Christ Jesus – Page 7 – Media 4 Life Ministries

Looking unto to Jesus…

Most people are probably familiar with the story in Matthew 14. It’s the story where Jesus walks on the water.

It was just before the break of dawn when Jesus walked on the water towards the boat were the disciples spend the night crossing the Sea of Galilee. At first they thought it was a ghost and they started to fear. Jesus called out to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter was the first to react, I think maybe with a little bit of doubt asking Jesus, “Lord if this is You, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus answered, “Come”. So Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the water. I wonder sometimes when I read that passage, what must have gone through Peter’s mind that very moment, realizing that he was actually walking on water?

Peter stepped out in faith and was walking towards the Lord. As the story goes on, Peter got very afraid seeing the boisterous wind and the waves coming towards him. He became fearful and started to sink. He cried out to Jesus, “Lord save me.”. Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught him. After this Jesus said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”.

I think Jesus said this with a little chuckle. Why did Peter have fear and doubts? He stepped out in faith and walk a short distance on the water before he started to drown. I think the reason is because Peter took his eyes off the Lord. His faith turned into fear. Instead of believing Jesus Who said to him “Come” he became fearful.

Fear and Faith are mutually exclusive. Faith and Fear cannot co-exist. The one cancels out the other. One cannot have faith and fear at the same time. That’s what happened to Peter, he was walking on the water and the moment he took his eyes of Jesus, he started to sink. The lesson we can learn from this is to keep our eyes on Jesus. As long as we stay focused on Jesus and do not fear whatever wave or storm may come our way, we will not sink as Peter did. The world is full of fear and doubts, people are scared about the economy, geopolitical events and many other things in their daily life’s.

We as believers in Christ should not fear or doubt. We can firmly stand on God’s word and His promises. We cannot please the Lord by fearing. Jesus said many times, “Fear Not!” The Bible says in Hebrews: “..looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….” Heb 12:2. Looking onto Jesus… Without Jesus we can do nothing and without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, He is the shinning light unto our path.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phl 6:4.

“It is written….” (media4lifeministries.com)
Wash my Feet… (media4lifeministries.com)

“It is written….”

Have you ever felt like you are not worthy or deserving of God’s love? Is the enemy whispering in you ears sayings like, “look at you, you messed up again” or “for sure, God does not love you after this one.” Do you feel condemned and live a life of uncertainty? He loves me, He loves me not. He loves me, He loves me not?

That is exactly what the enemy namely Satan wants for the believers in Christ Jesus; a live of condemnation and fear. Satan is the accuser and he accuses us all day and night before the throne of God. That is what he does best. He is a liar and a murderer. Are we as finite human beings perfect? If we could be perfect on our own, Jesus died in vain. As believers we do stumble from time to time, we do things that are not pleasing to God. Does that mean that we have lost favor with God? We have three enemies, Satan, the world and the flesh. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12.

These three are powerful enemies. Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. We face those same temptations today. Things have not changed much from 2000 years ago, the enemy is still the same. His tactics and maneuvers are the same. We are in a spiritual battle, just as Jesus was. Jesus did not give in to those temptations presented by the deceiver. He answered all three temptations with, “It is written.” Jesus was quoting the scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy.

He answered with the word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword. The word of God is powerful and living and we as believers can overcome every temptation the enemy throws at us. We can be confident because of the word of God. Here are some scriptures that can give us the confidence and strength we need to overcome all things. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:38, 39. ” But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8.

That would be on to throw back against Satan if he makes you doubt God’s love for you. If we stumble or commit a sin ( nobody is sinless) we have this scripture to stand on: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1John 1:9, 10.

Satan was defeated at the cross, everything that he does is only because God allows it for His divine purposes. Jesus came to set us free from condemnation and to give us eternal life. Satan tries to hinder us from fully realizing this freedom. So many Christians live a life of self-condemnation and a feeling of worthlessness. They fear God because in my opinion they have never really understood the true grace of God.

