Mark 12:30

Mark 12:30 says this:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

In this verse we are commanded to love in four ways: Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength. I'm not sure if that's something I've ever really considered. It's a popular verse that we hear read at church or sang in a song, and it seems empowering. But have you ever stopped to think about what that demands of us? I know I haven't. This four-fold love is not a Sunday morning "likeness" of God. It's not accepting God as Savior and living life unchanged. This extreme love is more than all that, it's accepting God as the Savior and LORD of your life. Making Him Lord means giving Him control, which means our lives should be permanently changed (for the better).

This love goes beyond an emotion felt by a boyfriend and girlfriend, beyond what's felt between the closest of spouses, and yes even beyond the bond of a mother and child. This love isn't just an emotion or bond, it's a lifestyle. Loving the Lord in this way is a daily way of conducting your life. Who you live for displaces who you love. Do you live for yourself? If so you will let yourself down, trust me I've done it. Do you live for another person? If so, they are human, they will let you down. But if you live for Christ, I assure you, He will never ever let you down. Love Him in all that you do, and live for Him in all that you do.

Bro. Austin

Don't fear control you!

“I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, “This is his wife.” Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”  

Genesis 12:11b-13

            

              Fear can cause us to do some dumb things. Think of all the things that you have done because of fear. I remember in elementary school being terribly afraid of somebody, and they told me to run up a metal slide. So, I ran up that slide. Seven stitches later, I came home. Here in this passage of scripture, we see where Abram did something dumb, because he was afraid of the Egyptians. First of all we see in verses 10-13 that he didn't trust God. This always confuses me. God had just spoke to him, and made a covenant with Abram. Now Abram is going to Egypt because of a famine. God promised that He would protect Abram and his family. Fear made Abram say to his wife, “Say you are sister, so that I will live.”

           

              Fear causes us to do dumb things. Abram and his family get into Egypt and do exactly what Abram petitioned his wife to do. When they were in Egypt, Pharaoh gave many gifts to Abram because of his wife. But after a while God sent a terrible plague on Pharaoh’s household. When Pharaoh found out who Abram’s wife was, he rebuked Abram. Then Pharaoh sent them away with an armed escort.

           

              Fear caused Abram to doubt the protection of God. Does fear cause you to doubt not only the protection of God, but maybe even God in general? We have to learn from Abram’s mistake here. Don’t let fear control you. Let God guide you.

Bro. Michael

Nailing Our Record to the Cross

"By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:14). 

This is, without exception, the most vivid description of God's salvation work of justification through Jesus. The author of It Is Well With My Soul captured it well:

"My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!"

According to Paul here, God canceled our record of debt with its binding legal demands and nailed it to the cross. In causing Him to be nailed to the cross, God has provided for the full cancellation of the debt of obedience that we had incurred. Christ took upon Himself the penalty that we were under because of our disobedience, and His death fully satisfied God’s necessary demand for due punishment of that disobedience.

Our debt for sin has been paid in full; our sins are swept away and forgotten by God! What a glorious thought. You did not cancel your own debt, God did. You did not nail your own debt to the cross, God did. Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9), and He is fully deserving of your devotion and whole-hearted worship now and forever.

Do you treat Christ's justifying death as a simple, uncostly achievement or is it worth everything to you?

Bro. Brandon

God's Greatest Plus Sign: Part 3

The Cross has been a major symbol for Christians for centuries. I like to think of the Cross as "God Greatest Plus Sign." Over the next few weeks we'll look at what has been "added unto us" due to this great plus sign we call the cross.

God's Greatest Plus Sign
Things Added Unto Us Because of the Cross

Over the last two weeks we went over how God has added unto us Power, Redemption, Wisdom, & Eternal Life through the cross. Today let's discuss another.

5. The Holy Spirit
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26 NKJV

When Jesus left the disciples He promised them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. He is there to guide us and teach us. The Holy Spirit is a wonderfully powerful tool for Believers in that He is always with us, He is God, and He can give us strength. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

Without the cross, without Christ bridging the gap between humanity and God we would have no connection to the Father through the Holy Spirit.

Disclaimer: These gifts or things added to us because of the Cross are offered to everyone. However not everyone will receive these because it takes faith. You must admit that you are a sinner [imperfect], believe that God sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of your sins. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and confess Christ as your Savior and Lord of your life. If you can do this then you can rest assured that you have all these promises from God and more.

Grounded in Christ,

Bro. Austin

I Saw Visions from God...

Please read the first chapter of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is known for many things, but he is especially prominent as a prophet of hope. He was alive during the time of Jeremiah, but his work takes on a somewhat different tone than that of Jeremiah. Ezekiel focuses on the exiles in Babylon – the first three chapters tell of his preparation for that work. After describing how he prepares himself, Ezekiel delivers messages of reprobation – that is, of God punishing the nation of Israel – then he brings the Israelites hope by foretelling their eventual Restoration. He clearly understood the necessity for a righteous reprobation, but he also realized that God intended to lift His people up. After reading through Ezekiel, this can be seen if one looks back at the first verse. Ezekiel says “As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar…the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” It’s obvious how clearly he understood God’s intent for the Israelites.

Ezekiel’s life as a prophet begins with visions of God, even before the voice of the Lord summons him to do work for him. The specifics of the beautiful symbolism in the first chapter of Ezekiel is not to be ignored, but for the purpose of this brief devotion, we will put them on a back burner to be reviewed and picked apart another day. The main thing I want to draw your attention to in this reading is that, at a time when the nation of Israel was staring down the barrel of an extremely bleak future, God revealed himself to Ezekiel in stunning, mystical images that could only have brought life and warmth into the heart of Israel. While God could’ve presented himself before Ezekiel and Israel in a simple and easily understood way, he chose striking, vivid, and colorful imagery. Why? He wanted to get Israel’s attention. The Lord desired that Israel gaze upon His splendor with wonderment and fear, yet at the same time He wanted them to feel comfort in knowing that the Lord who sent this powerful vision would rescue them in their time of need.

Following the reading of the first chapter of Ezekiel, one might think that we deserve such visions or that such visions would help us when we are walking down a dark, hostile road like the Israelites were during their captivity, but this is simply not so. Everything that was revealed to Ezekiel in the vision in all its striking beauty was still mystical and concealed by the veil of symbolism. We, on the other hand, can see everything clearly through Jesus Christ, the Son of God’s love. To see God’s glory in the life of Jesus is to see the righteousness of God’s judgment and the hope that comes with knowing that we serve a just and fair Lord. We can be assured through Christ that the love of God will ultimately save us in a final victory if we diligently "fight the good fight". The next time that you are struggling and you desire to see a sign from God that everything will be okay, or you need to be reminded of what He desires from you, just take a few moments to review the life of Jesus Christ and be uplifted by the aura of hope that emanates from the word of God. 

Thanks for reading,

Ethan

Why Works Won't Work

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you” (Matt. 7:23a).

Jesus says here, that on the Day of Judgment, He will declare to false believers their paramount problem: they never had a personal relationship with Jesus. 

They defend themselves before Him by telling Him their great works of righteousness (v. 22). But why aren’t their works enough? Why aren’t works enough for salvation? 1

1. It’s not the way God saves.

Jesus reveals why the false believers will be denied entrance into heaven: “I never knew you.” Good works are not the way God saves, so don’t try to get in that way! The only work you need is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross: “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he has sent” (John 6:29).

Jesus tells us that our righteousness must be His very own: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). The only way this righteousness can be ours is by being justified by faith. If you’re going to be saved—it must be God’s way, the only way.

2. Good works cannot justify. 

We have sinned against God (Rom. 3:23), this demands holy punishment and wrath (Rom. 1:18; 6:23). Good deeds cannot satisfy the wrath and demands of a holy God. Only a perfect substitute can propitiate God's wrath, and justify us in God's sight. This substitute was Christ. His perfect work in becoming sin for us, and giving us His righteousness in exchange (2 Cor. 5:21) is enough. 

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5).

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Gal. 2:21).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

3. The spiritual state of man. 

Before Christ, you are “dead in sins” (Eph. 2:1). Dead is dead. It's not that your spiritual heart has stopped beating, it has never had its first beat. If you remain spiritually dead throughout this life, even if good works are done, but nothing changes about your spiritual deadness—then you will go through the second death and be thrown into the lake of fire. Good works do not produce spiritual life. You must be born again (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). God must do a supernatural work in you—replacing your heart with a new one, giving you a desire for Him, and breathing into you spiritual life.

I've heard many well-intended evangelists say something along these lines: "Salvation is like this: you are struggling at the top of an ocean to survive, wanting to be rescued, and then God throws you a lifesaver and you grab onto it, paddling to God for eternal life."

