Hold Fast To The Word Of Life

Hold fast to the word of life!

If there was ever a section of Scripture that spoke to the importance of the Word of God in the life of a Christian, it is here.

You see, it is easy in this fallen world to be caught up in the negative. Grumbling, disputing, trying to win the argument. And to the world around us all we do then is display and amplify the darkness of the world system out of our mouths.

In this video, we discuss that it is the word of God that gives light and life. Click here or on the picture below to view the video.

Hold Fast The Word Of Life

 

 

 

 

Complaining over our circumstances makes us look no different to those around us and we kill the message of hope in Jesus through His saving grace.  All the world sees then is a religious person who, like them, has no answers and no hope. Instead, we communicate darkness, of which they are all too familiar.  Because of that, we are not blameless, above reproach, but rather we demonstrate and propagate the same darkness of the world.  We have hidden our light under a basket or even worse yet in the basement.

Luke 11:33 (ESV) 33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

Philippians 2:16 (ESV) 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

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Joy In The Midst of Circumstances

Colossians 1:24 (ESV) 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Do you have joy in the midst of circumstances? There is a clear difference between joy and happiness.  And based on who you talk to, and their worldview, you will get varying definitions with some making no discernable difference between the two.  The two words are merely synonyms.

But for the Christian, and the Biblical world view they definitely stand apart.

One, happiness is dependent on the circumstances one finds himself or herself in and the other, joy is dependent upon our trust in the person of Christ and the eternal purposes of God.

For the believer, we can have joy in the midst of all circumstances, all circumstances!

In the video below we take a look at the joy that is a result of the empowerment by the indwelling Christ through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Joy in the midst of circumstances

 

 

 

 

Happiness comes and goes and is dependent on our circumstances.

Joy, on the other hand, rises above our circumstances. It is not by chance, but rather that which is ordained by God for the believer’s benefit and God’s glory.

Romans 8:28–29 (ESV) 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

He is doing in us the one thing we cannot do for ourselves…. Conform us to the image of Christ!

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A World Turned Upside Down

It does seem to be a common comment as of late as we look at the world around us.  “The world is upside down,  and its values run to the extremes of depravity!  What was once not spoken of aloud is now becoming commonplace.  But it seems even worse than that.  We are being told that we have to conform to its evil!  We are to not only accept it as commonplace but to be its promoters, even under the color of law.  We are to ascend to the mantra of “pro-choice,” LGBTQ+ rights, the tyranny of preferred personal pronouns that defy any sense of legitimacy, and the nonsense of multiple genders that fly in the face of basic biology and moral decency.

Isaiah 5:20 (ESV) 20 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!

The video at the link below addresses that issue and our response to it.

And if we don’t conform, we are guilty of some sort of “phobia” or we are “racists.”

James 4:4 (ESV) 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

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James, On Works And Faith

James 2:14-26 is often misunderstood.  And a great many hang their interpretive hat on vs. 17, 21-26

James 2:17 (ESV) 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 2:21–26 (ESV) 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

In the YouTube video below I address that issue head-on.  I  loaded the video some time ago. Then for some reason, it became restricted.  So click here or the picture below. It will take you directly to the video.   I think you will find it instructive.

 

 

 

 

I guess the “Powers To Be” were deeply offended by the Biblical concept that no works of righteousness can save a person.

Titus 3:5 (NKJV) 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Any attempt to take any credit through works of righteousness in total or part is nothing more than self-righteousness.

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Mark 2:17 (NKJV) 17 … “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  (Lu. 5:32)

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Looking For Open Doors

1 Corinthians 16:9 (ESV) 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Looking for open doors?

It is a common response to difficult circumstances or important decisions for a Christian to look for what is often called in the Christian community, “Open Doors.”  We often get counsel from others to that effect; “Just trust God and He’ll open doors for you.”  Frankly, that’s good advice but it is flawed.  Not so much the advice but our understanding of “Open Doors.”

The first question I think needs to be answered is how do we know God is opening a door or that it is not the “Deceiver”, the devil? We often answer that question by saying that if the door is wide open if the solution looks like a “blessing” or if it’s what I asked for, it must be of God.  This kind of understanding often looks to the outcome of a circumstance from our point of view and ignores any relevant assessment from a Biblical point of view.  We fail to discern solid overriding principles that may be found in the Scriptures.

In the Link below, I want to offer some things that should be considered as we seek God’s will and if what we perceive as an open door, might just be something else.

Looking For Open Doors

 

 

 

 

We need to remember that God is ever faithful, even when we are not.  He also transcends our circumstances and will provide a way out or through good faith poor decision-making on our part.  We need to also remember that when we decide in good faith with a desire to honor the Lord, He is there with us and will turn what we have, in good faith prayerfully decided, to His glory, which may include a learning lesson or a way of escape.

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The Futility Of Horizontal Affirmation

Have you ever been caught up in the futility of horizontal affirmation?

Built into every one of us is the desire to find affirmation from others such as friends, family, and society at large. And we seek the approval to satiate our self-esteem (self-importance). We judge our self-worth upon the approval of others and/or personal success. That is the desire of the “flesh” which is in bondage to sin.

Romans 7:14 (ESV)  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

We call this, the futility of horizontal Affirmation

We wake up every day with the “flesh seeking a horizontal affirmation. Which runs contrary to the “new man” that resides in every blood-bought believer. Paul understood this conflict as he spoke of that battle. It rages in every believer between the “flesh” and the new man in Romans 7:18-25.

In the video below we speak to how destructive it is and how it dishonors the Lord

The Futility of Horizontal affirmation

 

 

 

 

So, for the born-again believer, there is no need to seek something horizontally that has been given to us in Christ, vertically.

Colossians 2:10 (NKJV) 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Grace says we look vertically to the fullness of the grace of Jesus. Our self-worth, and purpose in life are found solely in Jesus and His grace.

John 1:16 (ESV) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

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Is Salvation By Grace or Works?

Is Salvation By Grace or Works? Among the “religious” the argument rages. Is salvation by grace or works or a combination of the two? Among the Secular-minded, if there is a here-and-after, it must be by works or personal merit.

Two of the options above are related to each other because they both imply self-effort at some level. And they both are based on self-pride (the good outweighs the bad). And appeal to the “flesh” of man, ultimately rob God of His glory.

In the video below we examine this question: I salvation by grace or works?

Is salvation

 

 

 

 

We will look at several scriptures that teach this most crucial doctrine. Such as:

Romans 4:4 (ESV) 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

Romans 11:6 (ESV) 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Titus 3:5 (ESV) 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

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God’s Ever-Faithful Mercy

Devotional for 2/23/23 “God’s Ever-Faithful Mercy”

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Forgiveness In The Reality Of Injustice

Devotional for 2/16/23 “Forgiveness In The Reality Of Injustice”

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Living With Eternity In MInd

Devotional for 2/9/23 “Living With Eternity In Mind”

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