Basking In The Son

Jesus, God incarnate;
It’s no wonder that thoughtful people find the gospel of Jesus Christ hard to believe, for the realities with which it deals surpass man’s understanding. But, it is sad that so many make faith harder than it needs to be, by finding difficulties in the wrong places. But in fact the real difficulty does not lie in the Good Friday message of atonement, or the Easter message of resurrection, but instead in the Christmas message of incarnation.

The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God, made man, the second person of the Godhead. And, that He took on humanity without loss of His deity.

Here are two mysteries for the price of one – the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of the Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. And “the Word was made flesh” John 1:14.

Jesus is the same person as the Eternal Word, the Father’s agent in creation, “Through whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:2

The baby born at Bethlehem was God. He was the Son of God, or as Christian theology regularly expresses it, God the Son.

“The” Son, not a son: as John says four times in the first three chapters of his gospel, in order to make sure that his readers understand the uniqueness of Jesus. He was the “Only begotten” Son of God (John1:18; 3:16, 18). Accordingly the Christian church confesses: “I believe in God the Father… and Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.”

The apostle John wrote, in order that they “might know that Jesus is the Son of God; and…believing…might have life through his name” John 20:31. It is as “Son of God” that he presents Jesus throughout the gospel.

However, John knew that the phrase “Son of God” was tainted with misleading associations in the minds of his readers. Jewish theology used it as a title for the expected (human) messiah. Greek mythology told of many “son’s of god’s”, super men born of a union between a god and a human woman. In neither of these cases did the phrase convey the thought of personal deity; in both, indeed it excluded it.

John wanted to make sure that when he wrote of Jesus as the Son of God he would not be misunderstood, and to make it clear from the outset that the “Sonship” which Jesus claimed, and which Christianity ascribes to Him, was precisely a matter of personal deity and nothing less.

Nowhere in the New Testament is the nature and meaning of Jesus’ divine Sonship more clearly explained than in the Gospel of John 1: 1-18.  Let's check it out together shall we.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2

John does not bring the term ‘Son’ into his opening sentences at all: instead, he speaks first of “the Word”. God’s Word in the Old Testament is His creative utterance, His power in action fulfilling His purpose. The Old Testament depicted God’s utterance, the actual statement of His purpose, as having power in itself to affect the things purposed.

Chapter One tells us how at creation “God said, ‘Let there be…” and there was. And in Psalm 33: 6 and 9 it says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made… He spoke and it was done;” The Word of God is thus God at work. John takes up this figure and proceeds to tell us nine things about the divine Word.

1. Verse 1 – “In the beginning was the Word” Here is the "Word’s" eternity. He had no beginning of His own. When other things began, He was.

2. Verse 1 – “And the Word was with God” Here is the “Word’s” personality. The power that fulfills God’s purpose is the power of a distinct personal being, which stands in an eternal relationship with God.

3. Verse 1 – “And the Word was God” Here is the “Word’s” deity. Though personally distinct from the Father, He is not a creature; He is divine in Himself, as the Father is.

“All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."                                                              John 1:3

4. Verse 3 – “All things were made by Him” Here is the “Word” creating. He was the Father’s agent in every act of creation that the Father has ever performed. All that was made was made through Him.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend…There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” John 1:4, 5 & 9

5. Verse 4 – “In Him was life” Here is the Word animating. There is no physical life in the realm of created things except in and through Him. Life is given and maintained by the Word.

6. Verse 4 – “And the life was the light of men.” Here is the Word revealing. In giving life, He gives light too; that is to say, every man receives knowledge of God from the very fact of his being alive in God’s world.

7. Verse 9 – “Enlightens every man” Here is the “Word’s” impartiality. In revealing Himself, He did not exclude any from the possibility of understanding.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

8. Verse 12 – “He gave the right to become children of God” Here is the "Word" rebirthing. He receives as His own, any and all who would elect to follow Him. Man is made alive in the Spirit by acknowledging and surrendering to His deity.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

9. Verse 14 – “And the Word became flesh” Here is the "Word" incarnate. The baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than the eternal Word of God…Jesus the Christ, of Nazareth.

