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Sinless Christians?

I have had several people tell me over the years that they are sinless and sin no more. Their argument is that born again believers are a new creation and thus they cannot sin and they have overcome sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. They quote 1 John 3 which says that a believer can no longer sin.

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1John 3:9.

Sounds pretty convincing and convicting doesn’t it? Is John saying that a believer cannot sin and if he or she does they are of the Devil?

Let’s go back a few verses: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” 1John 3:3-6.

They following contains a few exerts from commentary by John Stott and David Guzik. I ‘m gonna put some closing thoughts at the end.

Sin is lawlessness: John defines sin at its most basic root. It is a disregard for the law of God, which is inherently a disregard for God Himself.

We often fail in the battle against sin because we won’t call it for what it is: lawlessness, an offense against the Great Law Maker, God. Instead, we say things like “If I’ve done anything wrong . . .” or “Mistakes were made . . .” and so forth. Call it for what it is: sin and lawlessness. “The first step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of sin.” (Stott)

You know that He was manifested to take away our sins: John here defined the mission of Jesus Christ at its most basic root – to take away our sins. The angel Gabriel promised Joseph regarding the ministry of Jesus: “you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin.” Luke 1:21

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the penalty of our sin. This is immediately accomplished when one comes by faith to Jesus.

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the power of sin away. This is an ongoing work in the lives of those who walk after Jesus.

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the presence of sin away. This is a work that will be completed when we pass into eternity and are glorified with Jesus.

He was manifested to take away our sins: This is the work of Jesus in our life. It is a work we must respond to, but it is His work in us.

We cannot take away the penalty of our own sin. It is impossible to cleanse ourselves in this way. We must instead receive the work of Jesus in taking away our sin.

We cannot take away the power of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, and we respond to that work. Someone who comes to Jesus does not have to clean themselves up first, but they must be willing to have Him take away their sin.

We cannot take away the presence of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, ultimately accomplished when we will be glorified with Him.

In Him there is no sin: Jesus had no sin to take away; therefore He could take away our sin, taking it upon Himself.

Abiding in sin or abiding in God.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin: Since sin is lawlessness, a disregard for God ( 1 John 3:4) and since Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and since in Jesus there is no sin, then to abide in Him means to not sin.

It is very important to understand what the Bible means – and when it does not mean – when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John has already told us in 1 John 1:8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 1:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.

“The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken sequence” (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go on sinning.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin: John’s message is plain and consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin.

Paul’s teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when their sins are forgiven and God’s grace is extended to them, they are radically changed – the old man is dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only be temporary for the Christian.

In some ways, the question is not “do you sin or not?” We all sin. The question is, “How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern of sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin, and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?”

This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle – perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless.

What is important is that we never sign a “peace treaty” with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, “Everybody has their own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands.” This completely goes against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.

Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him: To live a lifestyle of habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not seen Him (in a present sense of the ultimate “seeing Him mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you have not known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that kind of person. (David Guzik)

So, if some claim that they are sinless, are they deceiving themselves? I strongly believe so. As long as we live on this earth in our earthly bodies we cannot and will not be perfect. They only sinless and perfect One is our Lord Jesus Christ. If people could be perfect and sinless on their own, than Christ did in vain. Why do we pray the Lord’s prayer where it says “forgive us our trespasses?” Why did Jesus in His letters to the seven churches ask them to repent? What about the passage in Revelation?

“Then “I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Rev 12:10.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 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” 1 John 1:8-10.

The Grace of God

I believe that many believers have never really fully comprehended what grace truly means for the believer. We hear the word grace many times, we hear about justice and mercy. Let me first say that mercy and justice are very much different from grace. Justice is something that we all deserve for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve. We are all guilty before God and because God is a just God, He has to punish the sinners. He cannot compromise His perfect law and justice. If any of us committed a crime in this world and we had to appear before a judge and the judge would say, “you know what, I feel great today, I let you go.” That judge would not be a just judge. Crimes require a penalty, either with a fine or jail time.

The same thing is true with God our heavenly judge, He cannot just say, “don’t worry I let you off the hook.” A just judge will give a sentence that fit’s the crime committed, but he cannot let the person go free without any kind of penalty. That is justice according to the laws of the land. The judge hands down the punishment, a fine of $50.000 for the crime committed. The person say’s “I don’t have that kind of money.” The judge decides because the person can’t pay the fine, to impose a jail sentence instead. Just as the officers begins to handcuff the person someone comes in and pays the fine for the convicted criminal. The man is free to go, someone paid his fine for him. Not only that, when the men goes to his bank, he finds out that there is a deposit on his account for one million dollars.

That is what God did for us, Jesus paid the penalty for the sinners. He took all the punishment that we deserved upon Him at the cross. He is our propitiation i.e appeasement. It is by God’s grace that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are pardoned from their sins. The sinner is justified before God because Jesus paid it all. We were all deserving of the judgment and the punishment is eternal separation from God. But because God in His mercy and Grace gave His only Son so that we may live. Grace is a free gift. We cannot earn it or improve on it.

