All Things Are Lawful

“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)

“Abstain from every form of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22)

“…to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 8:21)

Sin no longer condemns us, Christ has overcome the penalty for sin by his resurrection to perfection...and he will do that for all in God's timing. The above Scripture is not warning of the penalty for sin. All sin has been atoned for at the cross and Christ has set us free from the law and we are FREE...

"It was for freedom Christ set us free....He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (Galatians 5:1; 1 John 2:2)

HOWEVER, we still have to live out our appointed time in this “present evil age”, as Paul calls it, before our own gracious resurrection to perfection.

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." (Galatians 1:3-4)

So the Scriptures first quoted above tell us that we should "abstain from every form of evil" as the best way to make this age more enjoyable for us and those we come in contact with, even though doing them no longer condemns us.

 I have learned that some things are just not worth doing. But I do not allow assemblies of men to prepare the list of  these "worthless" things...in my freedom I decide knowing I will give account to God.

"For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each of us may receive what he deserves for what he has done in his body, whether good or worthless." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Worthless things won't be rewarded, the good we do will.  The best thing I know to do is to treat people right and with respect, if possible, and hope they appreciate it enough to treat me the same way...as Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount...

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you,” (Matthew 7:12)

MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Whole Story!

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which translated means, God with us...and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:23; 21)

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son...good news of great joy...for all the people; ...in the city of David there has been born...a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:7-12)

"...the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

"...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

"...the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord..." (Romans 6:23)

"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." (John 3:16-17)

"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)

"...they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, but on the third day He will be raised up." (Matthew 20-18-19)

"...they crucified Him...He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19:18-30)

"...Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

"I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also...this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (John 14:3; Acts 1:11)

"...we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ...He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." (1John 2:1-2)

"...I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed...Death is swallowed up in victory..." (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

"...the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“Yes, I am coming soon. Come quickly Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen." (Revelation 22:21-22)

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

“He’s making a list and checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice...you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is comin’ to town.” (John Haven Coots and Haven Gillespie)

I love the songs and the whole story of Santa Claus, and I love watching kids relate to him and write letters assuring him they have been good. I have no problem with that fairy tale and do my best to keep my Grandkids from finding out who he really is, or isn’t, for as long as possible.

However, sometimes I wonder if our ideas about God come more from fairy tales than the Bible. If you’re good you will be blessed and go to heaven, but if you’re bad…look out because Jesus is coming back to town. At least with good old Saint Nick, bad children only get a lump of coal and a Ho Ho Ho, while the angry God of old Saint Religion sends bad children to be coal for an eternal fire - Ho Ho Horrible!

Anyway, enjoy the fun of Santa Claus this Christmas with the kids, but take some time to think about the real God, the God revealed to us by his one good Son, the baby Jesus who grew up to become the Savior of the world. God is a loving Father, and although He chastens and corrects his children in this life (all but one of whom are bad), His gracious gift to them after death will be salvation and the unmerited “free gift of eternal life”…

"…He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men...your Father is merciful...for God has shut up ALL in disobedience so that He may show mercy to ALL...for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord… who will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself” (John 6:35-36; Romans 11:32; 3:23; 6:23; Isaiah 9:6: Philippians 3:21)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE - God our Father loves us all

There Is Born To You A Savior

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for ALL THE PEOPLE; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 210-11)

We may best say that if the divine interference is absolutely necessary to the salvation of any creature, it must also be necessary for every creature. The fact that He does save one of his creatures is conclusive proof that He in time will save all of them because if He saves some and not others, a few and not all, the Scriptures which HE inspired would be nothing more than a lying mockery and deceit. God is no respecter of persons.

Alan Burns (-1929)
Faith Fellowship Magazine
Volume 58, Number 1

The Purpose of Evil

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create EVIL: I the LORD do all these” (Isaiah 45:7)

The great barrier to belief in God, and especially to a loving God, is the presence of evil in the world. Quite frankly, I do not blame people for rejecting God or at least rejecting the idea of a God who really cares about people. And I am confident God does not blame them either.

The Bible, read in its entirety, can help us understand evil, but few have read or even had opportunity to read it. After all, the printed Bible was not made available to the public at large until recent times.

So why, if there is a God, did He create evil and why does He continue to allow it to prosper?

                                וְנָתַ֣תִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֗י לִדְרֹ֤ושׁ וְלָתוּר֙ בַּֽחָכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ה֣וּא׀ עִנְין

The above Hebrew is translated in the Concordant Version of the Bible as follows:

“I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: It is an experience of EVIL Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it” (Ecclesiastes 1:13 CV)

God created evil in order that mankind could experience it and be humbled as a result. And when God is through with it, I am confident He will remove it…

“He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:8-9)

In this present evil age we will be humbled, but we live in faith that although evil is necessary, it is also temporary...the best is yet to come.

Resurrection To Glory

“...set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things....When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4).

Glory is mankind's final destiny. And we do not have it now except in the form of the promise of God.  It is our hope...

“…We... rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

And Glory comes with our resurrection...

“…Sown in dishonor… raised in glory…” (I Corinthians 15:42-43a).

In this life we experience suffering from time to time but we can cope with the suffering when we "set our minds on the things above, not on earthly things" - "in hope of the glory of God" to follow...

“…The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be…” (Romans 8:18).

As we celebrate Jesus we should not focus simply on a baby in a manger but set our minds on things above, where our risen Lord sits at the right hand of God waiting to return and complete our resurrection to Glory.

The Throne of Grace

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). 

Many among Christianity have made God’s thrown one of fierce judgment rather than Grace. And by judgment they mean an angry God pouring out His wrath on the sinner…and by wrath they mean casting them forever away from Him into a fiery furnace to be tortured forever. 

But God says His throne is where we come and find Grace and Mercy, not condemnation and everlasting punishment.  It is not that God does not get angry, and that He never pours out his wrath on men. But His wrath ends in death which is the "wages of sin". (Romans 6:23)

The Scripture tells us that "God is love" (1 John 4:8) so even His wrath flows from Love and therefore must be remedial in purpose… and short lived. Surely He does such as he instructs us to do…

“Be angry, yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…” (Ephesians 4:26)

But I hear you say "God is Just".  True, and the word means that God always does what is right.  It is right to put the sinner to death.  It is also right for God to raise the sinner to life as the just result of His Grace and Mercy for...

“The LORD’S loving-kindness’ indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…Love never fails” (Lamentations 3:21-23; 1 Corinthians 13:8)

It is best to remember that God is not like us, then we would not create such horrible and fierce judgment and call it "just" as is common among the religious dogma of the Church.

The Grace and Salvation of God are FREE

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Let’s be perfectly clear, the Grace we receive from God is FREE. We do not earn, accept, or reject it. The GRACE of God is ours as a FREE gift. We only learn of it “by Jesus Christ”.

And we are SAVED by the grace of God, it is also FREE. And we only learn it is ours “through Jesus Christ”.

“…the FREE GIFT of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b NASB)

I notice some translations leave out the word “free” but look at it in the original Greek and the idea of being free is there. These translators have a problem with "eternal life" being free. They also have a problem with salvation being free as a result of the "grace of God which is freely given you". They prefer their own version which requires joining their group by accepting their offer of salvation with heaven the reward. They add words like “offer” to their translations but reading the original Greek we see it is THEIR offer, God has no such requirement - Salvation is a "free gift" to “all men” by the "grace of God"…

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…” (Titus 2:11 NASB)

But notice the NIV translation...

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” (Titus 2:11 NIV)

I really like the NIV because of the way it reads, but when I check out what it says I find that the Greek manuscripts do not include the word "offers".

I know most of you will not take time to look it up in the Greek so here it is for the verses above in Romans and Titus…

“…τὸ δὲ χάρισμα (free gift) τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν."(Romans 6:23 Greek)

"Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος (bringing salvation) πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις" 

(Titus 2:11 Greek)

It is deception to leave out the obvious idea of a “free gift”, or to add the word “offers” to the text. Translators know most people won’t look it up and they know most church leaders and teachers who do look it up won’t say anything because they prefer it NOT say “free gift” and they DO want it to say “offer”. They do so in order to back up what they are teaching. Think about it...it is the heart of the growth strategy of almost all institutional churches to require non members to accept their “offer” - which means it cannot be "FREE". 

 Again, it is THEIR offer, not GOD's - The bible says that Salvation is a “free gift” to “all men” by the “grace of God”.

Rejoice in that as we approach the celebration of the birth of "the Savior of the world"...

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord..we have heard for ourselves and know that this one is indeed the Savior of the world...the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world..." (Luke 2:10-11; John 4:42; 1 John 4:14)

Sanctified

"...Sanctify them in the truth, Your Word is truth." (John 17:17)

Truth is always truth whether people believe it or not.  I don't think it can be discovered and appreciated without thinking and reasoning about God and His Word.

“Come let us reason together says the LORD, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18)

I have reasoned that God is not just the creator, but the Father of mankind.  And He loves them in spite of their faults, and intends to make them into his image through death and resurrection. I reason that mankind must experience the death of the old mortal creation in order to appreciate the new creation to come, the abundant, immortal life which will be the  mirror image of God. Jesus was the first, all the rest of us will follow.

God is lhe originator of truth. And truth regarding mankind, in a nutshell, is the good news that God in His grace intends to give mankind eternal life after death. But this truth cannot be discovered by blindly believing and doing what others say, or joining a religious institution.  Truth is discovered by thinking and reasoning on your own, and being willing to discard the false notions about God along the way.  

Doing so over the past 65 year has given me peace and joy in this present evil age. Try it and you may find that the…

“…peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

Have You Fallen Away From Grace

“…continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43)

Whether you think that only those who believe the gospel in this life will be saved, or as I, believe that all will eventually be saved after their resurrection when they believe, one thing we should have in common. This salvation from death, this resurrection to immortal life….is purely and solely by the unmerited favor (grace) of God. We do not choose it, we cannot earn it, and we will not be rewarded with it because of any good works that we do.

We first came to a knowledge of this unmerited favor by hearing the gospel of our salvation. We believed the good news, if at all, as a result of the gift of “faith” granted to us by the "grace" of God …

“…it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH, and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:5-9)

There are many good Christian people who sincerely believe that it is their commandment to go into to world and win people to Christ...in other words save people. That is not our commandment or role. Any commandment we have from God has to do with sharing the good news of unmerited salvation, not doing works that result in getting saved.

We will be rewarded for telling people the truth about salvation as a result of unmerited favor. And the truth is that God will save mankind when resurrected and “seated” with Christ Jesus in the “heavenly realms”, all by His unmerited favor - grace.  Our actions in this present life will only be acceptable to God and rewarded if we  believe and “continue in the grace of God”.

So do not let religious doctrines of men change what you first believed about your salvation. I have found that all of the doctrines of men add works in some form to that grace which saves. Those who teach such doctrines have “fallen from grace” to another gospel, which is "no gospel at all".

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel —which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ…You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace…” (Galatians 1:6-7; 5:4)

They were falling away in Paul's day, and people have been falling away from the gospel of grace for 2000 years.  It would be nice if the institutional churches would repent of its failed works, help those around them, and as far as salvation is concerned - “continue in the grace of God”…but don’t hold your breath until that happens.

Do You See The Grace of God?

“When he (Barnabas) came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad.” (Acts 11:21-23)

Few Christians see the grace of God at work in people who have not joined their group. I think it is because they are looking for works. They look for obedience to some creed or law rather than looking for the unmerited favor (grace) of God for all people. Their religious upbringing blinds them to the truth of the good news of grace.

They look for repentance, decisions, baptism, attendance, tithing, evangelism, etc. when they look at others. None of those works are the “truth of the gospel” which has come to mankind. None of that matters to God as far as His grace is concerned. His gift to mankind is salvation from death into a new, immortal, spiritual life. And Jesus has shown us "the way, the truth, and the life"...

"I am the way, the truth, and the life...the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life..." (John 14:6; Romans 6:23)

When Barnabas came to Antioch what he observed was a bunch of sinners who had been made aware that God would save them from death by the resurrection, not as a result of religious works that the law had demanded, but purely by the unmerited favor of God. They believed it and it had changed them…and the fruit of that grace he saw in them was the love, joy and appreciation that Paul later called the "fruit of the Spirit".  The “truth of the gospel” is for “all the world”.

"...the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth……the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (Colossians 1:5-6; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 4:9-11)

Religious doctrine has prevented most of its members from grasping the “truth of the gospel” and they just do not SEE the unmerited “grace of God” as applying to all people.

But when I look at mankind, the whole sorry lot of us, and remember the truth of the living God, the good news that "all people" will be saved in the grace of God…it makes me glad too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge." (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Thanksgiving is here again, and I was reminded of the above verse. Paul was giving thanks to God for the “fragrance of His knowledge”. A fragrance that can flow from one person to another regardless of culture or background. And I am NOT talking about Christians going to church and singing “cume by ya my Lord”. I am referring to those few in this life who actually believe that good will eventually triumph over evil, if not in this life, then in the next.

That “knowledge” and faith in a future triumph manifests itself in the form of love, joy, patience, kindness, etc. and that lifestyle “diffuses” the “fragrance” of hope to all around them. 

Just as there are pleasing physical fragrances that can be noticed by our physical senses, there are also pleasing spiritual fragrances. Most people attempt to put on this fragrance like cologne when they put on their religious clothes, but a person cannot put on this "fragrance". You either have it or you do not, and those who do diffuse this fragrance to others only by the grace of God. Those who have this spiritual fragrance are rare and generally do not even realize they are projecting this wonderful aroma to those with whom they come in contact.

Each of us will meet only a hand full of these people in this present evil age. Nevertheless, all mankind are destined to diffuse this fragrance when we have been resurrected and are transformed into the image of God.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory… So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.” (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-49)

I am thankful for those whom God allows to diffuse the fragrance of hope in this life, but I am even more thankful that it is the destiny of all to have this "fragrance" and "triumph in Christ"…as a gift to mankind flowing from His Grace.

“…because of the surpassing grace of God...Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:14-15)

Will God Pick Trump?

“We are tempted to think that this world would be much better if the saints could only get control of the political power, or if the highest offices were filled only with men of God. But the Scriptures do not contemplate any such condition, and give no instructions for ruling, only for obeying. …The governments today have many honest, capable men, but they find themselves thwarted by the unseen spiritual powers which are leading mankind in opposition to God and His Christ.”

A. E. Knoch (1874-1965) Unsearchable Riches, Volume 41.

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him…” (Daniel 2:20-22)

Don’t look for a religious man as a political savior. Just vote for the man you decide can best solve the problems which are ever present in the nations of mankind…lack of jobs, criminal behavior of evil people, and failed diplomacy between competing cultures and nations.

I personally think Trump has those skills we need now, and for now anyway continue to support him. God alone will decide who is put in office but he has not made that information available to me…or you…we must wait and see. And I will try to support his choice, even if he is not my choice…

“…the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.” (Daniel 4:17)

If you don’t like who wins the elections, well take it up with God. I am sure he will apologize to you for not assigning the “kingdoms on earth” according to your wise counsel.

Syrian Refugees - My Random Thoughts

First of all the idea that we should take them in because we are a Christian nation is absurd. My observation of Christians or Muslims is they will rarely help the poor in their own town. They will go all over the world to tell them what they think they have to do to be saved, and kill them if they refuse, or threaten them with eternal torture, but most likely will help them with little, if any, physical needs whether they join them or not. And even if they do help, it is temporary...a bandaid on the problem...not a long term solution like a job. That is up to the entrepreneurs of the world who start businesses which create jobs for those who want to work so they and their families can eat.

Jesus had the power to heal everyone, but he refused. He had the power to meet the financial needs of all the poor, but he refused. He had the power to create enough jobs for all, but he refused. He didn't come to feed the poor, take in refugees, form a church or start a business. He came to demonstrate that however bad it gets in this life, even dying, it is not the end for anyone. God will resurrect the dead, all of them, and change them to immortals. No poor, no dying, no refugees with terrorists hiding among them, no Muslims or Christians...just immortals with abundant eternal life.

So the Syrian refugees are God's problem, not ours, and He will give them eternal life so they can't complain. But they could be a threat to our families now, in this present evil age, so I don't want them here. I am all for aiding the poor in our country, and I am for helping to set up safe zones for the refugees in areas close to where they are from, and I am for individuals adopting orphaned poor children if they have a heart to do so....and I am for telling the whole world the gospel as I set it out above (which is not being done by religious institutions) so they can have hope...but we have no business assuming the financial liability of bringing 10,000 Syrian refugees to the USA when we Christians have managed to be a part of accumulating a 19 Trillion dollar debt to saddle our children's future with.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world... My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going (death).”(John 16:23; John 14:2-4)

Live Worthy of Your Calling

“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

As I said yesterday, the calling of God is that sinful mankind is to be given the “free gift of eternal life”.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23)

Not just a few folks who make a wise choice, but all who die as a result of sin. The unmerited favor (grace) of God in doing so was such wonderful good news that Paul prayed that those who he told about it, and had believed it, would live in such a way that they would be "worthy" of such a free gift. They get it anyway, because it is "free" and based on the "grace" of God (unmerited favor). But Paul wanted people to show their appreciation to God by living a good life.

The problem now, after 2000 years, is that the calling of God has been changed by the institutional churches into a calling only for the few who bow down to the requirements of the institution. It is no longer the “free gift” to all sinners, but a mere offer that must be accepted together with the various creeds and covenants of those institutions. It is not the gospel of the grace of God, but a mixture of grace and works of men, which is NO GOSPEL AT ALL and is “accursed” (devoted to destruction).

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” “... you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God..” (Galations 1:6-8; Jeremiah 23:36)

Your Free Gift From God

“…live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1)

Our "calling" is to be a recipient of eternal life as a "free gift of God".  Just for a minute or two try to forget all you have been taught in the church or at home. Assume for a moment that all you know about God and Jesus is what Paul tells you below…

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life….As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…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 sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 51-54)

Paul has just explained the "mystery" that death is the penalty for sin, but that death is not our final outcome. There will be "victory" over death for ALL mankind who are descended from Adam. And he says we should live life now in appreciation for that future victory. I like the Amplified Version of Ephesians 4:1...

“...live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation]” (Ephesians 4:1 AMP)

Got it? Salvation is a free gift to all – so try to live your life in such a way that it expresses gratitude to God for your salvation (eternal life after death).  That is all that is required of you...

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you? to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God…For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Micah 6:8; Titus 2:11-13)

So forget, or ignore, the dogma and platitudes of religious institutions, and simply believe the good news expressed by our Apostle Paul in the Bible.

Death Is A Thief

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Death is a thief that robs mankind of life and joy. It is the result of sin and all of us sin. Jesus did not come into the world to start a religion. He came to reveal God’s plan to give abundant life, after death, to mankind.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

The Way We Were

“And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:15-16)

Don’t look back, keep moving forward. Why? 

Because it is our tendency when we look back to start longing for what was, rather than appreciating what is or what can be. The above Scripture refers to Abraham and his family.Had they looked back to Ur from which God had told him to leave, they would have had a tendency to want to return to the past. And if so, Abraham  would not have become the father of FAITH.

Barbara Streisand sang beautifully about memories in the hit song of the movie The Way We Were…

"Memories light the corners of my mind, misty watercolor memories of the way we were

Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind,
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then or has time rewritten every line,
If we had the chance to do it all again – Tell me – Would we? Could we?

Memories may be beautiful and yet, 

What’s too painful to remember we simply choose to forget

So it’s the laughter we will remember whenever we remember the way we were"

When times get tough, we have a tendency to want to return to a better place memorialized in the corners of our minds. Yet in those times we rarely remember the painful part of those memories, only the beauty and the laughter.

The now is almost always better than the past, and the future that God has prepared for mankind is off the charts - more than we can ever dream!

“…one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus…" "...as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love him - these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” (Philippians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Our Heart Condition

“A rejoicing heart makes the countenance cheerful” (Proverbs 15:13).

When I used to sing in a church choir we would sit in the choir loft during the worship service. It always amazed me as I looked out over the congregation how little joy was in the facial expressions of those attending the services.

Too often religious doctrine does not bring joy, just bondage and fear. Many people go to church hoping they can avoid the the wrath of God for not doing so.  They would prefer to be hunting, fishing, golfing  or just resting.

Only the freedom of knowing and actually believing that God has taken away the sins of the world makes a heart rejoice.  If our facial expression, especially during a worship service, is not “cheerful”…why not? Maybe because the message in most churches has become something other than good news...

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Now that is good news...and I'm smiling!

"Looking Unto Jesus" ... Why?

"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(Hebrews 12:1-2)

Life is what it is. We don’t ask to be born, but here we are. We can’t request where we are born or to whom. It is what it is…God has decided. Sooo the best we can do is to "run with patience the race that is set before us”.

But why should we be “looking unto Jesus” in FAITH?

Jesus was a man just like us. He had a race to run as we all do. His particular race reveals to mankind what, but for sin, we could be now, and what, after sin is done away with, we all will be after God is finished with us in this present mortal life. Jesus died just as we will die, and he was resurrected never to die again, just like we will be. And that is what is meant by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our FAITH”.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters...It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—MORE THAN THAT, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:29-39)

So we need to run our particular race as best we can, forgetting day by day the blunders we have made in the past, and focus on our eternal destiny by looking at what happened to Jesus and remembering where he is now. Then just keep on keeping on as best we can...

"Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead...hold on to the progress we have already made...we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own..." (Philippians 3:13-21)

The Testimony That Matters

“With great power the apostles continued to TESTIFY to the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus. And God's GRACE was so powerfully at work in them all.” (Acts 4:33)

It is the testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus that is important for mankind. And in that testimony alone does the power of GRACE work among mankind.

The Christian church has lost the proper emphasis when proclaiming the gospel. It is not the cross, but the resurrection that gives mankind hope beyond death. The cross is an instrument of DEATH. GRACE has to do with the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. And mankind, all of us, miss the mark (SIN) which results in death to us ALL.

“…in Adam ALL die”…”For the wages of SIN is DEATH” ... "...people are destined to DIE once..." (1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27 )

The RESURRECTION is the means by which sinful dead men are SAVED and this SALVATION is a FREE gift flowing from the POWER of the GRACE of God. It is our HOPE and the GOSPEL (good news).

“The FREE gift of God is eternal life”… “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” (Romans 6:23: 1 Corinthians 6:14)

The ONLY hope for mankind is to be resurrected “a new creation” after we die.

“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive” … “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the NEW CREATION has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Testimony of the resurrection of Jesus and faith that my family and I have a future resurrection by the GRACE of God is the heart and power of the gospel for me. And it is FAITH in this HOPE that produces a LOVE for God and my neighbors. And I find PEACE in this faith…

“For it is by GRACE you have been SAVED, through FAITH—and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God”… “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our HOPE in the living God, who is the SAVIOR of ALL people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” … “Grace and PEACE to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 4:9-11)

The god of theology

“The god of theology is a well-meaning, good-intentioned weakling, whose intentions, however amiable, cannot in every case be carried into effect, and whose universe is a rickety affair subject to accidents of every kind.” — Alan Burns

Most Christian leaders speak of God as an Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent Sovereign God, and He is. However, certain of their false doctrines reveal their true opinion of Him to be those set forth by Alan Burns above. To them each man determines his own fate regardless of what God desires to do…which is to SAVE them.

The following are well established doctrines of Christianity and are false. They have each contributed to the separation of mankind into two categories…those who agree with us and go to heaven, and those who disagree with us and go to hell.

I feel certain that the following false doctrines offend God.

Self Determination (Free Will)
Eternal Conscious Torment
Immortality of the Soul
The Trinity
Vicarious Atonement

My brother Bill posted that he wished I would write a book exposing the false doctrines I have found in my study of the Bible. I appreciate his faith that I could write such a book, however, even if I could, and did, nothing would change. Others have done so already and Christianity in general continues believing those doctrines of theologians.

Those who read the Bible in order to find out what it says will eventually see that the above doctrines are false. However, most read the bible, if at all, as a mere commentary on the doctrines of their theologians, rather than read it in a search for the truth. They will never discover the truth because they have placed their faith and trust in opinions of men while having convinced themselves that their faith is in the Word of God.

“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth SALVATION, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it…I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded…I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways…For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret…and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear...” (Isaiah 45)

Rejecting god

Some people get condemned and shamed for rejecting the gods of religious institutions. If you are one of them, do not worry about that at all, for you have not rejected the real GOD, but the made up god of religious institutions. And that is a good thing, in my opinion.

“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15)

I think it is impossible to reject the real God.  He does not "separate" Himself from us…only the gods of religion do that.

“I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor messengers, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God...” (Romans 8:38-39)

And the Academy Award Goes To....

