The narrow way
How many people take the person of Jesus Christ serious in their lives and follow Him? “For God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. This is the most quoted verse in the Bible.
Most people read this and have no idea what it really means to be saved through Jesus Christ. One thing I can say is if I am talking to someone about the Lord he or she will usually acknowledge that they are a child of God. This is very hard to keep to yourself. If they just kind of look at me or remain silent more than likely there is no personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Most people will read other books which are not inspired by God. Why? The Word of God is truth and Holy Spirit inspired; however, other books are not what they claim to be in most cases and I sort of get the impression that people either want to believe a lie or they just don't care.
I know God desires me to "Care" about His Son Jesus Christ and not only understand the principles of the Bible but apply them to my life. I empathized this word because most people have God so low on their priority list that books like these come very natural or common for them to read.
Many people read other books to the exclusion of the Bible. By the way this could also mean being obsessed with sports, movies or some other worldly pursuit that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. These people tend to have sins in their life and are very relaxed in this lifestyle.
All religions besides true Christianity have a common factor because most of them are rituals of some sort or works. This has absolutely nothing to do with what the Bible teaches about true obedience to God. I also noticed many of these same people feel they have the freedom to do their own thing without any thought for Jesus Christ.
I see self will as opposed to the will of God in their life. A trained eye will be able to see a bent desire in the heart to follow and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. It is very rare in a secular setting to see a person love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart.
The average person likes this because for the most part they do not want God telling them what to do in their life. Most people don't want to be responsible or accountable for anything but they go through the motions in life because they are intelligent enough to understand this is not very realistic.
This is a big reason why they shy away from the Bible because they do not want God to change their life with His principles in the Word of God. They are happy only through circumstances which can change in a matter of minutes. They will never have true peace in their life.
There is hope for these people but they need to realize that ... “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14. If you are in a marriage and did your own thing at the exclusion of your partner do you love him or her? The answer would have to be obvious.
For all practical purposes most people just live their life without God. They commit sins everyday in life just like a dedicated Christian does but the latter struggles with his or her transgressions against God. The first type of person does not care because they are living their life without Jesus Christ.
There is no relationship with God so of course they are going to pursue worldly things as opposed to the precepts in the Bible. If they did this the Person of Jesus Christ would be revealed to them but so would the darkness in their life. As a result they would have to repent to God for their sins.
This is why we can talk to a person like this and get on the subject of eternity and he or she will not care. Deep down there is an internal gospel in them and the individual would have to be submissive before God and allow Jesus Christ to change them on the inside which will manifest on the outside. Why do that when you can do your own thing?
Some people do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ and they only accept the Father as being God and Jesus just being a man that walked on the earth approximately 2000 years ago. "Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” John 14:9.
“I and my Father are one.” John 10:30. The Bible is so plain on this matter that a child can understand this but I have shown this portion of Scripture to people and other verses in the Bible and saw nothing but struggle with this reality in the Bible. I had one person tell me that if the Scripture says that then we have to go on to other verses in the Bible to see if this is true.
This is avoidance of the truth but these people are no different than the group that just want to live their life apart from God. The core of their being is to suppress the truth but Romans chapter one has some things to say about these people. I don't have the time or space to show you the verses in Romans but if we hid from the truth to embrace a lie then we are not on the narrow path of salvation through Jesus Christ.
There are many verses in the Bible that tell us Jesus Christ is the way of salvation but we must come on His terms. Of course the way is narrow because people want to come to God their way. We must accept Jesus Christ by faith into our heart by repenting of our transgressions based on the fact that Jesus died for our sins. My real question in context is which Jesus are you coming to if you are just going to live life your way and on your terms?
Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believeth : to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Anybody that believes in Jesus Christ will receive the wonderful gift of true salvation in the Son of God. People all around the world are placing their faith in Jesus Christ. There are revivals in some countries and my prayer is more people will have a hunger for the gospel.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a comforting verse of Scripture that God gives to those who believe on His name. When the wrath of God comes upon this world (and there may not be to much time) the Bible says we will be spared this horrible punishment that is coming on this earth because of the overwhelming sins of mankind and their unbelief in Jesus Christ.