All believers are declared justified before God and that is just like we never ever sinned. God sees us through the blood of Jesus and He sees His righteousness. It is not by our righteousness or good works, it is the righteousness of Christ that was imputed onto the believers.God has bestowed His grace upon the believer and His grace is sufficient and will never wear out.

Many believers are trying so hard to please God, either by good works or some acts of righteousness. They live a legalistic life with commandments and ordinances and the result is that they have placed themselves into a life of bondage. They live under constant condemnation because they never feel that they are good enough. They are working so hard that they have forgotten the grace of God that they are trying to please God in the flesh which is impossible. No one can please God by the works of the flesh. One of the last words of Jesus on the cross were, Tetelstai or, it is finished. Relax, Jesus did it all for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

I believe that we need to remind ourselves sometimes that it is by God’s grace that we are saved and that there is nothing we can do to change that. He will never leave us nor forsake us. None of us is perfect and if we could be perfect on our own, Christ died in vain. We all stumble from time to time or mess up, but God’s grace covers it all.

The believer is justified the moment they believe in Jesus, that is unchangeable and irreversible. There is sanctification and that is a life long process. Everyday we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ. As we let go of the things of this world we draw nearer to Christ until the day arrives that we will be glorified with Him.

In the meantime listen to the still small voice and abide in Christ and He will finish our faith. He is the author and finisher of our faith. To me that sounds like that Jesus is writing my book and with every chapter written, I’m one step closer to heaven.

I thank God for His grace and His love and mercy towards me. Without the gift of grace and the sacrifice of Jesus, I would be hopeless and lost. Thank you Lord for revealing Yourself to me when I needed You most. You are the way the truth and the life. Thank you Father for your grace and I pray that many will come to realize that you love them and that they would turn from the world and embrace you and you promise of everlasting life.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast”Eph 2:8,9.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2.

American Christianity

I hear about Christians getting slaughtered in Sudan or persecuted and killed in the Middle East by radical Islamist just about everyday. There is a pastor in Iran, Youcef Nadarkhani that has been sentenced to death because he is a believer in Jesus Christ. The Iranian regime, governed by Sharia law gave him a chance to recant his confession in Christ which he did not. This man is a true believer that even though he was threatened with hanging he will not denounce his faith in Jesus. The Iranian regime has also declared that their goal is to wipe out Israel from the map and Ahmadinejad denies that the Holocaust ever happened. I was watching the O’Reilly factor yesterday and the son of Oliver Stone whose name is Sean Stone converted to Islam and is pretty much a defender of Iran and it’s regime.

Newsweek has a bloody picture of Jesus on its front page with the title “War on Christianity.” There is an all out war against Christians around the world. This war is real, in Sudan the Arab radical Islamist from the north slaughter the black Christians in the Nuba mountains which is the border between Northern and Southern Sudan. They kill men, women and children with machetes, burning down churches by the churches. These brothers and sisters in Christ endure heavy persecution and many are facing death by the sword. Christians are hated by radical Muslims and there is no tolerance towards people of a different faith.

Everyday I read the articles and reports about what’s going on and it saddens me to hear and see these gruesome reports that come out of Africa and the Middle East. The Syrian government is killing its own people, Iran will soon have a nuclear weapon to attack Israel and the war against Christianity is becoming a reality. Can we as believers here in the west, especially here in the US even imagine what these brothers and sister have to endure and face everyday? The White House and the President who supposedly is the most powerful men in the world has been silent for the most part on many of these atrocities. Just yesterday Franklin Graham was on Pierce Morgan’s show talking about the crisis in Sudan and how the radical have once again started to bomb the churches in the Nuba mountains.

He also addressed the dire situation the Iranian pastor is facing and that he could be hanged within days. Graham said that the President hasn’t called anybody to the White House for a prayer meeting or to put pressure on the Iranian regime to free Youcef Nadarkhani, instead the President apologized to the Afghans because our military accidentally burned some Qur’an”s. He did that on the same day when two American service men were killed because of the incident. What is wrong with that picture? Mr. President, stop bowing down to the Saudis and stop your political correctness when dealing with countries like Iran. We don’t have to apologize to the radical and the radical regimes, they attacked us. They should apologize to us for killing our brave service men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq. Christians didn’t fly the planes into the World Trade towers, radical Muslims did.

These are the same fanatic radicals that want to wipe Israel off the map, destroy America and the West. If any Muslims says that Islam is a peaceful religion, I doubt that very much and if the so-called peaceful Muslims are silent about what’s going on with the radicals of Islam, than they have become irrelevant.

