Is Life Difficult?

Friends, sometimes it seems like things in this world are going out of control. Even in each of us, our life seems to go crazy sometimes. Let me encourage you to trust and magnify the Lord God Almighty, he really is in control and he loves you, Yes YOU.

Psalm 96

” O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13. Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. ”

Until next time.

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How Do You Define A Successful Life?

So how do you – define a successful life? What does successful mean?

By definition, success means the favorable or prosperous termination of anything attempted.

So is success an emotion? Or is being considered successful an emotion?

When you look at your own life, would you say your life or time on earth in the flesh is successful? Would your parents think your life has been successful? What about your friends?

I suppose it would be how you define success verses how others view and define success. And then there is how you define success in others. Need some examples?

Would you say your parents had a successful life? How about your siblings? The only way to really know if someone is successful is if you know what the person set out to do.

Consider Jesus Christ. What did Jesus set out to do, to accomplish and did he complete his mission?

Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, scripture makes that very clear in the Old and New Testaments. Look at Colossians chapter one and even 1 Timothy 3:16 says,
” And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ”

Colossians 1:12-22 says ” Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ”

Jesus Christ clearly came to die for the sin of the world. Why? So mankind could be reconciled to God. Remember,  Adam and Eve blew it for all mankind when they sinned. Adam was created in God’s image but after Adam and Eve, mankind was made in Adam’s image, sin. So we are all born in to sin.

So when Jesus came, he paid once for all time, the sin debt by shedding his holy, pure blood for all sin when he was crucified on the cross. And when Jesus rose from the dead, he proved he conquered death, hell and the grave.

So was Jesus successful? Did Jesus have a successful life? What about the disciples, did they have a successful life and why?

Remember,  success is defined by accomplishing what you set out to do. So if my goal is to win souls to Jesus Christ, I would define success by how many people I take to heaven with me.

In life in this flesh, at twelve years old I had a goal to learn to play the organ well. I succeeded so by definition, I would be considered successful. But if my goals and aspirations stop there, is my life a success?

I would have to understand my purpose. Another words, why did God create me and what did God create me to do. What is my purpose?

This is a topic I find most interesting. Especially because I know the Lord himself will one day judge me on what I did with the life he gave me.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15  ” For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13. Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. ”

I must examine success more. Let us explore together, real success. Until next time.

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Losing Society, A Troubling Trend

When you look back 25 years, 50 years or 100 years we see a troubling trend of not only society, but also the church – believers.

Compare a preaching message from Billy Graham 40 years ago, 30 or 20 years ago to modern day preaching and see if you can see the focus shift.

The preaching use to focus on repentance, salvation and holiness. It was about getting right with God and living right. Messages focused on the cross and how Jesus Christ paid mankind’s sin debt with his own blood.

Many denominations set up a list of rules for their congregations to follow and if you did not follow those rules, you were labeled a backslider. Some believers were even thrown out of churches for not following their denomination’s rules even though their list of rules never appear in the scriptures.

These rules established by denominations are called legalism. And when church people could not keep the rules, they were called names, they were thrown out of churches often. The results? People started leaving the churches. The churches claimed they were holding to a holiness standard, even if their rules were not in scripture.

Then believers discovered preachers and teachers of the word of God did not keep their own rules. Many pastors and church leaders were found to be committing the same sins as the unsaved world and the church started loosing credibility. And the church suffers today from the sin nature of mankind.

A good example is Jesus had a traitor in his midst with Judas Iscariot and even Peter denied the Lord three times. Was Peter thrown out as an apostle? Paul was a murderer, of Christians, was he thrown out? No, God called them to do a work for him.

So the church was loosing people and loosing credibility in their communities. Society today reflects the losses. Then we saw a shift. The message in the church changed. The message of repent, ask God to forgive you and mean it in your heart, get saved and live for Christ has shifted away from Paul’s message, from Billy Graham’s preaching, to me.

The message is all about you and me and what God can do for us, in this world. The message today is what can God do for me? How can God bless me? How can God give me what I want? My desires, my dreams, my needs and my choices is today’s focus. Problem with that is, that teaching is not scriptural.

Believers are ambassadors for Christ, Christ is not our ambassador to the world. Today, people make decisions and ask God to bless their decision. Most people do not seek what God wants them to do and then do it knowing God will bless it. That is called living in the Spirit when you follow God prompting you instead of dragging God along with what you want to do.

Today, the focus is on what God can do for you to prosper you in this world. Yes, God does prosper believers, but the message is not about God prospering us. The message is repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Then all these things (victory, peace, salvation, comfort, encouragement, prosperity, etc.) will be added unto you. Lay your treasures up in heaven, not on this earth. Share Jesus and the gospel of salvation with everyone God brings into your life.

Until next time.

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No Death Until…..

People often confuse Mark 9:1 ” And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. ”

This verse is a great explanation of the Kingdom of God. When you look at the references in the middle column of your Bible, understand, those references are put in their by man. Those references are not in the original scriptures. Man puts them there so you see other verses on similar subjects.

Always fully examine the references in context. And Mark 9:1 kjv, is an excellent example of references being wrong.

The references in my KJV say; Matthew 24:30 which actually says in the verses surrounding 24:30, the time frame is “after the tribulatuon” when Jesus stands physically on earth again, visibilly. 
Matthew 25:31 says, in context, Jesus is physically on earth judging the nations.
Luke 22:18 Jesus will drink after the Kingdom of God. Another words, the Kingdom of God has to have already come. Jesus is not saying when it comes but after it already came.
And Hebrews 2:8,9  when all things are put under Jesus’ feet and Paul tells us in Hebrews, all things have not yet been put under his feet.

And remember,  Paul came after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

So when Jesus said in Mark 9:1, some of you standing here will not taste death till they have “seen” the Kingdom of God come with power he was not talking about his second coming. He was telling them, some of you standing here are going to see the kingdom of God come, with power, before you die. It was a clue, something big is coming.

We also see Jesus tells a follower to go and preach the Kingdom of God, not repentance, not the Kingdom of heaven, not water baptism, but the Kingdom of God. Luke 9:60 –  ” Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

In Luke 17:20 – The Pharisees demand Jesus tell them when the Kingdom of God will come. The Pharisees were looking for a literal earthly kingdom where Messiah would sit on the throne and rule the nation’s as the Old Testament prophecies say.

But Jesus explains to the Pharisees -the Kingdom of God you can not see. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is inside believers. Luke 17:20,21 – ” And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. ”

When you reference Luke 17:21, you see Romans 14:17, 18 – ” For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.”

And this mystery of the Kingdom of God is revealed to the saints/believers. In Colossians 1:26-28 Paul explains the believers know.

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: ”

The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peach and joy in the Holy Ghost. Paul tells us to serve Christ in these three things, as believers, and that is acceptable to God and approved of man.

And remember,  Jesus said some there, with him, would not die until they saw, with their eyes, the Kingdom of God come with power. When did they see this? Pentecost. 50 days after Passover.

Believers are to serve Christ in righteousness, in peace and in joy – in the Holy Ghost. If you do not know the Holy Ghost, are not studying what Paul says about the Holy Ghost and are not taught about the Holy Ghost, how can you serve Christ?

Let me challenge my readers. Start in the book of Acts and read the book, it has 28 chapters. That will give you an overview of Paul’s ministry. Jot down every time Paul mentions the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. Also, when the word spirit has a capital S it is a proper name, Spirit aka/Holy Spirit. A small ( s ) means man’s spirit.

Jot down what Paul says about the Holy Spirit and man’s spirit. You will be shocked.

Until next time.

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