We do have this promise from Scripture but my fear is some people are claiming these verses of the Bible but are not on the narrow path of salvation through Jesus Christ. I see them sinning and they just don't care so their conscience is seared. These are the same people that are so sure they are going up in the rapture.
When I look at this I think of the laws of gravity. The weight of their sin will hold them down and they will not go up in the rapture of the Church. Narrow is the way and this same rule will apply to the Blessed Hope (Rapture). I would urge Christians not to be left behind because of silly sins. Don't be left behind because you just want to live your life your way. Don't be left behind because you want self will in your life as opposed to the will of God.
2 Timothy 3:15 reads, “And that from a child thou has known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.” This verse is true because children understand the Bible very well if taught the right way. Maybe this is why Jesus said ,"And said, verly I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as a little child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "Matthew 18:3.
I have seen so many children "Grow up" and forget their faith in Jesus Christ. If this describes you please come back to the Lord. Time is short and narrow is the way through Jesus Christ. Our character is being tested by God so let us have courage in Him and move forward by faith in Jesus Christ. Do not take the easy way out and just live your life without God.
Even though we were saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ the narrow way is the hard way. Our faith, obedience and courage must be in Jesus Christ. If you think this is easy please take a second look and ask God through prayer if He will show you the whole situation regarding life in comparison to your eternity. In the game of soccer a halfback (if he or she is good) will see the whole field.
It is hard because there is a lot of responsible and accountability. The way is narrow through Jesus Christ because we have to see the will of God for our life and understand it is going into the wideness of eternity (The whole field). Then we have to count the cost and walk in obedience with Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:19 says, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation, through your prayers, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Prayer is a very powerful opportunity that the Lord gives us so we can give it back to Him. Our prayers go straight to the throne room of God. We can praise God, we can ask a request, we can pray for the sick, our fellow Christians to grow in grace and knowledge of the truth but in the most intimate way we can pray for a stronger fellowship with our Lord. How are we going to be on the straight and narrow path if we don't have intimacy with Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear a second time without sin unto salvation.” Wow what a God we serve. He is coming back for His children after He shed His blood on the cross to take His people up in the rapture who believe on Him. There is no other religion in the world that gives this promise of a Blessed Hope.
Jesus Christ will put an end to all this evil in this world. He will then rule for 1000 years on earth after His judgment is finished and make a new heaven and earth at the end of the millennium.
Revelation 12:10 says, “And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, now is coming salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accuses them before God day and night.” I will be so glad when this comes to pass but for now it is happening and this should give us more incentive to be living on the straight and narrow path for Jesus Christ. If not we give the devil or some of his minions legal ground to make their case in the courtroom of Jesus Christ against us and cause havoc in our life. Do not give the devil anything.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life please do so and allow Him to put you on the straight and narrow way in His loving grace through your faith and obedience in Him.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Saturday, May 20, 2017
The forgiveness of Jesus Christ
The forgiveness of Jesus Christ
In one article I wrote about how to abstain from sin. Did you know Jesus Christ is our forgiveness? Are you feeling guilty, impure or just downright low? These are not uncommon thoughts that serious Christians have because they want to be perfect before God. Holy God, imperfect child is something true believers go through all the time especially with besetting sins.
(6) "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:6-7. I think it is interesting that this verse talks about the grace of God before technical information is given to us about our forgiveness in Jesus Christ. We are accepted in Jesus Christ because of the grace of God.
The only reason we have redemption is through the blood of Jesus Christ. This is why our sins are forgiven but even I am amazed that verse 7 once again ends with ... "According to the riches of His grace." In verses 6 and 7 we can see bookends of the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
The first bookend refers to the grace of God as praiseworthy for His glory but the second bookend refers to the grace of God as rich. The only reason we have redemption and forgiveness in Jesus Christ is through His blood. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins He shed His blood for us so we could be forgiven but it was because of His love for us.
I like when the Bible says, "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah." Psalm 85:2. Not just some of their sins but all of their sins. When we truly repent before God, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12.
Why do you think Paul was able to say, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17. Our sins were forgiven and we became a new man in Jesus Christ.
