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Archive for January, 2011

More Than Conquerors – Part 4

19 Jan

Much of part 4 and covering Romans 8:34 will be linked to verse 33 that we went over last time.  If you haven’t had a chance to read that yet it will help with today.

Romans 8:31-39 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:34 – 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

In part 3 we discussed the one who tries to condemn and that is Satan also known as the devil.  We went over three different passages of scripture in which he tries to do this.  Verse 34 makes it clear that no one has that authority, but God alone and He is making it clear that those whom He has chosen will never be condemned.

The rest of the verse states that Christ died and has risen.  It is very important to know that if Jesus is not risen, you’re victory isn’t there.  He did rise from the dead and for those who accept Him as Lord and Savior are saved.  He sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us.

1 John 2:1-2 – 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

No one can condemn those who have made Jesus Lord.  We are more than Conquerors because of our King and Savior!

 
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More Than Conquerors – Part 3

18 Jan

Romans 8:31-39 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today we will be looking at verse 33.

Romans 8:33 – 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

I can tell you who is trying.  That would be Satan or the devil himself.  Here we have him telling God that Job is only loyal because he is blessed by God.

Job 1:6 – 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Next we have Satan again at God’s right side trying to be the accuser.

Zechariah 3:1 – 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”   

In Revelation we see that the devil is trying to accuse Christians that love God.  However, in verse 12 we see that Satan is thrown down to the earth and his time becomes short.

Revelation 12:10-12 –  10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.  For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!  But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

In Romans 8:33 it finishes by speaking of God who justifies us.  That He has, when His blood was shed on the cross and then rose for all whom will accept it.  His Blood, through His Son, and that is all the justification everyone on the earth and those who will ever live, will need.

 
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Don’t Return Back To Your Vomit; It Smells

17 Jan

Proverbs 26:11 – 11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

As Christians we are to give our lives over to Christ and die to our own.  This means we choose now to live as Jesus and God would want us to live.

Does the Lord want you to use foul language?  Are we supposed to live our lives in a rage?  Are we supposed lie or be of the truth?

Colossians 3:8 – 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Are we supposed to forgive?

Colossians 3:13 – 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Mark 11:25 – 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

As Christians we are asked to serve the Lord and step away from our sinful worldly lives.  When we don’t do that, we are returning to our vomit.  It says just like a dog returns back to its vomit, so fools will return back to their old sinful habits.

When we’re sitting and watching something on TV or a movie and your spirit begins to make you squirm a bit, it’s because you’re being given a warning from the Lord.  It’s a warning of, “Hey, I’m in here and I hate that stuff and you need to also.”

You have seen the old Hollywood version of the angel and devil popping up on each side of a person’s head.  It might look silly, but it does give a good depiction of our spirit and the decisions we have to make every day.  Ignore one of them long enough and they don’t pop up to say anything to your spirit.  If you’re suppressing the sinful side, that’s a good thing.  If you’re suppressing the good side, you’re on your way back to the puke pile.

There’s a battle going on around you, for you, that you are a part of rather you like it or not.  You don’t have to accept it to be a part of it.  It’s been going on for about six thousand years on this earth.

Choose to be on the right side of the King of Kings.  Since your decisions in life matter to Him, make them based on Him.

Almost all of us have seen an animal return back to their vomit and it’s gross.  When we continue to return back to our sinful lives, God has let us know that it’s viewed the same way.  Make a conscience effort that if it bothers God, it must be important that I don’t do it.

 
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Quote – Martin Luther

15 Jan

I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.
Martin Luther

This is two-fold.

If we try to do things on our own it always leads to more problems.  On the flip side if we turn our problems over to Him, He takes care of them.

Turning things over to Him physically and monetarily verses wasting it all on one’s self, also is waiting for you later.

 
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If You Accept Jesus As Lord; Live For Him

14 Jan

Colossians 2:6-7 – 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Do we live for Him, or do we live for us?