And now, having shown us who and what the Word is – a divine person, the author of all things – John indicates identification - the Word, he tells us, was revealed by the incarnation to be God’s Son. “We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

“John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:15-18

The identification is confirmed in verse eighteen, “The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.” He has now made it clear what is meant by calling Jesus the Son of God. The Son of God is the Word of God; we see what the Word is, well, that is what the Son is. He is divine, He is deity, He is eternal, yet He was man. He came for the purpose of redeeming the souls of mankind back to the Father.

“But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory...” Hebrews 3:9-10

The Bible says that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, became a man, and gave up His life, specifically to redeem you and me. Amen and thank you Lord!!!

God Bless and Press On
Larry

God's True Salvation

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "  Matthew 7:21-23

Because in these verses our Lord is speaking to those who in their own minds believed they were saved, yet they were self deceived, I have felt the urgency to speak on the subject of SALVATION, the true salvation according to God's Word.  The three points I will make concerning salvation are:

1. The Need for Salvation
2. The Purpose of Salvation
3. The Results of Salvation

Because of my love for you as family and friends, and my obligation and responsibility as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I present to you Ephesians 2: 1-10 as the text today.

The Apostle Paul chronicles the process of salvation here in this text.  His focus in these verses is solely God's work in saving us, because there is no human work to be considered as a part of the saving process. 
 

These verses describe our past, present and future as Christians: what we were, what we are, and what we will be.  Paul gives us six features of SALVATION:
a. It is from sin.
b. It is by love.
c. It is unto life.
d. It is for God's glory.
e. It is through faith.
f. It is unto good works.

1. THE NEED FOR SALVATION:
a. Salvation is from sin: vss. 1-3
(1) "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,(2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.(3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

There is perhaps no more clear statement in scripture on the totally lost condition of sinful mankind.  Because we were born to sin we were born to death as stated in Romans 6:23,  "for the wages of sin is death."

People don't become spiritually dead because they sin, they are sinners "by nature" and therefore born without spiritual life.  Because we were dead to God, we were dead to truth, righteousness, peace, happiness, and every other good thing.  The truth is everyone deserves hell.  God in His grace elects to save the lost.

The thing that keeps sinners from being reconciled to God is not a deficiency of mercy or grace on God's part.  It is sin, and sin is a human problem.  Rebellion and rejection are in the nature of every sinner.  Ephesians 2:3 says that the unsaved are "by nature children of wrath."  People are not "all God's children" as is so commonly stated.  Those who have not received salvation through Jesus Christ are God's enemies according to Romans 5:10, "for while we were enemies we were reconciled to God..."

Paul's purpose in verses 1-3 is not to show how unsaved people live, but to remind believers how they previously lived.  The realm of sin and death is a past tense experience for the true believer.

b. Salvation is by Love: vs. 4
(4) But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

God's mercy is "rich", measureless, overflowing, abundant, and unlimited.  God is intrinsically kind, merciful, and loving.  Love is so integral to who He is that the apostle John wrote "God is love" in John 4: 8.

In His love He reaches out to sinful, corrupt, spiritually dead human beings and blesses them with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

Not only does God love enough to forgive, but also enough to give His Son to die for the very ones who had offended Him.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His Son" John 3:16, and He also says "Greater love has on one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13.  God's love for those who do not deserve it makes salvation possible.

2. THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION:
c. Salvation is unto Life: vs. 5
(5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

The saving transaction begins the moment God gives spiritual life to a dead person.  It is God who makes the first move.  Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" John 6:44.

Of course!  The unsaved are dead, incapable of any spiritual activity.  Until God quickens us, we have no capacity to respond to Him in faith.

 When sinners are saved they become sensitive to God for the first time.  Paul calls it in Romans 6:4, "Newness of Life."  Now they understand spiritual truth and desire spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:10-16).

This new life is "In Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6), He is our life (Col. 3:4), our life is actually His life lived in us (Gal. 2:20).

d. Salvation is for God's glory: vss. 6-7
(6) and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.(7) in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Salvation has a particular purpose: "that we might enjoy and display His glory, showing forth the riches of His grace" (Romans 9:23).

To dwell in the heavenly domain is to enjoy full fellowship with the Godhead.  It is because we dwell in this realm that we enjoy God's protection, His day to day provision, and all the blessings of His favor.

But no one dwells there who still walks according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and under the control of the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.  We are no longer "children of wrath" but now "children of God" (John 1:12; John 3:1) and citizens of heaven (Eph. 2:19).

So our loving Father glorifies Himself even as He blesses us.  His grace is the centerpiece of His glory.  We never stop benefiting from His grace and goodness to us.  At no point does grace stop and human effort take over.

3. THE RESULT OF SALVATION:
e. Salvation is through faith: vss. 8-9
(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;(9) not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Faith is our response, not the cause of salvation.  Even faith is "not of ourselves" it is included in "the gifts of God."

Faith is God's gracious gift.  Jesus explicitly affirms this truth.  "No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him form the Father" (John 6:65).  Faith is also spoken of as a divine gift in Acts 3:16.

"Not by works" is not contrasting faith verses repentance, nor faith versus commitment, or faith versus surrender.  The contrast is between divine grace and human merit.  Human effort cannot bring salvation!

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!!!

Believing is therefore the first act of an awakened spiritual course; it is the new man drawing his first breath.  Obviously, if salvation is entirely by God's grace, it cannot be as a result of works.  Human effort has nothing to do with gaining or sustaining it.  But we cannot stop here, for there is one more crucial point in Paul's line of reasoning.  It is the principle thesis to which he has been building.

f. Salvation is unto good works: vs. 10
(10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

It cannot be overemphasized that works play no role in gaining salvation.  But good works have everything to do with living out salvation.  Matthew 7:16 says "so then, you will know them by there fruits." What are these fruits?  Colossians 1:10, tells us "so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work..."

No good works can earn salvation, but many good works result from genuine salvation.  Good works are not necessary to become a disciple, but good works are the necessary marks of all true disciples.  God has after all, ordained that we should walk in them.

Note, that before we can do any good work for the Lord, He does His good work in us.  By God's grace we become "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works."  The same grace that made us alive with Christ and raised us up with Him, enables us to do the good works unto which He has saved us.

Note also, that it is God who "prepared" these good works for you to fulfill, we get no credit for them.  Even our good works are works of His grace.  They are the corroborating evidence of true salvation.

Q. If you were on trial today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

 Good deeds and righteous attitudes are intrinsic to who we are as Christians.  They proceed from the very nature of one who lives in the realm of the heavens.

Paul told the Corinthian believers that God's abundant grace provided an overflowing sufficiency that equipped them "for every good deed" (2 Cor. 9:8).

He told Titus that Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from lawless deeds and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14).

Where is your zealousness today?  Remember that Paul's primary message here is not to the unbeliever.  He is writing to believer, many of whom had come to Christ years earlier.  His point was not to tell them how to be saved, but to remind them of how they were saved, so that they could see how grace is meant to operate in the lives of the redeemed.  The phrase "we are His workmanship" I believe is the key to this whole passage.

The Greek word for "workmanship" is "poeme", from which we get our word for poem.  Our lives are like a divinely written sonnet, a literary masterpiece.

God designed us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:9).  All of us are still imperfect, unfinished works of art, being carefully crafted by the master.  He is not finished with us yet, and His work will not cease until He has made us into the perfect likeness of His Son (1John 3:2).

Sometimes the process is slow and difficult; sometimes it is immediate and triumphant.  Either way, "I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

Nothing about salvation is cheap.  It cost God His Son.  Its value is inestimable, its effects are eternal.  But it is free "freely bestowed on us in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6), and "It abounds to many" (Romans 5:15), elevating us into that heavenly realm where God has ordained that we should walk.

In Closing;

I am not sitting here as one who judges, but as a messenger.  The Word of God speaks for itself, God says to all of us who would call ourselves believers or followers of Christ to;

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test?"  2 Corinthians 13:5

Friends, let us not fail the test, let us not fall into the position of the deceived, but rather let us live a life worthy of the Lord, with a desire to please Jesus Christ our Savior.

God Bless and Press On
Larry

You Reap What You Sow

An e-mail I received recently shared this story. Because I enjoyed it and believe it has a great message that we can all learn from, I have included it here on my blog. I hope you enjoy it too.  Now here's the story:


"Good morning" said a woman as she walked up to an obviously homeless man sitting on the ground.

The man slowly looked up and saw the woman. Here was a person who was clearly accustomed to the finer things in life. Her coat was new, and she looked as if she had never missed a meal in her life.

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone" he growled.

