When all the theologians and politicians have finished arguing about what man must do to be saved; When the Calvinists and Armenians have finished bludgeoning each other with lengthy and boring arguments about predestination and free will; When Christians and Muslims have finished threatening and killing one another with words and weapons; When all religious and governmental organizations have failed to save and deliver a better world - what do we have left to give us strength and hope?
What it comes down to is pretty simple for me. I either find peace in my faith in what God has promised in the bible, or I do not. And what God has promised is easy enough for a child to understand. God has promised to…
Save me, my family and friends, and the whole world,
“We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14)
And He has promised to send Jesus back to earth to raise us all from the dead...
“Behold, 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. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written - death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)
For now my citizenship resides in the United States, and I am proud of that, and in this election year I will vote for the person who I think can make America the best she can be for my family and friends – Donald Trump - while I wait for that promised “mystery” to become a reality. Then my citizenship will be in that country in which the whole world is destined…
“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, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
For my wife, children and grandchildren..and anyone else who may be interested!
The Will Of God
“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” (Acts 3:16)
Here we see clearly that it is the faith OF JESUS, not our own faith, which makes us strong, or makes those we see strong. Faith that comes from our own heart or desires cannot and will not strengthen us. Most likely it will depress us for often our will does not coincide with His, therefore it does not come to pass...
“Jesus explained, my food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work…The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases Him." (John 4:34; 8:29)
So what is the will of God that Jesus finished?
Here we see clearly that it is the faith OF JESUS, not our own faith, which makes us strong, or makes those we see strong. Faith that comes from our own heart or desires cannot and will not strengthen us. Most likely it will depress us for often our will does not coincide with His, therefore it does not come to pass...
“Jesus explained, my food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work…The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases Him." (John 4:34; 8:29)
So what is the will of God that Jesus finished?
The salvation of the world!
Don't fall into the trap of thinking our free will is stronger than God's will. It is not, nor can so called free will prevent Jesus from finishing that which he came to do - save the world.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking our free will is stronger than God's will. It is not, nor can so called free will prevent Jesus from finishing that which he came to do - save the world.
Jesus always does the will of our Father God. We do not, for we do not know the details of his will for day to day life. However, we know from the bible that "all things are working together for good" (Romans 8:28), and that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners", and that God "is the Savior of all mankind" (1 Timothy 1:15; 4:9-10) – that is the "good" that all things are working toward.
God sent his one and only Son to save it, and as Jesus said after being lifted up on the cross - “it is finished” – having faith that after his death for our sins and burial in the earth, God would lift him “up from the earth” and "draw all men" to himself, not some, but the whole world drawn to him and saved. It will be completed when he returns to lift us all up out of death into immortal abundant life, both those who keep his word in this age, and those who do not…
“…I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I lose nothing, but raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father…I myself will raise them up on the last day. And when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself…as for anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world... So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him…Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit...” (John 6:37-40, 12:32, 47; 19:16-17)
So just believe God and trust Jesus to always do the will of our Father, to save the world out of death, which is pleasing to God. Be comforted that a loved one whom you prayed for to get saved but died never having faith...well Jesus's faith trumps his...and he will rise to meet Jesus when he comes, and then, hand in hand with you, will bow with you and will confess Jesus as Lord, all to the glory of God's grace and mercy.
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place, and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-11)
God sent his one and only Son to save it, and as Jesus said after being lifted up on the cross - “it is finished” – having faith that after his death for our sins and burial in the earth, God would lift him “up from the earth” and "draw all men" to himself, not some, but the whole world drawn to him and saved. It will be completed when he returns to lift us all up out of death into immortal abundant life, both those who keep his word in this age, and those who do not…
“…I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I lose nothing, but raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father…I myself will raise them up on the last day. And when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself…as for anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world... So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him…Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit...” (John 6:37-40, 12:32, 47; 19:16-17)
So just believe God and trust Jesus to always do the will of our Father, to save the world out of death, which is pleasing to God. Be comforted that a loved one whom you prayed for to get saved but died never having faith...well Jesus's faith trumps his...and he will rise to meet Jesus when he comes, and then, hand in hand with you, will bow with you and will confess Jesus as Lord, all to the glory of God's grace and mercy.
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place, and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-11)
Pride – The Measure of Faith
“Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the just one by faith shall be living…Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Habakkuk 2:4; Hebrews 12:2)
Quite frankly, my personal faith for most of my life was not authored by Jesus, much less finished. My faith was authored by the denomination that I grew up in. It was a faith in a decision I had been encouraged to make.
“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them…through him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:20)
There seems to be little “peace” within evangelical Christianity, especially between those who differ on doctrine. They do not believe that the "blood of his cross" has reconciled the world to God. They are ever creating new programs and plans to get members on fire to go save the lost, and when they do not, guilt comes, peace is nowhere to be found, and after a while of resting, begin to create another program to save the lost – thus continuing the cycle of guilt.
This has been going on for hundreds of years. That is not all bad I suppose. God has clearly allowed it, and he gives a temporary gladness to those who participate from time to time and see some results of the effort. But that gladness resembles pride, not humility. At least that is what it did for me when I used to be involved – but it was a temporary gladness, and there was some pride for my effort.
