saved from what? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? And if you do, for what cause was that redemption for? The point that I am trying to make has to do with Jesus being the Way, the Truth, and the Life; which, in order to be counted as have received Him, we must first believe these three things: He is the only way that we are saved; without Him saving us we are destined for hell; and through His salvation we have eternal life. These three things are the key points to what being saved should mean to a Believer in Christ; because without any one of these three things we are not secure in our faith. So then, as I was saying, those that say you can not lose your Salvation, are right, provided that you have 'received' it in the first place. And those that say you must show forth fruit of being saved, or faith without works is dead, are also right, because once you have 'received' eternal life in Christ, nothing else will matter. Most importantly, once we have truly taken hold of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He will never let us go; even if we try to run from Him, for whatever stupid reason that might be, we are secure in Him who has paid the price for our stupidity... "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are One." (John 10:25-30)

"Taking Hold of Life" -2

In case you were wondering what the word 'immutable' means, and why the writer of Hebrews used it twice in verses 17 & 18 of chapter 6, it means unchangeable. In other words, God counsel or His constitutional will is unchangeable; which is the expression of "the immutability of His counsel" used in verse 17. While the meaning of the "two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie" which is expressed in verse 18, speaks about one being God's promise and the other His oath in regard to the absolute truthfulness of His word. To a greater extent, the point that is being made has to do with trusting God at His word; the which, He has put in greater regard than His very name; which means that His word is more infinite than His name. Combine that with the work Jesus Christ has done to secure our salvation, and you have the substance of our faith; something that is held unto and is immutable. Does that mean it can not be let go of? no, I don't think it does. However, as I have said already, once we have made that choice to grab hold of the rope, He is the one who pulls us to safety; and once we are safe in Him, we will not be able to fall even if we did let go; why? Because He has lassoed us by the rope, which in case you have forgotten, is His Word which has been given to us; which is the strongest rope that there could ever be. So, what do you think happens when we let go? Do we fall over the edge of the cliff? Maybe just a little, yes. Maybe just enough to remind us of the fate we have escaped from; but never enough to be damaged forever; why is that? Because He has promised by His word, that is unchangeable, to never leave us or forsake us; and I think that someone who might forsake Him, does not change His never. Which is the reason for Jesus to be referred to as "the high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek", for it is He who makes intersession for us as our Mediator; entering before us, into the Holiest, that we may also enter in by the sprinkling of His blood. This is our hope that is laid hold of, that we are secure in Him, and that there is nothing, absolutely nothing more secure than His promise... "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14 & 15)

"Taking Hold of Life"

Now that we are on the subject, I thought would be a good time to talk about what it means to 'take hold' of the Life which God has to offer us. Some may think that it is the other way around, and that it is God who takes hold of us; in a way, that is true, but only in a spiritual sense. This is the making of what faith really means; faith must have substance, which means that there must be something to take hold of for there to be something to have faith in. For example, the rope which I referred to yesterday, which was handed to you as you were falling over the cliff; that rope must be real. As a matter of fact, that cliff must be real also! Which brings me to the point of 'Hell', and whether or not it is real. Do you know that Jesus spoke more of hell than He did of heaven? But people say, How can a loving God send people to hell? See, that's my point; the cliff is real, and He is not pushing us off the cliff, He is the one handing us the rope!!! This was the point Jesus was making to Nicodemus in John 3:14-18, that we are condemned to hell all ready; that the cliff is real, and we are already tipping over the edge, past the point of saving ourselves. So, to understand the importance of that rope which has been given that we may take hold of, we must first understand the danger that we are in. Imagine for a moment, that there was a fluffy pillow or net below you as you were facing the fall down that cliff; that would make the need to take hold of that rope less necessary, wouldn't it? Not only that, but it would make the need to keep holding onto that rope less essential... "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made the High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:17-20)

"Fullness of Life"

Here is the point that I was making, and that I believe John was getting across in his summary verses: Jesus Christ was not only God manifested in the flesh, but was the fullness of God's plan to redeem man back to Himself. In other words, He could do no better than He did! In the verse John 1:16, John writes, "And of His fulness have we received", which means plenitude of the divine perfections; this was God's perfect expression of Love towards us, and there was no greater way that it could be expressed. That being said, the reason that there is available unto us the fullness of Life is the word "received", because it is His fullness which not only was given unto us, but also is that which has been made available for us to receive: to take upon us!!! It is one thing to be given the fullness of Life, but it is entirely different to take it upon yourself; which, actually means to seize, or lay hold of, with the idea of force or violence. This is the way that our acceptance of God's mercy and grace must be received; as though our very life was dependent upon it, because it is! As though someone has just thrown you a rope as you were falling over a cliff, and you grab unto it with all your might. When we take a look at what we have been given from this perspective, it makes counting the cost come alive in us; and it puts what we sometimes take for granted in the fullness of light. God has provided Life unto us in and of Himself; what more could He have done? And the very least that we can do, is to receive that Life with astonishment, and grip onto it like it's all that matters, because it does. As a matter of fact, the rest of verse sixteen goes on to say, "and grace for grace", in which the word 'for' actually means 'upon', or most abundant grace, which is given by way of substitution, in place of, or instead of; meaning Life instead of death, but with gratitude!

"Finding Life" -2

"No man hath seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." (John 1:18) I can say without a doubt that Jesus Christ is God. To know that He is, was, and always will be Him to whom your life is owed makes the counting the cost thing a little more vital. The verse above is one that is used by many to try and argue the fact that Jesus could not be God, because it plainly says that "no man has seen God at any time"; however, the meaning behind this statement by John is one of figuratively seeing God, and means that know one knows God, is acquainted with Him, or knows His character. And this expression of 'seeing God' is only used in John's writings, and can be found later in John 6:46; 14:7, 9; 15:24; 1 John 3:6; 4:20; 3 John 1:11. Which is quite interesting, since it is John who makes a point of declaring the deity of Jesus Christ throughout all of his writings. With this thought in mind, we must assume that the reason John has chosen to use this figurative meaning, is to express the importance of Jesus Christ being manifested in the flesh, because He was God declared to us in a way that we could comprehend. Why is this critical to finding Life? and does this really matter in the way Life is found? I think that it does. Because of who Jesus is, and was, He not only declared God to us, but was in fact God manifested to us in the form of man; who, for lack of a better word, was dead to God. And because man was dead to God, which was due to sin, God in the form of a man took on the sin of man upon Himself, that man might then have Life in Him. Now then; let me ask you: Do you think it makes a difference in knowing who it was that took on your sins? "John (the Baptist) bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for He was before me. And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:15-17)

"Finding Life"

"and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25b) As I was praying about this passage of Scripture this morning, I was taken captive by this concept of losing my life for Jesus. This concept of "will lose his life" is spoken of rendering it void, or putting it in a place that is deprived of the things that it would otherwise desire. Okay, I know that we are to be living for Jesus, waiting for His soon return, and looking forward to the day that we shall be forever with Him in heaven; but do I have to deprive myself of the things I love to do or have in the process? Interesting concept, to say the least. But the point that I believe Jesus is making by the context of His whole message, is about counting the cost; in other words, making the choice to follow Him being more important than life itself. Remember, Jesus began this message as an answer to the rebuke of Peter, and Peter's choice of things which mattered most: "thou savourest not the things of God, but those that be of men". If the things which I desire are contrary to the will of God, or prevent me from doing God's will; or if they are things which can be offensive to others and might cause someone to stumble; then those are the things which I must deprive myself of. Anything which gets in between me and God is considered to be an offense to God; which is the reason for Jesus to reply the way He did to Peter: "Get behind Me Satan: thou art an offense unto Me". To be an offense unto the Lord requires someone to be contrary to what the Lord is doing or wanting to do in or though our lives; in Peter's case, he was putting his desire for Jesus above that of God's. Jesus was here to do what He had begun to show His disciples; giving detailed descriptions of what should take place, so that they would begin to understand what He was here for. Now then; for us who are His sheep, we are to be yielding our lives in a way that gives Him as the Shepherd full control; which requires the losing of the life that we might otherwise desire in the flesh. In the same way, those that are coming to the Lord, must come to Him with a desire to be changed; and this change that is to happen requires dying to self. Unfortunately, there are those that come to Jesus with another desire that involves a change to their life; something more acceptable to the one they want; and the only dying which is involved in their following of Jesus is His death upon the cross... "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:" (Matthew 16:25a)

"Life Verses Life"

What a strange title you have today Mr. Norrup? Yep, I have to agree with you, if that was your impression. However, there are two very distinctive meanings to the word 'life' that are used in the New Testament writings, with some slight variations. For example, in Matthew 16:24-28, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about something that was brought on by Peter's rebuke to the Lord about Him being killed and being raised again the third day. In verse 23, Jesus answered the rebuke of Peter by saying, "Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offense unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men". Not to be a stickler for detail, but don't you think that the things which are of God and those that are of men are worlds apart? Let me give you some example of where I am going. I can remember the time when I was behind bars as a child, several different times to be exact; but one thing I remember is praying to God, asking Him to have mercy on me, and giving Him promises that I could not, and did not keep. I can even remember making statements like, Lord I will give you my life; just please get me out of this mess I am in. This being said from a child, not much older than twelve or so of age; but to what prevail? Did my life change once I was taken out of jail? Sadly, no. I have to wonder what life I had been willing to surrender to the Lord, if any. Because, when you truly think about it, the only reason that I was crying out to God, was for the preservation of this life, as I would have it; not for the desire to be given a new life in Him... "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26)

"Everlasting Life" -2

Besides the life here being minimized by the Life that is to come, there is another reason that we know without a doubt that we have Eternal Life; one which cannot be denied, nor is made in the image of man. This other reason is called the Spirit of God! If the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you are living eternal life; why? because God is Eternal. The Holy Spirit brings with Him the peace that comes with eternity of being in God's light and love; which instantly is made manifested within the heart of a believer. Immediately, we are no longer a stranger to God, and have something that is in common, something called Holiness; which is manifested by two separate sources: one is Jesus Christ, who has made us sinless; while the other is the Holy Spirit, which brings the attributes of God into our very lives. This is no little matter that we are talking about, because not being a stranger to God is more important than you might realize. In the beginning of the Book of John, the first eighteen verses are said to have been added by John to express the context of the whole Book. And then at the end of the Book, John writes in 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." One of the points which John makes within those first eighteen verses is that the world did not know the One who was the Creator; in verse ten for example, John says, "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not". If you think about it, the only way for a man to receive Jesus Christ into their heart is to know Him. In other words, you cannot take the words of another about who Jesus is, and then, by receiving those words as His manifestation within you, say that you have received Christ into your heart. However, what makes Him to be manifested to us, is when He comes unto us and shows Himself to us; that is when we are made aware of who He is; that is also when you either receive Him or reject Him... "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 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 1:11 & 12) (Sons are not strangers!!!)

"Everlasting Life"

Might I ask another Question? Well guess what; I just did. No, really, I wanted to ask you if you really know that you have Everlasting Life or not; do you? My answer is, definitely yes! How do we know for sure? because the Life that is living in us, which is eternal, will verify to us that it is so. Throughout the New Testament the word used to express 'eternal life' is the word 'Zoe', which, depending on the context of the verse, will always mean to live in this present tense or the hereafter. What generally sets the meaning of the word, is the few words before or after the word that is used to express 'eternal life'. For example: in John 3:36, the word that establishes the meaning of word 'everlasting life' or 'Zoe' is the word 'hath', which gives this word it's present tense meaning. Couple that with the context of the verse and we can see that the next portion of the sentence says, "he that believeth not the Son shall not see life"; which, if you know what it feels like to experience being free from sin, you can testify that the feeling is something that is not only felt, but is lived out from deep within your very soul. There is no easy way to explain what it feels like to be set free from sin, because only those that have been set free can even begin to comprehend it. The simplest thing that I know to explain this experience and the benefits that are brought with it, would be to go all the way back to my childhood, and think of a time when I did nothing wrong and life was peaceful for a day. I have to go pretty far back, because the older I had gotten, the more I realized that it would not last but a day or so; but the point I was making, is that the closest thing that I could find to express what it feels like is a day of total peace. Now, imagine that day, and stretch it out into eternity; that is the peace that comes to those that have eternal Life. Why is that possible? Because the wrath of God has been removed!!! Couple that with the Life that is given, which is the Life that had been removed from man in the Garden, and you have not only the peace that surpasses all understanding, but you have also the removal of the guilt of sin, which is what caused man to not fellowship with God. It is this guilt that has been removed which causes us to feel comfortable as we fellowship with a Holy God, which we would not be able to do unless we were washed in the blood of Jesus. And because we are able to have this fellowship with God, which is not based upon what we have done, but upon what Jesus has done, we can experience the Everlasting Life that has been given to us now, which is available only in His dwelling place... "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please 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." (Romans 8:8-10)

"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)