Faith

Be Still

Be Still

As we journey through life, we often find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world around us. We are constantly bombarded with noise, distractions, and busyness, and it can be challenging to find a moment of peace. However, the psalmist reminds us to be still and know that God is God. (Psalm 46:10)

In our stillness, we can find a deep sense of peace and connection with our Creator. It is essential to take the time to quiet our minds and hearts and to focus on the presence of God in our lives. When we do this, we open ourselves up to receive the love, guidance, and wisdom that God wants to impart to us.

As we go about our daily lives, we should remember to take moments of stillness to reconnect with God. Whether it is through prayer, meditation, or simply being in nature, we should seek out these opportunities to be still and know that God is God. By doing so, we will find that we are better equipped to face the challenges of life with grace and strength.

Let us take the psalmist’s words to heart and embrace the stillness that allows us to connect with our Creator. As we do so, we can rest in the knowledge that God is, and will be, exalted among the nations and in the earth.

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Faith, Humility, Love, 0 comments
Guard Your Heart

Guard Your Heart

It is important to take care of your heart. Not just the physical heart that pumps blood, but also the emotional heart. The Bible says to “guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23) because everything you do flows from it. This means that your thoughts, words, and actions are all influenced by the condition of your heart.

To guard your heart, you need to be mindful of what you expose it to. Surround yourself with positive influences that build you up and encourage you. Avoid negative influences that tear you down and discourage you. This could include things like negative self-talk, toxic relationships, or harmful media.

Another way to guard your heart is by practicing forgiveness. Holding onto grudges or bitterness can weigh you down and prevent you from living a full and joyful life. By choosing to forgive those who have wronged you, you release yourself from the burden of anger and resentment and open your heart to healing and restoration.

In conclusion, guarding your heart is essential for living a healthy and fulfilling Christian life. By being mindful of what you expose your heart to and practicing forgiveness, you can protect your emotional well-being and positively impact those around you.

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration, Faith
Results of Christian Apathy

Results of Christian Apathy

When a nation 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱; that nation gets exactly what they wanted. We now are witnessing the results of years of “𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆”.

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲; 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

A 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵; more interested in its own survival than with the advancement of a 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺; a church more interested in 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁; a church that 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗲; a church that has 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, but which lacks any power whatsoever; 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼!

I hear a ringing in my heart and is goes like this:

“𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆; 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀; 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻; 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱!”

Is it too late to repent, and turn your; so-called “Christian” Heart to God?

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Trust, 0 comments
New Variant Emerging

New Variant Emerging

Following the recent outbreak of severe thankfulness that swept across the region recently; a new and even more powerful flare-up is emerging; and outpouring of Hopefulness!

Hopefulness finds its mysterious and concerning roots from the core element of “HOPE.”

Hope defined: “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” It is a very elusive quality, that once it takes root in the heart, is nearly impossible to extricate.

Strangely, it causes the infected person to always see the good in others; even those purported to be enemies! It tends to believe that something good, and something greater is just around the bend!

I personally was infected by this new variant; and appear to gaining strength; it is taking root and growing rapidly; and rather than resist; I decided to just let it have me!

Here’s hoping you catch it too!

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Humility, Joy, Love, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments
Pray Upside Down – 15 Week Small Group Bible Study

Pray Upside Down – 15 Week Small Group Bible Study

We are pleased to announce that our Pray Upside Down – 15 Week Bible Study has officially been published by Abiding Line Publishing and is now officially available on Amazon.

We have updated all Scripture verses to the NASB (New American Standard Version) and added a few graphics, and made some slight modifications to the original lesson plan.

 

God’s great hope for us is not simply the forgiveness of sins and a place in heaven when we die; but rather, He wants us totally restored, in heart, mind and soul . . . NOW! 

As we enter into this amazing adventure with God, we soon recognize that we are a part of something tremendous, something that is beyond our earthy perspective, and we are transported into the heavens with Christ; we live, breathe, and find our being in Him!

This Bible study will help you rediscover how it all began, what happened in the Garden of Eden, who is the Devil really, and what is he up to today. 

You will head into the heavenly realms and discover profound truths concerning your relationship with God, and His incredible plan for you.

You will search your heart, preparing for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In this study, you will enter into God’s armory, suiting up with the whole armor of God.

You will discover the Keys to the Kingdom given to you, and learn what they unlock; discovering your true nature in Christ, the authority given, the Sword of the Spirit, the covering armor, and the mission ahead, you will truly learn to pray . . . Upside Down!

Available on Amazon now!

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock, 0 comments
Taste & See

Taste & See

Little children are often reluctant to try new food. Maybe it is the texture, color, smell, or perhaps a friend dislikes it, so it must be awful!

Recall the famous Dr. Seuss story about Green Eggs and Ham; after being chased down time after time, poor Sam I Am tried the dreaded dish, only to find out that they were delightful!

Many folks resist the idea of having a Lord or a Savior. Many have been conditioned to think that God is harsh, mean, overbearing and full of anger towards them.

The fact is, God is merciful, loving, kind and very patient. His goodness is beyond comprehension; the peace that He brings to the restless soul is without measure; nearly impossible to properly define.

It may seem like a cliche` but God is Good . . . all the time!

Go ahead, taste and see for yourself; you are going to like it!

Psalm 34:8

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Joy, Love, 0 comments
The Strength of my Heart

The Strength of my Heart

We frequently get perplexed in this crazy, upside down world.

The ramifications of sinful, power-hungry world leaders can be brutal, unloving, and harsh! Coupled with the unforeseen outbreaks of disease, famine, and death can quickly cause even the stoutest of individuals to lose heart.

Yet, even in the midst of these daunting circumstances, we are reminded that God is still here; we have not been abandoned. His plan of redemption is still unfolding even as we read these words today!

As the Scripture reveals, even though our heart and flesh fail; God is the strength of our heart, and He IS our Portion forever!

Take courage; lean into the arms of God; trust Him, and let His strength be yours today!

Psalm 73:26

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Trust, 0 comments
Salty

Salty

Salt; an essential element; without it, most life on earth would cease!

Salt activates the molecular cells in our bodies; it is the substance that causes the cells to be able to carry electrical impulses.

Salt is a known preservative; being used for centuries to preserve foods of all kinds. It has even been used to preserve “Mummies” found in ancient pyramids.

Salt has curative properties; or years people would seek out “Salt Baths” and would travel miles to places where they could sit and soak in hot “Salt Baths” for the curative powers they would often bring. Many of you have found relief in soaking an ingrown toenail in a warm pan of Epsom salts!

Jesus declared we are to be;the Salt of the Earth; and He is talking about Spiritual Salt. We are to bring the curative message of Jesus to a bruised and hurting world; we are essential to His mission!

One interesting fact about salt; it will make you thirsty! We should live our lives in such a way, as to cause the people we encounter to become thirsty; we can them offer them some of the Living Water that Jesus gave us!

Stay salty my friends!

Matthew 5:13

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Love, Trust, 0 comments
Holiness – Can’t See God Without It! – Part 2

Holiness – Can’t See God Without It! – Part 2

Today is part 2 of our discussion regarding holiness. Let’s have a quick review of what we touched on last week.

 

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

 

These words from the Book of Hebrews seem to echo an Old Testament passage from Leviticus . . .

 

Leviticus 20:7-8

“‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”

 

Since holiness is pivotal to our faith, it becomes a primary concern for us to understand completely what this means.

 

The definition of holiness is this: to be pure, righteous, consecrated. When we come to faith in Christ, we become holy; purified by His blood, which He shed for us! Remember . . .

 

Holiness is a product of God’s Grace; none of us did anything to become holy. In and of ourselves there is nothing holy about us; but by faith through grace, we came to Christ . . . and He made us holy!

 

 

When we come to Jesus, we were, as the Bible declares . . . rescued!

 

Colossians 1:13

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves . . .

 

We were rescued from a life of darkness and brought into a new place; the Kingdom of the Son. We are a part of a new family and the way this family operates is very different from the way we used to do things. God wants us to get to know Him and to become more like Him, and He is holy.

 

Last week we showed the difference between what we often call legalism vs. holiness.

 

Legalism: Following a set of man-made rules so that one appears to be holy before man; or as I refer to as “legislated righteousness.”

 

Holiness: Obeying God’s commands out of love, thereby bringing glory and honor to Him

 

When a person is truly living holy (used for God’s purposes only) something dramatic begins to take place in the life of that individual. That person begins to emulate the very lifestyle of Jesus!

 

Consider Jesus . . . we know He is holy. Do you recall some of the miracles He did; feeding thousands, healing the sick, the lame walk, the blind see, and so much more!

 

Jesus was, and is, wonderfully amazing! He still heals the sick, feeds the hungry, gives comfort to the suffering, and helps the weak and feeble. He is still in the business of being the Lord and Savior of all!

 

He does not do this alone; He uses those who truly have met Him and have chosen to follow His directives! Jesus was on a mission . . . do you recall what that mission was?

 

Luke 4:14-21

 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Jesus read from the Book of Isaiah chapter 61; this is His mission and He has called us to continue His mission, until He returns! This is why we do what we do!

 

It is why we take missionary offerings; it is why we feed the hungry and give clothes to the needy. It is why we donate thousands of dollars to the poor in our community. How awesome it would be if all of us got involved, if all had the desire to serve Jesus!

 

I am about to say a few things that might feel a little “stingy” and as I have said many times, if I step on your toes, perhaps you shouldn’t have had them out there!

 

A huge problem today: many folks within the church who DO NOT TRULY KNOW JESUS are trying to represent Him to others! Instead of giving testimony to His wonderful works, they give testimony to their religion! Instead of inviting people to Jesus, they invite them to church!

 

Now do not get me wrong; please invite and bring people to church with you; but your responsibility is to lead them to a Savior, not a church. Remember, coming to church does not make you a Christian any more than taking your car to the garage makes you a mechanic.

 

We are called to bring people to Jesus, not a religion! Speaking to the Pharisees who were doing this very thing, Jesus said:

 

Matthew 23:15

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

 

For those of you who have met Jesus; please do not be discouraged, but encouraged, to share your faith. Step up and be the ambassador that Jesus Christ has called you to be!

 

You must realize that your life is an open book; and people ARE watching!

 

2 Corinthians 3:2

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.

 

Remember, you and your life, the way you speak, the places you go, the people you surround yourself with; everything you do; even what you think you do in secret, is on display, and people are watching! Recall what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 . . .

 

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Some of you may remember the stories of King David; the Bible calls him a man after God’s own heart. He was a powerful witness to the faithfulness of God, yet when David sinned, he became a reproach. When you have an opportunity, read Psalm 51; it is King David’s confession of that sin and his repentance; Psalm 51 reveals the way out of sin.

 

Make no mistake though; the credibility of your witness for Christ is lost when sin rules in your life!

 

The world today has heard far too many “Christians” giving testimony to a life they are not living! This is the reason that so many view Christianity in such a poor light. People know what God is like and they will examine your life to see if your life reflects His truth, power and holiness; if it does not, then you will be considered a phony.

 

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

 

I encourage you to be a witness for Christ, but to be effective; you MUST live for Christ as well!

 

I have seen so called Christians’ act in ways that betray that designation! Far too many neglect to feed the poor, clothe the naked, and give comfort to the suffering.

 

I have seen Christians fly into fits of rage, go on complaining rants, and don’t even talk about how they handle politics!

 

I have seen Christians complain when the church is in financial need, feeling like all they have is their own and will only give a smidgen, rather than be generous.  I have seen “good Christians” engage in gossip, to the point of obsession!

 

Yet these same “Christians” profess to know Christ, but their deeds deny Him!

 

Titus 1:16

They claim to know God, but by their actions, they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

 

So, how does all this fit, with the topic of holiness? It has everything to do with it! Remember, holiness is being set apart for God and His purpose only. As followers of Jesus, when we forget that, and start living for our own desires, rather than God’s, we become unholy and we sin.

One of the most profound instances of a man coming face to face with holiness is found in the Book of Isaiah, let’s read . . .

 

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

 

Isaiah saw God! His first response was to declare that he was undone; literally meaning he would melt and dissolve! He confessed that he was a man who had unclean (unholy) lips and he lived among a people who were the same way and now he has seen the King of Kings!

