Scared of what might happen?

Are you afraid? Does the news scare you as you see the evil of this world?

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18 (NASB)

There is a good fear that protects us and a respectful fear that we should have of God, but I’m talking about the type that steals your joy; fear of what might happen or what we imagine. If fear is stealing your joy, consider why and what that says about your trust in God.

God is good and God is sovereign and He loves you enough to remove all fear of punishment, so if you have fear issues, here are a couple of causes.

A)  You might not be sure of your eternal future.

This is where we all need to start and know for sure if we are Saved and a Child of God. Your salvation is based on the finished work of Jesus on the cross and what you have done with the payment Jesus made that day. As John wrote in 1 John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

Jesus said in John 3:16-18 that anyone who has not believed is already judged for not believing in Him, but that God sent Jesus to save the world by believing in Him. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” If you have believed you need have no fear of punishment and you know for sure that you have a certain future with God in Heaven based on the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word.

Perhaps you know that you are saved, but you don’t always feel like it. If so, that is the result of listening to the devil or one of those that speak his lies. Tomorrow we will look at what God is like and what Satan is like and see if that won’t help choosing to walk by faith rather than feelings. Your salvation is affirmed by the Word of God and confirmed by the changes God makes in you and the thing He does through you. Believe what God says, not your feelings or fears.

As a Christ follower you have certainty because of the relationship you have with God through Jesus Christ. You can be confident God is in control rather than fear what might be. You know He can be trusted.

(Tomorrow we will look at God & Satan and some things about them)

Let the Word strengthen you & your relationships

Can you have a discussion without it becoming an argument when talking with someone you disagree with?

“If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.” 2 Timothy 2:13-16 (NLT)

Timothy was to remind his church, but we can also remind ourselves that no matter what God is faithful and if we sin, we need to immediately confess it, which includes repentance from it, and getting busy obeying God again, because if we are not walking loving and obeying we may find ourselves trying to prove ourselves rather than living godly and being used by God to draw people to Him.

Some things to help are:

1. Have a good personal relationship with Jesus where you know for sure you are saved and where God is either first in your life or being allowed to sanctify you in that direction.

2. Keep the things of this world in the proper perspective. The foolish worthless talk and other things of the world are not of central importance to you. You know that sound doctrine and an obedient heart will lead to right thinking and actions. Because your life is centered on Jesus, He will bring love and unity.

3. Be working in the ministry God has for you. All of us are called so share the Gospel and minister and disciple others. This does not mean you have to have to be a preacher but that you are obediently actively allowing God to use you to serve Him where you are. Also, as part of it, spend time in the Word with an open mind to God and accuracy of teaching, not "proving" your opinion or caught up in every new thing that comes along.

So, if you are being obedient and in a strong relationship with God, have the proper perspective on the things of this world and the things of the Spirit, and are being used by God in ministry then it will lead to more closeness, more unity, more sharing and more helping in other’s personal growth and ministry; you will find yourself daily being and becoming a great wife, husband, parent, child or whatever place God has you in.

Are you slowly fleeing time with God?

Do circumstances, hurt feelings or the busyness of life drive you to God or do you let them drive you from the presence of the Lord?

God told Jonah to get up, obey Him and go to a people he didn’t like. These people were the “enemy” so why should he want to tell them to repent? They might do it and be forgiven and he wanted them punished. {Assyria’s capital Nineveh was NE of him (in present day Iraq near Mosul) so he went SW to the seaport city of Joppa to catch a boat going way west to Tarshish (most likely this was a city in what is now Spain) so he was trying to get as far from where God wanted him as possible.}

“The word of the LORD came to Jonah…Arise, go to Nineveh…,But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD…”(Jonah 1:1-4)

Most of us don’t run from God this dramatically but instead slowly “flee from His presence”. We quit reading our Bible regularly and then perhaps almost never. We go from praying all the time to maybe on Sunday, to maybe at a meal with a group, and then to only when some big trouble comes and we want some “extra” help.

We start skipping a chance to gather with our local fellowship of believers and end up seldom if ever going to church services. Normally this is a slow process as ‘church’ and the things of God become something we do rather than who we are and a time of closeness with God and His people. We get busy and begin to neglect Him and to love other things more than being in God’s presence. (Yes I know God is everywhere and we can never escape His being there, but by presence here I’m referring to that closeness and fellowship that we may need to restore.1Jn 1:9)

Sadly for too many it is a short trip for them because they never had a close time of prayer, Bible study and involvement in the lives of other discipling and teaching them. Being a Christ follower is about a relationship of love and fellowship with God that also involves others in whom God dwells – fellow believers. That love also spills over into other’s lives too as you share your relationship with God with others; and He uses you to bring others to know Him and be used to train them to walk with God and to become disciple makers themselves.