Thinking about that, made me wonder, what are we as Christians suppose to do about this? Let me say first that I am not talking about every believer here in the US, I’m just broadly generalizing and please don’t take it personally if you read this. There are many good and strong believers that care and go out of their way to help those in need. In general however, most of American Christians go to church on Sunday’s and think they have done their duty. They sit in a nice comfortable pew and listen to either a sermon or a Bible study in an air-conditioned facility, coffee and donuts afterwards, a little fellowship and off they go. Is that all or should we be more in tune about what’s going around the world to our brothers and sisters in the faith? There are a lot of activities and events, special concerts and many programs throughout the week. That in itself is not a bad thing, but are we that voice in the world for those who have no voice and are desperately crying out for help? Do we genuinely care about people who are persecuted and killed because they believe in Christ?

I hope that many of us are. I have to admit that we live pretty comfortable lives here in the US, which may change one day. Are we ready for that day? Or will we unlike the Iranian pastor turn away from Jesus because of persecution? We are living in days where prophecies are being fulfilled just about everyday, yet many of the churches or denominations have no clue about Bible prophecy or what some of these current events mean to us as believers. We are living in the very last days and I believe that the Lord will come soon for His bride. Will He find us sleeping as the five foolish virgins or awake and on alert as the five wise once? Israel is God’s time piece and we need to look at Israel because everything relating to the end times is centered in Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount or the epicenter.

I wish I could go over to Iran and talk to Ahmadinejad and ask him to let Youcef Nadarkhani go, or to be in Sudan standing with our brothers and sisters. Sometimes I feel like James and John who asked the Lord if they should call for fire to rain from heaven and make an end to all of this. There are many good Christian organization already over there. There is Far Reaching Ministries led by Wes Bentley that trains chaplains for any kind of situation that may occur. Many of them know that they may never come home again. They are risking their lives every single day for the furthering of the kingdom and they are willing to give their lives and reach people with the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

I don’t have all the answers, but there is one thing that we as believers can do. Praying without ceasing. The prayers of the saints avails much. We can be a voice if we want to and not let the opposition silence us as some would love to do. The Lord Himself said: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Mat 5:13.

If we are silent we will loose the good fight and we will be trampled under foot. Political correctness is killing this country and the liberal agenda is anti Christian. Just as the liberals are uniting for their causes, we as believers can unite and speak up and fight the good fight. We can be that voice crying in the wilderness….unless we let the enemy silence us.

Personally, I would like to finish the race as Paul did: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2Ti 4:7.

Darkness

I am facing a bit of a challenge in my life right now. For the last few weeks my wife and I have taken in our 19-year-old grandson. He is currently unemployed and is just now finishing his high school diploma. In the last couple of years he’s been living with relatives, bouncing around with no real priorities or direction in his life. His mom and step-dad told him that he could no longer live with them if he doesn’t change his ways. They have three young children together and fear that he would set a bad example if he lives in their home. Needless to say he was not willing to make changes.

He became rebellious as many teenagers his age do, it’s all about them, they know it all, not heeding the advise given by their parents. He is not going to church, does not read his Bible and is more interested in smoking weed and hanging out with his friend who like to do the same. He listens to rap music all day long which contains a lot of bad language which has a bad influence on many young people lives today. I talked to him about smoking wheat and that it is not cool or hip and that the music he listens to is degrading and full of darkness. I talk but he doesn’t listen, it goes into one ear and out the other.

Just this week I was telling him that he is bringing darkness into my home and that I do not like it. His typical response, “what do you mean?” I said to him, I once lived in darkness until I came to the light which is Jesus, Who took all that darkness that surrounded me away. Now I’m feeling the presence of darkness in the house. I told him that if he surrounds himself with darkness, he allows for that darkness to enter his mind. Once it has entered, it will take control and make it’s home there.

If we allow the darkness to come in, it will reflect on what kind of person we are or what kind of person we have become. There is so much darkness already in the world that has invaded many people’s mind and they are controlled by the darkness. They may not realize it but they are under the control of the evil one. Everyone that lives in the darkness is not serving God Who is Light. “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” 1John 1:5, 6.

Jesus talked about that in the gospel of Matthew: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mat 6:22-24.

I think that this is a good reminder for all of us who serve the Lord and want to be His disciples. Are we letting any kind of darkness come into our homes and minds? Are we watching the same programs on TV as the world? Maybe some of us have become complacent and have compromised in some ways. I have sometimes experienced some compromise in my own walk, thinking, that movie has a few bad words, but hey I can handle that. The media and Hollywood has become so dark these days that I believe it has a bad influence on many people’s lives, young and old. Am I allowed as a Christian to watch movies and shows? Yes, but do I want to pollute my mind with shows that are nor edifying and are in reality worthless and a waste of time?

I was once living in the world and I was of the world with all it’s lust and desires. Now that I know Jesus I am not of this world any longer. I am living in this world, but I am not of this world, I don’t have to participate in the things of the world. Jesus has set the believers free from all that bondage. We are free in Christ. Now that I am free why would I go back to Egypt, and a live a life of bondage again?

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” John 17:16, 17.