There is a very good book written by Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa entitled “Why Grace changes everything.” He once lived as many of us a life of condemnation and had a legalistic relationship with God. This book and the understanding of the true Grace of God can change a person’s relationship with the Lord. A life of love, forgiveness and freedom that can only be found in Christ. He came to set us free, not back into bondage. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Who is the thief? It is Satan, the world and the flesh. Satan condemns, the legalistic people put you under bondage and the flesh wants to bring you back to Egypt. We as Christians can all enjoy a live of freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit, if we just step out of His way and let Him do His work. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. We can relax in Christ, He is the author and finisher of our faith. God wants us all to walk in victory over Satan our accuser.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 118. Victory without fear, trusting in the Lord and Him alone. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.

The Lord promised us to come back and that we will spend eternity with Him. That is a comforting thought and our hope, to be with the Lord forever. In the meantime we need to stay strong and run the race to finish it. Satan may throw some stumbling blocks our way, but we will overcome, we are free. If Satan ever whispers in your ears, “God does not love you”, tell him, “It is written” and point him to the cross: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

We are the once that will spend eternity with Him because He loves us. Satan’s fate doesn’t look all that great to me. “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10.

A 2000 + year old desert religion; still relevant for us today? (media4lifeministries.com)
Free in Christ (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

A 2000 + year old desert religion; still relevant for us today?

Christianity cannot be considered a philosophy as some have you believe. Christians believe and know that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the OT. He is the One that would come to be the Savior of the world through the shedding of His blood on the cross.

God made this promise way back in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit and sin entered the world. Sin brought forth spiritual death (separation from God). Satan the adversary tempted Eve by lying to her. God had told them not to eat of a specific tree or else they would die. They chose not to obey God’s word and gave into the temptation of Satan. He told Eve that they would not die if they ate of the fruit, contradicting God’s word.

What was that fruit? Nobody really knows, I ‘m sure it was not an apple. Because of this the fall occurred. Did they die after eating the fruit? No, they did not die physically but they died spiritually. Satan did lie to them. Jesus said in the gospel of John: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44.

There is no truth in Satan at all. He lied to Adam and Eve and he is lying to the world. He has deceived many over all those centuries and they died spiritually spending time separated from God for eternity. One of his biggest lie is that he does not exist and that God does not exist. Many haven fallen into that trap, including me for many years. They either don’t think much about God or flat-out deny Him. They serve Satan and don’t even know it. Bob Dylan once wrote in one of his songs, “you gotta serve someone”.

The unrepentant world serves Satan and his agenda, willingly or unwillingly. The disobedience of Adam and Eve which caused sin to enter in to the once perfect world resulted in them being cast out of the garden. Adam and Eve saw the consequences of their disobedience, when one of their son Cain murdering Abel. God had created everything perfect but Lucifer a high ranked Cherubim had a pride issue and rebelled against God (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). By tempting Adam and Eve, the first recorded murder took place and things got worse after that. Sin was in the world and Satan was then and is now the ruler of this world because Adam and Eve forfeited the earth over to Satan. In the beginning was light but now Satan brought in darkness. The Bible which Christians believe is God’s written word to mankind, and is really a book of redemption. From Genesis to Revelation the book outlines God’s redemptive work, the promised Savior to mankind as promised shortly after the fall. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15.

This is the first messianic prophecy found in the Bible. The Bible is historically accurate and we have the creation account, the fall, the flood in the days of Noah and the multiplying of people and the origin of nations. The Bible tells us that Noah had three sons, Japheth, Ham and Shem. Japheth and Ham are the fathers of the African, Middle Eastern, Northern European and Asian nations. Through the line of Shem came Abraham, Moses, King David and Jesus. Jesus is the promised Messiah from back in Genesis. He came to the nation of Israel to reconcile them to God as promised. The OT speaks of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53. Jesus was that suffering servant who came and was despised and hated by own. He shed his blood on the cross for the remission of sins. The religious leadership rejected Him as the Messiah and because of that, God punished them by dispersing them throughout the world by the Romans in AD 70.