When a love relationship loses the excitement one or both people are not working at it. Since we know God is always there doing His part, then it must be ME who needs to see where I have left His presence. If you are not as close to God as you want to be, then turn around and go where He wants you to be – in His presence, His will, His grace. For a time cut back or put away FB, roping or whatever it is that is becoming your “First Love” and put your eyes back on Jesus. It is many times good things that pile up on us and keep us from time alone with God, loving Him and acknowledging Him being first in our life; being our life.

Don’t let your dislike of something as in Jonah’s case drive you from God. Don’t let your liking of something too much keep you from time in God’s presence and missing out on Him using you to help change other’s lives.

Don’t let “life” drive you from the presence of the One who is your life, instead spend time in God’s presence and allow Him to restore the joy of that fellowship in your life!

How do we keep the flesh a slave rather than be its slave?

The flesh needs to be kept under subjection to God because its power over us is broken. We can now as a Christ follower chose to give in to the flesh, make it a slave or reckon it dead.

Do you find this easy?

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
“…I do not box like one beating the air but [like a boxer] I buffet my body [discipline it by hardships] and subdue it or make it my slave, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit or disqualified.
Romans 6:11 “consider or reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus
Luke 9:23 – “he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Jesus).

This is our daily battle (the process of sanctification) that is the hardest part of facing the world, the flesh & the devil – our own flesh!
Too often we start here fighting against our flesh and fail here because we try to do it on our own (not in His power & strength). The ‘do your best for Jesus’ idea where I do my part and then God comes along and fills in what I couldn’t quite manage. Christianity is “by grace through faith, not works” (Eph.2:8-10). We need to learn and really believe who we are in Christ – that new creation of 2Cor 5:17.

The start? Be sure you have been born again, been made a new creature, been given a new heart, been adopted into the family or God or become a child of God – whichever you call it.
We are lost sinners heading to hell apart from the grace & mercy of God. (Eph 2:8-10)

The heart of mankind – you and I is “more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick or wicked; Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9   So,
We need a new heart. Too many try to repair, refurbish, re-paint or in some way fix up the old heart and the old flesh and make it look like and act like a “child of God” (John 1:12).
David said in Psalm 51:10-12,
“Create (ba-ra – Same as Genesis 1:1) in me a clean, or a pure, heart, O God,
And renew, rebuild or repair, a steadfast, firmly established or right, spirit within me.”
then David said,
“Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me {now spirit dwells in (Rom 8:9) believers & seals us (Eph 4:30)}. Restore to me the joy of (whose?) Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”

If you want your church to have revival then focus on yourself; getting yourself completely right with God so that revival can start in “me”. I’m the only one I can join God in changing.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss said, “Proud people focus on the failures of others, but broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need. Proud people are self-righteous. They have a critical, fault-finding spirit. They look at everyone else's faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope, and they look down on others. But broken people are compassionate. They can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven. They think the best of others, and they esteem all others better than themselves.
… broken people have a dependent spirit and recognize their need for others. Proud people have to prove that they're right, but broken people are willing to yield the right to be right. Proud people claim rights and have a demanding spirit, but broken people yield their rights and have a meek spirit. Proud people are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation, but broken people are self-denying. Proud people desire to be served, but broken people are motivated to serve others. … broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.”

The other day my blog was on worship and the words the Bible uses that are translated ‘worship’
Heb. ābad – to work or to serve
Heb. shāha – to prostate oneself
Heb. - kāra – to bend the knee, bow down, to work, to serve
Gr. – Proskyneō – it means to pay homage or reverence, to prostate oneself, to kiss the hand or to lick the hand as in a dog licking the hand of his master - carries the idea of humble devotion.
Gr.- latreia – means service

Worship is in real humility submitting or bowing down to God and serving Him according to the meaning of the words the Bible uses for the word WORSHIP. Broken, not proud!

It is time to get on our knees or face before him, literally if you can, and pray for Him to change what He wants to change in you – Lord bring revival in my life!
Recognize Him for who He is, bow or bend the knee before Him, serve Him, submit totally to Him and let Him use you and work through you, let Him change you and mold and make you into the image of Christ. This is worship in truth; in Jesus.

Getting right with God isn’t being busy doing things, but getting quiet and listening to God.
If enough of us will repent and let God work on us, He can change our church, our communities and even our Nation and world system. Jesus said if we love Him we will obey  & God says we were saved to ‘walk in the works God prepared for us to walk in’ – Jn 14:15, Eph 2:10
Otherwise the judgment of God on this nation will continue and we should get ready for persecution and for Jesus return.

Recognize who you are in Christ and that you do have victory over sin; that you can reckon yourself dead to its power over you. Trust that you have a new heart and are what God says you are, and see God work in your life and through it!

