2-22-2025          Confirming souls

 

Acts 14:1-40, Acts 15:36-41

Acts 14

Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium and preached there. Unbelieving Jews stirred up the Greeks there and they would have stoned Paul, but he and Barnabas fled to Lystra and Derbe which were in the province of Lycaonia. Here, through Paul’s ministry a lame man in Lystra was healed and the people called Paul and Barnabas gods but Paul used this situation to preach Jesus.  Certain Jews came up from Antioch who caused an uproar over Paul’s teaching which resulted in the stoning of Paul.  They presumed he was dead and threw his body outside the city.  The next day, Paul stood up in the midst of the disciples and then he and Barnabas went and preached in Derbe.

There in Derbe), Paul preached the gospel and taught many and then returned to Lystra and Antioch.  There, he confirmed the souls of the disciples and exhorted them to continue in the faith with the understanding that they would experience difficulties.  Then he ordained elders in every church, prayed and fasted and commended them to the lord, on those who believed (v 22–23).

Then they went to Pamphylia via Pisidia and preached the word from Perga to Atalia.  They returned to Antioch where they shared the work which God had done and opened the door to the Gentiles.         

Acts 15:36-41

After many days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Lets go back to the cities we have been to and see how they are doing”.  There was contention about taking John Mark with them so Paul took Silas and Barnabas took Mark and they parted company. The brothers commended Paul Silas to God’s grace and they went to Syria and Cilicia confirming souls (also Acts 18:22-23).

Take note that Paul was in Corinth about a year and a half (Acts 18:11) and was in Ephesus for about two years (Acts 19:10).  In other words, he didn’t just preach and go but he spent some time in the areas he visited teaching the people and building a foundation for life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Paul took time to assure tht people understood as he preached and revisited those who had been converted through his ministry and assuring they had leaders to carry on the work.  Paul was concerned about their welfare so he returned to verify their love for Jesus.  Some of the churches did stray after Paul had left, even of those he revisited.  Even when he was unable to return personally, he found himself writing letters to get souls back on track.  

Ministry is not ‘just’ getting souls ‘saved’, but getting them grounded in the faith as well. 

Paul has given an example for us non-Jewish believers (Gentiles).  Paul left the people with a foundation for their belief and a structure to encourage continuing growth in faith.  Yes, structure is important, but structure without true faith is incomplete.  And that structure should assure continuing growth in the love of God.  Working with new Christians helps them develop a reasonable level of Spiritual maturity and that they are in a place where they can receive mature, Spiritual guidance for Spiritual growth from other brothers as well as the Lord. 

We are a people of faith.  We believe that our Lord Jesus has provided us the way to eternal fellowship with the Father (Rom. 10:9).  We believe that the Holy Ghost is in us (1 Corinth. 3:16).  We believe that we should abide in God’s love (1 John 4:16).  So to please God, we know that we need to learn how to abide in His love.  If we don’t believe God is, how can we abide in His love (Heb. 11:6)?  Jesus defines God’s love as “Hear (listen up!), the Lord our God is one Lord and you should love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and the second commandment is like it “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31).  The Law, the prophets and everything since then hangs on these two commandments (Matt. 22:40), from Genesis to Revelation.  These 66 books (73 if you’re Catholic) describe how God loves us and how we should love Him in return.  Many examples of good and bad are given throughout the scriptures for our benefit.  Yes, we see examples of what not to do as well as what we should be doing.

Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26) and yet works without faith is just an empty shell (Matt. 6:1-8).  We show our faith in the Lord by doing His good works in what we say and do.  We know the cliché “actions speak louder than words”?  So, our actions and our words should always be in agreement.  There are many organizations and groups that advocate mentorship, discipleship and Spiritual growth and these are good.  They advocate learning how to walk closer with our Lord, but are these concepts working as they should in today’s churches? 

Read the scriptures and we see the terms “shall be saved” (Acts, 2:38, Rom. 10:13).  Jesus clarifies this by saying “Not everyone that says ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father (Matt. 7:21).  As we grow in God’s love, our Spiritual growth is assured which reassures (in our heart) entrance into heaven (eternal life).

Confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior is just the first step but as we abide in God’s love, the Holy Ghost confirms that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16).  Are we listening to the Holy Ghost?  As examples for us, Paul encountered twelve men in Ephesus.  As he talked with them, he realized that they had never been baptized in the Holy Ghost and Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:1-7).  Cornelius and his household received he baptism of the Holy Ghost as Peter preached to them (Acts 10:44-48).  The Holy Ghost gives us the power to live and do what we need to do (Acts 1:8, Acts 3:12-16, Phil. 4:13). As He abides in us (John 14:16), He leads us into all truth and understanding (John 16:13).  As we continue to grow, this helps us to help others grow in the Spirit so we all can receive greater doses of God’s love and mature therein.

We help others to grow in the Lord and as we are confirmed, we grow in love and in the Spirit.  As we grow, we learn to recognize Father’s love for ourselves and move into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.  Reassurance of our relationship with Father comes from the Holy Ghost and others.

Paul made effort to reconfirm souls to assure that they were on the right track and be part of God’s heavenly kingdom.  How is this being done in today’s church? 