As foretold in the OT the gospel i.e. the good news, would come to all the Gentile nations because of Israels rejection. The Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree. The early Church started in Jerusalem and later went out and it was in Antioch that they were first called Christians or Christ-like. From there the gospel went throughout the whole world. The gospel is really simple and it is as important today as it was yesterday and no other religion or philosophy can save us from our sins. Forgiveness and salvation is only through Jesus Christ and His redemptive and finished work on the cross. The cross was the fulfillment from Genesis. Here is the gospel message in a very simple and easy way to understand:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. What could be more simpler? Jesus purchased back the title-deed to the earth that was forfeited by Adam. God paid a very high price for it, the blood of His Son. Jesus was the the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. He was the unblemished passover lamb. The blood of the animals could only cover the sins of ancient Israel. The blood of Jesus the lamb takes away sins and God will not remember them anymore. They are forgotten as far as the east is from the west. Why is this “desert religion” still relevant 2000 years later? Because people are still sinners today and in need of forgiveness by God through His Son. The meaning of the word sin is simply “to miss the mark” and all of us have missed the mark. Many people say that they are “good people” and compassionate etc. In the eyes of a Holy God however we all fall short of His glory. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. Sin is death and God can not allow sin in His presence because He is Holy and just and cannot approve of sin. There is a punishment for sin: eternal separation from God i.e. Hell. The Bible teaches that we all will die once and then judgement.

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Hebrews 9:27, 28

A believer in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not be judged as the unbelievers and those who reject Jesus and God’s plan of salvation. No religion or philosophy, good behavior and good deeds will get a person into heaven and eternal life. There is only one way and Jesus said so Himself:

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

Personally I think that this “desert religion” is very relevant today. Considering that there will be a judgment of God and realizing that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one can stand before God and defend themselves on that day. The punishment for sin is eternal separation from God which is also called the lake a fire where the fire is never quenched. I am not sure how exactly that looks like, but I’m sure I don’t want to be there. Thanks to God because of His love and mercy towards us, He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. Jesus Christ the righteous and by believing in Him by faith, His righteousness is imputed onto every believer. It is His righteousness God the Father looks at, not our righteousness which does not exist. All sins past, present and future are forgiven and there will be no eternal judgment but eternal life with Him. That’s the good news and I hope that you have thought of your life and where you will be spending eternity. Jesus is real and He is alive and He will come again to take the believers home. The Bible says today is the day of your salvation. Tomorrow may never come. Should you die tomorrow, do you know where you will be going?

Jesus can give you that assurance by receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. He can forgive you of all your sins and you will be a new creation in Him. Don’t just believe me, read the Bible. Start with the gospel of John and learn about Jesus who He is and how you can know Him personally. Learn about Him, seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. May the Lord Jesus Christ reveal His love to you.

Christianity; the oldest “religion” in the World. (media4lifeministries.com)
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Sojourners

As I was driving on the freeway looking at all that traffic, the noise and the chaos, I thought to myself, man this is unreal. There are cars everywhere, in front of me, behind me and on both sides.

The freeways in San Diego can get pretty crazy at times, not as bad as Los Angeles but bad enough. Some people drive so fast that they zip in and out of lanes, passing cars at over 90 mph. Everybody seems to be in such a hurry all the time. Just looking at all this craziness made me think of times when things were different.

I grew up in a small town in Germany and things were pretty slow there. When I moved to San Diego in the early 80’s although San Diego was a larger city, there was still a more relaxed a more peaceful atmosphere. Things have changed quite a bit in the last 30 years. Sometimes I wonder, why? Why are people so stressed out, so unhappy? Are they still chasing the American dream or are they so stressed out and unhappy just to make ends meat?

Whatever it is, it gets me frustrated and I have to admit that sometimes I get angry about the busyness around me. It’s easy to get caught up in this world from time to time. Seeing this craziness everyday around San Diego, made me think of Father Abraham. Here is a man who lived about 4000 years ago in the land which is now known as Israel. I’m sure that in his time the world wasn’t as stressful or filled with so many distractions as we see them today, but even Abraham had to deal with many things. Like for example the pagan nations and hostile enemies that came after him and his descendants.

He lived in a world that was fallen and extremely hostile towards the people of the true and living God. It made me think of Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith. It talks about several people who were before us like Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham. They all walked by faith and believing that the were just sojourners on this earth. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Heb 11:3.

They all believed in a creator, and an eternal future by faith. “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb 11 :9, 10.