John takes this subject to the believers in Jesus Christ. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. Wow this is great news. If I transgress as a believer going to Jesus Christ to confess my sin/sins is what I'm supposed to do and my Lord is faithful to forgive me. Sometimes I say, "Lord I don't even know why I did that" but God usually says, "I know why you did it." Still in the dark but Jesus understands His children. He is our light.
I never heard a true believer say that they really wanted to sin against God. A child of Jesus Christ struggles with his or her sin as opposed to an unbeliever who does not wrestle with transgressions against God. Whatever category you are in remember, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Hebrews 8:12. If we earnestly confess God forgives and in His mercy He never brings the sin/sins up again because they are removed. "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah 43:25.
Does God want us to make a conscious choice to forsake our sins? Yes. Do we have to change our thoughts to righteousness? Yes. If we are on the wrong path do we have to return to the Lord? Yes. Is there a reward in the end if we do this? Yes it is called pardon. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:7. "And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their inquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me." Jeremiah 33:8.
We live in a country over here where everybody seems to be getting in trouble. I can't quite put my finger on this punishment/law mentality but if these people would put half their time in getting right with God through Jesus Christ then maybe we would not need all these prisons. Jesus came to set the captives free through Him. I noticed this reality starting at 9/11 and progressively getting worse every year.
We need to also understand that because God forgave us we in like manner need to forgive other people. Let's face facts because people offend us all the time in a world where human beings just don't care about each other. That is why I believe Colossians 3:13 says, "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Forbear means to be loyal to that person as a friend even if there is a disagreement or offense.
I still can not believe Jesus Christ forgave me of all my sins because I have many but He had mercy on my soul. Thank you Jesus! The very least I can do is forgive other people for the offences they committed against me. This is a test of character and God wants to see this trait in our life. The other person that committed the offence might even come to know the Lord because of our forgiving spirit because there will be transparency in the love of Jesus Christ coming out of our heart.
The Bible does say pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) but there is one condition in the Bible. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." Mark 11:25.
It is impossible to pray to God with an earnest spirit while holding a grudge against someone else. It takes a little courage to forgive but it is worth it because our relationship with Jesus Christ depends on our choice not to harbor bad feelings towards another person. We would be better off if we just prayed for them and showed them love.
They may have committed an offence against us but we were dead in our sins before we received salvation from Jesus Christ. Now we have a relationship with Him because we were forgiven of our transgressions. "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." Colossians 2:13.
I think the case is pretty clear that we should forgive people through the Person of Jesus Christ. I used to think this was an option now I see it as a command. When I make this choice to forgive other people God removes the burden from my soul and it is light rather than heavy.
I don't exactly know when Jesus is coming back but we are in the general vicinity of the rapture of the Church. No serious Christian wants to sin in this late hour. Our sins being forgiven is a gift from God. We need to check our spirit everyday to see if we are right with God. (1) "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalm 32:1-2. Just look at that word guile. It sounds like something or somebody we would want to run away from yet that describes us at one point in our life. Inspection rather than avoidance is what we should be doing in our life.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your Savior and Lord then today/tonight repent of your sins and remember the Bible says, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah 43:25.
When I go to the judgment seat of Christ I am not going to say, "Judge me by the law" or "Remember every one of my sins" because I am forgiven and God is not remembering my transgressions because they are blotted out so I am receiving mercy. This very same thing can happen in your life for an eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ. Pray that prayer today/tonight so Jesus Christ can forgive you and impute His righteousness in your spirit.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
GOD PICKS US UP IN OUR DOWN:
God picks us up in our down
In our age the believers in Jesus Christ are crying because they don't like what they see in the world. There is never a time when the Lord does not hear our prayers but he does not always deliver us right away. God will rescue us in His timing and His way.
Many Christians are down in this world because of everything they see around them but God wants to pick us up. "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Psalm 34:17.
God may be the author of your persecution. Let me ask you a question. What if God were to tell you your situation is going to get worse but my grace will become even stronger in your spirit? How would you respond? Would you say no way or O.K ?
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12-13. I look at the first sentence of this verse and it is very interesting that the word strange comes up twice.
Every time I hear somebody say," That was strange," confusion is always present. We ask why but the Bible already gives us the answer. We are being tested or as the Bible says ..." The fiery which is to try you" ... 1 Peter 4:12. We are to expect it but why do we put our hope in this world wishing everything will be right?
The Bible teaches that this present world system is beyond redemption. "Beloved, think it not strange" ... so we might as well just program ourselves to expect the trial that is out of the ordinary in our daily routine. We sometimes get so shocked when our life falls apart. We may be doing something right if you know what I mean.
I know this is just the opposite of how our mind works but the Bible actually tells us to rejoice. If we are living for Jesus Christ we are going to be partakers of Christ's sufferings. Some people may be asking, "Do you expect me to be glad?" You may not be at that point yet but as this verse progresses the Bible says ... "When His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
We are not really glad until His glory is revealed. A question may arise, "When does that happen?" I don't like to give a one size fits all answer on this question. For some people it is a lesson on earth but for others this promise is for heaven. I can tell you that our trials especially the deeper ones are to test us on earth but the wideness of our pain goes into eternity as a learning process.
When we are assigned tasks in heaven we will never forget what happened to us on earth until one thousand plus years later after the earthy reign of Jesus Christ. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4.
If we die before the return of Jesus Christ or are raptured we are going to remember our lives when we are in heaven. The way we lived and what we went through will not be erased from our memory. Most Christians think they are just being sifted in their character down here but we are also being trained for our roles in heaven so we can meet the needs of others in eternity.
Then we will be able to give more glory and praise to God in heaven.There are so many passages in the book of Revelation where we see everybody praising God with passion. One of the reasons for this is because of the trials we are assigned to on earth. We remember what we went through and what we learned.
That is why amazing grace how sweat it sounds will be able to just come out with understanding. Just like 1 Peter 4:12-13 says we won't just be glad but exceeding joy will be in our spirit or..." Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5.
If we are going through something one of the best decisions we could ever make is to wait on the Lord. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.
Waiting on the Lord and having our strength renewed go hand in hand. Look at the part of the verse that says, ... "They shall mount up with wings as eagles." Did you ever see a dedicated Christian just walk through walls everywhere he or she goes no matter what is taking place in his or her life? I have but I don't see it often. When I do they either make lemon into lemonade or when everything is going well they just mount up with wings as eagles.
They have the mind and heart set that they live once and are going to live for Jesus Christ while there is still time on earth. Most are not rich but are very wealthy in the eyes of God. If you are going through a trial the best thing you can do is, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6.
We have to be patient because God will exalt us in His time. If you are an unbeliever you need to understand that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We should be coming to Jesus Christ the humble way with sincerity now while we are on earth. I hope you make that all important eternal decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your very own personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all your sins and inviting the Son of God in your life. If a problem to big or a sin to strong is hurting you pray about the issue and give it over to God.
(9) "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
In our age the believers in Jesus Christ are crying because they don't like what they see in the world. There is never a time when the Lord does not hear our prayers but he does not always deliver us right away. God will rescue us in His timing and His way.
Many Christians are down in this world because of everything they see around them but God wants to pick us up. "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Psalm 34:17.
God may be the author of your persecution. Let me ask you a question. What if God were to tell you your situation is going to get worse but my grace will become even stronger in your spirit? How would you respond? Would you say no way or O.K ?
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12-13. I look at the first sentence of this verse and it is very interesting that the word strange comes up twice.
Every time I hear somebody say," That was strange," confusion is always present. We ask why but the Bible already gives us the answer. We are being tested or as the Bible says ..." The fiery which is to try you" ... 1 Peter 4:12. We are to expect it but why do we put our hope in this world wishing everything will be right?
The Bible teaches that this present world system is beyond redemption. "Beloved, think it not strange" ... so we might as well just program ourselves to expect the trial that is out of the ordinary in our daily routine. We sometimes get so shocked when our life falls apart. We may be doing something right if you know what I mean.
