Monday, July 30, 2007

Our Freedom! Was It Free?

I have been watching the news lately and seeing that there is the big push to turn people away from our military. I have only one question. Do you really think you would have your freedom without our strong military? Let me answer that for you. NO!!! Once again our country is in an unpopular war that isn't going according to our own agenda, so we turn on the military and say we shouldn't be over there. Maybe we could be doing things differently, but we need to stand behind our forces and not jump on the bandwagon of those who don't want us in war. Yes we are losing precious lives and causing sorrow in many families, but freedom just isn't free of cost. All you have to do is drive by a national cemetery, and that fact will be confirmed for you as you observe all of the lives that have been lost for you to have the freedom you have today. You cannot assume that if you just don't get involved, it won't affect your country. Case in point "9/11".


There is an enemy out there that wants to destroy the United States and what we stand for, and they will not stop unless we stop them. OH, it would be great if we could all just live in peace, but that isn't going to happen. If you don't stop the enemy now, he will continue to grow in force and support. I don't totally agree with the way we are handling things in Iraq, but I would rather fight the enemy in their backyard than in our backyard. I don't agree with fighting a war politically,or being a police force in a foreign country, because our troops are sitting ducks. I feel that we need to go at it with all of the force available, and end it quickly. That is not the way our country fights wars anymore, because we put public opinion ahead of winning. We are more concerned with what the rest of the world thinks, than winning the war. The one thing I do know is that wars will continue and God has told us not to be troubled by it.


WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING?
The disciples ask Jesus what to watch for as a sign of His coming.
Matthew; 24:4-8
(And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.)

This pretty much summarizes our earth today. We have had wars in the past and we will have wars in the future. No matter what we do or how hard we try to stop them, there will not be peace on earth until the Antichrist deceives the nations with a short lasting peace. People want peace so badly that things are falling in place for the great deception. The Antichrist is going to come into power at the appointed time and we need stand fast in our faith in the Lord Jesus.

I realize this doesn't make it any easier for those who have lost loved ones in wars, but we need to stay focused on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our eternity depends on who we have put our faith in. If we have put our faith in ourselves or our money, these will be destroyed. If we have put hope and faith in Jesus Christ, we will have the outcome of that faith in eternal life.
Romans; 6:22
(But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.)
Remember, GOD IS IN CONTROL, NOT US!

God Bless You!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Being Sober Minded!

The Bible tells us to be sober, be vigilant. You can't live your life down here carelessly just because you think you are a Christian. If you were in a dangerous situation, would you be looking for something that would put you at further risk? No! You would be alert and attentive to your surroundings and watching our for present danger. It is no different when the devil is attacking you with temptation. You are not going to say "what ever happens, happens", you are going to do your best to stay focused on Jesus and rely on His strength.

Maybe you don't think that you are in danger in the world. But the Bible tells us that the devil is roaming around looking for someone to devour.
1Peter; 5:8
(Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.)
Knowing then that he is out there and watching for someone who is not alert. Shouldn't you make every effort to arm your self with the Word of God? Strong confidence in God's care doesn't give us the right to live carelessly. Satan will do all he can to draw a Christian into temptation and away from the will of God.

We are told that Satan is out there and we are also told what we should do.
1Peter; 5:9
(Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.)
So how do we protect ourselves? We are no match for the devil on our own strength, so we stand in God's strength. We arm our self with the Word of God and stand true to the Word.
Ephesians; 6:10-12
(Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.)

If you are going to arm yourself, you must train yourself. You will do this by being in the Word of God. It is your most effective weapon. God's Word is the only weapon that we need to stand firm. It is more powerful than anything that Satan has in his armory.
Ephesians; 6:17
(And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;)
The word of God can bring down all of the enemy strongholds. The truth of the Scripture cannot be beaten.
2Corinthians; 10:3-5
(For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,)

If you want to have victory, you cannot put yourself in a vulnerable position. Now what I mean by this is you must be sober and not under the influence of anything that doesn't allow you to be battle ready. Maybe you don't get drunk or intoxicated, but are you in total control of yourself if you are drink? Statistics would say no you are not in control, you are impaired. Would you really want to put yourself in that position against a powerful adversary?

We need to remember to be sober, be alert, be prepared with the Word of God. Stand firmly on the Truth of the Scriptures, rely on God's strength and not ours. This is our victory, and it is in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

God Bless You!


Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Future Crowns For All Believers!

All believers will receive these crowns at death or when Jesus returns. They are not literal crowns for your head but eternal crowns of Life, Glory, Righteousness, Rejoicing. They describe certain characteristics of eternal life.