To his amazement, the woman continued standing there.  She was smiling, her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No, I've just come from dinner with the president. Now go away!" He answered sarcastically.

The woman's smile became even broader.  Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm trying to lift him to his feet.

"Hey, what are you doing lady?" the man asked angrily.  "I said to leave me alone!"

Just then a police officer came up and asked, "Is there a problem ma'am?"

"No problem here officer," the woman answered, "I'm just trying to get this man up to his feet, will you help me please?"
 
The officer scratched his head and said, "That's old Jack, he's been a fixture around here for a couple of years now.  What do you want with him?"
 
"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked, "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy lady? the homeless man resisted, "I don't want to go in there!"  Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.  "Let me go officer, I didn't do anything wrong."

"This is a good deal for you Jack," the officer said, "don't blow it for yourself."

 Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.  It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.  The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by the table.

"What's going on here officer?" he asked, "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed."  The police officer answered.

 "Not in here!"  the manager replied angrily, "having a person like that in here is bad for business."

 Old Jack smiled a toothless grin, and said, "See lady, I told you so.  Now if you'll let me go, I didn't want to come in here in the first place."

 The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled, "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

 "Of course I am," the manager replied, "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

 "And, do you make a good amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

 "What business is that of yours?" the manager snapped back.

 "I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

 "Oh" replied the dumbstruck manager.

 The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."  She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh, and said "Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks ma'am," the officer replied, "I'm on duty."

 "Then perhaps, a cup of coffer to go?" she said.

 "Yes ma'am, that would be very nice."

 The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away officer." 

 The officer watched him walk away.  "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

 "That was not my intent.  Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

 She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest.  She stared at him intently.  "Jack, do you remember me?"

 Old Jack searched her face with his old rheumy eyes.  "I think so, I mean you do look familiar."

 "I"m a little older perhaps," she said, "maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

 "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly.  He couldn't believe that such a magnificently refined woman could ever have been hungry.

 "I was just out of college," the woman began, "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything.  Finally, I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment.  I walked the streets for days.  It was February, and I was cold and nearly starving.  I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." 

 Jack lit up with a smile, "Now I remember you."  he said, "I was behind the serving counter, you came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat.  I said that it was against company policy."

 "I know," the woman continued, "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it."

 "I was afraid that you would get into trouble, then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew that everything would be all right."

 "So you started your own business?" Old Jack asked.

 "I got a job that very afternoon.  I worked my way up. Eventually, I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered."  She opened her purse and pulled out a business card, "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons, He's the personnel director of my company.  I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."  She smiled and said, "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet.  And, if you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."

 There were tears in the old man's eyes.  "How can I thank you?"  he said.

 "Don't thank me," the woman answered, "To God be the glory.  Thank Jesus, He led me to you."

 Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways...

 "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

 "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered, "Thank you, I saw a miracle here today, something that I will never forget.  And thanks for the cup of coffee.

 PRAISE THE LORD !!!

 If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.

 If you have missed some of my e-mails or blogs, you might have missed a lesson or a laugh.

 But, If you have missed knowing my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have missed everything in the world.

 I hope you have a wonderful day.  May God bless you always, and don't forget, when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you.  Amen.

 God is so big He can cover the whole world with His love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.  When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully.

Only one of two things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

 God closes doors no man can open, and God opens doors no man can close.

 Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing each and every day.

 LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH, AND LAUGH OFTEN.


 God Bless and Press On
Larry 

WITHOUT WAX

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and
more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be SINCERE and without offense
till the day of Christ,”        Philippians 1: 9,10

Paul here prayed that the Philippians would gain knowledge and discernment “so that you may be sincere and without offence…” The word “sincere” in the Greek is eilikrines, meaning; unmixed, without alloy, pure. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word sincere as “free from hypocrisy, honest, genuine, real. In Latin it translates, sincerus: The prefix “sin” means “without” and “cere” means “wax.”

In making the point of sincerity, many people have given the story of the ancient pottery makers. As the story goes; there were many fine pottery makers in the Roman world.  The pottery would be formed then placed in an oven to cure. The well respected potter would inspect his work after firing, and if any cracks or blemishes were discovered the vessel would be discarded and he would start the work over. This refining process would increase the overall cost of making, thus the price of the finished work.

At the same time, other, less scrupulous potters would take the blemished vessels and rub the cracks with colored wax blending it into the imperfections. They would often paint over the entire work, this made the cracks practically undetectable on the shelf. They would be sold as if they were without blemish and for a cheaper price, undercutting the honest pottery maker.

By some accounts, a person could test the purity of a vessel by filling it with hot water, if wax was present, it would melt therein exposing the fraud.

This deception with wax could also be uncovered if the pottery was held up to bright sunlight, the cracks would show up as dark lines. It was said that the wax was detected by “sun-testing” or said to be “sun-judged.” It is notable that the honest pottery dealers would mark their product with or hang a sign above the door of their establishment with, the words “Sine Cera” which means “without wax.”

Whether these stories of the ancient pottery makers are authentic is debatable – but the idea of us being “without wax” in our personal Christian life’s is valid. So, we ask ourselves these questions, “What does it mean to be sincere?" And a follow-up question to that is, “Am I sincere in my relationship with God and others?”

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your SINCERE mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,”  2 Peter 3: 1

Paul’s and Peter’s point is that the sincere Christian is not to be afraid to “stand in the light” for they know that their character can withstand any light turned upon it. God wants His people to have “Son-judged” minds, not those in which their sin has been covered over. There is no hypocrisy in such a saint, his or her life is like an open book waiting to be read by the Author and Perfector of our faith.

The Greek word for sincere is eilikrines, which is made up of two Greek words, heile, which means “the sun’s ray” and krino, which means to discern or to judge. So, eilikrines literally means “to be judged by sunlight”

By being tested with sunlight then, something is shown to be genuine, pure, sincere, uncontaminated, unmixed by seductive influences of the world, the flesh and the devil. Eilikrines, describes that which is free from spot or blemish to such a degree as to bear examination in full splendor of the sun. The Gospel Message is the light that exposes a man for what he truly is.

Jesus the Messiah is the “Light of the World” (John 9:5). If you and I are held to the light of His countenance, will the cracks and flaws in us be open to scrutiny and correction, or will we be found vainly covered for outward appearance only?

Beloved “vessel” of the Lord, how would your life stand up to the “Son-judged” test?

 Does the life that people see on the outside match what I am on the inside?

 Are their secret sins in my heart that I am hiding from the light of Christ?

 Do I judge others for things that I know that I am guilty of?

 Do I trust in people, things, or money rather than in God?

 Am I seeking the Lord with my whole heart?

 Do I resent trials and tribulations or do I welcome them as friends?

 Could my innermost thoughts stand being brought out into the light?

 Could my motives stand being revealed by the light?

Even as it was wise for customers in the ancient marketplace to give all pieces of pottery the “sunlight test” by holding it up to the light of the sun, our lives need to be tested for the “wax of hypocrisy.” In the church are those who appear as fine pottery but are not. There are cracks of sin in their lives filled with the wax of religious ceremony and activity. When held up to the light of God’s Word, the presence or absence of sinful cracks will be revealed. That’s why it is so important for us to feed daily on Scripture and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” 
                                                                2 Timothy 2: 20,21

Believers are to be vessels of the Lord, sanctified vessels of honor, useful to the Master and prepared for every good work. So, Let your love be genuine and your words be true. 

Let this be our testimony to this lost and dying world.

God Bless and Press On
Larry

Satan Is A Liar !

“Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other a fragrance of life leading to life.”  
2 Corinthians 2: 14-16

General Douglas MacArthur once said: “One of the most important rules of war is to know your enemy”

You need to know, first of all, who you are fighting. Satan! He’s the thief who has stolen your identity and distorted your self-image. If we are unaware of Satan’s schemes and lies we will be ineffective in the Spiritual warfare that is promised to come our way.

“Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
2 Corinthians 2: 11

You need to uncover Satan’s deceptions in your own thoughts and beliefs, and then replace those lies with the powerful truth of God’s Word.

Satan loves to distort the truth and convince you to believe it. From the moment you were born, he's worked to try to convince you that you are unloved, unwanted, insignificant, and worthless. Why? Because if he can get you to believe the lie, you will never be confident enough to do want God put you on this earth to do. When we believe the lies of Satan, it has a destructive effect on our personal lives.

The specific results of these false beliefs and their resulting actions vary from one person to the next. But one thing is certain; these lies do have a negative effect on the life of the believer. You will always behave in a manner consistent with how you see yourself. If you see yourself as having no value and no worth, then you’ll make decisions that agree with that perception.