I know this is just the opposite of how our mind works but the Bible actually tells us to rejoice. If we are living for Jesus Christ we are going to be partakers of Christ's sufferings. Some people may be asking, "Do you expect me to be glad?" You may not be at that point yet but as this verse progresses the Bible says ... "When His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
We are not really glad until His glory is revealed. A question may arise, "When does that happen?" I don't like to give a one size fits all answer on this question. For some people it is a lesson on earth but for others this promise is for heaven. I can tell you that our trials especially the deeper ones are to test us on earth but the wideness of our pain goes into eternity as a learning process.
When we are assigned tasks in heaven we will never forget what happened to us on earth until one thousand plus years later after the earthy reign of Jesus Christ. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4.
If we die before the return of Jesus Christ or are raptured we are going to remember our lives when we are in heaven. The way we lived and what we went through will not be erased from our memory. Most Christians think they are just being sifted in their character down here but we are also being trained for our roles in heaven so we can meet the needs of others in eternity.
Then we will be able to give more glory and praise to God in heaven.There are so many passages in the book of Revelation where we see everybody praising God with passion. One of the reasons for this is because of the trials we are assigned to on earth. We remember what we went through and what we learned.
That is why amazing grace how sweat it sounds will be able to just come out with understanding. Just like 1 Peter 4:12-13 says we won't just be glad but exceeding joy will be in our spirit or..." Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5.
If we are going through something one of the best decisions we could ever make is to wait on the Lord. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.
Waiting on the Lord and having our strength renewed go hand in hand. Look at the part of the verse that says, ... "They shall mount up with wings as eagles." Did you ever see a dedicated Christian just walk through walls everywhere he or she goes no matter what is taking place in his or her life? I have but I don't see it often. When I do they either make lemon into lemonade or when everything is going well they just mount up with wings as eagles.
They have the mind and heart set that they live once and are going to live for Jesus Christ while there is still time on earth. Most are not rich but are very wealthy in the eyes of God. If you are going through a trial the best thing you can do is, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6.
We have to be patient because God will exalt us in His time. If you are an unbeliever you need to understand that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We should be coming to Jesus Christ the humble way with sincerity now while we are on earth. I hope you make that all important eternal decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your very own personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all your sins and inviting the Son of God in your life. If a problem to big or a sin to strong is hurting you pray about the issue and give it over to God.
(9) "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
Friday, May 05, 2017
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR FELLOWSHIP
Jesus Christ is our fellowship
Did you ever just get really lonely? Sometimes I work so hard at my job that suppressing this emotion comes normal and yet when life slows down appreciation for a heart to heart with Jesus Christ is my innermost desire. I start to talk to Jesus and feel His wonderful peace and love. Sometimes I can sense this fellowship while engaging in labor but for me reflecting is letting God put things into perspective for my life.
If we listen to this world ten different points of view will come our way and that can be very confusing. The Apostle John had the privilege of talking to Jesus Christ on a one on one level. He never forgot those experiences and was able to write, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3. If we don't put drawing close to God through His Son Jesus Christ very high on the pecking order then we may want to ask where our priorities are in our walk with the Lord.
We are called to fellowship with Jesus Christ. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:9. I know there is the all important message that we are to remain steadfast for Jesus Christ but what if we reversed the whole scenario around and just focused on how incredibly faithful God is to us? This verse starts out "God is faithful" and then urges us to have fellowship with Jesus Christ.
This next verse won many souls for Jesus Christ but it is a passage for Christians. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20. All we have to do is open the door because Jesus is knocking. Not only is banging coming from the outside but He is speaking and more than likely the words are different depending on who He is talking to so we need to listen, open the door, abide in Him and have fellowship with Jesus Christ.
This does make sense because we can imagine a friend knocking on our door and he is saying some words. We tell him to go away. Believe it or not we have all done this with God at one time or another. We get upset with something, depressed or want to do something else. I am amazed that God gave us a will to choose but in His wisdom that is the way He designed us so we need to respect this and understand we can say no for a variety of reasons. If we do that to much our heart will become hardened and now we are really distant from God.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23. This is a very warm verse but it comes with a condition. The passage is saying ... "If a man love me, he will keep my words" ... so here God is giving us the choice to read, study or memorize the Bible with the right motive or to just be passive and neglect the word of God. If we take the second option God the Father will not let us feel His love and Jesus Christ will be very limited in what He can do in our life based on our decision. At this point God may apply some pressure in our hearts and lives to get our attention usually through circumstances.
