The Unforgivable Sin

Have you ever sat and read through the book of 1 John and found yourself being greatly encouraged? There is no doubt that 1 John offers some wonderful reminders for the believer, such as knowing that we do not need to be ashamed of our pasts because Jesus has forgiven us (1 John 2:28) or that we are over-comers because Jesus overcame the world (1 John 5:4-5). However, after being encouraged and reminded that we lean not on our strength, but on the strength of God; John closes this book with a remark that has confused many.

“16 If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should ask about that.”

1 John 5:16

When you read this passage, John clearly states that there is sin that does not lead to death and sin that does lead to death. On the surface level we can take this passage to mean a physical death, but I believe that this verse leans more to describing a spiritual death. If that is the case then it leaves the reader with the big question, what is the sin that can lead to a spiritual death? This then leads the wanderer to question if they have committed that sin that leads to death, and for someone who is not mature in their faith this may cause them to question if they are actually saved or if they have crossed that invisible line.

Thankfully, scripture answers scripture and I believe that Jesus answers this very question for us. The answer can be found in Matthew 12:31-32.

“31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

Here we see Jesus distinguishing between two sins, those against he Son of Man and those against the Holy Spirit. We have all been in the situation of speaking against Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Any sinful action that we did, spoke against who God was. This is why Romans 6:23 states, “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Every person falls under the category of this type of sin, the only thing that can correct this course is acceptance of Jesus Christ that we pass from death to life. This is why in Matthew 12:31 Jesus states that any sin against Him will be forgiven, when we accept Jesus’s free gift of salvation all of our past, present, and future sins have been forgiven.

So then it would almost appear that 1 John 5:16 and Matthew 12:31 are almost contradictory. Jesus is stating that all sin against Him will be forgiven while John is stating that there is an unforgivable sin. And this is where Matthew 32 comes in. In this verse Jesus very matter of factory answers what this unforgivable sin is, to speak against the Holy Spirit. But what exactly does this mean? It means that when confronted with our sins, instead of turning to God for forgiveness, an individual deny’s God’s gift of salvation. They wrongly assume that they do not need God and deny any role He has over them. Those who deny God commit the greatest sin there is, they do not reconcile themselves to Him and so they never receive life. They continue in their sin and they die both physically and spiritually.

With this understanding, we see that 1 John 5:16 is not directed towards fellow believers, but for those who are still actively practicing sin and have not received God’s free gift of salvation. For these individuals we need to pray for them and ask that God intercede and do what He needs to in order to bring these individuals to Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Scheduling Conflict

Fall is in full swing! This means the schedule is full, and there is something pulling at the very seconds of the day. The temptation to take time away from God’s Word to fill it with the demands of life is dangerous. However, I want to take a moment and encourage you to stay the course and dedicate time with the Lord each and everyday.

In fact, if we spend time with the Lord, this will reverberate back into the rest of our day. Proverbs 2:11 “Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,” Don’t you want to have discretion guarding you? And understanding watching over your actions? I sure do! So if that is what we are doing, we need to recognize how we come to this. Examine Proverbs 2:1-10 “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”

When we take time to understand God’s Word, we are in fact preparing the best way for the rest of the day. This means God’s Word is designed for us to be utilized daily! No where in the Bible will you see someone write, “Go look at God’s Word tomorrow” it will always be directing us to now. For salvation is for today. When we listening to His word, we will find that God is answering us throughout the day. This is why God says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” To further this point, just look at Jesus’ own words to Satan, Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” So as you are thinking of the busy schedule and the idea creeps into your mind that the Bible study can wait until later, take a moment and smother the thought, drown it in God’s Word and see how much He cares to be in our schedule, because only He can make our time matter.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Join us for our third discussion on the threat within the churches today! Read it HERE!

Beyond the Imagery

Have you ever been doing your Bible study and come across a section of verses that seem to belong more in a poetry book? While the writers of the 66 books in the Bible would often use poetry to describe a meaning, simply open to the book of Psalms or Song of Solomon to see, these verses are often hard to understand and as such it is easy to want to skip over them. However, when you come across these verses I would ask that you take a moment to pause and think about what the imagery is trying to describe, allow me to show you what I mean.

