Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14) One of the most successful TV commercials of all time says ''You only go around once in life, so you have to grab for all the gusto you can get!” That is a suitable moto for both the believer and unbeliever. God has given that life, so you might as well live it to its fullest potential. Nevertheless the truth of the Scripture is more in line with the title of the 1967 James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice”. All people will live twice. Once as a mortal where we experience the difference between good and evil and then die and give God an accounting as to how we lived it. I am convinced that perfect attendance in Church won’t count for much. I think that what will matter to God  is whether you left this “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4) a little better just because you lived in it. “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God…For the Son of Man is goin...

“Making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:16-17) In my opinion there is nothing more needed among Christians than for this prayer of Paul to be answered…to have the “wisdom and revelation” of who and what God is like. He is far better than institutional religions have characterized Him. There are so many false ideas about Him that few people have a “knowledge of Him” . But our God “is love” and He is our “Father” … “There is…one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6). Except for my wife and children, I can count only a handful of others that I know personally who seem to have a “knowledge of Him” free from the religious myths associated with Him. Nevertheless, the above prayer is what I pray for all when I am “making mention of you in my prayers” .

“The Bible is our only authority. There are helps (and hindrances), but no "authorities." Expositions represent fallible human endeavors to grasp God's truth as revealed in His Word, and are neither authoritative nor inspired. The opinions of the founders of evangelical movements, however great or godly, are no more authoritative than those of other Christians, are equally amenable to the tribunal of Holy Writ, and must stand or fall by its verdicts. To set up the teaching of any man, or set of men, as an "authority" is a return to Romanism.” A.E. Knoch Unsearchable Riches Vol.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16) There are things that God would like for us to do, and going around the world trying to do something that He and His "only begotten Son" have already done is not one of them...it seems to me. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell (Gehenna)  as you are." (Matthew 23:15) Here is what I find that we are to do with this Salvation that God has provided... "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desi...

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) “We must humbly acknowledge that even those writings that we deem our best and most faithful efforts are ones which still we wish were better. On rare occasions, due to some hindrance or inadvertency of circumstance, a statement may have appeared within our pages which was not in accord even with our own findings, which findings themselves, even at their best, are never infallible.” James R. Coram, Unsearchable Riches, Vol. 96. I feel the same way about my “random thoughts”. I am not trying to say I am always correct, just letting my thoughts flow onto the pages of this blog. What I say is genuinely what I believe at the time I write…but I reserve the right to change them as my ongoing study of the Bible may require for me to be “unashamed” at the coming of the Lord.

“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no Law.” (Galatians 3:24-25; 5:22-23) Law is not needed for those who walk in the Spirit. The following is a good expression of this idea by Vladimir Gelesnoff… “Nine virtues are clustered together in the description of the spirit’s fruit. These virtues are not separate flowers of a bouquet; they are the petals of one gorgeous flower exhibiting varying shades of form and color. The spirit is exempt from the law by virtue of its nature, which is in complete accord with the aim of law. The law required the very fruit which the spirit yields. The whole law is fulfilled in one expression – ye shall love. The fruit of the spirit is love. Hence “against such there is no law.” But while love was t...

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior wills ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth… there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth...it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL mankind, especially of believers. Prescribe and TEACH THESE THINGS.” (1 Timothy 1:15, 2:3-7; 4:9-11)  When people pray the “sinner’s prayer” or "accept Christ as their personal savior", or “invite Jesus into their heart” or “repent of their sins” as a prerequisite to being saved they are attempting to do something to please God and satisfy what they feel and have been told is His just...

“You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look, yet never perceive ... you go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- you make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves” (Matthew 13:14; 23:15 YLT ) Jesus was talking to the most prominent religious leaders of his day. They just could not overcome their own traditions, even when the very image of God was standing in front of them. All their efforts in building up their religious institution was not making any difference for God or the lives of people. God would later inspire Paul to write Timothy and make sure he knew what he was to teach… “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior wills ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth… there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL, the testimony ...

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you...by this gospel you are saved…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…he was buried…he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive…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…For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality…then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15) I was 12 and setting in the pew next to my friend Joy who was 11. The Pastor walked down the aisle and up to Joy and asked him if he wanted to be saved. I will never forget it. Joy said “not right now”. The pastor urged him again and again to come down front with him and give his life over to Jesus. He just kept gripping the back of the pew and saying “not toda...

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15) So what does a person have to do to be “in Christ” and a "new creation" . Pretty simple it seems to me. First, be born into this present world as a “natural” man and die just like “the first man Adam” . Second, be resurrected into the “new creation” as a “life-giving spirit” just like “the second Adam” . “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive… So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” (1 Cor...

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) This was written almost 2000 years ago by the Apostle Paul. Several years ago I decided to learn from Paul’s letters exactly what he, the wise master builder, had laid upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Then compare it to the doctrines of Christianity, both Catholic and Protes...

