Life in the the Word

" Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV

Most of the time we quote that last part. I wear a wrist band with last part on my arm everyday.However verse 12 is just as important. If you have faith in the worst moments as much as we have on the high moments, nothing is impossible. Why? We are strictly relying on God to get us to the next stage.
If you ask him for something you better believe you get it. Don't pray in vain, keeping knocking. Jesus said who ask, will receive. However we allow lies and double minded thoughts destroy our faith everyday. We must rise above them. If you dont believe it search it out for yourself. I read James last night and it wrecked me. If I am asking for God for something, I have to believe it is going happen. Once we start retreat on hope, we start losing the battle. We are in war everyday in the spiritual realm and in our minds. It is time to start blasting those neglect thoughts with the word.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." 2 Timothy 3: NLT

So if it is in the bible, it is God saying it directly to you. So if he say if you ask you will receive you better believe you are going receive. It may be the next day, it may be down to road because God always shows up right on time. That's how I know he going take care of me. I am his son. It says I am adopted. It says I am free from sin now, and given a spirit of power to overcome. So I am just going follow. God words are the beginning of greats things. He spoke Creation into existence with his word. Well that a look at this.

" Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army." Ezekiel 37:4-10 NKJV

His words are the very essence of life. Embrace them.

Thrive

There is something great inside of us all. There is something noble. There is something in us that wants to be something more. There is a craving to thrive. Do you think this is by accident? It was by divine design. That craving for helping others and making an positive impact on our world. Peter had to ultimate realize this when he received the Holy Spirit and must had a generally idea as he walked with Jesus. He walked with fear until he saw his Savior had risen. He also must have doubts after he ascended. However when he received the Holy spirit. He became bold. He knew he had a power with responsibility. He hosted the kingdom and began to let the Holy Spirit work though him. He made an impact on the world. We can to daily if we stay in tune and feed that desire to thrive.

The Good Shepherd

I have been in the book of John a lot since the new year has started. I have honesty starting to realize how truly unique this gospel is compare to the other. For me it is a great insight to another side of Jesus. It has helped me lot to see this side of him. 

My blog this weekend is about John 10. Jesus reveals two important things for us to consider in his words. Jesus is the gatekeeper and our shepherd. A common theme that's evident in John is that Jesus is the way of Salvation. Jesus states I am the gate. He is the gate of salvation. He is the gate of peace. He is the gate of joy. He is the gate of eternal security.

However, Jesus states something else here. Jesus says he is the good shepherd. I am going to start going beyond the book of John here. In Luke 15 Jesus tells three parables. The very first one is a story of 100 sheep. 99 of them are with the shepherd but 1 has went astray. The shepherd stops and goes after that one lost sheep. He finds it and picks the lost sheep up to carry it home. 

That's the love of a caring leader.  That's the love of a caring friend that is never going give up on us. He wants to care for us, he wants to lead us. We spent so much time searching for love. We spent so much time searching for someone to care. The answer has been sitting under our noses the entire time. A lot of time we don't accept those kind of answers. Sometimes it is truth we don't want to accept. Sometimes it is not in the form that we think we want or need. Sometimes we think we know best for ourselves. We are really being our own shepherd. We are trying to be our own leader. We can't lead ourselves. We can lead others but we can't lead ourselves. Even leaders need a leader. Even leaders need people who give advice.  

Moses's father in law Jethro understood this. Moses was a leader. However Moses's father in law knew that Moses needed help. He advise Moses to pick men of integrity to help to lead and deal with every day affairs of the camp. Moses wisely took this advice. However Jethro told him to choose men that also fear God. Why? God is the leader of leaders. (Exodus 18)

This brings me to my next point. Jesus says in John 10 that his sheep will know his name. Jesus will lead us. Jesus knows our needs, our wants, and the best means of handling them. Jesus also has work for us to do. He is the leader. He wants others to partake in the gift of salvation. See our work can never be something we can boast about. That why salvation is a free gift. However our work in the kingdom can help others experience that free gift. We can help other people find the gate of salvation. However we can only do this if we follow his leadership. We can only do this if we know his voice. I need to learn to hear his voice. Every Christian must work on hearing his voice. He has people he wants us to reach out to and show that he loves them. He can only do that though us and the Holy Spirit. We must follow our shepherd.

Jonah and Romans 8:29

      I have been reading Jonah. One could talk about the Whale, or the lesson God taught Jonah. Something else struck me while reading. The sailors on the boat have gave me a revelation on a new testament verse. The verse is Romans 8:28. This verse is usually a verse we quote to bring us some comfort in a storm. However the verse is much more than a comforting verse, it is theological truth. That theological truth is what makes the verse comforting. 

      "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.- Romans 8:28 NIV"

        This verse comes alive in Jonah's trip on the boat. Jonah is running from calling that God has given him. A storm hits the boat. The sailors come to find Jonah sleeping on the boat. They wake him and tell him to pray to his god. The others on the boat don't worship the Lord. They began to take lots to see who on the boat is  the cause for the storm. 

    "Then the sailors said to each other, 'Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.' They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.  So they asked him, 'Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?'He answered, 'I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.'" Jonah 1:7-9 NIV

    It is at this moment Jonah commands to be thrown overboard so the storm will relent.  The sailors begin to try make back to land, but they can not make it cause the storm becomes stronger. I believe at this moment they start becoming conscious of their sin. However they have to toss Jonah. It is a moment of time that has to happen to fulfill God's will. At this point they began to pray to the Lord.

     "Then they cried out to the Lord, 'Please,Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased'" Jonah 1:14 NIV

      This is only the beginning of their repentance. It is in this moment that the Father becomes real to them. They ask for forgiveness for what they are about do to Jonah. They toss Jonah overboard. It is at this point they put their other gods aside and turn to the one true living God.

      "At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." Jonah 1:16

       Out of the storm, these Sailors find God. Quite of a few of God's lessons and grace are found in storms of the bible. Here is a situation where Jonah disobeys his calling. However God takes this act of disobedience and turns into a blessing. God worked an event into something good for his purpose and for those sailors' good. At this moment Romans 8:28 becomes real hundreds of years before Paul put pen to paper.

     

Salvation

This is a paper I wrote for Maranatha's Theology Class last week. 

The Pastor finishes his sermon. The piano begins playing Just as I am. The pastor asks every christian to bow their head to pray for the lost. Christians bow their heads in prayer to the Lord. You can hear tears from the thankful. You can see the smiles on the faces of the joyful. The pastor lays out the offer of salvation and what makes it possible. At the end, he calls out the lost, to give heart to the Lord. One lonely soul steps up, and take a walk courage to confess their sins to the lord. The pastor leads him in prayer at the altar. The angels rejoice in heaven. However, what really happens in that moment? What happens inside that lost soul? Why do the angels rejoice? Why does the pastor make that offer? 　　 　　

The gift of Salvation is simple but yet complex. That gift is the only way for man to build a bridge to God. A bridge that once was broken due one man’s sin in the Garden of Eden. That disease of sin was passed down though birth and was sadly imputed against all mankind. However victory was achieved at Calvary. That victory made a bridge possible. Jesus’s tears, blood, and his life gave us a chance to come home. A chance to come home to the father. Jesus’s death was payment for the pardon of all mankind. His righteousness then was imputed to us and made us just before the father’s eyes. The only true way for us to be saved is to have faith in the justification of Jesus’s blood. Paul writes to the Romans about this very matter. 　　

“Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (Romans 5:18 New Living Translation) 　　 　　

When we ask for forgiveness of our sins, it begins a rebirth inside of us. Though our repentance of sins, our soul is made whole once again. We are in a sense born again. Jesus said that one must be born of the Spirit to see the kingdom of heaven. This is the moment that the Holy Spirit come inside and begins lives with us. 　　 　　

“ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’”( John 3:5-7 New Living Translation) 　　 　　

This new birth creates a new creation. This act of regeneration of the human soul creates a new man. We began seeing things differently. Things we once lust for in our life begin to fade away. A hunger for God is placed inside of us. A fire is placed by the Holy Spirit to inspire us. This is not something we can boast about because we did nothing to achieve it. No man could or can fulfill the law given to Moses. So God sent his self in human form as Jesus to fulfill the law. Jesus fulfills the law and took our punishment on the cross. It is though his blood that we are reborn. 　　 　　