Thoughts on Worship

What is WORSHIP?
Years ago a worship service was one where Hymns of praise were sung, a message preached and an invitation given. Today worship is grouped with a song service and praise and independent of the preaching. It seems to me either type service or parts of either type can be a part of worship but that singing, praise, preaching and even an invitation can be done with no worship involved. Also, worship can be done with none of these present.
What does the Bible have to say about worship?
Here are some words the Bible uses that are translated ‘worship’.
“… you shall worship God at this mountain." Exodus 3:12 – Heb. ābad – to work or to serve

“….then they bowed low and worshiped.” Exodus 4:31 – Heb. shāha – to prostate oneself, to bow down and doing homage

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. Psalm 29:2 Heb. – shāha again; perhaps doing homage by recognizing His glory in “the splendor of His holiness” is another translation of the “holy array” (in either case it is not speaking of your dress)

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:6 Heb. - kāra – to bend the knee, bow down, to work, to serve

What about the New Testament and the Greek words?
(Jesus talking to the woman at the well in Samaria) “…an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:21-24  - Gr. – Proskyneō or a variation of it in all these instances – it means to pay homage or reverence, to prostate oneself, to kiss the hand or to lick the hand as in a dog licking the hand and carries the idea of humility. (This is the most used word for worship in the NT)

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. …”Romans 12:1-2 Gr.- latreia – means service which is why some translations say, “your spiritual service of worship”. Primarily hired service or divine service as in Hebrews 9:1, “…divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.”

So yes, “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and make melody with your heart to the Lord;” (Ephesians 5:19) and definitely “sing praise to Your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:2) and “let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1), and do it to praise God and to worship, but remember that worship is mainly humbling submitting or bowing down to God and serving Him according to the meaning of the words the Bible uses for the word WORSHIP.

Recognize Him for who He is, bow or bend the knee before Him, serve Him, submit totally to Him and let Him use you and work through you, let Him change you and mold and make you into the image of Christ. This is worship in truth; in Jesus.

True freedom & independence!

JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.....

 

 

FREEDOM!
All of these beautiful creatures I photographed in my back yard have freedom to some extent...
But it is only in the cross that true freedom is obtained.
Freedom from spiritual death, from the constraints of this world, from the power of sin and one day from the presence of sin as we spend eternity with God.
Please don't trade freedom from some circumstance or a search for some pleasure to keep you from giving your life to God and finding true freedom.
Real Christianity is not about rules but about a relationship with holy God!
He saves us from the penalty of sin by taking our sin upon Himself and giving us His righteousness and a new eternal life in Jesus. (Rom. 5:8, John 3:16-18, Eph 2:8-10)

Each of the creatures has their own limited view of their world - the fish his little pond, the squirrel his little part of the forest, the horses their pastures, the deer perhaps several square miles, the birds and the dragonfly a wider view. However, at the cross when Jesus gives you a new life He will give you an eternal view and an overall understanding and purpose and unconditional love from Him.

He will, if you let Him, teach you that unconditional love for others so that you can go out and share the gospel, the good news, of Jesus with others and disciple them in how to be all they are in Christ! (2Cor. 5:17)

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:32
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

There is true freedom in Jesus alone and only by giving up your life and receiving the new life He offers as a Child of God!
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name," John 1:12 (all NASB)

Did you put Jesus on the cross?

Are you responsible for Jesus death on the cross?“He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” Romans 4:25

“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.” ~ John Stott

YOU put Jesus on the cross, I put Jesus on the cross – all of us needed a Savior because we are all sinners. (Romans 3:23, 6:23) If we are now in Christ a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) then we need to allow Him to make changes in our lives and flee from sin, not make excuses or try to say our sin is OK because society has changed or for some reason accept our sin. There are plenty of attacks on the Church from outside, but it is those from inside that do the most damage.

God says we are to be holy for He is holy and we need to in love obey God and keep ourselves from sin; pray not to be led into temptation even!

"If sin is in your hand, put it far away, And do not let wickedness remain in your dwelling” Job 11:14
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God”. Romans 6:12-13

As Christians we have a choice to not sin. You and I did not and still do not deserve anything from God but punishment, but by Grace, Jesus paid for sin and when you believed you received:
 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 – given Jesus’ purity and right standing with God.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:12 – became adopted with full rights of a child of God.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3 – have been blessed (already) with everything you need for a spiritual life in Christ.

Keep yourself from sin, love and obey God and cooperate with Him in being used by Him to reach and love others. It is difficult and a battle, but the strength and victory are provided by God and your eternal outcome is secure! By God’s grace “there is now no punishment for those who are in Christ” (Romans 8:1)!

Don’t ever get fooled into thinking you are “pretty good” or “OK” on your own – preach the good news of Jesus to yourself daily. Keep thankful for the grace it took to pay for your sin and make you a child of God so you can love and obey God!