Most of us are unaware of how thoroughly Satan has deceived us. He has led us blindly down a path of destruction, captives of our inability to meet our standards consistently, and slaves of low self-esteem.

Satan will use whatever situation he can to instill a poor sense of self-worth. Why? If you don’t value yourself, no one else will either. We assume we’re not valuable because of our past failures and the negative words spoken over us. So we behave in a way consistent with how we see ourselves, the way we dress, act and talk are a direct reflection of how we feel about our own worth.  And we don’t expect God to really bless us or use us in any meaningful way.

Satan has shackled us in chains that keep us from experiencing the love, freedom and purposes of Christ in our life.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 1: 22

Do you realize that from the time you were born Satan has had a plan to stop you from the plan of God in your life? It’s not a coincidence, it’s strategic and on purpose. Why? Because he does not want you to fulfill God’s plan for your life!
 
However, God has always had a special work for us to do, He tells us as much in Jeremiah 1:5
 
“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” 

Thank you Jesus! God wants to use you. He has a special plan and purpose, an assignment, for you to fulfill during your time on this Earth.

Although we all will continue to experience the fear of failure to some degree, we must realize that as Christians, we have the power provided by the Holy Spirit to lay aside deception in our thinking and be renewed in our minds by the truth of God’s Word.

“But this is not the way your learned Christ, assuming you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off the old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds”  Ephesians 4: 20-23

Thankfully God has a solution for the fear of failure. He has given us a secure self-worth totally apart from our ability to perform. We have been justified, or placed in right standing before God, through Christ’s death on the cross, which paid for our sins.

GOD’S ANSWER: JUSTIFICATION
This means that God has not only forgiven me of my sins, but has also granted me the righteousness of Christ. Because of justification, I bear Christ’s righteousness and I am, therefore, fully pleasing to the Father.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Him also we have access by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  Romans 5: 1-2

God transferred our sin to Christ and His righteousness to us. 2 Corinthians says,
“He made Him who had no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”    Amen and Thank you Lord!!

Justification carries no guilt with it, and has no memory of past transgressions. Christ paid for all of our sins at the cross, past, present and future. We are completely forgiven by God!

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”  Hebrews 10: 17

By giving righteousness to us, God attributes Christ’s worth to us. The moment we accept Christ, God no longer sees us as condemned sinners. Instead, we are forgiven, we receive Christ’s righteousness, and God sees us as creatures that are fully pleasing to Him.

God desires for those of us who have been redeemed to experience the realities of his redemption. We are forgiven and righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice. Therefore we are pleasing to God in spite of our failures. This reality can replace our fear of failure with peace, hope and joy.

Failure need not be a millstone around your neck. Neither success nor failure is the proper basis of our self-worth. Christ alone is the source of our forgiveness, freedom, joy and purpose.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  1 John 5: 4-5

Therefore, always remember this friend’s, you are deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally acceptable, and complete in Him.


God Bless and Press On
Larry

More Like HIM

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord,the Spirit."  2 Cor. 3:18

Becoming more Christ-like doesn't mean losing your individuality. God created the characteristics that make you unique.  Christ-likeness is about transforming your character, not your personality.  Paul writes: "Take on an entirely new way of life - a God fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you."   Ephesians 4: 23-24 

Every time you forget that character, not comfort, is God's first priority, you become frustrated and wonder, "Why is all this happening to me?"  "Why doesn't God do something about it?"  Abundant life isn't the absence of adversity, it's growth in the midst of it.  As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him.  You say, "Yes, but how does this happen in real life?"  Through our choices - we choose to do the right thing, then trust God's Spirit to give us the power, love, faith and wisdom to do it.

Since His Spirit lives inside us, these things are available for the asking.  But when you ask God and He tells you what to do, you must obey Him.  When Israel stood at the river Jordan, its flood waters receded only after they stepped in.  Obedience unlocks God power!  God waits for you to act on His instructions.  You can't wait until you feel capable or confident; You must move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears.  That's how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and how Christ-like character is developed in you.