But the truth is, you have already sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and drowned to death—and God has reached down, pulled you out of the water, performed spiritual CPR on you and breathed new life into you. You were “dead” in sins. You cannot be saved by works if you’re still in a state of spiritual deadness.

The only way to be saved is through repentance and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, in a personal relationship with Him (Matt. 3:1-2; Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:38; 16:31; 17:30).

Do you realize that works do not work? Do you know Jesus or just know about Jesus? Does God know you as His own (2 Tim. 2:19)? Are you fully depending on the finished work of Jesus Christ? Is there someone you know who needs to hear this gospel message?

Bro. Brandon

From Those Jesus Never Knew: Listen to the full message here:

God's Greatest Plus Sign: Part 2

The Cross has been a major symbol for Christians for centuries. I like to think of the Cross as "God Greatest Plus Sign." Over the next few weeks we'll look at what has been "added unto us" due to this great plus sign we call the cross.

God's Greatest Plus Sign
Things Added Unto Us Because of the Cross

Last week we went over how God has added unto us Power and Redemption through the cross. Today let's discuss a few more.

3. Wisdom
"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5 HCSB

I'm not an advocate for "The Message" as a translation, but I do like reading it as a commentary for my personal studies to help me understand scripture. Look at how the Message breaks this down:

"If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get His help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it." - James 1:5 MSG

When we speak about the gained wisdom from the Cross I mean the Wisdom that we have access to because of the saving power of the Cross. By accepting all that the Cross has to offer, we gain Wisdom from God. If we don't know what to do, if we are caught in a difficult place, we can seek out the Lord for guidance. The perfect and profound knowledge of God is perhaps the best resource to Christians. We must learn how to use it through prayer and studying scriptures.

4. Eternal Life - Salvation
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16 NASB

By far the best gift of the Cross. Salvation. Because we all sin (Romans 3:23) and deserve eternal death (Romans 6:23) we are in need of Salvation from our sins. Without this Salvation the best we can earn is death here on Earth and eternity in a place the Bible calls Hell. We can not escape this fate on our own. Our sins demand blood to be shed. If we wish to live then someone must die in our place. Since God loved us so much, He sent His Son to die in our place. This protects us from our fate and allows us (if we accept it) to be saved and have eternity spent in Heaven with God and Jesus rather than in Hell.

Disclaimer: These gifts or things added to us because of the Cross are offered to everyone. However not everyone will receive these because it takes faith. You must admit that you are a sinner [imperfect], believe that God sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of your sins. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and confess Christ as your Savior and Lord of your life. If you can do this then you can rest assured that you have all these promises from God and more.

Next week we will look at more blessings and promises added to us with the cross such as the Holy Spirit.


Grounded in Christ,

Bro. Austin

The Day of the Lord

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’” (Matthew 7:22).

Jesus is talking about a certain day when those who simply profess faith will defend themselves. But what "day" is Jesus talking about?

He is talking about the Day of the Lord, when all will stand before God in final judgment, where He will separate the wheat from the chaff (Matt. 3:12)—and will gather into Him His church, and the unsaved will depart into everlasting fire . . . where He will separate the weeds from the good seeds (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), where He will separate the believers from the non-believers.

The Old Testament referenced it (Joel 1:13; Malachi 3:17-18), Jesus and the New Testament writers warn of it (Matt. 12:36-37; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15).

“On that day” of judgment where He will reign as judge (Acts 17:31), He says, “ . . many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?”

You can hear the tone of surprise in their voices—“Did you see what we did Lord? Did you forget? Did we not . . .” The very fact that they defend themselves is an indicator that they are not saved. Because with Jesus, He’s all the defense you need. He took your case to the cross and settled it. On the Day of Judgment, all you’ll be able to say is “By grace I was brought to faith!”

So this demonstrates that they were depending on something of their own merit, which they say: “did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many might works in your name?” Now there’s no doubt that they did these things, even Satan and his followers can perform miracles. Even Judas cast out devils in Mark 3:14-15, and he appeared to be a disciple, but it was shown that he was not. They even claim authority behind their deeds: “in your name” is mentioned 3 times.