“I protest against all such teaching that gives the impression that the exceeding goodness of God towards man is not the natural and necessary outcome of His being. The idea that God would be God all the same, as glorious as He needed to be, had He not taken upon Himself the divine toil of bringing home His wandered children, had He done nothing to seek and save the lost, is false as hell. It will be answered that we have fallen, and God is thereby freed from any obligation, if any ever were. It is but another lie. No amount of wrong-doing in a child can ever free a parent from the divine necessity of doing all he can to deliver his child; the bond between them cannot be broken.” George MacDonald (1825-1905) Unspoken Sermons, Series Two "As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ ALL shall be made alive..." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

"We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe" (I Timothy 4:10). It has been argued to me that if God is the Savior of all, then there is no difference between the believer and unbeliever. Of course there is a difference, one believes him, and one does not. One trusts that he has been saved, the other does not. They are both saved because God through Christ Jesus has saved the whole world – all men, yet only the believer can enjoy the knowledge of that Salvation. It is their trust in their salvation that is “special”. “Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this one (Jesus) is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:42) It has been my experience that many Christians believe what they have been told, and have not yet experienced for themselves that Christ Jesus is indeed...

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep…Now Jesus had spoken of his death…Martha then said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died...” Jesus said to her “Your brother will rise again…” (John 11:1-25) My mother-in-law Joy Juanell Estes died on Wednesday. She will be missed. Before her stroke two years ago she had always been full of life and loved living, talking with people, and teaching piano to her students for more than 50 years. She could talk to anyone and never met a stranger. She was always active and on the go. She especially loved her grandchildren. She played the piano at her church in California for over 55 years. She was loved by all who knew her. I especially admired her after she and Ernie had lost their teenage daughter Sandra in a car wreck and yet maintained her faith in and faithfulness to God. She was in the hospital or nursing home all of the two years after the last stroke unab...

“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, to whom be the glory forevermore.” (Galatians 1:3-5) I wonder sometimes at the pastors of the many mega churches who draw thousands upon thousands to their services. They are charismatic and I can see why people are drawn to their books and speaking engagements. Personally I can’t help but like most of them and I think they really eat from the same menu they are dishing out. People want to hear that all our troubles can be overcome and that all is going to be alright…and IT IS…but not NOW! The error in those messages is that God is obligated to bless us now IF we would only LET HIM or ASK HIM or be more FAITHFUL. No, the truth from Jesus, the Son of God is as follows: “…in the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION…but take courage I have overcome the world” . (John 16:33) Our hope s...

He is Alive - Happy Easter! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3) As we live out our lives in this present age, we are promised struggles, and we are to be content in those struggles… “In this world you will have trouble…be content with what you have…” (John 16:33a; Hebrews 13:5a) Because of the resurrection of Jesus we have a living HOPE and Jesus tells us to… “…take heart! I have overcome the world…God has said, NEVER will I leave you; NEVER will I forsake you. " (John 16:33b; Hebrews 13:5b)

“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (Acts 4:1-2) Modern day Sadducees (most Philosophers and the more liberal Theologians) question the resurrection. They have no HOPE and ridicule those of us who do. Some who have this hope encourage us to live in “resurrection power” as if believing in the resurrection gives some supernatural power in this life. NO, it doesn’t…it simply gives us HOPE and PEACE in the midst of this uncertain evil age in which we live! However, in order to have this HOPE and peace, one must have FAITH that there will be a resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus proved it can and will happen.  And if the bible is true it is going to happen whether you believe it will or not…but you can’t have the PEACE it brings unless you BELIEVE.   I have chosen to believe it and want my fami...

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19) So what is this "word of reconciliation" ... "He forgave us all our sins…which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken them away, nailing them to the cross…Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival...for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 2:12-3:1-4) When Jesus was buried and raised it guaranteed our resurrection also. God now sees us as already resurrected and is "not counting" our sins against us.  We are not to let those who have various religious rules and holy days judge us and tell us what we can and cannot do. We are no longer subject to religious rules and are guaranteed that when Jesus appear...

“…we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead...” (2 Corinthians 1:8) There you have it in the Words of God Himself. The reason we should not trust in ourselves is because we cannot raise ourselves from the dead. We should trust God who said He can, demonstrated He can by raising Jesus His Son, and will do so for ALL the rest of His Children. Again, some good advice… “…we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us…” (1 Corinthians 1:9-10)

“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? …” (Genesis 3:1-5) The serpent is a figure of speech for Satan of course…and he is the deceiver, primarily of those who know what God has said. Above is the first occurrence of Satan’s deception of those who walk and talk with God. He simply asked the women - “did God really say…?” and states “You will not certainly die”,  in effect calling God a liar. Eve believed Satan rather than God.  His method has not changed over the past 6000 years and here is a few examples it seems to me… God: “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) Satan: The Lamb of God only takes away the sin of believers. God: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15) Satan: Christ Jesus came  into the world to offer salvation to sinners. God: “As in Adam all die, even so i...