But it is not faith in our programs to save sinners that will eventually save and justify us. We sinners are “proud” ones, often referring to one another as saints, and the more righteous we think we are, the prouder we become, proving our “soul is not right within".
Jesus is the “author and finisher” of the faith that will make us righteous - it is HIS faith, not ours, and he will freely give it to all eventually. And lest we cannot distinguish between the two, he gives proud self-righteous folks a “measure" to determine if our faith is in him, or the doctrines of the church…
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure (measuring stick) of faith.” (Romans 12:3)
Quite frankly, my personal faith for most of my life was not authored by Jesus, much less finished. My faith was authored by the denomination that I grew up in. It was a faith in a decision I had been encouraged to make.
“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them…through him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:20)
There seems to be little “peace” within evangelical Christianity, especially between those who differ on doctrine. They do not believe that the "blood of his cross" has reconciled the world to God. They are ever creating new programs and plans to get members on fire to go save the lost, and when they do not, guilt comes, peace is nowhere to be found, and after a while of resting, begin to create another program to save the lost – thus continuing the cycle of guilt.
This has been going on for hundreds of years. That is not all bad I suppose. God has clearly allowed it, and he gives a temporary gladness to those who participate from time to time and see some results of the effort. But that gladness resembles pride, not humility. At least that is what it did for me when I used to be involved – but it was a temporary gladness, and there was some pride for my effort.
But it is not faith in our programs to save sinners that will eventually save and justify us. We sinners are “proud” ones, often referring to one another as saints, and the more righteous we think we are, the prouder we become, proving our “soul is not right within".
Jesus is the “author and finisher” of the faith that will make us righteous - it is HIS faith, not ours, and he will freely give it to all eventually. And lest we cannot distinguish between the two, he gives proud self-righteous folks a “measure" to determine if our faith is in him, or the doctrines of the church…
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure (measuring stick) of faith.” (Romans 12:3)
The Greek word for “measure” above refers to the measuring rod, like a tape measure. Pride is the measuring stick God gives to determine whether our faith is in our own acts, or in the faith OF our Savior Jesus.
So if you think you have great faith, and that faith has saved you, chances are you think of yourself “more highly” than you ought to…I know I once did, and sometimes still do. That measuring rod of pride will tell you about your faith – the more pride you have in the decisions you made and the works you do, the less you have of Jesus's faith.
Sinners have no hope but in the grace and mercy of God to justify them by the faith OF Jesus, not our own faith IN Jesus…
“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:11-14)
Permit me to paraphrase this in my own words and experience…
The evangelist stood and prayed “Father, in Jesus name I come before you in this your house, thanking you for saving my soul when you led me to confess my sin, join the church, be baptized, participate in the Lord’s supper, bring my family to church every time the doors are open, teach Sunday School, preach the gospel, tithe of my income and more, and do my best to stay out of worldly places and live a good life. And now I pray for Robert that he would come back to Church, confess his sin, and become the righteous person he once was before he went back into the world”. Meanwhile Robert is at home getting ready to go to the golf course to enjoy some time with his son, and before he leaves, he kisses his wife, the love of his life, and says quietly to God, “thank you for my family and for being merciful to us, the sinners.”
My aversion to pride will not let me finish the paraphrase so I will leave it there.
So if you don’t think you have much faith, it is probably a good thing. But you will have the same faith Jesus has one day for he has promised to “author” and “finish” your faith, and like Jesus, you will then be just and live righteously for the ages of the ages. For most, if not all of us, that finishing will come after this age when we are resurrected in his image, immortal and full of abundant life…thanking God continuously “for his indescribable gift”.
Don’t be discouraged if you have no faith, or are considered to have none by those who think they do. It is just that Jesus has not authored it for you yet, but he will both author and finish it. It may or may not be authored by Jesus in this life, but it will be finished in the next. For now, if we come to have it in this present evil age, our efforts should be to enrich those around us, incompetent as we or they may now be…
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:10-15)
Sinners have no hope but in the grace and mercy of God to justify them by the faith OF Jesus, not our own faith IN Jesus…
“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:11-14)
Permit me to paraphrase this in my own words and experience…
The evangelist stood and prayed “Father, in Jesus name I come before you in this your house, thanking you for saving my soul when you led me to confess my sin, join the church, be baptized, participate in the Lord’s supper, bring my family to church every time the doors are open, teach Sunday School, preach the gospel, tithe of my income and more, and do my best to stay out of worldly places and live a good life. And now I pray for Robert that he would come back to Church, confess his sin, and become the righteous person he once was before he went back into the world”. Meanwhile Robert is at home getting ready to go to the golf course to enjoy some time with his son, and before he leaves, he kisses his wife, the love of his life, and says quietly to God, “thank you for my family and for being merciful to us, the sinners.”
My aversion to pride will not let me finish the paraphrase so I will leave it there.
