I have never been one to make resolutions for the New Year, having learned long ago that I would likely break them at the first opportunity.
However I do evaluate my life and the ministry that I have been given, annually.
During a time of evaluation in the latter part of 2009, the idea came upon me that based on some experiences during the year that perhaps I should take a more tolerant view of how I feel the gift that has been bestowed upon me should be presented.
I will share a few of those experiences, hoping that they minister to you somehow.
In the past year I have heard several prophets and pastors, declare to the church that we have entered a time to rest, and re-focus our ministry.
The truth is that the Church is not called to rest, rather we are encouraged to press on, unyielding and doing the Masters work until He returns.
I was witness to the blessing of communion (the Lords Supper) being presented at times with no mention of the sacrifice of Christ and His finished work. They did however mention, the works of men, Buddha, and puppy dogs.
In so doing, these people partook of the table of demons, bringing curses to all who approved.
I was shocked at a pastor that I love when I witnessed him bestow a blessing upon a couple who were cohabitating and had just announced to the world that they were pregnant with their first child.
When I refused to bestow a similar blessing upon them, I was scolded as being intolerant and uncharitable, and told that the truth of the message that I preach , would run people like that particular couple away from the church.
In defense of the Word of God, the pastor was told that people like that and many who fill pews in churches on a weekly basis, need to be ran away from the church and to the Cross of Christ.
I stand by my statement.
There is a great hue and cry throughout the world today on behalf of tolerance and much of it comes from a rising spirit of godlessness in the nations.
I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believe at all in Christian tolerance.
The person who hates the name of Jesus, who believes that He was not the Son of God but an imposter, deserves charity on our part.
I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believe in the weak tolerance that we hear preached so often now--the idea that Jesus must tolerate everyone and that the Christian must tolerate every kind of doctrine.
I do not believe it for one minute, for there are no dozen “rights”.
There is only one “right”.
There is but one true Bible, one true God and only one Savior of the world, Jesus!
Jesus Christ demonstrated the vast difference between being charitable and being tolerant, Jesus Christ was so charitable that in His great heart He took in all the people in the world and was willing to die, even for those who hated Him.
But even with that kind of love and charity crowning His being, Jesus was so intolerant that He taught; “ I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
I believe in Christian charity, but not to the end that the road of Universalism would take you down, that every road leads to God.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Manger Calls Again
Each year at Christmas, we return to the manger.
The simple image of the Messiah surrounded by livestock and shepherds is for many an archetype of the Incarnation and a recurring theme in our hymns and traditions.
We are right to put Christ’s infancy at the forefront of our celebrations because God chose to put it at the forefront of the symbolism surrounding His coming.
As if the Creator of the universe taking human form wasn’t mind blowing enough, He chose to arrive on the scene naked and helpless, completely dependent upon his parents for nourishment and protection.
In divine paradox, He was both Father and child to them.
In spite of His authority and ability to do so, Christ did not depart from these humble beginnings.
Isaiah 53:2 says “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
He never aspired to “greatness” in the human sense, content to quietly work the will of the Father and withdrawing from the praise of the masses, God become man demonstrated His identity precisely by not trumpeting it (Philippians 2:6); those who met Him at the manger were awed at the very ordinariness of His human form.
Equally significant is the location of His birth.
While there is confusion as to the exact placement of the manger (whether in a stable, on the lower floor of a house, or in a cave), it is a place not befitting human residence, let alone Gods. But it was there in a dishonorable, unsanitary space that Christ entered His world.
British author and philosopher G.K. Chesterton capitalizes on this in The Everlasting Man.
Seizing on the image of the cave, he writes, “It was here that a homeless couple had crept underground with the cattle when the doors……..had been shut in their faces; and it was here beneath the very feet of the passersby, in a cellar under the floor of the world, that Jesus Christ was born.”
Indeed, His birth as an outcast foreshadowed the life of extreme poverty that He and His disciples led (Matthew 8:20).
The lowly birth of Christ, as Chesterton goes on to state, is the central event of all history, the end of mythology’s dreams and philosophy’s search, and the trumpet call of victory over Satan.
