If you have never heard Leonard Ravenhill speak then this is a must hear...you will probably want to listen to it many times as you examine yourself (2Cor 13:5)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Christian Must Die! Part 8
The fact that we have been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20) and raised to newness of life (Rom 6:5) is sound and true because it is the Word of God. We walk by faith which is based on the character and faithfulness of God not of our experiences of feelings. Now knowing the truth what is our right response to God? Let's go to the source and find out what God know desires of us in light of the miracle on Calvary.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It is your responsibility to present your body, soul and spirit to God and allow Him to transform you. Are you willing to live like Christ and to be changed into His image? Or are you only willing to do what you want thus retaining control and being your own god?
This is done by "putting on" and "putting off" certain habits and behaviors
Eph 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Sin no longer has power over you (Rom 6:2) if you are in Christ Jesus thus each and every time we commit sin we do so volitionally. If this is not true then we are believing the lies of satan over the truth of God's Word (1Cor 10:13). I am not talking about sinless perfection but about the sin or sins that God has given us light on yet we continue to "jump" into them taking the grace of God and using it for an occasion of the flesh.
Rom 6:13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
So the clear command of God for those that are in Christ Jesus is to continuously present yourself to God as an instrument of righteousness. Now what do you need to put on and to put off? Are you willing to lay your life down for Christ? What change are you willing to make today?
Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Are you willing to serve others? What is God asking you to do?
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It is your responsibility to present your body, soul and spirit to God and allow Him to transform you. Are you willing to live like Christ and to be changed into His image? Or are you only willing to do what you want thus retaining control and being your own god?
This is done by "putting on" and "putting off" certain habits and behaviors
Eph 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Sin no longer has power over you (Rom 6:2) if you are in Christ Jesus thus each and every time we commit sin we do so volitionally. If this is not true then we are believing the lies of satan over the truth of God's Word (1Cor 10:13). I am not talking about sinless perfection but about the sin or sins that God has given us light on yet we continue to "jump" into them taking the grace of God and using it for an occasion of the flesh.
Rom 6:13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
So the clear command of God for those that are in Christ Jesus is to continuously present yourself to God as an instrument of righteousness. Now what do you need to put on and to put off? Are you willing to lay your life down for Christ? What change are you willing to make today?
Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Are you willing to serve others? What is God asking you to do?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Well Done Gospel Presentation
This is a short but well done gospel presentation on you tube. Use it to the glory of God.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Three questions everyone must answer
A Christian Perspective:
Why are we here? 1John1:3
And what do we do while we are here? Col 1:10, 2Cor 5:9
And what happens when we die? Rom 14:8
Why are we here? 1John1:3
And what do we do while we are here? Col 1:10, 2Cor 5:9
And what happens when we die? Rom 14:8
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Christian Must Die! Part 7
Throughout the Old Testament we see story after story of how God is teaching His children to rely on Him. From the story of Noah and the flood and how God sealed the door shut after Noah believed then acted upon that belief. Or when God led Moses to a geographic point where the Israelites were made to solely lean upon God and therein God parted the red sea and the Israelites were saved. Or the story of David and Goliath where David in His love, trust and zeal for God did what the whole nation of Israel thought was impossible…he slew Goliath with a sling and a stone.
Many people don’t know the story of Jehoshaphat, who was the king of Judah, at a time when all the surrounding nations were simultaneously coming to make war on Jerusalem. To put it in perspective we have the small nation of Israel today that is almost totally surrounded by Muslim nations and it would be as if many of those nations were coming to make war on Israel (see map, Israel is about 1/6th the size of Florida).
Now what could the king do? If you were the king what would you do? At this point the nation need to be saved so they call upon the Lord
2Ch 20:3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2Ch 20:4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
So the people gathered to seek the Lord, they fasted, prayed, confessed their sins and stood upon the Lord’s promises that He made in the past. And…
2Ch 20:14 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah…a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
2Ch 20:15 And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
It was only when they were at the end of what they could do that they stood upon the promises and the truth of God. The direction God gave them was foolishness to the natural man but to the spiritual, to the one’s that knew they could trust their great Jehovah God, it was the power of God.
2Ch 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."
Here is where the story gets even better, where I think that God has a great sense of humor in dealing with His people and His creation but you’ll have to pick your Bible up to get the rest of the story.
Beloved, don’t you know that salvation belongs to the Lord (Jon 2:9), it is His battle and the war has already been won…we have the victory that He has given us! Now our response to such great news is to simply repent and believe (Mar 1:15), to turn from believing the lies of Satan and believe the truth of the Word of God. To turn from sin and self and turn to the Savior that has loves us and demonstrates that love, even why we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). And to believe the truth that we were crucified with Christ and now rest or abide in Him (John 15:10)
Rom 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Rom 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Many people don’t know the story of Jehoshaphat, who was the king of Judah, at a time when all the surrounding nations were simultaneously coming to make war on Jerusalem. To put it in perspective we have the small nation of Israel today that is almost totally surrounded by Muslim nations and it would be as if many of those nations were coming to make war on Israel (see map, Israel is about 1/6th the size of Florida).
Now what could the king do? If you were the king what would you do? At this point the nation need to be saved so they call upon the Lord
2Ch 20:3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2Ch 20:4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
So the people gathered to seek the Lord, they fasted, prayed, confessed their sins and stood upon the Lord’s promises that He made in the past. And…
2Ch 20:14 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah…a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
2Ch 20:15 And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
It was only when they were at the end of what they could do that they stood upon the promises and the truth of God. The direction God gave them was foolishness to the natural man but to the spiritual, to the one’s that knew they could trust their great Jehovah God, it was the power of God.
2Ch 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."
Here is where the story gets even better, where I think that God has a great sense of humor in dealing with His people and His creation but you’ll have to pick your Bible up to get the rest of the story.
Beloved, don’t you know that salvation belongs to the Lord (Jon 2:9), it is His battle and the war has already been won…we have the victory that He has given us! Now our response to such great news is to simply repent and believe (Mar 1:15), to turn from believing the lies of Satan and believe the truth of the Word of God. To turn from sin and self and turn to the Savior that has loves us and demonstrates that love, even why we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). And to believe the truth that we were crucified with Christ and now rest or abide in Him (John 15:10)
Rom 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Rom 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Christian Must Die! Part 6
“There was a day when I died;
died to self, my opinions, preferences, tastes and will;
died to the world, its approval or censure;
died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends;
and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God." George Muller
Can you say the same? When Paul is writing the book of Romans he takes a look back at what many believe was his struggle living under that old covenant.
Rom 7:15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Rom 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Rom 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (ESV)
Notice the continuous “I” that Paul refers to…He wants to do good but cannot. Oh, how many well meaning Christians have taken this verse and have agreed that they could not do the good they wanted to do, and they are correct. In verse 18 we see that “in his flesh” he cannot do the good he wants to do and Paul goes on to say it even stronger in the next chapter and in Corinthians
Rom 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Notice also that it is a matter of ability, not a matter of desire, you CANNOT please God in the flesh. If so then we would be able to work our way to God and the propitiation of Christ Jesus on the cross would have been a vicious, needless death.
There is no life in the flesh and if we do not appropriate what God has already done in Christ Jesus by crucifying us with Him we will continue to try and please God by our works; by praying more, giving more, going to church more etc. And God in His infinite goodness will not allow us to continue to try and please Him in the flesh…there will be no joy, no peace in fact we will cry out like Paul saying the good that I want to do I do not do but the evil I hate is what I do.
Instead of God being “light and life (2Tim 1:10)” to us, the things of God become rote and routine. Instead of us having victory over sin and abiding in that victory we try and stop sin in the flesh by repression or suppression…and have, in a sense, a white knuckle relationship to our God. Our relationship to God is one of love and an obedience that flows from that love and understanding of all the riches we have in Him
1Jn 4:9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In the Philippines I heard a local pastor use the following parable to illustrate Christ’s offer of rest (Matt. ll:28) and the response of people who won’t trust Him completely: The driver of a caribou wagon was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon.
Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders.
Christian, don’t make the same mistake…learn to rest in the fact that you HAVE been crucified with Christ and now set your mind on things above, just as the Bible instructs us to do.
Col 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Col 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Next time we look at a great and mighty example out of the book of Chronicles. Remember, the battle HAS been won and now rest in the victory we have in Christ.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Christian Must Die! Part 5
Have you taken the opportunity to consider the you HAVE been crucified with Christ, have you meditated upon the fact that you are seated in the heavenly realm, have you considered that the world, the flesh and the devil have no authority over you and that you have complete victory IN Christ?
Gal 5:1 Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery
If not ask yourself why you haven’t done so…are you too busy bound in your prison cell to notice that the door has been ripped off its hinges, the chains tossed aside and that you now have complete freedom, unless you choose to still live in the prison cell. Look at what the Psalmist says…
Psa 31:6 I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.
Psa 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help. I put my hope in your words.
Psa 119:148 My eyes stay open through the night watches, that I might meditate on your word.
Therefore meditate on these promises day and night. I like what Thomas Brooks says in his book “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” about meditating on the Word...
Remember, it is not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee’s touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.
So take the time to “reckon” what you are reading and hearing. I think many of our problems stem from our priorities. How much time, effort and money do we give to the temporal things verses the eternal things from God. No one said it better then Jesus on the sermon on the mount:
Mat 6:19 "Don't collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
Mat 6:20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal.
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Now earnestly examine your life. For many these next passages will be light and life as they desire the things from above and God is giving them light but for others they will be condemnation and will not be well received.
Jas 4:3 You ask and don't receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your desires for pleasure.
Jas 4:4 Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.
1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So the first step is to reckon or continuously consider that you HAVE been crucified with Christ and that you have been raised with Him. This is an eternal absolute truth whether or not your life reflects it, it is yours to do with as you desire. The next step is to set your heart on things above and not on this passing world. The fact is that you can only have one master and that God is a jealous God and desires all of you.
Gal 5:1 Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery
If not ask yourself why you haven’t done so…are you too busy bound in your prison cell to notice that the door has been ripped off its hinges, the chains tossed aside and that you now have complete freedom, unless you choose to still live in the prison cell. Look at what the Psalmist says…
Psa 31:6 I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.
Psa 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help. I put my hope in your words.
Psa 119:148 My eyes stay open through the night watches, that I might meditate on your word.
Therefore meditate on these promises day and night. I like what Thomas Brooks says in his book “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” about meditating on the Word...
Remember, it is not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee’s touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.
So take the time to “reckon” what you are reading and hearing. I think many of our problems stem from our priorities. How much time, effort and money do we give to the temporal things verses the eternal things from God. No one said it better then Jesus on the sermon on the mount:
Mat 6:19 "Don't collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
Mat 6:20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal.
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Now earnestly examine your life. For many these next passages will be light and life as they desire the things from above and God is giving them light but for others they will be condemnation and will not be well received.
Jas 4:3 You ask and don't receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your desires for pleasure.
Jas 4:4 Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.
1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So the first step is to reckon or continuously consider that you HAVE been crucified with Christ and that you have been raised with Him. This is an eternal absolute truth whether or not your life reflects it, it is yours to do with as you desire. The next step is to set your heart on things above and not on this passing world. The fact is that you can only have one master and that God is a jealous God and desires all of you.
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