It’s a question that we really need to ask ourselves.  Because when we live for ourselves we have a tendency to completely choke out our relationship with God.  It’s a spiritual issue.  Test it and see.  The more you listen to Christian music, read Christian books, watch Christian TV, attend church a couple of times a week, you’ll constantly be praising the Lord in between.  You’ll be thinking of the things you have been filling your spirit with.

3Ephesians 5:8-10 – 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

On the flip side if all you’re thinking about is worldly things which pass away.  Jesus isn’t in that.  If you’re doing things like this:

Galatians 5:19-21 –  19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

You might be in more trouble when you take your last breath than you wanted to believe or anticipated.

The scripture right before it tells us to live by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 – 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Habits.  Habits, Habits, Habits.  What we fail to sometimes realize is that habits are formed by the conditioning of the flesh, or the conditioning of the Spirit.  We can also put in there the lack of conditioning the Spirit.  Having a drink almost every night is a habit.  Smoking or having a chew on a regular basis is a habit.  Thinking thoughts of worldly or fleshly things all the time is a habit.  Reading the Word everyday is a habit.  Turning that radio to a good Christian station instead of one that’s not is a habit.

We need to live for Jesus, because without Him we are not living a life with purpose of which our Creator had in mind.

I leave you concerning this post today with this:

John 15:1-8 – 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

   5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 
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The Marketed Gospel

13 Jan

When you want to be successful at selling something you try to give the public what they are looking for.  The world today is trying to the very same thing when it comes to God’s word.

It is not uncommon for man to want to choose all the exciting selling points of the Bible and yet when something is not so popular, we tend to see that get tossed out.

Man has a tendency to think that what he feels is good for him, is good for him.  Has anything biblical stated about man ever pointed to that?  No.  As a sinful fallen creature man has a tendency to chase after things that are not of God.

The Bible is the Word for all of those who love God to follow.  It’s our guide. 

Psalms 119:105 – 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  KJV

As people in this country have gotten further away from God, they have gotten further away from truth.  Yet the desire to have a God is built in all of us.  Even the atheist serves his own life and materialism, while at the same time fights against God.  That’s why people in the past and even today will worship idols.  We were made to worship, it’s just the fall has messed us up.

In the last days men will chase after whatever they want.  It even includes the teachings of what they want their God to be.

The Bible warns against this very thing.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 –  1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Yes the marketed gospel plays to those itching ears.  If those ears change and are itching for something new someone out there will deliver it to them.  This is the American way.  The attitude is, “well it’s better to have them in church than not, so let’s get the word into the 21st century.”

Is that what God wants us to do?

Hebrews 13:8 – 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Jesus is the Word and the Word has not changed.  The Word was good for Adam and since Adam walked with the Lord, I believe it was the same Word, as for those at the end of the Millennium and beyond.

Beware!  We need to seek the pure and good Word of the Lord.  Many today are victims of 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  Don’t be one of them.  Meditate on the Word and let it guide your path.

 
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Stingy and Tight

12 Jan

I usually write on the concentration of living for the world and the warnings of chasing after wealth, materialism, and not being a good steward with one’s resources that have been entrusted to them.

That brings us to the other end of the spectrum.  One I have to watch more closely as I am a frugal person.

2  Corinthians 9:7 – 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Tithing is an obedient act that we are told to do by the Lord.  This has never been a problem for my family and we have been blessed and our needs have always been met.  I only bring that up, because I just mentioned being frugal.  However, giving goes beyond tithing.

I have known people to have died and they were misers with everything they had.  The type which would stop the engine in their automobile on a big hill, just to save gas back when it was 25 cents a gallon.  The type to sit in a cold house to save on electricity.  The result of these people many a time is they end up leaving a nest egg to someone else after they die.  For these people it becomes an obsession.

What does that type of living do for the Lord? 

It is a selfish lifestyle still, even though it’s different from other lifestyles that focus on self.  Here is a proverb written by Solomon.

Proverbs 23:6- 8 – 6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
   do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is the kind of person
   who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
   but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
   and will have wasted your compliments.

I underlined the part that jumps out when I read it.  Our hearts is where the whole issue is.  Our heart is where we either grow closer to God and what He wants, or not at all. 

Here is a parable of someone who is stingy and unproductive.

Matthew 25:24:30 – 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

   26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

   28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Lord loves a cheerful giver.  We need to give our time and our resources toward the Kingdom of God.  This takes faith.  It also takes going against the flesh and trusting God.  One is supposed to be responsible, but when responsibly done one is more obedient to the Lord.

 
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Earth now; Heaven later?

11 Jan

If I had to guess the thoughts of many Christians based upon their actions; it would be this.

Heaven is wonderful and I’m looking forward to it someday.  Hopefully it’s a long time from now.  I want to live my life to the fullest on this earth.  Then when I got my foot on a banana peel and can’t get around and do everything exactly the way I want, then I want to go.

Is this what the Lord wants us to be like?

Colossians 3:1-3 – 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

God wants us to put our FAITH into Him.  He wants us to live for Him.  This takes a change of our normal human outlook of putting self first.

Romans 12:2 – 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:22-24 – 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We don’t automatically think the way we’re supposed to and that’s because we are fallen sinners.  All of us are sinners.  We need to seek God and get our spirit and head back on straight.  This starts with a change of the heart.  It’s man’s heart that decides rather he wants to seek God.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 – 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?
 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

You see the idea isn’t to play to win in the worldly game.  We should be setting our eyes on the Lord and worshipping Him.  We need to figure out what it is that He wants from our lives.  If we do that He’ll take care of our needs and more importantly than that He is looking forward to rewarding those who live by faith for Him.  He warns us not to build our empire on earth, but obey Him and store that treasure up later.

Matthew 6:19-21 – 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God wants our hearts.  He knows if you’re chasing after success and money that your heart is there instead.

Proverbs 23:4-5 –4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.  5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

 The old adage you’re not taking any of it with you is true.

So the question is, where is your heart and your home? 

Philippians 3:20 – 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

If your heart is in loving the Lord and your home is Heaven then we need to take heed of what the Master’s manual says.  What I read is beware of living for the world and lets live by faith that we really believe the Lord wants us to seek Him, work for Him, and to reward us for that in Heaven.

Earth now, Heaven later, doesn’t match up with what God’s Word has to say.  It matches up with what the sinful human heart wants.

 
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More Than Conquerors – Part 2

10 Jan

I am doing a nine part mini-series on the following scripture passage.  I will start out with the full passage each time, because we really need to get it in our hearts.

Romans 8:31-39 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today I want to hit on the second verse of the passage.

Romans 8:32 – 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

What a great reminder of how much God loves us.  God didn’t have to come back and make a way for mankind to get back into His presence, He chose to do so.  He could have looked at the whole situation and been done with it.  Just a simple “poof” and life doesn’t exist on this planet no more. 

However, we know that’s not God.  Why?  Because while we were still sinners He sent His Son,  part of Himself, to pay the price for our transgressions.

Romans 5:8 –  8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Also in verse 32 it reads along with Him.  Along with who?  Along with Jesus, God the Son.  God is three persons, but God is one. 

The verse ends with how will He not graciously give us all things? 

What things?  Everything thing you need and everything He wants to share!  If He is willing to die for us, you can bet that He wants to share with us, who want to worship Him as our awesome God. 

We don’t have it under control.  God has it under control.  That’s why we need to listen to His voice, die to our own selfish ambitions, and follow His way.

We are more than conquerors.  Why?  Because of Him and no other reason!

 
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Quote – D L Moody

08 Jan

God never made a promise that was too good to be true.
Dwight L. Moody

Unlike man.  Mans word’s are full of broken promises.

We can put our complete faith in Lord.
We don’t serve a wishy-washy God.
We can count on Him, especially when we can’t count on each other or ourselves.

 
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