He says, “It is nothing less than the loud assertion that this mysterious Maker of the world has visited this world in person. It declares that really…..right in the middle of historic times, there did walk into this world this original invisible being about whom the thinkers make theories and the mythologists hand down myths; the Man Who Made the World.”
The manger turns the world on its ear.
Gods entry into the world serves a larger purpose than simply flying in the face of human conventions, however.
His arrival was the ultimate demonstration both of His authority over creation (in being born of a virgin) and His love and concern for man. Because He “showed up” in the person of Christ, His character has been demonstrated for all to see.
He cannot be ignorant of poverty, for He was poor.
He has ultimate sympathy for the suffering because He was tortured and gave His life.
No man can accuse Him of being distant or uncaring because He is “God with us.”
By healing the sick and rebuking the proud, He reminds us that He has entered the world to “set it to rights”, He will bring His justice.
He came as a man to redeem the world.
He had to take part in birth and death to defeat the power of Satan over men (Hebrews 2:14).
As Athanasius of Alexandria put it, He came “to renew men according to His image.” Because of the manger, birth and life are honored with the presence of the King.
In lowering Himself, he gave significance to the daily tasks and struggles of life.
He came to set a standard by which we should also live.
This then is the mystery of the Incarnation--through all these things, He commands us to follow Him.
From the manger, he bids us to follow into a life of lowliness, wandering, sacrifice, and submission to the Father.
The irony of Gods destruction of earths status quo is that it simultaneously frees us from slavery under the law and calls us to a higher road.
The very Word of God, by whom all things were made and are held together, has shown us the way, and we are called to be imitators of Him.
Such is the gift of Christmas.
Justin Lonas
The simple image of the Messiah surrounded by livestock and shepherds is for many an archetype of the Incarnation and a recurring theme in our hymns and traditions.
We are right to put Christ’s infancy at the forefront of our celebrations because God chose to put it at the forefront of the symbolism surrounding His coming.
As if the Creator of the universe taking human form wasn’t mind blowing enough, He chose to arrive on the scene naked and helpless, completely dependent upon his parents for nourishment and protection.
In divine paradox, He was both Father and child to them.
In spite of His authority and ability to do so, Christ did not depart from these humble beginnings.
Isaiah 53:2 says “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
He never aspired to “greatness” in the human sense, content to quietly work the will of the Father and withdrawing from the praise of the masses, God become man demonstrated His identity precisely by not trumpeting it (Philippians 2:6); those who met Him at the manger were awed at the very ordinariness of His human form.
Equally significant is the location of His birth.
While there is confusion as to the exact placement of the manger (whether in a stable, on the lower floor of a house, or in a cave), it is a place not befitting human residence, let alone Gods. But it was there in a dishonorable, unsanitary space that Christ entered His world.
British author and philosopher G.K. Chesterton capitalizes on this in The Everlasting Man.
Seizing on the image of the cave, he writes, “It was here that a homeless couple had crept underground with the cattle when the doors……..had been shut in their faces; and it was here beneath the very feet of the passersby, in a cellar under the floor of the world, that Jesus Christ was born.”
Indeed, His birth as an outcast foreshadowed the life of extreme poverty that He and His disciples led (Matthew 8:20).
The lowly birth of Christ, as Chesterton goes on to state, is the central event of all history, the end of mythology’s dreams and philosophy’s search, and the trumpet call of victory over Satan.
He says, “It is nothing less than the loud assertion that this mysterious Maker of the world has visited this world in person. It declares that really…..right in the middle of historic times, there did walk into this world this original invisible being about whom the thinkers make theories and the mythologists hand down myths; the Man Who Made the World.”
The manger turns the world on its ear.
Gods entry into the world serves a larger purpose than simply flying in the face of human conventions, however.
His arrival was the ultimate demonstration both of His authority over creation (in being born of a virgin) and His love and concern for man. Because He “showed up” in the person of Christ, His character has been demonstrated for all to see.
He cannot be ignorant of poverty, for He was poor.
He has ultimate sympathy for the suffering because He was tortured and gave His life.