When I am around people I know who is receptive to talking about Jesus Christ and who has nothing but walls around their spirit. For me it is more than obvious. To gather with two or more Christians who love Jesus Christ is something special and the Bible does promise that the Son of the Living God will be in the midst of their fellowship. It has to be done with the right spirit of peace and truth but our Lord does say, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20. There is also a reference in the Old Testament very similar to this passage of Scripture which says, "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." Zechariah 2:10.
Of course I probably don't have to mention this but obeying God is connected with having fellowship with Jesus Christ. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." John 14:21. If we are listening to God and trying to take heed there is something about our obedient response that touches the heart of Jesus Christ. If this be the case He promises to manifest Himself to us with His love. If we try walking through life without the grace of God a tremendous void will be in our souls because that is the way God designed us so what concerns me is how people try and fill the emptiness which is almost always some kind of sin/sins. This is why you will hear a strong Christian say, "Be sold out for Jesus Christ."
It is interesting to me that in John chapter 14 Jesus is just getting started but when He gets to John chapter15 He really gets far more detailed in our fellowship with Him because it is the great abiding passage. I wrote an article in 2016 called, "How to abide in Jesus Christ" so I won't repeat myself but I just desire to look at one verse. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." John 15:4. Walk outside your place of residence and observe if there are any fallen branches. What I'm trying to convey is we are nothing unless our minds and hearts are rooted in Jesus Christ. A branch has to be heavy in the vine or it will fall to the ground. The best defense is a good offense. Be strong, stay strong in Jesus Christ.
If I were to tell you that fearing God and being His companion are in the same verse in the Bible some people would not believe me unless I presented proof but sure enough the Scripture says, "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." Psalm 119:63. Do you really want to be close to God? Reverential fear and obedience with the right motive (earnestly for God) is when Jesus Christ shows us His love.
This is an interesting verse because it is touching on our fellowship with other people in connection with our relationship to Jesus Christ. When two people clash do you think they feel spiritual? Did you ever just say, "Oh man I have to deal with this person? I have because some people are just difficult to connect with for one reason or another. The Bible tells us what to strive for with other people especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1) "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, (2) Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:1-2.
It is actually our responsibility to make the initiative of applying these verses with other individuals. It is like we are waving the peace flag even though this person or group may have offended us so we have to go to Scripture to determine why the Holy Spirit gets very specific.
Consolation in Christ and comfort of love basically mean the same thing but it is phrased different because there is a lot of strife in this world and we are the ones called by God to step in and be the peacemakers through the divine unity of the Holy Spirit. Since most people want to fight in one form or another the word of God is saying we must take the leadership role in showing this Godly emotion through Jesus Christ.
First we give comfort then we offer our hand of fellowship. If there is an issue in their life we show mercy. The purpose of this reaching out is to be likeminded in Jesus Christ so we can be bound by His love, accord and mind. The end result is joy. Every true believer in Christ desires this final outcome but we can not skip steps because if we do some sort of strife will still be dormant in the souls of everyone concerned.
This is not to say we wink at sin or even agree with all their opinions but our main goal is to be one in Christ through His love. This is a steppingstone with our relationship to God because we want Jesus Christ at the center of our fellowship with other people. We are not trying to win a debate; however, Philippians 2:1 has the word "If " in this verse four different times. We do our part in obeying this verse but the other person has to meet us half way. If they don't the power of prayer is very effective. By the way this is not a one time activity but a lifetime of treating other people the right way with Godly comfort so Jesus Christ can be at the center of our hearts.
Isn't it interesting that our fellowship with Jesus Christ involves being good to other people the Bible way especially brothers and sisters in the Lord? Our true fellowship is with other Christians because an unbeliever in Jesus Christ does not know the Son of God in their heart. This is something a discerning believer can sense in his or her heart. I get a little weary of a so called believer in Jesus Christ that feels extremely comfortable with a person that does not even know the Lord. One is walking in light (the believer) and the other is walking in darkness (the unbeliever). I question his or her salvation but I do not judge because this is reserved for Jesus Christ Himself.