So if you don’t think you have much faith, it is probably a good thing. But you will have the same faith Jesus has one day for he has promised to “author” and “finish” your faith, and like Jesus, you will then be just and live righteously for the ages of the ages. For most, if not all of us, that finishing will come after this age when we are resurrected in his image, immortal and full of abundant life…thanking God continuously “for his indescribable gift”.
Don’t be discouraged if you have no faith, or are considered to have none by those who think they do. It is just that Jesus has not authored it for you yet, but he will both author and finish it. It may or may not be authored by Jesus in this life, but it will be finished in the next. For now, if we come to have it in this present evil age, our efforts should be to enrich those around us, incompetent as we or they may now be…
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:10-15)
Faith In God - Or Maybe Not
“We walk by faith, not by sight…” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Biblical faith is a term which most people struggle with. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark, nor is it just saying we trust God or Jesus. Faith is believing something God or Jesus has SAID he has done or will do for us. Salvation by faith is not “inviting Jesus into your heart”, or joining the church, or confessing your sin, or “calling upon the name of the Lord”, or getting baptized. If those things are of any value at all, they are just a way to express that we believe what God says he will do. Those things are NOT a condition to God being faithful to save mankind, they are a response to the realization that they have been saved by the GRACE of God “not of works lest any man should boast”. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15)
All of our evangelistic efforts will not add to what Christ Jesus came into the world to do. Evangelism should be simply introducing the world to their Savior. Salvation is what God and Jesus will do for mankind…save them. Not try to save them or offer to save them, but actually save them. For Christianity to imply he will not do so without our help or acceptance of an invitation is evidence of a LACK OF FAITH it seems to me.
“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.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)
Sometimes I wonder if institutional Christianity as a group are included in the “especially of those who believe”. When Christianity returns to faith in what God through Christ Jesus has DONE, and returns to teaching and preaching that gospel, our churches might again be filled with joyful men and women.
The Joel Osteen church has tapped into that joyous message, but he makes his money from promising his listeners that if they have faith in themselves, God will pour out His “abundant life” now in various forms of success. But that abundant life in the Kingdom that Jesus promised will not be ours until after Jesus returns and we have been resurrected and our natural bodies replaced with a new spiritual body...
“...it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body …flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:44, 50)
From about the 4th Century AD Christianity has made salvation a matter of man DOING SOMETHING for God to get saved and blessed. Not so, salvation is a DONE deal, and eternal blessing will follow our resurrection as the free gift of God's grace. God through Christ Jesus has reconciled mankind to Himself and Jesus will return someday to literally save us from death and give us a new spiritual body created to live an abundant eternal life.
FAITH that God is the savior of the world and has reconciled it too himself is what it means to “walk by faith, not by sight”. We just don't SEE it now, it is just a promise from God, and we have faith in what He says - or not.
Biblical faith is a term which most people struggle with. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark, nor is it just saying we trust God or Jesus. Faith is believing something God or Jesus has SAID he has done or will do for us. Salvation by faith is not “inviting Jesus into your heart”, or joining the church, or confessing your sin, or “calling upon the name of the Lord”, or getting baptized. If those things are of any value at all, they are just a way to express that we believe what God says he will do. Those things are NOT a condition to God being faithful to save mankind, they are a response to the realization that they have been saved by the GRACE of God “not of works lest any man should boast”. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15)
All of our evangelistic efforts will not add to what Christ Jesus came into the world to do. Evangelism should be simply introducing the world to their Savior. Salvation is what God and Jesus will do for mankind…save them. Not try to save them or offer to save them, but actually save them. For Christianity to imply he will not do so without our help or acceptance of an invitation is evidence of a LACK OF FAITH it seems to me.
“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.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)
Sometimes I wonder if institutional Christianity as a group are included in the “especially of those who believe”. When Christianity returns to faith in what God through Christ Jesus has DONE, and returns to teaching and preaching that gospel, our churches might again be filled with joyful men and women.
The Joel Osteen church has tapped into that joyous message, but he makes his money from promising his listeners that if they have faith in themselves, God will pour out His “abundant life” now in various forms of success. But that abundant life in the Kingdom that Jesus promised will not be ours until after Jesus returns and we have been resurrected and our natural bodies replaced with a new spiritual body...
“...it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body …flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:44, 50)
From about the 4th Century AD Christianity has made salvation a matter of man DOING SOMETHING for God to get saved and blessed. Not so, salvation is a DONE deal, and eternal blessing will follow our resurrection as the free gift of God's grace. God through Christ Jesus has reconciled mankind to Himself and Jesus will return someday to literally save us from death and give us a new spiritual body created to live an abundant eternal life.
FAITH that God is the savior of the world and has reconciled it too himself is what it means to “walk by faith, not by sight”. We just don't SEE it now, it is just a promise from God, and we have faith in what He says - or not.
Grief Is Not Our Home
"Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5)
Grief is not our home. Joy is our home. Just like our memories, grief is just a place we visit from time to time. So remember, visit and grieve...then wipe away the tears and go home.
"...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
Grief is not our home. Joy is our home. Just like our memories, grief is just a place we visit from time to time. So remember, visit and grieve...then wipe away the tears and go home.
"...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
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God said... " By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every t...