Max Lucado – 3:16
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Fear...
When God called Moses to a summit meeting, the people panicked like henless chicks…. The scurvy of fear infected everyone in the camp. They crafted a metal cow and talked to it…. More than three thousand years removed, we understand God’s frustration. Turn to a statue for help? How stupid. Face your fears by facing a cow? Udderly foolish! We opt for more sophisticated therapies: belly-stretching food binges or budget-busting shopping sprees. We bow before a whiskey bottle or lose ourselves in an eighty-hour work week. Progress? Hardly. We still face fears without facing God…. Rather than turn to God, we turn from him, hardening our hearts. The result. Cow-worshiping folly.
Max Lucado – 3:16
Max Lucado – 3:16
The Awe Factor of God...
I just started reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I'll let you know about it when I'm finished, but I wanted to share a video he refers to in the book called "The Awe Factor of God." I've posed it below, but you can see a clearer version of it at the book website's video section. Enjoy!
Blessings!
Blessings!
Hidden Messages in Genesis 5
Excerpted from the book Learn the Bible in 24 Hours by Dr. Chuck Missler:
This section will begin with a riddle: Methusaleh is well known to be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father. How can that be?
Enoch, Methusaleh's father, didn't die; he was transferred directly to heaven without passing through death ("raptured," as some would say). It is interesting that the oldest prophecy in the Bible was uttered by Enoch before the flood of Noah and concerned the Second Coming of Christ. (It is not found here in Genesis but in the next-to-last book of the Bible, Jude).
This section will begin with a riddle: Methusaleh is well known to be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father. How can that be?
Enoch, Methusaleh's father, didn't die; he was transferred directly to heaven without passing through death ("raptured," as some would say). It is interesting that the oldest prophecy in the Bible was uttered by Enoch before the flood of Noah and concerned the Second Coming of Christ. (It is not found here in Genesis but in the next-to-last book of the Bible, Jude).
Our Incomplete Gospel...
Excerpted from John Bevere's Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82-98)
Unfortunately, we only quote such Scriptures as, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). So we tell people all they have to do is quote the magical prayer and they’re in. Yet, why don’t we also quote Jesus’ own words: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke46). As we’ve seen, “Lord” means Supreme Master, it carries the meaning of Ownership. So Jesus is saying, “Don’t call me Master and yet still own your own life, better to call me ‘Great Prophet’ or ‘Teacher’ so that you do not deceive yourself.”
So now let’s reexamine Jesus’ statement with which we opened this entire discussion: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21a, NIV).
As we’ve already stated, not everyone who calls Jesus Christ Lord will be in heaven. So that emphatically tells us just saying the “sinner’s prayer” doesn’t secure us heaven. Then my question is this, “Jesus, who will enter into the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers by saying, “But only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21b, NIV).
OUR INCOMPLETE GOSPEL
So now let’s reexamine Jesus’ statement with which we opened this entire discussion: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21a, NIV).
As we’ve already stated, not everyone who calls Jesus Christ Lord will be in heaven. So that emphatically tells us just saying the “sinner’s prayer” doesn’t secure us heaven. Then my question is this, “Jesus, who will enter into the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers by saying, “But only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21b, NIV).
Affirm Constantly...
Excerpted from John Bevere's Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82-98)
Notice in the above Scripture that we are commanded by the Word of God to affirm or teach these things constantly. Did you hear that? I find these things are rarely spoken of from pulpits or amongst believers today, let alone continuously. For this reason, we’ve drifted from the importance of maintaining good works through the grace of God. We in essence are allowing the power that is in us to remain dormant through the lack of belief and acknowledgment. Our faith, which accesses grace, must remain active through verbalizing our beliefs. Paul says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 6, NKJV).
If we don’t affirm these things constantly, then we will drift away from the truth. This is clearly seen by the writer of Hebrews:
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the
things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word
spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every trans¬
gression and disobedience received a just reward, how
shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.
Hebrews 2:1-3 (Emphasis Mine)
By affirming these things, constantly we keep before us the urgent matters of eternity that keep us from drifting away. I remember when I used to fish as a boy. While focused on fishing, the boat, if not anchored, would drift unnoticed to us. We’d look up forty-five minutes later and wouldn’t even recognize our location. The drifting occurred because we had our mind on other matters, namely fishing. This has been quite costly for some, as there have been many who’ve been fishing in certain rivers that led to deadly waterfalls. Countless numbers have gone over falls to their death because of drifting away from where they were first positioned.
AFFIRM CONSTANTLY
If we don’t affirm these things constantly, then we will drift away from the truth. This is clearly seen by the writer of Hebrews:
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the
things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word
spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every trans¬
gression and disobedience received a just reward, how
shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.
Hebrews 2:1-3 (Emphasis Mine)
By affirming these things, constantly we keep before us the urgent matters of eternity that keep us from drifting away. I remember when I used to fish as a boy. While focused on fishing, the boat, if not anchored, would drift unnoticed to us. We’d look up forty-five minutes later and wouldn’t even recognize our location. The drifting occurred because we had our mind on other matters, namely fishing. This has been quite costly for some, as there have been many who’ve been fishing in certain rivers that led to deadly waterfalls. Countless numbers have gone over falls to their death because of drifting away from where they were first positioned.
The True Grace of God...
Excerpted from John Bevere's Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82-98)
THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD
Grace has been taught as simply God’s unmerited favor. It is indeed His favor and cannot be bought or earned. However, it also empowers us to obey, and the evidence that we’ve truly received it is our godly lifestyle. Our obedience to His Word confirms grace’s reality in our lives. For this reason James says:
Faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obe¬
dience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (in¬
operative, dead). But someone will say [to you then], you
[say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you
show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works
[if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience]
will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you
do well. So do the demons believe and shudder.
James 2:17-19, AMP
James identifies a huge gap today in our teaching. We pull Scriptures out such as, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). If just believing in His existence and that He’s the Son of God is all that’s required to be saved, then James shows the demons will be saved because they believe. That is ludicrous! To even drive his point home further, James points out that the demons shudder. In other words, the demons fear God more than some who say they have faith but lack corresponding actions of obedience. The evidence of our truly being saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, is that we will have the lifestyle to prove it. This is why John the Apostle states,
Blurred Lines...
Excerpted from John Bevere's Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82-98)
The difficulty is found in the lines being blurred. Let’s look at a person who is self-seeking but who confesses the born again experience, talks the language of a true believer, makes friends with the godly and is even excited about believer’s gatherings; yet there is no nature change. So in essence this person is unknowingly an impostor, and the difficulty arises in the fact that his self-deception spreads like a disease. Others base their lives off of the “norm” in the Christian culture, and this “norm” is out of sync with heaven, thus making it hard to be true believer. In Paul’s day, if you were a believer your life was in jeopardy every hour. There was no question about it – if you gave your allegiance to Jesus, you put your life on the line. Paul continues:
But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and
what my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how
long I have suffered. You know my life and my patient
endurance. You know how much persecution and suffer¬
ing I have endured. You know all about how I was perse¬
cuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra – but the Lord
delivered me from all of it. Yes and everyone who wants
to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on
Deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived.
2 Timothy 3:10-13, NLT (Emphasis Mine)
Paul made it clear. It wasn’t only what he taught, but what he lived and his purpose in life (eternally driven, which we will get to later in this book) that proved Timothy could trust him. It wasn’t his answered prayers, supernatural gifts producing the miraculous, or his excellent ability to teach the Word of God. No, it was not these traits he pointed to. It was his lifestyle. It was, and still is to be, the determining factor.
Difficult to Be a Christian...
Excerpted from John Bevere's Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82-98)
DIFFICULT TO BE A CHRISTIAN
Not only are those who’ve never heard, or refuse to believe the gospel in bondage, but many typical “converts” of this generation are in bondage as well. We’ve created this dilemma by neglecting to proclaim the cost of following Jesus. Many assume they are free but in reality aren’t and the evidence is in their lifestyles. Jesus says:
I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, whoever commits
and practices sin is the slave of sin. Now a slave does not
remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of
the house] does remain forever. So if the Son liberates
you [makes you free men], the you are really and
un-questionably free.
John 8:34-36, AMP
These words reiterate the truth of the fruit tree. If someone habitually sins, then he is a slave to it. He is not a son, for his true nature hasn’t changed. He may think he is free because he confessed a sinner’s prayer, yet he has not freely given up his “rights” in order to follow Jesus. He still wants his freedoms (the counterfeit) along with the benefits of salvation. You cannot have both!
As stated earlier, they may start out their “born again experience” with joy, excitement and passion because it’s fresh and new. However, eventually their unchanged nature will manifest, but it will manifest in Christian circles and be cloaked in Evangelical language and lifestyle. This is why it is most deceptive. Yet the New Testament warns specifically of this deception; Paul writes, “In the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian” (2 Tim 3:1, TLB).
Loss for Gain...
Excerpted from John Bevere’s Driven By Eternity (Chapter 5: Pages 82 – 98)
It’s an exchange; we must give our entire life, and in place of it we get His life (nature). Jesus repeatedly communicates this:
If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself
[forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his
own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as
a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me
[continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].
Mark 8:34, AMP
We are to continually cleave steadfastly to Him. It’s not just a one-time prayer and then life as usual except that you are now in the “born again” club and are heaven bound. Jesus continues, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life” (Mark 8:35, NLT). The Amplified Bible states it this way; “Whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].”
It’s a definitive exchange; we give up our rights as owners of our lives in order to follow His desires, and in return we receive His eternal life. With the gospel that is preached today, we’ve not emphasized this extremely important aspect of following Jesus; we’ve only told the benefits. In essence, we’ve preached the resurrection promises without preaching the impact and decision of the Cross.
It could be compared to a young man who sees a military recruiting commercial on television. He observes a classy naval man near his age dressed in a sharp uniform on the deck of a remarkable ship sailing the open seas with a beautiful crystal sky, smiling with his mates. The commercial then shows this sailor in ports all over the world, and it’s all free. The young man immediately goes to the recruiter and signs up. He doesn’t read the conditions of joining because he’s so focused on the benefits. He is so happy; now he’ll have a blast seeing the world, becoming a part of a great military, and making lots of new friends.
LOSS FOR GAIN
If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself
[forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his
own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as
a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me
[continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].
Mark 8:34, AMP
We are to continually cleave steadfastly to Him. It’s not just a one-time prayer and then life as usual except that you are now in the “born again” club and are heaven bound. Jesus continues, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life” (Mark 8:35, NLT). The Amplified Bible states it this way; “Whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].”
It’s a definitive exchange; we give up our rights as owners of our lives in order to follow His desires, and in return we receive His eternal life. With the gospel that is preached today, we’ve not emphasized this extremely important aspect of following Jesus; we’ve only told the benefits. In essence, we’ve preached the resurrection promises without preaching the impact and decision of the Cross.
It could be compared to a young man who sees a military recruiting commercial on television. He observes a classy naval man near his age dressed in a sharp uniform on the deck of a remarkable ship sailing the open seas with a beautiful crystal sky, smiling with his mates. The commercial then shows this sailor in ports all over the world, and it’s all free. The young man immediately goes to the recruiter and signs up. He doesn’t read the conditions of joining because he’s so focused on the benefits. He is so happy; now he’ll have a blast seeing the world, becoming a part of a great military, and making lots of new friends.
A Letter To a Friend...
I got to thinking about our conversation and wanted to share this excerpt with you. It comes from a book called Driven by Eternity by John Bevere. It sums up the Bible’s (and therefore God’s) view on salvation. I’ve emphasized the portion that pertains to what we were discussing. Also, NCV = New Century Version and NLT = New Living Translation.
There are two standards for living, one set by society and one set by God. Our culture may deem you “good” according to its parameters, but what does God think? Scripture tells us that every human has fallen short of God’s standard of right. As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who always does what is right, not even one” (Rom. 3:10, NCV). And again, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom 2:23, NLT).
To sin means to miss the mark of God’s standard. Man was not created to be a sinner; rather, Adam chose this course of his own free will. God placed the first man, Adam, in a beautiful world without sickness, disease, poverty, or natural disasters. There was no fear, hatred, strife, jealously, and so forth. God called this place Eden, the very garden of God.
Adam chose to disobey God’s command and experienced an immediate spiritual death, even though he did not die physically until hundreds of years later. Darkness entered his heart. This spiritual death differs from physical death because in physical death the body ceases to exist; however, spiritual death is best described as separation from God, the very Giver and Source of all life.
There are two standards for living, one set by society and one set by God. Our culture may deem you “good” according to its parameters, but what does God think? Scripture tells us that every human has fallen short of God’s standard of right. As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who always does what is right, not even one” (Rom. 3:10, NCV). And again, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom 2:23, NLT).
To sin means to miss the mark of God’s standard. Man was not created to be a sinner; rather, Adam chose this course of his own free will. God placed the first man, Adam, in a beautiful world without sickness, disease, poverty, or natural disasters. There was no fear, hatred, strife, jealously, and so forth. God called this place Eden, the very garden of God.
Adam chose to disobey God’s command and experienced an immediate spiritual death, even though he did not die physically until hundreds of years later. Darkness entered his heart. This spiritual death differs from physical death because in physical death the body ceases to exist; however, spiritual death is best described as separation from God, the very Giver and Source of all life.
Books...
Books I am currently reading (Just in Case You Wondered What Things Shape My Thinking):
- The Kingdom, Power, & Glory - The Overcomer's Handbook (Chuck and Nancy Missler)
- This book challenges Christians to become "overcomers" by laying before them the magnificent future that will be inherited by the faithful and obedient. Does our behavior as Christians matter once we are assured of our salvation? Being "born again" is just the beginning of an intimate relationship with God. This book will change the way you live your day to day life and give you a "heavenly" perspective.
- Shadow Government - How the Secret Global Elite Is Using Surveillance Against You (Grant R. Jeffrey)
- Security cameras, surveillance of your financial transactions, radio frequency spy chips hidden in consumer products, tracking of your Internet searches, and eavesdropping on your e-mail and phone calls. Without your knowledge or consent, every aspect of your life is observed and recorded. But who is watching the watchers? In Shadow Government, Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan's global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.
- Fasting - Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God (Jentezen Franklin)
- When you fast, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God. Once you've experienced even a glimpse of this and the countless rewards and blessings that follow, it changes your entire perspective. This is one of the best and most comprehensive books available on the topic. Discover how to unlock the power of biblical fasting, including:
- The types of fasts described in the Bible and how to choose which is right for you
- The connection between fasting and prayer
- The essential components of a successful fast
- What to expect physically, mentally, and spiritually
Thoughts on Eternity...
Have you ever stopped to really consider what the word eternity means? Sure, we think about it in broad terms like "a really, really long time" or with words like "infinity". As a matter of fact, Dictionary.com lists this as the foremost definition: infinite time; duration without beginning or end.
So, here is the question I pose to you: Is eternity infinite time, or is it more of a timeless state?
Physics has shown us two important facts related to this discussion:
Now lets suppose you are standing next to a high-speed rail line. You and your assistant take a break and notice there is an oncoming bullet train coming from your left and moving to your right. On this train, you observe a man and his assistant performing the same experiment. Here's the interesting part: the man and his assistant on the train are obtaining the same results you and your assistant just produced. But, as you observe it from your point of reference, it appears the ball is taking a diagonal track, moving from the left and coming down rest somewhere to the right as the train continues along on its course. To you, it appears the ball's track of travel has stretched.
Here's another example, excerpted from the notes of Chuck Missler's Learn the Bible in 24 Hours:
So, here is the question I pose to you: Is eternity infinite time, or is it more of a timeless state?
Physics has shown us two important facts related to this discussion:
- Time is a dimension of the universe just like three dimensions we observe daily: X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis (left and right, up and down, and in and out [depth]).
- Time is relative to the observer.
Now lets suppose you are standing next to a high-speed rail line. You and your assistant take a break and notice there is an oncoming bullet train coming from your left and moving to your right. On this train, you observe a man and his assistant performing the same experiment. Here's the interesting part: the man and his assistant on the train are obtaining the same results you and your assistant just produced. But, as you observe it from your point of reference, it appears the ball is taking a diagonal track, moving from the left and coming down rest somewhere to the right as the train continues along on its course. To you, it appears the ball's track of travel has stretched.
Here's another example, excerpted from the notes of Chuck Missler's Learn the Bible in 24 Hours:
I Understand...
I understand we live in a hectic world that places ever increasing demands on our time. I understand that we become burdened with more and more responsibilities each and every passing day. I understand that life is much more complex that it was ten, twenty, or fifty years ago. I understand that you are constantly inundated with reams of information you must repeatedly process and evaluate. I understand.
But, do you ever take the time to stop and ask the serious questions? Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Where have I been? What have I accomplished? Where am I going? Am I who I want to be? Am I where I want to be in life?
I would submit to you that you are someone special. There is nobody else in the world like you. Because you are unique, there are things you can offer that nobody else in the world can. That means you have a specific purpose. When you are not who you were created to be, the world suffers as a result. I would submit to you that you can only be who you were created to be when you are allied and submitted to the one who created you.
Now, I understand there are many thoughts and theories about this. Some say we are here by chance, others believe we have extra-terrestrial origins...and you can find reasoning everywhere in between to explain our existence. However, I believe we were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. Furthermore, I believe that outside of a relationship with his son, Jesus, we will all live unfulfilled lives - never living out the purpose of our creation.
You may agree...you may disagree...but what I really want is for you to think...to search out answers for yourself. Not because I said so, or your parents taught you something, or you learned it in school...but because you want the truth and will settle for nothing less!
Where are you going? Where will you end up? Is there more to life than what we see, or do we die and cease to exist? These are important questions with eternal ramifications. You owe it to yourself to ask, research, and answer these questions - your life depends upon it!
Blessings!
But, do you ever take the time to stop and ask the serious questions? Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Where have I been? What have I accomplished? Where am I going? Am I who I want to be? Am I where I want to be in life?
I would submit to you that you are someone special. There is nobody else in the world like you. Because you are unique, there are things you can offer that nobody else in the world can. That means you have a specific purpose. When you are not who you were created to be, the world suffers as a result. I would submit to you that you can only be who you were created to be when you are allied and submitted to the one who created you.
Now, I understand there are many thoughts and theories about this. Some say we are here by chance, others believe we have extra-terrestrial origins...and you can find reasoning everywhere in between to explain our existence. However, I believe we were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. Furthermore, I believe that outside of a relationship with his son, Jesus, we will all live unfulfilled lives - never living out the purpose of our creation.
You may agree...you may disagree...but what I really want is for you to think...to search out answers for yourself. Not because I said so, or your parents taught you something, or you learned it in school...but because you want the truth and will settle for nothing less!
Where are you going? Where will you end up? Is there more to life than what we see, or do we die and cease to exist? These are important questions with eternal ramifications. You owe it to yourself to ask, research, and answer these questions - your life depends upon it!
Blessings!
Welcome...
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. This isn't my first attempt, and this will likely be a work in progress...but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless. I see and hear interesting things all the time and wanted a place to share them along with a few of my original thoughts thrown in the mix. I like physics, computers, music, and God, so you'll likely see posts pertaining to these categories and more as I write. It is my sincere desire that, like fine wine, this blog gets better with age. Enjoy!
Blessings!
Blessings!
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