No man can accuse Him of being distant or uncaring because He is “God with us.”
By healing the sick and rebuking the proud, He reminds us that He has entered the world to “set it to rights”, He will bring His justice.
He came as a man to redeem the world.
He had to take part in birth and death to defeat the power of Satan over men (Hebrews 2:14).
As Athanasius of Alexandria put it, He came “to renew men according to His image.” Because of the manger, birth and life are honored with the presence of the King.
In lowering Himself, he gave significance to the daily tasks and struggles of life.
He came to set a standard by which we should also live.
This then is the mystery of the Incarnation--through all these things, He commands us to follow Him.
From the manger, he bids us to follow into a life of lowliness, wandering, sacrifice, and submission to the Father.
The irony of Gods destruction of earths status quo is that it simultaneously frees us from slavery under the law and calls us to a higher road.
The very Word of God, by whom all things were made and are held together, has shown us the way, and we are called to be imitators of Him.
Such is the gift of Christmas.
Justin Lonas
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
GOD IS FAITHFULL AT ALL TIMES
“And He said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities….therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10
Great is Thy faithfulness O God My Father / There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not / As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness / Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy Hand hath provided / Great is thy Faithfulness, Lord unto Me.
Summer and Winter, springtime and harvest / Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifest witness / To Thy great Faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth / Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow / Blessings all mine with ten thousands beside.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Great is Thy Faithfulness /Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided /Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
The author of the hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in July of 1866.
At the age of 16 he began teaching school despite the paucity of his own education, when at the age of 27 under the ministry of Evangelist H.C. Morrison he came to know the Lord.
It was the persuasion of Morrison that Chisholm moved to Louisville and became editor of the Pentecostal Herald. He was ordained a Methodist minister in 1903 and served a brief pastorate at Scottsville, Kentucky.
However because of poor health, Thomas alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs though he discovered new blessings from God every morning.
The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him--”His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.”
Thomas spent his retirement years in a Methodist Home for the Aged in Ocean Park, New Jersey, where he was frequently seen walking by the ocean and along town streets.
He passed away on February 29 1960.
How many of us find that we discover new blessings from God every morning-even when circumstances dare to differ.
I read a analogy about resting in our God, and basically it read, “All of us by nature are murmurers and complainers. We question every act of God and man. In our arrogance and self-will, we secretly think that we could do much better if things were in OUR CONTROL."
I’m sure you have asked yourself as to why there are Christians that seem to be living that peaceful life.
They have simply conquered the pain and the bitterness that comes into each of their lives, by simply keeping STILL.
They are so sure of His love and wisdom, that they are pained by no doubt, no fear, no uncertainty. Peace is their pillow, because they have learned to just BE STILL.
Their quietness robs trials of its sharpness, sorrow of its bitterness, death of its sting, and the grave of its victory.”
I think this is one issue that we as Christians struggle with every day.
And that is “How are we to be at peace and rejoicing in the Lord every day, especially when trials come our way.”
Does Christianity mean that we are NEVER to question, NEVER to be discouraged, NEVER to cry out when disease is raging throughout our body. We are only human and these are basic human instincts that we all feel at times.
When death of a loved one comes our way or when we have just been diagnosed with a terminal disease, when one has lost their job, our first inclination is to ask WHY?
Didn’t our Lord cry out to His Father when He was on the Cross, by saying “Why hast thou forsaken Me?”
Yes, I truly think that we might go through some anger, we might even get down, we might ask Why, for these are our human emotions screaming out at us, but when we get past the Whys, what do we have left.
We have our FAITH to lean on!
We can only believe, and only rest in the Knowledge that our lord WILL never forsake us and that HE WILL see us through no matter what is before us.
Gods GRACE is SUFFICIENT!
May we all rest in the compassionate and tender hands of our Lord.
today and every day after let us all declare that Great is Thy Faithfulness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpRCClg8pEY
Great is Thy faithfulness O God My Father / There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not / As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness / Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy Hand hath provided / Great is thy Faithfulness, Lord unto Me.
