Who Are You? 25 of 33

Warning!

If you are not a blood bought, Spirit filled Christian; the following passage does not pertain to you. People who have not come back into a right standing with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for them, cannot claim the following passage for themselves.

The following passage of Scripture is strictly and exclusively for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom by way of repentance, reconciliation, redemption, atonement and the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

You Are Chosen and Appointed to Bear Fruit!

John 15:16

16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

How are you doing in the realm of lasting fruit production?

Lasting fruit production is eternal fruit.

The only thing in this world that is going to last for eternity is the souls of humans.

The fruit we are to bear are the people in our families, the friends we are close to, the people we come into contact with as we travel through this world.

I have to admit that I am not as good at fruit production as I should be. I, even as a minister, come into contact with a large number of people who I do not reach for Christ.

I do though preach, teach and talk with many about the Lord. I write opinion/editorials in my local paper to get the Word out. I use this blog and my internet site to reach as many as I can with the Word of God. I talk with my family and close friends. But with that being said, I could still do more.

When all is said and done, when we get to heaven, how much fruit will we have stored up ahead or behind us?

I ask the Lord daily that I might touch someone for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I may not find out the effect of my work until I get home to heaven. But, I believe that the Lord can save and trust that He can use me as a sign post along the way.

How about you? Are you bearing lasting fruit?

When I think of people who have labored to bear lasting fruit I like to meditate on the ministry of the apostle Paul. Paul’s ministry, while on earth, was not huge by any means. Yes, he established some churches through his missionary journeys. And yes, he wrote what is now a large portion of our New Testament. In his writings he defined most of the major doctrines of our churches today. But his work and labor would have seemed, by today’s standard of numbers and dollars, very unsuccessful.

Nineteen hundred or so years after the apostle Paul was killed for his faith, his work is still changing lives and transforming our world.

This, my friends, is lasting fruit.

According to our Scripture passage today you have been chosen for this great work. How are you doing? Please don’t measure your work by today’s standard. Are you doing anything that might outlast your own presence in this world?

I would have to say the apostle Paul produced lasting fruit. I can only pray that my labor will do a small fraction of the same.

Who Are You? 24 of 33

Warning!

If you are not a blood bought, Spirit filled Christian; the following passage does not pertain to you. People who have not come back into a right standing with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for them, cannot claim the following passage for themselves.

The following passage of Scripture is strictly and exclusively for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom by way of repentance, reconciliation, redemption, atonement and the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

You Are a Branch of the True Vine!

John 15:5

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

I had a friend of mine (whose father was a minister) take me out to a back lot on his property that was being cleared for construction.

There was a large area of trees that had been cut down. One of the trees, that was laying on the ground, had started to grow leaves.

He told me that he visited the tree everyday to see how many leaves had come to realize that they were cut off from their life support.

He told me that this was much like a person who had been cut off from God. They may be able to produce for a short amount of time but without their life support they are just days away from realizing they’re dead.

I left that day thinking about the rude awakening those leaves were about to experience. As the sap dried fewer and fewer leaves had life. The wilting had begun and there was nothing that could be done to save the leaves. They had been cut off and the end was near.

Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing. We may think we are alive and well. We may think we are producing for the kingdom. But we may find that our branch has been cut off and no matter what we think, we are going to be awakened to realize that it’s all for nothing.

There are some people who are existing on past experiences. They may find that they are not relying on a present reality. They have been cut of and are withering away daily.

I would suggest that you make sure that you are remaining in the vine. The sudden realization that you have been cut off from the true vine will be a rude awakening.

Who Are You? 23 of 33

Warning!

If you are not a blood bought, Spirit filled Christian; the following passage does not pertain to you. People who have not come back into a right standing with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for them, cannot claim the following passage for themselves.

The following passage of Scripture is strictly and exclusively for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom by way of repentance, reconciliation, redemption, atonement and the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

You Are Salt and Light!

