Steadfast

Steadfast love is one of the most-used descriptors of God in the Old Testament. In the King James Version, the steadfast love of God, Hebrew word “hesed,” is rendered “lovingkindness and tender mercy”… for his mercy endures forever.

Even though it may appear that God’s hand of blessing has left the United States of America, our nation was founded as one nation, under God. When the representatives of the colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, they pledged their lives their fortunes, and their sacred honor in firm relatable on Divine Providence… Jehovah Gireh, knowing that God is our provision.

The derivation of the word steadfast is similar to the word “amen” which means, “God is faithful to His word.” It means, God has said it, so shall it be done. Steadfast is unloveable, unwavering, established, and standing firm upon the firm foundation, Jesus Christ himself.

Having been been born again of God’s Holy Spirit each son and daughter of God has a story of deliverance… of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Each of our stories is in the context of history… His-story. We have all been called to the body of Christ, each individual designed as a unique fitting, fit for the particular purpose for which Our Father has designed each of us.

Because we are born again of God’s spirit, 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovealbe, always a bounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

When we work out our own salvation, (our own wholeness, our own completeness) with fear (awe, respect, and reverence for God) then we align our wills with God’s will, and our good pleasure with his good pleasure. Then having delighted ourselves in the Lord, It is God who worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. God will work in us and through us when we align our vertical perspective in fellowship with Him. Our hearts, minds, and actions will be properly positioned according to His will and His steadfast love.

Despite the darkness of the world around us, Jesus said, If you walk in the light as he is in the light the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Even though the trial of faith will test us, through the trial, the testing will reveal the true character of Christ within us…. For tribulation worketh patience and patience experience (proven character) and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Therefore, quench not the Holy Spirit…. Allow God to work within you to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit ignited…. For we have this treasure in an earthen vessel that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

The light of the spirit of life in Christ will counteract the “lazy river” Christian mentality. Many so-called Christians are floating down the lazy river of the world’s main-stream currents. They are like the Luke-warm church of Laodecea in Revelation. The angel said, because they are neither hot nor cold, God will spew them out of his mouth.

When we’re struggling with difficult decisions, the age-old question still applies: What would Jesus do? At the age of twelve, Jesus’ parents found him in the temple speaking with the doctors of Old Testament law who marveled at his questions and his deep understanding of scripture. Although his parents had been searching for him for a day, Jesus said to them, “Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? Jesus said, I always do my Father’s will.

When faced with a dilemma, the best course of action is to ask our Heavenly Father. Ron recalls that his mother was in bed and near death. His brother texted him and said, you better get over here, our mom doesn’t have much longer to live. However, Ron had committed to perform a memorial service for a brother in Christ who had recently passed away. Even though the room at the funeral home was only a quarter full, when he walked to the pulpit and turned around, the room was full. After he delivered the message, a woman came up to him and said, pray for my healing. Ron prayed and she was healed instantaneously.

Throughout the service Ron’s brother kept texting him, mom’s about to die. Get here now. After the service, Ron rushed to his mother’s bedside. She was still alive and lingered long enough for her family and loved ones to say their last good byes before her death.

God has made an offer to his people to accept his covenant. The covenants, conditions, and requirements of his offer are according to his terms, not ours. It has been said, “the future is as bright as the promises of God.” Acceptance of God’s promise is according to his terms. He does not want us to promise to keep his covenant… He is not interested in an exchange of promises for all men are liars. Instead the only way to accept God’s unilateral contract is by performance…. By obedience according to his terms… for God is not faithful to us…. He is faithful to his word.

Each day, God gives us a clean slate to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit… as Jeremiah said, morning by morning new mercies I see… all I have needed thy hand hath provided…. For God is steadfast… He is faithful to his word… great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me… when I make my will his will and my desire his desire.

For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endure the to all generations….
That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Holy Spirit

There is a difference between Holy Spirit and the spirit of man. The spirit of man is the biological life we received when we were born from our mothers’ womb. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift .. “Christ in you the hope of glory” which we received when we were born again of God’s incorruptible seed. The spirit of man is the spirit of all flesh that we inherited from Adam. This spirit of Adam is contrary to the spirit of life in Christ we received when we were born again of God’s Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2 says that We who have received the spirit of Christ can understand the things of God…. However, the natural man who does not have God’s spirit receives not the things of the spirit of life in Christ because these things are spiritually discerned. Through God’s spirit within us we can understand, know, acknowledge, and affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord… We can know that we know that we know that the word of God is the final authority for truth, that we are men of prayer, that we can link together with likeminded spiritual men, and that we can give away the gospel message of salvation.