“Be not judging anything before the season, till the Lord should be coming, who will also illuminate the hidden things of darkness and manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then applause will be coming to each one from God” (I Corinthians 4:5)

In 1991 Anthony Hopkins won the academy award for outstanding actor in a leading role for the film “Silence of the Lambs”. He played the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychopathic murderer. Anthony Hopkins played the part just as the script was written and performed so well he received the highest award of the motion picture academy.

God created the universe and all that is in it according to the Bible.

“I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things…I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host…by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Isaiah 45:7, 12; Colossians 1:16)

He has a purpose for the ages and all those in them. He oversees the role of all of the creatures in those ages if we believe He is the Sovereign God described in the Bible. In other words, God wrote the script for the drama of life as we know it. So if you do not like the role you are playing, well, take it up with God, He wrote the script for the part and cast you into your role.

Paul was given insight into the mystery of the ages and says he was to…

“…bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.” (Ephesians 3:10)

And Paul had told the Ephesians in Chapter 1 that God has a purpose for all things and that all things work according to His wil, and that all have redemption in Christ…

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Ephesians 1:7-11)

We certainly do not have to like the evil villains as they play their roles in the drama of life. And our role may be to destroy them in this age...but sometimes I wonder if in the end, after the grand drama is played out and the curtain falls,.“then applause will be coming to each one from God”, the heroes and the villains...for God wrote the script and cast all into their particular roles...and of course Christ Jesus came to save the whole world, not just the good guys in it.

The State of the Church

"God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired..." (1 Corinthians 12:18)

Once upon a time it was understood that the body of Christ was the church.  That the body was composed of people chosen by God and resided in the hearts of its diverse members. Families of its members would meet together in homes, and then in separate buildings constructed for that purpose.  Each Sunday they would gather with other members in the area  to study the bible, sing the old hymns, listen to a sermon, and when necessary help those of their community in need. The church residing in those families would then go to their individual homes having felt good about being with friends.  They were not concerned with growing the numbers, they grew in numbers as they helped people in the community who saw in them the love of God.

Then one day it all began to change when some decided the church was an entity residing in the buildings and if they would incorporate and cooperate together they could win the world for Christ...and as an added benefit their gifts would qualify for an income tax deduction. So they incorporated and built bigger buildings, hired professional ministers and missionaries, went on mission trips, bought sound systems, televised services, started choirs and bands, dimmed the lights and started programs in the buildings to attract and entertain people. And now....

Many years have come and gone. Those gathering in buildings have split into many tax exempt groups and conventions.  People still gather on Sunday in the buildings, but now they teach denominational doctrine and support the programs of the various conventions they agree with rather than focus on the physical needs of the community.  Much money is collected in tithes and gifts but most is needed to pay salaries, utilities, insurance and the the convention programs.  Little, if anything, is done to help with the physical needs of people in the communities.

As for the true Church, the body of Christ...well it is still alive and well and God's plan for it has never changed and its success is certain.  For the church has never been about buildings, conventions and the associated programs.  The Church resides in the homes of people - in the hearts of families who love God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and their neighbors. And each day, God still places people in the body all across the world "just as He desires". Jesus continues to build his Church in homes, and the doors of the buildings, nor the various doctrines and programs of the conventions of men, shall prevail against it...

"And Jesus said...I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 16:17-18; 22;37-40)

The Transition From Law to Grace

“Now it occurred three days after, that he (Paul) calls together those who are foremost of the Jews. Now, at their coming together, he said to them "I, men, brethren, doing nothing contrary to the people or to the hereditary customs, was given up a prisoner out of Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans…For this cause, then, I call for you (the Jews), to see and speak to you…Now setting a day for him, more came to him in the lodging, to whom he expounded, certifying to the kingdom of God, besides persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning till dusk…Now there being disagreements one with another, they were dismissed, Paul making one declaration, that, "Ideally the holy spirit speaks through Isaiah the prophet, to your fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say, "In hearing, you will be hearing, and may by no means be understanding, And observing, you will be observing, and may by no means be perceiving,"…Let it be known to you, then, that to the nations (Gentiles) is dispatched this salvation of God, and they will hear." Now he remains two whole years in his own hired house, and he welcomed all those going in to him…heralding the kingdom of God, and teaching that which concerns the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unforbidden.” (Acts 28:17-31)

The book of Acts records the transition of God dealing exclusively with Israel under the Law of Moses to the current era in which God is dealing with the whole world of mankind (Jew and Gentile) under GRACE apart from the Law given to Moses for Israel. Looking back on that transition period Paul later writes to the Gentiles…

“You were, in that era, apart from Christ, being alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and guests of the promise covenants, having no expectation, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12, CLNT).

In regard to the era of God’s dealing with Israel under His covenants with them, the Gentiles were “alienated from the citizenship of Israel”. They were “guests and sojourners…having no expectation, and without God in the world”.

During the transition period Paul wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Timothy. During Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, the transition to pure GRACE was complete.  God’s dealing with Israel under the covenants was set aside, and the era of GRACE apart from the LAW began where there is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile that had existed during the transition. Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon after the transition was complete and wrote…

“Consequently, then, no longer are you (Gentiles) guests and sojourners, but are fellow-citizens of the saints and belong to God’s family.” (Ephesians 2:19 CLNT)

Failure to distinguish and rightly divide what went on during the transition period where Gentiles continued to be merely “guests and sojourners” from what we all have now is the source of all the divisions within the religion of Christianity. The mixture of law and grace is so engrained in the religion that it is now impossible to correct the errors.

Paul’s message of the grace of God in saving all mankind apart from the Law was being rejected toward the end of his life by the church. So he wrote to the few who remained faithful to the message, and encouraged them to keep reminding people to rightly divide the word of truth...

“Of these things be reminding them, conjuring them in the Lord's sight not to engage in controversy for nothing useful, to the upsetting of those who are hearing. Endeavor to present yourself to God qualified, an unashamed worker, correctly cutting the word of truth. Yet from profane prattlings stand aloof, for they will be progressing to more irreverence, and their word will spread as gangrene…” (2 Timothy 2:14-17 CLNT)

So I use Facebook and my BlogSpot to occasionally “remind” people who will listen of the GRACE of God and encourage them to “rightly divide the word of truth”.

Dear God: It Is Me Again

Dear God:

It’s me again, the old guy from Oklahoma who asked you to help him be a better person each day. It's too early to tell for sure but I think its working so thanks for all your help. 

I hope you don't mind but there is one other thing I would like to ask for. I started reading the bible and it says Jesus is your son and you and he will save the world. Jesus said in the bible that he was coming back again, I assume to save the world..it sure needs it.  And not only that, he was going to bring back to life all those who have died and make them new and good like your son Jesus. 

Well as you know it has been a couple thousand years since he went to where you live and of course he has not come back. Since you are God you probably know that it is hard sometimes for me to believe he is really coming again. Resurrecting all the dead, making all of us immortal and allowing us to live forever is pretty hard for a guy like me to believe. Sounds like a fairy tale.

BUT again, there is this “something” inside me that is hoping it is true, and this hope sure gives me peace and makes me happy when I imagine it to be true. It also makes my grandkids excited and happy when I tell them about it!

So I want to ask you once again to strengthen that "something" inside me and don’t let me ever stop hoping it is true.  And please put that same hope in my wife, kids and grandkids…and all my other family and friends so they can have the same peace and happiness it brings me.

Thanks again!

P.S.: The bible says you love everyone in the world...as you know I don't so you may have to work on that.

Dear God:

Dear God

I sure am glad you wrote the Bible for us to read so we can know how to act. As you probably know, I really like the President you gave us four years ago. Thanks! He's doing a great job and I hope you let him keep doing it for four more years.

Anyway, what I really want to say is there are a lot of people who hate him for no reason and the other day I had had all I could stand and was about to write and ask you to rain down fire from heaven and destroy them all. Then, just before I did, I read this in the book you wrote for me to read.

"Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them and said, 'the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:53-54)

Whew! Thanks God, I was about to blow it big time just like James and John and get rebuked.  I guess you love them too, but I sure do look forward to when you save those SOBs - it sure will help my disposition.

Your friend,

Robert

Is Your Faith Pleasing God?

“…Now apart from faith it is impossible to be well pleasing (to God)” (Hebrews 11:6)

That sounds great and Christian’s quote it a lot. Next time you hear someone quote that ask the question…Faith in what?

The writer of Hebrews had just defined faith in verse 1 as follows…

“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed”

In order to "expect" something, promises must have been made, in this case promises from God. And when we know what God has promised we are to assume that those promises will come to pass if we are to please God. 

We are not to get concerned if we are not now observing what God has promised but are to have the assurance they will come to pass later in this age, or in the ages to come, because God made the promises.

And remember, failure to have faith does not prevent the promises from happening...they will happen because God has promised.  Having faith does not make the promises happen, it simply pleases God when we believe what He says.

Religion makes a lot of promises, but faith in the promises contained in the creeds and church covenants of religious men do not please God.

So, what are the promises of God? Here is the most important to me...

"Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified...we all shall be changed,in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:20-54)

So...is your faith pleasing to God?

Labor is Good - Enjoy the Fruits

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

The Psalmist of course was addressing Israel. However, it is most likely one of those Scriptures which apply to all. If so we should…

“Trust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on HIS faithfulness”

Not simply trust in the LORD, but also DO GOOD.  In other words WORK in the land God places you in and enjoy the fruits of your labor - instead of bitching about it.

“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.” (Ecclesiates 2:24)

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in HIM, and HE shall bring it to pass”

We should desire what the LORD desires and trust HIM. When our desires are the same as HIS then of course we have the desires of tour heart. And God's desire for us is pretty simple it seems to me...to work, appreciate it, and enjoy the fruits of it as best we can afford.

“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them--for this is their lot.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18)

God approves the work He has given us to do, and encourages us to enjoy the fruits of our "toilsome labor"...

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do." (Ecclesiastes 9:7)

Labor Is Good For America

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense… make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.” (Proverbs 12:11)

What made America great is pretty simple it seems to me...people willing to WORK!

America was founded and became great because of hard working men and women. They were thankful to God for a country in which they could WORK and provide for their families. Most followed the advise of the Bible when it said...

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you... If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies…” (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11)

The problem in America is that our entitlement programs have created a large group of dead beat, picketing, whiners (or their bleeding heart socialist groupies) that do not respect the rights of those who actually "mind their own business" and "WORK with their hands" to support themselves and their families.

People who WORK have a sense of self-worth, and are generally thankful for the Country which made it possible for them to work. When our ancestors were without work, they planted gardens or hunted to feed their families, they did not steel from others and destroy their property. And when they had plenty, they were inclined to share with others who were less fortunate but willing to work.

Sooooo….Identify and vote for those who honor hard work, and would associate government entitlement programs to mandatory work programs. It may be too late because we have so many voters who are addicted to government handouts and seem to think it is their constitutional right to be taken care of by taxes levied on the hard working Americans.

Have a great Labor Day as we remember it is the Labor of hard working men and women who created this great country in which we live. And it will be Labor which will fix the problems that government entitlement programs have created.

We Have Hope and a Future

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Timothy 4:9-11)

God's ultimate plan for mankind is to prosper us and not harm us. He will save all mankind.   We have been studying the book of Revelation in Sunday School and this past Sunday we ended that study with the following promise from God...

"...and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away...Behold, I am making all things new." (Revelation 21:4-6)

There is to be a consummation of God's purpose for those ages. At that point in time both friends and enemies, believers and unbelievers will have been reconciled to God and love Him.  All will then be immortal with its abundant, eternal life.  We do not know much about that except that....

“...as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

But we are not there yet.  For now we have all kinds of problems and heartaches.  We just do the best we can with the hand we are dealt...with Hope in a better Future.

God Does Not Dwell In Church Buildings

“The Most High dwells not in Temples made with hands. Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me says the Lord? Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things? You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised” (Acts 7:48-51)

Think about that for a minute…now consider what we generally refer to as “the house of God”.

God does not DWELL there!

Godless men have attempted to banish him to those buildings, and those who attend rarely object. Many of them simply view church buildings as a place they can go occasionally, sing a few hymns, get their sins forgiven, and thus feel better about themselves for an hour or two.

I think God prefers to be worshiped and honored in homes, businesses and places of entertainment where people live, work and play. By worship I am not talking about inviting people to church, or piously praying out loud, or trying to get people saved while in those places. I am talking about acting like God when we are in those places by treating people right...and condemning those who don't, whether they go to church or not.

It seems to me that constructing ever more buildings to attend which we call “God’s House” or "Family Life Centers" is rarely a good thing, especially if the presence of God is undetectable in our houses, businesses or public places.  God dwells everywhere in His creation and attending a building with a pulpit in it is just another one of those places.

I have played golf with a group of guys almost weekly for a number of years and after we are done we enjoy our favorite beverage in the 19th hole when we get done, and laugh and talk about our round.  God DWELLS there and I have yet to see one of those guys fail to treat each other with kindness and respect.  A lot of kidding for sure but you can tell they care about one another, and that is Godly worship in my opinion...and I suspect Jesus would prefer that company to some religious meeting places...

"The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32)

Look closely at the Scripture and you will notice that it was always the religious "Pharisees and their scribes" who Jesus called to repentance.  The "sick" that Jesus was referring to was not those with whom he was eating and drinking. The "sick" were the judgmental religious Pharisees. They needed to repent and spend more time on the golf course and 19th hole.  And in my opinion it is the modern day Pharisees who "need a physician".

Our words and actions are the only God that some people will ever see. And it is how we act toward others that will be judged, not how many hours we spend in a church building.  What message are we sending when we assume God likes us better because we regularly gather in a building with a steeple on it and "grumble" against those who don't?

“He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God… and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist…for we also are His children. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man…” (Acts 17:26-29)

The Promise of the Spirit

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law…so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14)

What is the curse of the Law?

“…sin is the transgression of the law...the wages of sin is death” (1 John 3:4: Romans 6:23)

The curse of the law is DEATH and we all will eventually face and experience that curse.

But Christ Jesus came and has "redeemed us from the curse".  Therefore we will not stay dead but will "receive the promise of the Spirit". 

So what is the promise of the Spirit?    LIFE...Abundant, Everlasting LIFE.

"The Spirit gives LIFE; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and LIFE....the letter kills, but the Spirit gives LIFE..The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have LIFE, and have it abundantly." (John 6:63; John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 3:6)

It really is that simple. Mankind are sinners and the wages of that sin is death, but nevertheless, sinners have been "redeemed" from that curse as the free gift of God.  When resurrected, we will "receive the promise of the Spirit"...Abundant and Eternal LIFE.

“For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive...For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; Romans 6:23)

So what does he mean when he says we receive the promise "through faith"? Is it "faith" that seals the deal?  

NO, the grace of God seals the deal. Eternal life is a "free gift of God".  Faith is the means of enjoying "the promise of the Spirit" until it becomes a reality.

For now, the "promise of the Spirit" is just that - a PROMISE. And we can only receive the promise if this life by believing it is true.  We can have the JOY and PEACE of knowing that after we die, the SPIRIT will give us abundant, eternal life.