 

Isaiah recognized he is a sinful man; and remember, it is what comes out of your mouth that makes you clean or unclean; that is why the first thing Isaiah knew, was that his lips were unclean; and he confessed that sin right away.

 

How about you . . . do you have unclean lips? What comes out of your mouth?

 

The first step toward holiness; is humility. The Bible declares:

 

Psalm 51:17 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

 

And . . .

 

James 4:6    “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

 

There is something very pleasing to God, when our heart is broken, over our brokenness.

 

When Isaiah saw his heart for what it really was, he melted before God and was quick to declare that he was a sinful man. An old friend once told me; “Come clean with God and you will be Clean with God.”

 

When we come to the place of humility and “get real” before God, when hot tears of repentance flow down our cheeks, an amazing thing takes place!

 

When Isaiah confessed and declared himself to be unholy, God sent the seraphim and they took a hot coal from the altar of God and touched Isaiah’s lips; the part of his body that he saw as unclean!

 

The fire of God purged the sin from Isaiah! The seraphim said that his guilt was taken away and his sin atoned for!

 

Total and complete restoration! AND ISAIAH DID NOTHING BUT CONFESS HIS SIN!!!

 

Suppose you are in Isaiah’s place today, and you see the Lord; high and lifted up, the train of His robe filling the temple and He looks at you . . . what do you say? I am a man or a woman of . . .

 

  • unclean lips              
  • unclean mind            
  • evil hands                 
  • lustful eyes               
  • greed
  • anger                         
  • envy                           
  • bitterness                 
  • hatred                       
  • unforgiveness

 

Are you ready for the fire of God to purge the sin from your heart? He will; if you would only humble yourself, and acknowledge your own sinfulness before Him!

 

When you have this defining moment in your life; when you come face to face with the Living God; everything changes, and your life reflects the One who rescued you!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Family, Holiness, Humility, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments
Holiness – Can’t See God Without It – Part 1

Holiness – Can’t See God Without It – Part 1

There may be no other word used in the Bible that congers up more confusion and misunderstanding than the word holiness. Sometimes when we think of holiness, we see visions of a stern and stoic group of people, living under harsh rules and regulations, devoid of laughter and mirth.

 

Many of us grew up with a skewed view of what holiness is, and many think being holy will cause so much discomfort that they choose to avoid getting to close to churches that espouse to be a holiness church.

 

I am hopeful we can shed some light on what exactly it means to be holy and why it will bring joyful exuberance to your life; more than you ever could have imagined!

 

The Bible reveals how very important holiness is; without it, we are in trouble!

 

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.

 

In light of this, it is important to understand what this means, so much depends on it! The word used for “holiness” is this:

Hagiasmos     hag-ee-as-mos‘   –  purification, a state of purity; to be consecrated, sanctification

 

When the Hebrews established a system of sacrificing to God, they built a large temple in Jerusalem. All of the temple equipment went through a ritual of cleansing and was consecrated to God; that ceremonial cleansing, made those objects, holy unto the Lord. All of that equipment was declared to be “set apart” different from other items, because they were dedicated, and consecrated to God and His use.

 

Remember, God is Holy and CANNOT be in the presence of sin; to be in God’s service, holiness is NOT OPTIONAL! To be Holy unto the Lord, is to be set apart for God and for His purposes ONLY.

 

Holiness is a product of Grace; none of us did anything to become holy. In and of ourselves there is nothing holy about us; but by faith, through grace, we came to Christ . . . and He declared us holy!

 

God’s greatest desire is that we would enjoy close friendship with Him. He wants us to “hang out with Him” and He wants us to share His nature too. When we come to Christ, we were, as the Bible declares . . .

 

Colossians 1:13

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves . . .

 

We were rescued from a life of darkness and brought into a new place; the Kingdom of the Son. We are a part of a new family and the way this family operates is very different from the way we used to do things. God wants us to get to know Him and to become more like Him, and He is holy.

 

There is a great deal of confusion over what true holiness is and we can easily get caught up in what we often refer to as legalism. I define legalism as “legislated righteousness.”

 

When we lay down a bunch of rules and regulations, declaring that holiness is granted, according to our obedience to these rules, insisting they be followed; that is legalism.

 

Jesus alone declares us Holy by virtue of being “washed” in His Blood!

 

The Israelites received the Law of God through Moses; yet following it to the letter never brought salvation. The law was a continual reminder of the sinfulness of the people who were to live by it!

 

Even today, those attempting to live under those laws, certainly feel a sense of condemnation hanging over their head. They cannot keep to the law entirely; try as they might, they just can’t do it; they live with an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame for being unable to.

 

James 2:10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

 

We soon find ourselves in the predicament Paul spoke of in his letter to the church in Rome . . .

 

Romans 7:14-20

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 

Does this sound familiar; perhaps is may very well describe the way you feel.

 

Too often, folks will want to “try to be a Christian.” It is in the trying that life often becomes so unbearable that they slip away, never feeling as though they will ever measure up to the standards that God has laid down for them to live by. Disillusioned and sad, they go away hurt and confused; some never recover from this!

 

When we try to be a Christian, we fall into a performance-based religion and we quickly realize that something is out of kilter here. While the mind and heart may want to change and fall in line with these new rules and regulations, something deep inside intuitively knows that this is not the “real” you.

 

We tend to base our Christianity on how well we perform it. Instead of “being” a Christian, we try to “do” Christianity; we put on happy Christian faces and say all the right Christian things, trying to assure folks we are certainly a Christian. We tend to wear “two hats” one when we are around church folks and another around worldly folk; the difference is glaring!

 

When it comes to God’s law, we know it is good. The whole purpose of God’s law was to show us what He is like. It is as if God is asking; “Would you like Me to be your God? If you do, then this is what I am like.”

 

The law of God, quickly reveals that we are nowhere near being like Him; those laws reveal just how far away from God we really are! Recognizing this disparity causes us great conviction and we humble ourselves and come to Jesus. The law of God helps us understand our need for salvation; it moves us toward salvation.

 

Jesus declares in John 6:44; “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” Drawn to God, we come to a “flash point” and then in an amazing, God inspired act of grace, we come to faith and believe in Christ, rescued and brought into His kingdom. The law of God accomplished its mission!

 

Now, as we learn to live in this new kingdom, the law no longer has hold over us; or rather, it does not condemn us. Oh, it still stands, and it is still righteous, and it remains a strong reminder of what the character of God is like; but we are now on the other side of that law, and we are now safely in the kingdom.

 

  • Without the gift of Christ, the law stood in judgment of us and we were certainly condemned. The law stood as a reminder of our sinful nature and we lived in fear. Now, as a redeemed child of God, that fear is lifted, and we live in, and under, grace!

 

We can go back to that amazing passage in the Book of Romans we referred to earlier . . . the one where Paul struggled with sin. The following chapter is a celebration of life being lived differently.

 

Romans 8:1-11

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

 

So, we can clearly see that when we come to faith in Christ, we are set free from the law; it has done its work and we are now living by the Spirit . . . this is really good news!

 

Remember, the purpose of holiness, is to allow us to be in right relationship with God Himself; set apart for Him and His purposes ONLY. When we believed in Christ for redemption and we transferred into His kingdom, we became holy; not by anything we did, but by what He did. His sacrifice and His Blood washed away the stains of sin and we were declared holy!

 

Now here is the clincher . . . listen to these three passages . . .

 

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

 

2 Corinthians 7:1

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

 

1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

 

In all three of these passages, the admonishment to be holy and to keep ourselves separated to God is clear. Unlike the articles used in the temple of God, we make choices and we have free will. Now rescued from the world of darkness, we have an obligation to stay in the Kingdom of His Son.

 

We are part of a family, God’s family, and there ARE rules to follow and new ways to learn.

 

These passages; written to us so that we would be mindful of the awesome responsibility we all have as followers of Jesus and that is to keep ourselves holy.

 

It is here . . . right here, where the issues of legalism and rule-making and breaking come into play. We not only have a responsibility to God, but to one another. In order to keep everyone on the same page . . . so to speak, we often make additional rules and regulations to live by; markers along the way to keep any wayward folks in check.

 

While rules and regulations have great value, they do not save. These man-made rules and regulations may keep you from getting hurt or hurting others, but they, in and of themselves, cannot save you, nor can they keep you saved!

 

Once the law propelled us to Christ and we were born again into the Kingdom of the Son, the work of the law was finished; its mission accomplished!

 

Under the Spirit, when we sin, we are no longer condemned, but convicted and there is a huge difference! Under the Spirit, we don’t want to sin; we are getting to know God more and more; Jesus is the One who extends His hand to us and says; “Come, follow me.” It is in the following, that we grow and find our place in the Kingdom of God. It is in the following that our lives begin to take on the likeness of Jesus.

 

I have often been asked by anxious people; “Pastor; is my lifestyle going to send me to hell?” The real issue is not lifestyle, but life. Anyone one without Christ is lost and according to Jesus, they are condemned already.

 

 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. . . “               John 3:18

 

The person who is lost will spend eternity without Christ, not because of a lifestyle, but because they have not come to Christ.

 

I say to that questioning soul; they need Jesus, redemption is only in Him. When Jesus reaches out His hand, and you decide to follow Him; your lifestyle will begin to look remarkably like His! Oh, and by the way, His lifestyle is holy!

 

Walking with Jesus is not for the fainthearted. It is not an easy walk and the way can be difficult. He quickly reveals areas of your life that need attention. He will want you to learn to trust Him; with relationships, finances, children, your future, your health and much, much more!

 

Keep in mind that you have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, and it may take a while before you get everything right; just remember, as a child of the King, you are no longer under condemnation, but you have been set free!

 

Let’s keep pursuing the way of holiness together and see where it leads . . . this is going to be good!

 

Next week, Lord willing . . . Part II

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Family, Holiness, Humility, Ministries, Prayer, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments
Woke

Woke

Over the last few years I have witnessed a growing trend often referred to as “wokeness;” which actually has become a new word; as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary:
 
 
Wokeness – noun – “a state of being aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality”
 
 
I have noticed that our Americanized culture has become “woke” to a myriad of societal problems that include; sexual abuse and intimidation, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning), abortion rights, or lack thereof, racial issues, right to free speech, gun control issues, and on and on it goes!
 
 
I have witnessed the “church” react, often predictably, to each of these injustices in varying degrees of capitulation to the worldly wisdom proffered by the “learned” establishment types purporting to be in the know.
 
 
I have observed denominational leaders, from multiple organizations; touting how very proud they are of their heritage, doctrine, and posture on all of these issues. Sadly, the mention of Jesus` Name in most of these discourses is strikingly absent, a sad commentary of the condition of the heart. One may consider reading what Jesus had to say about the churches described in the first few chapters of Revelation.
 
 
I think Jesus is earnestly praying for the “church” in America to become “WOKE” to His Spirit in these waning days of a great country. I can feel His hot tears running down His cheek; much like He experienced while riding down into Jerusalem many years ago when He said:
 
 
“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”Luke 19:42-44
 
 
It’s NOT about an election, as important as this one is; it’s about a Savior, a Redeemer, a very Holy Spirit, crying softly for a people to return to Him.
 
 
The window is very, very short, and time is slipping away. Listen to His still small voice, DO NOT ignore it:
 
 
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
 
Look full in His wonderful face
 
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
 
In the light of His glory and grace
 
Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Prayer, Trust, 0 comments
30 Years Ago

30 Years Ago

30 years ago this week, I had an encounter that irrevocably altered the trajectory of my life.

In an old hot, barn type building, I reluctantly sat listening to a preacher man tell of the need for a Savior.

I wanted so bad to run out of there that night! As the preacher man started his closing comments, I began looking for my escape!

To my left sat my 2 children, David and Shelly; next to them was Rev David Archer, hands folded and praying for me!

As I turned to my right, looking for my wife, Sherri, I noticed she was gone, and was now down at the front of that old building, kneeling in prayer! My little sister Jenniferwas down there too!

I felt like I would explode, anxiety was building and I decided to leave the building . . . I needed air or I thought I would die.

When I reached the aisle, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder; the next thing I knew, I was on my knees at the front of that old church building.

Some say weak men go to Jesus as an out; I wasn’t weak, I was broken, I did NOT want to be there, yet there I was!

Jesus came looking for me, and He gently cornered me that night, and looked into my heart. When my eyes met His, and with tears flowing, I said to Him: ” I got nothing to give you, nothing”

With compassion and grace He replied: “I’ll take it.”

30 years later I still love Him, the oddest thing . . . He still loves me!

Some of my dearest friends think Jesus is a joke, a fallacy propagated for over 2 millennia.

My earnest prayer today, is that the same Jesus that looked into my heart, would be pleased to look into yours!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Family, Holiness, Humility, Prayer, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments
RACE – ism

RACE – ism

I am perplexed by the recent “woke-ness” inside the church; as if all of a sudden the church realizes that racial inequality, unfairness, and privilege, is something new and appalling.

I notice many church leaders jumping wholeheartedly into the narrative being portrayed by an ungodly media (pick your poison, right or left) whose very lifeblood is derived from hate, anger and animosity.

Many folks who have addressed, and consistently address, the ongoing issues of racism, are being made to feel guilt, shame, and embarrassment for not doing enough.

As Christian leaders, we are supposed to believe the Gospel message; and should have been “born again” of the Spirit long ago, and awakened to the injustice of racism early. One of the first issues a Christian leader MUST come to terms with, is the issue of race-ism.

The Bible is very clear:

James 2:8-9

“If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

Leviticus 19:33-34

“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”

Colossians 3:9-11

 “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

The Scriptures mentioned here are only but a few of many that show there is ONE Body in Christ, and there are NO RACIAL distinctions whatsoever.

Please, allow me to share my own journey as I negotiated the issue of racism in a small, white community, in rural America.

I did not encounter any racism being expressed in my home, as a matter of fact, I recall my father telling of a black man he had met while working for a paving company in the area; they were good friends, and he always spoke kindly of him; often highlighting the grief his friend faced at the hands of other men.

It was in school, when the issue of racism began to present its ugly head. Our “white” community had only one black family, and the kids were mercilessly mocked and ridiculed in school.

On more than one occasion I would see a young black child weeping in a corner after being verbally and physically abused by a group of bullies.

I began to understand that racism is taught to children and usually it is taught in the home.

Nearly 20 years after high school, through an amazing set of circumstances, my wife and I came to faith in Christ, and in 1995, I was appointed as pastor, and I would serve two small churches, one in my hometown, and another church in a smaller community 16 miles away.

The little church in my hometown, had a beautiful white piano, with a name inscribed on a brass tag; “In Loving Memory – James Carter” I always wondered who he was.

It was not long after my pastoral ministry began, that I noticed the racial slurs some of the people in my churches were using; I did not like it, and I knew God wanted me to address it; I was at a loss to know how.

One day, the matriarch of the only black family in our town came to church; she was a stunningly beautiful woman, she wore a white dress, her hair meticulously styled, and as she walked in, all eyes were on her.

I knew her name was Lois; I had gone to school with her son; we were in the same class. I introduced myself after church and told her I was so glad she came. As we talked, she told me that she used to attend this church, but had not been there for a few years and wanted to “check it out” as some of her grandchildren attended Sunday school here.

Later on, she would share with me that her husband had tragically died some years ago, and that the white piano in the front of the church, was donated in his name; I was stunned!

I began to spend more and more time getting to know Lois, we would talk on and on after church and at various church functions where she would attend. I began to learn the depths of her pain; having raised her family in a very racist community. I will share the depths of those racist roots in a few moments.

I can remember asking her how she would like to be addressed; as in African American, or a black woman. She responded to me that she was not born in Africa, nor were her parents born there, so she is not African.

She also said that just like there are different colors of white people, there are different colors of black people too. She told me that she just prefers to be called a woman of color.

I felt it was time to address the issue of racism in our church and I asked Lois if she would help me. I told her that it would require a great deal of courage on her part, but I felt God was leading us to do it; so with great trepidation, she said yes.

On the following Sunday morning, as our church gathered, I had taken one of the extra large pulpit chairs and placed it in the front center of the church, right near the altar. After a few songs were sung, I stepped up to the pulpit and began to address the issue of racism.

I shared how prevalent it was in our community; but I was more concerned how widespread it was inside our own church, and that it was time dealt with it. You could feel the tension; it was palpable!

After a few passages of Scripture, like the ones shared earlier in this article, I asked Lois if she would please come and sit in the chair. She took a deep breath and came forward and sat down.

I began to address the congregation of about 60 or so and I asked a few pointed questions:

  • Did you ever listen to, and then laugh at, a racially charged story or joke?

 

  • When you were at the grocery store and needed something in aisle 3, but noticed Lois was there, did you avoid her and go over to aisle 4 instead, so as not to be seen socializing with her in public?

 

These questions, along with a few others, caused great conviction upon the congregation; tears began to fall. I told the folks that they now had an opportunity to make it right, a time to ask forgiveness, a time to heal.

One by one, with tears and sobbing, as our pianist played the piano dedicated to the memory of her husband, people came forward, asking Lois for forgiveness; it was one of the most powerful moments I have ever been involved in.

Later the next year, my mother, passed away. Mom was my confidant, I could go to her with any problem; she never judged me, always hoped for me, and loved me unconditionally! Her passing affected me deeply, and I missed her so much.

I recall about a year after my mom passed away, I was sitting with Lois having early morning coffee with her at her home. She had invited me to come have coffee with her in the mornings, and we would talk and pray together.

As I sat there, I looked over at Lois and began to share with her how much I missed my mom. I told her some of the fond stories I remembered, and how much my mom had impacted my life.

I was overcome with emotion and I looked at Lois and I asked her: “Lois, I need a mom in my life, someone who will listen to me without judging, who loves me without conditions . . . Lois, would you be my mom?”

Big tears began to roll down her beautiful face and she reached across the table and grabbed my hands, and she said; “I would love to be your mom”, and then she said; “but oh I love my children!”

In 2000, our little church bought an old school building and we moved into it. Lois came along too, and so did some of her children and grandchildren. I wanted our church to be a safe place for her and for anyone else who felt disenfranchised by this cruel world.

As we began ministry in the old school; I came across some old newspaper articles and I read the story of the dedication of the old school in 1924.

It seems that the school did not have the money to purchase an American flag and the area Ku Klux Klan stepped in and offered to buy the flag, and the school accepted the offer!

Once again, we took the initiative to renounce that offer and we pushed back the racial hatred foisted on a community nearly 100 years ago!

Several years later, we had a Navajo Evangelist by the name of TH Lee, come to our church for a week of meetings. As I prayed for these meetings I was reminded how in the late 1700’s a party of white men, came to an Indian Village near Sinnemahoning, a town in our county, and there killed a small village of Native American Indians.

As we were getting ready to kick off a week of meetings Sunday morning with our Native American friend; God spoke loudly to me. It was ten minutes before the service began and God said: “Get a shovel and go out to the front yard of the church and bring in a section of sod.”

So, I ran quickly to the tool room, grabbed a shovel, and in my suit I ran out to the front yard and began to dig; I carefully cut out a rectangular piece of sod. Directly across the yard is a large Catholic church with dozens of people looking curiously at me, digging in the front yard in my suit on Sunday morning!

I took the sod inside and placed it on a silver plated platter. As I got ready to introduce the guest Navajo speaker, I shared with the congregation about the way our county got started; by the killing of American Indians!

With tears streaming, I gave the “land” back to our Native American friend, and I asked him to forgive us, and to bless our land! With tears streaming down his face, he forgave us, and blessed our land!

Over the course of ministry in that small, mostly white community, I did not tolerate racism coming from anyone in the church.

If I heard racially charged language I would shut it down, and if it persisted, I would ask the person(s) to leave. Remember, you get what you tolerate, and there are some things worth going to the wall over, and this is one of them!

So when I hear pastors and leaders today, jumping on the band-wagon so to speak; saying all the right things, denouncing racism, as they should, the inequality facing minority people of any color, class or creed, I applaud; but I also say; what took you so long!

You are NEVER going to change the sinful nature of broken humanity, apart from the Power and Presence of God Himself. Oh, it would be wonderful if we could cause sinful man to act godly, if we could jump in with the worldly and turn their hearts, convincing them to be nice and kind to one another.

Your flavor of politics is NOT going to help; throwing your money and voice behind anarchistic ventures won’t help . . . so what will?

You are supposed to be salt and light to a broken dying world.

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Repent, YOU repent!

Please don’t waste your time telling others to do it if you won’t! It will ONLY start if you start! Once you deal with YOU, then you can become part of the solution to the problem; otherwise YOU are the problem.

Matthew 7:3-5

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I could tell stories of churches where racism is no longer tolerated; where diversity abounds and the differences in race and color are beautiful to behold.

Racism is the topic of the day right now; next month perhaps it will be climate change, or perhaps back to the virus, or the perils of capitalism, or socialism, or whatever “ism” that suits the insatiable desire of sinful humanity to garner support, money, and perhaps a little fame.

As Christians we would be wise to remain steadfast in our convictions, resisting the knee-jerk reaction the world so fervently desires from us. God’s Word remains true; He remains faithful, and we must hold fast to Him.

Your faith in Jesus is about to be tested in ways you never imagined, and the temptation to buy into the worlds wisdom will be very strong; resist it!

Remember this one thing: “Either the church will disciple the world, or the world will disciple the church”

Take a few minutes today and carefully read John 15 again and let Jesus own words strengthen you.

An old familiar hymn comes to mind for times such as these . . .

 

In Times Like These

In times like these you need a Savior,

In times like these you need an anchor;

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,

This Rock is Jesus, the only One;

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these you need the Bible,

In times like these, O be not idle;

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,

This Rock is Jesus, the only One;

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these I have a Savior,

In times like these I have an anchor;

I’m very sure, I’m very sure

My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,

This Rock is Jesus, the only One;

Be very sure, be very sure,

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Prayer, 0 comments
Repent or Perish – You Choose

Repent or Perish – You Choose

A few words today, about the issue of repentance. There is an interesting passage tucked into the Book of Luke that we need to examine.

Luke 13:1-9

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

In this amazing passage we see Jesus helping us understand that without repentance, we will most certainly perish.

The folks who were there with Jesus, brought up the fact that Pilate had killed some Galileans who were offering sacrifices to God. This was most likely an attempt to bait Jesus. The persons who brought this question were not disciples, but were mostly antagonists who wanted to show the injustice of God; after all, these Galileans were offering sacrifices to God, but apparently God was not able to protect them.

Jesus, knowing their intent, answers with a question, followed by another incident that everyone would have known about. Jesus then shared the parable of the fig tree.

This short parable is a warning to everyone who will listen to it. Just before sharing this parable, Jesus told those listening that if they did not repent, they would also perish; and he said it twice!

In the parable, the owner went out to see if his fig tree had any fruit on it; it did not. The owner was upset and wanted to cut it down; why should it waste good dirt. The fig tree did not bear any fruit for 3 years!

One hears John the Baptist’s voice echoing; Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Luke 3:8

We could argue that the owner is God Himself, and He sees no repentance, no fruit and He is ready to cut down the tree! However, there is a Gardener, perhaps Jesus, who speaks out on behalf of the fig tree; maybe you are the tree!

The Gardener says; let me have one more go at it! Give me one year; I will dig around, I will fertilize the tree, and I will do everything I can to get this to produce fruit; if it produces nothing after one year; then go ahead, cut it down.

In this little parable we see both the mercy and patience of God; but we also see there is a limit. A time comes when that tree, which has been fed, watered, and tended to for years, is determined to be of no value and is destroyed. The window of grace and mercy closes, and that chapter ends. What a sad ending indeed!

So, we need to repent, while there is still an opportunity to do so!

Definition of Repentance

METANOEO  – compunction  (anxiety arising from awareness of guilt) – reversal of thought, or change of mind.

Biblical repentance means to change your mind about sin, to have hatred towards it, and turn away from it. When the Spirit of God convicts you of sin, you have a feeling of compunction, a sense of OH BOY, I’m in trouble, and I know why!

At this point you have two choices, either agree that you have been nabbed (confess) or resist, and dig in your heels.

You may recall John the Baptist coming along, proclaiming the Way of the Lord. Repent; He declared, calling people to sorrow over their sin. What John was saying is this; the Lord is coming, He will be here soon, and you are NOT ready for Him. You are still in your sins, repent, recognize sin for what it is, recognize that you are a sinner . . . feel it! Know it! And repent!

Many of the people coming to John the Baptist did recognize it, and they came from all over the place to be baptized by John.

Let me ask you . . .

  • Have you ever felt the need to repent?
  • Have you recognized the seriousness of your sin condition?
  • Do you KNOW you are a sinner?
  • Does it bother you?
  • Have you repented?

Please remember this; if you are still willfully engaging in known sin, you have not repented, and you are still in need of a Savior, who longs to help you, as soon as you come to your senses, and repent.

NO REPENTANCE – NO SALVATION

When true repentance happens, a change of heart and mind sets in that actually changes the entire nature of the individual affected.

False repentance is when a person is “caught” in a sin, and they feign sorrow about it. They might even weep over the situation that has unfolded. However, as time progresses, you may notice the actor will begin to minimize the indiscretion. They may say things like; “It was not as bad as it seemed” or “What I did was wrong, but not all that bad.”

Some will say; “Well, God seems to be blessing me.” Remember this; God makes the rain to fall on the good and the bad, the just and the unjust!

This is false repentance, which is no repentance at all.

What folks are trying to do is minimize their wickedness in the sight of man. They do not want others to think less of them because of a sin they committed, so they minimize it, and deflect responsibility, often pointing to the sins of others, declaring that there are not as bad as them..

Jesus shares another parable to help illustrate this very concept.

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When we try and deflect, when we try and minimize our sin, we exalt our own righteousness and goodness and it is, quite frankly, a stench to God.

True repentance happens when we take complete responsibility for our actions and humble ourselves before God. If someone was responsible for bringing to light our sin, we would thank them as one saving our very life!

True, heartfelt repentance, brings about a dramatic change and a sense of God’s Spirit in a way that was never felt before. For the truly repentant, when opportunities to sin present themselves in the future, an entirely different scenario unfolds, one in which we see things from God’s perspective and not from a carnal, or earthly perspective.

It is time for true repentance to happen; or risk being cut down, and thrown into the fire; which will it be for you?

On this Day, Good Friday, many years ago, the same crowd who was previously chanting Hosanna, would be shouting “crucify Him.” When they realized that Jesus was not going to lead a revolt, that He would not miraculously deliver Israel from the Romans, they quickly turned, and followed the religious rulers of the day.

None of this deterred Jesus, He was on a mission, a mission that would lead Him to the Cross, where He would willingly lay down His life for all of humanity. He would do it for His friends, and for His enemies alike.

Jesus was on a mission to change forever the power structure in the heavenly realms. The devil who had so deceived and tormented humanity, was about to be crushed. The victory that Jesus would bring through His death and resurrection would not only affect that current generation, but would echo throughout eternity, to every generation, the same. Praise the Lord!

  • Have you been looking for a deliverer?
  • Are you tired of playing the same old “religious” games?
  • Are you looking for real transformation?
  • Are you ready for a change in the power structure of your life?
  • Do you feel as though your life is being held in bondage to sin?
  • Jesus is still the great deliverer! He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and the powerful work of the Cross is still having an effect today.

God loves you so much, that He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to take upon Himself a penalty for your sin, that you are unable to pay. Turn away from your sinful life to Jesus and LIVE! The window of opportunity is closing rapidly, don’t wait another day!

The choice is yours . . . choose well.

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Trust, 0 comments
Contagion

Contagion

The definition of “contagion” – noun

  • “the communication of disease by direct or indirect contact”
  • “the ready transmission or spread as of an idea or emotion from person to person”

In our prudent diligence, and warranted sensitivity, to fend off a rapidly spreading disease, we need to be extremely careful, that a secondary, even more sinister and deadly disease does not piggy-back on this virus.

It is very concerning when an invisible enemy threatens us, and menaces those we love. If not careful, we get frightened, agitated, and reactive; rather than thoughtful, caring, and compassionate. Without constraints, we panic and begin acting irrational, selfish, and petulant toward our fellow man; acting out of fear; survival mode kicks into high gear, and we begin operating dangerously!

God knows us so well, and understands our propensity to fear, so He gives us His Word to calm our hearts. He says:

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

So, as we maneuver through the days ahead, avoid falling into the fear trap, it will be unfruitful, causing great harm to all. Instead, trust God, reach out to Him; be kind and patient with those who may see things a little differently; especially those who are fearful.

Be the calm one, the one who trusts in God. Be a person of prayer, look for opportunities to be helpful; the opportunities to show the power and love of God are abounding right now; don’t miss out!

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Family, Prayer, Trust, 0 comments
Fire Burning

Fire Burning

I have a fire burning in my soul that gets hotter and hotter the older I get. As we travel around and speak in different churches, my heart aches, for the sleeping, carnal church.

It’s like the devil has sung them a soft lullaby and they have all gone asleep.

Some  say the “church” in America is weak and anemic; however I’ve been telling the churches I am preaching in, that the church belonging to Jesus Christ, is white hot and on fire,  it’s moving, breaking chains, saving souls; the sad truth is; much of what we call the church . . . is not the church!!!

Our pop culture has discipled the church into providing exactly what “itching ears” want to hear. Today, we seem to be reaping the unfortunate benefits of this “pseudo Christianity.”

There is hope though, if you can find yourself a high mountain someplace, and listen intently, you will hear a rising chorus of repentant hearts calling out to God; responding to His glorious invitation:

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”   2 Chronicles 7:14

Join with me, and thousands of others, in this repentant chorus, do it now, don’t put it off one more day . . . too much is at stake!

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2019 – What a Year!

2019 – What a Year!

We wanted to drop a note sharing a few highlights of our evangelistic endeavors for the calendar year 2019.

We had the privilege of preaching (35) Sunday services in various churches across Pennsylvania. Our target churches are primarily Free Methodist Churches, but we were also thrilled to share in several “Wesleyan” churches as well.

We also had the joy of leading the Pine Grove Family Camp in Saratoga Springs this year. We led the evening preaching, and the morning Bible studies, an amazing time for sure!

While in Saratoga Springs, we met Nick Caras, the area director of the Saratoga Springs Race Track Chaplaincy. He gave us the grand tour of the Racetrack in Saratoga Springs, introducing us to many of the workers there. Prior to the annual races, over 3500, mostly migrant workers arrive and work behind the scenes to make the race happen. Nick Caras and his team minister to those workers, providing counseling, worship services, and prayer. What a ministry!

Along with preaching, Sherri led several women’s retreats, performed a wedding, and led a memorial service requested by a family we had known for many years.

We traveled over 7000 miles sharing the Gospel, challenging churches to step up and step into, the calling God has graciously given to everyone who names Jesus as Lord!

We are looking forward to another exciting year serving the church; if you need us, give us a shout and we will do our best to help where we can!

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Ministries, Trust, 0 comments
A Consuming Fire

A Consuming Fire

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28

The writer of the Book of Hebrews also recalled the words of Moses from Deuteronomy 4:24

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

It is true; God often manifests Himself in fire!

Recall when Moses met with God in the desert . . .

Exodus 13:21-22

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”

Fire describes a characteristic of God, and it continues into the New Testament.

You may recall John the Baptist, who would become one of the greatest prophets of God that ever lived. Here is what he declared to the people who came to see him in the desert. . .

Matthew3:1-12

 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

So there it is; our God is a God of fire . . . a consuming fire, and those who would come to Jesus, WILL BE BAPTIZED BY FIRE!

Biblical fire does three things; it provides light, purifies and consumes.

Light

God manifested Himself in a pillar of fire, so that the Israelites could see in the darkness. The fire of God, illuminates us, and reveals darkness. Jeremiah 23:29 declares to us . . .

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

The fire of God, His Word, searches our heart, revealing darkness and sin; it is His way of showing us where we need cleansing and help.

God does not reveal these things to make your life miserable; He is showing you why your life is miserable already, and He stands ready to apply the remedy!

Purification

Secondly, fire purifies. When bacteria gets into the water, the only sure way to cleanse it, is to bring the water to a boil, killing all the bacteria.

 

God’s word is like fire and when it reveals those dark places in us, it will purify us. Recall the often quoted Scripture in 1 John 1:9; we quote this passage when we recognize sin.

“If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgives us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness”

 

John the Baptist was speaking of this baptism of fire. Jesus reveals all of the rubbish in our heart that has been keeping us away, standing at a distance, if you will.

As He reveals this to us, we are now faced with a golden opportunity, one in which we agree with Him that it is truly rubbish, it is sin!

This revelation by Him to us and our agreement with HIM, that sets up this remarkable purification of the heart. The fire of God cleanses us. There is an old hymn I love . . .

 

The Crimson Wave

Oh, now I see the cleansing wave!
The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
Points to His wounded side.

Refrain

The cleansing stream I see! I see!
I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me!
Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me!
It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.

I rise to walk in Heav’n’s own light,
Above the world and sin,
With heart made pure and garments white,
And Christ enthroned within.

Refrain

I see the new creation rise;
I hear the speaking blood.
It speaks! Polluted nature dies!
Sinks ’neath the cleansing flood.

Refrain

Amazing grace! ’tis Heav’n below
To feel the blood applied,
And Jesus, only Jesus know,
My Jesus crucified.

Oh to be purified by the Baptism of Christ through Fire!

 

Judgment

Lastly, fire brings judgment. As John the Baptist declared earlier . . .

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

For those rejecting Christ’s offer of unconditional love, grace and mercy; the fire of God will consume them and they will be utterly lost forever; destined to an eternity of fire; a place prepared for the devil and his angels.

 

Revelation 20:11-15

 

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

So . . .  what will you do?

 

I heard someone once say; “God is a come as you are God, but not a stay as you are God”

 

If the Refiner of your soul is revealing anything that needs to be purified and cleansed, do not hesitate; allow Him the freedom to do the work only He can do!

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
The Problem with the Ten Commandments

The Problem with the Ten Commandments

We are living in a day and age where politically correct folks view the 10 Commandments of the Bible as being obsolete. It is very common for those in authority today, to be habitually breaking these commandments, and receiving no punishment whatsoever for their wrongdoings.

 

What is wrong with the 10 Commandments anyway? I mean, most people would rather be, told the truth, than be lied to. Most married couples prefer that their spouse remain faithful them, and when it comes to stealing, the majority of us do not want to be robbed.

 

We prefer that our neighbors tell the truth about us, and not make up false stories about our lives. In addition, what is wrong with honoring your father and mother?

 

We could go on and on through the Commandments, and most would agree that they are beneficial.

 

  • Why the big ruckus over the 10 Commandments?
  • Why take them off the walls of our schools, and government buildings?

 

Many would have you believe it all has to do with the separation of church and state. The real reason our society is trying so hard to rid themselves of the 10 Commandments, hearkens right back to the first and greatest Commandment.

 

When Jesus was asked which Commandment is the greatest, he replied:

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.”

 

The real problem is right here, with the first Commandment. The first Commandment causes us to deal directly with God. Here, right at the beginning, we are, commanded to love God.

 

Many in today’s world simply refuse to believe God exists, therefore, any mention about Him, or His so called commandments, must be disregarded and tossed out.

 

If we are to believe these Commandments to have value, we must believe and practice the first Commandment too, and for an increasing number of Americans, that is going too far!

 

  • What about you?
  • Do you still believe in the 10 Commandments?

 

If you said yes, then how are you doing with the first one!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, 0 comments
The Lamb of God

The Lamb of God

Dear Friends,

I love all of you; this not a cliché, I mean it! If you get into trouble, I would do my best to help you. I would go to great lengths to provide hope and give a hand where I can.

That being said, if I found you in a situation, where the only way to secure your rescue, required my death, I am not sure you would be on the list, there may be a few, very precious few!

If securing your freedom required the death of one of my children, that list goes to zero. I love you, but not that much!

As we come near to this Good Friday, we are, faced with the reality of what God the Father did on your behalf. You are broken, lost, and beyond repair; according to the Bible, you are condemned already!

God the Father dispatched His ONLY begotten Son, to suffer a gruesome death on your behalf, thereby securing your freedom; the cost was high, the suffering real, and the outcome secure.

When you accept the gift He gave, you can be sure the Father is delighted, that this sacrifice was not in vain for you!

When you reject it, you will grieve the loving heart of God, and His wrath remains on you; wrath rightly deserved. Think twice about casually casting the idea of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection as a light thing; it is YOUR ONLY hope!

Take a moment, and consider Jesus, look into what He did, and why . . . then make a decision, but do not make it lightly!

 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”     ~Jesus~

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Love, Ministries, Trust, 0 comments
The Arrow Rests

The Arrow Rests

I have noticed how crazy-busy most church folks are; always striving, doing, trying, all the while hoping and praying that God blesses what they do. In this frenetic process, people become weary, fatigued and worn, often to the point of despair!

 

I recall Jesus offered a solution to this problem . . .

 

 “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

 

A dear friend, Ivar Overgaard, once shared a message at the Lilburn Alliance Church in Atlanta; I will never forget it! Addressing the continuous motion, much of the church engages in; so much energy expended, producing so little, often resulting in exhaustion, he offered this amazing illustration:

 

“Consider the bow and arrow; the archer reaches for an arrow from his quiver, he knocks the arrow into the string, and pulls the bow, aiming for the target; and the arrow rests. The target acquired in his sights, the archer releases the energy of the bow, the arrow powerfully soaring toward the target . . . BULLSEYE!”

 

“God is the Bow, Jesus is the Archer, and the Holy Spirit delivers the arrow, YOU are the arrow, and the arrow rests!”

 

Be the arrow, and rest!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Do NOT Quench the Holy Spirit

Do NOT Quench the Holy Spirit

One of the things I love to do is preach! It seems to be the one thing that is always on my heart and has been burned into my spirit! I long to see the “church” come alive and experience all it should, and could be! Indeed, anytime people of faith come together to hear the Word of God proclaimed; amazing things can happen.

There is however, an element of great danger, for some who casually saunter into a place where the Word of God is declared . . . so much is at stake!

Every time we come together and share God’s Word; which by the way the Bible says is sharper than ANY two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) we have choices to make; some of those choices determine the fate of our eternal soul!

I have a background in metal working and there is a process by which you can make iron very hard. First, you need to get the iron extremely hot; and when the conditions are right, you quickly quench the iron bar, either in water or in oil, depending on the hardness desired.

There is a rather short window of time whereby the heated metal is thrust into the cooling medium; once this is done, the metal becomes quite hard.

Similarly, over hardened metal, can be softened again by heating and allowing the metal to cool slowly; this process is called annealing.

Spiritually speaking, the danger lies wherein the power of God, through His Word, is touching your heart. Often the heart is strangely warmed, heated by the Holy Spirit if you will, to the point of becoming altogether new; the composition is about to change.

Too often, it is at this critical point, the flesh rebels and quenches that fire; causing the heart to become excessively hard, and brittle. The Bible warns us about this . . .

1 Thessalonians 5:19-20

Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

We live in a broken world that is dying and swirling in an ever-increasing state of despair. Hopelessness abounds and our own nation is getting angry, frustrated and on the brink of destruction!

People in our country are calling for revolution; should we not cry out to God for a revolution in the Church!

How did the church become so sleepy, so apathetic, so unconcerned about the current state of our world? It seems like we have been asleep at the wheel, only to begin waking up to a terrible mess, wondering how we got here!

It did not happen overnight; but rather by many years of complacency and disregard for the demands of the Gospel. The church once held a position of high esteem; those who joined the ranks of the church were, seen as upright and noble people; and getting your name on the rolls was important.

It is easy to join a church; go down to the river and be, baptized telling everyone you love God and believe in Jesus, take communion when it is, offered. Be sure to give a little bit of your income and smile a lot; imagining that is well with your soul, do this, and in most churches you will be, viewed as a spiritual person.

You now have now successfully acquired a form of godliness; you have respect in the church and with your peers. The growing numbers of people, whom you see, are just like you. A sense of self satisfaction grows, and you truly believe that you are quite safe and secure in Christ . . .

 

But what of the Power of God?

 

Listen to what noted preacher Charles Spurgeon; often referred to as the Prince of Preachers, had to say about this subject in a message preached Sunday morning, June 2nd, 1889:

I do not doubt that a form of godliness has come to many because it brings them ease of conscience and they are able, like the Pharisee, to thank God that they are not as other men are. Have they not been to Church? Have they not paid for their pew? They can now go about their daily business without those stings of conscience which would come of neglecting the requirements of religion.

These people profess to have been converted and they are numbered with Believers. But, alas, they are not of them.  Of all people these are the hardest to reach and the least likely to be saved. They hide behind the earthworks of a nominal religion. They are out of reach of the shot and shell of Gospel rebukes. They fly among the sinners and they have taken up their quarters among the saints. Sad is that man’s plight who wears the name of life but has never been quickened by the Holy Spirit.

 

What then is the power of God which is lacking?

 

True godliness happens on the inside, and works its way to the outside. The true power of God comes when a sinful wicked heart, infected with the curse of Adam, is “re-created” and made new, restored to its intended condition; now that’s the power of God!

 Remember the promises of God to Ezekiel. . .

Ezekiel 11:19  

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

 Ezekiel 36:25-27  

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

At the conclusion of Peter’s message in Acts 2, Peter gives the key to the Spirit-filled life, the way to be baptized in the Holy Spirit; it comes by repentance and baptism, and by baptism I mean being immersed, covered with Jesus.

 

The key is repentance! Without it, there will be NO SALVATION and NO SPIRIT-FILLED life. None!

 

We all want “Godliness with Power” we all want to live victorious Christian lives, but we cannot unless we have repented. What produces repentance?

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

 “Godly sorrow” produces repentance. I have to ask you if you have ever felt godly sorrow. Have you ever felt the need to repent, and then actually do it!

Because if you have not ever repented, you are NOT redeemed, and you are still in your sins, and are as lost as ever; even more lost, because you have deceived yourself into thinking you are redeemed, when in fact you are not.

Jesus said these stunning words . . .

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The most revealing and frightening aspect of this passage is that the people were, so convinced that they knew Jesus; when in fact, He did NOT know them!

  • What can be said of you?
  • Are you holding to a form of godliness, are you the real deal?

Deep inside your heart you know the answer.

 

  • Will you resist still?
  • Will you quench the Holy Spirit one more time?

This is your chance; for some . . . this could be your last chance!

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones puts it this way . . .

You do not decide for Christ, the sinner FLIES to Christ in utter helplessness and despair.

 His arms are open wide . . . run to Him!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Prayer, 0 comments
So . . . You are Not Being Fed?

So . . . You are Not Being Fed?

Having been in Christian ministry for over 25 years, I have seen and experienced just about everything you can imagine used as an excuse to leave a church.

I have seen the power plays certain folks have used to manipulate and influence the pastor or his leadership board. I have witnessed total fabrications to bring down pastors and leaders; some have worked and some have failed.

I recall years ago, going to an event in Chicago; it was a seminar titled; “Turnaround Churches.” It was a seminar designed to help struggling churches move forward after a difficult leadership breakup or church split.

Our church happened to be doing very well at the time I went to the seminar, and I felt somewhat out of place.

We were going around the room hearing horror stories of church splits and dysfunctions from various pastors, who had come from all over the country, to attend this seminar.

I recall sitting next to one pastor from a large Midwest church. I asked him what brought him to the seminar. He told me, that about a month ago, over 100 families walked out of his church! I was stunned; I thought to myself, it must have been a very serious moral failure of some sort.

I asked him what happened; I was not prepared for his answer. He looked at me with frustration and sorrow in his eyes, then said; “The families left because we chose the wrong color of carpet for the sanctuary.” That’s just crazy!

Having spoken to dozens of folks who have left churches for various reasons, one of the more prominent excuses I have heard over the years is this one . . . “I left the church because I was not getting fed by the pastor.”

This excuse places the fault squarely with the pastor and releases the churchgoer from any responsibility. When this excuse is given, it casts doubt on the ability of the pastor to give that person the type of “spiritual food” they want to consume.

It is a clear indication that the person making this accusation, possibly has come to the church as a consumer, not as a true follower of Jesus. It reminds me of this warning given to Timothy from the apostle Paul . . .

2 Timothy 4:3

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires . . . “

After a great deal of consideration, I have concluded that the role of a pastor is not to feed the people, but rather it is to teach them how to cook! Let me explain my thoughts . . .

The pastor spends each week considering what type of dish to serve; sometimes he plans far in advance, making sure that all the ingredients come together in just the right fashion.

He works to prepare a single dish; tasty and full of spiritual nutrients; not loaded down with excessive sweetness; but balanced and appropriate for the day at hand.

Occasionally the dish will be heavy with items not usually served; but necessary. Just like trying to get children to “eat their greens” so a pastor may serve meals that look unsavory at times.

The dish is prepared and served, typically on a Sunday morning. Remember, it is only one dish; not enough for everyone to gorge themselves, but enough for everyone to get a taste; enough to make them hungry for more.

The idea is for the churchgoer to want more; a good pastor will invite them into the kitchen; showing them how to prepare their own meals, so they don’t have to go on a spiritual “fast” all week.

The problem with some folks is that they only get a taste on Sunday, they go away hungry (which is the point of the dish served) unwilling to take off their bib and put on an apron; they complain that the pastor did not feed them enough, when in fact that is really, not his job.

Now to be sure, some pastors cannot cook, and may need to go back to culinary arts school for a season. There are pastors who are serving a dish that is, rancid and inedible; if this is the case, it may be time to find a new restaurant.

Study the ingredients your pastor uses; are they listed in the Cookbook? If they are, then it may be that your palette needs a little cleansing.

Therefore, I encourage you to keep sampling the dish your pastor offers each week. Get involved with a small group and learn how to cook; how to prepare your own tasty dishes and share yours with others.

Come on . . . you can do it!

Besides, you look silly, sitting back there with your arms crossed and bib on!

Open wide . . . num num!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Foundations

Foundations

I continue to marvel over the amazing portion of the Bible we often refer to as the “Sermon on the Mount.” We find it in Matthew 5-7 and it contains the “nuts and bolts” of life in Christ. If you have not read this recently, take a few moments to carefully read is again; you will be glad you did!

At the conclusion of this “sermon”, Jesus shares one last illustration to drive home a very important point; let’s listen in . . .

Matthew 7:24-29

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

We vividly recall seeing the devastation left behind after powerful hurricanes reach landfall; the images displayed on our TV  screens reveal the power and ferocity of these storms.

While looking at the devastation, one wonders why there will be dozens of homes swept away, but invariably several withstood the howling storm, and survived. Could it be that those who had taken the time to build a super solid foundation were the ones to remain? I think it had a great deal to do with it!

Jesus is telling His listeners, you and I, that if we hear His words, and put them into practice, then we would be like a wise builder, who set His house on a solid foundation. When the screaming storms of life come, and they will, our house will stand, and not fall.

He then lets us know, that if we hear these words of His, and do nothing with them, then our foundation will be weak and vulnerable, and when storms come, the destruction of our house will be utterly complete!

I can imagine two home-builders on the Gulf of Mexico. One person is spending extra time and money to sink down concrete pylons an extra 6 feet deep; it is costly and time consuming.

Another person, wanting to move in before the summer gets in full swing, decides to cut corners to save time and money; he forgoes the deep foundations suggested, and installs just the bare minimum.

Sure enough, the person building his home scrimping and cutting corners, is sitting on the deck enjoying the warm breezes, sipping iced tea, and getting a good tan, while the other guy is still building. Finally, the builder who took the extra time completes his home, and starts to enjoy what is left of the summer.

The fall hurricane season is coming, and the waters are churning, evacuations are given, and both homeowners have to leave. The storm rages, and finally the floodwaters recede. As the two owners head back to assess the damage, there is only one home remaining; the other is nowhere to be seen. In the end, it was definitely worth the extra time and effort, to build well!

In the passage from Matthew, Jesus was essentially telling us how to build our “spiritual house.” He shows us how to lay a firm foundation; a foundation that will remain when the storms of life beat against it! There will be storms, and some of those storms will be fierce!

When building a spiritual foundation, we need to start somewhere; Jesus started the whole “Sermon on the Mount” with this statement:

Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The beginning point in our foundation building process, is to recognize our spiritual need; our own spiritual poverty. Unless we come to terms with this, we will never be able to build any lasting spiritual structure. The acknowledgment of our spiritual need is vital.

The proud-hearted man or woman, who relies on their own intelligence, and abilities, will never have a lasting spiritual foundation. Many individuals see faith in God as a weakness, coming up with all kinds of reasons to avoid God.

The Bible is very clear regarding these kinds of folks:

Romans 1:18-22

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. . .”

At one point in my own life, I was one of those people mentioned in this Scripture. I thought science held the key, that faith in an unseen god was weakness, and people of faith were simply ignorant. I was a subscriber to secular magazines like “Cosmos” and was a firm believer in Carl Sagan’s “billions and billions of years.”

After years of immersion in secular scientific thought, I could not reconcile how the intricacies of space and biology could have “just happened.” It was stunning to think that all of this incredible creation could have just fallen into place by random chance.

I became disillusioned with the scientific community because they seemed like they were grasping at straws. They had no real answers, just theories, and tall tales that were even more incredible to grasp and believe than the story that God put forward in His Word!

Like many others, I needed to come to the end of myself, the end of my intellect, and to the realization that I am at a loss, a big loss, to understand the principles of this incredible world in which I live. There MUST BE A GOD, and I MUST KNOW HIM!

Therefore, the starting point for every spiritual journey is the recognition that you are spiritually poor; and Jesus said, this was a good thing!

The recognition of this spiritual poverty causes you to hit “rock bottom” which is a very good place to begin to build!

How deep is your foundation?

I hear there is a storm brewing; be sure your anchor points are going to hold!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Guilt Free

Guilt Free

There is a HUGE issue today keeping people from having a close relationship with God. This particular problem is often the very reason many folks stay away from churches and from God in particular.

The problem is, “Guilt” and “Condemnation.”

Most of us understand what a “guilt trip” is. Have you ever had a guilt trip laid you? You know; “I do everything thing for you, the least you can do for me is. . .” and you fill in the blank.

Some people are experts at this, and I will say that most of you reading this, may have even tried it a time or two; I know I have!

Guilt is a powerful motivator, albeit a negative one. A trip to the local supermarket and you find “fat free” cookies or cottage cheese; the label says: “Guilt Free.”

Products with the “Guilt Free” label sell like hot cakes, because people hate feelings of guilt, and want to be free from it!

What is guilt anyway?                 

Guilt: guilt is a state in which one experiences conflict at having done something one believes one should not have done (or, conversely, not having done something one believes one should have done). It gives rise to a feeling that does not go away easily, driven by conscience.

Whenever we have done something that is wrong, or if we neglect doing something we know we should do, our conscience feels guilt. It seems to hang in there for days, weeks, and even years, never letting go, always a reminder of something done that was wrong.

For some, this feeling is so ingrained, that it begins to produce behavior problems. For others, the only way to deaden the feelings of guilt is to turn to alcohol, drugs, or other things, finding temporary relief, only to feel even worse, as the affects of those stimulates wear off.

Many times the feelings of guilt are misplaced. A young person who has been verbally, physically, or sexually abused, mistreated by parents, relatives, or others; people who should have been there to protect them.

The young person often feels guilty for the violations committed against them. They feel as though they were the responsible party, and guilt is, heaped on! They go through life feeling as though they are responsible for everything that goes wrong.

My guess is that many of you understand this, all too well.

To experience guilt, real or imagined, is a powerful thing, and often it is a tool used by the devil to keep people away from God.

One of the greatest reasons I stayed away from church, as a young man, was that I had done so much that was wrong, I had committed so many “sins” that the idea of actually coming into a church made me feel afraid.

I was one of those guys who said; “If I walk into church, the walls will fall down.” Have you ever felt like that?

Those feelings of fear and trepidation are not necessarily a bad thing. As we approach the God of the universe, we know He is Holy, Righteous, that He is a God of Wrath and Judgment, no doubt about it!

Speaking of those without Christ Jesus said:

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

Jesus said, those without Him, without the Son, are guilty! Being guilty also brings another problem that goes right along with feelings of guilt, and those are feelings of condemnation!

Many, struggling with deep feelings of guilt, feel as though they are condemned. A person struggling under a load of guilt feels as though they are serving a life sentence, they feel hopeless, valueless, and feel as though there really is no good reason to live!

Again, people in this guilty, condemned state, often avoid church and God especially. Because God is Holy, Righteous, and would never have anything to do with them.

Those feelings of condemnation, are not entirely misplaced either; Jesus said this:

John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Yet, in spite of this, we are inexplicably, drawn to Him, because we know that our only hope lies with Him. We begin to approach Him! We make a move toward God, even risking going to the church, and at the first meeting, we realize that the walls did not cave in!

Then, in an instant, you reach out to God, risking everything, and He touches you!

BOOM!

Instead of getting a backhand across your face, you get an embrace, waves of love cascading over your heart. God welcomes you wholeheartedly; like a long lost son or daughter; He gently wipes away your tears, your fears, and you know, you belong to Him!

Romans 8:1-2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Hallelujah!

 You are free! The death sentence lifted!

 You are GUILT FREE!!!

 Somebody please say AMEN!

Now, for some of you that have already met this Jesus, you are reading this today and you find yourself with those same old feelings of guilt and shame.

You have walked with Jesus for a while, and somewhere, somehow, things just do not feel the same. You made a small mistake, then another, and another, and soon you begin to feel worse than ever before.

How can this be?

What is going on here?

How can you be free again?

Psalm 32:1-5

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.   

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD “— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Too many times when we sin as a Christian, we feel so bad about it that we refuse to acknowledge it. The last thing we want to do, is go to God and tell Him what we already know He knows!

Therefore, we avoid it. We put it off, and we begin to feel guilty, and shameful. It piles up, we begin to get sad faces, our bones begin to waste away, and inwardly we groan. We avoid the very One who can help us!

The Bible says to acknowledge our sin, don’t hide it, don’t cover it up, but just tell God what you did, say it out loud to Him, and tell Him you are sorry. He then forgives you! It is that simple!

If you keep it hidden, then guilt does its work of bringing feelings of condemnation, hopelessness sets in, depression follows, and we have a defeated Christian, and the devil rejoices!

You become like a Lion without teeth, powerless prayer, poor Christian witness to the world around you, withdrawn, you stay to yourself.

The devil has you right where he wants you. The devil will continue to, systematically destroy you, until you are, totally crushed!

Do not let him get away with it. Go to God right now and settle it. Tell God, in plain words what you have done. If you cannot remember everything you have done, tell Him so, He knows!

Get your teeth back!

Take back, what the devil tried to steal, and be guilt free again!

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Love, Prayer, Trust, 0 comments
Forgiving From Your Heart

Forgiving From Your Heart

Do you remember the parable of the unmerciful servant? Peter wanted to know how many times he should forgive; the answer may not have been what he expected. Let’s check it out.

Matthew 18:21-25

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

This is a familiar parable, one that you have no doubt read many times. To put this in context, just prior to this parable, Jesus talked about what to do if a brother sins against you, and after hearing this brief teaching on dealing with a brother who sins against you, Peter comes to ask Jesus a rather interesting question.

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

I’m not sure, but I think Peter may have had a rather short fuse, and when it came to forgiving, he probably struggled a bit. When he asked the question, I think Peter was looking for a limit here. You know, “at what point can I refuse to forgive?” Jesus’ answer was not what Peter had expected!

To explain forgiveness to Peter, and to you and me, Jesus told a story. In this story, I think we can find a few truths that may help us, when it comes to forgiving from the heart.

This parable primarily has to do with forgiving a financial debt, but the application of this story applies to many different situations in which someone has trespassed, or sinned against you.

In the parable that Jesus told, the king wanted to settle accounts, and was calling in the debts owed.

When this particular man came before the king, he was unable to pay his debt. The fault was clearly with the man, and not the king. For whatever reason, the man could not clear his debt, and king, was now “stuck” with it.

Now there appears to be two problems:

The first is now the king is upset, and rightfully so. He has a debt that he should not bear. It was not his fault, and he has every right to demand it! He is frustrated, hurt, and betrayed, the trust he had toward his servant is broken.

The second is that the man, who failed in his obligation to the king, is now in danger of being, sold into slavery, even placing his whole family in jeopardy.

As the story goes, the man fell on his knees before the king, begging for patience, promising to pay it all back, just give me more time! The king looking at this display of emotion, felt compassion for the man, and forgave the whole debt! In one fell swoop, the king took care of both problems.

In forgiving the man his debt, the king released himself from the right to demand what was due, absorbing the cost of the debt, and the debtor was free from the need to repay something he was unable to.

We can learn two lessons here, which will help us not only to forgive, but also to be forgiven.

Granting Forgiveness

The first lesson has to do with granting forgiveness. The king saw the despair of the man who owed the debt. He seemed totally unable to repay what was owed.

Jesus said that the king had “compassion” on the man. Unless the king would have experienced compassion, I doubt very much that he would have been able to forgive this man his debt.

As you and I experience debts or, “SINS against us, it is very unlikely that we will ever truly forgive another for those sins, unless we have compassion.  Without compassion for those who have sinned against you, the debt remains.

Sin has affected all of humanity. Not one person is exempt from it! Sin rears its ugly head in many, many forms; lying, stealing, cheating, murder, adultery, greed, lust; the list is long!

If you have lived longer than a day, someone has probably sinned against you, and if you are blessed to live another day, it will likely happen again. We live in a sinful world, and sin happens! When it happens to you, what will you do with it?

Recall the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:9-14

 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

The greatest temptation that any of us ever will face is the temptation to, not forgive.

We have been forgiven much by the Greatest King that ever lived! Our Great King, saw the terrible plight we were in, and while we were unable to correct the wrong we had done, He forgave us all our sin!

Remember, unlike the parable Jesus used, we were not going to be, sold for the debt we owed, we were going to die for it! The wages of sin is death! God has forgiven us much!

We must forgive those who sin against us, to hold their sin against them, is to negate our own forgiveness!

Receiving Forgiveness

The second part of this lesson has to do with receiving forgiveness. This part of the lesson is tied to the first part.

To receive forgiveness is to be willing to forgive.

The man in this story was no doubt thrilled with the cancelled debt. He was truly distressed before the King, and was on his knees begging for patience and mercy; the King had compassion, and forgave the whole debt! I imagine the man was so grateful!

However, not long afterwards, that man encountered someone who owed him far less than what he had owed the king, and he demanded the whole amount, even having the man arrested and put into prison!

Of course, when the King found out about it, He was furious! The King ordered the man who refused to cancel another debt, thrown in prison.

The problem was that this man did not recognize or remember how much debt the king forgave him. He was forgiven much, much more, than the man who owed him very little.

Any sin inflicted upon you by another, will pale in comparison with the sin you have inflicted against God.

Yet God has forgiven you of all your sins! Why would you hold something against another? Why would you throw away your own good fortune at the expense of another? How foolish!

If this man would have taken the time to remember the depth of his own forgiveness, he would not have demanded the small amount someone owed him, and the outcome of this story would have been quite different.

Have you ever sat down and considered what Jesus has done for you? I mean, have you considered what this Great King has done on your behalf?

How badly do you want God to forgive you of your sins, bad enough for you to forgive others from the heart?

Perhaps you struggle with compassion. Ask God to show you what He thinks of those you cannot forgive; ask Him how much value He places on them. Look at others from His perspective, and you will begin to get a sense of what is at stake.

Remember, if you cannot forgive from your heart, you have not forgiven, and you are still in your sins.

You will know that you have forgiven from the heart when you pray this way:

“Father, I forgive this person for the sin inflicted upon me; and please Lord, I am asking that you forgive them too.”

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Love, Prayer, Trust, 0 comments
Burning UP – Or Burning OUT

Burning UP – Or Burning OUT

As I have been traveling and speaking; talking to different pastors, and leaders of various churches, I have been hearing some people talking about, and experiencing what they term “burn-out.”

Have you experienced this? It usually begins subtly; a growing dissatisfaction with the Christian service that you have been doing in and through the church. Passion for people begins to ebb and wane.

You may even begin to experience a slow, somewhat unnoticeable, hardening of the heart. It shows up when you find your eyes dry, during an experience that used to bring tears. You begin to notice a lack of compassion, your temper seems to quicken.

Your concern for the lost people of the world begins to weaken, passion for their salvation slips, and quite frankly, if they get Jesus, fine, if they don’t. . .Oh Well!

Love for God seems to cool as well, and love for others, is simply getting downright cold!

What I am talking about is, commonly called “burn-out.”

Some sobering statistics from Focus on the Family regarding pastors:

  • Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
  • Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages end in divorce.
  • Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
  • Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
  • Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.

If this is reflective of professional men and women who are in full time ministry, it certainly reflects those in laity as well! Those of you, who have families, jobs, and busy schedules, can easily fall into this “burn-out” category.

But what about Jesus? Did He experience this? Jesus certainly grew tired, even weary, but He did not experience “burn-out.”

There is a great difference between burning up and burning out!

If you light a lamp, and watch it burn, it will begin to “burn-out” when it gets low on oil. In order for it to continue to burn, there must be a replenishing of the oil, otherwise the lamp will “burn-out” and grow cold.

So it is with us; if we are not replenished, if we separate ourselves from spiritual renewal, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, then our lamp will grow dim, and we will become dissatisfied with our service to God. It will become a duty, not a blessing, a chore, rather than an act of love.

We need to become more like Jesus, and less like the world we live in. The world is full of self-serving ideals, which in the end, come up short.

We often compare ministry results against the backdrop of the contemporary world in which we live, and we grow dissatisfied. We want results, and we want them now! We want fruit, and we want it now!

When we realize that our Christian service may take months, perhaps years, before we see the results, we get frustrated, and instead of trusting, and waiting upon God, we take matters into our own hands. Sometimes we will over extend ourselves to the point of exhaustion!

If we begin to operate in our own strength, and in our own wisdom, our “oil” begins to run low, and will eventually run out! The problem began when we took matters into our own hands. This “turning” from God happens so subtly, that it is almost unnoticeable!

It is time for the church, and those who have come to Christ, to return to Him, to learn from Him, and to become like Him. He found renewal in being with His Father. He took time to get away, and pray; we need to do the same!

If we spend time with God, the true God, then we will walk in a state of continual renewal, we will not have to go on special retreats hoping to “connect” with God, and be renewed. It will become a part of our life; we will “often” go away to lonely places and get rest, physical and spiritual rest.

Then, like Jesus, when the crowds come, and encroach upon your “retreat” your eyes will well up with compassion, you will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick, and it will not be a burden but a joy!

You will begin to burn up, not burn out. Passion will rise up! You will be a flame!

Listen to the words of John Wesley; when asked how he drew the crowds:

“I set myself on fire and the people come to watch me burn” (John Wesley)

And revival preacher and author Leonard Ravenhill says;

“You don’t have to advertise a fire.”          (Leonard Ravenhill)

We need to get back to the basics of Christianity. Ours is a mission of faith, trust, and reliance on the Holy Spirit of God, and not on fancy programs, slick slogans, or our own wisdom and strength! When we operate on our wisdom, we reap what the Scriptures say we will reap:

Proverbs 16: 25

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Jesus told us straight out. . .

John 15:4-6

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

The true source of “burn-out” is a lack of fellowship with our God. Take time, MAKE time, to sit with the Father, talk to Him, and let Him refresh you, replenish you, and send you!

I for one, refuse to burn out, I will however, do all I can to keep oil in my lamp, so that I will burn up, not out!

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Trust, 0 comments
Come Now, Let Us Reason Together

Come Now, Let Us Reason Together

There seems to be, two different types of people emerging after an encounter with Jesus; one kind recognizes that the journey may get tough, sacrifices will need made, but the joy of following the Savior is greater, the rewards of a life spent following the master are worth any amount of sacrifice!

These folks find joy and peace in the midst of great pain and suffering. They always seem to be moving forward, gaining strength day by day, being built up in God’s holy Word! They begin to produce fruit for their labors, and people around them begin to come into the Kingdom of God too!

For the other group, they exhibit a “dragging” of the feet, so to speak, an unwillingness to obey the clear teachings of God. Jesus begins to take them on a journey, and they quickly realize that the way is steep, and they are carrying too much baggage, and He tells them to drop some of the “things” they carry, but they refuse!

Jesus decides to take a turn, and they realize that the way is unfamiliar, and out of fear, refuse to go!

For this group, service to God becomes a burden, rather than a joy. Obedience to God’s Word becomes frightfully difficult. It becomes a duty, and no longer done from a position of love.

It is unfortunate, but many people fall into the second category. For those who will resist the call of God on their lives, for those who refuse to obey the clear teachings of the Bible, the words from Isaiah seem quite appropriate!

Isaiah 1:5-6  

“Why should you be beaten anymore?  Why do you persist in rebellion?  Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.  From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness– only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.”

According to this verse, there are consequences for rebelling against God. You will wear yourself out! Your whole being will suffer!

It is not uncommon for those resisting God, who walk in rebellion to Him, to face increasing depression, fits of rage, anger, and could even become physically ill.

Yet God is patient, He waits for those who are in this “sea of rebellion” to come to their senses. When they do, God gives this incredible offer:

Isaiah 1:18-20

 “Come now, let us reason together,”

       says the LORD.

       “Though your sins are like scarlet,

       they shall be as white as snow;

       though they are red as crimson,

       they shall be like wool.

 If you are willing and obedient,

       you will eat the best from the land;

  but if you resist and rebel,

       you will be devoured by the sword.”

       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.     

I just love this Scripture; God says; “Come now, let us reason together.” It’s like God has just poured a cup of coffee for you, and invites you to the table, One on one, to see if there can be a solution. God is awesome!

So . . . which type of Christian are you?

Whatever the case may be, a sold faithful walk with Him, or a dragging of the feet; take time today to respond to His words; “Come now, let us reason together.”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Do You Love Me?

Do You Love Me?

Without a doubt, God has shown His love to us repeatedly! We can never wear out the Scripture in John 3:16; “For God so Loved. . .”

And what about these. . .

Ephesians 5:1-2

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Colossians 3:12  

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4     

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you. . .”

1John 4:10

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Through these Scriptures, and hundreds more like them, it becomes obvious; God loves us! Indeed, the whole of the Bible is a Book of love, an expression of God’s love towards us!

The question is not; “Does God love us,” but rather; “Do we love Him?”

I want to take you on a journey with a man called Peter, along with a couple of other men, James and John, commonly referred to as disciples, or the “inner three.”

These men walked with Jesus; actually walked with Him in the flesh, they shared meals together, and spent dozens of nights around the campfire talking with Jesus. If anyone knew the heart of Jesus, these men did, if anyone could love and obey His teaching, these men would.

The Disciples were very much like us. By that I mean, they were not stunning models of obedience and passion, but were quite human, and showed signs of their ‘humanness” all along the journey.

They were fishermen, physically strong, hard working, simple, yet very determined men. These men responded to the invitation from Jesus; “Follow Me.” It was at that point, that these men had an encounter with Jesus, and made a decision to follow Him; just like you did.

These men had many of the same struggles that you have.

Peter, James and John, were closest to Jesus, these men saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were there when Jesus raised dead girl, and they were there when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane.

If anyone could get their walk right with Jesus, it would be these guys. Yet these men struggled understanding God’s will, and had trouble obeying Jesus, here are a few examples;

James and John wanted to call down lightening to destroy some people who did not welcome Jesus. Luke 9:53-55

“. . . but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”

James and John apparently got their mother to ask Jesus if they could sit at either side of Him in heaven . . . rather arrogant don’t you think? Matthew 20:20-22

“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

  “What is it you want?” he asked.

 She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

 “We can,” they answered.”

While standing on the mount of transfiguration, at one of the holiest, and most reverent times in the Bible, as Jesus stands there with Elijah and Moses, Peter blurts out; “It is good that we are here, I will build a shelter for each of you.” What was he thinking!     Matthew 17:1-4

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

At one of the most critical times in Jesus’ life, while He is about to be arrested, Peter pulls out a knife, and slices a man’s ear off! John 18:10

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

 In the Garden of Gethsemane James, John, and Peter fell asleep! Matthew 26:40-42

 “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

 Peter swore that he would die with Christ if need be, but in the end denied knowing Jesus three times! Matthew 26:69-75

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

 Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

As we can see by these examples, the disciples were anything, but stellar, and most of us are not either.

An interesting meeting took place after the resurrection of Jesus; found in John 21:1-19

 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

      “No,” they answered.

  He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[b] When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

  Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

      “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

      Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

      He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

      Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

  The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

      Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

     Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.  I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

In this remarkable story, Jesus reaffirmed His love for Peter by His actions. He could have criticized Peter, ridiculed him, and said; “I told you so!”

Sitting by that fire, Peter experienced what I call blazing, majestic, overwhelming, relentless love, coming from the risen Christ!

The issue that Jesus was trying to bring to Peter’s attention was not that He (Jesus) loved Peter; that was now very evident. The question was; Peter, do you love Me?

Today, Jesus gently lifts your gaze, to meet Him, and asks you; “Do you love Me, more than these.”

What is your response?

Posted by onthesolidrock in Compassion, Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Love, 0 comments
Grace, Mercy and Peace to You

Grace, Mercy and Peace to You

“To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord”.   1 Timothy 1:2

 While reading the letters that the apostle Paul wrote, I noticed that almost every letter he wrote began with those words; “Grace and peace to you from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” In the letters written to Timothy, and to Titus, he includes grace, mercy and peace.

Like many of you, I have read these books written by Paul, dozens of times, and always seemed to overlook the opening greeting, as if it were not that important.

What jumps out at me, is the way Paul says these words. It is bold, and up front, like he was an emissary of God, coming to the people, as if he had just come from God himself. Kind of like an ambassador, proclaiming the heart of the kingdom represented.

I get this picture in my mind of a rider on a horse, riding feverishly through the night, with a message of hope for those in distress; perhaps soldiers, weary from battle, which may need some encouragement.

The rider dismounts, and comes to the people, and the first words out of his mouth are; Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from your King! How very refreshing and encouraging to hear.

Paul gives us that kind of feeling when he begins his letters, regardless of the content of the letter, he set us as ease, with the reassurance that he has just come from God himself, and God has given a message to His people, “Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul chose these words, because he himself was the recipient of them. Paul was a persecutor of the church. He actually chased down Christians, and standing by as they were put to death.

He was actively destroying the very church that Jesus was trying to build. Paul was on a mission to destroy, what he thought was an abomination to God.

Paul knew that he deserved death for what he had done; no question about it; standing by, as saints like Stephen were being, stoned to death, cheering the crowd.

Paul knew that he was an enemy of God, but now, through God’s grace and mercy, he found peace; joy inexpressible! How could he contain it?

Paul was able to express this in almost every letter he wrote, because it was what he received, and it was so valuable to him. He wanted to express it every time he wrote.

Like Paul, you and I received Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God too, and like Paul, we have the authority to declare it to others as well.

So the next time you enter a room with your brothers and sisters in Christ be bold, and with confidence declare, Grace, Peace and Mercy to you from God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments
“One Thing You Lack”

“One Thing You Lack”

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.”

 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Mark 10:17-21

There are several other locations where this encounter is recorded as well. In Matthew 19:20 the man is identified as being young, and Luke 18:18 describes him as being a ruler.

So, from these three passages we can easily deduce that this was a young, wealthy, man of influence, perhaps he was training to become a Pharisee, or was the member of the Roman government; we really don’t know for sure.

Typically when we read this passage of Scripture we talk about money and the power that it can have over individuals; this passage reveals much, much more than we may have anticipated!

This passage reveals to us the characteristics of a person that did not qualify that person to be a Christian.

So let’s look at the characteristics of this young man that were not enough to constitute salvation.

Sincerity

It is easy to see that this man was sincere. Here was a wealthy young man of an elite background, and in full view of everyone, he ran to Jesus and knelt before Him. He did not care if anyone was looking. He must have thought that Jesus Himself held the answer to the question he was seeking.

It is quite possible that this young man believed that Jesus was the Messiah; why else would he risk his reputation by kneeling to Him.

Over the course of ministry I have seen hundreds of people kneel and pray to God for salvation; most are as sincere as this young man. They come risking everything, kneeling and asking God for the way of eternal life; but like this young man, sincerity is not enough; Jesus Himself asked for more!

Righteousness

This young man was a righteous man. Jesus reminded him of the commandments; You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.” yet this young man had kept them all!

He never committed murder by killing anyone; he honored his father and mother; was not a thief, nor did he give false testimony or defraud anyone! He was a young man who kept the commandments of God faithfully; what more could he do?

People today are no different; far too often we think if we just live a good life, then we somehow will gain access to heaven and eternal life; that is simply not true! It was not enough for this young man and it will not be enough for you either!

While living a righteous and good life is to be commended; and doing a lifetime of good works may get you a plaque on a wall; it will by no means cause you to have eternal life.

God’s Love

The Bible declares in this passage that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” As Jesus was looking over this young man, kneeling in the dirt, hopeful eyes locked with His, He had compassion.

God also has compassion for us too. The Bible declares that God Himself is love; and the most quoted verse in the Bible; John 3:16 says it best:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

However, God’s love for us; His amazing love for us, does not, in and of itself, bring about the salvation of our souls. God looks in love at this young man, and still there is something more required.

So, if being sincere; recognizing Jesus to be the One with the answer; and being a righteous, good and moral person, and sensing God’s own love for me is not enough for salvation to be complete; what am I missing?

Becoming a Christian, as evidenced in this story, is to believe Jesus to be trustworthy enough to surrender control of our life to. Not partial, or selective control, but ALL control.

To put it bluntly, a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus strong enough to follow Him!

This particular young man had considerable wealth, and it turned out to be his “one thing.”

Jesus said to him; One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Jesus knew that in order for this young man to find salvation, he would have to relinquish control of his wealth. Apparently it had quite a grip on his heart; and for this fellow, it was the “one thing” that prevented this young man from eternal life.

The conclusion of this story with the wealthy young ruler ended sadly, as the Bible says:

One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

This story is not really about money, but about that which keeps us from following Jesus.

Jesus could easily say . . .

“How hard it is for the bitter to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the jealous to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the self-reliant to enter the kingdom of God!”

“How hard it is for the unforgiving to enter the kingdom of God!”

What “one thing” stands in the way of your salvation?

Perhaps it is time to get rid of it and start following Jesus!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Ask, Seek and Knock – Do It!

Ask, Seek and Knock – Do It!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”  Matthew 7:7-11

This is a very familiar Scripture that many of us have read dozens, if not hundreds of times. We often refer to this Scripture when talking about prayer, as we should!

This section begins with the admonition to ask, seek and knock. As we read this, we get the feeling that these are not simply suggestions; perhaps the words carry just a little more weight than that!

Jesus does not frame these words with any kind of condition associated with the request; He simply says to; ask, seek and knock! Therefore, these three words come with an expectation that you will do it.

Jesus further indicates that those who ask, seek and knock, will receive, find, and gain entrance. Again, there is no hesitation in Jesus very straightforward statement here.

He says that if you ask, you will receive, if you seek, you will find, and if you knock, the door opens for you. I find this to be very exciting indeed!

In the following verses, we get a partial idea of where the answers to the asking, seeking, and knocking are coming from. Jesus begins verse 9 by asking the crowd a rhetorical question:

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

I can see the crowd laughing as he makes this statement; some parents are no doubt planning a practical joke on their kids later in the day!

Jesus then contrasts the crowd; sinful humanity, against a holy and righteous Father; by saying:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

We see that “good gifts” come from our Father in heaven. James echoes this truth in the Book he wrote:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

So, we see clearly that Jesus is saying if you ask, seek and knock, then God Himself will respond with good gifts.

I have heard it said by well meaning Christians that we need to be careful what we ask God for, we might just get it! I think that is an ugly statement, one in which we think that God our Father, who is incredibly good and holy, who has our best interest at heart, would somehow give us a bad gift!

I think that if I am knocking on a door that is going to lead me astray, God will not open it.

When God opens a door, gives a gift, or reveals Himself to His children, according to Jesus, it is going to be good!

Now to be sure, we can go beyond knocking, and go get a crowbar and force open a door that God is unwilling to open for us.

Remember, He knows what is best, and if the door will not open by knocking on it, it is best to leave it shut.

So go ahead; ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK . . . this is going to be good!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Family, Holiness, Humility, Prayer, Trust, 0 comments
Count the Cost

Count the Cost

Jesus calls everyone who would follow Him, to count the cost; it is quite high. While the gift of salvation is free to receive, the cost of following is steep! One must consider the ramifications of following the Lord before jumping in.

Jesus said that those who choose to follow Him must deny themselves; this means putting others ahead of you, it means a life of service given to those who may or may not like you, much less, love you!

Jesus even went so far as to say that you must pick up your cross and follow Him.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”    Matthew 16:24-26

A cross was the very instrument used to kill Jesus. The cross was the first century equivalent of the electric chair, only much, much crueler.

When they led Jesus away for crucifixion, the Bible says, He carried His own cross; and since He did, so must you!

Following Jesus will cause you to lay down your life; it is a willing decision on your part to place your life, your will, your preferences, and all your hopes and dreams, into His hands, trusting Him with the outcome, whatever it may be!

It is a requirement of following Him; for some it might mean laying down your wealth. For others it might mean that your reputation is, put on the line; yet for others it might mean serving somewhere obscure with little or no recognition; and yet for others, it may require your very life; the decision is His to make, and it is your cross to carry!

What is your Cross . . . everyone who follows Jesus, gets one!

If you don’t have one, then there is a pretty good chance, you don’t belong to Him!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Watch Out For – Hypocrisy

Watch Out For – Hypocrisy

Jesus never condemned sinners; He did however denounce and deplore hypocrites!

A hypocrite is a person who excuses his own sin, while condemning the sins of others.

The hypocrite does not see his own hypocrisy, because he cannot see, or refuses to see, the flaws in himself.

The one who cannot see their own flaws, rarely if ever, seek mercy. Since he does not seek mercy, he has no mercy to give; and since he is always under God’s judgment, he passes judgment on others.

If we are to be seekers of holiness, we cannot remain as hypocrites; or better stated; hypocrites cannot find holiness.

The first step in pursuing holiness is to admit that we are not as holy as we appear to be; this first step is called humility.

As we draw near to God, each one of us will become aware of the sins in our own heart. The Holy Spirit is not revealing these sins in order to condemn us, but rather to establish humility, and to deepen our knowledge of our own need for more grace.

Anyone choosing to follow God, will humble themselves before God, asking God for grace to deliver them from the sin that has entangled them.

For those who will try to excuse their sin, the title hypocrite is, justly deserved. Jesus used a parable to highlight this very issue.

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 18:9-14

Holiness is not about obeying a set of rules and regulations; that only breeds more hypocrisy. Holiness is about getting rid of pride; which enables us to come to terms with the true condition of our heart.

Have you humbled yourself before God, lately?

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, 0 comments
For the Love of God

For the Love of God

The deepest need that we as humans have is to be loved. Love is something we search for and often spend our lives trying to find; thousands of love songs, written over the centuries, try to express this deep need.

For many, the search for love comes up empty; like a familiar song from the 1980’s by Johnny Lee; “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places” they cannot find the deep satisfaction they long for. Many, searching for love in this broken world, come up hurt, mistreated and abused.

For some, the pain of being unloved causes them to turn to artificial treatments of the condition, drugs, alcohol and relationships without true commitment, anything to ease the pain of not experiencing true love.

In this broken world, love comes with strings attached, and our love is conditional.

God’s love is very different, and it is His love that we must understand and experience, if we are to, truly be able to love and be loved by others.

What is God’s love is like?

God is Love  – “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”  1 John 4:15-16

The Bible declares in this verse that God is love; His very nature exudes love. His love is strong, never ending.

God loves His enemies – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

God’s love is so strong that even when we were in our sin, even when we despised Him, He still loved us; so much so, that He sacrificed his Son in order to provide a way to have fellowship with us, which leads us to the next . . .

God’s love is sacrificial – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”    John 3:16-17

Think of the most precious person in your life, think of someone who you are well pleased with, someone who is the apple of your eye. Now think of the most pure and loving individual in your life, your own child or even a grandson or granddaughter. What would it take for you, to initiate the loss of that child in order to rescue a group of people who really don’t care?

God’s Love is lavish – “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1

The word we translate into “lavish” here indicates an over-abundance, or super abundant love. It is love we certainly do not deserve and we did nothing to warrant such love; simply that God pours it on and loves us so much!

God’s Love is Eternal – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9

To sum it all up, the Bible gives a great description of what God’s love is like . . .

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

How different from the kind of love we are accustomed to in this world.

The greatest hindrance regarding God’s Love seems to be our inability to receive it! Since we have such a corrupted view of what love is, it becomes an obstacle to receiving God’s love!

For so many, the idea of someone loving you to this degree is simply not possible. Some feel so unworthy of this kind of love, and cringe at the idea of a Holy God desiring them this much!

We need to ask God to supernaturally, change our minds about Him, and about our relationship to Him.

We must learn to trust Him, with everything; holding nothing back. It is time to let go of your heart and give it entirely to Him . . . He loves you and has demonstrated it a thousand ways!

Will you receive His love today?

Posted by onthesolidrock in Compassion, Faith, Holiness, Love, Trust, 0 comments
Abide in Me

Abide in Me

The word “abide” simply means to remain, or stay put; Jesus used the word in the context of vineyard work. The vine that remains grows, and that vine begins to produce fruit.

Abiding gives us the idea that we are continuing to grow and mature, and just like the vine needs to produce fruit, so do we!

If we don’t produce fruit, then we are not growing and are taking up precious resources from those who are, and we risk being cut off by the Master Gardener!

 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.   John 15:1-8

The first step in learning to abide has to do with faith. When we read the command “abide in Me,” and it is a command, not a suggestion; we know that this is something we can do! God never commands that we do something that we cannot do.

We see this command, and by faith, we begin to abide . . . we stay put in Christ, and as we do, we feel the love and security that comes from staying in Christ. Answers to prayer begin to abound.

As you continue to abide in Christ, you become even more aware of God’s Word, the authority, and power, associated with it, and you begin to realize that with this great gift, comes tremendous responsibility as well.

You will begin to find that something more is required than simple faith; obedience is required. Hear the words of Isaiah . . .

Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.Isaiah 1:18-20

We need to be willingly obedient in order to “abide in Him.”

To remain in Christ is to live a life of obedience to His Word; doing anything less will cause you to be a vine that produces no fruit; and according to Jesus, you will be, cut off!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, 0 comments
Learn Compassion

Learn Compassion

In our endeavor to reach people for Jesus, we must become people of compassion. For some of us this does not come easy. God will grant compassion to those who earnestly seek it!

When we watch people constantly struggle and fall, sometimes we get into the “just get over it” mindset. That is NOT compassion! It is actually judgment. What we are really saying is; “I am frustrated, and not able to know how to help you, I got over it, so should you.”

These kinds of statements place shame on the individual you are speaking to. They will begin to avoid you at all costs!

Gently and compassionately lead them to Jesus; He is the ONLY one who can truly set them free!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   John 3:16

Posted by onthesolidrock in Compassion, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Beware of the Selfishness Trap

Beware of the Selfishness Trap

We need to be careful that we do not fall into the “Selfishness Trap” mentioned in the following passage of Scripture. As you go about your life in Christ, be generous. What people need the most, is your time and attention.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

As followers of Christ, the Scripture above ought to be, turned on its head!

We should be; selfless, generous with our money (tithe more, tip well) be humble, kind, obedient to our parents, grateful, holy, loving, forgiving, encouraging, self controlled, merciful, loving the good, honest, prudent, modest, loving God, and exemplifying Him in all things, walking in great power!

Make a fresh commitment to live this way today . . . and every day; you can be sure, the world around you will take note, and God will too!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Watching You

Watching You

Your words concerning God mean very little to the people around you, if your life does not reflect, what you say you believe. You are a living example of God’s grace and mercy, on display for all to see!

Anyone following Jesus, will exhibit a life of transformation; “the old is gone, the new has come.”

Your life is a constant witness to your master; who then has more control of your life, you, or Jesus; the world can tell in a heartbeat.

Listen to the words of Scripture. . .

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”   2 Corinthians 3:2-3

If you live and act just the same as those who are engaged in the sin of this world, then you will hardly qualify as a legitimate representation of the Living God, who was supposed to have set you free!

Make sure that you not only talk the talk, but that you walk the walk! The world is watching you!

 

 

 

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Holiness, Humility, Trust, 0 comments
Learn the Word

Learn the Word

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.   Colossians 3:16

The Scriptures call us to become students of the Word of God. We MUST apply all of our abilities to this task. We live in a day and age of information; we have access to computers, bibles, books, commentaries, etc.

If there ever was a generation that is WITHOUT EXCUSE for learning the Word of God, it is this generation.

You MUST engage yourself in the study of God’s Word. To avoid this most elementary part of Christianity shows your lack of desire to, really know, the God you say you love!

Posted by onthesolidrock in Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Humility, 0 comments