Spiritual growth could be compared to a seed, a building, and a child.  Each requires our participation.  When planted, seeds must be watered, fertilized and protected.  When built, buildings must be maintained.  When born, children must be cared for, taught and disciplined.  Getting the idea?  Now, effort has nothing to do with your salvation, but it has everything to do with your spiritual growth.  

Paul explains our three responsibilities in becoming like Christ:
1. Deciding.  "Everything connected with that old way of life has to go.  It's rotten through and through.  Get rid of it!" (Eph. 4:22 TM).  We must decide each day to let go of our old ways.

2. Renewing.  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom. 12:2).  The Greek word for "transformed" is "Metamorphosis", which describes the amazing way in which a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly.  It's a picture of what happens when we spend time in prayer, feed on God's Word and allow Him to direct our thoughts.  As we take on the beauty of Christ's character, we begin to grow and soar to new heights.

3. Clothing. We must clothe ourselves each day with the character of Christ.  "How do I do that?" you ask.  By developing new habits.  Your character is made up of the sum of your daily habits.  What you do, you become!  So, "Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24 NIV).  To become Christ-like you must commit yourself to doing these three things. 

To make us more Christ-like, God will use His Word, other people, and difficult circumstances.  God's Word provides the truth we need to know, God's people provide the support we need to grow, and difficult circumstances provide the environment we need to show Christ-likeness. 

If you apply God's Word, connect regularly with other believers, and learn to trust God in every situation, you will become more like Jesus.  Count on it; it will happen!  You say:

1. "Some days I wonder if I'll ever get there."  Spiritual maturity is neither automatic nor guaranteed.  It's a gradual, progressive development that will require commitment and discipline. 

"This will continue until we are...mature, just as Christ is"  (Eph. 4:13)

Even when you falter and fail, God will be faithful to you.  He is committed to your spiritual growth as long as you are!

2. "Sometimes I wonder If I've chosen the right career."  All of us have times of doubt and confusion.  Don't worry about it.  God's more concerned about your character than your career, because you'll take your character into eternity with you. 

The Bible says: "Don't be so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You'll be changed from the inside out...Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it's level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you" (Rom. 12:2 TM).

Every day you must make a decision, a counter-culture decision to focus on becoming more like Jesus.  As you do, God's indwelling Spirit will make it happen!

God Bless and Press On
Larry

Taken from my daily devotions in;
"The Word For You Today"

Let The Redeemed Say So!

PROCLAIM HIS NAME AND                                                            SHOUT IT FROM THE
  WHAT HE HAS DONE 4 U!!!                                                             MOUNTAIN TOPS!!!

                                                                       

 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.”                    Ephesians 1: 7-10

One afternoon as I was stopped at a stop light I noticed three homeless men on the side of the road.

The first man was sitting on a bus bench. The second man was standing about fifteen feet away from that same bus bench, holding up his bicycle with one hand, and holding up the third man with the other. The third homeless man was so drunk that he could hardly stand up on his own.

I watched as the two men standing tried to have a conversation, and the drunk man kept bobbing and weaving. I noticed the second man gesture with his head towards the bus bench, telling his buddy to go sit down. You see that bench represented a place of safety for the drunk, at least he wouldn’t fall down and hurt himself or stumble out into the street and get hit by a car.

The second man attempted to help the drunk over to the bench to sit him down. However he had his hands full already with the bike and as he attempted to walk him over the guy fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, through this entire episode, the first homeless man just sat on the bench and watched, not moving as much as a finger to help. You see he had already found his place of safety and rest, and he wasn’t about to leave it to give a hand to anyone.

The man of compassion looked over to the man on the bench, and upon seeing he was not going to receive any assistance from him let his bicycle go and grabbed for the fallen man, picked him up and moved him to the bench.

Redemption; (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary): To recover ownership of, by paying a sum; to save from sin.

Redeemed; Apolutrōsis (Gr): (Vine Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words), Not from the consequences of the transgressions, but from the transgressions themselves.

If you have been redeemed, who did you belong to? (ownership)

A. Whose Were You?

1. From the beginning, you belonged to God, the Bible says;

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” Eph. 1: 3-4

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the first born among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” Romans 8: 29-30

Glorify: to do honor to, resulting from a good opinion of.

2. You were then lost in your sin; fell short of the glory. You belonged to the enemy.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has layed on Him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”  Ephesians 2: 1-3

We all had to or will one day have to come to that place where we make a decision to follow Christ, to surrender to Him or not!