As Paul followed Jesus, are we following his example?

Amen

 

 2-8-2025    Follow ME

 

John 21:20-22

Jesus had just challenge Peter on his love.  He also described to Peter what type of death he should suffer (John 21:15-18).  Then this happened:

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who laid his head upon Jesus’ chest and asked who would betray Him.  Then Peter said to Jesus “”Lord, what shall this man do?”   Jesus answered “If I desire him to still be here when I return, what concern is that of yours?” 

What concern is that of ‘ours’?  Man has pride and at times, it’s is difficult to understand that someone might get something better than us.  Living our lives for Jesus is hard enough rather than to be worried about benefits another might receive.

When I was working FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the Generic Drug’s document room OGD), as a file clerk, I became disgruntled at the different complexity of the documents I daily processed.  So I complained to the Lord.  I was also comparing myself with my three other coworkers in the document room   After all my griping, Father spoke to my heart and said “Give Me the job!”  I thought for a few seconds and then said “OK, it’s yours”.  Nothing happened, that l could tell, immediately.  But after a while I found myself ‘getting ‘into’ and truly enjoying my work.  It was no longer my problem how others were performing their duties, but I started doing my job the way intended and looking forward to the next challenge.  I was no longer considering the difficulty of a document but rather ID’d, coded and forwarded the document to the appropriate reviewers.  Then to process and file outgoing FDA letters, with the appropriate application.  I no longer was concerned about how difficult my job may be nor comparing myself with my fellow employees.  I just did my job, to the best of my ability.  It paid off!  After a few years, the position was upgraded two government grade levels.  A few years after that, we were bumped another two GS grade levels.  I moved from OGD to CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation) doc rooms which had responsibility over sixteen different drug review divisions plus OGD.  Now, my job became a liaison, training contractors to do what I had been doing in OGD. A total of 17 doc rooms and this produced another two level grade hike.  Without college education, I had received four pay hikes, which include a total of seven grade levels.  And my last two years I was promoted to a position over all the CDER doc rooms, my final pay hike.  I had moved up eight grade levels by retirement.  And I remind you, this started first by giving my job to the Lord, then not being concerned about others and how they were performing, but doing my job, always to the best of my ability.  Though I was doing tasks for the federal government, I worked for Jesus!  I was following my Savior’s example (John 13:15).  Though I had been saved for many years already, this was all a part of my beginning to truly follow Jesus.

Now let’s take a quick look at a few people whom other people have followed.

Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC)  Was a great Roman general and became dictator of Rome in 49 BC, a decorated soldier and influential politician.  He was murdered, while still in office, a man took his life with a knife in 44 BC.  Yes, he had many opponents, but he also ruled the Roman Empire for five years (Wikki)! Do we think he had any followers?

Adolph Hitler (1889 - 1945)  Was the leader of the Nazi Party (1920-1921) and becoming chancellor (Kanzler) and Fuhrer of Germany from (1933-1945).  His worldview revolved around two concepts: territorial expansion and racial supremacy (Britannica).  Hitler committed suicide as Russian troops were chasing him down after the war.  Yet, do we think Hitler had a following?

Jim Jones (1931-1978)   In 1954 formed an independent Pentecostal church in Indianapolis. His format was a blend of Christianity and socialism (a blend of Marxism and Communism) referred to as apostolic socialism.  He eventually moved operations to Jonestown, Guyana (1977) where he, along with 900 people committed mass suicide via poison.  Over 900 people followed Jones into the grave.  Do you think that they followed him.

When we accept Jesus into our heart, how do we view Pastors or other preachers.  Are we able to separate the message from the messenger?  I’ve personally encountered too many people who have admired a pastor so much, they practically moved that pastor to the place of or above God.  That is to say  that if there was a discrepancy between what the pastor said and what the bible actually said – the bible was considered wrong.  Not citing specific examples, but this is something to think about.  Do we actually know who we are following?  Who actually has the final say in God’s truth?  God or man?  When a pastor becomes the ultimate of a person’s Christianity, who are people worshipping, Jesus Christ or the pastor?  It has happened.  Do we think that pastor had a following?

What about entertainers?  Actors, actresses, singers, etc., etc. Like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Beyonce, Taylor Swift or how many other music and cinema icons are there over whom  people have gone “totally gaga”?  Have these entertainers become their idol, the one they want to be like or follow, or to even be desired by them – at all cost?  We follow them because we respect, admire or even ‘love’ them.  So do we think that people have followed them?

There are more examples, but these are not whom we are talking about.

As Christians, our desire should be to be like, or follow Jesus.

Jesus says “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  So what are Jesus’ commandments?  One Word, two parts ‘, LOVE.  We should love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and then love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).  One might ask “What about the Ten Commandments?”  just what are the 10 Commandments (Exod. 20:3-17?  Read them.  They are a very basic description of how we can show how much we do love God.  We should never forget who He is.  Mean what we say and say what we mean when we back it up with His name.  Set time aside for Him.  Our parents have been given authority over us so we should listen to (honor) them.  We trust they are giving us the right direction.  They also tell us not to take the Lord’s name in vain, not to kill, steal, cheat on our spouse, lie or desire the things that our neighbor has in his possession.  Understand, the 10 Commandments not only have a physical understanding, they tell us ‘what to do’.  But there is also a spiritual aspect in our relationship with our heavenly Father.  How do we treat Him?  When we are tempted and make the decision to do so, we have sinned (James 1:14-15).  Even though we may not have physically done it, because we have decided to it, we have sinned in our heart and stand guilty.  For Christians, not only are our deeds counted but also are our intentions.   Our thoughts as well as our actions have to be lined up together as we follow Jesus! 

A few more quick things to consider:

Matthew chapter seven cautions us not to be too quick to judge the actions of others (Matt. 7:1-5).  Matthew goes on, but get started with these verses.  We should have compassion and be willing to give direction to those whom we encounter.  consider Jesus and the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery (John 8:4-11).  Jesus’ final words to her were “Where are your accusers?  Has no man condemned you?  Neither do I, go and sin no more.”  Jesus did not condemn the woman to death but gave her an opportunity for life.

Jesus gives us an example of how to treat people and why. Jesus said to give others food, drink, clothing, visit him when he us sick or in prison.  As we do anything for the least in the kingdom of God, we are doing it to Jesus (Matt. 25:33-40).  In the example of my job, I ended up working for Jesus, not the federal government -  even though I was still working under supervisors and in a federal building and was paid by FDA.   Need I say that Father rewarded me through that which was around me.  I could go on with even more examples but let’s finish with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  As these qualities are evident in us, they are evidence that we have crucified our own desires and follow the Holy Spirit (GaL. 5:22-26).  That is, we are not concerned about just pleasing ourselves but are genuinely concerned about those around us and how we can help build them up (1 Corinth. 14:1-19).   Even so, we don’t neglect ourselves.  Jude tells us to build our faith by praying in the Holy Ghost, abide in God’s love, looking forward to eternal life (v 20-21). 

Are we are reflecting the love Father has for us, to the world around us.

So, whose image do we reflect?  The world’s?  Or Jesus’?  Who do we follow? 

 

Amen

 

 

1-25-2025 Our relationship with Go

Do we really have a relationship with our heavenly Father?

In the womb, we have a relationship only with mom.  She gives us a place to live and grow.  She feeds us.  As a fetus grows, it is constantly getting messages from its mother. It's not just hearing her heartbeat, her voice and whatever music she might play near her belly; it also gets chemical signals through the placenta. A new study finds that this also includes signals about the mother's mental state (Science Daily.com).  We communicate with mom even before we are born into this world!

The first time baby ‘sees’ mom is after birth as mom holds baby in her arms.  I remember when they wheeled my wife and baby daughter out of the delivery room.  In her mother’s arms, she looked at me as if to say “whoooo are yoooou?”.  Yes, babies can sense the presence of their father while still in the womb, primarily through hearing his voice and feeling his touch on the mother's belly, with some research it is suggested that they may start recognizing dad’s voice as early as around 25-32 weeks of pregnancy.  This allows for early bonding between father and child even before birth (sorry, this is all I could find and this was this on ‘google search’).  So maybe my newborn daughter wasn’t wondering who I was but rather “Ooooh!  That’s what you look like!”

When we are new-bon Christians, all we know is that Jesus has provided us the route to eternal fellowship with the father.  Aside from man-made pictures, we still don’t know what Father or Jesus truly look like.  John tells us that we shall see Him (God) as He is (1 John 3:1-3). 

As we grow in the Lord, we come to ‘know’ who He is.  In the bible, we read about His love, how he cares for us, provides for us, gives us direction and how He communicates with us through the Holy Ghost.  On a more personal level, the Holy Ghost becomes our comforter (John 14:15-18).  He will lead us into all truth and understanding (John 16:13-15).  He will give us the power to live for Jesus (Acts 1:8) so we can take authority (in His stead) over the power of all devils and to cure all diseases (Luke 9:1).  For what more could we ask?  Of course, if/when we quench the Holy Ghost, we miss out on some these powers (1 Thess. 5:19).  Quench is the Greek word abennumi (G4570) which is to quench, put out or extinguish.  To these descriptions, Webster’s adds subdue overcome, or destroy, along with some indications which satisfy physical needs or desires (like a drink of water).  In other words, if we quench the Spirit, we don’t allow the Holy Ghost to operate within us, that is we stick Him in a cubby hole, a drawer, a closet, in the attic, basement or whatever or just turn a deaf ear to His direction.  We will miss out on what He has to offer.  We are cautioned not to grieve the Holy Ghost (Eph.4:30), which implies we have a choice to allow Him to work in our lives or not.  Grieving makes Him sad.  Being sorrowful that we prohibit what He can do for us, in us and through us.  And He is our assurance of our eternity (Rom. 8:14-17).  Allowing the Holy Ghost freedom to operate in our lives, gives us the opportunity, not just the ability, to grow in our relationship with the Lord. 