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." Ephesians 5:2. When we live for Jesus Christ at the center of our hearts especially in the form of prayer the Bible seems to suggest that a perfume is formed in heaven based on our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ on earth. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Revelation 8:4. We read words like "Sweet-smelling savour and incense which is in direct connection with faith in God and prayer.
There is another passage in the Bible that talks about our conversation of living which is our lifestyle. There is a direct connection on how we walk through our life and an intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ. (5) "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleaneth us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7.
The first point is ... "God is light" ... which tells us that the Triune Godhead is without sin. The second point is we must not walk in darkness (sin) as a lifestyle and say we have fellowship with Jesus Christ because we will be liars. The third point is we are to walk in the light who is Jesus Christ Himself and share that communion we have with God and fellowship with other people.
The very last phrase of this passage reminds us that true Christians have this promise ... "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." If you don't know Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior and Lord repent of all your sins today/tonight and invite Him into your heart so you can be a child of God through His precious blood that He shed for all of us on the cross. He died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day so we can be redeemed from our transgressions and have fellowship with Him on earth and for all eternity.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
Did you ever just get really lonely? Sometimes I work so hard at my job that suppressing this emotion comes normal and yet when life slows down appreciation for a heart to heart with Jesus Christ is my innermost desire. I start to talk to Jesus and feel His wonderful peace and love. Sometimes I can sense this fellowship while engaging in labor but for me reflecting is letting God put things into perspective for my life.
If we listen to this world ten different points of view will come our way and that can be very confusing. The Apostle John had the privilege of talking to Jesus Christ on a one on one level. He never forgot those experiences and was able to write, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3. If we don't put drawing close to God through His Son Jesus Christ very high on the pecking order then we may want to ask where our priorities are in our walk with the Lord.
We are called to fellowship with Jesus Christ. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:9. I know there is the all important message that we are to remain steadfast for Jesus Christ but what if we reversed the whole scenario around and just focused on how incredibly faithful God is to us? This verse starts out "God is faithful" and then urges us to have fellowship with Jesus Christ.
This next verse won many souls for Jesus Christ but it is a passage for Christians. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20. All we have to do is open the door because Jesus is knocking. Not only is banging coming from the outside but He is speaking and more than likely the words are different depending on who He is talking to so we need to listen, open the door, abide in Him and have fellowship with Jesus Christ.
This does make sense because we can imagine a friend knocking on our door and he is saying some words. We tell him to go away. Believe it or not we have all done this with God at one time or another. We get upset with something, depressed or want to do something else. I am amazed that God gave us a will to choose but in His wisdom that is the way He designed us so we need to respect this and understand we can say no for a variety of reasons. If we do that to much our heart will become hardened and now we are really distant from God.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23. This is a very warm verse but it comes with a condition. The passage is saying ... "If a man love me, he will keep my words" ... so here God is giving us the choice to read, study or memorize the Bible with the right motive or to just be passive and neglect the word of God. If we take the second option God the Father will not let us feel His love and Jesus Christ will be very limited in what He can do in our life based on our decision. At this point God may apply some pressure in our hearts and lives to get our attention usually through circumstances.
When I am around people I know who is receptive to talking about Jesus Christ and who has nothing but walls around their spirit. For me it is more than obvious. To gather with two or more Christians who love Jesus Christ is something special and the Bible does promise that the Son of the Living God will be in the midst of their fellowship. It has to be done with the right spirit of peace and truth but our Lord does say, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20. There is also a reference in the Old Testament very similar to this passage of Scripture which says, "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." Zechariah 2:10.
Of course I probably don't have to mention this but obeying God is connected with having fellowship with Jesus Christ. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." John 14:21. If we are listening to God and trying to take heed there is something about our obedient response that touches the heart of Jesus Christ. If this be the case He promises to manifest Himself to us with His love. If we try walking through life without the grace of God a tremendous void will be in our souls because that is the way God designed us so what concerns me is how people try and fill the emptiness which is almost always some kind of sin/sins. This is why you will hear a strong Christian say, "Be sold out for Jesus Christ."