Matthew 13:14

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

I used to live in Hutchinson, Kansas which is known as the Salt City. The high school mascot is the Salthawk. There is a salt mine 650 feet under ground that can now be visited by the public. Many of the treasures of our world are stored in these mines with a business called Underground Vaults and Storage.

Why is this so important? Salt is a major part of our world. It is a preservative, an additive, a medicine, a commodity, a seasoning, a purifier, a cleanser, and it can even be a savior for travelers on slick roadways.

We, the Christians, are called the salt of the earth. I would say that we are a very important commodity to the world around us.

We are also call the light of the world. Could you imagine living in darkness? Not just at night but all of the time?

Could you imagine a world without those who believe in the Lord?

Some people think they want a world without the salt and light of Christianity. The reality is they haven’t ever lived in a world without this salt and light. According to the Scriptures there will be a day when they are able to live in that world. Once there, they will desire the salt and light of this world.

Christians have been tagged as intolerant, narrow minded, bigots. Much of this negativity has come from abuses of Christianity and the rest has come from misunderstanding true Christian love.

As salt and light I desire to be a light to the blind and an additive to their life. I desire people to know truth. I want them to be rescued, saved, redeemed and brought back into right standing with God.

When you have this type of love in you and it moves you to help others it can sometimes be misunderstood.

My mother used to harp on me in my late teen years. She was so irritating because what she harped about was the very things I desired to do. As the years progressed I came to see the dangers and destruction that the things I so desired was bringing into my life and the lives of those around me.

While I was blind to truth the light was an irritant and the salt burned my open wounds. Now that I see and have been healed I want others to know what I have been awakened too.

I am though very cautious. Too much light or too much salt can actually be deadly. So I temper it with love and never force anyone to take more than they desire.

So, for those who don’t want it, don’t expect me to force it upon you. I won’t hide it from you but you don’t have to receive it.

Who Are You? 22 of 33

Warning!

If you are not a blood bought, Spirit filled Christian; the following passage does not pertain to you. People who have not come back into a right standing with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for them, cannot claim the following passage for themselves.

The following passage of Scripture is strictly and exclusively for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom by way of repentance, reconciliation, redemption, atonement and the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

You Are Untouchable By the Evil One!

1 John 5:18

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

Can a child of God reach out and touch the evil one?

The passages we are studying prove our security in Christ. They give us a firm foundation and build us up in our godly walk. Since we are in Christ, we do not make a practice of sinning.

But, what if we elect to touch the things of the evil one?

A parent can be holding a child very securely and yet the child could still reach out and touch something that could hurt them. The child still has a free will. Although the parent is doing what they can to protect the child the child must trust the parent and not try to grasp hold of that which is dangerous.

I believe with all my heart that I am held securely in the grasp of Jesus Christ. But if I decide to reach for the offerings of the evil one I must be ready to accept the consequences. I am untouchable in Christ but I have the ability at any time to operate outside of that security. The evil one cannot touch me unless I reach out and touch Him.

Here is the danger zone. We live in a world filled with sin. The evil one and his minion are always trying to find our weaknesses. They will tempt and test us with many of the devises of this world. Many of these lures are attractive and gain our attention. If we, even in our secure standing, reach out and grasp hold of these lures we are setting our selves up to be reeled into some very dangerous places.

We must be cautious. And we must be willing to die daily to our selfish desires take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Always remember this. I hope it will help you understand that we should also hold securely to Christ as He holds us securely.

Who Are You? 21 of 33

Warning!

If you are not a blood bought, Spirit filled Christian; the following passage does not pertain to you. People who have not come back into a right standing with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for them, cannot claim the following passage for themselves.

The following passage of Scripture is strictly and exclusively for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom by way of repentance, reconciliation, redemption, atonement and the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

You Are Allowed to Approach God!

Hebrews 4:16

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

If you are going to boldly approach the throne of God you had best have a firm foundation in which to approach Him on.

In the days of old the high priest approached God’s throne in fear. He was making an offering for his sins and the sins of the people. The high priest had to go through a cleansing process and then hope that the sacrifice would be accepted by God.

If they approached in such fear, what gives us the idea that we can boldly approach God’s throne?

The acceptable sacrifice has been made and the Lamb of sacrifice, our High Priest, is now interceding on our behalf. God will accept us as His children who are hidden in Christ.

Now, if you decide to approach the throne of God outside the sacrifice and without the High Priest’s intercession, I must say your boldness will be unraveled and you will be setting yourself up as an unacceptable intruder to God’s throne room.

I would not advise approaching God’s throne in this manner. If you want to come to God you must come in the way He has called you to come. When you come in the right manner you can approach boldly without fear.

As I prepare to post this blog it is Sunday Morning. I, as a pastor, will be serving communion to my congregation this morning. Before I came to the computer this morning I spent some time preparing myself for the communion service.

Yes, even a minister needs to cleanse himself before he enters the holy place. I will be serving the broken body and the shed blood through this ordinance of the church. I must remember what Christ has done for me and why He did it.

I am a human that was born with a sin nature and have committed sins with my actions. This morning I went to the Lord in prayer to make sure that I was, by faith in His work, right with Him and prepared for my worshipful duty.

I am now ready to enter the throne room of God and distribute the elements with a cleansed heart and conscience thanks and due to what Jesus Christ has done for me.

Post Christmas Thought

Now that the Christmas season has passed and the New Year is upon us, its time to reevaluate our lives.

I have been meditating upon a passage from Jeremiah over the past couple of weeks. This passage stunningly re-opened my eyes to our materialist celebration of Christmas.

Jeremiah 3:13 says, “Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

How many of us took time out from our busy holiday celebrations to really ponder what Christmas is all about?

Most people chased after all the idols under the Christmas (every green) tree and totally forgot what we were celebrating.

Without the Christ in Christmas, why do we do this holiday thing? Why do we go broke buying presents? Why do we gather for parties and family celebrations? Why do we eat too many sweets that we will have to diet off later. Why do we get all happy and decorate for a season that is meaningless and really pretty useless?

Could it be that this holiday season is nothing more than man saving the retail businesses of our communities? Could it be that it’s nothing more than a scheme to spread the wealth from the consumer to the businessman so he can pay his employees which allows them to pay taxes and buy stuff they don’t need?

I have a real struggle trying to comprehend the materialistic rush that drives so many through the last month of our calendar year.

The Savior, the Messiah, yes, the Lord put on flesh and dwelt amongst humankind. Did you get it? God, the Creator, the Word that was before all else became flesh and came into our world to save us from our sin. The King of all kings entered our world!

So, how do we celebrate? We chase after every idol imaginable and stuff it under a green tree. We are so consumed by the chase that we forget, and some want to eliminate, the Christ child from CHRISTmas.

Jeremiah 3 continues in verses 14 and 15 saying, “‘Return home, you wayward children,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel—one from this town and two from that family—from wherever you are scattered. And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.’”

As we head into the New Year I would like to challenge you to return home. Return to the Lord who sent His Son to save you from all your sin.

I also don’t understand the New Year celebrations. God gives us new mercy everyday. We should be living lives that celebrate His gift of newness, daily!

The Advent Letters: Christ

Today I would like to make you fully aware of what Christmas is all about.

I want to tell you that Christmas is not the wonderful, fun-filled, highly active holiday that we have made it into. Christmas is not about Santa Clause, toys, presents and shopping. Christmas is not about programs, festivals or family gatherings. This may be what we have turned Christmas into but it isn’t what Christmas is all about. Christmas is also not just some story that we tell or that was made up to make us feel good.

Christmas is a title we have given to the most amazing work God has ever been involved in.

We have a tendency to believe that creation was God’s greatest work.

I have to tell you that Creation was a mighty work of God that was accomplished from outside the creation.

Christmas, though, is a far greater work because it’s God working within His own creation. Christmas is not just a story to believe but it’s a mighty event where God entered into His creation. The person of God invaded the earthly realm.

See, Christmas is the celebration of how God entered into His Creation. He came to save those who realize that this realm is not what God intended it to be.

See, something has gone wrong and God must come into His creation to make it right again.

There has been a rebellion against God within His own creation. An evil emperor has led everyone astray. The evil lord has deceived the people into chasing after everything except the God of Creation.

Our Christmas season is a great example of this reality.

So God has come into His own creation to take back His rightful position as King and Lord of His creation.

That makes Christmas a declaration of war upon a world that has rebelled against God.

Christmas is a demand upon a rebellious evil emperor to step down and turn his empire back over to its rightful King.

Christmas is a cloaked takeover of the enemy’s prison camp. The King of kings disguised as an infant child slips into the creation, going under the cover of angelic protection to set up His own kingdom.

Christmas is a mighty display of God’s power over the realm of time and space.

Christmas is a coup against the present ruler of this world and all who are willing to come to the Lord are now tagged as rebels against the dark lord’s empire.

Christmas is a heavenly invasion of the planet we call earth.

Christmas is the code word for an angelic mission to overthrow a ruthless dictator and save those he lords over.

Christmas is the beginning of a war that will be fought until the King of all kings has placed everything in heaven and on earth under His total and complete authority.

Christmas is a time of hope, peace, joy and love for those who have submitted to Christ, the rightful and true King. It is a wonderful time for those who recognize His Authority.

Christmas is though, all out war against those who have not bent their knee and confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Are you starting to see why this world fights so hard against Christmas? Somebody knows what the word Christmas really means. Somebody knows what the seemingly harmless nativity scenes really represent. Somebody does not want you to know about the true meaning of Christmas. Somebody desires that Christ be X-ed out of this holiday season.

And why not? Since, Christmas is a declaration of war. Since, it is a cloaked takeover of the enemies empire. Since, it is a heavenly invasion of the planet earth to save mankind from the destroyer’s evil plan of destruction.

You should now understand why Christmas is so hated amongst those who have not submitted to the true King.

And you probably thought Christmas was just a seasonal holiday.

You would be wise to readjust your thinking. Christmas is a heavenly declaration of war against this world’s evil prince and his armies. Christmas is the beginning of God’s work to save mankind from the clutches of the enemy who desire to steal, kill and destroy those whom God came to save.

Would you like to hear the real Christmas story? Would you like to hear the story of Christmas in a manner you may have not heard it before?

Check out my 2009 Christmas message listed under pages to the right. it’s a 40 min. audio message that will change your thoughts about Christmas.

I would also suggest you read from the Bible. Start at Matthew 1:18 through 2:18 and then read Luke 1:5 through 2:40. While you read these passages keep in mind what you have just read. I hope and pray you will see the Christmas story in a whole new light.

The Christmas Angels

I am one who happens to believe that there is a conspiracy in our world against Christmas.

I would like to use the angels of Christmas as an example.

If you were to make your determination of what angels are like by what you see around you at Christmas time, you would be very shortsighted toward the truth about angels.

We portray angels as feminine, child-like, delicate and even adorable.

This is not how the Scriptures portray angelic beings.

The angels in the Scriptures are sword bearing warriors that are frightful and holy. They are servants of the Almighty God. They have power over earthly kings, commanders, military men and even whole cities.

So I believe the angels of Christmas need to be seen in a different light.

We know from Scripture that the messenger angel Gabriel was the one who appeared before Mary to inform her that she was to give birth to the Christ child.

Gabriel had been spoken of in Scripture approximately 550 years earlier when he struggled for twenty-one days to get a message to Daniel. Gabriel had to call on the mightiest and highest ranking archangel, Michael, to assist him with the dark angelic prince of Persia so he could deliver his message.

