Treasure Hunt

As Christians, we often ask ourselves, “What’s going on in our world?” The answer is in where the world places its treasures. What is it that you value most? What is the basis of your value system? What’s your definition of success? Popular preachers preach about the “prosperity gospel” and material blessings of the “more abundant life.” However, the Apostle Paul, when he was in the midst of trials and tribulations said, “none of these things move me.” After being shipwrecked and beaten on the island of Malta, he said “we had a prosperous journey.” This is the essence of the true “prosperity gospel.” The prosperity is that “thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.” According to Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

According to Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Verse 19 has an unusual construction in the Greek text. The word “treasure” is used both as a verb and a noun. It literally reads, “Treasure not treasures upon earth…instead, treasure treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.

What is it that you value? Where is your heart? Will your heart be destroyed with the things of earth that you love, or will your value system treasure treasures in heaven? Treasures in heaven have an eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure (the spirit of God in Christ in us) in earthen vessels (our natural body and soul nature,) that the excellency of the power (of the Holy Spirit) may be of God and not of us.”

The power of the spirit reconciles us back to God so that we can have the peace of God which passes worldly understanding. The power of the spirit reminds us that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing….but that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

The adversary has turned the hearts and minds of our nation away from the truth of the Word of God. Americans values different things today than in years gone by, when America identified itself as a Christian nation… as one nation under God. Today, so-called Christianity has been watered down with the doctrines of this world. According to Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Only two things from this earthly life will last: our eternal spirit of life in Christ and the lives of those who have been born again of God’s holy spirit by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The material things of this world will come to naught. They are here today and gone tomorrow…they will take wings and fly away.

Hebrews 12:25 and following says, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (awe, respect, reverence and love.) 29. For our God is a consuming fire.”

The treasures of this world are the things that can be shaken. That which is shaken loose shall be burned. That which cannot be shaken are treasures in heaven.

Men of this world want to see the mighty works of God, but they don’t understand the holiness of God. Holiness means to be set apart for the purpose that God intended. Those who are ready to turn from the treasures of earth and instead treasure treasures in heaven, are those whom God will save according to the truth of His word of salvation.

It’s not the wrath of God that calls men to salvation. Rather, the goodness and love of God woos men to turn away from the things of this world and unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who loved me and gave himself for me. The mercy, grace and love of God calls men to repentance. This is the good news of the gospel of grace that God has committed to us. As ambassadors for Christ, we pray you in Christ’s stead be ye reconciled to God. This is our mission and our co-mission. In other words, Give ’em heaven!

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

Treasure the Right Treasures

Brent Bailey has been preparing for a mission trip to Nepal. He trained to do a concise presentation of the gospel message of salvation to the people of Nepal. Brent has been called to this mission and to this message which has been changing lives all over the world. The outline of this presentation is in an App called Life on Mission.

God originally created the world perfectly. He created the Angels as part of his perfect creation. One of his angels rose up with pride. Pride caused the angel Lucifer to attempt to usurp the throne of God. Lucifer fell and took one third of the Angels with him when he lifted himself with pride.

Lucifer was cast to earth as the Devil, the adversary of the one true God. The devil, the deceiver, approached Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and tempted them to disobey God’s only commandment. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they died spiritually that day. Man has been separated from God ever since. Since the fall of man, the sin nature that we inherited from Adam has separated mankind from the spiritual nature of God.

However, God had a plan to redeem mankind and restore a spiritual connection. The plan was through his son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God has raised him from the dead, we shall be saved, redeemed and made righteous. Salvation means that we have been born again of God’s spirt. When we were born the first time, we inherited Adam’s fallen nature of body and soul. When we were born again of God’s spirit, we inherited God’s spiritual nature of the Holy Spirit.

We who have been born again now have two natures: the nature of the flesh, the natural man of body and soul that we inherited from Adam, and the nature of the Holy Spirit of life in Christ.

The devil will indoctrinate the “natural” man of body and soul: those who are without God and without hope. They do not have the spirit of life in Christ and are blind to the truth in a world of spiritual darkness. In our broken world, lying is encouraged if the outcome is advantageous. The natural man says, “what’s in it for me?” Rebellion is required for worldly acceptance. Doctrines of this world have also infiltrated the church. For example, what the word of God says is “sexual sin” is now accepted in many church congregations. These biblical sins are “welcomed and affirmed” not only for the congregation but also for the pastors. Sin is inevitable when condoned by those who are supposed to be living a holy life. When the church is no longer a beacon of light, Sin becomes commonplace as the cultural norm for acceptable behavior. In America, churches used to stand against sin and those who practiced sin were considered shameful. However sin is now is welcomed, affirmed, and openly celebrated by our culture.

How do you mend the brokenness of our culture? As Christians and Men of God, the question is, “What do you value most?” According to Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Verse 19 has a unique construction in the Greek language. The word “treasure” is used both as a verb and a noun. This verse says, “treasure not for yourselves treasures upon the earth.” Treasure signifies value. People and cultures use that which they consider valuable to fix that which is broken. However, earthly valuables cannot repair a world that is spiritually broken. Earthly treasures are only temporary…they will come to naught… they will take wings and fly away. That which is of earthly value cannot reconcile our hearts to the true treasures. True and lasting treasure is treasure in heaven. According to verses 19 and 20, Therefore, treasure treasures in heaven for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Either you treasure that which is of the world or that which is in heaven. You cannot treasure both. You cannot serve two masters.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of ourselves.” The treasure is the Holy Spirit of life in Christ.

According to verses 16-18: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man (our earthen vessels) perish, yet the inward man (the Holy Spirit of Christ in us) is renewed day by day.
17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Valuing the things of the earth results in the wisdom of the world. According to James, the wisdom of this world is earthly, sensual, and devilish. However, when we treasure treasures in heaven, the wisdom that is from above is first peaceable, easy to be in treated, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Hebrews 12:25 says, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:”
“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”
“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.”

What is it that you value most? That which can be shaken will be shaken. That which is shaken loose will be burned. That which cannot be shaken shall remain. Therefore let us treasure treasures in heaven where there is no corruption… where Christ sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of his grace, Your brother in Christ, Michael

When Human “Rights” = Godly Wrongs

Critics of the church say that it’s the only army that shoots its wounded. We’re here to refute that charge. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles. To reconcile with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we must meet each other at the foot of the cross. For there is one God and one mediator between man and God the man Christ Jesus. We have been given the gift of salvation by grace.

In America, we value our “inalienable rights.” Americans esteem the “pursuit of happiness and the self-made man.” The world’s man-code says, “it’s all about me.” However, the scripture says that pride goeth before a fall. Jesus said, that unless you “hate” your mother and father and your brother and sister you cannot follow me. Jesus said, love not the things of this world. The first of the Ten Commandments says, Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and God’s face.

We inherited our selfish prideful nature from Adam. The sin nature says “what’s in it for me.” To approach the throne of grace, we must forsake our pride. We must give up our self and acknowledge that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” For if we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Abiding with Christ in the holy spirit produces the fruit of the spirit.

According to 2 Timothy 2:22-26, we’re reminded about the divisions, factions, and contentions of this world. When the culture says that selfishness is a virtue, there is no reconciliation. The devil’s tactic is to divide and conquer. Political factions as well as marriages are divided by “irreconcilable differences.” Nations rise up against nations and there will be wars and rumors of wars. These are signs of the last days when the devil runs rampant and controls the pride of men.

A disciple is a disciplined follower of the Lord Jesus Christ who walks according to the spirit of life in Christ. To oppose the devil’s doctrines of this world world, 2 Timothy 2:22-26 says: “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

The challenge is to live according to the standards that God gave us in Christ. This is a gentle and a loving power.

Pete recalls when Suzan visited Pete before they were engaged. She told him about her new love Armando. Pete’s reaction wasn’t what she expected. She expected Pete to erupt in a jealous rage. However Pete had changed his heart while she was abroad in Mexico. He had prayed, “Lord, I know I’m not the man that you called me to be. God, please make me that man.” Pete’s response to Suzan was, “I’ll pray for you.” Suzan was taken aback by Pete’s response. She knew that she could love the new man that he had become. After four days she decided, “I’d better marry him before he changes his mind.”

The Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome but gentle to all men, apt to teach and patient. Jesus had said bless them that persecute you, go the second mile, and turn the other cheek. Pursue the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.

The devil will appeal to our pride. He will provoke our so-called righteous indignation when we believe our “rights” are violated. However human rights are often godly wrongs. The antidote to pride is the love of God. Love covers a multitude of sins.

Couples must love each other according to the love of God when the devil attempts to separate their hearts. God calls his men to instruct with meekness those who oppose themselves. Meekness acknowledges that God is in control, not me. Repentance means to turn from our selfish pride and to acknowledge the truth of the Word of God. The knowledge of the word will recover them from the snare of the devil.

The devil will tempt us to look at others with judgement and condemnation. However, our calling is to love with the love of God. The love of God thinks no evil. It keeps no record of wrongs done. The love of God bears all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things and endureth all things. Love never fails.

Jesus himself, humbled himself under the mighty hand of God. He took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death upon the cross. He for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is set upon the right hand of the throne of God…. That we may know him and the fellowship of his suffering… 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.

We may not understand the trials of life, but we know that he’s in control and not me. For his thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways than our ways. As the apostle Paul said, “thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.” Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. God works all things for good…he’s a good, good father.

May we live our lives to the praise of the glory of His grace, Your brother in Christ, Michael

Targeting Pride

The world’s man-code is rooted in pride. Egotism says that individual self interest is the right motive for every action. However according to Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” What are the characteristics of a prideful heart? One indication is that when there’s an opportunity to help others, a prideful man will ask himself, “what’s in it for me?” Egotism says, “It’s all about me.” Pride will not allow confession of sin. If the gospel message starts with acknowledging that I’m a sinner in need of a savior, a narcissist thinks, “that doesn’t apply to me.” A selfish person has a stubborn insistence on having his own way. The question is, “would you rather be right than loving?” Pride produces a heart motivated by fear that my rights will be violated. Oswald Chambers said, “any fool can claim his rights and any demon will make sure he gets them.”

Pride rationalizes behavior without sorrow for committing wrong. Pride and fear produces a mentality that says, “I must be in control.” When you’re task-control oriented, you lose your ability to live to serve others from a heart of love.

How do you prioritize loving and serving? If you say that you love your Lord Jesus Christ and don’t love your wife or your brother in Christ, how can you say that you love Christ? 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity (the love of God), peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Youthful lusts say, “it’s all about me. I want what I want and I want it now.” The devil will divide and conquer. The devil uses factions and differences to turn God’s people against themselves. Instead of youthful lusts follow after righteousness. The solution for overcoming pride is in the next three verses:
23. “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

According to verse 23, Refuse foolish and ignorant speculations. In an argument someone is upset, but neither party ever has all the facts. Pride blinds us from seeing the other side of the issue. The devil is the accuser and the deceiver. In the midst of a dispute, the devil will have his way us if we consider “foolish and unlearned questions.”

If you believe the other person’s accusations, you’ll be acutely sensitive and offended. However, the scripture says to refuse ignorant and foolish speculations. Jesus would not give himself to his accusers because he “knew what was in the heart of man.”

Sometimes our prayer should be, “God, please send someone into my life to rebuke me.” According to Hebrews 12:5-6, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Like a loving Father, God will correct us when we stray. To correct is to restore to an upright position.

Our Heavenly Father knows that we are but dust. He knows that we will not always live up to the vows that we have taken. God says, “my strength is made perfect in thy weakness, my grace is sufficient for thee.” The love of God is patient when wronged. Our father is a God of grace and mercy. The way to heaven is paved with grace. If you don’t know the grace of God, then you can’t give grace to others.

Some people make others happy when they come to see them. Some people make others happy when they leave. What kind of person are you? Proverbs 3 says, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”

Reconciliation means that I must confess my sin. This will build and reconcile the relationship. 1 John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The context of this verse says, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we will have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin.”

Those in our sphere of influence will escape the snare of the devil when we instruct in meekness those who oppose themselves. It’s not the wrath of God that calls them to repentance but rather the loving kindness, grace, and mercy of our loving Heavenly Father.

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of his grace, Your brother in Christ, Michael

Know That You Know

All men fight the same battle: I have found the enemy and he is me. The world’s man code says, “it’s all about me.” This was devil’s original lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He said, “God’s not God, you are. If you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, ye shall be like God.” God had originally created Adam and Eve without the knowledge of sin. They knew that God is good, but they had no knowledge of good and evil. God gave them only one command: “of the fruit of tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For on the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” When man sinned by disobeying God’s only command, the knowledge of evil and sin entered into the world. Adam and Eve died spiritually that day. They lost their spiritual connection with God.

All evil is rooted in pride. The most insidious form of pride is self deceit. The devil is the deceiver and the accuser. The religious man does all the right things for all the wrong reasons. He does all for his own gain and not for the Lord Jesus Christ. For all of his external religion, he is deceived in his heart. Jesus said, “not all who call me lord, lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Although the religious man attends church, Jesus said of him, “this people draw near unto me with their mouth and honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.” Hypocrites serve in the church for their own gain.

Religious people think they are saved but they’re really not. How do you know if they are really saved? Jesus said, “you’ll know them by their fruit.” A good tree produces good fruit. When God told his prophet Samuel to anoint Israel’s next king he said, the man that I’ve called to be king is not the one who you think. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

The gospel is both bad news and good news. One side is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The other side is in John 3:16. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ his son.

Political correctness says that if you preach Jesus Christ and the truth of the word of God, you’re guilty of hate speech. It takes men of God who know that they have eternal life to speak truth to the lies of this world. God requires men of courage for such a time of as this.

God limits himself according to his word. When we come to him according to his terms, we will be saved. God’s terms for salvation are in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

This is the message of salvation. Salvation means to be made whole. When we repent unto salvation, he will make us complete in him, born again of the spirit of life in Christ. Then a man can know that he knows that he is a son of God, saved by grace. This is the gospel of salvation so that we can escape the snares of the devil. Jesus Christ has set us free from the curse of sin and death by his full payment for our sin. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

George Foreman once said, “I used to call myself a believer. One day I had a revelation from God and met my Lord Jesus Christ. The question is “do you know him?” That’s when I stopped calling myself a believer…I became a knower.”

When we were born, we inherited the “Knowledge of good and evil” from Adam’s sin nature. However, when we were born again of the spirit of God in Christ in us, we inherited a new nature: That we may know Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection.
1 John 5:13 says, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Jesus also said, “If you continue in my word you shall be my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” The truth is Jesus Christ himself. He is the way, the truth and the life.

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Blessed Assurance

Many men try to escape from themselves through drugs, alcohol and indulgent fantasies. However, you can’t escape from yourself. As Paul said, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this dead body?” We have met the enemy and he is me.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

One church observer said that up to 80% of church attendees may not be saved. Churches grow by four methods: The first is organic growth by parents in the church having babies. The second is by transfer growth from other churches in the same area. The third is by transfer of newcomers into the area “by letter” from their old churches. The fourth church growth method is by conversion of new believers to Jesus Christ. Conversion growth in America has been declining over the last 50 years.

Years ago, preachers used to emphasize “hell-fire and brimstone.” They said, “Get on board, this train is bound for glory. If you’re not aboard you’ll be left behind.” This type of preaching left men wondering, and fearing that they were not saved and would be left behind. They were overcome with fear and guilt and doubt about their salvation. Today, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. Today’s preaching is about “extreme grace.” Popular preachers preach about abounding grace and easy believism. Contrary to the Word, most people today think that heaven is the “default” condition. They have not heard the truth of Scripture that says “It is appointed once for all men to die and then comes the judgement.” The truth about salvation and assurance of life eternal is somewhere between these two extremes.

David’s Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Since Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin at the cross, for those who have been saved, The everlasting way is the way of the heart of Christ in us the hope of glory.

There are four types of people who attend church. The first type is those who reject outright the message of salvation. Today, the most popular religion in America is the “nones.” These people claim no particular religious conviction. There are many seemingly rational excuses for not accepting the salvation message. These excuses are summed up in John 3:19-20, “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

The second category is those who attend church but there is never really an exchange and a true conversion experience. These men may “walk the aisle” but never come to salvation.

The third category are those who think they’re saved but they’re really not. Jesus said, “not everyone who calls me lord, lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” To them, it’s not about the Lord, but about themselves. 2 Timothy 3 says, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves… Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” A paraphrase of an excerpt from “The Narrow Way” by William C. Nichols says, “The deceived religious man who outwardly practices the keeping of the law but does it for himself and not for God may have a great deal of knowledge of the Word of God, but he is deceived in his own heart. Outward professions of righteousness may be an outer garment of perfection but inwardly he serves himself and not the Lord Jesus Christ. His obedience is limited to his own comfort and pleasure…he applies the promises of God to himself but not the difficult and demanding passages of scripture. He says “speak to us pleasant words.” He is a spiritual sluggard and assures himself that his soul is secure.” According to Matthew 15:8, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Category four is those who know that they know that they know that they are saved. Jesus said, “I write you these things that Ye may know that ye have eternal life.” To determine if a person is in this category, the first test question is, “Do you love Jesus?” Jesus said, “If you love me you’ll keep my commandments.” Paul said, “The spirit bears witness with my spirit that we are sons of God.” The second test question is, “Do you know the Lord?” Paul said, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that (Holy Spirit) which he’s committed unto me against that day (of righteous judgement.)” The saved man is not perfect but he knows personally the Saviour. It’s not sin that keeps us from salvation but rather failure to confess the Saviour from sin. Jesus said that for those who are saved, “no one shall pluck them out of my hand.” Salvation is the key. Jesus said, “those who are saved, you will know by their fruit.”

