Remember to always be thankful. (#1)

Sometimes the words are easy to understand, but the application seems to be nearly impossible.

• God’s Word tells us to give thanks in all circumstances; whatever happens, always be thankful; in everything give thanks.

….give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

 Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ERV)

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV)

•  God wants us to always be thankful.

… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20 ESV)

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20 ERV)

^… always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; (Ephesians 5:20 NASB)

•  How can we always be thankful in all circumstances?

 We can begin by reminding ourselves that:

Our God is a sovereign God.

 God loves us.

 God “gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

 God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. “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)

 God has given all believers the Holy Spirit to teach, guide and comfort them.

 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

•  As we approach the Thanksgiving season, and throughout the entire year, we need to remember that God’s Word tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.

  Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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How are Christians able to celebrate the death of loved one?

Christians are able to celebrate death, because Christians are a people of H O P E

What is this hope?

Hope, in scripture, is not hoping that it will rain, when maybe it will rain or maybe it won’t rain.

Hope, in scripture, is not hoping that your favorite sports team will win, when maybe they will win or maybe they will lose.

Hope, in scripture, is absolute certainty.

Biblical hope is “An unbreakable promise”.

Today I want to share some of the promises of scripture that talk about the hope all Christians have.

Our message of hope has four parts:

• Heaven

H:  We are able to make a reservation in the perfect community, Heaven.  Part one of our message of HOPE is that that we can have a relationship with God, our creator, the creator of the universe, through Jesus Christ, and we can reserve a room (a place) in heaven with a reservation that cannot be broken.

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. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 ESV)

“Jesus said …, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’”   John 11:25

The gift of salvation is  “An unbreakable promise”.  God promised the Christian eternal life … and God cannot lie.

Hope for a Christian is living eternally in Heaven when we leave this earth.

Imagine just how awesome it will be to spend eternity in heaven.

Scripture gives us a tiny glimpse of Heaven.  A partial description of heaven is found in Rev.21: 4 where it says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)

 Using symbolic language, we will be “Walking on streets of pure gold”.  (Revelation 21:21)

•  Overcomers

O:  We can become an overcomer and can experience victory over sin and death.  Part two of our message of HOPE is that Jesus Christ overcame sin and death for us.  Jesus is an overcomer, and because of the work of Jesus Christ we too can be an overcomer.

Jesus overcame sin and death.  Jesus conquered sin and death for us.

John 16:33       I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We are overcomers

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. 1 John 5:4

^… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (Colossians 1:12-13)

When we ask Jesus to transform our lives we are able to overcome sin and death and we became eligible to spend eternity in heaven.

• Promises

P:  We can claim the promises in scripture that can never be broken.  Part three of our message of HOPE is more promises from scripture.

Scripture tells us that we have “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, (Titus 1:2)

More promises:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.   You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)

 I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly NASB (have it to the full NIV). (John 10:10)

•  Eternity

E:  We can enjoy an eternity with the Lord.  Part four of our message of Hope is that the Hope  we have is for eternity.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 We should be encourage, not discouraged. As Believers we will be reunited with loved ones, family, and friends who have accepted Jesus Christ as their redeemer.  We will live with Christ for all of eternity.

This message of hope is offered to everyone.

H:  As believers we are able to make a reservation in the perfect community, Heaven.

O:  We can become an overcomer and experience victory over sin and death.

P:  We can claim the promises found in scripture that can never be broken.

E:  We can enjoy an eternity with the Lord.

 Death for the Christians is not something to grieve or fear
but rather something to be celebrated.

Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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The 2014 Elections are over (except for a few runoff elections in some states).

What do we do now?

We pray.

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)

Scripture clearly tells us to pray for those in “high positions”.

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,

We need to be praying for those who are already in office as well as those who will soon be starting their new positions.

What should we pray?

We can start by praying that our leaders live their lives in ways that are pleasing to the Lord.  If they are already Christians, we can pray that they seek God’s guidance in all aspects of their personal and political lives. If those in “high positions” are not Christians, we can pray for their salvation.  We can pray that they will repent of their sins and embrace the gospel.

Why do we pray for our leader?

So … that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Does God really want us to pray for our politicians?  Yes!

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.

We want our leaders to be saved and we want them to know the truth and live their lives by the truths of scripture.

We needed to vote; now we need to pray.

Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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A changed life.

Lessons from the book of Acts (#5)

In Acts chapter 9, a young man named Saul goes from “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (verse 1) to being hunted by Jews who “plotted to kill him” (verse 23).

What happened?  What changed?

Jesus had confronted Saul on the road to Damascus and turned his life around.  Paul began living the life that God had planned for him and was becoming the man that God wanted him to become.

Almost immediately Saul proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (verse 20) And all who heard him were amazed. (verse 21)

Saul discovered early on that being a Christian wasn’t going to be easy.

The Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill him and the Jerusalem disciples were afraid of him.

Paul was experiencing some of the things Jesus addressed in Matthew 10.

 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.  When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.  For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,  and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:16-22 ESV)

Paul chose to be obedient and to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV)

What can we learn from these passages of scripture?

• If you are a Christian, Christ has changed your life.
• We are called to ambassadors for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
• The task of sharing Christ with others can be difficult.
• If we want to be effective in sharing our faith we need to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) We should be wise in avoiding danger and harmless in not forcibly opposing our audience.
• We are not to be anxious how we are to speak or what we are to say, for what we are to say will be given to us in that hour. (Matthew 10:19 paraphrased)
• We need to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV)

Remember what Jesus said to his disciples (and to us). “… behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples.

Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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Faith Apart from Works Is Dead

Lessons from the book of James (#9)

James makes some clear, strong statements about “works” in chapter two of his book.  He writes:

… faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (verse 17)

… faith apart from works is useless? (verse 20)

… faith was completed by … works; (verse 22)

… a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (verse 24)

… faith apart from works is dead. (verse 26)

James’ comments refer to faith, not the gift of salvation.  It is clear in scripture that our salvation is a gift from God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

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. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

However, after receiving the gift of salvation, it is clear in scripture that we are to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (James 1:22 ESV)

The book of James is not the only place in scripture that tells us the importance of “doing”.

Throughout the Bible we read about the importance of doing good works.

• When we put Biblical principles into practice we are like wise men.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24 ESV)

• We have all been given jobs “to do”.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV)

• Not everyone has the same work to do.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 ESV)

• Christ expects us “to do” as He has commanded.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34 ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 ESV)

• God expects us to help others.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 ESV)

• God recognizes our good works.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ … And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40 ESV)

•  Good works are rewarded.

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:20-21 ESV)

• Our good works are for God’s glory.

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 5:16 ESV)

 Conclusion:  We need to be doing the work that God is asking us to do.

Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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Be Sure to Cast Your Vote.

Everyone who is eligible to vote needs to vote in the November General Elections. Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility.  When we cast our ballot we help determine who will be running the government of our country.

Why is it important to vote?

Scripture tells us that we are to be subject to the governing authorities.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2 ESV)

Scripture also tells us that we are to pay our taxes (to finance the government).

Then the Pharisees …. sent their disciples to him (Jesus), saying, “…Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” …. Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:15-21 ESV)

We are to pray for our leaders.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1Timothy 2:1-2 ESV)

We are to be subject to the governing authorities, help finance the government, and pray for our leaders. Certainly we should take part in the process that determines who will be running our government.

NOTE:  Regardless of the outcome of this current election, or any election, it is crucial to know that our hope in not in Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians.  Our hope is in the Lord.

Our hope is in the Lord.

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7 ESV)

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 62:5-6 ESV)

 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:2 ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

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

Check out “Whoever Believes….”

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So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. (James 2:12 ESV)

Lessons from the book of James (#8)

Scripture tells us to “speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

Scripture also tells us that we will be blessed if we do this. “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.” (James 1:25 ESV)

 What is the law of liberty?

“The law of liberty” is God’s will for our lives. It is God’s standard for our everyday living.  The law is God’s Word.

Why is God’s Word called “the law of liberty”?

Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)

God’s Word is called the “law of liberty” because, as the Holy Spirit implants God’s truths in our hearts and enables us to obey His teachings, we move closer to living the life that God has planned for us and we experience liberation from sin’s bondage.  God’s perfect law provides true freedom. Freedom from sin is liberty.

Jesus summed up the “law of liberty” in a few short verses when he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 ESV)

When we love God with every fiber of our being, and when we love our neighbors as ourselves (without partiality) we are “speaking and acting as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”  (Admittedly, this is a lofty goal, which none of us have yet achieved, but we can all “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me …: (Philippians 3:14))

Check out www.seekinghiskingdomministries.com for additional blogs.

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When given the choice, I will choose White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies over any other cookie.  I am definitely partial to White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.   I just think they are better than any of the other choices I may have.  Putting it in simple terms, I favor White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies over other varieties.

Is favoring one variety of cookies over another variety a sin? Of course not!

Lessons from the book of James (#7)

Is it o.k.  to be partial to a particular group of people?  Is it o.k. to favor rich over poor?  Is it o.k. to treat one group of people better than another group?

What does the bible say about partiality?

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.  For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

…. if you show partiality, you are committing sin …

                                                                                                            (James 2:1-4 & 9 ESV)

Intellectually I get it.  Scripture says that treating the poor with less respect than the rich is sin.  I understand what James 2:1-9 is saying.  Do I put this into practice?

Do I treat people like I treat cookies, favoring one group over another?  Am I as respectful to the “homeless” person who knocks on my door as I am to the people that I worship with at church?  Do I “favor” the individuals in my “small group” more than others?  I need to be asking myself these questions.

If I want to be maturing in my walk with the Lord, I need to remind myself that …. if I show partiality, I am committing sin …  .  I know that I need to ask God to help me to be impartial to all people.

How about you?  How are you handling partiality?

Check out www.seekinghiskingdomministries.com for additional blogs.

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 ESV)

Just how willing are we to “Trust and Obey” the call of the Lord?

Lessons from the book of Acts (#4)

Do you remember the story in Acts, chapter 9, where the Lord asked a disciple named Ananias to visit with a man named Saul?   At that time Saul was known to be a vicious persecutor of Christians?  Ananias truly believed that Saul wanted to imprison or even kill him for being a disciple of the Lord.

But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3 ESV)

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2 ESV)

Notice how Ananias chose to “Trust and Obey” the Lord, when the Lord gave him an assignment.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus (one of Saul’s targets) named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go ….

Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem

…. the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine

So Ananias departed and entered the house (where Saul was staying).  (Read the story in Acts 9:1-19)

We know very little about this man named Ananias, except that he was “a devout man according to the law, well-spoken of by all the Jews ….,” (Acts 22:12).  We also know that he was willing to be obedient to the Lord in a situation that he had seen as “life threating.”  We know that the Lord used Ananias to minister to a man (Saul/Paul) who would “ open their eyes, (the eyes of the Gentiles) so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Jesus)”(Acts 26:18)

Ananias, with one courageous act of obedience, was used by God in a way that impacted the lives of countless numbers of people for all of eternity.

The story of Ananias is a powerful illustration of someone “Trusting and Obeying” the Lord.

Hopefully this story will motivate all of us to always “Trust and Obey” the Lord.

Check out www.seekinghiskingdomministries.com for additional blogs.

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Do what it says.

Lessons from the book of James (#6)

Imagine looking in a mirror and seeing a huge piece of black licorice stuck between your front teeth and then turning away from the mirror and immediately forgetting that the candy is still there for everyone to see.

In James (one of the books of the Bible) we read:

 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. (James 1:22-25 ESV)

Just listening to scripture or just reading scripture is of little value.  We need to study  the scriptures carefully, think about what we are reading, and pray for understanding.  We need to be intentional and diligent in our Bible study.  We need to persevere in our study of the Word, and then we need to do what scripture tells us to do.  We need to put the Biblical principles we are learning into practice.

“… a doer who acts, … will be blessed in his doing.”

We need to do something.  We need to get the licorice out of our teeth.

 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)

Check out www.seekinghiskingdomministries.com for additional blogs.

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