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
    the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Proverbs 18:4

In this verse we have two descriptions of bodies of water, the deep water and the bubbling brook. When you think of deep water it often conjures up images of dark depths where it is difficult or impossible to see the bottom. Often deep waters bring to the forefront of the imagination of what could be lurking in the depths. Deep waters are often seen as untrusting. With this understanding, it is interesting that the words of a man’s mouth is described as deep waters. It brings to mind that the words of man are often untrusting or there is more than what is being said. This is corroborated in scripture.

2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
You deceitful tongue.

Psalm 52:2-4

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James 3:9-10

We can see how mistrustful the mouth of man can be and so it is like the deep waters where we can not see what is beneath the surface.

On the opposite side of this, there is the bubbling brook. This imagery often makes the reader think of a calm stream, it is often peaceful and gentle. And so is wisdom. Wisdom is described as shouting in the street, in the square, the noisy streets, and the entrance of the city gates (Proverbs 1:20-21) wisdom is there for everyone but few take the time to seek it. So the next time you come across a section of scripture that is based more on imagery, I ask that you take a moment to think of what it is describing. Then see if you can apply that image to what is being said in the verse.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Godly Planning

If you are ever in need of good advice, allow me to introduce you to the book of Proverbs. This book is not only applicable with every circumstance we find, but is designed to help us on an individual bases. This characteristic is something that only the Bible has because it is God’s Word and designed for us, 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Yet the book of Proverbs was designed to take this daily applicability to a whole other level. Today, I want to review only one verse in Proverbs, but I think it is vital for the majority of us today.

Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.”

Who is a prudent man? The Hebrew word is “aw-room” which usually means “cunning” but in a bad sense; almost like crafty. However in the case of verse 12, we find the word on the rare occasion can be used to identify a good person. How do we know this? Based on the person hiding themself from evil.

When the prudent man or women sees evil this implies they are examining and thinking to the future; and wanting to contemplate proper steps. This is the fruit of wisdom, Proverbs 24:3-5 “By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.” We need to be proactive, thinking to the future. This means meditating on God’s Word and applying it to our daily actions before those actions are in front of us. This is a lot to handle and think about, especially because each of us are in different areas of our walk with Christ. This proves once again that God’s Word must be approachable for all of us at any time, which God makes perfectly clear. Proverbs 3:1-3 “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Christians are always saying Jesus needs to be number one in our life, but is He number one in our thoughts in preparation for the day? Is He a partner in our planning or just an emergency line when we realize it is out of our hands? Think about this, allow God to be your focus on the day to day, and see what God does.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

What can we learn from trials? Join us HERE!

Comforting Words

When I was a new believer, it was difficult for me to do my Bible study. Not because I didn’t want to know more about God and how He saved me; but because I simply did not know how to begin. The Bible can sometimes appear as such an intimidating book, after all it is the Word of God. It took me awhile to understand that God wrote this book with me in mind, He wrote it to guide me to Him, to teach me how to overcome the world, and sometimes the most important thing is that He wrote it to comfort me.

This world and all that is in it brings trouble and strife. It can become easy to become bogged down with everything that is going on, not just in our day to day life but also in the lives of our friends and family. I am sure that you, just as I have, have experienced times where it seems as if everyone we know is struggling with something. It begins to feel as if everyone you know is being attacked. It is times like these, that I hope you run to Him and His word; after all there are so many comforting verses found in the Bible but today allow me to share one of my favorites.

“3 On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.”

Psalm 138:3

This is a trait of God that has always amazed me. On the very day that we called to Him, the day we asked Him to take control of our lives and to save us from our sins; He answered us. There was no waiting, we immediately became children of the one most high God, the Creator of the world, the author of our salvation! It is because of Him who overcame that we are able to be over-comers of this world as well! We have not our strength to lean on, but God’s! And His strength never fails! How amazing it is to know that we have been sealed and nothing can take us from Him! And so, because of His strength we are able to walk boldly through all of the troubles that life brings us because we have Him on our side!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Our Thoughts, His Presence

Did you know that Jesus can read your thoughts? For the believer this is an amazing comfort; for the non-believer this should be terrifying. This is important for us to know, because it reveals the assurance we have as believers that when we are saved, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

Mark 2:1-12 “When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Here we find Jesus has returned to Capernaum. It is here that Christ reveals a truth of His power even while on earth. That power is, “There is no thought outside of His observance.” For good or bad for the originator, God knows their thoughts.

Psalms 94:11 “The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath.” In Mark’s account of the paralytic man, Jesus is preaching in a home that is so full no one can get to the door. Have you ever been in a crowd where not even a body can wiggle its way forward? When a group of people are that determined it is a formidable obstacle. It is why the paralytic man and his friends are already revealing their faith by doing whatever it takes to get in front of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.”

A critic of Jesus’ authority might say that the actions of the men is revealing their faith, this would even be backed up by a principle that Jesus’ own brother would write later, James 2:18 “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” But it is here that Jesus prepares the stage for His revelation of authority to know the thoughts of all. Jesus answers the paralytic’s question which he had in his own heart! You see Jesus answers a question without ever audibly hearing the question, Jesus states, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus declares that the paralytic man is in a relationship with God the Father by stating “son”, Jesus is also declaring that because of this relationship, the sins that separated them before were now removed. This is an incredible but quickly missed point many, including myself, do not recognize. Jesus knew the paralytic’s question! That question wasn’t even asked audibly.

Yet, Christ continues this trend by recognizing the apparent elephant in the room with the scribes. These were the religious professionals who doubted the authenticity of Jesus Christ, because of their own jealousy.

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Jesus recognizes their thoughts and calls them out; He provides the answer that was needed not for the scribes sake, but for those who the scribes would undoubtedly attempt to sow doubt into their belief of Christ. Jesus raises the bar in the exact issue the scribes were known for doubting in God’s Word, the physical miracles.

Nevertheless, this brings an important thought that we have touched on before, but needed its own attention today, “God knows your thoughts”. My question for you is, does this comfort you or scare you? The answer will shed light on your relationship with Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The second in our Threat Within posts! Read it HERE!

Put Into Practice

There is a belief among Christians that often leads to frustrating results. It is the idea that since we are Christian’s we should not struggle with sin any longer, which when we do sin, it leads to many to doubt their salvation or just become frustrated with themselves. There is another belief about Christian’s that leads to the same frustrating results, and this is the idea that we should immediately know how to imitate Christ and put aside the sin we struggle with. Then when we are placed beside someone who has the same issues as us but does not react sinfully, we become frustrated that we are not at the same level.

Let us look first at the belief that we should not struggle with sin once we become a born again believer. One answer to this belief can be found in 1 John 3:7-8.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

This may seem like a strange place to go when battling this mistaken belief, outwardly it does appears to say that if you still struggle with sin then you are a follower of unrighteousness. However, this could not be farther from the truth. The key word in this passage is the word “practice”. To practice something means to willingly, put thought and intent into something. If you have ever practiced for a sport or instrument you understand that in order to get better you willingly have to put the time into whatever it is that you practice. This is the same when it comes to sin. If you are willingly going out with the intent to do something sinful, then you would be a follower of unrighteousness. However, those who are born again, while they do still sin, do not make it a practice. They desire to be more like Christ and avoid sin. The difference is that being a follower of Christ means that we are quicker to repent for our sin and slower to repeat it because we do not wish to grieve the Holy Spirit. Those who are followers of Christ practice righteousness.

This then leads into the second misplaced belief. Since someone who desires to be like Christ would clearly wish to behave like Him in all circumstances, it becomes frustrating when we are placed in a situation that causes us to sin. Now a born again believer should know that Christ died for all of our sins, and there is nothing that will separate Him from us, it does become frustrating when we know we should have responded better to a situation. Proverbs 4:18 gives us the answer to this belief.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Again, this may seem like a strange place to start. This passage in Proverbs almost seems vague, however, if you take another look you will see that it answers this belief perfectly. The path of the righteous is like the dawn. Has there ever been a time when mankind has been able to stop the sun from rising? The rising of the dawn is an unstoppable force that brings light to the world. This is the same for the Christian who wishes to be like Jesus Christ. When we desire and put into practice the willful intent to follow Him, there is nothing that can stop us from growing. We become an unstoppable force. And just like there are days when it seems like the sun is slowly rising or days where it rises in the blink of an eye, each Christian’s walk is different. We each grow at our own pace, but regardless, it is still unstoppable. The more we study God’s word and put into practice what the Bible teaches us, the more we become like Christ!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Ambassadors

Followers of Christ need to recognize that while we are in this world, we are ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Like ambassadors today, Christians need to be identified as followers of God in our actions, those actions at times might be declaring the gospel to the fallen world. This also might mean we are taking things to Christ so we can request God’s intercession. Today, we have events that require us to intercede to our Heavenly Father and ask for His divine action. We need to be praying for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem. We are commanded to Psalms 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” We need to be praying and standing for truth, justice, and peace. Zechariah 8:16 “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.” When God called those who are saved to be ambassadors, this comes with a purpose that is now founded in our daily actions. We are to be focused on what God wants. Zechariah 7:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.” We need to be praying for Israel and the war that has engulfed the nation. We need to pray for a swift and quick victory, and that peace will come.

Now for those who are “End Times Scholars” they might say “Peace will not come until Jesus sits on the throne”. This is true but we are to nevertheless pray! One of the oldest diplomatic policies established by God that still holds true today is His promise to Israel. Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” He established this nation to be the tool for the birth of the savior of the world! He still has a plan for the Jewish people and as Church we need to be praying to our Father for peace in Israel. So take time out of your day and let us intercede to our Heavenly Father for peace for Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people.

We can also pray for those who also live in the promise land and pray they, as well as the Jewish people, come to know Jesus Christ as the true and living Lord and Savior. If you have more questions regarding the actions and future actions of God with His people, feel free to send us an email and request posts/study on the topics!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Are you keeping a heavenly perspective? Join us HERE!

A Plan

A couple weeks ago we discussed a passage found in the book of John which detailed Christ describing what His purpose was. We saw that from the beginning of His ministry Jesus was calling for the repentance of mankind. So we clearly saw what Jesus’s purpose was, but what was God’s will in all of it?

Anyone who is a follower of Christ will know that God’s will has always been for mankind to turn from their sinful ways and follow Him. This goes hand in hand with Jesus’s purpose of preaching repentance. However, did you know that there is a clear section of scripture that describes God’s will not just for Jesus, but for mankind?

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:38-40

Jesus’s purpose on earth was to preach repentance and to be the final sacrifice for our sins. And again, any Christian ought to know that Jesus did this to fulfill God the Father’s will. However, what doubters will say is “How can a loving God sacrifice His Son?” And so we have John 6:39. Christ is the sacrifice that brings all who accept Him into reconciliation with God the Father, but because God the Father is a loving and caring God, He would not leave His Son with nothing. Christ lost nothing when He died on the cross, He received it all when He rose again from the grave. It is why Jesus states in John 10:17-18, “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” Jesus had full authority to lay down His life and He knew that He would rise again; and because He did mankind now has the capability to accept His free gift of salvation and be reconciled to God.

Which now leads us into understanding God’s will for mankind. Just as Jesus taught from the beginning, God’s will for mankind is to turn away from their sin and accept Him. Just as nothing was taken away from Jesus when He died, there is nothing that can separate Jesus from anyone who comes to accept Him as Lord and Savior. For the Christian, this should give us hope. Not only did Jesus lose nothing in His death; but because of His death we will one day rise up with Him!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

WHY?

Why were you saved? You might think this is a trick question, but it really isn’t. Some will say, “It is because Jesus died for my sins.” This is true but this answers how we are saved. Why were you saved? Some might say, “Because God so loved the world that He saved us.” Which is also true, but why were you saved? This question is unique and one that sooner or later all believers in Christ Jesus need to ask Him. There will always be the foundational reasons such as Romans 5:7-8 “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But is there more? Is there a specific reason why you were saved? To be perfectly clear, this can be a dangerous question to ask. Some might take this too far and examine their own self worth and come to a disastrous idea that God chose them because they were needed. God does not need you or I! Acts 17:24-25 “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” God needs nothing for He is the maker of all things. We can also examine this question to our own detriment and think there is no real value to us, like once saved we have no value to God. This is also not true. Yet this simple question needs to be asked. Why were you saved? Scripture tells us why Paul was saved, let us examine this to see if we can find an answer to why we were saved.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” God saved Paul because He loved Paul. However, God also saved Paul to reveal to the world that Christ could save literally anyone! Yes that even means the worst person you can think of. That even means the monsters we read about in history books who did things that naive people consider to be outside of human capabilities today. Paul was saved to be a living testament. His testimony is five verses; instead of focusing on the garbage of his past, he quickly directs the attention to the real subject of our personal testimony, JESUS CHRIST.

A testimony helps us understand the value of what God is doing in our life post salvation. In doing so, it reveals the value of what God is doing and how He has turned our life into something greater than ourselves. Look at the disciples, they were going to be saved just like the rest of us because Jesus was going to die for them as well. However, them being saved revealed a post salvational purpose that God had intended for their lives. The same is for each and everyone of us, because God declares in countless verses His intentions in our lives to help guide us and love us. Read Proverbs chapters one through four and marvel at the revelation of Christ in our life.

So I would ask you again, “Why were you saved?” Have the answer ready, so when someone asks, you can give more than the “whole world” answer and reveal to them the personal relationship that you have with the creator of the universe. Now if you are not saved, I would encourage you to ask that question in a different manner, “Why hasn’t He saved me?” This answer we can simply tell you. He is waiting for you to ask! Recognize your need for Him and ask, that’s it. He will do the rest. Sometimes the simplest questions are the ones we miss to ask, and at times those are the questions that reveal the most truth in our lives.   

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The beginning of a new series regarding the threat within our churches! Read it HERE!

A Small Difference

While reading through the Bible, there are times that the same or similar verbiage is used to discuss God the Father as well as God the Son or the Holy Spirit. In these repetitive verses it is easy to want to skip over because we believe that it is saying the exact same thing. However, I would ask that you don’t create this habit. The reason is that everything in the Bible was written with a purpose, and it is for our benefit to search out the meaning, “2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.“ Proverbs 25:2. If we skip over parts of a verse, we often miss a deeper meaning. Allow me to show you what I mean.

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.“

1 Corinthians 8:6

Did you spot the difference? It really is a very slight change. The beginning half of the verse states that from whom all things come and for whom we live. The second half of the verse states through whom all things came and through whom we live. It truly is such a small change, but when you take a moment and look at it there is actually a big meaning behind it.

The first half of the verse details that God the Father directed the creation of all things, that everything came from Him. This includes mankind who was destined to live for Him. However, due to our sinful nature, it is impossible for mankind to live up to this measure, and that is where the second half of 1 Corinthians 8:6 comes into play.

The second half of the verse shows that all things came from Jesus Christ. This verbiage is to show that Jesus Christ is equal to God as part of the Trinity, Jesus is not a created being but is wholly God. However, the second half of the verse also gives us the answer on how we can live for God as described in the first half of the verse. Since Jesus is both God and man, His death and resurrection allows us to be able to be reconciled to God and therefore we are able to live for God through Jesus Christ! “10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!“ Romans 5:10. We cannot bridge that gap ourselves, it can only be done through accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

This is why it is so important to read the Bible seriously. If we had read 1 Corinthians 8:6 quickly and allowed our minds to believe that the verse is using the same verbiage throughout, we would miss the bigger picture. When you break down the very small differences in verbiage we see that Paul is showing that we were created by the direction of God the Father to live a holy life; however, since this is impossible to do we need a Savior who can give us the eternal life through His death and resurrection! So when you are doing your Bible study and come across a passage that appears to repeat itself, slow down and see if there is a deeper meaning behind the passage.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Do We Have Abominations In Our Lives? III

Our third and final abomination found in Proverbs 15 is verse 26, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure.” This verse brings to light something that only God can do. With all my study in the Bible, I have only found the Trinity being able to read the thoughts of man. This is important for us to understand since God is the final judge of mankind. God judges man only once in their life; it is either at our moment of salvation, or at the Great White Throne Judgment (GWTJ). Before we further review the significance of Proverbs 15:26, we should understand the value of having a God who can read our thoughts. Let’s look at Jesus on the cross. Go look at Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” God knew the criminal on the cross was sincere in his belief. It was not a plea to be saved from the cross, but actually a recognition of his sin and the realization of the more dangerous threat of dying unsaved. Jesus knew his thoughts and understood the significance behind his plea. This is the same with every person on the planet, for those who are unsaved God knows their thoughts as well. It is why when the GWTJ happens it is absolute, Revelation 20:13-15 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” However, Proverbs 15:26 goes deeper. When God says the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination, He is evaluating their thoughts and measuring them according to the perfection only found in Jesus Christ. Without Christ, man’s actions no matter how the world thinks they are, are an abomination to the Lord.

God cares for us, but God declares throughout the Old Testament and New Testament that He is sovereign and knows the thoughts of all. Thus there is nothing that can be hidden from Him. This is why we need Christ. Because without Christ restoring us, our thoughts, no matter how noble they are, are an abomination to the Lord.

Each three abominations have laid out how incapable man is of pleasing God on their own and how totally dependent on Christ we are. When man attempts without Christ, it is an abomination. This is why religion, no matter the name, creed, or practices are nothing but an abomination when measured to God’s perfection. He needed to send His son to die on the cross for us. His resurrection is an eternal message declaring the sovereignty and reliance of what the salvation is for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

I hope this three part series has helped you understand the abominations that are out there and realize we need Christ in order to make sure these abominations are not in our daily life. Remember when in doubt seek God’s Word and ask Him to speak to you. Jesus is alive and well, thus those who are saved have a living God who hears, cares, and is present in our life. For those who are not saved, these abominations reveal the truth that they cannot do anything on their own that is not seen as an abomination to the Lord. So I ask which are you? Saved with a relationship in Jesus Christ? Or not?

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

We all need this encouraging reminder of God’s characteristic. Read it HERE!

Studied By All

There is a lot that can be learned from the book of Psalm, however, much of it is overlooked. This is really a sad fact because the book of Psalm declares facts that those in the secular world would wish to deny. Many will say that the Bible and science should not and cannot mix. However, this statement could not be farther from the truth, a fact that we can see in Psalm 111.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111:2

Anyone who is a born again believer can admit that the works of God are like no other, there really is nothing greater. However, many born again believers look at this statement only in the sense of salvation. They forget a simple fact, that this world and everything in it was created by God. So if we are to delight in His works, that means we need to study it. Not only should we be studying our Bible, but we should be delving into subjects that cover all matter. We see God in everything that has been made. We should not be afraid to explore topics that the secular world says denies the existence of God, because in reality we are exploring more of God the Creator! By studying our world, we see God in a greater picture and in doing so we can use this knowledge to share God the creator with those around us!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Do We Have Abominations In Our Lives? II

Today we come to our second abomination that we must review to see if there is any trace in our life. While simple, it is devastating when present; much like dynamite, it can wreck havoc when it explodes. This abomination is the idea of “We know better than God.” Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness.” When we deviate from God’s plan, we are in fact telling Him we know better. Verse nine tells us even more though, “the wicked” indicates that the person doing this is acting out of their own self will and has rejected what God wants best for their life. God knows what is best for us, but also recognizes that free will is something to be cherished! This is why Proverbs 16:9 states, “a man’s heart plans his way. But the lord directs his steps.” Yet, when it comes to man and his relationship to God, Jesus has set clear indistinguishable boundaries on what man must recognize. This doesn’t just mean salvation, but also His plan with those who are following Him. I would encourage you to see what Korah did in Numbers 16. Here we find that he and others wanted to replace Moses and Aaron (Levi priesthood) as the leaders and intercessors for the tribes of Israel. I would encourage you to read verses 1-35 on your own. However, we can see from 31-40 that God takes seriously when the wicked attempt to thwart His ways for their own ways.

Numbers 16:31-40 “As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” 35 Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. 36 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. 38 “As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40 as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company--just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.”

Now you might be asking yourself, “How is the relevant to me?” And I can emphatically tell you that it is! Is there something in your life that God wants you to do? Or is there something in your life that God wants you to let go of? With either question are you waiting? Are you sitting and figuring out if you should do what He is calling for you to do? When we are not acting upon His will, we are in fact doing it our own way. For non-believers verse nine can mean that their actions or their life style is what Christ does not like; while this is true, believers can be just as guilty. We need to examine our lives and ask God to identify what needs to be fixed so that we can clearly and without hesitation follow His will. God has called you and I to something grand, it is up to us, through being in a relationship with Christ, to find out what that is and accomplish the task. If you are trying to understand what God is calling you to do, I would encourage you to seek out Psalms 28. In the coming months we will be doing a study on the attributes of prayer. Until next week remember that abominations can be large or small in our own measurements but to God, they are still abominations that need to be removed.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL