What Position Do You Play?

One of the most misunderstood facts about becoming a Christian is how a person's status with satan undergoes a huge change.  I have, and I'm sure that most of you have as well, at one time or another heard people voice the thought that when a person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior, that from that point forward He 'protects' them from satan.  It's like some kind of magical umbrella is spread out to shield them from the devils attention.  Nothing could be farther from the Scriptural truth, and it's always a very rude awakening when that myth is shattered.  Why should this surprise us, after all the devil knows Scripture frontwards and backwards, inside and out.  Keep in mind that he is the father of deceit, and he won't hesitate to try and twist God's own Word(s) around to suite his own purposes.

'Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you,  to keep you,’ and,  'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”  (Luke 4:9-11    NKJV)

Being subjected to trials and temptations, especially as a new Christian, isn't an exception to the rule, it is the rule.  Never forget something about the promises God has made us in His Holy Word, and that something is that sometimes some of His promises don't seem like such a good deal.  But that is exactly the purpose He has in mind.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  (I Corinthians 10:13    NKJV)

The fact is that when everything is going good, the bills are paid, the kids and grand kids are doing well in school, everybody is healthy, it's easy to praise God.  When there is nothing negative going on in our lives, it's easy to let our guard slip.  Here is something to think about though, why do you suppose that there are some people that never seem to have any trials and tribulations in their lives?  Just think about that for a bit while we look at another bit of God's Word.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (James 1:2-3 NKJV)

In the Book of James, which was written as an epistle, or letter, to those of the Twelve Tribes of Israel scattered throughout the Roman Empire, James addresses an issue that we all need to stay focused on in our lives today, which is everyday Christian living in a world gone bad.  I would imagine that a good many of those reading, or being read to, this letter thought that James was completely out of his mind, talking about seeing bad things in their lives as things of joy.  Let's go back to what I told you to think about for a minute, how that some people never seem to have any of these bad things going on in their lives.  Here's what it boils down to, I don't care if you're the best player on your team, maybe in the whole league, so long as you're sitting on the bench it doesnt' matter.  The coaches on your opponents team are not going to rearrange their team to try to contain you, or to keep the ball away from you, as long as you're on that bench.  But, just wait until you're back in the game, then everything will change, in a heartbeat.  The fact is that many Christians have benched themselves, or never put themselves into the game to start with.  Satan loves it when more and more people are playing the position of bench-warmer.   If we're not in the game, we're no threat to the enemy, that is the ruler of this world satan, and don't think for a split second that he is not your enemy, whether you treat him that way or not.  Why do you suppose that so many New Testament Believers keep themselves benched, and never change their position from being bench-warmers?  Satan likes us when we play that position, we're doing a major part of his work for him because we're not actively participating against him.  Take another look at our Scripture out of I Corinthians.  We have three promises in that Scripture.  First, any kind of trial or temptation that we find ourselves facing has been seen before, by someone else.  Second, that while God will allow us to be tempted, He'll not allow the temptation to be more than we can have victory over.  Third, He'll give us the means to be victorious.  Now I'm going to sort of go in a circle here, but just stay with me.  If we don't experience trials, tribulations, and temptations in our daily lives as Christians, it is probably because we're no threat to satan, we're the the bench-warmer position on the bench.  While this may be easier on you, it isn't pleasing to God.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  (I Peter 1:6    NKJV)

The more trouble we have from the ruler of this world we have in our everyday lives is indicative of just how effective we are at keeping satan on the defensive.  This is part of  what Peter was getting at in his letters to those Jewish Christians scattered in five different areas of the Roman Empire (Pontus, Galatia, CappadociaBithynia).  He was writing to encourage these scattered Believers, and letting them know that their trials and tribulations were proof that satan recognized them as followers of Christ. 

So, what are you?  What position do you play?  Are you ready to get off the bench if that's where you've been keeping yourself?  Or are you only a part-time bench-warmer?  That could be a problem, because there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. 

Come on, let's play!

God Bless you all, Terry

Lord or Savior?

Lord, Savior?  Is there a difference?  Are we wrong to assume that not only the title, but the purpose or office, have the same literal and figurative meaning(s)? 