Summer and Winter, springtime and harvest / Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifest witness / To Thy great Faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth / Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow / Blessings all mine with ten thousands beside.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Great is Thy Faithfulness /Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided /Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
The author of the hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in July of 1866.
At the age of 16 he began teaching school despite the paucity of his own education, when at the age of 27 under the ministry of Evangelist H.C. Morrison he came to know the Lord.
It was the persuasion of Morrison that Chisholm moved to Louisville and became editor of the Pentecostal Herald. He was ordained a Methodist minister in 1903 and served a brief pastorate at Scottsville, Kentucky.
However because of poor health, Thomas alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs though he discovered new blessings from God every morning.
The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him--”His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.”
Thomas spent his retirement years in a Methodist Home for the Aged in Ocean Park, New Jersey, where he was frequently seen walking by the ocean and along town streets.
He passed away on February 29 1960.
How many of us find that we discover new blessings from God every morning-even when circumstances dare to differ.
I read a analogy about resting in our God, and basically it read, “All of us by nature are murmurers and complainers. We question every act of God and man. In our arrogance and self-will, we secretly think that we could do much better if things were in OUR CONTROL."
I’m sure you have asked yourself as to why there are Christians that seem to be living that peaceful life.
They have simply conquered the pain and the bitterness that comes into each of their lives, by simply keeping STILL.
They are so sure of His love and wisdom, that they are pained by no doubt, no fear, no uncertainty. Peace is their pillow, because they have learned to just BE STILL.
Their quietness robs trials of its sharpness, sorrow of its bitterness, death of its sting, and the grave of its victory.”
I think this is one issue that we as Christians struggle with every day.
And that is “How are we to be at peace and rejoicing in the Lord every day, especially when trials come our way.”
Does Christianity mean that we are NEVER to question, NEVER to be discouraged, NEVER to cry out when disease is raging throughout our body. We are only human and these are basic human instincts that we all feel at times.
When death of a loved one comes our way or when we have just been diagnosed with a terminal disease, when one has lost their job, our first inclination is to ask WHY?
Didn’t our Lord cry out to His Father when He was on the Cross, by saying “Why hast thou forsaken Me?”
Yes, I truly think that we might go through some anger, we might even get down, we might ask Why, for these are our human emotions screaming out at us, but when we get past the Whys, what do we have left.
We have our FAITH to lean on!
We can only believe, and only rest in the Knowledge that our lord WILL never forsake us and that HE WILL see us through no matter what is before us.
Gods GRACE is SUFFICIENT!
May we all rest in the compassionate and tender hands of our Lord.
today and every day after let us all declare that Great is Thy Faithfulness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpRCClg8pEY
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Throughout the Church Age, confessing Christ has been a vital issue.
The Apostle Paul deemed it as essential to release full salvation in the soul who by grace alone has received saving faith: “If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Jesus stated the full expectation that those who have placed their faith in Him would then confess Him to others: “Whosoever..shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father” (Matthew 10:32).
The message is quite simple.
Jesus wants us to say publicly that we believe in Him and in His work to save us---He is Gods Son, He died for our sins, He rose for our justification--and that, to put it in in modern terms, He is our personal Lord and Savior.
That is the act of confessing Christ by mouth.
While this is enough to confirm our salvation, there are other ways we may confess Christ. Every time we do the following, our actions declare that Jesus is living and having His way in us.
And it is deeply pleasing to Him.
We confess Christ whenever we leave or voluntarily abandon the places, associations, and relationships in which we formerly practiced sin.
We confess Him by lifestyle, by not conforming to the worlds values and ways of living but by transforming our life-goals and living habits to live humble, holy, spiritually (not materialistically) driven, Christ-centered, Word -loving, Spirit-led lives.
We confess Him whenever we cultivate a loving affection for Jesus by spending time alone with Him daily in devotional Bible reading, unpretentious prayer, and adoring worship, and by loving and comforting others as He has commanded us.
We confess Him by hating sin (first in our self) while maintaining mercy for sinners, “Ye who love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10)----knowing fully well that apathy toward sin is apathy toward Him.