It is interesting to me that in John chapter 14 Jesus is just getting started but when He gets to John chapter15 He really gets far more detailed in our fellowship with Him because it is the great abiding passage. I wrote an article in 2016 called, "How to abide in Jesus Christ" so I won't repeat myself but I just desire to look at one verse. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." John 15:4. Walk outside your place of residence and observe if there are any fallen branches. What I'm trying to convey is we are nothing unless our minds and hearts are rooted in Jesus Christ. A branch has to be heavy in the vine or it will fall to the ground. The best defense is a good offense. Be strong, stay strong in Jesus Christ.
If I were to tell you that fearing God and being His companion are in the same verse in the Bible some people would not believe me unless I presented proof but sure enough the Scripture says, "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." Psalm 119:63. Do you really want to be close to God? Reverential fear and obedience with the right motive (earnestly for God) is when Jesus Christ shows us His love.
This is an interesting verse because it is touching on our fellowship with other people in connection with our relationship to Jesus Christ. When two people clash do you think they feel spiritual? Did you ever just say, "Oh man I have to deal with this person? I have because some people are just difficult to connect with for one reason or another. The Bible tells us what to strive for with other people especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1) "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, (2) Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:1-2.
It is actually our responsibility to make the initiative of applying these verses with other individuals. It is like we are waving the peace flag even though this person or group may have offended us so we have to go to Scripture to determine why the Holy Spirit gets very specific.
Consolation in Christ and comfort of love basically mean the same thing but it is phrased different because there is a lot of strife in this world and we are the ones called by God to step in and be the peacemakers through the divine unity of the Holy Spirit. Since most people want to fight in one form or another the word of God is saying we must take the leadership role in showing this Godly emotion through Jesus Christ.
First we give comfort then we offer our hand of fellowship. If there is an issue in their life we show mercy. The purpose of this reaching out is to be likeminded in Jesus Christ so we can be bound by His love, accord and mind. The end result is joy. Every true believer in Christ desires this final outcome but we can not skip steps because if we do some sort of strife will still be dormant in the souls of everyone concerned.
This is not to say we wink at sin or even agree with all their opinions but our main goal is to be one in Christ through His love. This is a steppingstone with our relationship to God because we want Jesus Christ at the center of our fellowship with other people. We are not trying to win a debate; however, Philippians 2:1 has the word "If " in this verse four different times. We do our part in obeying this verse but the other person has to meet us half way. If they don't the power of prayer is very effective. By the way this is not a one time activity but a lifetime of treating other people the right way with Godly comfort so Jesus Christ can be at the center of our hearts.
Isn't it interesting that our fellowship with Jesus Christ involves being good to other people the Bible way especially brothers and sisters in the Lord? Our true fellowship is with other Christians because an unbeliever in Jesus Christ does not know the Son of God in their heart. This is something a discerning believer can sense in his or her heart. I get a little weary of a so called believer in Jesus Christ that feels extremely comfortable with a person that does not even know the Lord. One is walking in light (the believer) and the other is walking in darkness (the unbeliever). I question his or her salvation but I do not judge because this is reserved for Jesus Christ Himself.
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." Ephesians 5:2. When we live for Jesus Christ at the center of our hearts especially in the form of prayer the Bible seems to suggest that a perfume is formed in heaven based on our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ on earth. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Revelation 8:4. We read words like "Sweet-smelling savour and incense which is in direct connection with faith in God and prayer.
There is another passage in the Bible that talks about our conversation of living which is our lifestyle. There is a direct connection on how we walk through our life and an intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ. (5) "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleaneth us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7.
The first point is ... "God is light" ... which tells us that the Triune Godhead is without sin. The second point is we must not walk in darkness (sin) as a lifestyle and say we have fellowship with Jesus Christ because we will be liars. The third point is we are to walk in the light who is Jesus Christ Himself and share that communion we have with God and fellowship with other people.
The very last phrase of this passage reminds us that true Christians have this promise ... "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." If you don't know Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior and Lord repent of all your sins today/tonight and invite Him into your heart so you can be a child of God through His precious blood that He shed for all of us on the cross. He died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day so we can be redeemed from our transgressions and have fellowship with Him on earth and for all eternity.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
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