Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds" (2 Corinthians 11:13-14) OK, I am mad now so I better hurry up and write this post because my mad only lasts about 20 minutes. I really try to hold back my anger....but when I read one of these "angels of light" lecture on how God must eternally torment people in hell because God is "absolute moral perfection"... well my blood boils because I know they are deceiving people I love and care about.  Joe Blow from down under is one of those (name changed so not to offend some friends). He says that Hell is the just result of God's "absolute moral perfection"... REALLY? To be "Just" and absolutely “morally perfect" is to tort

Jesus asked... "...whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God...And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona....  But a few minutes later Jesus said to Peter.. . But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me." (Matthew 16:15-23) What happened? In just a few minutes Peter went from the blessed Saint to the offensive Satan, the enemy of the cross. Why?  He stopped believing Jesus. He knew who Jesus "was", but did not believe what he "SAID". Christians are not immune from what happened to Peter. Even faithful Christians can have a personal relationship with Jesus and yet deny the truth he gives in the Scripture...especially the truth given to Paul. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15) "God was n Christ

"Sue Ann, if you were a Christian you would pour me another glass of tea," I said as I shook my empty glass of ice as usual. Without batting an eye she said, “I'm not a Christian.  Are your legs broken?"  And after I stopped laughing, she poured me another glass of tea.  As usual. I just love my wife.  She puts me in my place, states her mind, and then proceeds to actually live her life in a way that mirrors Christ. She would not agree with that last part.  She thinks of herself as “unspiritual” because she does not get all glazy-eyed over the latest inspirational book or the next women's retreat. Her favorite verse is... “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) And for some unknown reason, she loves me.  Go figure.  And not only that, she agrees with my views on the Scripture and encourages me to post them. "Robert," says the

”Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:8-12) Some powerful truth here that we should consider. 1. If you do not love...you do not know God. 2. God IS Love. 3. God loved us and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 4. Therefore we ought to love one another 5. No one has ever seen God 6. God lives in us IF we love one another 7. When we love like God we are complete I want to focus on just one of these truths - God is love. It does not say "God loves",  but that "God IS love." Most fundamental and evange

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) Have you ever been in love?  Think about that person.  Okay, now let's assume that that person just did something that really hurt you - left you, ignored you, cursed you, whatever. Do you still love them? If not, well, did you really love them in the way the Bible portrays love? The Greek word for love is agape in 1 Corinthians 13. The King James Version translates the word, charity . Think about charity.  What is it?   I can tell you what it is not. It is NOT giving to someone expecting something in return. You may hope you get a thank you or a response of some sort, but that is not why you gave. You were charitable toward them because you cared about them.  They had a need that you wanted to fill, and you gave without any tho

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2) When people experience tough times, the best remedy is a strong dose of faith in the TRUTH of God relating to life after death. When we get a glimpse at what comes next, for all mankind, the battles we have to endure in this life become bearable. For you who are struggling with tough times now and are uncertain why or what will happen next, take comfort in this.  Christ Jesus suffered also, even death on a cruel Roman cross.  He was rejected and abandoned even by the very disciples who had been following him for three and a half years.  But he forgave them. Later, in the midst of the suffering of his fellow Jews, Peter said to them... "Rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; tha

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:1-6) All of us are addicted to something. And those who have overcome an addiction to medication, drugs, or alcohol are some of my heroes. They would not realize or know, but what I saw in their struggle and victory has helped me with my own addiction.  Are you ready for this?  My addiction to church. I guess you could call me a recovering &

We Christians sometimes think more highly of ourselves than we should, just because we have come to the knowledge of our salvation as the firstfruits of the harvest. It should humble us, not make us see ourselves as more favorable to God than others who have not been given this knowledge yet. God is the Father of ALL, and His Son Jesus is Lord of ALL.  Together they will Save ALL, and ALL men will eventually have this knowledge. "...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge ..." (1 Corinthians 8:6-7) God is no respecter of persons. All sinners will be saved at the proper time because that is what Christ Jesus came to do. And apparently the worst sinners are saved first. "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am

I heard the following verse quoted one Sunday while in college at Baylor.  I think it was in a sermon (yes I went to chapel every day for two years and also to church a couple of times). "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." (Hebrews 12:1) It was right after the annual NoZe Brotherhood "unsocial," as the noble brotherhood called it. I had had a great time although it was not what you would call a gathering of the saints. Anyway, when I heard this verse and the speaker say that all of our departed loved ones are witnessing our every move and "looking over the balcony of heaven - watching and cheering for us," I thought,  Oh shoot  (or a similar word)!  Was Grandma Lakey really watching me this weekend?  If so, she is NOT cheering.  Dang! It wasn't until nearly 25 years later t

Repent (change your mind). No one is saved by "personal" faith. If you think so, then you are making your faith your savior and thus, denying the truth. The truth is that you are saved by God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. That salvation is complete. All that faith can do for us is show that we agree with what God and Jesus have done for us.  Faith (believing God) makes us righteous (justified) and gives us peace.  We are not saved by that faith, but "justified by faith" (Romans 5:1).  “…solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21 NASB) The word repentance is the Greek word metanoian meaning, a change of mind . Paul used it in a similar way in Acts 17:30-31 while in Athens. What Paul was encouraging both the educated orthodox Jew and Greeks (Hellenized Jews and Gentiles) to do was to CHANGE THEIR MIND about God. The false Jewish teaching was that God would

What if some do not hear the Gospel? Good question. According to most religions, those people are damned for eternity if they do not hear and adhere to its particular gospel. They are wrong. “…Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24) God’s GRACE, channeled through the FAITH of Christ Jesus, is the source of blessing for all mankind. “…a righteousness of God is manifest…yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ’s faith, for all…” (Romans 3:22) Any religion limiting the grace of God and the faithfulness of Christ Jesus to less than all - is wrong! “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…” (Titus 2:11)