We confess Him by our labor, or by working whole heartedly and steadily “as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23), without regard to honor from people.
We confess Him by lending, or by reliving His life mission, “not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give” (Matthew 20:28), as we strive to first give, share, or lend, rather than to receive, take or hold.
We confess Him by promoting Him above all purported deities or great men as being the only God, the only Savior, and the only hope.
We confess Him by lingering, or waiting patiently for the Fathers appointed time to fulfill His plans, bless our efforts, answer our prayers, or release us from difficulties, hindrances or enemies.
We confess Him when we desire above all else to know Him more deeply, fellowship with Him more closely, do His will more consistently and fervently strive to see “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10)
Practice daily to confess Him, by mouth and by life style.
The Apostle Paul deemed it as essential to release full salvation in the soul who by grace alone has received saving faith: “If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Jesus stated the full expectation that those who have placed their faith in Him would then confess Him to others: “Whosoever..shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father” (Matthew 10:32).
The message is quite simple.
Jesus wants us to say publicly that we believe in Him and in His work to save us---He is Gods Son, He died for our sins, He rose for our justification--and that, to put it in in modern terms, He is our personal Lord and Savior.
That is the act of confessing Christ by mouth.
While this is enough to confirm our salvation, there are other ways we may confess Christ. Every time we do the following, our actions declare that Jesus is living and having His way in us.
And it is deeply pleasing to Him.
We confess Christ whenever we leave or voluntarily abandon the places, associations, and relationships in which we formerly practiced sin.
We confess Him by lifestyle, by not conforming to the worlds values and ways of living but by transforming our life-goals and living habits to live humble, holy, spiritually (not materialistically) driven, Christ-centered, Word -loving, Spirit-led lives.
We confess Him whenever we cultivate a loving affection for Jesus by spending time alone with Him daily in devotional Bible reading, unpretentious prayer, and adoring worship, and by loving and comforting others as He has commanded us.
We confess Him by hating sin (first in our self) while maintaining mercy for sinners, “Ye who love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10)----knowing fully well that apathy toward sin is apathy toward Him.
We confess Him by our labor, or by working whole heartedly and steadily “as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23), without regard to honor from people.
We confess Him by lending, or by reliving His life mission, “not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give” (Matthew 20:28), as we strive to first give, share, or lend, rather than to receive, take or hold.
We confess Him by promoting Him above all purported deities or great men as being the only God, the only Savior, and the only hope.
We confess Him by lingering, or waiting patiently for the Fathers appointed time to fulfill His plans, bless our efforts, answer our prayers, or release us from difficulties, hindrances or enemies.
We confess Him when we desire above all else to know Him more deeply, fellowship with Him more closely, do His will more consistently and fervently strive to see “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10)
Practice daily to confess Him, by mouth and by life style.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
WHO IS JESUS
I make it my business to ask people a certain question.
Most of the people I do not know and have not asked them the question before.
In the month of August, I changed things up a little by asking the question to 90 people that I know profess to be Christians.
The results of the survey may come as a shock to many of you, but the answers given are consistent in this age when most pulpit sermons have little or nothing to do with exalting the One who is the Head of the New Testament Church.
1. Seven of the respondents could not verbalize as to just who was Jesus.
2. Forty One of the individuals questioned claimed without doubt that Jesus was Gods Son but other than that, were at a loss to commit to any other real knowledge of Him.
3. Twelve made the testimony of Jesus as personal Savior and as Gods only Son, who came to earth as the only worthy sacrifice for sin. ( Good testimony on their part)
4. Twenty Two of the Christians interviewed saw Jesus as someone who makes their lives more comfortable, in various fashion, and could not really describe anymore of His reality.
5. Eight of those questioned, were able to describe Him in terms that indicated a deep understanding of His sovereignty, over all of creation, including His authority over them in a personal relationship.
NONE OF THE ANSWERS ARE WRONG
The answers do however give us a good insight into the depth of the understanding of how Christians view Him, whom they have chosen to entrust their eternal future to.
The following is a very good audio/video posting of a sermon by Rev. S.M. Lockeridge.
View it and enjoy as we all need to be reminded daily, just who is MY KING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw
Most of the people I do not know and have not asked them the question before.
In the month of August, I changed things up a little by asking the question to 90 people that I know profess to be Christians.
The results of the survey may come as a shock to many of you, but the answers given are consistent in this age when most pulpit sermons have little or nothing to do with exalting the One who is the Head of the New Testament Church.
1. Seven of the respondents could not verbalize as to just who was Jesus.
2. Forty One of the individuals questioned claimed without doubt that Jesus was Gods Son but other than that, were at a loss to commit to any other real knowledge of Him.
3. Twelve made the testimony of Jesus as personal Savior and as Gods only Son, who came to earth as the only worthy sacrifice for sin. ( Good testimony on their part)
4. Twenty Two of the Christians interviewed saw Jesus as someone who makes their lives more comfortable, in various fashion, and could not really describe anymore of His reality.
5. Eight of those questioned, were able to describe Him in terms that indicated a deep understanding of His sovereignty, over all of creation, including His authority over them in a personal relationship.
NONE OF THE ANSWERS ARE WRONG
The answers do however give us a good insight into the depth of the understanding of how Christians view Him, whom they have chosen to entrust their eternal future to.
The following is a very good audio/video posting of a sermon by Rev. S.M. Lockeridge.
View it and enjoy as we all need to be reminded daily, just who is MY KING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Decide on Faith
DECIDING TO RELY UPON FAITH
So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken……Genesis 12:4
Abraham is not only one of the greatest names in history, he is one of the greatest of the great.
No man ever marked a greater turning point in history. No man ever became father to greater posterity.
No man ever received greater personal promises from God.
More than being a great historical figure, he can be measured as great because of his personal character.
Because of certain distinguishing qualities he can distinctively be called the “friend of God.” Isaiah 41:8
It is with the spiritual significance of Abraham that we are concerned at this moment.
He moves before us in a typical and representative way as the man of faith.
Whatever else he may or may not be, Abraham is outstandingly representative of the man “who believed God.” Romans 4:3.
Some of the most precious and vital lessons of the faith life can be learned by studying his personal history.
Let us examine the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of Genesis, where we have the call of Abraham and his first stepping forth into the walk of faith.
Three verses become key 12:5 “Abram went forth” 12:10 “Abram went down” ; 13:1 “Abram went up.”
In the first of these we see that Abram went forth into Canaan.
In the second we are told that Abram went down into Egypt.
And in the third Abram went “up back into Canaan.
Why was it that Abram went forth into Canaan?
He went in response to a divine call.
Why was it that Abram went down into Egypt?
He went as a result of a decision based upon his own mind.
Why was it then that “Abram went up out of Egypt?
He went back because he learned the lesson that faith in God is better than trusting in our own human reasoning.
In this we have a great example of three lessons in one.
In the first part we see that “Abram went forth into Canaan” which is faith responding.
In the second part we learn that “Abram went down into Egypt” (because of famine) we see faith receding.
In the third part of the lesson we learn that “Abram went up out of Egypt” back to “the place of the altar which he had made there (in Canaan) at the first”, we are seeing faith returning.
Let us think on the first of these FAITH RESPONDING
Chapter 12:4 reads, “So Abram departed, as Jehovah had spoken.”
Faith is always a response to the word of God.
Therefore faith is not a presumption, or a believing without a reason.
Nor, is it ever against reason, thought it is sometimes above reason.
Suppose for a moment, please, that someone reading these very lines has been aroused, by the Spirit of God to consider a sense of personal sin and the need of salvation.
The first thing for one to ask is, “Has God spoken any word for me?”
Then if convinced that the Bible is without doubt the Word of God, the next step is to accept passages such as Hebrews 1:1-3 “( God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high) or John 5:24 (Truly, truly, I say to you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life.)
Knowing that the words are spoken directly without waiver to the reader who says in his heart that I believe those are for me, and is then able declare that I am now saved, will see that it is not unreasonable to accept the assurances of Gods Word, and to say that I am now a Child of the Living God.