Crown Of Life-which is eternal life.
James;1:12
(Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.)

Crown Of Glory-eternal glory.
1Peter; 5:4
(and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.)

Crown Of Righteousness-eternal righteousness.
2Timothy; 4:8
(Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.)

Crown Of Rejoicing or Exultation-eternal rejoicing.
1Thessalonians; 2:19
(For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?)

FROM MACARTHUR STUDY NOTES!!
The Bible speaks of eternal life like a wreath awarded for and athletic victory. It is spoken of in terms of:
1)the imperishable wreath that celebrates salvation's victory over corruption (1Cor. 9:25)
2)the righteous wreath that celebrates salvation's victory over unrighteousness (2Tim. 4:8)
3)the unfading wreath of glory that celebrates salvation's victory over defilement (1Pet. 5:4)
4)the wreath of life that celebrates salvation's victory over death (James 1:12) (Rev 2:10)
5)the wreath of exultation which celebrates salvation's victory over Satan and mankind's persecution of believers.

Our victory is through Jesus Christ. It is nothing that we have done, but what He did for us at the cross. His victory allowed us to experience victory because we have put our faith and hope in Him. Remember, that it is all about Jesus, and thank Him for for your salvation.

God Bless You!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Never By Works! Only Through Jesus!

Salvation has never been by works.
Titus; 3:4-7
(But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.)

This is the new birth. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. We also must go through this new birth (washing of regeneration) if we want to enter into the kingdom.
John; 3:5
(Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus didn't understand what Jesus was telling him and questioned Him further about being born again.
John; 3:5-6
(Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say 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 of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again')
Jesus was talking about the spiritual washing or purification of the soul, accomplished by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation.

Never put your faith in what you have done as a means to entering into the kingdom. Give your life to Jesus and repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you. Jesus said that all who come to Him, He will forgive and save.
John; 6:37
(All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.)
God is the guarantee that "all" He has chosen will come to Him for salvation.
John; 6:44
(No one comes to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.)

What we can do means nothing. It is all about what God has done for us in providing a way for forgiveness of our sins. When He sent Jesus to earth to die on the cross, Jesus was the sacrificial lamb shedding His blood on our behalf. Jesus took all of our sin on Himself and died in our place so that we could have eternal life in Him. There is no other way to Heaven but through Him.
Acts; 4:12
(Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.)
There are only two religious paths; the broad way of works salvation leading to eternal death, and the narrow way of faith in Jesus, leading to eternal life.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
Remember, eternal life is in Jesus and Jesus only.
1John; 5:12
(He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)

God Bless You!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Danger Of Apostasy

In case you don't know what apostasy is, I went to the Webster Dictionary and found the meaning.
APOSTASY: To revolt, Renunciation of religious faith, Defection.
How many times have we heard people say that they just don't know if they believe the Bible anymore? They use different reasons for their falling away from the truth of God's Word. We shouldn't be at all surprised, because God has told us that this would happen in the end times.
1Timothy; 4:1-3
(Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.)

We are told this for a reason, so we don't let ourselves be deceived by false teaching and we stay true to God's Word. There are a lot of different teachings out in the world today that are contrary to what God teaches in His Word. But we are not to pay any attention to it. Why do some fall away from the truth?
1John; 2:19
(They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.)
The departure of people from the truth and the church is their unmasking. The ultimate test of true Christianity is endurance.
Mark; 13:13
(And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.)
Hebrews; 3:14
(For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,)

A lot of the time people accept the Word of God because it is life giving. But if true conversion doesn't take place and trials come, they will not be able to withstand the trials and will fall away. Faith and trust in Jesus is what allows true believers to withstand those trials. We are not able to stand on our own against the world with out the Holy Spirit. We have to be rooted in the Word to be able to endure. Take the parable of the seeds for example.
Matthew; 13:5-6
(Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had not depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.)
If we don't have our roots firmly planted in the Word of God, when we face trials because of our faith, we will fail. Someone could tell us a lie and we could be deceived into believing the lie.

When God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, He is the Spirit of truth. He will let us know if someone is lying and He will bring to our remembrance the truth of the Scripture so that we will not believe the lie.
John; 14:26
(But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.)
We all need to be in the Word daily and soaking it in. It will be difficult for us to bring up the truth from the Word of God if we haven't been in the Word. Make sure that you are prepared for the end times. Trust in Jesus and stand firm on Him. He is the rock of our Salvation. He has warned us that the apostasy will happen and not to be shaken by it. The closer we get to Christ return, the more we will witness this falling away from the truth. Make sure that you are firmly rooted in Jesus Christ.