I recently read the following post on Facebook and of course I had to think about it way too much - my wife tells me. "In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make." Sounded wise at first, but then it became sad to me. By "In the end," I suppose the author is referring to the end of this life. And I guess he is assuming that most people actually reflect on their lives before they actually die. I doubt it. However, it is true that at the end of this life all of us will have had chances we did not take, relationships that we did not pursue, and decisions that we put off too long. But since we find no comfort in reflecting upon those regrets, most people comfort themselves by reflecting on the chances they did take, the relationships they did have, and the good decisions they did make. Regret of any kind is too depressing. When the time comes, I will choose not to go th

“And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God is through THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST to all and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference, for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:21-23 Young's Literal Translation) It is a wonder anyone comes to know the truth with the poor translations of the Bible we have today.  They result in poor teaching.  Above is one of the few correct translations of these verses.  Note the phrase in all caps, and then check out your version.  If it says anything else it is the fabrication of men - not what the oldest Greek manuscripts read. The righteousness of God is freely given “to all” as a result of THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST.  Not OUR faith in Christ Jesus.  Big, BIG difference.  In fact, it is the good news. Paul in the first three chapters of Romans has clearly shown that there is “none righteous” - neither Je

"...always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth...for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." (2 Timothy 3:7; 4:3-4)  What have you learned lately? And who from? Learning from the Bible is a great thing, and if we haven't learned anything new lately, it is most likely because we have refused "the truth" when presented to us by one who has "come to a knowledge of the truth" .  Our study of the Bible may be continuous, "line upon line, hear a little, there a little"  but in all our meticulous study we may  never learn antything new, but in fact fall "backward, and be broken, and snared"... "And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept...line upon line, here a little, there a little that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." (Isaiah 28:13)

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.  Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of thy  coming?"  (Matthew 24:3) Jesus then told them what to look for... "Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah, and will deceive many...and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:4, 11) In an era when many call themselves followers of Jesus, but are deceiving themselves and others, that is the sign of the era in which Jesus will return.  The Apostle Paul also speaks of this era. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traito

"unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood..." (John 6:26-71) That is gross. I know there are some pious types who have come up with reasons for it not to be gross, but it's Cannibalism, pure and simple. And Jesus said it, not to draw religious people to him, but to drive them away. He does not need you to defend his statement. He said it in the synagogue in Capernaum, and as a result many stopped following him around. They were only following him in the first place because they were being entertained by his miracles, getting free food, and being healed from their sicknesses. With this bold statement, Jesus got rid of everyone except those whom HE HAD CHOSEN, and even they said, "this is a difficult statement, who can listen to it?" Jesus is the bread of God who came down to give life to the world of sinners, not to rustle up a bunch of followers to bless as a result of being faithful to the local synagogues. Sometimes he needs us to be cast out o

"The Lord will rescue me from EVERY evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18) We will be rescued from every evil deed when the Lord has brought us "safely to His heavenly Kingdom."  But for now we live in what Paul calls "this present EVIL age," (Galatians 1:4) and it is His will for us to suffer at least some while we are here. And why not? Just think about it for a minute. If you have never been ill, could you truly appreciate your health and give genuine thanks for it?  If you had never been hated and rejected, could you truly appreciate being loved and accepted? EVIL serves as the contrast to GOOD. Adam and Eve would have never known how good they had it, except for experiencing the evil that came when they disobeyed. What we learn from experiencing evil is simple.  Good is better than evil.   God and Jesus are good.  Hitler, Idi Amin, Nero, Satan, and many others are n

"For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope," (Romans 8:20) Note that creation (this includes mankind) was "not willingly" subjected to vanity.  There was no free will of man involved, as I read it.  God subjected His creatures to vanity.  And God will deliver them from it! The free will of men has nothing to do with salvation either. What does God "will" in regard to salvation? "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3-4). All other Scripture should harmonize with this - and it does!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ ALL will be made alive…" (1 Corinthians 15:22) Yesterday I read a humorous Facebook post about the difference between men and women. It reminded me of the following low point in my otherwise wonderful 40 years of marriage. Sue Ann and I were driving back home from Oklahoma City, which is about a two hour drive.   Weatherford is about half way, so when we got to Weatherford I heard Sue Ann say, “Earth to Robert…Earth to Robert…come in Robert.”  I looked over at her and said, “What?”  She said, “Robert, you haven’t heard a word I’ve been saying, have you?  I’ve been telling you about this for an hour."  All I could say in response was, “Sorry sweetheart but I’m paying attention now."  Needless to say, I still do not know what she said but I did notice the utter silence for the next several days. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: …we will ALL be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will

Does the bible give a summary of God's Plan for His creation? It was given to Paul it seems to me and he shares it in at least two places as follows: "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:19-25) NOTE

"...we declare God’s wisdom, a MYSTERY that has been HIDDEN... these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit... so that we may understand what God has FREELY GIVEN US.... if any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 2-3) Paul was speaking to those in Corinth about God’s grace and His free gift of salvation. They believed the gospel but still had all kinds of sin going on among them. Much of this letter is to advise them on how to correct those problems. However, as carnal as they were, they were still called saints and were recipients of the free gift of salvation by the grace of God. This was part of the MYSTERY that had been hidden until revealed to Paul, by Jesus after his ascension to heaven. Although we may lose rewards and be shamed for bad living and false doctrine at the return of Jesus, we are still saved.  For Christ "came into the world to save sinners" - a