And it is no longer presumptuous for me to accept and to act upon the promises of Gods Word for that very Word itself tells me that they are all “yeah and amen” to me, in Christ Jesus.
So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken……Genesis 12:4
Abraham is not only one of the greatest names in history, he is one of the greatest of the great.
No man ever marked a greater turning point in history. No man ever became father to greater posterity.
No man ever received greater personal promises from God.
More than being a great historical figure, he can be measured as great because of his personal character.
Because of certain distinguishing qualities he can distinctively be called the “friend of God.” Isaiah 41:8
It is with the spiritual significance of Abraham that we are concerned at this moment.
He moves before us in a typical and representative way as the man of faith.
Whatever else he may or may not be, Abraham is outstandingly representative of the man “who believed God.” Romans 4:3.
Some of the most precious and vital lessons of the faith life can be learned by studying his personal history.
Let us examine the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of Genesis, where we have the call of Abraham and his first stepping forth into the walk of faith.
Three verses become key 12:5 “Abram went forth” 12:10 “Abram went down” ; 13:1 “Abram went up.”
In the first of these we see that Abram went forth into Canaan.
In the second we are told that Abram went down into Egypt.
And in the third Abram went “up back into Canaan.
Why was it that Abram went forth into Canaan?
He went in response to a divine call.
Why was it that Abram went down into Egypt?
He went as a result of a decision based upon his own mind.
Why was it then that “Abram went up out of Egypt?
He went back because he learned the lesson that faith in God is better than trusting in our own human reasoning.
In this we have a great example of three lessons in one.
In the first part we see that “Abram went forth into Canaan” which is faith responding.
In the second part we learn that “Abram went down into Egypt” (because of famine) we see faith receding.
In the third part of the lesson we learn that “Abram went up out of Egypt” back to “the place of the altar which he had made there (in Canaan) at the first”, we are seeing faith returning.
Let us think on the first of these FAITH RESPONDING
Chapter 12:4 reads, “So Abram departed, as Jehovah had spoken.”
Faith is always a response to the word of God.
Therefore faith is not a presumption, or a believing without a reason.
Nor, is it ever against reason, thought it is sometimes above reason.
Suppose for a moment, please, that someone reading these very lines has been aroused, by the Spirit of God to consider a sense of personal sin and the need of salvation.
The first thing for one to ask is, “Has God spoken any word for me?”
Then if convinced that the Bible is without doubt the Word of God, the next step is to accept passages such as Hebrews 1:1-3 “( God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high) or John 5:24 (Truly, truly, I say to you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life.)
Knowing that the words are spoken directly without waiver to the reader who says in his heart that I believe those are for me, and is then able declare that I am now saved, will see that it is not unreasonable to accept the assurances of Gods Word, and to say that I am now a Child of the Living God.
And it is no longer presumptuous for me to accept and to act upon the promises of Gods Word for that very Word itself tells me that they are all “yeah and amen” to me, in Christ Jesus.
Friday, August 7, 2009
We live in a day and time when people in and out of the church cannot define what Sin is.
This is a horrible problem in any society.
God has said in Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
Whenever a people or a nation can no longer distinguish between good and evil, those people are quickly on their way to destruction.
History is full of nation after nation that fell from global influence to that of no consequence, and even into the pages of non-existence, when their standards of good and evil were changed.
We must have a way to determine right from wrong, good from evil.
We must have a rule that we live by, a standard, else we become no more than “blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both, shall fall into a ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)
In the spiritual realm there must be a standard for good and evil, or else we have no standard at all.
If good is an arbitrary standard based only on how I feel or think, then what about the person who believes theft is acceptable?
What then about the murderer, or the adulterer, or the abortionist?
How can any of us judge what is right or wrong based only upon what satisfies humanity?
The Bible tells us “that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Our spiritual compass is broken.
We are all sold into sin.
We must have a standard outside ourselves for right and wrong if morality is to be anything more than just a word.
The only true standard exists in Jesus Christ and the written Word of God.
Many are the souls who have been led to believe that salvation by faith in Christ does not require a changed life.
There is no truth in that belief according to Holy Scripture.
There were two thieves hanging next to Jesus as He suffered for us on the cross.
One of the thieves railed against the Son of God and said “ if you are the Son of God, then get yourself and us down from these crosses.” While the other thief said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom…”(Luke 23:42).
The one thief who repented of his deed and had a change of heart was saved at that moment.
The other thief who had mockery in his heart, and who was unrepentant and loved his iniquitous lifestyle, was lost …….forever.
Scripture reveals abundant examples of lives who underwent a change of heart and were saved.
The woman caught in the act of adultery called Jesus, “Lord” and was saved.
The leper came to Jesus in Matthew ch 8 vs. 2 “Lord if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”
Upon the foundational statement of “Lord” he was healed by Jesus.
The centurion who called Jesus, “Lord“ in Matthew ch 8 saw his servant healed.
The blind men who said “yes Lord” to Jesus in Matthew ch 9 were healed.
Over and over again in Scripture we see that those who accepted Jesus as Savior and named Him as “Lord” and placed their very lives and souls to Him were saved.
It is absolutely false for someone to claim Jesus Christ as Savior, and yet reject Him as Lord.
It is absolutely false and completely unbiblical for a person to claim that he is a child of God, and yet wallow in the mud of sin, unwilling to take the steps to flee iniquity and to deny a life of self.
Those who are truly Christ’s become new creatures, children of God by faith in Christ and by the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit of God.
If you can claim the name of Jesus , then live like the one who bears the name that you claim.
This is a horrible problem in any society.
God has said in Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
Whenever a people or a nation can no longer distinguish between good and evil, those people are quickly on their way to destruction.
History is full of nation after nation that fell from global influence to that of no consequence, and even into the pages of non-existence, when their standards of good and evil were changed.
We must have a way to determine right from wrong, good from evil.
We must have a rule that we live by, a standard, else we become no more than “blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both, shall fall into a ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)
In the spiritual realm there must be a standard for good and evil, or else we have no standard at all.
If good is an arbitrary standard based only on how I feel or think, then what about the person who believes theft is acceptable?
What then about the murderer, or the adulterer, or the abortionist?
How can any of us judge what is right or wrong based only upon what satisfies humanity?
The Bible tells us “that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Our spiritual compass is broken.
We are all sold into sin.
We must have a standard outside ourselves for right and wrong if morality is to be anything more than just a word.
The only true standard exists in Jesus Christ and the written Word of God.
Many are the souls who have been led to believe that salvation by faith in Christ does not require a changed life.
There is no truth in that belief according to Holy Scripture.
There were two thieves hanging next to Jesus as He suffered for us on the cross.
One of the thieves railed against the Son of God and said “ if you are the Son of God, then get yourself and us down from these crosses.” While the other thief said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom…”(Luke 23:42).
The one thief who repented of his deed and had a change of heart was saved at that moment.
The other thief who had mockery in his heart, and who was unrepentant and loved his iniquitous lifestyle, was lost …….forever.
Scripture reveals abundant examples of lives who underwent a change of heart and were saved.
The woman caught in the act of adultery called Jesus, “Lord” and was saved.
The leper came to Jesus in Matthew ch 8 vs. 2 “Lord if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”
Upon the foundational statement of “Lord” he was healed by Jesus.
The centurion who called Jesus, “Lord“ in Matthew ch 8 saw his servant healed.
The blind men who said “yes Lord” to Jesus in Matthew ch 9 were healed.
Over and over again in Scripture we see that those who accepted Jesus as Savior and named Him as “Lord” and placed their very lives and souls to Him were saved.
It is absolutely false for someone to claim Jesus Christ as Savior, and yet reject Him as Lord.
It is absolutely false and completely unbiblical for a person to claim that he is a child of God, and yet wallow in the mud of sin, unwilling to take the steps to flee iniquity and to deny a life of self.
Those who are truly Christ’s become new creatures, children of God by faith in Christ and by the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit of God.
If you can claim the name of Jesus , then live like the one who bears the name that you claim.
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