Abraham and his descendants lived as a “sojourner” in the land God had promised him, never owning any of it except the plots that he purchased for him and Sarah. He “dwelled”, the Greek word is paroikos. In today’s terms he would have been like a “Resident Alien” living in the land but without permanent residency. I need to remember that when I get frustrated about the world with its busyness, hectic and stress. I am only a sojourner passing through this temporary world. This world is full of many different things, violence, hate and wars to name a few. It is not always easy as a believer to live in this fallen world with all its problems.

But we can overcome this world, Jesus even told us that it will not be easy: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. While we sojourning here, we will face many challenges and trials in our life’s. The world around us is getting crazier by the minute and people are desperate and struck with complexities. For many there seems to be no hope, the economy, geopolitical events and no certain future for them or the children. Those of us who speak out about God and His plan of salvation are getting mocked and ridiculed because of our faith in Him. They seek peace but can’t find it. They seek satisfaction, but nothing satisfies.

Real peace and satisfaction can only come through knowing Jesus Christ. He gives the believers comfort, a hope and a future that is eternal. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. The world will always be in conflict with the believers. The world has nothing to offer, all things will fade over time. We as believers are not of this world. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19.

Jesus left us with a promise and a great hope, a hope that the world does not give: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2, 3.

In the meantime we live in this world and Satan is on our tails day and night, trying to entice us and get our focus of the Lord. Abide in Him and we are kept by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:15-17.

God’s word is the truth, Jesus is the way the truth and the life. If we abide in Him, we will see Him face to face one day and our joy will be complete. All things will be forgotten. Thank you Jesus for your finished work on the cross. Thank you for dying in my pace. Maranatha Lord Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jhn 3:16.

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The Lord Jesus Christ; God, Creator and Savior

This is a video I made some time ago. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….

“Revival”

I hear many pastors and believers say: “Pray for a mighty revival.” I am all for revival, but the revival needs to start with the church first and foremost.

There are many issues within the body of Christ that are conveniently swept under the carpet by many of today’s churches. The divorce rate within the church is greater than outside the church. Immorality is overlooked and sin is not addressed because “we don’t want to offend anybody”. In many ways the church has compromised with the world.

A lot of churches lack good stewardship. We have so many church programs, activities and festivities, etc. Many of us are running around looking busy doing the Lord’s work… are we? Are we

really doing the Lord’s work? There are outreaches, altar calls and crusades which are good in itself and needed, but I have to ask myself the question, what are the motives?

Many times I hear about big numbers of people coming forward to receive Christ on some major outreach events. “Thousands of people accepted the Lord over the weekend and they are going to heaven.” Really, how do we know? Perhaps some just come forward because of emotions and atmosphere of the rock concert like environment. Thousands of people raising their hands to praise the Lord.

Personally I wish and pray that everyone that has come forward at any church or event, received Jesus as Lord and Savior. In reality, only God knows the heart. Many of our churches have missions and missionaries that go all over the world bringing the gospel to people. I love missions and many good things have been accomplished and many have come to know the Lord. We establish churches around the world, reaching out via the internet and radio. Awesome, love it!

What about right here at home, in our home church? Are the pastors and others reaching out to their own congregation and see the problems of many? Many people are sick with cancer and other diseases. Some are in financial problems, had their homes foreclosed, lost their jobs and are in desperate need for help. Some person that sits next to you in the seat at church, may be spending the night in their car because they are out of a job and lost their home.

I’m not downing the church, I think overall we as the church do a good job. The reason I was thinking about this in the first place, is because of a comment I received on one of my videos. This following comment made me think about all the hoopla in the church and the failure to serve our next door neighbor. I believe, this church failed horribly and was a poor witness to a person in need.

Here is the comment: “I agree there is a Heaven and Hell. I believe Jesus said it best when he spoke of The Great Commission. I actually had lost my parents to cancer just recently, and went to the church, I was told the pastor was too busy, and the associate pastor was gone. I then called up my Buddhist friend who told me, “I think Jesus wants to use in a special way.” His compassion, and understanding helped me more than any MAN has ever done in a VERY difficult time in my life.”

This is a sad situation when you have a supposed shepherd of the flock being too busy with activities instead of ministering to a person in need of help and comfort. I think we all need to step back sometimes, (that includes me). We all need to test and examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith as Paul wrote. Are we reflecting the love of Jesus with our lives and deeds to others? Like so many like to say: “What would Jesus do?” What do you think Jesus would have done with this person that came to the church seeking for comfort?

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2Cr 13:5

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1Peter 4:17.

Knowledge puffs up and there are many that claim knowledge of the scriptures, prophesies and eschatology. Some quote scriptures all day long condemning and judging others. What good does all that knowledge do, if there is no love? What good does all the knowledge of scripture do, if there is no wisdom? Paul said that the greatest gift of all is love. Love for our neighbors, just as Jesus has commanded us. Jesus would not have turned this person away saying, “I’m sorry, but I AM to busy right now, come back later”.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

You reap what you sow…

Just as any good parent, our Father in Heaven has given His children guidelines which to live by. Are these rules there to exercise power and control over His children, or are they there to prevent pain and hurt that can last a lifetime? God gave only one commandment to Adam and Eve in the garden. They were not to eat of that one tree that was in the midst of the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

As responsible parents we teach our children not to cross the roadway because they could be hit by a car. We set rules, don’t touch, don’t eat that, don’t talk or go with strangers etc. The child may not fully understand why parents make those rules. The parents know from their own experiences that one can get hurt doing certain things. Although these rules of the parents are established, kids will break them. Adam and Eve did the same in the garden. They knew not to eat the fruit of that one tree, but were deceived and tricked through the lie of the Serpent/Satan.

God told Adam that the day they would eat of that fruit, they would surely die. Satan challenged the word of God and deceived Eve with a lie, “has God really said?” He went continued by saying to her, “you surely will not die”.

Eve believed the lie Satan told her and did what God had forbidden them to do, she ate of the tree. Adam also ate of that forbidden fruit. Did Adam and Eve die the moment they ate it? No. Was Satan telling them the truth? No. When God said that they would die, He meant spiritual death. Because of their disobedience and not listening to God, they reaped the consequences of their disobedience i.e. spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Just as any good parent would punish and discipline their child when they break the rules, God had to punish Adam and Eve for their disobedience.

God knew the consequences to come if they would eat of the fruit and as a loving Father He warned them. Through this one-act, sin entered the world. The result, Adam and Eve being were cast out of the garden. The consequence of this one-act of disobedience, caused a spiritual separation from God, Who once walked with Adam in the garden. Things only got worse from their. The first recorded murder, as Cain killed his brother Abel. Can you imagine how Adam and Eve must have felt when they realized the consequences their disobedience? Seeing the blood of Abel shed by his brother? Adam and Eve reaped what they sowed.

Parents have their best interest for the children. They know that when their children disobey and break the rules, that certain consequences will follow. Ever action has a reaction. We reap what we sow. Parents should teach children not to experiment with drugs and alcohol and everything else society i.e the world offers them. Today’s the world is driven by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Many have fallen into that trap and have bought into the lie. I’m sure that many of us who read this know that to be true. Early in my life I drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, did drugs, had sexual relations before marriage etc. We are taught by society that it is all in good fun, seeking pleasure and self – fulfillment.

Looking back at my life today, I have to admit that some of the things were pleasurable, but with these pleasures also came consequences later on in my life, I was addicted to alcohol and drugs and because of sexual behaviors outside of marriage went from one relationship to another. Nothing ever really satisfied. There were always the next days, hangovers, another break up you name it. None of these pleasures that the world has to offer ever satisfy. People are searching for the next best high, but will never really find it. God our heavenly Father knows the consequences sin can bring into our lives and warned us just as He warned Adam and Eve.

But many do not listen, ignoring God, even denying God. They have gone the way of Cain, seeking what the world has to offer. The world follows the deceiver and his lies. Today we see the devastation from disobedience in our society and many other places around the world. I think Paul puts it best when he wrote in Romans: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:28-32

That sounds just like today’s society. This is the direct result of not heeding God’s word and trying to remove God and His wisdom from everyday life. We see the consequences thereof, “You reap what you sow.”
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7, 8

God has given all of us a free will to choose, but certain choices that one makes in life will bring also consequences that may last a lifetime. It is never to late to turn from a life of the flesh and turn to God our heavenly Father. You may say, I am too far gone and God is so far from me. How far is God the Father from you? All it takes is to turn around and He is right there, with open arms and willing to forgive and love you. How can you know that God loves you? Just look at the cross and see how great God’s love is, He gave His only Son, that through Him all of us may have forgiveness and eternal life. All it takes is to believe by faith in Jesus and His perfect sacrifice on the cross. He died and He rose for us, defeating Satan and his lies. Those who believe are forgiven of their sins, past present and future.

We are all sinners, but by the grace of God and His free gift we can all be forgiven no matter how great the sin. We all have missed the mark and come short of the Glory of God. Faith in Jesus reconciles the believers with God. It is the righteousness of Jesus that is imputed onto those who believe. Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us enough. Thank you for humbling Yourself to become one of us. Thank you for willingly giving your life for us so that we may live with You for eternity.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Law Breakers

I see many people texting and talking on their phones while driving. Although there is a law in California against texting while driving and talking on the phone without a hands free device, many choose not to obey that law.

Doing so is distracting people and many accidents have occurred, some of them fatal. There is also a law against drinking and driving, but many choose not to obey that law. Many innocent people have been hurt or killed because of the disobedience of some. People are breaking the law of the land everyday. I am not excluded, not always keeping the speed limit of 65 mph on the freeways for example. There is a law against using the car pool lanes for single drivers, yet some choose not to obey that law.

People that break the law are called law breakers. There are consequences for breaking the law, a fine and in some case jail time. The governing authorities will persecute law breakers and a just judge will not let a person go unpunished for breaking the law. It make me wonder, if people cannot obey laws set by men, how can they possibly obey the laws given by God? People are breaking God’s laws every single day. Just as we have laws given by the governing authorities, so has God given us laws to live by. The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. They set the standard of God’s law by which men will be judged.

Many today argue that the Ten Commandments are outdated and do not apply to today’s modern society. I tend to disagree with that and I believe that God’s laws are perfect. The Ten Commandments can be grouped in two categories. The first four, man’s relationship to God. The remaining six, man’s relationship to the community. By these Ten Commandments, true theology and true worship, the name of God and the Sabbath, family, honor, life, marriage and property, truth and virtue are well protected. Many people when asked if they are a good person would answer, “Yes I am a good person”. Just as the self-righteous religious leadership of Jesus’ day thought that they were good and obeyed the law of God.

Jesus proved them wrong, they boasted about keeping the law perfectly. Jesus showed them how God looks at the law versus how man looks at the law. Jesus actually put a much higher standard on the law. Pointing to man’s heart rather than the outward appearance of keeping the law. Jesus said:“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. “I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Mat 5:17, 18.

Jesus fulfilled the law and kept it perfectly, He was without sin and He showed the Pharisees of His day what the law really meant. The Pharisees thought themselves to be righteous and perfect before God, but their supposed righteousness was nothing more than self-righteousness and pride. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 5:20

The religious leadership thought they obeyed the law and thus were ok with God. Jesus pointed them to the last six commandments. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” The religious leadership answered Jesus by saying that they never murdered anybody. Jesus went on to say: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Mat 5:22.

Jesus was saying that if someone hates another person, that they have already committed murder in their heart. The Jews of the time hated for example the Gentiles. The Samaratian or any others that were not of Jewish descend were hated. The idea was that God created the Gentiles for heating up Hell fire. Jesus went on to say: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.” Mat 5:27.

Again, the leadership answered, “we never slept with another women, we have not committed adultery.” Jesus: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mat 5:28. Again, Jesus points to the heart of man. They may not had any adulterous relations but they by just lusting after a woman, committed adultery in their hearts. Jesus went on with some other examples, showing them that it is a heart issue and that they all had broken the law. So even today many call themselves good from an outward perspective, not considering that God looks at the heart. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Mat 15:19.
If people cannot obey simple laws like not texting and talking on the phone while driving, how can they think that they are ok with God when their day of judgment will come? None of us can keep the law perfectly. Christ has set the believers free from the law that was a tutor to bring us to Christ. He did what we could not do for ourselves. As believers we are forgiven of all transgressions by the shedding of His blood on the cross. He died for the sin of the world. By receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior by faith, keeps the believers from the wrath of God that will come upon all law breakers. If you are not a believer and you either think that God does not exist or that you can defend yourself on the day of judgment, please think again.

A just judge must judge just and fair and cannot allow lawbreakers to go free. A price/fine needs to be rendered. Jesus paid that fine. He took the punishment of our transgressions. By believing and asking for forgiveness, a person is declared justified before God. Not only that, God also imputed the righteousness of Christ on every true believer. Think of what will happen when the day of judgment comes and God declares you guilty and the punishment is eternal separation from God. “Why did I refuse to believe”? God loves every person, but He cannot allow sin in His kingdom. Jesus cleanses a person from all sin and unrighteousness. God does not want anybody to perish but have eternal life and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is a choice that every single person has to make. God does not force Himself on anybody. He has given every man a free will to choose.

Those who choose to reject Him will be eternally separated from the presence and blessings of God. Some teach that one day everybody will be saved. If that were true, why did Jesus have to suffer on the cross? Jesus Himself spoke more about Hell than anybody else in the Bible. Hell is a reality. Hell is eternal. The Apostle Paul wrote about what will happen to those who reject Jesus: “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” 2Th 1:9, 10. It can’t get any clearer. Today, if you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, think about it. Learn about Jesus and who He is. He loves you and He wants to have a meaningful relationship with you. Seek Him and you shall find Him. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The Empty Tomb.

Pontius Pilate seemed baffled as Joseph of Arimathea came to him and ask to take away the crucified body of Christ. “What do you want with his dead body?” Pilate ask. “I want to lay the body of Jesus into my own newly carved out tomb” Joseph replied. “But why”? “You are a very old man, and it takes years to carve out another tomb. You may not have enough years left and you are willing to give up your tomb?” “Don’t worry Joseph of Arimathea replied, He only needs it for the weekend”.

Probably not the way the conversation went down on that day of the crucifixion. I believe that Joseph of Arimathea knew in his heart that Christ would rise on the third day as prophesied by Jesus to His disciples. Even if he did not fully comprehend the things that had happened, the ministry and the first coming of Christ and His brutal death on the cross. Something changed him. Joseph had become a believer. Just as Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night, became a follower of Christ, so also Joseph of Arimathea became convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Both Nicodemus and Arimathea who were well-respected Pharisees became born again. The impact of Jesus on their lives transformed these two men. They would never be the same.

Many people had a life changing transformation by meeting Jesus in the past and today. He truly came to save the lost. The apostle Paul is another good example of a radical life transformation. Paul was a former persecutor and hater of the believers and followers of Jesus known as “The Way.” Saul/Paul was a zealous Jew who hated the Christians with a passion, persecuted them to the fullest and arrested many of the early followers of Jesus. He was directly involved with the stoning of Stephen. On the road to Damascus seeking to arrest Christians in that city, he met the risen Christ on the road. This encounter changed him forever. He became a believer and one of the greatest missionary to the gentile world. Paul of course knew about the crucifixion and the death and burial of Christ. He knew about the story that was told about the empty tomb and that Christ had risen. Paul was a changed man and he preached Christ crucified and resurrected. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1Cr 2:2

Jesus died for the sin of the world, He rose and defeated death to give those who believe in Him forgiveness and eternal life. The Christian faith hinges on the resurrection of Jesus, if the resurrection did not occur, the Christian faith is empty. Paul addresses the death and the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15.

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas (Peter), then by the twelve. 1Cr 15:3-5

There were those who denied the resurrection and Paul writes about the importance of the resurrection and what it means to the Christian faith.

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” 1Cr 15:12-17

Christianity without the resurrection is dead. Paul said if Christ was not who He said He is, than we are still in our sins and the most pitiable people. Many unbelievers have tried to disprove the resurrection and failed miserably. They became believers in Christ. Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins? Do you believe that He rose and defeated death to give eternal life to those who believe? Have you ask Him for forgiveness and received Him in your heart?

Jesus is the only way to the Father. He came to die for mankind to reconcile all of those who would believe to give them peace and eternal life. If you have not received Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, may I encourage you to look t least into the claims and promises of Jesus made? Don’t just listen to the media or the intellectuals, who think that they have all the answers. Seek Him for yourself. Seek and you will find.
“In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Cr 6:2
God does not want anybody to perish. How can you know that God loves you? Just look at the cross and you will know how much God loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son for you.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Jesus transformed the lives of Nicodemus, Joseph, Paul and many others throughout the centuries. He wants to do the same for you. Open your heart and ask Him for forgiveness and receive Jesus by faith. He is the only One that can truly transform a person. Not just for a little while but for eternity. He is the way, the truth and the life.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11: 28-30

Human Reasoning or God’s Standard’s?

The “Freedom of Religion Organization” http://www.forf.org a very outspoken Anti-theist group has been lobbying for some time now to have “In God we Trust” removed from our currency. They absolutely see no problem with: “In Reason We Trust which would take away the faith in God and “religion.” They instead like to replace it with a humanistic secular world viewpoint. The believe is that “human reasoning” will set the world free from the oppression that “religion” places on today’s society. Hawkins and other Anti-theist like him i.e. Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens love to proclaim boldly that God does not exist and that He is not needed. They claim religion has suppressed the freedom of the people and is hindering the progress of a new society that is freed from God and religious zealots. They believe that with reasoning and humanist thinking the world will be a better place one day. If we can only silence the “people of faith” then we can all live together in peace and harmony just as John Lennon envisioned it in his song “Imagine”.

What has human philosophy and reason done so far for society? We are living in a world of violence, murder rape, theft, you name it. Society is on a moral decline and if we continue the way progressives are dictating us to go, the moral decline of our nation and the world will grow worse. The progressive movement is not a step forward, but a step back into paganism and heathenism. Who set’s the moral standards? Who will get to decide what is right and what is wrong? God has said: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

Do we set moral values from the viewpoint of man or from the viewpoint of God? God has given mankind moral values that cannot be denied and every human has those values written on their hearts, we intuitively know when we are doing something wrong. Our conscience bears witness to the fact. God has given us the 10 commandments, you shall not murder steal, lie, commit adultery, coveting your neighbors goods and so on. These are all good moral values and I believe that not many would disagree with them. However many do not want to obey them, or are trying to get around them with some human philosophy. In their moral world God’s views are obsolete, they agree that murdering somebody is wrong and needs to be punished, they would also agree that stealing and lying is wrong. Humanistic thinkers look on the outside of man, God however looks inside at the heart of man, and it was Jesus that demonstrated to us how God looks at His perfect and moral standards.

Jesus did not abolish the 10 commandments as many like to think, He took them and raised them up a notch. Showing that God does not look at the outside appearance of man but at the heart. Many will say, “I have never murdered anyone.” Jesus said: if you hate your brother, you have already committed murder in your heart. That person may not have murdered anybody physically, but he/she may have hated someone wishing them to be dead. In the eyes of God that is just like murdering someone. From the heart comes all evil thinking, from the heart comes murder, theft, lies and covetousness. It is a heart issue. God declares in Jeremiah: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jer. 17:9.

God declares every human being guilty of sin. The word sin is not very much liked these days, but what the word sin really means is “missed the mark, or “fallen short.” God declares in His word that we have all missed the mark and have fallen short of His glory. Therefore man will make all kinds of excuses for their actions, society is to blame, religion is to blame, politicians are to blame. “If we would just have more tolerance towards one another”. “If we would not be so narrow-minded about things, the world would be a much better place to live in”. Jesus said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Mat 7:13, 14.

In my opinion, I rather go the narrow way. I believe that if we let go of God and His perfect standards and rather put our trust in humanity and human reasoning, today’s society will face dire consequences in the future. Every Kingdom or Empire that let go of their moral values in the past has perished. Humanist today want to replace God’s wisdom with a humanistic atheistic philosophy. They simply deny the existence of God and do not acknowledge Him. One day the ultimate Judge will have the last word and no human excuses will ever hold up before the throne of God. Man’s wisdom is foolishness before God. It is never too late to turn and embrace God. Today is the day of salvation. God is waiting patiently and He is longsuffering towards mankind, wanting nobody to perish.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11

P.S. True Biblical Christianity is not a “religion, but a meaningful loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.