“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,”(Titus 3:5 New King James Version) 　　 　　

In this new birth we become spiritual minded. We began to feel God moving in us. We began to feel the Holy Spirit guide us though comfort and conviction. Our mind is slowly renewed from our carnal mind into a new spiritual mind. Paul characterizes this as a new creation. The things of old have fallen away, and the things of the spirit are put in place. Our water baptism is done in honor our old self  being buried. 　　

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 New King James Version) 　　

We also have the assurance in salvation. The evidence of assurance can be revealed by three things. The first is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He testifies of salvation and reveals truth to us. He seals us in Christ. He reveals our hope for the future and love that God has for us. The second thing is our faith in the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ cleanses our sins and puts us in right standing with God. The third is the fruit that we produce. Every time we show love for our brother and every time we take a step towards God our assurances grow. Our assurance gives us a sealed and secure salvation. 　　 　　

“Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22 New Living Translation) 　　 　　

However salvation would not be possible without grace. Every single person has failed God. That is a sad truth, that we must realize at some point in our life. Every sin person deserves the penalty of sin. That penalty is death. However the Father had another plan. The Father so loved the world, that he laid down a path of redemption. The whole Bible tell of God’s execution of his divine plan. 　　 　　

Paul in Romans goes into great detail about grace. He clearly defines salvation as a free gift. It was by God’s grace and love that he sent his son to earth to die for our sins. Salvation is given as a gift for multiple reasons for which I am thankful. One reason is so we could not boast. Salvation is something that we cannot attain, it merely a free gift if we chose to have it. It is a way to keep us humble and thankful in front of God. 　　 　　

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 New Living Translation) 　　 　　

Another reason is he loves us. No man could attain it, so he sent his only son for us. Jesus was forsaken on the cross, so God would never forsake us. Paul said no angel or anything could separate us from God. The whole bible folds out as a divine message of his love, righteousness, and his grace. 　　 　　 　　

“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17 New King James Version) 　　　

Another key factor in salvation is faith. Our forgiveness of our sins comes by faith as well. We must have faith that Jesus died and rose from the grave. If we don’t have faith, then everything is vain in our theology. In order to truly follow the commandments and have the assurance of our salvation, we must have faith. If we do not have faith, then how is salvation even be possible. 　　　 　　　

Personal salvation cannot be attained without faith. If we don’t have faith, we begin to question everything. Their is no assurance without faith. Faith in God is what deepens our relationship. Faith holds the keys to salvation, healings, tongues, prayers, and hope. Everything has been done for us for salvation. God did all the work on the cross. In order to accept the gift, we have to have faith in him. 　　　 　　　

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 9:9-10 New Living Translation) 　　　 　　　

“But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” (Romans 4:5 New Living Translation) 　　　 　　　

There is one more thing. This is the most important and no paper on salvation would be complete without it. Jesus is why we have salvation. If not for the Messiah, we would have no hope. It is only through Jesus that we become complete. It is Jesus that is possible to be a new creation. His sacrifice gave him all authority. He is the undeniable King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. There are many religions out there, but there is only one Jesus. There is only one true God. Christianity is not a religion. It is not just a set of beliefs, or theology you can sit down. It is the truth, the light, and the way. Following Jesus is a relationship. 　　　 　　　

Jesus even defines its a relationship. Jesus said no greater thing can a friend do besides lay his life down for his friends. That exactly what Jesus died. For the good of humanity and creation, Jesus laid down his life. Jesus took God’s wrath for our sins. He pays the debt for our sins, and when he rose the payment was accepted. A major battle in Spiritual Warfare was won. Victory was given to every person, and that victory was salvation. 　　　 　　

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 English Standard Version)’ 　　

Salvation is a great gift. If not for God grace, then we all be in hell. He loves and that why he has done everything he ever done. We should cherish salvation and our relationship with our Father. We are sons because of Salvation. It is something we should never take for granted. That’s why angels rejoice when someone gets saved, cause another son came home.