But Jesus isn’t denying that they did indeed do these things—the paramount problem was that these sinners are trusting fully in their own merit—they are defending themselves by pointing to their works. And notice the high standard of their works—I can’t remember the last time I prophesied can you? I can’t remember any time I ever cast out a demon, can you? Those things are things that most people don’t even do or try to do in their lifetimes. But I think that’s Jesus’ point here: It doesn’t matter how great your works are, how high they are—they will not even get you near the presence of God. What if you plant a church on a foreign mission field? Nope. What if you lead thousands to Christ? Nope. What if you give up all you have and serve the poor? Nope.

On January 1985, there was a large, unmarked and unclaimed suitcase discovered at the customs office at the Los Angeles International Airport. When U. S. Customs agents opened the suitcase, they found the curled-up body of an unidentified young woman. She had been dead for a few days, and as the investigation continued, it was learned that she was the wife of a young Iranian man living in the U. S. She was unable to obtain a visa to enter the U. S. and join her husband, so she took matters into her own hands and tried to smuggle herself into the country. The officials were surprised that an attempt like this could ever succeed. She tried to get in, but it was not only foolish, but fatal.

If we try to get in to heaven our own way, it will prove not only foolish but fatal—with unquenchable fire waiting at the doorstep of our eternity. As a Christian, rest in the cross, your case is settled. Depend on Christ—that gives you true freedom (Gal. 5:1), because you fail too often. If you are a non-believer, you need to make things right with God—works will never get you to Him; depend completely on Christ.

Are you resting fully in the finished work of Christ for your salvation, or do you still think that your good works are sufficient to bring you closer to Him? 

Bro. Brandon

From Those Jesus Never Knew: Listen to the full message here:

God's Greatest Plus Sign

The Cross has been a major symbol for Christians for centuries. I like to think of the Cross as "God Greatest Plus Sign." Over the next few weeks we'll look at what has been "added unto us" due to this great plus sign we call the cross.

God's Greatest Plus Sign
Things Added Unto Us Because of the Cross

1. Power
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity [fear], but of power and love and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 NASB

With Christ taking the cross, we have the gift of power. NOTE: This power is not our own strength, it's God's through us. Phil 4:13 says that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Without the Cross, without Christ, we have nothing. We have no power on our own. But because of the cross, because of Christ we have this unlimited power source to plug into 24/7/365. We don't do anything to earn this power source, all we must do is accept the free gift that the Cross has to offer.

2. Redemption
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses [sins], according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:7 NASB

Redemption is the act of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Everyone has sinned. Everyone has error. Even the most "perfect" people mess up, it's just our nature. The problem is that sinning comes with a price. Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death..." Wow that got serious quickly. So we agree that we sin and we agree that sin comes with a price - death. The only way out of paying this price is to have someone redeem us, or forgive our sins. Thankfully it's not in God's plan for anyone to perish or die for our sins. His plan is to offer a gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 shows this plan "for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. That whoever believes in Him, will not perish [die for there sins] but have ever lasting life."

Disclaimer: These gifts or things added to us because of the Cross are offered to everyone. However not everyone will receive these because it takes faith. You must admit that you are a sinner [imperfect], believe that God sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of your sins. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and confess Christ as your Savior and Lord of your life. If you can do this then you can rest assured that you have all these promises from God and more.

Next week we will look at more blessings and promises added to us with the cross.

Grounded in Christ,

Bro. Austin

Another Gospel?

I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to change the good news about the Messiah. - Galatians 1:6-7 HCSB

Paul minces no words. He doesn't spend a lot of time greeting the church or dealing with preliminary issues. He jumps right into the problem... they've turned away from the Gospel and turned to "another" gospel. A different belief system. Sounds horrible, doesn't it? How dare these people!

Here's the thing. You do it too. So do I, because the church has a problem. It always has. It's the same problem that Paul dealt with. Good news...changed.

Changed how? Altered. Altered to "not be so good." Modified from a message of complete and total freedom from sin, accomplished by the undeserved, unmerited grace of God, to a mixture of grace and works.

You see, the Galatian people were drifting towards a tainted gospel. People came into their fellowship, espousing the necessity to keep the Jewish Law in order to be saved. "Sure, you need to trust in Jesus. But we can't just set aside the Law." Circumcision. Not just the saving grace of Jesus, but surgery. Paul was livid.

He was livid at how quickly they turned. How quickly they left "Jesus plus nothing" and switched to "Jesus plus something."

But that's the human tendency. It's our natural inclination, because we don't understand grace. We don't understand a God who loves us unconditionally. We can't fathom a God who would declare us righteous based on the merits of Another.

We must, we must, we MUST do something to contribute. So, like the Galatians, we have developed a belief system that mixes the grace of Jesus Christ with the works of man. We wrap it up in Christianese, such as "After all that Jesus did for you, how can you not live for him?" We preach moralistic, "how to get better" sermons that provide a series of steps and actions in order to achieve better behavior. We overwhelm our children and youth with "discipleship" that is nothing but "don't do this, don't do that." Then we wonder why they hit the door after high school and never look back.

It's because we've started believing another gospel. We've mixed grace and works.

Let me be blunt. If your good works become anything other than deeds done out of simple gratitude for what Jesus has done, then you have tainted the gospel.

Your good works don't save you. They also don't draw you closer to God after salvation. We tend to err on that second statement.

What's the remedy? Remember that it's Good News.

It's Good News. It really is. The Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus saves you, totally independent of your own behavior. We evangelicals are pretty cool with that.

But here's where the Good News gets even better... not only does Jesus save you by grace, but he empowers you by grace. He doesn't just leave you at the checkout line. He provides service after the sale!

He's not giving up on you. He's committed to finishing the work He started in you (Phil. 1:6). He's with you every day, every moment, for the rest of your life... providing you sustaining grace, healing grace, overcoming grace.

That's our God. That's Good News. It's better than you thought it was.

Join us next time, as we look at another aspect of the Gospel of Grace.

By His Grace,

Adam

Who Goes to Heaven?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21, ESV).

In Jesus’ time, “Lord, Lord” would have been a title of immense respect (like “revered teacher”).
There may be those who say “Lord, Lord,” who proclaim His name, who highly respect Him, that will enter the kingdom of heaven—but according to Jesus, “Not everyone who says to [Him], ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” He tells His audience that there is a restriction from heaven, to some who use that title.

But Jesus’ point is not in the use or misuse of His name/title. Indeed, we are to respect His name and boldly proclaim it; the foremost problem is not the use of the title, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but the fact that the people Jesus is describing leave it at just that—it is only a profession of His name. Claiming His name (as they do three times), but not living His way. They simply say in contrast to those who do the will of God.

According to Jesus, these who simply profess faith “will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” This means they are not going to be born again through profession of faith and they will be denied entrance into God’s heaven because they never truly believed—it was only a profession; it wasn’t transformation

The important thing to notice is the contrast Jesus makes between those who “say” and those who “do” here in v. 21. In contrast to the one who professes faith, Jesus says that the only person that will enter “the kingdom of heaven” is “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It is God's will for you to be saved (Ezek. 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9), but it is also God's will for you to do God's will; that's what Jesus is talking about here. Doing God’s will involves living by His principles, obeying His commandments, serving Him faithfully.
 
Thomas Linacre was physician to King Henry 7th and Henry 8th of England. Late in his life, Thomas studied to be a priest and was given a copy of the four Gospels to read for the first time. Thomas lived through the darkest of the church’s dark hours under the rule of Pope Alexander 6th, who shamed Christianity with his murder, corruption, incest, and bribery. Reading the Gospels for himself, Thomas was amazed and troubled: “Either these are not the Gospels,” he said, “or we are not Christians.”

Something doesn’t make sense when our actions deny our beliefs. Our lives must demonstrate true belief in Christ—or we do not have true belief. Does your life reflect what you say you believe? Your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe. If it doesn’t there’s a problem—either you’re not saved, or you’re not being obedient to Christ. If you’re not saved, you can be—by repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus; placing total faith in His finished work on your behalf. If you’re not being obedient to Christ and doing God’s will—God can give you the strength to. You just need to surrender completely to Him. Whatever is stopping you from living out the faith you say you believe—it will be worth it when you get it out of the way so you can fully surrender to God.

Bro. Brandon

From Those Jesus Never Knew: Listen to the full message here:

Be still and know...

Today's devo will be kinda short, but I think it'll have a lot of meaning for a lot of people. You know how when you get anxious or worried, you can't stop fidgeting?

Psalm 46:1-11 ASV

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change, And though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the seas; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof.   There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God will help her, and that right early.   The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.   Come, behold the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariots in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.

The psalmist writes "Be still, and know that I am God." Next time you're anxious or worried, stop fidgeting around and let the knowledge that God is there for you wash over you like a calming rain. Let it soothe you in the way that nothing else can. And, most importantly, share that feeling with others by telling them the wonderful news of God and Christ!

In Christian love,
- Ethan

Delighting in God

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

The psalmist here writes that those who delight themselves in the Lord will be given the desires of their hearts. I think the principle here is this: If you are delighting yourself in the Lord, your desires will be pleasing to Him as well, and you will be given a greater desire for God. 

There was an article about the former Today Show host Bryant Gumbel. The author writes,

“Gumbel loves golf. Loves golf. Belongs to four clubs. Plays 200 times a year, sometimes 54 holes a weekend. Owns 2,000 golf clubs. “It’s the one thing that you do that is only about you. It’s the thing I enjoy the most,” says Gumbel. Gumbel and Al Roker were discussing a question they had read in Golf magazine which asked, “Which would you give up, golf or sex?” Without hesitating, Gumbel said sex. Roker was surprised by his answer. He was asking if he was serious. Gumbel said, “Maybe you’ve never had a great round of golf.”

If Roker had known the enjoyment of golf, he would have said the same thing.


If you’ve never allowed yourself to be so permeated by God’s presence, and recklessly enjoy God by delighting in Him—pushing all the limits; getting everything out of the way—then we will keep coming back to sin for enjoyment. If you knew what the joy of God can bring, then you wouldn’t keep returning to the same sins for pleasure and enjoyment. Delight yourself in the Lord, instead of delighting in sin. It's a fatality to delight in sin (1 John 2:15-17).

Bro. Brandon

“Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?”

Have you ever caught yourself asking that question? I know I have. It seems to be my favorite quote during times of sorrow and pain.. I find myself mad at God wondering “Why this? Why now/ Why me?” I try to reason with God by proclaiming that I’m a “good person” and don’t deserve the trials I go through. If you’ve ever felt that, listen up we (myself included) have some humbling to do before we try to get “holier than thou with Christ.”

1.       Good People:

There’s no such thing as a good person. Not a single one exists. If we claim we don’t “deserve” these trials then we are sadly mistaken. What our sinful lives deserve is eternity in a place the Bible calls Hell. On my best day I still sin and deserve eternity separate from Christ.

 

2.       Blaming God: 

We should be careful when we go to blame God. Sure God allows the world and Satan to attack us, but that’s in hope that we will resist and cling to Christ and grow stronger. James says in chapter 1 verse 13 “let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted by evil, neither tempteth He any man.”

Temptations never come from God. But what do you do when it’s not a temptation? What if it’s a death in the family? Lose of a job? Cancer? Illness? These aren’t temptations, but things that we all struggle with. We ask why would God allow this. Take a look at Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 KJV

Although we can’t see the big picture we must trust that with God, all things work for the good of those who love the Lord. It’s never God’s goal to see us suffer, but rather see His children rejoice and be happy. I’ve seen several deaths result in a lost friend coming to Christ. Same with job lose, cancer, etc. When these trials arise we should praise God, and know that His Will is bigger, better, and more perfect than ours. Even if we never see the “upside” we can rest assured that He has it under control and we can grow from it.

Why should I study?

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes to Timothy:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

How can we handle the word of truth if all we know is what someone else tells us? Sometimes I think that many people today just leave the studying and teaching to preachers and teachers. It's comparable to an infomercial. Someone talks for about 30 minutes, trying to sell us their point of view on how best to do a specific task (in this case, how to please God), and we just sit there and listen.

In verses 20-22, Paul writes:

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

In order to learn how to please the Lord, we have to cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable. The only way to learn how to do that is to study for ourselves. It's like the infomercial example - I can't count the number of times I've seen infomercials that make preposterous claims about the validity of their product in losing weight quickly.

Do these products work?

Usually, no.

Occasionally, one will, but how do we tell if it's any good? We do the research ourselves and learn how we can best become fit, then see if the product fits within that body of research. Don't be that person who buys into the preposterous claims of infomercial preachers. You won't be wasting your money, you'll be wasting your soul.

Study - it's the only way to know.

With Christian love,
Ethan

No Excuse for No Service

"But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7).

What is this grace? It’s important to know what Paul means here by “grace,” for it is given to all of us in the body ("each one of us")—and it is according to Christ’s sovereign distribution that we are given it.

