Do your friends, close neighbors, and co-worker know that you are a Christian?  Hopefully they don’t need to ask. If people have been able to observe your life for several years, it just seems like they should know that you have a relationship with the Lord.

More questions for your consideration.

• Why were you created?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

• What does God want you to do with your life?

“You are the light of the world. … let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV)

• Are you motivated to carry out God’s plan for your life?

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV)

• What is in your heart?

… each tree is known by its own fruit. … The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good … for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:44-45 ESV)

• Are you letting your light shine before others? Are you motivated to carry out God’s plan for your life? Is the Holy Spirit free to operate in your life?  Do others see your life producing good fruit?

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. …  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:5- 8 ESV)

Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:20 ESV)

 Conclusion:  If people can see that you are living for the Lord and that your life is producing good fruit they should not have to ask if you are a Christian.

 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 ESV)

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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Why am I writing a post about heaven and hell?  I attended two funerals in the past week.  I’m thinking about death.  Death is a reality for all of us.  We need to be prepared for our death.  Scripture says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; … (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 ESV)

We will be held accountable for our time here on earth.   And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment … (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)

We will all live for eternity.  We will live for eternity in heaven or we will live for eternity in hell.  And these (those individuals who have not received the gift of salvation) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:46 ESV)

Life or destruction are the only two options that we have to choose from. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)

Hell will be horrible.

“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, …” (Revelation 14:11 ESV)

… those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus … will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 ESV)

… the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:50 ESV)

… hell … the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43 ESV)

Heaven will be awesome.

 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.”  (John 14:1-4 ESV)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, … . (Philippians 3:20-21 ESV)

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43 ESV)

…  at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV)

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. (Revelation 21:21-25 ESV)

Will the people attending your funeral be celebrating the fact that you will be spending your eternity in heaven or will they be agonizing over the realization that you will be spending your eternity in torment?

… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13 ESV)

or

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15 ESV)

Heaven or Hell?  Where will you spend your eternity?

You may also want to read:

Whoever Believes …

or

Death – A Time of Celebration

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (James 5:9 ESV)

Some Biblical principles are easy to understand, but difficult to apply.  James 5:9 is one of those verses that is easy to understand, regardless of the translation you are using, but is certainly challenging to apply in everyday living.

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, (ESV)

 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, (NASB)

Grudge not one against another, brethren, (KJV)

Murmur not against one another, brethren, (YLT)

Simply put, we should not grumble, complain, or murmur against others.

Our words, when used inappropriately, can be hurtful and destructive to others and to ourselves.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. (James 3:6 ESV)

so that you may not be judged;

We will be held accountable for our words.

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37 ESV)

behold, the Judge  (Jesus) is standing at the door.

Remember, Jesus hears our words and knows our thoughts.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. (Psalm 139:1-4 ESV)

 James 5:9 reminds me of one of the verses of a song I learned as a child.

O be careful little mouth what you say
O be careful little mouth what you say
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little mouth what you say

Summary:  Don’t grumble.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 ESV)

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For many years I was a Bible teacher in a Christian school.  One of the questions I heard repeatedly from my students was, “How can I know God’s will for my life?”  This question came from students who were serious about their walk with the Lord.  For the most part, these students wanted to be obedient to the Lord and wanted to live a life that would be pleasing to Him.

This question is challenging for most of us.

There is a passage in Acts, chapter 13 that shows us how two men, Barnabas and Saul, received an assignment from God.  This passage should help us understand, in part, how we can be tuned in to hearing God’s will for our lives.

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,

the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul

for the work to which I have called them.” 

Then after fasting and praying

they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit,

they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:1-4 ESV)

What are some things that you can do as you go through the lifelong process of learning God’s will for your life?

• Spend time worshipping the Lord with other Christians. (Recognize and honor God as the sovereign and holy God.)
  • Singing
  • Praying
  • Reading Scripture
  • Listening to the Word being taught
• Be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. (All Christians have the Holy Spirit.)
• Know that God has a unique plan and purpose for your life.
• Spend time alone in studying the Scripture and in vigilant, passionate prayer. (Remove as many distractions as possible.)
• Look for support and affirmation from other Christians.
• Do what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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What Are You Celebrating Today, February 16, 2015?

Many people are calling today President’s Day.  For most of them, President’s day is a time to honor all of the presidents of the United States of America.  Some people think of today as the celebration of our first president, George Washington.  Others think of today as a time to celebrate the birthdays of two presidents, Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, and George Washington, born February 22.  Finally, there are those who think of President’s Day as a time when retailers offer great bargains on their merchandise.

What is President’s Day for you?

Today is a good time for all Christians to be reminded of the fact that our nation was founded on Biblical principles.  We need to give special recognition to all of the presidents of our great country who publically acknowledged the role of God in our country.

Many of our presidents had a reverence for the Lord.  I will mention four by name.

In a Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789, Washington stated, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”

John Adams, our second president stated, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”

In 1788, James Madison, our fourth president said, “The belief in God all powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities to be impressed with it.”

In God We Trust was first inscribed on U.S. coins in 1864 under President Lincoln (our 16^th president).

In addition to the four presidents listed above, many other presidents recognized God for who is and depended on Him for daily guidance.  These men understood that they needed to “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV)   We should all be grateful for these Godly men who were willing to publically profess their belief in God and use Biblical principles to govern our nation.

Unfortunately, our current president and many of our current government leaders appear no longer to be seeking God’s guidance for governing America.  At the same time, Biblical principles are being eliminated from proposed legislation. America can not continue to be a prosperous nation and a world power if this trend continues.  Christians need to be praying fervently for our current president, our current government officials, and our nation.

President’s Day is a time to remember and honor our past presidents and a time to pray for our current president.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.        (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! (Psalm 33:12 ESV)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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Beloved, let us love one another,

for love is from God,

and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

(1 John 4:7 ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(Romans 5:8 ESV)

 Happy Valentine’s Day

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How many times has someone said to you, “Just be patient”?

In the Bible, James 5:7, we are instructed to “Be patient …”.  The sentence concludes with the phrase “until the coming of the Lord”.  Simply stated, scripture tells us that we are to be patient for the rest of our lives.

What does it mean to “be patient”?

Definitions for the word patient include the following phrases:

Quietly and steadily persevering

Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, or annoyance with calmness

Remaining calm and not becoming annoyed for long periods of time when dealing with problems or difficult people

Calmly awaiting an outcome or result

Bearing trials without complaint

As we go through life we will be facing challenges, trials, pain, difficulties, annoyances, problems, and difficult people.  In the face of all of these conditions we are to “Be patient …until the coming of the Lord”.

Other scriptures also instruct us to be patient.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12 ESV)

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant … (1 Corinthians 13:4 ESV)

Being patient does not mean that you are approving inappropriate behaviors.

“‘I know your (Church in Ephesus) works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. (Revelation 2:2 ESV)

When you are having difficulty being patient, focus on Jesus Christ.

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)

Finally, remember where patience comes from.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, … (Galatians 5:22 ESV)

Genuine patience is a gift from God.

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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What does it mean to compromise?

When we compromise we “meet somewhere in the middle” or we make concessions.  When we compromise we settle for something less than we know, in our hearts, to be the truth.  When we compromise we weaken the principles or standards we once valued dearly.

It is never o.k. to add to or take away from the Biblical principles that we know are true.  It is never o.k. to compromise what we know to be true when we share Jesus Christ with other people.

A few of the basic Biblical truths that can never be compromised are found in John 14 and Act 4.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12 ESV)

Powerful reasons for us to never compromise our testimony are found in Matthew and Luke.

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)

 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.   …  And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:8-12 ESV)

Finally, we need to remember who is glorified when we are uncompromising.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

+6

Most Christians believe that God is able to answer prayers in miraculous ways.

How do you respond when your prayers are miraculously answered by God in ways far beyond your understanding?

There is an amazing story in the book of Acts, chapter 12, that illustrates several ways God-fearing believers responded when God answered their prayers in a truly miraculous way.

The apostle James, the first apostle to be martyred, had just been killed “with the sword” by Herod Agrippa I.  Peter was in prison, chained between two guards, knowing that he was likely to be put to death in a similar manner.  At this time “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5 ESV)   and “many were gathered together and were praying (at the house of Mary)”. (Acts 12:12)

At this point in the story God sends an angel to rescue Peter from the prison.

What were Peter’s first thoughts as he was being rescued? He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (Acts 12:9 ESV)

• Peter thought that he is seeing a vision.

When (Peter) realized (that God had miraculously intervened by sending an angle to rescue him), he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John … where many were gathered together and were praying. (Acts 12:12)

And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. (Acts 12:13-14)

• Rhoda responded irrationally.

They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” (Acts 12:15)

• The people in the house thought that the servant girl was out of her mind and did not believe the good news about Peter’s release from prison.

But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” (Acts 12:15)

• The people were not able to see God’s miraculous intervention and tried to rationalize the events of the evening. They had been praying for Peter and then were not able to believe that God had in fact answered their payers.

But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. (Acts 12:16)

• After witnessing God’s miraculous answer to their prayers they were amazed. They were surprised that God had answered their prayer.

How do you respond when your prayers are miraculously answered by God in ways far beyond your understanding?

• Do you think that you are seeing a vision? Do you think that you are having a dream?
• Do you react with irrational behaviors?
• Do you think the people who tell you that they have seen God at work in your life are out of their minds?
• Are you surprised when God answers your prayers?

What would be an awesome response to all of God’s miraculous interventions in our lives?

“… . For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27 ESV)

We all need to believe that God is able to do anything. We are totally dependent on God.  We need God’s help so that we can have complete trust and confidence in Him.

“I believe; help my unbelief!”  (Mark 9: 24 ESV)

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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