Let's start by getting back to basics, and by that I mean that we have to start, with the goal of answering these few, but important, questions, by developing the knowledge of just what 'a' or 'the' Lord is.  Also, with 'a' or 'the' Savior is.  The very most basic of definitions for the word 'Lord' as used in regards to mankind's belief in God would be, according to Nelsons Dictionary of  Christianity,  Jesus Christ as the center of Christian worship, devotion, and obedience. In using the same source, Nelsons Dictionary of Christianity, we find the meaning of 'Savior' to be In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the Holy One, who saves His people from sin and destruction and is the source of salvation. 

Now lets go back to the first of these three questions we started with, that being to determine if there is a difference between Lord and Savior, with the understanding that Jesus Christ, in recognition of the long established fact(s) concerning the Triune Being of God, is in fact the person of both.  In using just this one source of information, we can safely say that Jesus Christ the, or our, Lord is actively at the very center of our worship of God.  We can further solidify this statement by going to His Holy Word, the Bible.

'Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'  (John 14:6    NKJV)

Now, by taking a closer look at our definitions, it's not hard to identify the very important purpose, or office, performed by Jesus Christ as our Savior, that being to make available to all of mankind God's gift of Salvation.  And again we'll go to Scripture to put things solidly in proper perspective.

'And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.'  (Luke 19:9-10    NKJV)

So here we have it, plain and simple, easy enough for even me to understand without having to read it over several times.  Jesus Christ, as God the Son, is the Lord of all who Believes.  And Jesus Christ, as the Son of Man, or God Incarnate, came specifically to seek and to save that which was lost. 

I know that some of you'll may get tired of my bring the Salvation theme into just about everything I write, but it's just about impossible to study anything in the Bible without it connecting in some way or another with the Will of God for each of us.  Think about it for just a minute, if we take everything to do with Salvation and the Will of God for mankind out of the Bible, what's left?  We'd only have bits and pieces of the Old Testament left, and the bits and pieces would be a disjointed mess that didn't connect up properly. 

So, to get on with it, Jesus the Messiah, or Savior, came for this specific purpose.  He came to fulfill the Will of the Father, which was for Him to seek out everyone who'd become lost, or separated from, God.  We all know how this state of affairs came to be, with Adam and Eve committing the sin of disobedience there in the garden of Eden. 

'For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.'  (Romans 5:19    NKJV)

The apostle Paul perfectly stated man's status before God without Christ as God the Son, and then with Christ as the Son of Man, or God Incarnate. 

(Just a little note here on my use of the term 'God Incarnate' as I feel some may not be aware of the proper meaning of this phrase.  As is the case more often than not, words and phrases become distorted throughout the passage of time.  This happens accidentally sometimes, and sometimes it is by unfortunate design.  Then things get even more crazy when someone whose wife says doesn't play well with others attempts to use the word or phrase in a correct manner.  Incarnation basically means that Jesus Christ is the earthly manifestation of God, and that while this manifestation is ongoing, that He is fully God and fully human.  For those of you'll who didn't know what the term meant, and most people don't, you may have been just a bit surprised at how 'painless' it was to learn something you already knew but not by that exact term, right?  Okay, let's move on.)

Let's review.  Jesus Christ our, or the, Lord is understood by New Testament Believers to occupy the position of Mediator, or go-between, through whom Christians have a relationship with God the Father.  Jesus Christ our, or the, Savior came to fulfill the Will of God the Father in making available to mankind the means, or way, to reconcile ourselves to God.  Remember, the sin that was brought into the world by a simple act of disobedience separated man from God.  The shed blood of Christ, as the Son of Man, washed away that sin. 

So we have both literal and figurative meanings and applications going on here, especially when we get to Jesus Christ our Savior.  Literally He died on the cross as a perfect [human] sacrifice for our sins.  Figuratively His shed blood washed us clean from our sins, and by that action, we are each declared to be righteous by God the Father.



Be Blessed before Him in all that you are, all that you do, and in all of His perfect Will for you!

Proud Humility or Humble Pride?

While a sin is a sin, is a sin, is a sin, excluding the sin of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit, a great many people wrongly attribute the first sin committed was by Adam and Eve. Ooops!  Did I get someone with that one?  Don't worry about it, it happens to me all of the time!  (Note:  A second false belief held by many is that the sin committed by Adam and Eve was eating of the tree of knowledge [of good and evil].  While there is some truth in this, the actual sin they committed was disobedience.)  The first sin committed against the Creator was the sin of pride.  I believe that this fact is often overlooked for two reasons.  First, there are only a handful of times that this particular incident is mentioned in the Bible, and when it is mentioned, it's in a 'after the fact' fashion.  Second, we mere humans tend to assume that only man can sin against God.  I'll let everyone ponder on this for awhile while I get on with my rambling on about two very different but often interconnected traits found in most of us.  Jesus, at the very beginning of what we often refer to as His Public Ministry, specifically warned against a certain kind of behavior that actually began as one of these traits, and then that led to the second one.

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  
Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."  (Matthew 6:1-8    NKJV)

Humility, or being humble, before the Lord is a very desirable trait to have.  The problem is that too many of us feel like we need to display just how humble we are for all the world to see.  This is where we get ourselves into trouble, because we begin to take pride in our humility.  The acts the Jesus pointed out in this section of the Beatitudes, doing charitable deeds and praying, are both good things.  These two things are pleasing to God, but only if these deeds are done for the right reasons.  The two examples He gave showed how not to do these things, and the point He was after here is that when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something, that is between us and Him.  If we need the public recognition to feel like we're accomplishing something or fulfilling the Father's Will for us, then we need to rethink our relationship with our Lord God.  If you've followed very many of my other posts, which can be pretty disjointed and rambling sometimes, then you've noticed that I often point out that Jesus taught by example.  First He would do something, whether it was healing someone, casting out demons, or going off by Himself to pray, and only then would He tell His disciples to go and do the same.  The same is true here, nowhere will you find in Scriptures that He made a big production out of doing the Father's Work or praying.  We have another example of how to not become prideful with a pretense of humility.

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  (Matthew 6:16-18    NKJV)

And,

'Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'  (Luke 18:9-14    NKJV)

Here we have a Pharisee not only publicly announcing his humbleness, but actually pointing out the tax collector's shortcomings.  It's obvious that this fellow wanted everyone to know just how pious he was, especially as compared to the other guy, who did everything wrong according to the Pharisee!

Do we see anything even close to what we've read in these Scriptures?  I'm going to throw some things out here, not with the intent to upset anyone, (right about now, my wife, if she wasn't sleeping, would be saying something like, "Yeah right!"). 

It seems like a lot of the time people are more worried about what someone else thinks about them than they are about their relationship with God.  When I was growing up, everyone wore their very best clothes to Sunday services.  In today's times, that has changed.  Now it seems like some people still try to 'out dress' everyone else, while there is another group who tries their best to prove that they can be more casually dressed than anyone else.  What we have here are two extremes that still have the same traits we read about in our earlier Scriptures.  While I really don't think God is offended if we don't all wear three piece suits, I do think that women and girls wearing shorts and halter tops while the guys are in cutoff shorts and flip flops is just a little too casual.  Both groups, those that overdress and those that under dress,  are all focusing on the wrong things.  I say that because we know from His Word that God sees the 'innermost' part of us, He doesn't see what we're wearing or not wearing.  So that only leaves the rest of the congregants to be impressed or not.  Think about this for just a second, what exactly does it prove to anyone, remember God isn't in this equation, that your Sunday clothes are more formal and cost more than anyone elses?  Be the same token, who is impressed that you came to church dressed more casually than anyone else, that you're more laid back that anyone else?  Like I said before, it can't be God you're trying to make your statement to, He doesn't really care about what is or isn't on your back, He sees what's in your heart. 

Humility is pleasing to God, unless it is self serving and/or tainted with pride.  There is that first sin against the Creator again, pride.  All throughout the history of Christianity we can read time and time again where humility either led to pride, or became stained by pride.  People today, just like people over the last six thousand years, become proud of their presented humbleness.  So where does that leave God?  Remember, He loves a repentant sinner, not a sinner who tries to disguise pride as humility.

'For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  For each one shall bear his own load.   Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.     Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.'  (Galatians 6:3-10    NKJV)

I've often made the statement that only two people truly know if someone is an authentic child of God, that person and God Himself.  I could go through my whole life, preaching His Gospel, teaching from the Scriptures, counseling with people to guide them on their life-changing journey to the Throne of Grace.  I, or anyone else in whatever capacity God called them to, could present themselves as a Born Again Spirit Filled New Testament Believer, and it could all be a lie.  I could fool everyone, except me and God.  The two of us would always know, because He will not be mocked, and He would never let me forget that I was living a lie.  Just as the apostle Paul wrote here in his letter to the church at Galatia, "....do not be deceived, God is not mocked...."

So now we're at the end of my first posting for this new year of 2012, and just be assured that my prayers are for each and everyone of you who I only know as numbers on my 'stat reports.'  I pray that we all are fully aware of the dangers we face, and satan is growing more desperate every day, he knows his time is coming to an end, this is evidenced by just watching and reading not just our local news, but global news. 

Be strong, be faithful, as the Scripture says, "Fulfill your ministry."  Be humble before the Lord, be sincere and diligent in your daily walk, embrace His perfect Will for you.  Never loose sight of the fact that while we're still physically in this world, we're not Spiritually of it.  We're children, blessed children, of a living God.  Be Blessed!
Terry

P.S.  Bye the bye, the first sin, that of pride, was actually committed by Lucifer and about one-third of his fellow angels when he led an uprising against God.  It didn't turn out so well for him and his gang.  If you want a list of Scripture that mentions those events, just leave me a comment to that effect and I'll get them to you.

P.P.S.S.  Be sure to hit the International Prayer Response WebPage at 'www.internationalprayerresponse.org' for prayer requests, to read our online Newsletter, to find out more about this growing Ministry, or just to browse a bit.  Thanks, Terry

Believe With My ?

I'm sure that we all know about the peculiar type of 'believing' that has to be present in order for us to accept the Blood of Christ as [our] atonement for sin.  Or am I assuming too much?  I've been known to do that, usually in matters to do with my wife, Faith, and we all know how that turns out!  Let's start with the basics, and work our way forward, that way we won't have any assumptions that will later on bite us.

'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    NKJV)

Okay, just for the sake of covering all of the bases, we've got the words of Christ here, in plain language, telling us pointblank that we have to believe in Him to receive everlasting life.  Now let's back up just a bit here and establish not only the difference between the spirit and the flesh, but the importance of that difference to those who believe or those who are seeking.

'Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I way to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born or the Spirit is spirit.'  (John 3:5-6    NKJV)

It's pretty obvious here that according to Jesus, there is a huge difference between things of the flesh and things of the Spirit, and if anyone would know from first-hand experience, He would!  I mean, just think about it for a minute, He endured every trial, every tribulation, every type of pain.  He had victory over all of it, and never questioned His Father, until the one instance in which He couldn't feel the [Spiritual] presence of God in Him.

'And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”'  (Matthew 27:46    NKJV)

For just that split second, when Jesus bore all the sins of you and I, God took His [Spiritual] gaze off of His Son.  Why did He do this? 

'For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.'  (I Peter 3:12    NKJV)

Now don't go thinking that I'm saying that Jesus was seen by God as being evil, or doing evil.  What I'm pointing out is that Jesus conquered not only death, which is usually the focus of His death, burial, and resurrection, but also that He conquered sin.  One couldn't have happened without the other. 

'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.'  (Romans 3:23    NKJV)
The presence of sin by man's disobedience brought with it the wages, or payment, for that sin, which is [Spiritual] death.  From the point of mans disobedience there in the garden of Eden, Biblical history has as one of it's primary focuses the sin-death relationship.  I know that I've gone the long way around to get back to where Jesus was very much aware that His Father had turned His [Spiritual] eyes away from Him for just an instant.  God had made it clear that He would not look at sin, in whatever form it took, He simply refused to gaze upon it.  This wasn't something new, we find evidence of His position on sin scattered throughout the Old Testament.

'Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, hat it cannot save;  nor His ear heavy,  that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God;  and your sins have hidden His face from you,  so that He will not hear.'  (Isaiah 59:1-2    NKJV) 
And,

'And there is no one who calls on Your name,  who stirs himself up to take hold of You;  for You have hidden Your face from us,  and have consumed us because of our iniquities.' (Isaiah 64:7    NKJV)

The one thing that has, and will continue to, separate man from God is man's sin, and the prophet Isaiah nailed it in the Scripture we've just looked at.  So when Jesus was there on the cross, and He knew His time as God the Son became Flesh was drawing to an end, He had to have known that He would be 'loaded down with' or 'covered' by the sin of mankind.  But even knowing in advance what was happening still couldn't prepare Him for what had to have been an immediate and awful sense of abandonment and helplessness when the moment of separation [from God] actually happened.  Just spend a moment and try to imagine a situation in which everything you knew and was, everything of importance and value, was in a flash simply....gone!  Just like that, everything that made you who and what you are was no longer there or had any value.  Now, take that same situation and imagine that you could see it coming, and knowing that there was nothing you could do to stop it.  To me, since I've lived most of my adult life in the snow country, it would be if I was out of control on icy road, sliding towards a drop-off, or even worse, towards a crown of people.  They couldn't move, for whatever reason, and I had no control over the vehicle.  Just imagine the helpless gut-wrenching feeling.  As bad as this sounds, what Christ experienced was much worse.  When He spoke those words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Now we've gone full circle again, but maybe now 'how' we believe can be seen to be as important as it is that we believe at all. 

'For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'  (Romans 10:5-10  NKJV)

We have to believe not with our heads, with reasoning and intelligence, but with our hearts.  This is completely at odds with what the world would insist on, and it makes no sense at all to those of the world, it isn't supposed to.

'Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.'  (Proverbs 9:6    NKJV)

And,

'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.'  (I Corinthians 1:18    NKJV)

And,

'But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'  (I Corinthians 2:14    NKJV)

And,

'For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;'  (I Corinthians 3:19    NKJV)

This concept, that the foolishness of the world is contrary to God and His Ways, and that the ways of the world are considered foolish by God and His Believers, isn't something found just in the New Testament, as most things with God aren't.  Remember Abraham?  Formerly Abram, married to his half-sister, lived in a town full of pagan [god] worshippers.  God told him to pack up and get out of town, that He would make Abraham a 'father of many nations' and give him and his descendants land.  This was probably about the most foolish thing ever heard of, but Abraham packed up and left.  I wonder what his neighbors and friends thought when they saw all of the commotion.  I would imagine that someone would've asked where he was going.  I'll bet it through them for a loop when he [rightfully] said he didn't know, just that God told him to go, so he went.  How about Noah?  Can you imagine what had to have been going through peoples minds when they watched this old man build this big boat.  What was going through his mind, what with hearing this deep, booming voice, telling him to build this big boat, but he did it. 

These two examples of men's obedience, and there are plenty more, are also examples of believing with the heart.  It couldn't be any other way than with the heart, that little voice of conviction, that gut feeling, intuition.  Call it what you choose, it's still believing with your heart.  Is it any different when we read in His Word 'to believe with the heart and confess with mouth.....and thou shall be saved'? 

I've been reading through a compilation of works entitled 'The Fundamentals' and in particular the arguments of a group called the 'higher critics.'  As you can imagine, there are many groups who dedicate their whole lives arguing that the Bible is just a big myth.  And the whole idea of believing anything with any part of the body except the brain is completely ridiculous, beyond laughable!  I think that the reason I've been going round and round with this subject today has to do with my reading of the past several days, and the silliness in some of these 'higher critics' arguments.  If it wasn't so sad, some of the things people will say in trying to deny God, His Ways, and His Life, it would be almost comic.  I was warned once, a long time ago, to not read anything of this sort, because all satan needed was a tiny toehold to separate my from God.  I cannot be separated from God, and the reason is because I believe with my heart!  No academics, no intellectual reasoning, nothing that can be influenced by [worldly] evidence or argument. 

How about you?  Do you believe with your heart? 

This is my last posting for this year, and my prayer for each and every one who may read this is that you'll either become a Christian, or you'll continue to grow in Him and His Ways.  Either way, don't feel like you have to justify your belief in Him to anybody, Christ already justified all of us with every drop of blood He shed on that fateful day of the Cross.  All we have to do, and this has to be by our own choice, is to keep on believing with our hearts.

Be Blessed in the years to come, and fulfill the works He's called you to!
Terry, praising His name in Montana.

He Knows!

I do my best stay calm, cool, and collected in regards to my habit of reading the news online every morning.  But, when I read a story this morning about how the financial worth of the common person and that of our elected representatives is growing farther and farther apart, it was hard to stay calm.  Then I started thinking about the One elected by the Father to represent me, and started comparing how His 'style' of representation varied from that of our politicians here on earth.  A point to be made here is that the representation of the Messiah wasn't a one time thing, it never has reached a point in time that it was over and done with.  His term [of office] never expired, nor will it so long as we're still on this earth. 

'without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.'  (Hebrews 7:3    NKJV)

This fact, the unending of our relationship with God the Father through Jesus the Son, is most often given the proper Scriptural description of 'eternity' with never a thought of how much of a change this was to the status of man before God.  It doesn't take much time studying the days of the public ministry of Christ to realize that He had at least as much resistance from the Jews themselves, who'd been waiting for the Messianic prophecy to be fulfilled for almost four thousand years, as He did from the Gentiles.  A lot of the Jewish 'establishments' resistance was over this very issue, the changes to how God was worshipped and how man worshipped.  The whole concept of not having a new bunch of priests every ten or twenty or thirty years wasn't welcomed.  The priests, and their supporters, didn't want to give up their positions, and when the time came to step down, they already knew who would be taking their seat, which most of the time would be a blood relative.  This is the same situation we have going on today in our political systems, with the same abuse and corruption, and with the same resistance to any type of change.  Also, just as happened in the land of Israel and beyond back in what we call Biblical times, every time there was someone new in the limelight, they came with promises of how things were going to be better than before.  Things will be changing though, but not in any way that those of the world will like.  When we have people, who are supposed to be our elected representatives, who have no idea what the shrinking middle-class, or growing lower-class (however you want to say it), lives with on a daily basis telling us what we need, we have major problems.

I remember several years ago when the 'Big Four' oil producers were in front of some committee in Washington D.C. and one of the politicians asked one of them what they should tell the American people about the cost of gasoline.  The guy from the oil company started his answer with the assurance that he knew exactly what the American consumer felt like every time they pulled into the fuel pumps.  The politician interrupted with the remark that anybody who makes tens of millions of dollar a year in salary has no idea what the average American felt like.

The moral of my little story here is that when our newly elected Representative [before God] accepted the position, and let's never forget that He had that choice to make, before He said a word, or undertook an action, He lived the life that those He represents lived.  He was cold and hungry.  He felt thirst and pain.  He suffered emotional anguish and frustration.  Let's not make an all too common mistake and say, "If He were here, He would do this or that..."  Let's get it right and say, "Because He is here...." 

'by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.  Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.   For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;  who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered Himself.'  (Hebrews 7:22-27    NKJV)

What it all boils down to is that Christ, as each and every ones of ours  Representative before God, eliminated the space, or gap, between us and God.  When He stood before man, He did so by choice, which is another things we loose sight of sometimes.  When we come to Him in prayer, needing to be counseled and comforted, and we need someone to understand what we're going through, He does.  He lived our lives, He felt our hunger and pain, and that's the only way He could stand before God as our Representative.  We know that the ways of the world are contrary to the ways of God.  While a lot of our worldly politicians talk about getting out and meeting the people, name me one who got out and bled and died for the people. 

We are always hearing someone say that "We [I] know just how you feel" when there is no way they possibly could.  So who do you choose to rely on, someone who only says they know how your life is, or Someone who really does know? 