As we grow as children, dad and mom give us a place to live, feed us and take care of us until we are able to ‘fend’ for ourselves (sound like pregnancy?).  They give us direction to help us live a reasonably decent and respectful life (love our neighbor as ourselves – Lev. 19:18, Mark 12:30-31).  As the ‘head honcho (figure) dad should be responsible for teaching us about and abiding in God’s love.  Mom should be backing dad up and picking up the slack when dad’s not around (ideally).  Dad should also be teaching us to gain and maintain our relationship with our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Again, they give us guidance for living this life in this world.  Doesn’t God do the same (read the bible)?  There should also be encouragement to read the scriptures for ourselves, not relying on ‘just’ what we learn from ‘man’ though all the input should be helping us to develop a healthy communication link with our heavenly Father.  That means direction on praising God, setting our petitions before our Lord and just having a loving Father to child talk – “what a lovely day today is.  How about You, Lord ? (Yes we need to listen to hear from Father), thank you Father”, etc.  Yes, a conversation as you might have with your best friend.  Yes, communication is a two-way undertaking. Becoming an adult is a huge responsibility in our relationship with our heavenly Father and that responsibility carries over to us as we become parents.  The parent-child relationship is an indication of our relationship with Father.    

However, we have to let Jesus into our heart first, then we learn how to live in, with and for Him as well as communicate with Him.  It doesn’t happen automatically.  Why?  Roughly, only about 1/3 of the world population claims to be Christian (statista.com) and wikkipedia tells us that about 65% of adults in the U.S. identify as Christian.  Webster says that ‘identify’ means to cause or to become identical, conceive as united (with), associate with some interest or to be or become the same.  Do we mirror Father’s image?  Bear in mind that there are those who have come into the church (unfortunately) which look like the real deal but may not be (Jude 1:4).  So we have to pass on what we learn.  We also need to test the spirit to assure whether that person (or issue) is of God or not (1 John 4:1-3) and that includes our reading matter.  We need proper direction for our lives so we need to make sure of what or who we listen to or see to get the proper Spiritual nutrition.  Amen?

As I said, dad and mom help us to be who we become in this world.  That means good direction, bad direction or no direction at all.  So through our relationship with dad and mom, in part, we become who we are as an adult. 

Now, I’m not saying that outside influences don’t or won’t affect us.  We are individuals who can learn so what we see, read or hear does have an impact on us, but I am saying we make our own choices. Yet, as we have a ‘solid foundation’ installed in our childhood, we can learn to grow from those good things which come our way and reject that which is detrimental.  When dad and mom give us that solid foundation, we not only develop a good relationship with them, but also come to understand the relationship we should have with our heavenly Father. And this relational experience should spill over into the church or fellowship we attend.  Yes, we have to learn from the world around us, but prefer Godly input.

Did we feel free to talk openly with dad and mom?  Did they comfort us when we hurt (feelings or physical)?  Did we seek their advice or direction on things we didn’t understand (Matt. 7:7-8)?  When we spoke to them, did they listen (1 Peter 3:12)?  Did we socialize with dad and mom, that is play games, relax in the backyard, take vacations, etc. (Psalm 23:1-6)?  How well did we communicate with our parents?  Or did we did we communicate with them at all (Prov. 15:8)?  Have we ever thanked our parents for all they had done for us (Phil. 4:6-7)?  Or did we say to ourselves “They just don’t understand me!”  When we ‘messed up’, did our parents reprimand (punish) us (2 Sam. 7:13-15, Eph. 6:4, Col.3:21)?  Somewhere along the line, we should have said ‘I’m sorry I did that’ (repent) whatever we have done.  But did all our parents do was continually remind us of how ‘bad’ we were? Or did they show us forgiveness for our misdeed (1 John 1:9-10)?  Just don’t do it again (John 8:11)!  We need to ask.  Father forgives us of any sin we may have committed and yes, we should intend not do repeat our error (Acts 3:19).  God then sets that sin behind His back (Isa. 38:17) and that sin slides into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19), God no longer remembers our sin!  Neither should we.

Father created us to be communal beings (Gen. 2:18, Heb. 10:25).  That is we need others around us so we can connect and communicate, in a positive fashion (Eph. 4:29), with someone other than ourselves.  Not to be alone or lonely.  We do need ‘alone time’, maybe to collect our  thoughts or be with the Lord, but not alone all the time. Father gave Eve to Adam, not just so they could have children, but that Adam would have a companion as well,  that is someone to communicate with, on his level.  Share this life with (Gen. 2:20-23).  Yet, maintain communication with our Lord?  Isn’t the same true for us?

When we don’t communicate, how can we develop a relationship with anyone, much less God? 

So now, we ask ourselves “How do I communicate with my Lord?  Do I have a relationship with the Creator of all things?”

Stanford University says: Positive human connection plays an important role in maintaining our emotional-physical health, well-being, and growth. Whether it be with friends, peers, or a significant other, relationships often allow us to forge deep and meaningful bonds that can result in a sense of purpose, great joy, and satisfaction (https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/)

Several sources imply that a good relationship is characterized by qualities like mutual respect, open communication, trust, honesty, empathy, commitment, individual growth support, shared values, the ability to compromise, and healthy boundaries, where all feel valued and empowered within the relationship. 

The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians to do that which edifies so we can grow (1 Thess. 5:11, 1 Corinth. 14:26-40).  In other words, say and do those things which, instead of tearing down, others are building them up so they are encouraged by what we say and do.   And that even means bringing them back onto the ‘straight and narrow (Matt. 7:13-14) they have strayed, but whatever we do, do always in love (1 Corinth. 16:13-14).

So, just where is our relationship with God?  Do we even have a true relationship with Him?  Are we basking in His love enjoying the confidence that we are on the right track?  As my relationship with the Lord improves, my relationship with those around me also gets better.

My relationship with the Lord has grown over the years.  In the beginning I prayed and read the bible AND I went to church (for more input).  I thought I was doing pretty good.  Then Father baptized me in the Holy Ghost.  A whole new world started to open up for me!  I was reading the scriptures with more understanding and I was learning better to pray on my own, with others and with my heavenly Father.  As my relationship improved (over the years) and as I drew closer to the Lord, not was I just seeing truths in the bible, Father was showing me the depth of the meaning of those words I was reading.  Father has helped me write many ‘song-poems’ about our relationship and as I sing them back to Father, the Holy Ghost rises up within me.  Anymore, as I am singing I get “weak in the knees and shivers if you please” (as one of the songs says).  This has also spilled over into church services where I get the same feeling singing most of the songs we sing in the church, which I attend.  This also happens also during bible studies (whether I’m teaching or some else is) and even as the Pastor presents the Word in our fellowship, I get weak in the knees and shivers, if you please.  It’s awesome!  There are benefits in walking with our Lord.

Through prayer, reading my bible and interaction with other Christians, I learn who God really is and what my relationship should be.  I remember Job.  Early in life, both natural and Spiritual.  I’ve come to realize that in my life, I knew about God, but as I grow, I am coming to know WHO God truly is.  Job knew who God was, but then he saw Him ‘face to face! (Job 42:5).  He came to truly know Him!

As I said, there are many benefits to having good interpersonal relationships in the natural as well as the Spiritual and that increases many times over, as we strengthen our relationship with our growth in our heavenly Father.

So, just where is our relationship with YAWEH, I AM, the Lord God Almighty, the Everlasting King, my Savior?   

Amen

12-28-2024         1 John 4:1-21 – The love God       

              

Talking about 1 John chapter four, here’s the passage with my comments in italics.

Beloved, don’t believe every spirit but try the spirits to see whether they are for God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how we know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.

Every spirit that does snot confess that Jesus is come in the flesh is not of God and this spirit is of the anti-Christ, which you have heard would come and is even now already is in the world.

As we acknowledge that Jesus is exactly who He said He is, we can only do so by the Holt Ghost (1 Corinth. 12:3).  And, as the passage says our enemy (the devil) has been at work for over 2000 years trying to convince us otherwise.

Little children you are of God and overcome them (those spirits) because He who is in you is greater that he who is in the world.  (True, the Jews had conflict with Satan prior to Bethlehem but the Messiah (Jesus) had not yet manifested Himself).

God created all things so who or what could possibly be greater? (Gen. 1:1-31).  And, because we are in Christ Jesus, we are greater than the things of the world.  Jesus gave us authority over sickness, disease and devils (Matt.10:1).   And because He goes to the Father, we can do the same works He does as we believe (John 14:12).  Jesus then tells us, just before He ascended back unto the Father, we shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon us (Acts 1:8).  And Acts describes that event (Acts 2:1-18).  This power (dumanis) is the power Jesus operated in – absolute power from on High (the Father).

They (the spirits) are of the world therefore they speak of the world and the world listens to them.

Look around you today.  The world has been busy (under Satan’s guidance) to take references to God out of everything and anything.  The Supreme Court of the United States says that religion, if organized by the school is largely banned from public elementary, middle, and high schools by a series of Supreme Court decisions since 1962. Students may pray privately, and join religious clubs in after-school hours. Public schools, such as local school districts, are banned from conducting religious observances such as prayer. Private and parochial schools are not covered by these rulings, nor are colleges and universities.   Elementary and secondary schools are covered because students are required to attend, and are considered more at risk from official pressure than are older students and adults. The Constitutional basis for this prohibition is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which requires that: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (Wikki Free Encyclopedia).  Our enemy has been at work for a long time trying to separate God and man. The less the world hears of God, the less the world is likely to listen to its Creator.

We are of God and he who knows God hears us but he who is not of God does not hear us and this is how we distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

As Christians, those who listen to us know God and they who don’t have no clue who He really is because they haven’t truly heard about Him.

Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God for God is love.

Observe the contrast, without God, there is no true love!

The manifestation of God’s love towards us is because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.

And this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

Jesus came into this world to give us life – eternal life (John 17:3), that is to live forever in  God’s kingdom (Luke 1:27-33).  However, His kingdom has already begun in us (Luke 17:20-21).  Jesus is our propitiation and that means that He has taken our place in death by dying on the cross, cleansing us from our responsibility for sin which separates us from God.

Beloved, if God loved us so much, ought we not also love one another?

No man has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God lives in us and His love is perfected in us.

This is how we know that we dwell in Him and He in us because He has given us His Spirit.

We said that in Acts chapter two that the Holy Ghost has come into our heart.  The Holy Ghost is God’s breath (or Spirit) and confirms with our spirit, in our own heart, that we are God’s and have been cleansed.

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent Hs Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in Father. 

This is how our love is made perfect, that we have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He (God) is, so are we in this world.

We should always be the reflection of His love as we abide in this world so when the day of judgment comes, because of God’s love in us, we may be bold knowing that our name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we will be with Him forever (Rev. 21:27).

There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment. Therefore, he who has fear is not made perfect in love.

As God’s love is perfected in us we discover that we fear no evil for we know that God is with us (Psalm 23:4).

  We love Him because He first loved us.

So, if a man says ”I love God” but hates his brother is a liar, for if he can’t love the brother whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen?

This is the commandment that we have from Him – that he who loves God also loves his brother.

And such is the love of God – and we are in God’s image, are we not?

Amen

 

11-30-2024         Are we truly thankful for what Father has done for us?                                

Most of us in the U.S. have just celebrated thanksgiving with our families.

As a child, and frankly into my early adult life, at dinner time I sat at the table and devoured what was set before me (even if I cooked it myself).  No thought as to where the food really came from.  When something good happened to me I assumed that it was because of something I had done or just ‘pure luck’. 

Mom provided a place for me to live, food and clothing until my buddy and I got an apartment together.  Not a care in the world or even considering what mom had to go through to provide for me.  She provided for my older sister and me from when I was still in single digits (age-wise).  Sadly, I have to admit that, even into my early adult life, I never really understood what mom had done for my sister and me.  And, even sadder to have to admit, even after I had gave my life to Jesus, it was still a while before I truly realized all that mom had done for us. 

How often has any of us just taken our parents for granted?  Even sadder yet.  It wasn’t until I started ‘walking’ with the Lord, not ‘just’ knowing Him, but making efforts to abide in His love, that I realized all that He had been doing for me - all my life!

When I first truly gave my life to Jesus (I was in my mid-twenties), I knew He had come into my life.  As I sat and invited Jesus in, I felt a huge weight being lifted up off of my body.  Literally!  I could literally feel that weight being lifted up off of me!  Yet, I had not yet truly started walking with the Lord.  I was signed but not yet ‘sealed’ (fully) nor delivered at that time.  Though I was now attending church on a regular basis again (I attended as a youth) I was just ‘crawling along’.  Six years later I invited the Holy Ghost to become a part of my life and that’s when Father gave me my ‘Spiritual’ language so I could start communicating with Him at a higher level.  Sealed, but not yet ‘delivered’.  Over time, I have come to realize that ‘delivered’ means actually being in the presence of our Creator, so I’m looking forward to finally ‘being delivered’!  (just not yet)

Jesus says that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and even through the tough times, I’ve seen this to be true for He has comforted me and guided me through this life’s walk – as long as I listen to Him and do what He says.  Yes, I’m hard-headed and it has taken time and I’m still growing, but Father has hung in there with me through it all!

When I’ve fallen down, He has picked me up.  When I’ve stumbled, it is Jesus who grabbed my arm and helped me get my act together again.  He has blessed me on the job with many promotions – once I gave it to Him.  Even though I haven’t always been a tither, Father has always met my needs through the years – and when I started tithing, things got a whole lot better.  No, I don’t live like a rich guy, but Father continues to meet my needs.  Am I thankful for what He has done for me over the years?  You better believe it!  And I’m learning in recent years, that Father loves me so much, He’s giving me a much deeper understanding of His Word than I ever dreamed.

Father says to thank Him in all things (1 Thess. 5:18) for He is the one orchestrating the events in our life (Lam. 3:37, Matt. 10:30) and through our obedience, He’s the one who brings our positive results (1 Corinth. 10:13). 

Consider Nebuchadnezzar, though blessed by God, rejoiced in his own strength.  God took Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity and throne from him for a season. But when Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses, God returned his throne and his sanity (Dan. 4:30-37)

How many of us woke up this morning?  AND thanked God for being able to see the sunlight peek through the blinds or walked to the kitchen because we smelled breakfast cooking?

Again, I say that most of us have just celebrated Thanksgiving with our families.  How many of us remembered to thank Father for all that wonderful food set before us?  How many of us remembered to be thankful for our families?  How many of us remembered to thank God for all the blessings He has given us this past year – up to date?  Or all the blessings in all the years before?

When I get dressed, I always slip into a pair of jeans but when I look at my shirts?  Father often helps me with the selection, especially on Sundays.  Yes, Father can help even with the simple things – if we let Him

How many of us reflect on the love, blessings and just plain goodness Father bestows upon us each and every day?

At church, we have ‘testimony time’ an opportunity to share what Father has been doing for us over the past week – or even longer.  We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11).  By sharing the victories God has given us, we help others to overcome the trials they face!  Has Father done anything for us since we last gathered with other believers?  Do we share what Father has done for us even with those outside the body of Christ?  Do we thank God every day for His goodness, graces and mercies which He bestows upon us?

Father (Yaweh) is a good God and as we continue to be faithful in His love, seeking His direction and following it, He will continue to bless us through the years to come.  

He loves us that much!

Amen

 

11-16-2024      Puddle, pond, lake, ocean

 

How deep is our faith in Jesus?

In 1054, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches split and the protestant reformation began in 1517.  According to the National Congregational Study Survey, in the U.S. alone, there are more than 200 Christian denominations.  All declaring allegiance to Jesus Christ, our Lord.  These splits all came from ‘theological differences.  Everybody didn’t believe exactly the same.  Many claiming that if one didn’t believe exactly as they declared, that soul was not saved.  We are one body and that body has many parts (1 Corinth. 12:14-27).

So!

What did Paul tell the Romans?  When we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved (Rom. 10:9). Then he clarified that those stronger in the Lord should bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom.15:1).  Our job is not to tear down but edify the church, the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12).  We all may not sit as one of the 5-fold offices, but we all do have a part in the 5-fold ‘ministry’.  Everything that we do stems from the 5-fold ministry – Evangelist, Apostle, Pastor, Teacher and yes, even the Prophet.  We are God’s tabernacle!  In his eyes, the devil has done well in dividing the body of Christ.

Note that Romans 10:9 says ‘shall’, not ‘are’.  Paul cautions the Romans that “it is impossible for those who once enlightened, have tastes heavenly gifts or are partakers of the Holy Ghost (associated with, partnered with, allowed into our lives) and tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come, that they should fall away, then renew repentance seeing that they (then) crucify the lord Jesus again putting Him to shame” (Heb. 6:4-6).  What this passage tells is that when we truly love the Lord, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, we will not turn from Him. 

However, there is a flip-side to this coin.  Should we turn away from Jesus, after we have confessed and were baptized, our original confession is in jeopardy because it implies that we may truly have not given our hearts to Jesus.  Note the commitment to depth of faith in this passage, it is secured in ‘as we believe’.  If we profess Jesus, then turn back to the old ways, how sincere was our original commitment?

(1) Just knowing about Jesus (being enlightened) is not a guarantee for our salvation.  Satan and his devils believe and know that God exists (James 2:19).  In fact, the first two chapters of “Job”, God issues a challenge to Satan concerning Job (Job 1:6-12, Job 2:1-6).  Satan believes, what about us?  Ananias and his wife Sapphira showed their true hearts when they lied to the Holy Spirit by holding back part of what they promised (God-Acts 5:1-11).  Man can believe in and be baptized in Jesus but that is just the beginning.  Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15).  His commandment is to LOVE (Matt. 22:36-38) and as we love Him, we will do so with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30).  That means with everything that we are!  That lack of true commitment was displayed when many of the people decided to no longer follow Jesus because they felt His teachings were too hard (John 6:59-66).

Paul tells the Corinthians that even though only one crosses the finish line first, all run the race expecting to win.  A man strives to master all things he encounters (resist the devil’s attacks) to receive an incorruptible crown.  Know what our goal is and don’t be like a boxer who shadow boxes, punching the air,  but bring our bodies under subjection (of our heart) so we will not have not run the race in vain (1 Corinth. 9:24-27).

Have we confessed Jesus, been baptized in water then come to a screeching halt in our relationship?  Have we become content with where we are at?  Are we still living in the puddle?

(2) Even though we have received blessings from Father, that does not guarantee our eternal life.  Later in life, I realized how Father has been watching over me.  Blessing me even when I didn’t acknowledge Him.  My dad worked for the department of Interior and would occasionally go to audit various national parks.  When I was going into the third grade (@ 7 years old), that summer, he brought the family to come be with him in Boulder City, Nevada.  There was a rock formation protruding into Lake Mead called Black Rock which, as a family, we walked up the path.  Dad had gone a little farther ahead and I was with mom and my sister when I decided to go catch up with my dad.  But as I went up the path I found a split in the path so I stretched my seven year old legs across the gap to the other side.  U oh!  I spanned the gap but I could neither pull myself forward nor could I back up.  I don’t know how high we were up on Black Rock, I just knew I was higher than I cared for being in my predicament.  Mom yelled for dad and honestly, the last thing I remember is seeing my dad running back to get me.  I know I didn’t fall because I’m here writing about this today.  Thinking back, that was a huge blessing for me – I’m still here (Psalm 121:5-8)!  Father knew me and He was watching over me.

Father will bless us to get our attention, even when we don’t acknowledge Him (personal life experiences), yet He does tell us that as we obey Him, blessings will come our way (Deut. 28:11-14).  Jesus tells us those who hear the Word of God and do it shall be blessed (Luke 11:28).  As we keep God’s law and keep His commandments Father will bless us with long life and peace (Prov. 3:1-2) and more.

Father keeps bringing Job to mind.  A man who endured much hardship without denying God and though he lost all that he had, in the end, Father blessed Him many times over because of his dedication and obedience (Job 42:10-17).  Father can and does bless us for our obedience.

But bear in mind, Father does bless us according to His will but those blessings don’t bring us a guarantee salvation nor are they a guaranteed product of professions of faith, but Father uses them as encouragement for our continuing obedience to our Lord Jesus!  Blessings are great but How long will we stay wading in the pond?

(3) Even if we’ve memorized passages from (or even) the whole bible, it is not a guarantee for a blessed life ‘ever after’. 

Isaac was the son of Abraham, and Abraham was considered the ‘founding’ patriarch of Judaism and Christianity sprang from Judaism.  In the natural, Jesus was born into this world a ‘Jew’ via his mother Mary.  He was obedient to His Father (God).  As we confess and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become His brothers, therefore we fall into that Spiritual lineage in our rebirth into the New Covenant (in Jesus).  In his old age, Isaac’s eyesight dimmed which enabled Jacob (his son) to trick him into receiving the blessing of the eldest son (Gen. 27:15-30).  In short, we age and often natural, physical attributes slow down or fail.  We may assume that it is by Father’s design, for whatever His reason, our life flows as it does.

In our youth (in church) we are encouraged to read and memorize bible verses and this continues into our adulthood.   This is good!  The more Word we have in our heart and mind, the better for us.  Paul encourages us, in his letter to the Romans, to present our bodies a living sacrifice to the Lord by renewing our minds as an expression of our faithfulness (Rom. 1:1-2).  Father also tells us to receive His Words, know His commandments, desire understanding and seek knowledge with all our heart, so we will come to understand who God is and we will gain His wisdom (Prov. 2:1-5).  Father has given us the written Word for our learning that through our patience in so doing, we find comfort and our hope is reinforced (Rom. 15:4)

A parrot can resound the words which we teach it.  The bird knows the words, but he has no understanding of what they mean, it is just imitating sounds.  We go to school to, among other things, learn words and basically, their meaning so we can properly use them in life. 

Most biblical speakers cite ‘book, chapter and verse’ but how many actually help us understand what God is truly saying?  Knowing the words and being able to use them correctly in a sentence is good, but if someone asks us “what do you mean?’, do we just give them a blank stare?  Or are we able to help them get a deeper understanding of what is being said?  Do we have that deeper meaning of what Father is saying in our heart?

It is great to have read the whole bible (Genesis to Revelation) once, twice ten times or more.  What I am asking is ‘what are we retaining’?  For myself, I have learned that reading a verse, a passage, a chapter, a book, etc. I learn.  PTL!  But I have found that each time I’ve read that verse, passage, chapter or book, Father takes me to a deeper understanding of what that portion of the bible which  I’ve read means.  He shows me something more, something deeper than what I have seen in all the times before.  AND, even though I made no deliberate attempt to memorize many of these passages, I find Father brings them back to my memory when needed!  The Holy Ghost will give us what to say (Mark 13:11).

We’ve grown in knowledge and, at least, a basic understanding but are we still just neck deep in the lake of our understanding?

(4) Even as we have learned about future heavenly existence, it is not an indication that we are signed, sealed or delivered.  Understand that ‘delivered’ implies that we would then be in the literal presence of Father.

No one knows when the lord is coming back (Matt.24:44).  For this reason, we should always be ready and watching (Matt. 25:13).  However, Jesus does give us some things that might give us a hint.  False prophets, wars and rumors of wars, nations, kingdoms and even families divided, disease, famines, earthquakes in unusual places, and Jesus says the end is not yet (Matt. 24:4-8).  Look at history, these things have been happening ever since Jesus ascended (Acts 1:9), even since the beginning of the world (2 Peter 3:4).  How many people have tried to predict when the tribulation period will be (it signals Jesus’ return) - ?  Even today, how many of us look at the world situation and say “the end times are near?  Even before, but certainly since Jesus’s time, there have been false prophets, wars, famines, etc. and still we are waiting.  When Jerusalem is surrounded by the armies (Luke 21:20-28) the Lord will come with the shout of the archangel and the trump of God (1 Thess. 416-18),

In the meantime, are we yet totally immersed in Jesus’ ocean of love?  totally committed in living for Him?

Getting our feet wet is just the beginning.  Waist deep, we are learning.  Neck deep shows our commitment.  Totally immersed?  Knowing and living in God’s Word and sharing it with those whom we encounter, is this total immersion?  Absolutely land completely Are we totally immersed – in God’s eyes? 

Enoch pleased God, so God took him form the earthly realm (Gen. 5:21-24).  Neither did Elijah see an earthly death (2 Kings2:11-12).  The testimony of both men is that they pleased God, yet God took Enoch but Elijah had to wait until his mission was complete.  Have we actually given our complete heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) over to the Lord?

When we willfully sin and turn our backs on Jesus, the odds of our repentance becomes less and less a possibility.  The farther we stray, the harder it will be to come back.  For when we turn from Father, we put Jesus to shame because we have called Him a liar – He didn’t really save us!

Jesus says “Abide in Me (John 15:4).  As we grow in Christ Jesus, we venture farther and farther out into the water.  Endeavoring to become totally immersed in His love.

Peter walked on the water (Matt. 14:22-33), but Father promised Isaiah to be with him through the waters and fire and he would not be harmed (Isaiah 43:2-3a).  This promise is also ours.

So, just how deep is our water?  Do we get our feet damp by walking in a puddle?  How about waist deep in the pond as we grow?  Is the knowledge of God up to our neck in the waters of the lake?  Or are we totally immersed as walking into and being overcome by the ocean of Father’s love? 

Father brings to my mind the song “Rush” by the group Voux.  I first heard this song at church and I was so-so with it.  Later, I looked up the lyrics and then I understood.

Amen

attach Rush