God Bless You!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Not Everyone Who Says 'Lord, Lord,' Will Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven!

If you are counting on getting in because you are a good person and you do many good things for people, you won't be allowed into heaven. Someone will say why not, I've been a good person my whole life. Saving faith comes only through Jesus Christ. Sure, we are to be good to people and help others, but Jesus said that He is the way. Our good works are not going to get us in.
Matthew; 7:21-23
("Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!')

Our works without genuine faith in Jesus Christ means nothing.
Isaiah; 64:6
(But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.)
If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are an unbeliever, and you must believe to be saved.
John;3:18
("He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.)
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)

Although men are required to believe for salvation, even that part of belief is a gift of God. We are all sinners and in need of a Savior, and our Savior is Jesus Christ.
Romans; 3:23-24
(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,)

As a believer in Jesus Christ, good works will follow, but the good works is not what saved us. If you have works and no faith, your not going to make it into heaven.
Galatians; 2:16
(knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.)
A sinful heart is what will keep us out of heaven and if we don't accept Jesus for our Savior, we will die in our sins. His sacrifice on the cross for our sins will wash them away, but salvation is in Him and Him only. Don't wait, put your faith and belief in Jesus Christ and be assured of your salvation.
1John; 5:11-13
(And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.)

God Bless You!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Nothing Is Hidden!

Everything we do is observed by God. Whether good or bad, He see all that we do and knows all that we think. We all have at times done things or thought things that we assumed no one knew about. The Bible tells us that God know everything, past, present, and future. So no matter what people say, nothing is hidden from the eyes of God.
Proverbs; 15:3
( The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.)
If you are doing something wrong and you think no one knows, you are wrong.

Take our country for instance. We are aborting babies everyday at record pace. Why? Because it is the woman's right to choose. In essence, they are deciding the life or death of an unborn child. You have an innocent little baby that can't speak for themselves, and someone says I don't want you, even though you are a gift from God. You don't mean anything to me except that you are an inconvenience to me and I'm not going to go through nine months of pregnancy. Our law say I have the right to kill you. It is called abortion, and our laws have made it legal in our country even if it is against God's laws.

What does God say?
Exodus; 20:13
(YOU SHALL NOT MURDER)
If you kill an unborn baby, is that not murder? If God can see every sparrow that falls, doesn't He see every baby that dies at the hands of man? How can we expect God to continually bless us if we continually disobey Him. Every election, one of the most frequently asked questions of any candidate is do you support abortion. (or the killing of helpless babies) If you say no, then you probably will not be elected because you stood up for the rights of the unborn.

Why have we prospered all these years and now it seems like our society is falling apart? We as a nation have turned our backs on God and said we want it our way and not yours. Well we are beginning to get it our way and look at what we have. Mass killing, people have become cold at heartless. We are ruthless, arrogant, without commitment to others. Our divorce rate is out of control, there is no respect for others and their property.I could go on but you get the picture because you live here.

What is the answer? As believers in Jesus Christ, we have instructions from God.
1Peter; 3:8-12
(Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. 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.)

This is advice from our God who created us in His image. He knows what is best for us and has told us what to do if we want to see good days. If we all turn back to God and do his will, I think we would see things change for the good. That is what God has told us to do.

God Bless You!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

We Must Obey!

When Saul went to battle against the Amalekites, God told him to destroy everything and leave nothing. They were marked for destruction when they attack Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
Deuteronomy; 25:17-19
("Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attack your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.)

Samuel had went to Saul and had told him what God had said.
1Samuel; 15:2-3
(Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all the they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' ")
God's judgment is severe on those who destroy His people as well as on those who disobey. God had given orders to Saul and this is what Saul did in the battle.

1Samuel; 15:7-9
(And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.)
Saul and the people had out right disobeyed the orders from God. They coveted the best of the Amalekites and had spared them.

When Samuel had meet Saul and had found out what he had done, he told Saul that he had disobey God.
1Samuel; 15:17-19
(So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?")

Saul told Samuel that he had brought the animals to sacrifice them to the Lord. But that is not what God had told him to do, and Samuel replied this way.
Samuel; 15:22-23
(So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord. He has rejected you from being king.")
There were consequences for Saul's disobedience and God punished him.

If we continue to reject the calling of God for Salvation, one day God will reject us. One of our commands from God is to be obedient to His Word and walk in His ways.
John; 14:15
("If you love Me, keep My Commandments.)
1John; 5:3
(For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.)
Genuine faith produces obedience. This does not mean that we never fail, but that our goal will be to please God and obey Him. He commands us to believe in Jesus if we want to be saved.
John; 3:16
(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.)
Let's make it our goal today to be obedient to God's commands.