I want you to imagine, if you can, a twenty-one day battle between angelic beings. Then I want you to imagine what must have been going on in the heavenly realm surrounding the birth of the Christ child.

When the host of angels appeared on the hillside outside of Bethlehem, the Scripture refers to them as the Armies of Heaven. I happen to believe that this army was sent to protect and guard the Christ child from conception to delivery.

The shepherds witnessed the glory of the Lord surrounding them the night of Christ’s birth. These warrior angels heralded their praise from on high. This angelic host was singing in celebration of a mission accomplished.

The Christ was born and the angelic mission took a short break to glorify the coming of their King into our world. But the mission had only just begun.

We know that the angelic realm guided Joseph, Mary and the Christ child to Egypt, back to Israel and then to the town of Nazareth. We know Jesus was attended by these angels after His battle with Satan on the mount of temptation. We know these angels appeared on the day of Jesus’ resurrection and again the day He ascended back into heaven.

We don’t know everything about the angelic mission that surrounded the life of Jesus Christ. So I want you to use your imagination during this Christmas season.

I want you to imagine what a member of the Armies of Heaven is really like. I want you to imagine what it would be like to be confronted by a host of angelic beings. Then I want you to ask yourself if there is a conspiracy surrounding the truth of a holiday we know as Christmas.

There is far more to the reality of Christmas angels than a sweet looking, tree topping ornament.

The Christmas angels were mighty warrior servants of the Almighty God. They were an army assigned to accomplish the will of God on earth. I hope you see them differently today.

The Christmas Invasion

My 2009 Christmas Message (Audio) Click link below

http://www.firstchurchofgod.info/sermon.php?date=2009/12/21

The Advent Letters: Love

I would like to bring forth a message about love today.

Do you love the Lord?

In Mark 12 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 16, “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed.”

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 30, “Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life.”

As a minister I get to do weddings. At a wedding a man and a women pledge their love to each other. They say they will endure through hard times and good. They are willing to face poverty and prosperity together. They are willing to walk together in sickness and in health. They pledge to forsake all others and cling to each other in a loving relationship for the rest of their lives.

As soon as something goes wrong, they want out. Why? Their love was self-motivated. If everything goes my way I will love you. If circumstances change and the situation is no longer good for me, I will no longer love you.

What if our love for the Lord was as fragile as our love for each other?

Love is not just some gushy emotion. Jesus tells us that we must love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind and strength. As you know the soul is your mind, will and emotions. We are to love the Lord emotionally from the heart. We are to love the Lord mentally with the mind. And we are to love the Lord willfully with our strength.

As you know, emotions can be tricked, manipulated and hurt. If we love with our emotions only, we will forever be on a roller coaster ride depending upon our feelings. If we feel good we will love. If we don’t feel good it will be hard to love.

This is where the strength of our mental will comes in. I will love the Lord. What a difference from I feel like loving the Lord. Love cannot depend upon how I feel. I must decide to love the Lord with my will. Emotions are fragile. The will must be strong.

Just in case you haven’t noticed, we live in a very difficult world. We will spend a great deal of time hurt and confused if we are not able to overcome the circumstances of life with our will to love.

Gushy emotions will not overcome the situations of life. We must base our faith and trust strongly upon the Lord and mentally will to love Him no matter the situation or the circumstance. If we do not will to love, then our love is dependent upon how we feel or how things are going for us.

Marriages today break up far too often because the feelings get hurt. When a bride and groom say I will love you no matter the situation or circumstances then they will succeed because a love from the will, will not fail.

Jesus has called us, as the church, to be His bride. Are we going to love Him only when the getting is good?

God so loved the world that He sent His Son into our world to save us and bring us back to Himself. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t love according to His emotions?

It was God’s will that allowed His Son to go to the cross. It was God’s will that gave us a new chance at life. Are we going to cut out on God just because things seem to be hard at the present time?

We need to willfully love our Lord this Christmas.