 

 

Christmas Day, 2011.  While I'm not particularly fond of all of the commercialism that grows more prominent every year that's associated with this time of year, I do celebrate this day.  Just what is it that I celebrate?  The Birthday of the One  who is as important to me as life itself is, and I mean this quite literally.  Now before any of you who dig deep looking for just about anything to find some kind of fault with, yes, I know that there has been considerable arguments put forth contesting whether or not December 25th was the actual day that Jesus was born.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (Galatians 5:19-21    NKJV)

There are three important issues we'll take from this Scripture for our purpose today.  First, we have a whole list of what we can label as bad habits, character flaws, personality traits, or any one of what could be an infinite list.  Or, we can call it like it is, and call the things on this partial list what they are, sin.  It's important in a situation like this one in which we have a list that we keep in mind that the order has nothing to do with the value, or severity.  Fornication isn't a worse sin than adultery, or the other way around.  Excluding the sin of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit, sin is sin is sin...... Notice that dissension is listed right there in the middle of things, and keep that in mind while we take a look at a couple of other issues.   Next, we're told outright and point blank that all of these things are works of the flesh.  For those of you out there that like to argue every little point, just go on and grab onto this one!  There is no doubt that the apostle Paul knew exactly what he was trying to get across, and in my mind, he did a fine job of getting his point across.  Lastly, if anyone decides to persist in doing any, or all, of these things, these sins, then they will not inherit the kingdom of God.  How much plainer does it have to be? 

Now let's tie our understanding of these three verses into the purpose of my sitting here at this desk today.  So if someday somebody can prove without a doubt that Jesus was born on December the 24th or maybe the 26th, what changes?  What if evidence is presented that He was born on November 25th, or January 25?  Again, what changes?  Is your salvation any less permanent or meaningful?  Would this mean that Christ suffered any less, or shed fewer drops of blood? 

I guess that my whole theme today is that each of us needs to keep our [Spiritual] focus on target.  It's so easy to get sidetracked, and once it happens, it's never easy to get straightened out again.   We need to start out by being sure that we understand the basics, like who Jesus is.  What was His purpose?  Why did He make the choice(s) that He did?  How does our relationship with the Father change with salvation?    These few questions are not conclusive, not by any means, they just barely scratch the surface.  It's kind of sad that these questions, along with many others, even need to be asked.  What makes it worse is that a great many Christians cannot answer these basic questions, much less the many more that are more difficult. 

How about you?  Can you answer these basic questions?  Hey, don't let it get you all down and depressed if you can't.  Instead, why don't you do something about it, like find the answers.  Leave me a comment with contact info, and I'll help you find the answers. 

Be Blessed, and have a very merry Christmas!!!

Terry & Faith and the family.

 

Whose Authority?

Turn your television on at just about any time of the day on just about any day of the week and you'll be able to find some preaching going on.  Now this, in my opinion, is a good thing, or is it?  If you've spent much time in your Bible the longer you listen to some, not all but some, of the preaching on the television the more disturbed you will get.  Notice that I didn't say the more disturbed you might get, but the more disturbed you will get.  For any  new readers out there, something you'll come to learn about me the longer we know each other, is that I don't play word games, or mind games.  If I say something a certain way, there is a reason for it.  There are very few tv preachers I'll waste my time with. The main reason for that is because after my disgust reaches a certain point, then the frustration kicks in. I get frustrated over two different issues. First, how any man who identifies himself as a man of GOD could preach what is exactly opposite of what Scripture teaches. Second, I get frustrated to the point of wanting to jump right into the tv right into all the people sitting home listening to this guy and tell them, "Read you Bible!" Here is the point I'm headed for today, nowhere in the Bible have I ever found that GOD promises that any thing we ask for He'll automatically give us.  One thing you'll not be told is that prayers being answered is based on a couple of things.  One, that you've reconciled any differences between you and anybody else.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."  (Mark 11:25    NKJV)

Next, are what you're petitioning the Lord for something that you would honestly expect to be in His Will for you?