Jesus came into my life and showed me the truth, I am no longer believe in the lies of this world. Satan is the prince of this world, he is nothing but darkness, full of lies and deceit. Btw, Ozzy Osbourne is not the prince of darkness, but that prince of darkness does exist and his name is Satan or the Devil, the accuser and the murderer. Everyone that does not want to come to the Light lives in darkness and serves him, willingly or unwillingly.

I’m not sure how this will all play out yet with my grandson, but I trust in the Lord that He will guide me and give me directions. I don’t want to come over as to condemning, but at the same time I can not condone his behavior. I’m sure that many parents have faced or currently experiencing a similar situation with their teen daughter or son. Unfortunately, I can not force him to read his Bible or to go to church. I cannot force God on him. How could I, God does not force Himself on anyone. It is a choice that every person has to make. At this moment my grandson has turned from the Lord, but I know that the Lord still loves him.

I pray that one day he will realize that he lives a life of illusions and that this world has nothing to offer that satisfies. This is also a time of testing for me, can I be a good example to him and show him that he is loved? Can I show the love that Jesus has for the sinners and the backsliders? It is not easy to witness someone going the wrong direction towards a steep cliff, especially a family member. I told my grandson that he is at this moment not on the narrow road but on the broad road that leads to destruction. I have been on that road and it is not an easy one to travel.

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”John 8:12.

The Integrity of Job

So often, when I have a conversation with unbelievers and skeptics they will bring up the book of Job. Their argument is, why did God single out Job and bragged about him to Satan? Job did all the right things and loved the Lord, yet He allowed Satan to take everything that Job had, his family, servants and possessions.

Why would God do that to someone who loves Him. Isn’t He suppose to be a loving God? At first glance I admit, it might look that way, here is a guy just going on about his day thinking about his sons and daughters when tragedy strikes him out of nowhere. In one day he looses it all, his sons and daughters and his livelihood. Everything that he worked and lived for, up in smoke. Job had no clue what was going on and why this came upon him. He did not have the benefit that we have when we read the story in the Bible.

The first two chapters give us a unique look behind the scenes, a look into the spiritual world unseen from the human eye. “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Job 1:6, 7. Satan was most likely prowling the earth as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”Job 1:8. Poor Job, he had no idea that God and Satan had a conversation about him. It almost seems like God may have been bragging a little bit about Job. Satan seized the moment: “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. “Does Job fear God for nothing? “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” Job 1:9-11.

It is interesting to hear Satan say that God had a hedge i.e a protection around Job, he was blessed by God in all he did. I believe that believers in Jesus Christ have a hedge around them just as Job did. Satan in his arrogance challenged God by stating, hey if you take everything away that he has, he will not love you and curse You to Your face. Satan thought that Job or for that matter any other believers only love God when He blesses them, but turn from Him when tragedy or tribulations arise. God in His sovereign will gave Satan the permission to hit Job with afflictions.

“And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” Job 1:12.

That was the moment when Jobs world would be turned upside down. We read that Job lost his seven sons and three daughters in one day as well as all of his livestock. What a terrible day in the life of poor Job. Yet in all this tragedy, he did not curse God. As a matter of fact, he praised God.

“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Job 1:20-22.

I don’t think that was what Satan intended, he was hoping that Job would blame God and turn from God. The opposite happened, although deeply grieved, he did not forsake or denounce the Lord. I can only imagine that Satan was a bit furious. Some time later Satan appeared before God again and we have the same conversation in chapter two of Job.

“And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” Job 2:2, 3.

We need to read this verse very carefully, God allowed it because Satan incited Him and God allowed Satan to destroy everything that Job had. I believe what we can glean from this is, that without God’s permission, Satan can’t do a thing to harm believers. This second time around Satan wanted even more.

“So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” Job 2:6. It was Satan’s desire to physically harm Job in hope that he would curse God.

Again, God only allowed Satan to strike Job, but not to kill him. “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Job 2:7. Here is Job, covered in painful boils and now even his wife asked him to curse God. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:8.

In ancient times, people thought that the person that was punished so severally must have done some kind of sin to deserve something like that. This time even his wife wanted him to curse God and die. But Job just answered: “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:9.

Even now Job does not curse or blame God for his sufferings. Now I don’t know how I would have reacted if I were to be in the shoes of Job. As the story goes on, three of his friends come to comfort him, but as it turns out they were no comfort at all. They either blamed Job for everything that happened to him, because they thought that he must have sin in his life and lost favor with God. In the end however it turns out that these three wise men weren’t all that wise. At the end God intervenes and rebukes his friends. What happened to good old Job? God restored everything to Job and more, He restored everything ten fold.

I think we as believers can learn a lot from the story of Job. We do have a hedge around us that protects us from many things of the world. At the same time, we are not immune from pain and suffering. Many Christians are going through various hardships, from persecutions and tribulations to financial issues to many other tragedies in their life’s. We are not exempt, but ultimately, God is in control of all things and nothing happens without a purpose and His permission. Sometimes God uses sufferings and tribulations for His divine purpose and to work in people’s life’s. I may not understand why sometimes, but God knows and nothing is done without a reason and a purpose.

Even the Apostle Peter was subject to Satan on more than one occasion. “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” Lk 22:31.

Peter had to go to some trials, He denied the Lord three times and he had hardships and was imprisoned and crucified upside down in Rome, just as the Lord told him when He was still with them. So were many of the other disciples. All of the Apostles except John died a martyrs death. The Apostle Paul experienced many afflictions, beatings, imprisonment and ultimately death by beheading. This is what Paul thought about sufferings in his lifetime: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”Rom 8:18.

Paul looked at the eternal not the temporal. In this life, Christians who follow the Lord will face opposition, trials and tribulations. The Lord told us so. “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.

We as Christians have an enemy that is relentless, the world, the flesh and Satan. I believe that most of our afflictions are not caused by Satan but by our own flesh. The flesh is warring against the Spirit. Many people want to blame Satan for everything that is going on in their life’s, but I think many times it’s just the flesh and the world. Of course we should never underestimate Satan, he is called the prince of this world and if Christians are living in the world as if the world were their home, then they are subject to Satan. The Bible speaks of Satan as the accuser of the brethren, he accuses us day and night before God. (Rev 12:10)

Sufferings and pains are not easy, but they do strengthen a believers faith and draws them closer to the Lord. That’s what happened to Job, Peter and Paul as well as many others throughout history. In the end everything turned out well for Job and Satan was proven wrong.

That’s what Satan wishes to happen to the believers today. He wants us to curse God as soon as some kind of trial, sufferings or pain come our way. Most of us may never face the kind of tragedy Job was confronted with, although there are many that have had tragedies of various degrees in their lives. The question becomes , if any one of us who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior gets confronted with tribulations and trials similar to Job’s, will we keep the faith and integrity that Job demonstrated?

I hope and pray that none of us will ever face something like Job, but if we do I hope that we will stand tall and firmly rooted in the Lord. There is a spiritual warfare raging. Satan knows that he only but a short time left. We need to fight the good fight and stand against every fiery dart that the enemy may throw at us.

No matter what happen in this life, the destination of the believer is to be with the Lord. God will never leave us nor forsake us as long as we abide in Him, no matter what may come our way. Satan is already defeated and he will try anything to distract or harass the believers. We need to stand on the promises of God. We as believers are secured in Christ and nothing can take that away. The book of Ephesians is all about our position in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

“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.

We are secure in Christ and we are not of this world. The world can’t touch us, unless we allow the cares of this world to dominate our lives. As long as we abide in Christ to live after the spirit rather than the flesh and we resist the Devil and his temptations and lies, we can overcome every obstacle and tragedy that we may face. All things here on the earth are temporal and will fade with time, our destination as believers is eternity. We need to set our eyes on the eternal and look up, our redemption draws close. Maranatha Lord Jesus.

Where does God dwell?

I was sitting at home on my patio this morning and enjoyed my first cup of java. I love that first cup in the morning. I looked up at the trees and there were a bunch of birds singing, which made me think about God. His beautiful creation which is revealed through the animal kingdom, the universe, nature and man. I see how wonderfully and marvelously He created everything. The birds were singing a song early in the morning and I wondered, are they praising God, thanking Him for life and the provisions He gives them daily?

I live close to the Pacific Ocean and I can see wonderful sunsets and the waves with surfers riding them just about everyday. It’s just so beautiful to look at the blue water and the dolphins showing up from time to time, pelicans flying by and just enjoying in general what God has blessed me with. We live on this blue planet called earth and considering how big the universe is and how far away the other solar systems are, made me think of the awesomeness of God. He spoke everything into existence, mind-blowing in itself. I don’t think we even can ever really comprehend how big the universe is and how small we really are.

Contemplating on all of that makes one wonder, where does God dwell or tabernacle? The scriptures tell us that God created all things and that He is outside of His creation. Time as we know it does not exist for God. He is eternal and always was and will be. He can see the end from the beginning, another mind blower. Where does He dwell? He created the space to put the universe in and made this planet we call home for us to dwell on. So, I’m sitting there pondering all those things and do I have an answer? No, I don’t. Is the heavenly realm another dimension another unseen parallel world, or maybe God has the whole universe in a glass bowl next to His throne? What if the universe is so small that God holds it in the palm of His hand? Does the universe end somewhere and where did the space come from for the universe with all its galaxies to fit in?

I can not buy in to the theory that all we see was by accident about 4.3 billion years ago. Something so organized and beautiful as the universe can not just come out of an explosion. That is like taking a stick of dynamite and throwing it into a printing factory and out of the explosion come the Declaration of Independence. Everything is just perfect and right for us here on earth to live on. God placed the earth in our solar system in such a way that there are no obstructions to look out into space. I think He did that on purpose: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1.

As I said, I don’t know where God dwells and how that might look but I can’t wait to be there one day. That He promised us. “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.