Even though we who have received Christ may feel broken, blind and deaf in the flesh, Jesus Christ is still lord of our lives. 2 Corinthians 2 says, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh) but mighty to the pulling down of (spiritual) strongholds. When the Holy Spirit takes residence inside us, we can work out our own salvation, our own wholeness with awe, respect, and reverence toward God and his word. Then when we allow our minds to be renewed, God will work within us to will and to do of His good pleasure. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has foreordained that we should walk in them. For when we dwell within the word and will of God, we all with open face beholding as in a mirror (of the word) will change from the reflection of the world into the reflection of the glory of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18)

Colossians 3 says, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ… when we turn from the flesh and unto the Lord, we will allow our minds to be renewed in righteousness and true holiness. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, don’t worry about the things that sustain your physical life…. Food, shelter, clothing and drink, but instead focus on the things of the kingdom of God… then all these other things shall be added unto you. God will sustain us. He is our sole provider and our soul provider… our Jehovah-Jireh. As he said to Abraham, I am your provider… I am your portion, your sustenance for life.

As bond-servants of the Lord, we serve him from a heart of love. We love him because he first loved us. For even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly… including us. He loved us, rescued us, and saved us not because of who we were but because of who he is… for Jesus Christ came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

When we turn to the Lord, the things of this world will become strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. When we turn to the spirit of life in Christ, then faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (through worldly eyes.)

Jesus said, he who is faithful in little… in the things of this world he hs called us to steward, then he will be faithful also in much… the things of the spirit of life in Christ.

The work God did within us and through us when we were born again, he has dedicated to his love, honor, and glory, that we might live according to the good pleasure of His will… in the abundance of the spirit of life in Christ,

…..to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Spiritual Journey

The Journey with Jesus Christ begins with spiritual poverty and starvation…. Blessed are the poor in spirt and those who who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. God will fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit when men and women are hungry and thirsty, not for physical air, water and food, but for the spiritual breath of life and and the sustenance of His spiritual food.

The gospel is bad news and good news. Before we can receive the good news of salvation, we must be aware of spiritual hunger when the things of the world leave us unfulfilled and unsatisfied.

The spirit of the Lord will lead us into the desert… into the valley of dry bones before God can infuse us with the life of his holy spirit. The prophet Ezekiel revealed the vision of the valley of the dry bones. The prophet said, Son of Man, can these bones live?…. Only thou O son of Man can know this. The sovreign Lord said, I will breath my breath into these dry bones and they will come to life.

In the book, the Journey to the Inner Chamber, Rocky Fleming describes walking skeletons. They would collapse and these bones would be cast into the fire. Shall these dry bones live? The new birth is when a man comes before the Lord dead in trespasses and sins with meekness and humility to approach the throne of God’s grace. These dead and dry bones shall live for that which is impossible with man is possible with God. The greatest of all miracles is to bring dead men walking into the life of the spirit of life in Christ.

Salvation, the new birth of God’s spirit is the greatest of all miracles. Jesus himself said before his ascension, The works that I do, shall they (who have been born again of God’s spirit) do, and even greater works because I go unto my Father. The greater works is to lead others to salvation.

The spirit of life in Christ is the power of the resurrection of God’s only begotten son. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone… That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Ron recalls that when he accepted Jesus Christ, he lost the desire to drink and smoke. Then after an argument with his wife six months later, he bought two bottles of champagne and went to the park to drink them. After he had finished one bottle, he saw a man on a park bench smoking a cigarette. He said, “can I bum a cigarette from you?” The man gave him a cigarette. Ron said, “This is the first time in six months I’ve had a cigarette.” The man said, “how did you quit?” Ron said, “I was saved by Jesus Christ and lost all desire to drink and smoke.” The man replied, “How can I receive Jesus Christ?” Even though he had fallen from fellowship, Ron taught the man about salvation and the man accepted Jesus as Lord.

God will forgive us but what is done in darkness will be brought out into the light…. For the light exposes the hidden things of dishonesty. Sometimes God will speak to us through our own godly wives…. The “still small voice” of the Lord takes many forms. Thank God for those who love us enough to shine the light of truth into the dark places in our hearts. God will teach us to love and honor those we love. Then he will show us that the greatest blessing is to please our Heavenly Father. When we love others with the love of God, we will learn to love our Lord Jesus Christ… for Jesus said, in that thou hast done it unto the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me.

The love of God is God’s force-multiplier… for it is charity, the unconditional spitirual love of God that initiates the fusion reaction…. The implosion that fuses our hearts with God’s heart, and one with another in the household of faith. This is the reason for Colossians 3: Above all things, put on charity, the agape love of God which is the bond of perfectness. The love of God fuses our hearts together in the unity of the spirt in the bond of peace.

As men of God passionately seeking to do His will, all that is within you praise his holy name. In praise and thanksgiving to God, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. For we have this treasure (of the spirit of life in Christ) in earthen vessels of our corruptible bodies, that the excellency of the power (of his spirit) may be of God and not of us…

Upon the journey of this life, what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?…

…That we may become a living sacrifice of praise, wholly acceptable unto Him to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Through the Trial

Does God still love us when the world says there is no justice? In times of the confusion all around us, according to AB Bruce in the book, “The Training of the Twelve,” Jesus answered them and said, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and fishes. Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that leads to eternal life. Jesus continued, Moses did not give you bread from heaven. For It is only God who gives the true bread…. I myself am the bread of life that God sent down from heaven. For whosoever eats of this bread will inherit eternal life. Jesus said, He who believes has eternal life…. I am the bread of life so that one may eat and not die. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever. Whosoever eats of my flesh and drinks my blood, he shall have eternal life.. he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall never die.

After these sayings many who had followed Jesus left and no longer walked with him. Jesus said to the twelve disciples, will you also leave? He knew that Judas would eventually betray him.

Jesus’ sermon separated the true disciples from the hangers-on who wanted to see his miracles…. He culled the crowd and gave them an ultimatum. Choose ye this day…. Are you living for bread to fill your bellies or are you living for the bread of spiritual life?

Rich Christiano’s upcoming movie, The Mind Reader is about Jesus’ ultimate purpose. The Jews thought that Jesus would appear as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to run the Roman rulers out of Judea…. But this was not Jesus’ mission.

We often ponder, What does God have in store for America? How could God have blessed America as the greatest nation on earth but now Christians in America are in danger of prosecution and persecution for so-called “hate crimes” and “hate speech.” The devil continues to sow seeds of confusion…. Of division, strife, and contention. His purpose is to steal, to kill, and to destroy…. His ultimate purpose is to separate our hearts from God’s heart.

Oswald Chamber’s essay about spiritual confusion asks the question…. How can the affairs of this world work together for good to those who love God, who work according to his purpose?

The ways of the Lord are contrary to the world’s definition of success. In retrospect we often come to the conclusion, Thank God for unanswered prayer.

Pete recalls the time he made the headlines in the local newspaper’s sports page. The headline said, Six misfires and then, Bang! In the ninth inning Pete had three strikeouts after three at-bats. He also had three fielding errors. Then in the bottom of the ninth, Pete came up to bat with the game on the line. The score was tied with two outs and and one man on base in scoring position. Pete had prayed before his at-bat, Lord please have the manager send in a pinch hitter to bat in my place. I don’t want to lose the game by striking out again. When God didn’t answer this prayer, Pete stepped up to the plate and prayed, please don’t let me strike out and lose the game. The left handed pitcher threw two pitches that Pete fouled away. Then with two strikes, he threw a curve that broke inside. Pete swung and contacted the ball about 12 inches from where he was holding the bat. The bat vibrated violently in his hand and the bloop fly ball just cleared the first baseman’s head. The ball had so much spin that it bounced wildly and the first baseman had trouble picking it up. As Pete tagged first base, The winning run scored from second base. After six misfires, “Bang!” Pete was the hero of the game for his hit that scored the winning run.

Pete says that his claim to fame was that he got many opposing pitchers to the big leagues. He usually struck out against pitchers who were called up to the Major league.

One night Pete faced Pedro Bourbon who became the star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds when the “Big Red Machine’ won two World Series. Needless to say, Bourbon struck him out. That night in dejection, Pete read a verse in Hebrews from his New Living Bible. He read that a father disciplines his son, not because he wants to hurt him, but because he loves him. God’s still small voice said, some things you will learn by being an all star. However, the most important lessons, I will train you and teach you on the bench. This is where you will learn meekness and humility. This is where you will learn to cheer for the guy who took your place in the starting lineup. For he that is chief among you must be servant of all. On the bench is where others will witness My true character within you…. Through the trial and the ordeal of tribulation, you will learn endurance which over time will reveal to yourself and others My character in you. Then others will witness the hope of my son’s return and the love of God shed abroad in your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 18:8 says, when the son of man returns will the son of man find a faithful man… proven in the things that are unseen… the things of the character of Christ in you? In the meantime, you will not understand in the midst of trial what God is preparing you for…. He is proving his character within you through the crucible of the melting pot and the refining and purifying of the fiery furnace.

Despite the confusion of the world around us and the chaos, panic, pandemonium and pandemic all around us, our prayer is not Lord deliver me from the storm. Instead our prayer is deliver us through the storm. The storms of this life will prove his strength…. This is the lesson that God will reveal through the storm: My strength is made perfect in thy weakness…. My grace is sufficient for thee..

…That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

What’s Your Motive?

In Luke 4 Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness. The devil took him up to a high mountain and showed him all of the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He said to Jesus, all this will I give you if you will bow down and worship me, for it was delivered to me and I will give it to whomsoever I will.

Adam had transferred the power and dominion over the world to the devil when he committed the original sin. Jesus responded to the devil’s offer, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus made it clear that we must worship and serve God. The question is whom do you serve? Why are you doing what you’re doing? What is the motive behind your action?

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God will humble us to teach us to learn humility and to serve him from a heart of love. This is a hard lesson to learn. Jesus said, whoever humbles himself as a child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Mark 9 and Mark 12, Jesus said, whoever wishes to be great among you must be servant of all. Then In Luke 9 Jesus said, the son of man must suffer many things… if anyone wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it…. In the Upper Room Jesus said to the twelve disciples after he had washed the disciples’ feet, if I’ve washed your feet you shall also wash one anthers’ feet…

After Peter had denied Jesus three times, he went back to his fishing business. Then after his resurrection, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee where the disciples had returned to fishing. They didn’t recognize him. Jesus called out, have you caught any fish? They answered, No. Then he said, cast your net on the other side of the boat. They did this and caught so many fish that they couldn’t haul the net full of fish aboard the boat. They dragged the net toward the shore. John recognized Jesus and said to Simon Peter, It’s the Lord. Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore to meet Jesus. Jesus was roasting fish on hot coals for breakfast.

Jesus asked Peter, do you love me with agape love of God more than these? He pointed to the fish they had just caught, his fishing boats and his fishing crew. Peter said, I love you like a brother…. Jesus said, feed my little lambs. Then Jesus asked Peter again, Peter do you love me with the Love of God? Again Peter said, you know that I love you like a brother. Jesus said, feed my sheep. Jesus asked a third time, Peter do you love me with brotherly love? Peter was grieved because Jesus kept asking him if he loved him. Peter answered, Lord, you know all things…. You know that I love you the only way I know how…. I love you like a brother. Jesus said, feed my sheep.

Jesus taught Peter that if you’re serving without the love of God, you will not endure. You will burn out if you serve for any other reason. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. Jesus himself said, I came to give my life as a ransom for many. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever lasting life. Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

The question is, whom do you serve? The world teaches us to serve ourselves… to look out for number one. However Jesus said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. However, Jesus said, you need to die to self in order to live to serve me. According to Galatians 2:20, For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the live that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Without loving God above all, we cannot serve faithfully…. For believing faith works in love…. The love of God activates believing faith that sustains the energy that appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose.

The world creates works-based systems to get people to follow worldly leaders. The church prioritizes attending, spending, and sending…. These are works based priorities. In other words, attend regularly, give generously, and serve diligently. It’s one thing to work… as long as the work. Is motivated by the love of God. However if the work is the purpose, it will profit me nothing…. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 13: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (The Love of God,) it profiteth me nothing.

There are two great commandments upon which “hang all the law and the prophets”: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Why did God say to love him above all? CS Lewis asked this question. Is God so egotistical that he demands our worship, praise, love, honor and glorification?

Serving God is the nature of the spirit of life in Christ, not the sin nature of our flesh… my fallen nature is to serve myself The world indoctrinates us to ask, what’s in it for me? This “WIFM” paradigm doesn’t miss anything except the boat. Jesus said to his disciples, get on board with me and we’ll go over to the other side. To serve the Lord is to obey his word from a heart of love.

Serving the Lord is believing faith that works in love. The greatest blessing is not in seeking the blessings but in seeking to bless the Blessor. In loving God above all…. For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

…..Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve from a heart of love,
That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your bother in Christ,
Michael

The Acceptable Year of The Lord

The gospel is both good news and bad news. If we look at the news of world around us, if it bleeds it leads. The world focuses on death, destruction and devastation. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3,, For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. There is a time for purging… a time where God will unburden us of the things we thought were important. As mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing.

Luke 4:16-31 was Jesus’ inaugural address…. His public announcement of his mission “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” that had been foretold in the scroll of Isaiah:

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61. He said today I have come to fulfill this prophecy…. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus was not anointed and appointed by a missionary commission or a church nominating convention…. He was called by God himself who empowered him with His Holy Spirit. Jesus had said, I always do my Father’s will. He followed his Father’s direction…. He had his spirit attuned to God’s Holy Spirit.

He came to preach the gospel to the poor: blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To receive anything of God requires that we empty ourselves of ourselves…. Then God can fill us with his Holy Spirit. When we mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart, then when we turn from ourselves and unto him he can deliver us from our own sin nature.

He came to set the captives free. We are all born captive to sin. We inherited the sin nature from Adam. Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. We could not help but sin… to miss the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin.

He came to bring light to them who sat in darkness… to heal those who were born spiritually blind… those who pray, open my eyes that I may see… glimpses of truth thou hast for me. For Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life. He is the light of the world…. He is the great physician whom God called to heal us and open the eyes of believers in him who were born spiritually blind.

He came to preach deliverance to those who were oppressed…. Without the light of the truth, we were oppressed by the power of darkness… the power of sin… we were under the dominion of the devil, the god of this world, whose eyes he has blinded lest the light of the glorious gospel of truth should shine unto them. Jesus Christ has delivered us from the grip of sin that had separated us from the word of God, the love of God and the light of truth.

Through Jesus Christ, God gave us the spirit of life in him…. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and given us spiritual life…. He said, today is the acceptable year of the Lord.

The bad news is in Romans 3:23 and 6:23… for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…. And the wages of sin is death. The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. According to 1 John 5:13, we can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are saved… that we are children of God and heirs of God.

Looking at the world around us, there is so much deterioration, devastation, death and destruction. However, the Lord will restore the years that the locust has eaten…. The power of God through his son is greater than the power of sin that has separated our hearts from God’s heart.

Jesus Christ’s purpose was to declare the acceptable year of the Lord. Now is the acceptable year…. Today we can receive deliverance from the darkness of the evil one and the powers of this fallen world. The deliverance is through Jesus Christ himself…. For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Deliverance, salvation, and the gift of Holy Spirit are on God’s terms, not ours. To come to Jesus requires meekness and humility…. To approach God’s throne of grace through his son, we must first forsake our selfish selves. To come to Christ is to renounce my self centered lordship to confess Jesus is Lord. I’m no longer my owner… he is.

For I was Crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me… and the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

When we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John says, These things have I written unto you that ye may have fellowship… communion, joined to God in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…. For we have been called unto fellowship one with another… and truly our fellowship is with our Father and with his son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now is the acceptable year of the Lord. God has called us to the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace through our Lord Jesus Christ…. He died, arose, ascended that our lives may all be blended, in one family rejoicing with our God…

That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace..
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Servants

Everyone is someone’s servant. Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. Most people would rather serve themselves. As Americans, we’re thought rugged individualism… that we have to look out for “number one.” However, be careful whom you serve…. As one preacher said, the god of self is heavily defended territory.

In Mark 9 Jesus said, if anyone wants to be first, he must be servant of all. Men of this world aspire to be the “goat”. The greatest of all time. James and John’s mother said to Jesus, reserve the special place on your right and left hand for my sons. However, Jesus said, the greatest leader is the greatest servant.

The world values the praise of others… they live for “hearty approbation and lavish praise.” They seek tributes and accolades and trophies from other people. The world says, you’re a winner… you’re the greatest, the one who deserves praise, honor and glory.

Sometimes Jesus was surprised by the Gentiles who were not schooled in Israel’s Old Testament law. A Roman centurion came to Jesus and said, my servant is near death and needs to be healed. Jesus said, I’ll go with you to heal him. The centurion said, I’m a man in authority like you. I give a command and whatever I say gets done. Just say the words, and my servant will be healed. Jesus marveled at this Gentile’s believing faith.

In Luke 9 Jesus said, the son of man must suffer many things and then be killed and raised up the third day. He said, if any man wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. What good is if a man gains his life but loses his soul? As Missionary Jim Elliot said, He is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep to keep that which he cannot lose.

In John 13, Jesus said, If you call me Lord, and if I have washed your feet then wash one another’s. feet. He that is chief among you must be servant of all.

In Luke 4 the devil led Jesus to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said, If you bow down and worship me I’ll give you all of this, for it has been delivered unto me. Then Jesus answered, it is written, “thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

The question is, do you worship the things of the world, or do you worship the Lord God…. Do you really love God above all? You worship that which you love… either the things of this world, the god of self and selfishness, the god of comfort, or the god of other people’s approval.

We may have accomplished many things that the world considers success. Churches ask three things: to attend regularly, to give generously and to serve diligently. The real question is, “who is it that they are asking you to serve?” Are they calling you to serve their denomination or their deacon board or their head pastor? It’s a subtle thing… the devil will appear as an angel of light. If you want to control others, then devise a works-based system of advancement and continuous improvement. Today, works has replaced grace, even in the church.

The question is, “in a works-based system, when is enough enough?” How good do my works need to be? How much do I need to give? How many do I need to serve in order to gain entrance into heaven? In a works based system, enough is never good enough…. For all have sinned and missed the mark.

Despite our falling short of the world’s standards of success, does mercy triumph over judgement? Jesus said to the men who had gathered to stone the woman caught in adultruy, “he who is without sin may cast the first stone.” One by one each man was convicted in his own heart. One by one each of her accusers slinked away. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. The purpose of the church is to create an environment where the Holy Spirit is welcome to come help himself to our lives. For it is not the wrath of God but the loving kindness and tender mercy…. It is the love of God that calls a man to repentance.

The question is, “whom do you serve?” We serve those whom we love the most…. This is why the first and great commandment says, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength…. Then the second commandment is like unto it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Why? Because Jesus said, in that ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The world conditions us to ask, What’s in it for me?” You have to look out for number one. However according to Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. If done for our own vain glory, it shall be done in vain… it shall come to nought… it profiteth me nothing… it will become dust in the wind.

After Peter had denied Christ, he went back to his fishing business. Jesus appeared to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was grilling fish by the sea side.

In John 21, Jesus asked Peter twice, Peter do you love me with the agape love of God? Peter answered both times, I love you like a brother. The third time… Jesus asked do you love me like a brother? Peter said, Lord you know all things, you know I love you the only way I know how. you know that I love you like a brother…. Jesus said, feed my sheep.

Our Lord trusted no man. He was not bitter or discouraged about the actions of men who opposed them. As he prayed on the cross for the soldiers who had driven the nails through his hands, he also prayed for us before we were saved, father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

As followers of Christ, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ…. He took upon himself the form of a servant and was faithful unto death, even the death of the cross. For he who was without sin, became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus loved us so much that he for the joy that was set before him, (the joy of your salvation and mine) endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God..

Jesus didn’t love them because of who they were, but because of who God had called them to be… he saw them through the reflection of the word…. For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord are changed from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of the spirit) even by the spirt of the Lord.

Greater love than this hath no man than to give his life so we may receive eternal life. Love so amazing so Devine demands my soul, my life, my all..

That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael