Video - Allison Allen: Exchanging Our False Names

Author and actress Allison Allen tells the powerful story of a man who exchanged his earthly label for a renewed name in Christ. Forgiveness is huge!  ~Eve

Don't Stray Off the Path

"Wait for the Lord. Behave yourself manfully, and be of good courage. Do not be faithless, but stay in your place and do not turn back."  - Thomas a Kempis

Man did not stay in a state of purity for very long. Tempted and overpowered by Satan, he disobeyed God, bringing ruination to, both, himself and his descendants. We, his offspring, have sadly followed his example; and from a tender age up until now "all we like sheep have gone astray."

Let's look at some areas where we've strayed off the path. All men have gone astray in their thoughts. They've forgotten that God created them (Deuteronomy 32:18). They forget his being and perfections, his presence, providence, goodness, mercy, truth; their dependence on him.

They also forget about the great responsibility they have to love, honor, and obey him: they forget his justice, his warnings, and his firm determination to punish sin. Granted, from time to time something might occur that makes us think about what we're doing; but it isn't too long before we revert back to our sinful ways (Genesis 6:5).

Another problem is that man's devotion to God can turn away. Nothing may point this out better than the state his feelings for Him. They have no interest in divine things. Their souls are totally committed to the world; wherein lie their treasures and their hearts.

They may experience fear and anxiety when faced with death and eternity, but are lacking that love which is the essence of genuine religion (Romans 1:26; 1 John 2:15). Also, men have gone off course in their dialogue or communication with God.

If our thoughts and emotions are corrupt or defiled, then so is our talk. This includes profanity, swearing, curses, and blasphemies (Matthew 12:34; Romans 3:13, 14). Finally, we can follow this line of thought to the way men have strayed in their conduct or manner towards God.

They wander from the paths of piety, justice, mercy and truth. And if it weren't for human laws, it would be difficult to estimate the number of horrible crimes they would commit. In a few words, they are proud, headstrong, greedy, cruel, and full of deceit.

There isn't one sacred command of God which hasn't been broken, not one promise that hasn't been ignored, not one warning which they don't despise. Naturally, there are consequences for those who chose to continue in this way. I include below only a short list of the repercussions caused by our turning aside from God.

We stir up His anger (Psalm 7:11; John 3:36); we risk losing true knowledge of God (Isaiah 60:2); true happiness can be lost due to separation from God (Isaiah 48:22); subject ourselves to misery (Romans 8:10); those who wander from God will ultimately pay a high price (Psalm 9:17).

In closing, take a good look at your present condition. Are you satisfied with it? How can you hope for happiness, while every sin you commit immerses you deeper into misery? Think how hateful sin is to God, and how destructive it has been to men.

You should seriously seek salvation by Jesus Christ. Draw closer to God through him. Pray for mercy, and for grace to help in time of need. Don't wait another minute! By returning to God you will regain his approval.

Scripture: Romans 3:23; James 4:17; 1 John 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; James 1:14

Prayer: Dear God, I pray that You will direct my actions and my steps; help keep me on the straight and narrow path that leads to You always, amen

May God bless you always!

Judy

Can We Be Friends with God?

"Let those be thy choicest companions who have made Christ their chief companion."  - Thomas Brooks

Friend is a human word. We recognize a friend as a someone we know, and with whom we develop a close mutual relationship or friendship. Friends can bring certain elements to our lives. A good friendship is mutually beneficial. Each friend gets something out of it.

As we know, not all friendships are long lived, nor are they always mutually beneficial. Throughout our lives friends come and go like the ebbing tide. If we are really lucky, some friendships can last a lifetime. These friendships are truly worth their weight in gold.

To us, the word friend is a fairly common word. It might even be tossed around just a little too freely. But this is not the case in Scripture. Friend is especially defined and guarded. It's a word that is used sparingly so as not to reveal its full significance. We find the Divine interpretation and definition of friendship in the Book of Proverbs.

A friend is one who: loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17); through conversation, enlivens our intellect as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17); brings joy to the heart, by the pleasantness of their heartfelt advice (Proverbs 27:9); in faithful love, tells us the truth, even if it hurts (Proverbs 27:6); is with us, come what may (Proverbs 18:24).

If we re-examine these examples, we would undoubtedly see what they are alluding to. Everything points to Christ that we might know that he is our friend. But our own weak faith and wisdom can impede us from believing that he is willing, or able, to be such a friend.

How can we possibly be friends with Jesus when he is in heaven and we are stuck down here on earth? After all, he is the Eternal Son of God, our Creator, Redeemer, King, and High Priest. Are we simply being presumptuous here?

The answer is a resounding "No!" Such a friendship with the invisible God has been, and, is possible (Genesis 18:19; Exodus 33:11). Further, Jesus specially arranged for the exchange between us to be a most enjoyable one (John 14: 20, 27). Let's walk together in friendship with him.

Let's promote a strong, and deeply committed friendship with God, rather than one that is anemic and insincere. One, where on that day when we finally all gather together, He can lovingly declare, "my dear friends, you have always obeyed" (Philippians 2:12).

Scripture: Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:8; Romans 11:32; John 15:9-10; 1 John 4:7  

Prayer: Dear Lord, lead me to live in such a way as to treat others in the same way as I would like to be treated. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

Then Ye Shall Know... (Part 1)

"We tend to be a generation of Christians who major on minor matters but do not seem to possess the true measure of the gospel in the knowledge of God. We do not really know God. At best we know about Him."  - Sinclair B. Ferguson

One of the most inspirational sentiments in the world is one in the holy scriptures, which relates to the knowledge of God. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee" John 17:3 (KJV).

To communicate this knowledge, prophets and apostles were inspired with the influence of heaven, and the incarnation of the Son of God in human flesh. The major goal of the Christian ministry is to disperse this knowledge, "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" Daniel 12: 4 (KJV).

Indeed, the acquisition of this knowledge should be the great and continual desire of all of us. "That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good;" Proverbs 19:2 (KJV). Furthermore, the constant aim of the believer should be to grow in this knowledge. "Grow in grace," 2 Peter 3:18 (KJV).

No doubt this raises the question,"What do Christians know about God?"  At the bare minimum there are certain things we should understand about Him. I have mentioned "knowledge" several times when speaking of our relationship with God.

But what is this "knowledge?" That is, what do you and I as Christians really know about Him? There are some common ideas that we should be aware of. Therefore, let's now consider some of this common shared knowledge.

For instance, there is His being, dominion, and providence. There is also His revelation of himself, his majesty, greatness, glory, and goodness, to name just a few. These are things that someone without a doubting mind should know and understand.

Believers also possess a particular awareness of some things that others, who lack familiarity in God, may not. They recognize Him:

- in his merciful and gracious character. He is a God who "pardons sin and forgives transgression" Micah 7:8, and who is "a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love" Nehemiah 9:17.

- in his reconciled love. Accepting them, adopting them, manifesting his love before them, and intimately receiving them.

- in his sanctifying power. Removing uncleaness, cleansing, purifying, eliminating the heart of stone and inserting his Spirit in its place.

- in the elevation and peaceful influences of communion with him. God dwells within his people, walks with them, is represented in suffering, and they with him, as well.

In our brief discussion this week, we have noted the importance of gaining a working knowledge of God, and how this applies to the Christian. But what good is any of this if it does not include purposeful and continual growth on the part of the believer?

Next time, we will address this and present some ideas on the attainment and retention of this knowledge. I hope you can join me then!

Scripture: Proverbs 2:10-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Luke 1:77; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Colossians 2:9

Prayer: Dear God, blessed be Your glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with Your glory! Amen.

May the Lord bless,

Shawna

A Healthy Fear of God

"Fear God and you'll have nothing else to fear."  - Woodrow Kroll

Fear is described as: the feeling or condition of being afraid. We all have experiences with fear. Some of the more common ones can be the fear of flying, heights, clowns, intimacy, death, rejection, people, snakes, failure, and driving.

Then there is the "fear of God." Generally speaking, does this mean that God is someone to be afraid of? Before we try to answer this question, I think it would be helpful to turn to a few Bible verses where this is actually mentioned.

For believers, the fear of God is not to be confused with any worldly fears as this is something completely different. The simplest way to describe it is to be "in awe of God." When we are in awe of something we look at in admiration and wonder (Hebrews 12:28-29). God is not something scary. Believers should revere or worship Him.

For unbelievers, the fear of God is another thing altogether. It represents the fear of His judgment and eternal death, or separation (Luke 12:5; Hebrews 10:31). You can see why they would view God negatively. This is vastly different from the believer's point of view mentioned above.

At one time or another you might have heard the fear of God being described as a "respect" for Him. Naturally we should have a good, healthy respect for Him, but we can expand on this a little more. It would be reasonable to say that believers should have a "biblical fear of God."

What this means for the believer is that he or she should know how much God detests sin, and fear His judgment on it; including in the life of a believer. If you think this means that God will dispense His discipline when it is needed, you are correct (Hebrews 12:5-11).

However, God is not out to get us. Like any other loving parent He desires the best for us. So, we may need a nudge in the right direction by Him from time to time. Not enough to hurt us, mind you, but just enough to instill a fear of His discipline (Hebrews 12:6).

So, when we think of the fear of God, does this mean we should nervously walk around waiting for a lightning bolt to strike us from overhead at any time? Not at all. He loves us. In fact, God promises that nothing can keep us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

To fear God means that we are to have an admiration for the significant influence that He plays in our lives. We should also devote ourselves to obeying God, bowing to His discipline as He sees fit. Most importantly, we should never fear God, but worship Him in the great reverence He deserves.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13 ;Proverbs 1:7; Luke 1:50; Psalm 112:1; Deuteronomy 5:29 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I love You with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my strength, amen.

Have a blessed day!

J'Anna

Video - Havilah Cunnington: The Specific Word of God

This week, Havilah Cunnington author of "Stronger Than The Struggle" explains the difference between the written word of God, and the quickened word of God. Some good food for thought here. Enjoy!  ~Eve

Salvation Doesn't Mean Complacency

"You will not be carried to Heaven lying at ease upon a feather bed."   - Samuel Rutherford

Is it possible to get too comfortable in our thinking of being saved? Once we have repented our sins, accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and are baptized, is that all there is to it? Do we just hit cruise control and wait for Him to come and take us with him?

If we re-read Matthew 7:21 (KJV) we'd see otherwise. As part of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus serves a solemn warning about this type of complacent thinking. He wouldn't have done so if he didn't think it was something that needed to be addressed.

It's pretty safe to say that He knows us better than we know ourselves. You and I are susceptible to self-deception. Even so, there is no excuse for it. But you might be thinking, "Hey, I tell everyone that I believe in Jesus Christ, isn't that good enough?" Let's take a closer look.

Matthew 7:21 (KJV) tells us that, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Here's the honest truth. There aren't any magic words we can say that guarantee our salvation. Although, "Lord, Lord," spoken in sincerity would be a great confession.

In 1 Corinthians 12:3 (KJV), Paul declares that one may profess either truth or untruth; and that one confesses only the truth. The Greek word translated confess means "to say the same thing" as God says.

Now, Paul is not denying that some profess the Lord in falsehood. He's simply affirming that one can't confess the Lord without the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus asks, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" in Luke 6:46 (KJV).

Words are just not enough. As mentioned earlier, there's no magic in words. Additionally, there aren't any actions we can perform to assure our salvation, either. You can read about this in Matthew 7:22-23 (KJV).

Salvation doesn't depend on words or works but on "doing the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Sure, there are proper words to speak and works to do once we accept Jesus, But apart from the acceptance of the will of God, there are no words or deeds that would suffice to make us right with God.

Scripture: Proverbs 1:32; Revelation 3:15-16; Proverbs 13:4; 2 Kings 19:28; Zephaniah 1:12

Prayer: Dear Jesus, open my eyes so that I may always recognize you in my life, amen.

God be with you always,

Kate