The Just Shall Live By Faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. [Romans 1:16-17].

The gospel of Christ is good news!

It’s good news because righteousness comes by faith alone. We do not have to earn it. In fact, we can’t. Jesus already earned it for us. He took our place on the cross so we could start fresh (spiritually born again with a new heart) just as if we had never sinned.

[To make sure we understand what sin is, God gave us His law and a conscience that bothers us when we knowingly disregard His commands. The Ten Commandments tell us very clearly what God expects of us. He commands that we have no other gods, make no images to worship and don’t take His Name in vain. He commanded Israel to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. He requires that we honor our parents. He forbids murdering, adultery, stealing, lying and coveting. And when these commands are publicly displayed people live better. That’s why Satan wants them hidden away.]

When our hearts are renewed we are able to live a righteous life by following His example. We are not instantly perfect in thought and action, but our spirit is perfected in relationship with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, because we have the become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We are free to choose to do the right thing! And, as we walk in love and spend time in the Word and prayer, we grow in the knowledge of the truth and mature in the likeness of Christ.                                                                                

In sharing the gospel we will see the power of God to salvation. The Word of God spread abroad like good seeds will not fail to produce a crop, by the grace of God. And, those who sow the Word into the lives of others will reap blessings, as Isaiah tells us. Blessed are those who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey [Isaiah 32:20].

The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Living by faith is not only an ultimate promise of eternal life, but also the way to live our daily lives in this present world. We also live by faith now. The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God from our hearts into our minds and leads us in the paths of righteousness. As we follow His scripture based promptings by faith and do what is right our Heavenly Father takes care of us and our faith grows. Faith leads to more faith like walking on stepping stones till we safely reach the other side.

The enemy of our souls is busy trying to keep us away from the Holy Bible. He wants us weak. He wants us deceived. He wants us discouraged. He wants us ignorant. He wants us faithless. Frankly, he wants us to go to Hell. And it is not because he wants to spend time with us. It is because he hates God! We are made in God’s image so he hates us too! He covets our relationship with God.

Contrary to some popular Christian videos, Hell is not Satan’s throne room, his party house, or his headquarters. He doesn’t live there now and will not be the ruler of Hell later. He will receive the greatest torment possible because he is the father of sin. He was the first rebel! The first sinner. The first liar. The first murderer. He is the lawless one. Since the beginning of creation he has been the father of all who follow him in rebellion against Yehovah God. And the Word of God tells us how to escape from his destructive influence.

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up [James 4:7-10].

This is a good word. Please respond to it. God promises to lift up (exalt) all those who will humble themselves and turn from their wicked (like the devil) ways. Wherever you are, whatever you have done, Jesus is with you and will respond if you call on Him. But time is getting short. The end of the Church Age is near. The signs of the times abound. The world is being shaken as a warning siren. Please pay attention and turn to Jesus while you have the chance. Today is the day of salvation. Jesus loves you.

There is no charge for this great salvation. It is offered freely to all mankind because Jesus paid for it in full on the cross of Calvary. Please put your trust in Him.

And this brings us back to where we started.

The just shall LIVE (now and forever) by faith.

 May the Lord add His blessing to His Word and draw you to Himself today.       

[ALL SCRIPTURES NKJV]                                                                                                                                            

An Open Door No Man Can Shut

 
 "... I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it..." Rev 3:8 

   But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. Acts 16:25-34
 
1. At midnight:

At a very dark time in your life.

At a time when you’re feeling pained, distressed, lonely, rejected, or physically drained.

At a time when you’re financially devastated, emotionally depleted or spiritually oppressed.

At a time when things are not going the way you had hoped or planned or dreamed.

At a time when things are out of your control. You don’t know which way to turn or what to do.

At a time when you can’t even see your own hands in the darkness, much less help yourself!

Have you noticed things always seem worse at night? This is exactly the kind of situation Paul and Silas found themselves in. They had been beaten and imprisoned without just cause. They were in pain. They came to win souls for God and things weren’t going as they had planned. They had no control over their outward circumstances. It was a midnight of the soul!

So how did they respond? They could have complained until they got themselves into a state of depression. They could have felt deserted by God and despaired of life. But what did they do?

They chose to trust God! They chose to look up and not down or around! They did something that goes against human nature in that kind of setting. Something that’s pleasing to God. Something that’s powerfully effective! They began to pray and sing hymns. Wow!
 
2. Let’s look at prayer first.
Why did they pray? Why should we? What does God’s word have to say about it?

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray... The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Excerpts from Jam 5:13-16 

Paul and Silas were definitely suffering and they needed God’s help. We do too. God was moved by their prayers and He is moved by ours as well. Prayer, as we shall see, does make a difference.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phi 4:6-7  
 
This is a familiar passage but it is so important. When do we need peace as much as when we face great difficulties? God, who is the peace speaker, promises that if we will call on Him with a grateful heart, He will give us a peace that no one can understand.

When Mike and I were in Germany, we went to the hospital to pick up a young man for church. His wife had been hospitalized with a heart problem. They knew she had major problems when they got married but they were young and in love and they just thought everything would be alright. When Mike went in to get him he found out that his wife had just passed away. We didn’t even know him but we hurt for him. The body needed to be prepared to send back to the United States for burial, and there was nothing else he could do at the hospital, so he wanted to go on to church with us. Mike came out and told me what happened so I was expecting to see a broken young man but he got in the car and spoke nothing but the praises of God all the way to church. We could not believe the peace God had given him. At first, I thought he was just in shock. But, he was so anointed by God’s Spirit that he was able to go back to the States and preach his wife’s funeral so effectively that people were saved during the service. God had truly given him a peace that passed human understanding. What a testimony to the truth of God’s word!  

3. Paul and Silas not only prayed, they also sang hymns to God. They weren’t like the Jews during the Babylonian captivity spoken of in Psalms 137, verses 1-4.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?  

Can you feel their hopelessness, dejection and depression? They focused on their losses rather than focusing on their deliverance and Deliverer! They were alive! They had a future and a hope because God was with them! They were asking the wrong question. How could they not sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? God is worthy of praise no matter where we find ourselves. He’s always worthy of praise! And, singing a song of praise would have lifted their spirits and allowed God to touch the hearts of their captors.
Their example is not one to follow.

Like Paul and Silas, we sing the Lord’s song in every circumstance? He is worthy to be praised! Singing lifts our spirits and encourages our hearts! It builds our faith as we sense God’s presence inhabiting our praises! Nothing comes into our lives but what the Lord allows for our good so faith should keep a song in our heart at all times. And remember, it will not only help us, it will touch others!

4. Others were watching and listening:

Whether we realize it or not, someone who is truly in bondage is always watching our lives, very much aware of what we are up to. Someone in bondage is listening to our talk and watching our walk. Someone in bondage wants to know if our faith is real because they need something real in their own life! They have pressing needs. Often, desperate needs. They want and need to know if our God can help them. So, they are watching to see if we really trust Him to help us when things go wrong in our lives. They are waiting for some Good News that is more than mere words! We are living epistles! As Paul and Silas did, we have a great responsibility to let our lights shine in the darkness.

Let me share with you a short poem of encouragement.

Shine
Whate’re the size your flame,
Shine in Jesus’ name!
Declare His glory. Lift the cross!
Save others from eternal loss!
Don’t be ashamed. His Word proclaim.
Whate’re the size your flame,
Shine in Jesus’ name!  

By our faithfulness, we can turn our troubles into testimonies!

 God responds to the prayers and praises of His people!
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. Can you imagine what that was like? After the initial shock was past it had to have been a prisoner’s dream come true!  

5. All the doors flew open!

Prayer brings results! By God’s grace, it can open all the closed doors in our lives and in the lives of those we are praying for. There are many types of doors that need to be opened. As I read through this partial list I’m sure you will relate to some that you know God has already opened for you and to some you think still need to be opened.

Doors of hard hearts. Doors of difficulty. Doors of defeat. Doors of addictions. Doors of misunderstanding. Doors of failure. Doors of ignorance. Doors of debt. Doors of woundedness. Doors of rejection. Doors of painful memories. Doors of sickness. Doors of possession. Doors of doubt. Doors of poor self-image. Doors of oppression. Doors of unforgiveness. Doors of abuse.

As the saying goes, "Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors!" Except those who live there, of course. Life can be really hard living behind closed doors! On the other hand:
 
Open doors allow the light of revelation knowledge to enter– the truth that sets free!

Open doors allow the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into seemingly hopeless situations.

Open doors allow all those prisoners that want to, to go free!

If I had the time I could testify about how God has opened at least a dozen of the doors listed above in my own life. I’ll take the time to tell you about just one. The door of debt.

Back in the early 80's, when my husband, Mike, was the pastor of a small church in Mustang, Oklahoma, God miraculously opened the door for us to buy a house with a VA loan. We only lived in it about 18 months when Mike felt led to move to Cleveland, Tennessee, to go to the School of Theology. We agreed to sell the house with our VA loan intact and it sold very quickly. We knew if they defaulted on the loan it would come back to us, but that seemed highly unlikely since the economy was booming and they’d paid $10,000.00 down on it. We moved to Cleveland and didn’t give it much thought. 
Sometime after we moved, the economy in Oklahoma went south and the buyers defaulted on the loan. By the time the VA contacted us in 1989 they wanted us to pay $3000.00 to catch up the missed payments and then to start making the payments. We didn’t have any money. We were in that "descending into greatness" mode at the time– you know, living on next to nothing to serve God. He was taking care of us, but there was no extra cash, so Mike ignored the letter hoping the problem would just go away. That’s not an example to follow!  
 
Since we didn’t respond, the mortgage company sold the house. Supposedly, because the economy was so bad, they sold it for $8000.00 less than the outstanding loan balance and in November of 1989, they sent us a bill for that amount. Since we didn’t have it, they set up a payment schedule of $45.00 a month, ad infinitum! It didn’t seem fair to us, but we managed to make the payments.

Shortly thereafter, God blessed us by opening the door for Mike to go to work in the World Missions Department. Our pay increased significantly and we decided to build a house. I was concerned about qualifying for the building loan with the VA debt on our credit record so I prayed about it. I didn’t tell God what to do. I merely shared my concerns with Him and asked if there was any way He could help us out and told Him we would certainly appreciate it if He could. Well, a week or two later, we got a letter in the mail that said, "Your debt has been reduced by $7830.00." There was no explanation given. I was excited but wondering what happened so I called Mike to tell him and see what he thought about it. He told me to call and get the details. When I called the VA Debt Servicing Center, the man who answered said, "Your debt has been forgiven and the money you’ve already paid will be returned to you with a verification that your debt is cancelled." I was amazed and delighted by his choice of words (it sounded like God to me) but I asked, "Do you know why?" He said, " No. I don’t know. But, if I were you, I’d just accept it." So we did. Is God incredible or what? Be encouraged that prayer makes a difference!  
 
6. The chains of every prisoner fell off!

The chains fell off of the thieves, the slanderers, the liars, the murderers and the rapists. They fell off of those who had been falsely accused as well as those who were rightfully condemned. They fell off of the good old boys and the worst of sinners, the whited sepulchers and the devil worshipers! Everyone’s chains fell off! Why? Because God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) The blood of Jesus paid for all sins to be forgiven! Freedom is available to all whether they take it or not! All prisoners may have new life by faith in Christ! But some don’t know how to get it. 

7. The jailer said, "What must I do to be saved?"

We don’t know what happened to all those prisoners but it’s possible a revival broke out in that prison led by the jailor! We know that he was serious about his need of God. He asked what to do and got the answer. (Are you ready to tell others how to be saved?) Paul and Silas were ready to tell him. They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household!" So all the members of his household believed. They responded to the truth from heaven, the good news of God’s Word, by faith! They simply believed and they were all saved by God’s grace through the blood of Jesus!  

You can be saved too. Not just from your sins but from a life of doubt, depression, oppression, rejection, obsessions, addictions, failures, etc. The work is already accomplished. ("I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it!") The doors are open! The chains have fallen away! If you are saved but still feel bound, it is only an illusion! Satan is trying to blind you with a false impression! He is a liar! The Father of lies. Don’t listen to him. Don’t believe the lie he has whispered in your ear or placed before your eyes. Defeat is just a wrong perspective! In Christ you are super victorious!

I encourage you to resist the enemy of your soul and always speak in agreement with God’s Word. Satan cannot change the truth. Say,  

"I am God’s child." John 1:12

"I am free from all condemnation." Romans 8:1-2

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Phil 4:13

"I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me!" Romans 8:37

"He will never leave me or forsake me." Hebrews 13:5

"He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!" 2Tim 1:12

"No weapon formed against me shall prosper." Isa 54:17 
 
Stand on God’s Word! See through eyes of faith! Appropriate by faith what God has already promised and provided for you and ask in faith, and according to the will of God, for those things you have need of. Notice the following scripture.　

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. I John 5:14-15  
 
This is a scripture we should all memorize and understand. It says we can have whatever we ask for in faith, if it’s within God’s will. God is sovereign and He doesn’t need us to tell Him what to do. We are to ask God to help us as He sees fit. He knows far more than we do. We don’t even know how to pray sometimes but He knows how to answer. And His way is always for our best.

When we need something from our Heavenly Father, we should follow the example of the leper who went to Jesus and said, "Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean." Notice the leper believed Jesus had the power to heal Him but recognized that it must also be His will. Jesus responds to that kind of faith. He said, "I am willing....!" And because the leper believed Him, he cleansed him. (Matthew 8:2) His Word says He wants to forgive us, free us, fill us with His Spirit, provide for us, and save us to the uttermost! His Word also says He wants to save sinners. So if we ask for those things in faith, we will have what we ask for. 

It is time for us to be like Paul and Silas. It is time for us to know who we are in Christ.

"... we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine... but... grow up in ...Christ... working... (so that) every part does its share, (and) causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:14-16)   

God wants us to work together like Paul and Silas did so that we can continually go through the doors He has opened for us and so that we can help open doors for others. I trust that God will minister the truth of His Word to your hearts.

Our Father in heaven, I hallow and praise Your Name! Thank You for Your Word, the only source of Truth! Thank You for freedom from sin and peace of mind provided on the cross of Calvary by Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son. Thank You for creating us for your pleasure and loving us as your children.

I ask, in the name of Jesus, that Your Holy Spirit will comfort Your children in their times of need and that You will bring salvation to those longing for Your forgiveness and deliverance. Nothing is too difficult for You!   

23rd Psalm Devotional

Psalm 23: A Psalm of David.  

 

 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

 

Unlike the fearfully reverent scribes who maintained God's Word for posterity, David was not afraid to address his Shepherd by name. David declared, "YAHWEH is my Shepherd."

 

Our Heavenly Father wants us to know Him by name. The Great I AM revealed His Name to us so that we could call on Him in a personal way. I think Bible translators have done us a dis-service by presenting Him as LORD rather than calling Him by His Name, YAHWEH.  This practice has caused confusion and has opened the door for those who currently want us to believe He can also be called Allah. Not so!

 

David, having been a shepherd,  knew by experience that a good shepherd provides everything his sheep need. Therefore, he knew and proclaimed with confidence that as Yahweh's sheep, he would never lack anything he needed. And, if Yahweh is our Shepherd, we can have the same confidence!   

 

Yahweh knows our needs before we ask. How lovingly He provides for every area of our lives! 

 

² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

 

We live in a body so physical needs are met first.

 

Every day of life's journey we become tired so He provides a place for us to lie down and rest.  We also need a daily provision of food and water which David refers to as green pastures and  still waters. 

 

At no time are we left to fend for ourselves. He meets our physical needs so we can function physically, mentally and spiritually. As David expresses it: 

 

³ He restores my soul;

 

And when the soul is restored we are ready to follow Jesus!
 

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.

 

Once we are prepared for traveling, He leads us! The Holy Spirit is our faithful guide and leads us always in the right ways that we should go.  Why? For His Name's sake! (God will never lead us astray because to do so would violate His nature and bring shame to His Name. Impossible!) We cannot go wrong following Him.   

 

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

We are safe with Yahweh. In His presence, evil cannot touch us. When we walk through dark, scary places we are always under His protection. His rod will beat back the enemy. His staff will pull us out of danger. Fear may rear its ugly head but it must flee because Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is our ever present companion and comforter!

 

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

We are always surrounded by enemies in this life but they cannot keep us from banqueting with Jesus. Notice that He prepares the feast and He provides the spiritual atmosphere. We  respond with thanksgiving and abundant joy. And we find hope for the future!

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

 

It's all about perspective.  If we choose to keep our minds focused on the Good Shepherd and trust in His faithful provision for our lives we can have inner peace and joy even in the midst of a troubled world. 

 

I hope this quick look at the 23rd Psalm speaks to your heart today. It has strengthened me in times of trial so I wanted to share it with you. 

 

May God's Word increase your faith and encourage you--wherever you are.  

Bill O’Reilly: The Bible Contradicts Itself by Joe Kovacs

Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, who is writing an upcoming book titled “Killing Jesus,” proclaimed on his program Wednesday night that “a lot of the Bible is allegorical,” and the New Testament Gospels contradict themselves.

O’Reilly made the remarks during an interview with “Touched by an Angel” star Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett, executive producers of “The Bible” TV miniseries which begins this Sunday night on the History Channel.

Downey, who portrays Jesus’ mother Mary in the series, opened the interview by declaring her solid faith in Holy Scripture.

“Bringing the Bible to the screen came with a huge responsibility and one we took very seriously,” Downey said. “We had a great team of scholars and theologians helping us, making sure that we told these stories accurately and truthfully. I’ve been a believer my whole life, and that was very, very important to us. Something else that we wanted to do was to make it really, really cool. You know, we have teenagers at home and [it's] hard to get them to read anything, and one of the goals here was to get this generation interested and excited about Scripture, and I think we’ve been able to achieve that.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/oreilly-proclaims-the-bible-contradicts-itself/#UeHSIAkkvhvXCLK6.99

JESUS: KING, SAVIOR, MESSIAH, LORD!

Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, and the shepherds

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

                                                                                                       Luke 2:8-14



Star of Bethlehem

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

The poor, simple shepherds were led by the instructions of an angel to travel a short distance to find their Savior, their Messiah, their Lord!

The rich, wise men were led by a star to travel a great distance to find a new King! 

The lowly shepherds followed the angel's instructions and found Jesus! The wealthy, wise men followed the star and found Jesus!

Near or far, poor or rich: because of His love and goodwill toward mankind, all God's children are somehow made aware of their need of JESUS!  And, all who respond to Jesus in faith find what they need!

May you believe and find what you need today!

 For God so loved the world that

He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him

should not perish but have everlasting life. 

John 3:16

Merry Christmas!

Giving Thanks For The Gift of Faith!

Nothing in life is as important as one’s faith.

The Bible says “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8

The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

I believe knowledge of the Bible, God’s written Word, is extremely important for building one’s faith, but I also realize that Jesus is The Word of God Who became flesh and He is able to speak a Word into the heart which inspires or creates faith. (God’s spoken word will always line up with His written Word.)

He has spoken significant Words into my heart many times. Both His written Word and His spoken Words have drawn me in faith to the “salvation by faith in the blood of Jesus” wherein I stand.

In the following passage the Bible encourages those who have received Christ Jesus the Lord to live their lives “established in the faith… abounding in thanksgiving.” What better season to be reminded of this passage?

Colossians 2: 6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

First of all, one must receive Christ Jesus the Lord to be saved. Accepting a Jesus who is merely a human prophet who did good works will not lead you to salvation. Only Bible truth can set you free from the bondage of sin and give you faith, by the grace of God, to be born again into the kingdom of God.

Faith is available to you! God’s grace will create faith in your heart if you choose to believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth died for your sins. Jesus is, as He said He is, “The Way, The Truth and The Life.” (John 14:6) Jesus said that no one can come into relationship with His Father except through relationship with Him. They are ONE. Jesus is the Door to reach God the Father. There is One Faith, One God, One Spirit, One Body of Believers in Jesus.

If you don’t have peace with God, please turn to Him now. Jesus is as close as the mention of His name. “Those who call upon the name of the LORD will be saved,” Acts 2:21

To be rooted, built up and established in the faith, one must know the Word of God. I urge all of you who have access to the Holy Bible to spend time getting to know it. We are living in perilous times. Those without roots and foundations will not find themselves established enough in the faith to spiritually survive the last days of the era we are living in.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Many deceivers are abroad in the land today. They have believed a lie and they are peddling those lies to others. Don’t allow manmade ideas to deceive you. The traditions of men are temporal not eternal. Ideas not based in the wisdom of Jesus Christ are empty and devoid of life. Worldly principles may sound good but they will lead to death. You must guard your heart and mind to save your eternal life in Christ!

Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

There is a common misconception being spread around about Jesus which I have already alluded to. Liberal theologians and Muslims alike, deny the deity of Jesus Christ. They are willing to admit He is a historical figure. They will agree that He was a good man, and a good teacher, and possibly a prophet, and maybe even a worker of miracles. But their support ends there.

They will not confess Him as God. Some deny His virgin birth. Some deny His sinless life. Some deny His death on the cross as a propitiation for sin. I believe all of those who deny His deity also deny His resurrection followed by an ascension, but I dare not refer to all liberal theologians as if all are peas in a pod.

Note: Muslims believe in the virgin birth and perhaps the sinless life of a man called Isa, son of Maryam, mentioned in the Qur’an. They refer to him as if he is the same Jesus we believe in, but they deny he was crucified for sin and that he was resurrected from the dead. They believe Allah took him to heaven in his mortal body and that he will soon return in his mortal body as an assistant to their 12th Imam (The one we know as the Anti-Christ.) The Muslim Jesus will tear down all crosses, slaughter pigs and force everyone to convert to Islam or forfeit their lives. As verse eight says, BEWARE!

Now, back to our scripture.   For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

This verse  clearly procliams that Jesus is God. Let me restate it for further clarity.

All the attributes of the Godhead dwell completely in the physical body and personality of Jesus! He is Unique! No one else possesses all the characteristics and abilities of God in a physical body. This means He alone is able to reveal the invisible God to mankind, which is why He told His disciples, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father also." The Son bears the image of His Father in heaven. They are ONE.

We are the limited ones, not Jesus. We lack the capacity to relate to Who God is in Himself! We could search for Him through all eternity and never find Him if He did not choose to reveal Himself to us because God is a Spirit. He Exists in Himself without a physical body!

He came as Jesus, in the flesh, to be with us! That is the meaning of His name Emmanuel! God with us! What grace! What love!

To finish up with this passage let’s look at verse 10a.  "and you are complete in Him,"

Just as the Godhead indwells the physical body of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ dwells in His people!

Just as Jesus, in the flesh, could only reveal a small portion of the Fullness of the Godhead to such limited creatures as we presently are; we can only realize a small portion of the completed perfection which will be revealed in us when we receive our immortal bodies. We are mere seeds in the womb of our experience, as it were, not yet fully formed eternal children of God.

However, this passage says we are complete in Him. Though our bodies and our actions are not perfected in this life, our salvation has been bought and fully paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are complete, finished, matured, born again members of the body of Christ once we have truly placed our faith in Him.

I am truly thankful for this saving faith!

To finish up with this passage let’s look at verse 10b.  "who is the head of all principality and power."

Jesus, the Son of God, in Whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells in physical form, is the Final Authority over all created authorities in the universe apart from and subject to the One and Only Creator Godhead Who eternally exists in Three Persons; namely, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If you are complete in Jesus Christ, you are complete. There is no other authority that can stand against you. As Paul said, “If God is for us, who can stand against us?” Romans 8:31

No other religious faith is equal to the Christian faith because no other Faith embraces Jesus Christ as the only God and Savior Who loves us and gave Himself for us.

So, during this Thanksgiving season, I’m Giving Thanks For The Gift of Faith.

Dr. David Livingstone's Character



Stanley found Livingstone on 10 November 1871, in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania, and may have greeted him with the now-famous, "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"  wikipedia

I recently had the pleasure of reading The Final Journals of David Livingstone by Dr. Livingstone and The Personal Life of David Livingstone by W. Garden Blaikie, D.D., LLD. Then, because of the controversy about whether Dr. Livingstone gave an accurate account of a massacre he witnessed, I decided to get another perspective on his character by reading  Henry Morton Stanley's: How I Found Livingstone In Central Africa.
                                       
Before I get into what Mr. Stanley reported about Dr. Livingstone's character, let me share with you some background information on how and why they met.

Dr. Livingstone first went to Africa as a missionary in 1840. During his years there his interests expanded far beyond the spreading of the gospel. He sought a cure for the African fever, known today as malaria, which sickened and often killed humans and domestic animals. He studied the plant and animal life, as well as, the lay of the land and its productivity.

He also named Victoria Falls and Lake Lincoln. (Dr. Livingstone honored President Lincoln for ending slavery in the United States because Dr. Livingstone longed to see the end of slavery throughout the world during his lifetime.)

Dr. Livingstone kept detailed journals covering diverse subjects. He wrote about medical treatments he found effective. He mapped his travels using astronomical instruments. His journals were a log of his many discoveries. They are filled with fascinating descriptions and drawings of previously unknown types of insects, fish and animals. His many maps helped the Victorian cartographers produce more accurate travel guides for Central Africa- especially noting the positions of many lakes and rivers. He also shared the names, customs, characteristics, languages and locations of many previously unknown tribes which eventually helped other missionaries in their endeavors to share the gospel with them.

His final mission in Africa was to discover and document the source of the Nile River. He spent many years in that endeavor and was lost to the outside world for much of that time. After a lengthy silence, Mr. Stanley, a journalist and explorer, was sent to Africa as a correspondent of the New York Herald newspaper to find Dr. David Livingstone- dead or alive- so the world might learn more of his work and know his fate.

Mr. Stanley had never met Dr. Livingstone. He had heard many things about him and actually feared that Livingstone might not want to be found. But, nothing was farther from the truth. Dr. Livingstone had suffered many setbacks, both physically and financially, and was in need of a Good Samaritan at the very time that Stanley found him. Looking back on all the problems and delays he had suffered in getting there, even Stanley believed that their meeting was indeed providential.

Mr. Stanley was on assignment. He was paid to find Dr. Livingstone and to report on his health and whereabouts. He was not required to like him. But, his comments about Dr. Livingstone reveal that he came to think very highly of him during their four months together: from November 10th, 1871 thru March 14th, 1872. (Dr. Livingstone had but 13 months to live when Mr. Stanley took leave of him in Africa.) 

Although Mr. Stanley did not profess to be a Christian, he knew one when he saw one. I'm sharing a few quotes from Mr. Stanley's book to add another perspective to the current charges against Dr. David Livingstone. Coming from the pen of one who actually knew him, I think they should be given more weight than baseless suppositions by suspicious, and possibly jaded,contemporary researchers.

Speaking of Dr. Livingstone's travels and experiences, Mr. Stanley said:

 "His lips gave me the details; lips that never lie."

"I defy anyone to be in his society long without thoroughly fathoming him, for in him there is no guile, and what is apparent on the surface is the thing that is in him."

"Livingstone was a character that I venerated, that called forth all my enthusiasm, that evoked nothing but sincerest admiration."

"I grant he is not an angel, but he approaches to that being as near as the nature of a living man will allow."

"In him, religion exhibits its loveliest features; it governs his conduct... towards his servants, ... natives, ... Mohammedans, and all who come in contact with him."

"Religion has... made him a Christian gentleman... a man whose society is pleasurable."

"His gentleness never forsakes him; his hopefulness never deserts him. No harassing anxieties, distraction of mind, long separation from home and kindred, can make him complain... he has such a faith in the goodness of Providence."

"An extreme love of truth is one of his strongest characteristics..."

"... he has, through his uniform kindness and mild, pleasant temper, won all hearts. I observed that universal respect paid to him (by all classes of the natives and the Mohammedans alike)."  

To repeat:

"An extreme love of the truth is one of his strongest characteristics..."

This is not a characteristic that one suddenly abandons after years of habit without a total collapse of the character. Mr. Stanley even recalls Mr. Livingstone sharing the cherished stories of his family history regarding honesty.

Therefore, based on David Livingstone's life and testimonials on his character, I reject the recent claims made by researchers that he lied about the Manyeuma massacre.  

If you like history or just good adventure stories, I recommend you read Mr. Stanley's book, How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa.

Hope you enjoyed this blog.

Response To An Evolutionist

I’ve read Cosmos by Carl Sagan. I’ve read books by Stephen J. Gould and others. I just finished The Genesis Enigma by Andrew Parker which tells the evolutionary tale from the Big Bang to date.

Evolutionists speak of the universe in glowing, sometimes even worshipful terms. They are forced to use words like design to describe what they see, and then forced to deny a Designer– by their faith in evolution. They talk about the occurrence of the most intricate and improbable processes imaginable without having been implemented and directed by an intelligent, powerful being– and then give the credit to a non-entity called evolution and mind-boggling billions or millions of years– which no mortal can possibly comprehend. Time & non-intelligent ? = An Intricately Designed UNIVERSE and a Perfect Habitat for Mankind called EARTH (nothing else like it in the universe that we know of) and LIFE– in all its forms! That just takes more faith than I can come up with.

Humans are the most intelligent mortal beings we know of and they come up with some pretty impressive innovations. Being created in God’s image, I have no problem comparing their intelligence to the Creator of the Universe. Although it’s a minuscule fraction of God’s intelligence, it towers over “evolution” because evolution is non-existent.

Compassion is wonderful but it’s elusive if not grounded in a greater ethos connected to the value of human life as God’s image bearers. Someone has to define what compassion means in the context of daily living. Is it compassionate to kill someone who is in pain, whether they want to die or not? Or, is that simply convenient for society at large and perhaps for weary caretakers? Many questions could be asked about compassion.

I don’t believe God is male or female. He has no counterpart– and no need to replicate Himself. Since He created male and female in His image, He must have all masculine and feminine traits. He has chosen to use male terminology in relating to us for His own reasons. Guess we’ll find out when we get our other questions answered. It’s not something I worry about.

Biblically speaking, being the Son of God means Jesus is God like His Father. He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. I only do what I see my Father doing.” He came as God in the flesh so we could get to know God and better understand His love for us. The greatest revelation of His love being His willingness to die for us.

The Bible says the pre-incarnate Jesus created everything in the universe and currently sustains it by the Word of His power. Those universal laws we talk about are merely His consistent care for His creation. If He withdrew His control, everything would “crash and burn”.

The virgin birth is essential to His mission on earth. He chose a human mother so He would be human and His Heavenly Father, of course, means He is God. The mystery of being fully human and fully God is beyond us at this point, but with God all things are possible. Just as you don’t know how evolution works but you choose to believe in it, my belief in what God has revealed about His Son is by faith. I trust Him to know what He’s talking about.

He became fully human so He could suffer and die for us. He didn’t have to. He chose to.

The virgin birth was prophesied hundreds of years before He was born. The New Testament gives a detailed account of what happened. It states that Mary had not known a man, was informed that she had been chosen to bare God’s Son, accepted God’s commission, conceived when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and lived with Joseph without conjugal relations until after Jesus was born. His birth was accompanied by the Star of Bethlehem and Angels praising God and informing shepherds. It was followed by Magi from the East visiting and Herod the Great trying to kill Him. Besides all the miracles He performed to reveal His Godhood, the heavens opened on more than one occasion and His Heavenly Father spoke, saying, “This is my beloved Son…” After His death on the cross, the Roman Centurion said, “Surely this was the Son of God.” (I could go on and on.)  

Zoroaster is known to have had 2 parents. His virgin birth status was added by his followers after the fact.

The reason Joseph’s lineage is mentioned is for legal purposes. Jesus was a descendant of David with a right to his throne by blood through Mary and even by a legal relationship with his adopted father, Joseph. It also honors Joseph.

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Heb 11:3

It all comes down to faith. A command doesn’t take billions of years to manifest. If what we see did not come from anything that can be seen, it could not have evolved. If everything was good at the end of God’s creation week, mutations cannot have been involved in the development of life. If death entered the world because of man’s sin, nothing could have died before they sinned. How could nothing die in millions of years?

Either God’s Word is true or it’s not. Either Jesus is the Son of God Who created everything or He is no one to be concerned with. It all comes down to faith.

The enemy of your soul does not want you to believe the Truth. God does.