God Bless You!

Monday, July 09, 2007

Whether Good Or Bad!

Did you know that even though you may be a born and again Christian, you will still stand before the judgment seat of Christ? The difference will be that if you are a Christian, then you are not judged for sin because the price for your sin has already been paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Ephesians; 1:7
(In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace)
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins when He shed His blood on the cross. When you accept Him as your Savior, your sins are forgiven.
Colossians; 1:13-14
(He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.)

When Paul talks about the good or bad, what exactly does he mean? What we as believers have done with our time will be looked at. This judgment will be for eternal rewards. Only those works which survive God's testing fire have eternal value and are worthy of reward.
1Corinthians; 3:13-15
(Each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.)
This is not a judgement for sin, because Christ has already paid that price for us. If you are a believer, you will still have eternal life and will be saved.
Romans; 8:1
(There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.)
This is only to determine our eternal rewards.

So how are we to live while on earth so that we can please God?
Romans; 12:1-2
(I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.)
We have a job to do while we are still here on earth. We are told to be a light in a dark place, we are to be witnesses for Jesus, we are to confess Him before men, and we are to obey Him. We have been given the Great Commission.
Matthew; 28:19-20
(Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.)

1Thessalonians; 5:14-19
(Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.)

God Bless You!

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Our Speech! Seasoned With Salt!

Most of us are not proud of our speech before we became a Born Again Christian. Some may still slip at times and say something they wished they hadn't. No one is perfect, so this could happen to anyone at anytime. God tells us that we are to watch what we say at all times. A foul mouth can destroy your testimony in a heartbeat. Whether we want to admit it or not, the world is watching us who claim to have Christ in our life to see if we are different or just like the rest of the world. Our speech reveals a lot of what is in the heart. We are told that by our words we will be identified, either a good tree, or a bad tree.
Matthew; 12:35
(A good man out of the good treasures of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasures brings forth evil things.)

Maybe you think that it is just a small thing when your speech is unbecoming of a Christian, but God says differently. We are told that we are going to give account for all that we say.
Matthew; 12:36-37
(But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.")
The true indication of a bad tree is the fruit of bad speech. I'm not saying that if you have a slip of the tongue you are a bad tree, but if your speech is consistently foul, then you need to check the content of your heart.

Maybe you think that you can control your speech without any help, but James tell us differently.
James; 3:8
(But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.)
Our tongue can cause a lot of damage when we don't use it in a godly manner.
James 3:6
(And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire by hell.)

How are we to gain control of our speech. The Bible tells us to walk in the Spirit and we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. With the Holy Spirits control, we can speak properly. The genuine believer will not contradict his profession of faith by the regular use of unwholesome words.
James; 3:10-12
(Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.)
If you are someone who has problems controling your what you say, ask God to help you. We know that with God all things are possible. Let your speech identify you as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians; 4:29
(Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.)
Colossians; 4:5-6
(Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.)

We are called to walk so that our life is a light in a dark world. If our speech blends in with the rest of the world, how are they going to know that we are a Christian? We need to direct others toward Jesus, not away from Him. Be that witness that stands out among the world. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and with the Holy Spirits help, we can live that way.

God Bless You!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In you Richly!

Colossians;3:16
(Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.)
To let the word dwell in us richly, means to allow it to live in us or be at home in our lives. There is only one way to let this happen and that is to be in the word so it can totally saturate our everyday thinking. When you are studying the Word of God, it is taking hold in your heart and mind so that it will begin to influence your thinking and decision making.

We have been given the written Word of God through people who God chose to write it down. It is not some story that these people made up, but it was given to them by God what they were to write down.
2Timothy; 3:16-17
(All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.)
2Peter; 1:20-21
(knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.)

Sometimes these prophets would write down what they didn't fully understand, but they were faithful to write down what God had revealed to them.
1Peter; 1:10-11
(Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the suffering of Christ and the glories that would follow.)

We know that to understand God, we must know Him better. The only way to know God better is to be in his Word. When you start to know God better by studying the Scriptures, then you also start to better understand what His will is for you. Knowing and understanding God's will through His Word is spiritual wisdom.
Ephesians; 5:17
(Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is)
There is no other way to gain this knowledge except by regular study of the Word of God. God tell us how He expects us to live, and what He doesn't want from us. If you are in the Word, you will be less likely to be deceived by the false doctrine of the world.

When Jesus said "He is the way, and the truth, and the life," He was telling you that He is the only way to Heaven, He is telling you the truth, and there is no eternal life anywhere but in Him. Be in the Word and let Word of God dwell in you richly.


God Bless You!