3. Some may still be there.

“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk not solid food.”  Hebrew 5: 11-12

B. Whose Are You?

“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until w acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1: 13-14

1. You are God’s own possession.

2. Sealed by the Holy Spirit.

A total of three times in the New Testament we read about the believer being sealed with the Spirit.

a. 2 Corinthians 1:22 “Who has also sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

b. Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Key Thought:
A seal was a stamp, a mark of ownership, a mark of approval. God the Father seals us by His Spirit and says, ‘this man or this woman, belongs to me, and I stand behind him, I recognize him or her as my very own.

The only two epistles in which we read of the sealing of the Spirit are in Corinthians and Ephesians.

Corinth and Ephesus were great centers of the lumber industry in ancient times. A raft of freshly cut logs would be brought from the Black Sea and notice would be sent out to the different lumber firms that the raft was in the harbor. These firms would send their men out and they would look over the logs and make their selections. They would put down a little pledge money and then cut a certain wedge upon each log that their firm agreed to take. This was called a seal.

These logs might not be drawn from the water for weeks, but each one was sealed by the mark of the firm that had purchased them. As the logs reached their destination down the river, the various lumber companies would be there to select their own logs, determined by the special mark that had been put on them, and finally pull them from the water.

We, as Christians, also have been sealed. And when that appointed time comes, and the Lord Jesus comes to take His own to be with Him, that will be the day of the redemption of His purchased possession.

C. Who Are You?

“In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the beloved.” Ephesians 1: 4b-6

“even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”   Ephesians 2: 5-6

"Not because of who I am, but because of what He’s (Jesus) done,"
"Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who He is!"
"You told me who I am -- I am Yours."

1. You are a child of God (the king). Romans 8:16

2. You are a fellow heir of Christ. Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7

3. You are His workmanship. Ephesians 2:10

4. You are holy and blameless. Ephesians 1:4

5. You are Christ’s friend. John 15:14

6. You are complete in Him. Colossians 2:9-10

7. You are God’s fellow worker. 1 Corinthians 3:9

8. You are an ambassador for Christ. Ephesians 5:20

9. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Psalm 28:1 says, “The righteous are bold as a lion.”

In what area do you and I need to be bold?

D. What Is Your Obligation As One Of The Redeemed?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;” 2 Corinthians 5: 17-18

Definition:
Reconcile; To re-establish a friendship between, To settle a dispute, to bring about peace, To make compatible.

Now that we’ve established who we are what are we to do next?

We need to share what God has done for us. The great and mighty works we’ve seen. And how others can have this same life of blessings, for you are an ambassador for Christ. 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21

Conclusion: The Word of God says;

1. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things.”  
     Romans 10:15


2. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  
     Matthew 5:9

We are called to proclaim His goodness toward mankind, especially those who are His.
We are called to bring our fellow man to a place of peace with God – reconciliation
So have courage, be bold, and let God use you today!

God Bless and Press On
Larry

What Shape The World Is In

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,"  Romans 1:21-22

We all can look around us and see the evidence of intelligent design, thus an Intelligent designer or Creator. We live in a world where more and more people refuse to recognize the reality of God.  People want to put their heads in the sewer until some tragedy befalls them and then they blame God and wonder why He allowed it to happen.

In light of the recent tragedy in Tucson Arizona and the many other atrocities the we've experienced as a nation in the last decade and longer, I thought it timely to share this e-mail that was circulating back in early 2002. I believe that the message is something we once again should seriously consider.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the early show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001).

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.  She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.  And being the gentlemen He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said okay.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school... the Bible says 'Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself,' and we said okay.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem.  we said, 'an expert should know what he's talking about,' and we said okay.

Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave.  The school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued, and we said okay.

Then someone said, let's allow our daughters to have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents, and we said okay.

Then some wise school board members said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want so they can have all the fun they desire,and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school, and we said okay.

Then some of our elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs.  Agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.

Then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body, and we said okay.

And them someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then further again by making them available on the Internet, and we said okay, they are entitled to their free speech.

Then the entertainment industry said; let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex.  Let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes.  And we said its just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in our schools and work place. Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us that what God thinks of us.

Pass this on if you think it has merit.  If not just ignore it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in!

"And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."  John 3:19-21

  
God Bless and Press On
Larry