The adversary says, “when you sin and fall short, beat yourself up for sinning.” However, Jesus said, “come unto me all ye who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” We’re saved not because of who we are but because of whose we are. We are sinners saved by grace. When we separate our hearts from God by sinning, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The better the man, the better the preacher, husband, dad, teacher, engineer, or ethical business man. When the preacher resists sin and temptation, it will strengthen the man and give conviction to his message. When we compromise that which is right we hurt the people in our sphere of influence. Holy prayer comes from holy living. We take advantage of the true grace of God when we fight the good fight, when we turn our hearts back to him. We’ll never understand that Jesus is all we need until we get to the place that Jesus is all we’ve got. When we come to the end of ourselves, when we empty ourselves of our selves then he can fill us. Only then can he become our all in all.

Everyone needs to serve someone. It’s either me or Him. The question is “why am I doing what I’m doing?” When Pete asked God to show him how to love his wife, God told him to learn from her how to give love and grace. Love is about blessing the other person… to live to serve her and to honor her through your thoughts, words and actions. You love her by doing the right thing to bless her with the love of God. This is the same relationship that we have with our Lord Jesus Christ. We live to bless Him. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time. Our blessing is that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace who has made us acceptable in the beloved.

Sin and death are realities. The wages of sin is death and then comes the judgement. However, Jesus Christ, who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. Our blessed assurance of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

May we ever live to love, bless, honor and serve Him!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

No Escape

Wherever you go there you are. You can’t escape from yourself. The apostle Paul said, “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” As Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry said after a naval battle in the war of 1812, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” If you think of yourself you’ll be depressed, if you think of the circumstances, you’ll be stressed, but if you think of the Lord, you’ll be blessed.

Without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, Men can’t escape the insidious preoccupation with self. The basis of the sin nature is pride. The devil beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden when he appealed to her pride. He said to her, “God’s not God, you are. If you eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, you’ll be like God.” You won’t need God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost their innocence. Their eyes were opened to the nature of sin, guilt, shame and death. God had said, “on the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die.” They died spiritually that day…disobedience separated them from God. We inherited Adam’s sin nature, his DNA, the genetic “man code”… without God and without hope. The sin nature makes men fearful, lonely, inadequate, and insecure.

According to Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Verse 15 says, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Most men don’t like themselves. As Paul said, “the things that I don’t want to do I do, and the things that I want to do I don’t do. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this dead body.”

The self absorbed man says, “I may not be much, but I’m all I think about.” Egotism is excessive preoccupation with self. The world’s man code says “I’m capable of meeting my own needs.” Self confidence is confidence in my own abilities. The world repeats the devil’s original lie: You don’t need God…you can do it all by yourself.

However, Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10. I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Philippians 3 says, “do nothing through selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind consider others more important than yourself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest but look out for the interest of others. Have this attitude which was also in Christ.”

Philippians’ theme is the Joyful mind. You can’t choose your circumstances but you can choose your attitude. Philippians continues about Jesus Christ: 6. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus gave up the right to himself and relinquished his own will to obey his Father’s will. We may not know the purposes for God’s plan for our lives but we understand that he’s a good, good Father. He has a better plan for us than we could ever imagine. The bond-servant is not bound by law or obligation, rather he is bound by love to willingly serve his master with joy and rejoicing.

Jesus Christ emptied himself and became obedient to death on the cross. In his obedience to his Father he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

According to Philippians 3:9-10, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,”

What God really wants from me is obedience. What we do for God glorifies God and not our ourselves. We have been called “to the praise of the glory of his grace who has made us acceptable in the beloved.”

The old man code says, “I want praise and glory for myself.” However, humility is the antidote to pride. Let all things be done to his glory and not our own. Obedience to God means that our heart is subject to his will. Jesus said to Peter, “lovest me more than these?” Do you love me more than your fishing business and your fishing buddies? ”

Ye are servants of whom you obey. We who have been born again of God’s spirit, can chose whom to serve: our own ego’s or our Lord Jesus Christ. Our calling is to serve our Master from a heart of humility and love. As Oswald Chambers said, humility defeats the “insidious preoccupation with self.” Jesus said, whoever keeps his life shall lose it, but whoever gives his life for my sake will save it.”

The antidote to an insidious preoccupation with self is, “humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and in due time he will exalt you.” We may not understand what he’s doing in our lives but we understand his heart…for he is a good, good Father… a God of loving kindness, tender mercy and gracious love.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael