Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
One question you must answer correctly
With so many different doctrines, so many different denominations and so many different religions it is essential that we come back to one simple question that is basic and fundamental to the Christian faith. One that will help all people distinguish whether or not they are "in the faith" or not. To answer "yes" signifies that a person understands where the door to salvation is(whether or not they have stepped through it is another question). To answer "no" signifies that a person is uneducated of the truth, ungrounded in God's Word and most definitely an unsaved at the core. What is such a question.....Is Jesus Christ the ONLY way to get to the Father(God)/heaven?
John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" Clearly spoken are the words of Jesus. Entrance into the presence of the God of the Universe cannot come through alternate sources or made up gods or prophets, but through the only true King of kings and Lord of lords. Do you believe this? Does this mean that Buddhists that don't believe that Jesus is the way will not go to heaven? Sadly, yes. How about Hindus, Muslims, Mormons, Catholics, Mennonites, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians? Yes. No matter what group you associate with, what banner you come under, if Jesus Christ is not your gateway to the Father, you are on the wrong path.
John 10:9 says, "I am the door(Jesus speaking). If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." For genuine salvation, one must go through the door. Verse 1 of this chapter tells us that there will be some that attempt to "climb up some other way." They are called thieves and robbers, not believers. In today's all accepting society a true believer must stand and not waver on this essential tenet. You cannot and will not be saved by going through some other source. Yes, this may seem rigid, close-minded and mean, but it is the truth; and as Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
I Timothy 2:5-6a says, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for us all..." As sinners, entrance into the God's realm cannot be achieved on our own, we are disqualified. We are in need of a Mediator, one who can go between the two(God and man) and reconcile them to one another. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that the gap was bridged. You must surrender and accept this blood bought gift to find your home in heaven and your name in the Lambs Book of Life. Have you genuinely done that?
Praise be to the God of heaven and earth, who saw sinners, and was willing to send His only Son to die for us. Do not be deceived, there is no other way to God, but through His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know Him today? Please don't turn Him away.
John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" Clearly spoken are the words of Jesus. Entrance into the presence of the God of the Universe cannot come through alternate sources or made up gods or prophets, but through the only true King of kings and Lord of lords. Do you believe this? Does this mean that Buddhists that don't believe that Jesus is the way will not go to heaven? Sadly, yes. How about Hindus, Muslims, Mormons, Catholics, Mennonites, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians? Yes. No matter what group you associate with, what banner you come under, if Jesus Christ is not your gateway to the Father, you are on the wrong path.
John 10:9 says, "I am the door(Jesus speaking). If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." For genuine salvation, one must go through the door. Verse 1 of this chapter tells us that there will be some that attempt to "climb up some other way." They are called thieves and robbers, not believers. In today's all accepting society a true believer must stand and not waver on this essential tenet. You cannot and will not be saved by going through some other source. Yes, this may seem rigid, close-minded and mean, but it is the truth; and as Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
I Timothy 2:5-6a says, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for us all..." As sinners, entrance into the God's realm cannot be achieved on our own, we are disqualified. We are in need of a Mediator, one who can go between the two(God and man) and reconcile them to one another. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that the gap was bridged. You must surrender and accept this blood bought gift to find your home in heaven and your name in the Lambs Book of Life. Have you genuinely done that?
Praise be to the God of heaven and earth, who saw sinners, and was willing to send His only Son to die for us. Do not be deceived, there is no other way to God, but through His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know Him today? Please don't turn Him away.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Christ-placed position
John 11:48--If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
Fear. II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." After reading John 11 today, two very simple messages were given to me: be confident in where God has placed me and if God sends someone more gifted than I, more over.
As a minister, the simple fact that God has called and positioned you in the place you are in is very comforting. The trouble arises when one may not be certain that their position was Christ-placed. Possibly they are in a place because the pay was good, the perks were nice, or the community was appealing. Maybe they chose the location because they were afraid no other church would take them. Not being assured of the fact that God placed them where they are can cause all types of problems. When this fear arises, ministers can become territorial and very concerned with keeping the power they feel they possess. Others within the church can be viewed as competitors instead of companions. Having others speak or share during a service would be looked on as a threat or challenge. This all stems from the uncertainty of a firm, Christ-placed position. When one truly understands that God has placed them where they are at, the fear of replacement is of no concern. Such a minister realizes that God's will cannot be overcome by any person or group of people. Are you such a minister? Do you feel threatened by others that desire to share? Do you struggle with power and desire clear lines of authority to be set? Or do you rest at ease, knowing that you were placed by God, and that His plan is irrevocable?
The second lesson I learned from John 11 is that if a more gifted minister comes along to preach the Word, I should be humble enough to step aside. One must remember that God is not into building our ego, but His church. Being a minister of the One True God is not about us at all, but about Him and His glory. Just as John the Baptist did not resist Jesus, but acknowledged Jesus as ranking higher than he (John 1:27), we also should not resist the more gifted preacher.
We must not forget how weak we are and how quickly we can revert back to the attitude that was displayed by the religious leaders of Jesus' day; concerned with our name and our position, instead of the name and position of Christ. May we never forget that we are His vessels, and that we can feel totally secure when we are in a position that is Christ-placed.
Fear. II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." After reading John 11 today, two very simple messages were given to me: be confident in where God has placed me and if God sends someone more gifted than I, more over.
As a minister, the simple fact that God has called and positioned you in the place you are in is very comforting. The trouble arises when one may not be certain that their position was Christ-placed. Possibly they are in a place because the pay was good, the perks were nice, or the community was appealing. Maybe they chose the location because they were afraid no other church would take them. Not being assured of the fact that God placed them where they are can cause all types of problems. When this fear arises, ministers can become territorial and very concerned with keeping the power they feel they possess. Others within the church can be viewed as competitors instead of companions. Having others speak or share during a service would be looked on as a threat or challenge. This all stems from the uncertainty of a firm, Christ-placed position. When one truly understands that God has placed them where they are at, the fear of replacement is of no concern. Such a minister realizes that God's will cannot be overcome by any person or group of people. Are you such a minister? Do you feel threatened by others that desire to share? Do you struggle with power and desire clear lines of authority to be set? Or do you rest at ease, knowing that you were placed by God, and that His plan is irrevocable?
The second lesson I learned from John 11 is that if a more gifted minister comes along to preach the Word, I should be humble enough to step aside. One must remember that God is not into building our ego, but His church. Being a minister of the One True God is not about us at all, but about Him and His glory. Just as John the Baptist did not resist Jesus, but acknowledged Jesus as ranking higher than he (John 1:27), we also should not resist the more gifted preacher.
We must not forget how weak we are and how quickly we can revert back to the attitude that was displayed by the religious leaders of Jesus' day; concerned with our name and our position, instead of the name and position of Christ. May we never forget that we are His vessels, and that we can feel totally secure when we are in a position that is Christ-placed.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Salvation Deception
III John 4--I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
We have an epidemic, a huge issue that must be addressed. Our problem today is a misunderstanding of true salvation. Many have been taught, or chosen to hear a version of salvation that is both unScriptural and false. Churches are full of people headed to hell, when they may truly feel they are headed to heaven. How can this be? Let me first explain the deception and then the determining factor to true salvation.
The deception. Luke 11:35 says, "Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness." Genuine fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit(I John 1:3) has been replaced with nominal fellowship within a social group. Teaching the whole counsel of God(Acts 20:27) has been exchanged with seeker-friendly, non-offensive, psychological talks that only aim to make congregants feel good about themselves. Being encouraged to read and memorize God's instruction manual(Ps. 119:11), the Bible, has been swapped with a degrading of God's Word as inaccurate and unreliable in today's culture. Is it any wonder how deception crept in?? Take away the Trinity and the Textbook and your left with millions of deceived souls. People in church today love such a gospel, because it accepts their sinful passions and practices and refuses to call them to repentance or sacrifice. If you are under such a gospel, come out and recognize what it truly means to be saved.
Eternal life with Christ/salvation. John 17:3 says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." After genuine repentance and conversion is made in an individuals life, the new believer strives and seeks to know, and be known by, his Savior. That believer will read God's Word to learn more about Him, hungering and thirsting to live a righteous life, that his Maker may be pleased. During this time such a fellowship will be created, as His Spirit confirms with their spirit that they are a child of God. (Romans 8:16) This fellowship and intimacy only grows as the believer draws closer and closer to God. They begin to understand what it means to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, they begin to practice the teaching of denying themselves daily and taking up their cross. Growth is obvious. As sin is left behind, new traits are continually adopted. Repentance is frequent, not because they want to rid themselves of a guilty conscience, but because they understand that their continual sin can separate them from the close relationship that they long for. Do you have such a relationship? Do you know Him like that? Because that is true salvation.
We have an epidemic, a huge issue that must be addressed. Our problem today is a misunderstanding of true salvation. Many have been taught, or chosen to hear a version of salvation that is both unScriptural and false. Churches are full of people headed to hell, when they may truly feel they are headed to heaven. How can this be? Let me first explain the deception and then the determining factor to true salvation.
The deception. Luke 11:35 says, "Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness." Genuine fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit(I John 1:3) has been replaced with nominal fellowship within a social group. Teaching the whole counsel of God(Acts 20:27) has been exchanged with seeker-friendly, non-offensive, psychological talks that only aim to make congregants feel good about themselves. Being encouraged to read and memorize God's instruction manual(Ps. 119:11), the Bible, has been swapped with a degrading of God's Word as inaccurate and unreliable in today's culture. Is it any wonder how deception crept in?? Take away the Trinity and the Textbook and your left with millions of deceived souls. People in church today love such a gospel, because it accepts their sinful passions and practices and refuses to call them to repentance or sacrifice. If you are under such a gospel, come out and recognize what it truly means to be saved.
Eternal life with Christ/salvation. John 17:3 says, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." After genuine repentance and conversion is made in an individuals life, the new believer strives and seeks to know, and be known by, his Savior. That believer will read God's Word to learn more about Him, hungering and thirsting to live a righteous life, that his Maker may be pleased. During this time such a fellowship will be created, as His Spirit confirms with their spirit that they are a child of God. (Romans 8:16) This fellowship and intimacy only grows as the believer draws closer and closer to God. They begin to understand what it means to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, they begin to practice the teaching of denying themselves daily and taking up their cross. Growth is obvious. As sin is left behind, new traits are continually adopted. Repentance is frequent, not because they want to rid themselves of a guilty conscience, but because they understand that their continual sin can separate them from the close relationship that they long for. Do you have such a relationship? Do you know Him like that? Because that is true salvation.
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