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  (James 4:3    NKJV)

I was asked to leave a church one time, and it was because I asked a simple question.  This wasn't even Sunday morning services, so it wasn't like I interrupted or anything.  This was on a Wednesday night adult Bible study, and I had been told when I was invited to come by the pastor himself, that it was an open forum, and that if I had any questions at all, to just go ahead and speak up.  So when the pastor began to teach the class, from a denominational magazine, and he began by telling us that GOD wanted us all to be good (he named the denomination here)'s.  He paused for a breath, and me, not having a bashful bone in my body I just jumped right in there and asked (and yes, I was polite) just where that was in the Scriptures, that we all were supposed to be good ------'s.  The pastor got a little red, and then asked if he could have a word with me in private, so we stepped out of the room and he asked me to leave.  So I left. 

Believe it or not, my little story here, which is true, illustrates two important things about the point of today's ramblings.  One, a lot of teaching and preaching is presented as being supported by Scripture, and two, if it's tested by the truths found only in the Scriptures it'll fail every time.  It says nowhere in the Bible that GOD wants us each to prosper and be wealthy, healthy, and wise here on earth.  Jesus taught that it was literally impossible for a rich man (by worldly standards) to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  (Matthew 19:24    NKJV)    See also Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25

Another thing He taught was that we should lay up our treasures where it counts, in heaven.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."  (Matthew 6:19-20    NKJV)

And yet another bit of knowledge that our Lord God felt we needed to know concerns a problem the apostle Paul identified in the [Early] Church there in Colosse.

"For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone deceive you with persuasive words.  For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.    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.  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."  (Colossians 2:1-8    NKJV)

Colosse to beware of a couple of things.  This tells us that should we encounter any of these things, that we too should beware, in a big way.  The things the apostle told the congregation to watch for started with persuasive words, and if persuasive words come from someone, then there will be deceit intended.  Let's look at that for a minute, just how will we know when we come face to face with 'persuasive words.'  We actually have it easier than those early Believers because we have the Bible to check things against.  I call this the test of the Scriptures, and I've always advocated testing everything by the Scriptures.  When I'm teaching I want everyone there to have a Bible in their hands, and as I go from passage to passage I slow down and make sure everyone is able to keep up.  I do this not because I'm some kind of 'super' teacher or 'one of a kind' preacher.  I do it because when I was called into ministry I made a vow to GOD, and I take my vows to GOD very seriously, that I would never teach anything without making sure that Scripture supported it, and I want people to check me against the Scriptures.  The early Believers didn't have the Bible to do a test of the Scriptures, so Paul told them to stick to what they'd been taught.  Look back at verse six again;

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him."

What Paul was telling the people was that the message of the cross doesn't change, that what they had been taught when they were saved was still so.  God is consistent, He doesn't  change His expectations from us, nor His promises to us. 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.  For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.  (Hebrews 13:8-9    NKJV)    See also Hebrews 1:12.

Any time we hear people making statements about having some kind of  a 'new' message from God, or a 'new' understanding of any certain Scripture, watch out.  I'm not saying to just turn the channel or leave the church.  I am saying to test every word you hear by the Scripture.  For those who've studied the history of the Christian church, you'll remember that it really hasn't been all that long ago that the established churches actually forbade their congregants to even own a Bible, much less read one and seek their own understanding.  If you're in any kind of a study group and something doesn't sound right, ask for clarification, say, "Hey, where in the Bible is that?"  Don't be bashful.  Tell them that I, Terry Keiner,  said it was okay for you to ask where that was in the Bible. 

The bottom line is this, God has made a number of promises to us, and sealed those by the blood of His Son.  When you get a package all ready to send off to someone for Christmas, or a birthday maybe, after you've sealed it up and sent it off, you can't add anything else to what is already sealed up.  So with that in mind, ask yourself, just whose authority are some of these folks who preach stuff that isn't in the Scriptures doing this by?  It isn't by the authority of God, His package was sealed up and posted two thousand years ago.  While it does happen that we'll sometimes forget something we intended to put in our package or letter, I'll promise you that God didn't forget anything.  Another thing I'll promise you is that He doesn't need any one of us to take up His slack.

By the way, whose authority do you claim your promises by?  Under whose authority do you live your life? 

Be Blessed my Brothers and Sisters before the Lord!
I pray you'll have many Spiritual Blessings with those close to you over these holiday times, and that His love will continue to grow in you!

Terry Keiner, being Blessed in Montana!