It is not saving grace.That was already given to the believer (Eph. 2:8-9). This grace is what you might call “service-grace.” This is the grace which equips God’s people to serve. And just like salvific grace, it is given—not earned. It isn’t given according to how disciplined you are as a believer, it isn’t given according to your own spiritual goodness, it is given “according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

So, if this grace is for service, and it is given, then to whom is it given? “ . . . each one of us.” Paul includes himself and all of the Ephesians in this and says that “grace was given to each one of us.” In fact he even says that in Eph. 3:8: “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” This equipping/serving-grace is given to the weakest sinner saved by grace, and it is given to the most seasoned saint in the church of God. Not one is left out. None misses out on Christ’s bounty. Service grace is given to every believer. If this is true, then at least one implication can be made:

We have no reason not to be used by God in the church. If He has given us the grace necessary, we have no excuse. Often times we think we’re insufficient for the job. Well, you are insufficient for the job! But God has given you grace! In fact, it’s better to recognize that you are weak, because then you will depend on God’s power completely to carry out what tasks He desires for you:

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10, emphasis mine).

Isn’t God’s grace enough? Christ didn’t give us a “little grace,” in fact, according to Ephesians 1, He “lavished upon us” the riches of His grace (1:8). God wants to use us in some way or another, and He has given us the grace necessary to carry out whatever service it may be that He has given us.

Is God using you in the church, or are you giving excuses for why you can't serve?

Bro. Brandon

From Living Out Unity in Diversity, Listen to the full message below:

We should be doers of the Word.

James 1:19-27

1:19-21
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save you souls.


When I look at this passage, I see  that we should be both. We need to hear the Word, and we also need to put action behind what we hear. We should strive for righteousness. The way we do that is by focusing fully on Jesus. Satan knows when and how to strike us. Satan goes after us Christians for a reason. He already has the unbelievers, but if he can destroy our witness then he thinks he wins.

1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

It is not good enough to be hearers only. Think about this: If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have no choice but to be a doer of the word. If you are not filled with the Spirit, then you are just a hearer deceiving yourself. We are supposed to be in constant communication with God.

Another thing to think about. What do you do if you love something? You talk about it. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit then you will talk about Him. You will do things that will glorify Him. You will do things because you love Him. If you are just hearing Him speak, you will have no desire to do anything for Him. We have to be in His presence at all times, in order to defeat the temptations given by the enemy.

1:26-27
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.






So we need to be in constant communication with God. If we do this then we will automatically be doers of the word because we will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Thanksgiving and Praise

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5 ESV)

I can't tell you how many times I've heard these verses read. I feel around Thanksgiving they get over used and lose their meaning. Enter His gates giving thanks, and enter His courts with praise! Many of us have mastered the praise through scripture reading, music, prayer, etc. but I know I struggle with giving thanks as often as I should. Why? I don't know. I have plenty to be thankful for. If you don't feel you have something to be thankful for then start counting your blessings. 

Read and mediate over these verses, we could always use more praise and thankgiving in our lives. 

Bro. Austin

Liberated

“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1

Jesus is liberating. What in the world does this mean? It means that you’re free. You’re free to breathe. You’re free to laugh. You’re free to fail.

Let me explain. Most believers I know are too uptight. They take themselves too seriously and they take their religion too seriously. I was like that too. It affected everything. Church, work, marriage, parenting. I couldn’t help it, really. That’s the natural (and only) result of dwelling on what I call “bootstraps Christianity.”

One of my favorite preachers/authors, Tulian Tchividjian, states correctly that most believers trade a cross, which saves us gloriously through the grace of Jesus, for a ladder. In other words, grace saves us, but it’s our works that keeps us. We may not say those exact words, but they’re preached every Sunday. Go into a typical church and you’ll be given a to-do list. A checklist. You’ll be implored to be better, try harder, do more.

This is not the Gospel. The Gospel is good news for those who just can’t cut it. It’s cold water for the parched. It’s a remedy for the terminal.

I can’t muster up enough strength to climb the ladder. I just can’t. I’m not good enough or faithful enough. And I’m tired of telling other people to do the same.

Good thing the Gospel is true, huh? Good thing that Jesus brings liberation. You see, the Gospel presents to us a God that got His hands dirty. It presents to us a perfect Savior dying for imperfect creatures. It presents to us Jesus, crying out, “It is finished.”

What is finished? Your sin. Your efforts to earn favor with God. Your strained, vain efforts of self-improvement. And in their place, Jesus offers peace. Freedom. Liberation. A peace that enables you to have a clear conscience. An assurance that nothing you can do or can’t do will separate you from God. My friends, this is freedom. You don’t need a ladder. You have complete, utter forgiveness in Christ for every sin you ever committed or ever will commit. Some of you wrestle with this. I know. You’ve told me. You’re not sure you agree with it. You’re afraid my saying that will give you license to sin. That’s ok. You might just find the opposite is true… that a complete, all-in dive into grace actually empowers you to the growth and maturity you’ve searched for so doggedly.

I’ve started to embrace this freedom. Heck, it’s about all I talk about. Because it’s liberating. It’s freeing. Like Galatians 5:1 says, I refuse to let anyone submit me to that bondage again. And, by the grace of God, I won’t submit anyone to that either. I’ve lightened up. You should do. I’m free to breathe. I’m free to laugh, watch a little too much TV, and play bratty pranks on my daughter. I’m free to breathe, to relax, to know that God likes me. He really, really likes me. I’m free to fail. To mess up without doubt creeping in as to whether God’s angry with me. Because He’s not. Some of you may disagree with that too.

One more thing. I’m also free to love. Free to love. Free to live my life sharing the good news of God’s grace with everyone who will listen. Allow me to close with the words of this amazing hymn and let the amazing grace of Jesus empower you to relax, laugh, live, love, and serve.

And Can it Be That I Should Gain by Charles Wesley, 1738 -

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. 

By His Grace,

Adam

The Seriousness of Neglect

"Anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand" (Matt. 7:26, NLT).

Like a house of cards, the fool's life crumbles. Most people do not deliberately seek to build their house on sand (on a bad foundation); instead, they just don't think about their life's purpose. Many people are headed for destruction, not out of stubbornness but of ignorance. Part of our responsibility as believers is to help others stop and think about where their lives are headed and to point out the consequences of ignoring God and His Word.

Are you neglecting God and His Word? 

Bro. Brandon

What to do when you are Suffering.

Psalm 25   

1Lord, I turn to You.

2My God, I trust in You.

Do not let me be disgraced;

do not let my enemies gloat over me.

3No one who waits for You

will be disgraced;

those who act treacherously without cause

will be disgraced.

4Make Your ways known to me, Lord;

teach me Your paths.

5Guide me in Your truth and teach me,

for You are the God of my salvation;

I wait for You all day long.

6Remember, Lord, Your compassion

and Your faithful love,

for they have existed from antiquity.

7Do not remember the sins of my youth

or my acts of rebellion;

in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me

because of Your goodness, Lord.

8The Lord is good and upright;

therefore He shows sinners the way.

9He leads the humble in what is right

and teaches them His way.

10All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth

to those who keep His covenant and decrees.

11Because of Your name, Yahweh,

forgive my sin, for it is great.

12Who is the man who fears the Lord?

He will show him the way he should choose.

13He will live a good life,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

14The secret counsel of the Lord

is for those who fear Him,

and He reveals His covenant to them.

15My eyes are always on the Lord,

for He will pull my feet out of the net.

16Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am alone and afflicted.

17The distresses of my heart increase;

bring me out of my sufferings.

18Consider my affliction and trouble,

and take away all my sins.

19Consider my enemies; they are numerous,

and they hate me violently.

20Guard me and deliver me;

do not let me be put to shame,

for I take refuge in You.

21May integrity and what is right

watch over me,

for I wait for You.

22God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.

We see in verse one that we are to turn to God. Right from the beginning David gives a plead to God. Turn our hearts toward You Lord. We trust You O God.

David was being surrounded by his enemies. This is causing David to suffer severely. He is waiting for God to speak to him. He is in constant and earnest prayer.

That is really what we have to do in times of grief and suffering. We have to go on our knees and humbly pray that God will protect us, that He will never leave us, and that He will bring us out of our sufferings and afflictions. 

On the eighth of September, I found out that a friend was murdered in Chile. It was a really, really tough time for me. I ask that you continue to pray for the family of this woman. The one thing that has gotten me through these past couple of weeks is the constant prayer that others, and myself have given. We ask God to fill us with the peace that surpasses all understanding. We also pray that the friends and family of this woman can forgive this person who has done this act. I pray that he becomes convicted of his sin, and becomes a follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

So when you are suffering, or grieving, just remember to pray. Make your requests known to God. He will help you, if you let Him. 

It is good to be back with you all.

Bro. Michael