Today so many scientist still trying to figure out the universe and come up with all kinds of explanations of how it came into being and how we evolved from some kind of fish. Nothing but theories and no concrete and absolute answers. We made it to the moon and now we are trying to reach Mars. What are we gonna do on Mars? Open up a Walmart? Even if we would have people reaching mars and live on mars, that is nothing compared to how big this universe is and places that we will never reach. Now the scientist at Cern are trying to find the “God particle” at the Hadron collider in Geneva Switzerland.

Here is a small quote from their website: “The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a gigantic scientific instrument near Geneva, where it spans the border between Switzerland and France about 100m underground. It is a particle accelerator used by physicists to study the smallest known particles – the fundamental building blocks of all things. It will revolutionize our understanding, from the minuscule world deep within atoms to the vastness of the Universe.”

It will revolutionize our understanding? I don’t think that we will ever understand the awesomeness of God. He said, “Let there be light” and it was. Finite man with finite minds trying to explain how the universe came into existence. I rather believe God’s word, “Light be.”

Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” Job 38:3-5.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9.

Where do You dwell oh LORD?

The coming war of Gog and Magog?

Looking at the headlines today about the unrest in the Middle East makes one wonder, what’s next? It all started with Tunisia when one man set himself on fire. That set off a wave of protest throughout the Arab world what the media calls the Arab spring. Sudan became two countries, the North and the South with a border along the Nuba mountains. There are reports that came out just recently that a Bible college and 4 churches that are set up by Samaritan Purse have been bombed by radicals Islamist in South Sudan. Sudan is an ongoing battle to this day.

Next came Egypt and the removal of Mubarak after long and heavy fighting of the people against the regime. No one is really certain what the new government will finally look like. Egypt has been a long-standing ally of the US and had a peaceful existence with Israel, which seems to fade fast.

And who can forget Libya and Qaddafi’s regime? He and his son vowed a long and bloody battle. Many people died until Qaddafi was captured and killed by his own people. Now the Syrian regime is in the news and has killed at least 5000 protesters since the unrest by the people started. Just recently the UN failed to come to a resolution to oust Assad, even though the people of Syria are crying out to the world for help. Russia and China are the two countries that are opposed to the ousting of Assad.

The UN has been ineffective many time and is in my opinion irrelevant. They are headquartered in New York City. It might be a good idea to vacate the building and set up shop somewhere in the Middle East. At least it would be much easier traveling for Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez who hate the US anyways. And now Iran again is threatening with the annihilation of the state of Israel. Just recently the supreme leader came out with a statement why it is religiously justifiable to wipe out Israel. http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/ayatollah-kill-all-jews-annihilate-israel/

Israel is under tremendous pressure and it seems that the world has abandoned Israel. A nuclear Iran with a rogue regime like Ahmadinejad would be world-changing. Israel cannot allow for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon that would be aimed at them. Just today the Israeli Ambassador to the US declared that Israel will act unilateral if necessary. There are many speculations floating around if and when Israel will attack Iran. Many believe that it could come as early as this spring. Although sanctions have been imposed by the UN and the US, they have not deterred the Iranian regime from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Bible has prophesied many of these things and I believe we are at the verge of an all out war of biblical proportions. Could this be the Gog and Magog war spoken off in Ezekiel 38 and 39? I don’t know, I don’t want to make any predictions, but we are seeing some events unfolding as we have never seen them before. I have a strong sense that by this summer, we will see some events happen that could possibly cause an all out war in the Middle East. The escalation of Iran vs Israel could be the trigger for biblical prophecy to unfold right in front of our eyes. Iran wants to create chaos, in the Shiite religious belief, chaos will usher in the 12th imam or the Mahdi. It is Islams version of the Messiah, which is the Antichrist in Christianity.

What exactly will happen in the near future is uncertain, but I believe we have never been closer to the escalation of Gog and Magog. Many Bible scholars believe that Magog is Russia and as many of you know the former Soviet Union has changed dramatically over the last years. Many of the southern states are Islamic and are at the north of Israel with other Islamic countries virtually surrounding Israel. I have spoken to some Jewish scholars and some believe that China is part of Magog as well. That of course is a possibility, China sides with Russia on many decisions made at the UN. One thing is for sure, Israel has many enemies that surround her.

Coming back to Syria for a moment, there is a prophecy about Syria in the book of Isaiah that declares Damascus will be a heap of ashes. “The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.” Isaiah 17:1. That has not happened yet, Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Seeing what’s happening in Syria, maybe that prophecy is not too far off? Whatever happens in the near future, we need to look at the Middle East, especially Israel. Israel is the center of the world, Jerusalem is the center of Israel and the temple mount i.e Mount Moriah is the Epicenter.

It is also time for us Christians to stand with Israel, our current administration has thrown Israel under the bus and Israel will once again face the threats virtually alone. But on thing is for sure, Israel is the apple of God’s eye and God will not allow anybody to wipe them off the map. His promises to Abraham, Issac and Jacob will be fulfilled and the predictions about Gog and Magog will be fulfilled. God is in control and He will preserve and protect His chosen people. Let us all pray for the people of Israel that face a constant threat of annihilation from her enemies. If this escalation will result in the war of Gog and Magog or maybe a precursor, who knows. The stage is set. We are in the final act.

“For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”Psalm 83:2-4.

Ezekiel 35, the Arab-Israeli War before Ezekiel 38 (antwrites.com)
Insights of a Former Cia Director: Is an Israeli-iranian War Imminent? (flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com)

What’s in a name?

I came a cross a video on YT where a Jewish believer made the case that Christians use the wrong name for God and Jesus. First let me say that God is a title not His name. People of course use the word God very frequently and there are other religions that have gods. The name of the God of the Bible is revealed as YHWH or the “I AM.”

The person in the video made the point that YHWH is His name and Christians should call Him YHWH instead of God. The name Jesus in our English translation is derived from the Greek word Iēsous. That is the name the NT writers used in their epistles and the gospels in the Greek Septuagint. Most of us Christians that speak English use the name Jesus. The same is true in German and Spanish, just with a different pronunciation. I do believe that most believers know that Jesus’ name in the Hebrew is Yehoshua or Yeshua, which means God or YHWH is our salvation.

What about calling Him Jesus rather than by His Jewish name? The point made in the video was this: if someone goes to France and meets a person named Pierre, which in English would be Peter and calls him Peter instead of Pierre and that person says stop calling me Peter my name is Pierre.

Would he not get offended if the other person keeps on calling him Peter? I’m not sure what to make of this, is it wrong to call our Lord and Savior Jesus? Many people who are not believers think that Jesus Christ is His first and last name. Christ is also a title i.e Messiah. What is your opinion? Is it a legalistic way of looking at a name or does the man have a point and we should call “Jesus” by His Jewish name? I think it would be difficult to change something that has been going on for centuries.

On a personal note, my given birth name is Freddy and sometimes people call me Fredrick or Fred. I can handle Fred but don’t like Fredrick, that is not my name. Would Jesus feel the same way? Would He say my name is not Jesus it is Yehoshua or Yeshua? I don’t really know, but I do like the name Yeshua. Should we call YHWH by His title (God) or by His name? Well, I’m not getting legalistic about it. It’s not any issue essential for salvation. I believe that “God” or “Jesus” know Who we mean when we say Jesus or God. I welcome your input and feedback on this.

Why does God?

Why does God allow so much suffering in the world? That is a question I hear many times from believers and unbelievers alike. Unbelievers argue, if God is all-knowing and all-powerful, why does He just sit by and does nothing to prevent suffering? People are getting murdered and God does nothing to prevent it. Women get raped and killed, God does nothing. Many people are brutalized around the world and God does nothing to stop it. There are government’s that oppresses the people, who kill and jail them or torture those who are in opposition to them e.g the resent unrest in Syria.

We hear and see these atrocities and suffering everyday in the media. Suicide bombers who kill innocent people for their religious cause. Heinous crimes committed against humanity and individuals, yet God chooses to do nothing to stop any of it. These are legitimate questions and the argument if God sees all things and knows all things, why doesn’t He do anything about it are very reasonable.

Believe me, I have asked myself that question many times. Why does God? Whenever the question arises why does God, we don’t have the answers and we just don’t know. In that case we need to go back to what we do know, God is all-powerful, all-knowing and He is in control. His ways are higher than our ways.

Although it seems for us to be incomprehensible the things that are going on around the world and in our own neighborhood, there is a purpose for everything. First of all I would have to say that it is not God that causes all the sufferings in the world, it is us. It is mankind that has disobeyed God almost from the beginning and we see the consequences thereof. We are living in a fallen world and in this fallen world we will have to suffer these consequences. It is not that God likes to see or enjoys these sufferings, but He does allow them for His divine and ultimate purposes. He has given man a free will and freedom to choose.

Unfortunately, we as mankind have made the wrong choices and exercised our free will. We have followed man’s wisdom rather than God’s wisdom. Has God ever intervened in man’s affairs? I am certain that He has. The Bible teaches very clearly that He is in control. “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, “if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. “And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, “if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.” Jer 18:7-10. God is the one that establishes kingdoms and rulers for His purpose and He is in absolute control over them.

I am a firm believer that God has established the United States and has blessed the United States. People in the US are truly blessed compared to so many other places in the world. But I also see a dangerous trend of abandoning God in this country which will result in God withdrawing more and more of His blessings. That is a choice that we as a county have to make. There are some that want to remove God from everyday life and I believe that we will reap the consequences as a nation. I think a lot of people are not grateful to God and don’t even realize how blessed they are. We have conveniences that many others can only dream about. I do see a moral decline in this country as well as in other countries around the world and I think that it will get worse in the future.

Evil does exist and evil is caused by man. God did not invent evil, neither does He condone it. Lucifer in his rebellion and by deceiving Adam and Eve brought evil into the world. There are evil people, they are dictators such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao and many others in the past to this present day. There are evil people in general, causing murder, rapes etc. Society is not getting any better as some who claim that we can be “good without God.”

If morality declines evilness and wickedness will be on the increase. There are many godless countries and I don’t see a “perfect society” anywhere. The people who blame God for all the suffering in the world are in my humble opinion wrong. Many state that God does not exist, yet they blame Him. It is man who causes all the suffering by their choice and free will. They are controlled by the prince of this word i.e Satan. Although we may not see God or the wicked one physically, there is a spiritual battle raging in the heavenly realm.

There will come a day, which I believe is in the very near future that Jesus Christ will return to the earth and defeat the armies of Satan and establishes His millennial reign here upon the earth. Many of those who think that they can do evil things without consequences are gravely mistaken.

The day will come when God will judge all man who have not worshiped or honored Him as the true and living God and they will pay for the suffering they have caused. God is longsuffering and He wants everyone to come to repentance and turn from their wicked ways. We don’t know the day or they hour, but be assured that day will come and God will judge people through Jesus Christ who have done evil in His eyes. Until then, we will see sufferings, atrocities and evil rulers and dictators that think that they can get away with murder. Their day in court will come.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 20: 12-15.

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, you are written in the book of life, no white throne judgment will face you. If you an unbeliever and reject God and His ways, your day of judgment will come. Don’t get me wrong, I do not delight in anyone facing the white throne judgment. God wants everybody to come to the knowledge of the truth which is in Jesus Christ. He gave Hid only begotten Son, so that those who believe will be saved and have eternal life, not eternal separation from God. It is never too late to turn to God and ask for forgiveness, no matter what you may have done. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, except one and that is the rejection of Christ Jesus.

Until the return of Christ, there will be sufferings and pain in the world. Don’t blame God for these things, blame mankind.

Why did God punish Adam and Eve? (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Human Reasoning or God’s Standard’s? (media4lifeministries.com)

Strive to enter…

“Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:23, 24.

We often wonder about the salvation of others. But in His reply, Jesus points back to the only person’s salvation we can really know and asks, “are you yourself saved?” The rabbis of that day used to love to debate the question of whether many or few would be saved. Jesus did not take that bait, His only question is, “are you saved?”

The Greek word for strive is agōnizomai, where we get the word agonize from. The concordance list the following meanings of the word agōnizomai.

1) to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games

2) to contend with adversaries, fight

3) metaph. to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers

4) to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something

The Christian walk is not a walk in the park. Jesus paid a heavy price for us. We can’t bring our self-centeredness, pride, lusts, hate or especially our own righteousness. Therefore, we must strive or agonize in order to lay aside these things.

We read about His love and compassion for others and the forgiveness that can only come through Him. His humbleness and gentleness, His healing power and the absolute truth and authority of His word.

Jesus said many comforting and encouraging words to those who believe in Him. Forgiveness and eternal life for example. He also said some things that should make all of us who believe in Him and call Him Lord, think and examine ourselves.

Jesus throughout gospels said some pretty tough things. Many that followed Him left Him because it was either too hard for them to understand, or they were no willing to pick up their cross and follow Him any longer.

Are we truly willing to pick up our own cross and follow Him, no matter what may come? There are many obstacles in the way. The world is an obstacle. The devil is an obstacle. But the worst obstacle is your own flesh. Are we willing to murder our flesh?

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Rom 8: 5, 6 ,13.

We as believers are in a spiritual battle every day. We can either give in or agonize and fight the good fight. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mat 26:41. Jesus said this to the disciple when He prayed 3 times in the garden of Gethsemane. He was agonizing and sweating drops of blood. This is very rare and the medical term today is: Hematidrosis. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress for example, facing his or her own death. Jesus prayed that this cup i.e. the crucifixion may pass Him. I believe that this was the last attempt of Satan to prevent Christ from going to the cross to die for the sin of the world and ultimately defeat him.

“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”Mat 26:39.

Jesus did not give in to the flesh, He did the will of the Father. Jesus came willingly to the earth, He left His glory in heaven to fulfill the plan of God’s salvation for mankind. He willingly bore the cross and He laid down His life for us. He picked up His cross. Are we willing to do the same? Jesus needs to be our example. Life is not easy and comes with many distractions and cares of this world. Temptations are all around us and many blame it on Satan, but I do believe it is our flesh that causes us to stumble and give into various temptations. We need to strive/agonize to overcome and pick up our cross.

We may not have to suffer as Jesus did, severally beaten to a bloody pulp, unrecognizable and nailed to the cross. There are many followers of Christ that do suffer for their faith. They are persecuted, beaten and killed because of their faith in Jesus. Those are the once that strive to enter the kingdom of heave. They truly live out their faith.

I hope and pray that we as believers don’t have to go to such heavy persecutions or facing death, but if it comes, are we willing to stand strong and strive and enter through the narrow gate?

“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.

Let us be of the few who find the gate which is 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.John 3:16