Love and Judging

1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

How can we respond to a scripture like this?  Whoever keeps God’s word, in Him is the love of God perfected:  and because of this we know that WE are in HIM.  Why?  Because we can only keep God’s Word by FAITH.  Right after Jesus fed the five thousand and he needed time to refill His Spirit by solitary prayer, he sent His disciples on ahead in a boat (Matthew 14:16-32).  There was a rough sea and the wind was against them when Jesus came upon the disciples WALKING ON WATER.  Here they had experienced two miracles, they had seen God multiply seed sown (the bread and fishes), and they had seen Jesus walking upon the surface of the water. 

If you wonder why this was so incredible consider Genesis 1:6 where God divided the waters from the waters.  Jesus showed Himself the Lord of the Waters.

Instead of accepting this awe inspiring occurrence the disciples cried out in fear.  Remember, the opposite of love is not hate; it is fear.  Fear drives Muslim terrorists to attack and murder entire villages of Christians or Jews.  Fear drove the KKK to murder freed slaves and make their lives miserable.  Fear prevents a woman from submitting herself to her godly (important part) husband in the face of her contemporaries criticism.  Fear makes sinners run from or curse Christians (often with good reason).  Fear means you have little love of God in your soul and fear means you have little faith.

We can overcome fear and exercise our faith.  Exercising our bodies means we get sore and stiff until we build them up.  Exercising faith means we might get wet like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus until the crashing waves frightened him.  He had faith but in the process of building it up he stumbled and began to sink.  Give the man credit; he had the presence of mind to cry out, “Lord, Save me!”  Jesus answer was not, “I have you!”  His answer was, “O you of small faith, why did you doubt?” 

It is good that we love God.  It is good that we take steps of faith even if we occasionally get wet.  What often grieves God is when we lash out against those who are different than we are or serve Him in a different administration.  It might be because you are young and immature or because you have been hurt over the years.  Whatever the reason it is clear when we react in fear or anger that we are not made perfect in love.  Over and over I hear people say, “God is going to get you!”  Beloved, we’re not in THAT chapter of history right now.  We are in the dispensation of GRACE! 

We won’t follow scripture closely because we are afraid to.  That is a lack of love.  We aren’t willing surrender our will and we try to find verses that let us get away with lifestyle decisions and other actions.  That is a lack of love.  Your level of love is DIRECTLY linked to your level of obedience to His scripture.  Over and over I hear people tell me, “We are not under the law!”  My answer is that YOU do not appear to be under ANYTHING or ANYONE.  If you were under God you would submit to Him.  It is certain that America as a whole is NOT one nation under God.  I’d be satisfied if we Christians were one people under God. 

One last point that God has been hammering at me lately is insisting I speak into your hearts.  I spend a fair amount of time on Facebook trying to keep track on how some of the people I know are doing.  Lately there seems to be a powerful movement of finger pointers and judges of ministries.  The Word God gave me in this is that He is our judge, NOT YOU.  When you are judging you are not loving and praying.  When you are judging you are pointing a finger right back at yourself and God will make sure that your standards of life are just as high as you are requiring of others.  He might not judge you for sexual sin when your sin is pride though.  He will judge any sin for any sin.  Is that what you want? 

The first verse He gave me is Romans 14:4:  “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?  To his own master he standeth or falleth.  Yea, he shall be raised up because God is able to make him stand.”  By your words of malice you have already condemned yourselves of the sins of judging, backbiting, whispering, malignity, etc.  The second word He gave me was Matthew 7:1-2.  I’ll let you look those up.  The third was Psalm 105:15, 1 Chronicles 16:22,  “Touch not my anointed ministers and do not harm my prophets.”  When you put your mouths upon a minister you do not agree with or even one who has stumbled and been caught in sin; you will surely be judged by God.  God destroyed the very nations HE called to punish Israel.  Israel needed to be punished and God chose His instrument to do so but the nations who carried out that task were utterly destroyed for touching God’s anointed and sinning people.  Think about that.

I guess what I am saying is to keep your mouth closed and your knees busy in prayer.  Many of you need to repent and ask God to forgive you for your OPINION.  Personally whenever I get afflicted by Satan and start speaking against someone, I get down on my knees and beg God for His forgiveness. 

There are ways to help correct someone in sin.  Scripture says, “Ye who are spiritual (that leaves a bunch of us out) restore such a one in a spirit of MEEKNESS.”  It also says to take two or three (I suggest three) witnesses let every word be established and if that person is a danger to God’s house then you must still meekly and humbly speak to him in love and grace.

Take care beloved.  Do not allow Satan to drive you into error and pride.  Do something gracious for that person you have been looking funny at.  Pray for them and keep their sin private.  If God feels they are ignoring His many warnings and decides to go public with their sin, don’t you be the public address system He uses.  It might cost more than you want to pay.

No Lie?

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

This verse accurately says, “My infant, unlearned babies, I am writing all these things to you so you will not miss the mark of the high calling of God (Philippians 3:14).  If it so happens that you do miss the mark, the target of God that you should be aiming for with all your heart, you and I have an advocate, a paraclete, someone who will take hold of your life and walk along beside and help turn you in the right direction.  This paraclete will guide you into perfect communion and union with the Father in Heaven.  Some of His is names are Jesus, Jehovah is Salvation, and the Christ.  He is anointed by the Father, empowered with all the power of the Godhead; the righteous one who is holy in an absolute and perfect way.  He is as perfect as God the Father and the Father in Heaven WILL ABSOLUTELY receive His petition on YOUR behalf as if it comes directly from the Father Himself.

I appreciate all John’s writings above those of other New Testament writers because he is someone who appreciates the sublime, higher than the heaven above knowledge of our true God and Savior.  He also writes to newborn Christians so they will not see Jesus as just some ‘guy,’ some natural man who lived a good life.  John makes it clear as glass – or the streets of gold – that Jesus is God who happens to be the Son of God also.  In the original Hebrew the name of God, Elohim, is a plural name.  Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:”  In Hebrew it says, “Hear, O Israel:  Yahweh our Elohim is one Yahweh.”  The unpronounceable and perfect NAME, our ETERNAL LORD who is GODS (plural) is ONE Eternal Lord.  The word for ONE here is ehad (eh haad).  It is the same word used for Adam and Eve when the scripture says they were ONE flesh.

Adam and Eve were two individuals who were one FLESH.  They were created out of one and when married were ONE.  God is much more one even though He is also plural.  His thoughts are perfect and there is NEVER any argument between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  They are three distinct entities and yet they are ONE in all things where Adam and Eve were only one in flesh.  Because of this, Jesus is as holy, powerful, righteous, authoritative and eternal as the Father or the Holy Spirit.  He simply has a RESPONSIBILITY to justify all those who believe and trust in His Name that His Father does not have.  His Father demands perfect holiness and Jesus through His blood sacrifice and resurrection provides it.

Perhaps you know all this.  It is basic to the doctrine of salvation.  Perhaps you do not; there are plenty of churches in America and around the world today that think Jesus was some old guy who died two thousand years ago and they still call themselves Christians.  In John 20:28, Thomas set the record clear when he said to Jesus, “My Lord (supreme master) and my God (divine heavenly king).  He knew and identified the risen savior as Almighty God.  For you to be born again you MUST believe that Jesus is God, Eternal in the Heavenlies and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  You cannot believe that He is just some guy because Christ’s only use as a Savior was His sacrifice.  It is against God’s law to sacrifice human beings in general so Christ had to be more than merely human.

1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Propitiation is an interesting word that means he paid your sin debt so God would not send you to Hell for it.  There is no purgatory or place where you will work off your sin debt.  We are filthy, sinful human beings and all of our righteousness is as disgusting as a used menstrual cloth (Isaiah 64:6).  Sorry but that is the actual picture painted by the Hebrew.  What a terrible vivid image of the best you can possibly be.  Women in this condition weren’t even allowed out into public until a week after their flow stopped and they had taken a ceremonial cleansing bath.  That is your greatest level of holiness apart from Christ’s sacrifice.

Let me say this one more time so we have clarity, “YOU CANNOT LIVE OR BE HOLY ENOUGH TO GET INTO HEAVEN.  YOUR BEST IS DISGUSTING AND DRAWS FLIES.”  Jesus called Satan, “Beelzebub” and said, “If Satan drives out Satan it is a divided kingdom (Mark 3:22-26).  The term He used was Beelzebub which means, “Lord of the Flies.”  He could have said that Satan is the lord of HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Hmmm.  Nope, that’s not any better.

Some people believe that Jesus has already saved the whole world because the verse says, “…and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.”  This is an inaccurate interpretation.  The best way to describe the work of Jesus here is if you commit a crime and it requires the death penalty.  Your father can’t bear to lose a child so he goes to the authorities and takes responsibility for your crime.  The warden enters your cell with a notice of release.  It has two stipulations.  The first is that you sign the release to accept it.  The second is that you strive to obey the law to honor your father’s sacrifice. 

Perhaps you love your worldly father too much to let him die for you.  In our case Jesus has already died and been reborn so that is not an issue.  The second part is one that causes many to either stumble or declare it to be too much effort.  You must signify that you have truly accepted Jesus into your heart and that He is now your Lord and Savior.  This is done by obedience to His Word.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do KNOW that we KNOW him, if we keep his commandments.

The Greek word for know is ginosko and is also an idiom for the sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.  The problematic issue here is that in these days of sexual ‘looseness’ a man and a woman may bypass the spiritual and emotional bond of holy marriage that is designed to make our sexuality a celebration of the bond rather than some sweaty moment of passion and shame.  God’s way REQUIRES the bond of marriage to get someone out of their clothing and into each others bodies and hearts.  We have cheapened and reduced that celebration from a blending of agape, phileo and eros love into simple animal magnetism.  Without agape, phileo and eros intertwined with a marriage VOW there is no marriage and our relationship bears NO resemblance to a true relationship with God. 

If we truly know (ginosko) God in all the subtle nuances of that word; then we will also know His voice and be filled with the joy and intimate understanding of His moods and desire for us.  That complete love relationship will change the obedience of His commandments from the onerous and difficult requirement of slaves seeking to avoid a penalty of death, to a joyous opportunity to please and fulfill our blessed heavenly lover. 

Jesus is our husband (our true mate), our husbandman (shepherd and nurturer of our souls) and our beloved.  It is for Him that we keep the lamp of our soul lit and waiting for His coming.  He has gone away from our physical presence in the Hebrew fashion to prepare a place for us to dwell.  When it says in John 14:2 that there are many mansions in His Father’s house and that he goes to prepare a place for us (John 14:3), He means it as a bridegroom preparing for His bride. 

The Greek word in verse 3 above for commandment is the same as in verse 4 below, entole and means a commandment, precept and injunction.  Commandments are something one is ordered to do without specifying the authority of the one issuing the commandment.  Their orders may be founded upon might and power or true legal authority.  In God’s case it is both.  A precept is something you learn to do and has become a part of who and what you are.  An injunction is an authoritative command, in this case based upon the moral, spiritual and legal authority of God who is the creator of all and Savior, purchaser of your eternal soul.  God’s PERSONAL measure of how well we know Him is by how well we keep His commandments.

Christians often rail against the burden of keeping the law of God and we somehow take Peter’s admonition to kill and eat (Acts 10:13-36) to mean that there are no ‘laws’ of God we are required to obey.  This does not agree with the understanding that Jesus had to obey all the law of Moses to be ‘without sin (Hebrews 4:15).’  It isn’t so much the laws of washing, eating and touching but the laws of love, forgiveness and assistance that God is passionate about.  The laws of washing, eating and touching were ordained to ensure we understood that God is Holy and you had to be holy to live (and not die horribly and eternally) in His presence. 

In Christ we are made holy through His sacrifice and our acceptance of it.  That is the first step in our marriage to Jesus.  He died to fulfill the requirements of that marriage.  Once the Holy Spirit was birthed in our hearts and we have become born again, the commandments of touch not, taste not and handle not have been removed.  This has not however changed our responsibility to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy or to love our neighbor.  We are still responsible to give and be good stewards of all that God gives us.  We are also responsible to keep the relationship between ourselves and God hot, passionate and intimate.  If that sounds very much like marriage…uh…yeah. 

Jesus completely destroyed many of the unwritten and written (Talmudic & Mishnah) laws priests and rabbis have come up with over the years but He managed to obey ALL the true laws of God.  There are commandments of men (usually designed to combat what they saw as spiritual degradation over time) and there are commandments of God for all men.  The violence, anger, hatred and disrespect for all others that we see in the Islamic terrorists in Iraq and Syria is mostly based in a desire to see God’s word more closely followed and a strong feeling of fear of apostasy and missing God.  Sadly they have chosen a religion that advocates violence and rage to combat these things rather than love, grace and mercy. 

Our faith is not so and for this reason when we see promoters of hate like those who picket homosexual funerals or prophets who no longer walk in grace and love but in fear and accusation, it is distressing and troubling.  Ours faith is based upon a relationship with our heavenly Father and our Lord and Husband Jesus.  Scripture is our friend and lover, not our club and jailer.  We are expected to love those who speak against us or against God, not to curse them and seek God’s judgment over them.  That is not why Christ died.  Christ sent John to draw men to repentance and then He came personally to lead them into truth, salvation and life.

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

You can see why a failure to keep God’s commandments makes us a liar.  The only way to show God (Jesus) our love and acceptance of His role as Savior, Lord and Lover is to live in His house according to His rules and directions.  This is the true gospel and reason it is called the GOOD NEWS.  Rather than being difficult and troublesome, God’s commandments are to help us stand rested and not be broken under the weight of the world’s lies (Matthew 11:28-30).  Marriages end every day because one or both partners have hardened their hearts against the other.  Jesus is the perfect husband and we have no excuse for saying, “I will not abide by your house rules.” 

The last part of this verse says that the disobedient one is a liar living without the truth.  This presupposes that the disobedient one is trying to justify themselves by saying, “It’s not my fault.  I tried to live for God.  It’s just too hard.”  Really?  If Matthew 11:28-30 is correct and God’s yoke is easy then how can it be too hard?  The only way I can think of is if we are presently living for Satan, the father of lies, and we have not given our whole heart to Jesus, the Son of Light and Truth (Psalm 43:3).  If this is the case then we have become the home wreckers. The spouse (Christ’s church) is at fault; not God.  I do know that if we fast and pray and ask God to take our evil desires and wickedness from us HE WILL.  I promise!

I Have No Sin!

1 John Chapter 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Genesis 1:1 speaks directly about Jesus.  It says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  In doing this He, the creative force of the universe created something that was able to be touched and handled.  Centuries later God created a body for Himself and installed His living Word into it.  This word grew and matured like a child knowing no good or bad (Isaiah 7:14-16) until He became a mature man and was able to fully connect to and obey the spirit of God’s Word within Him.  He was subject to all the temptations, fears and passions that we are and yet through the Holy Spirit was able to remain above it all and without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

John is trying in his own unique way to describe the Son of God, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1-17).  He is trying to explain the inexplicable fact that Jesus is Lord of the Earth, that He is God and that He is also man.  John could not hold or handle the Father or Holy Spirit who is as the wind, but he could handle Jesus the man who stated that if you have seen me, touched me, and heard me, then you have seen and touched and heard the Father (John 14:6-11).

He wrote this because he knew that future generations would doubt even the existence in history of Jesus, much less that He was the Son of God and the Lord of all.  We try so hard to tell ourselves that Jesus is not any of the things the Bible says He is.  We twist scripture and corrupt its meaning while trying to swallow a lie that there is no God.  Many believe that the men and women of Jesus’ day are less intelligent because they are less technologically advanced. 

Really?

How is it that the great pyramid in Egypt is so perfectly placed and built that our own modern construction techniques would be unable to match it using computers and lasers?  The fitment of stones in that pyramid are closer and more accurately placed than the protective heat tiles on our space shuttle.  Perhaps that is why the space shuttle blew up and the pyramid still stands after several thousand years of attack by thieves, weather and wars.

Science has gone from studying and seeking the truth, whatever it might be, to trying to prove religion to be false.  It is obvious that if anthropologists, psychologist and all the other ‘ologists were to discover the truth that God is real they would hide it under a manure pit to cover their error.  These men who wrote our scripture always kept the understanding that the law came from Moses but grace and truth came from Jesus Christ.  To have deliberately lied or attempt to deceive never occurred to the men who brought us our Bible.  Their Lord was the Lord of truth and they could do no less.

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

The life of was manifested, made obvious and apparent to Jesus’ disciples.  He was not ordinary and lived and ministered in such a manner that His disciples were forced to believe.  I think I may be a lot like Philip.  He wanted proof of who Christ was and what He was and Jesus mildly rebuked him saying, “Have I been so long with you Philip that you do not know me or know that if you know me you know the Father (John 14:8-11)?  Later we learn of Thomas who said, “Except I place my finger in the hole in his hands and feet or the hole in His side I will not believe (John 20:24-29).”

Peter, Paul, Mark, Luke and the rest all wrote that we might have clear and understandable doctrine.  John wrote that we might believe and believing we might accept that true doctrine and not keep watering it down to uselessness through unbelief.  He fought against legalists, spiritists, humanists and others who tried to twist the doctrine of Christ for their own purposes.  In his gospel, three epistles and the book of Revelation he battled tirelessly against the tyranny of the doubting scholar.

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

One of Satan’s most foul lies is to move true Christian faiths to attack one another over petty doctrinal squabbles.  It’s bad enough that there are false ‘Christian’ cults all over the world but it is even worse that the true faiths cannot get along because someone does not view your pet spiritual purpose with the same passion you do.  They forget that God has promised to distribute spiritual gifts as HE wills and that ministries can be totally different than yours while still upholding the basic doctrines of our gospel (1 Corinthians 12:11). 

There is a reason that some cried, “I am of Apollos!” and others cried, “I am of Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:4)!”  Apollos and Paul were totally different in terms of temperament and style of ministry.  There are churches I have been in that were vibrant Bible believing churches and yet I did not care for the tone and tempo of the service or the preaching of the pastor.  I have entered others and felt immediately at home like slipping on old comfortable shoes.  Both services were dynamic and honored God.  Only one reached out to me specifically.  This is a great truth about the body of Christ.  We have hands and feet, ears and teeth, legs and arms.  Each of these ministries are very different but they are also all vital and powerful (1 Corinthians 12:14-18). 

As long as your fellowship with the Lord God is unimpeded and fulfills His purpose for your life; no man or woman can speak against it…though many will try anyway.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Consider that John is writing this so your joy may be full.  He’s not specifically writing so your faith might grow or your wallet might be filled; but so your joy may be full.  It should fill us with joy to learn that God is real and Christ died for your sins and rose again to become our great high priest.  It should fill us with joy to learn that God abides in us and we in Him.  We worry so much about the burdens of life and success that we forget the eternal responsibilities God has placed upon us.  Love the Lord and He will set you free and keep you full of joy.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

John has taken 4 verses to explain that they have seen, walked, talked and touched Jesus the Son of God so that you will understand that when you hear the verses that follow you will know they are eyewitnesses and not merely someone repeating a message.  Jesus said, “Thomas, you believe because you have seen, touched and talked with me after my death and resurrection; blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believed (John 20:29).  In our generation we are those who have not seen and there is a special blessing to us for following our spirit and not our flesh but God has still left eyewitness accounts so we can know their experience. 

Having said all that, John states, “God is LIGHT and in Him is NO darkness at all.  There are no lies in God, only love and the faith it produces.  Satan on the other hand is the father of lies and all darkness.  If Christ and the Father are in us we are light and not darkness.  That light directs us to obey God in all things; even those things that require faith rather than feelings to follow.  If I want to buy the sports car because I can afford it and I love driving them but God says to buy the 4 wheel drive truck, I should buy the 4 wheel drive truck.  When I find myself in the midst of a storm that would drown a little sports car I can plow right on through IF I have been obedient.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

This scripture is difficult for many modern Christians who FEEL God would never send them to Hell for disobedience.  Walking in darkness when you have the light of God at your disposal is sin.  It might feel good to your flesh and have a false light that tickles your emotions but it is not the true light of God.  If we have fellowship with God we will walk in the light.  If we have fellowship with God we will make LIGHT choices and not DARK ones no matter how good they might feel to our flesh.  We cannot declare ourselves to be Christians; cannot declare ourselves to be walking in the light if we do not obey God’s Word.  If we do not obey then we do not WALK IN TRUTH and are LIARS.

Many are screaming right now, “But it feels good to me!  God’s way is uncomfortable to me.  I want to do it this way!  Surely God’s mercy and grace are sufficient.  Scripture says so!”  God’s mercy and grace are sufficient when you stumble through weakness.  God does not appear to consider DELIBERATE DISOBEDIENCE a weakness.  He seems to consider it to be walking in darkness with the purpose of walking in darkness.  When you fall into sin, scripture says a righteous man will get up seven times and continue on God’s path.  If you choose to walk on a path of darkness you have chosen not to get back up and have begun to walk a path of darkness for flesh sake, for sin’s sake, for darkness’ sake.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Notice our fellowship comes from walking in the light of the Gospel as Jesus walks in the light of His person which just happens to be the Gospel made flesh.  Because He died willingly for our sins we are forgiven.  Because He rose from the dead and lives eternal in the heavenlies we have a sacrifice that never stops cleansing us from sin.  When you sacrifice a lamb for your sins it cleanses you up to the point where the lamb died.  After that you immediately begin to store up wrath.  I knew a Jewish man who said that the only day of the year he felt clean was on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. 

In our case our Yom Kippur happens day by day, moment by moment, instant by instant.  When Christ has cleansed us and we show this by walking in the light of His Gospel, His redeeming power is a constant flow of grace and mercy in our lives.  We will also have fellowship one with another through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.  I live in what is called, “The South,” right next to the Great Dismal Swamp where Harriet Tubman used to sneak escaped slaves to the north 150 years ago.  There is still a lot of tension and disharmony in this area even now between blacks and whites. 

Christ died for black Americans.  Christ died for white Americans.  He died for Muslim Pakistanis and Hindu Indians also.  Jesus has no problem with your skin color or religious past.  He is only interested in your current life and future.  I presently attend a church that is primarily African American.  I enjoy the services and the tenor of the worship and praise.  If I liked a more staid church that sings the Old Rugged Cross slowly and prays quietly, God would meet me there.  He isn’t interested in our color or former faith.  He told us to subdue the earth so the country you live in isn’t the problem either.  What God wants is that all who name the name of Jesus over their lives would also embrace our brethren of other cultures, races and temperaments.  If I am more willing to accept someone who lives in sin rather than someone who loves other races, I am not walking in the light of Christ’s glorious gospel.

8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Scripture says that if the blind leads the blind both will fall in the ditch (Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39).  Have you ever watched the so called beautiful people in action?  They kiss each other on the cheek and say, “You are awesome, you are beautiful.”  Neither one speaks of the terror and pain they hide within their hearts.  Luke 8:17 says that nothing is hidden that will not be brought out and spread abroad.  Your sin will not remain hidden so it is far better to deal with it when God brings it to your mind.  Whenever we cry aloud, “There is no sin in me!” we are liars and have managed to deceive even ourselves.  How foolish to walk around filled with self delusion and pain rather than to have our crippled lives made straight.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Don’t be like the self-righteous Pharisee in Luke 18:11-14, pointing at the sinners and criminals around him and praying in his delusion of holiness and piety.  It is far better to be like the Tax Collector and simply beg for God’s mercy while acknowledging your sins.  Jesus Himself said, “This tax collector went home justified while the Pharisee did not.”  A fool thinks he can hide his sins from our Lord while a wise man repents and throws himself on the chief cornerstone.  He arises broken but cleansed, humbled but purified.  Pride makes a terrible scrub brush.  It is too smooth and well oiled to get the dirt off.

AMP 10 If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts

It says repeatedly in the book of Judges, “And every man did what was right in his own eyes.”  What an indictment against their level of obedience to God.  There would have never been any judges had they not constantly been cast into tribulation for their sins.  God’s Word NEVER FAILS (Matthew 24:35).  Never.  The greatest sin in the modern church today is to lightly esteem the integrity of God’s scripture.  John says in his gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Jesus is the embodiment of God’s Word. 

Scripture has substance and life all its own and when we reduce all of it to mere allegory and cute story we reduce the very nature of God and the power and authority of Christ.  By our very disbelief we fail to submit to God and when we fail to submit, we find it impossible to obtain God’s power and blessings over our lives.  God’s Word says, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath (James 1:19).  We instead have quick tempers, lightning tongues and an inability to quietly listen until we know the heart of the matter.  When this happens we cause those angry lost sinners to stumble because they see someone just like they are.

While we were yet in our sin, CHRIST DIED FOR US (Romans 5:8).  If He was as a lamb, dumb before its shearers (Isaiah 53:7) then why do we think we need to be so quick to defend our sacred…?  No…our profane honor.  The term Christian means that we are to be Christ like.  When someone sees us they should see Jesus.  The only ones Jesus verbally attacked were the religious leaders of the day who said, “We see and understand God.”  Jesus healed the blind and ignorant.  He punished those who should have known better because they knew the Word of God; people like us, the saints of God.   

Do you still say, “I have no sin?”

It’s Right Because it Is!

 

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God is the Father of LIGHTS.  Think about it.  He’s not just talking about Jesus because it is plural…light(S).  We are lights in the world and to be those lights we should have every good and perfect gift that we need to accomplish God’s will.  In part two of this scripture, there is NO changing or even a SHADOW of changing in God.  How often have you changed your mind because it was just too hard to do right?  Whatever is in shadow is in darkness.  Darkness comes from Satan.  When God says to move forward but fear, doubt and lies makes you turn away then you have experienced a SHADOW of turning.  Rather than being defeated by shadows, use every one of those good and perfect gifts God has assigned you and kick the backside of any shadows.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Everything contained in the Bible was placed there by God’s will.  Never doubt this fact.  The Bible is alive and filled with the Spirit.  The Words are alive and accomplish whatever God requires.  Angels were created servants of God but we are different.  We are the created children of God.  We were first born of the flesh and then born again of the spirit.  First, man was; and now, second, the spirit makes us alive spiritually.  Our preaching and teaching and moving in the gifts will create new births and on and on.  As long as we believe that scripture is alive and honor it as God’s Word, people will continue to be born again.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

My entire purpose today was to get right here.

I was once in the United States Air Force.  I loved God, but I was dedicated to my country too.  These days my love for God has grown and I continue to pray for my nation, specifically its leadership, to follow the tenets of God’s Word.  The first thing Paul says here is, “Be swift to hear.”  A more blunt way of saying this would be, “Shut up and listen.”  Stop pouring words that make no scriptural sense out of your mouth.  Listen to preaching and teaching until the words that exit your mouth are words of life and faith. 

Anger, frustration, wrath, these are things we humans do not deal well with.  Rather than loving more than we hate, we allow negative feelings to push us into negative actions and we fail to be children of light.  How awful to be damaged by a child of light who is in darkness. 

A man comes and murders your saved mother.  He curses you and God and is arrested.  God impresses that man to contact you from jail and asks you to come speak to him.  You go thinking how angry you are but curious why he might want you to talk to him.  When you get there he begins to laugh at you for believing in God and what good did it do for you and your mother to believe now that she is dead. 

How would you feel?  What would you do?  What would you say?  Would you blow it?

I expect these responses  in advance since I know Satan is evil and the father of lies.  If that person begins to mock me about my mother and her being dead I immediately realize, she is not dead.  She is in glory with God.  He has only destroyed her shell and except for a time gap, I will be with her fairly soon and forever.  Since she is not dead and better off than I am, it allows me to consider the poor lost tortured man before me.  What kind of pain does it take to lash out so?  How badly was he abused as a child?  What might help him reach out to God for forgiveness and healing?

Because I know this man as a lost soul and know my mother as a saved soul my choices are clear.  What might save and deliver him from Satan’s clutches?  If Satan has deprived me of several years with my mother on earth, I need to try and deprive him of this man’s company in hell.  I can no longer be filled with rage because there is no reason for it.  If I die I gain so threats to me don’t work.  He did my mother a favor without knowing it.  She is filled with joy in God’s presence.  My only response is to get this poor deluded lost soul saved so he does not suffer in hell.

This would be more difficult if my mom wasn’t saved.  That would cause me significant grief.  In that case I would need to understand that Satan has ended one future and I don’t want him to get away with ending another.  It becomes a war where we wrestle not against murdered and murderer but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.  He could no more have stopped himself from this crime than to flap his arms and fly.  He was caught and trapped and only God can set him free.

I don’t say this is an easy lesson, but please understand that no matter who needs our help, it is to OUR advantage to give it.  It honors God and it honors Christ’s sacrifice.  As the Marines say, “Semper Fi”  Always faithful.

Win one for the KING!

How Is It Glowing?

There is an old proverb dating back to the 13^th century or earlier that says, “Strike while the iron is hot!”  Another says to, “Make hay while the sun (son?) shines.” 

Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” 

God rarely comes to speak to me while I’m sitting in my favorite chair with an iced tea just waiting on Him.  His timing in my life runs more toward when I’m right in the middle of something I really want to do.  That’s when he’ll knock at the door to my heart and say, “Son, may I have a word with you?”  Sadly, my answer has often been, “Now Lord?  Can it wait 30 minutes?” 

God has never once answered that question.  He simply moves on to the next person on His list of blessings and sees if he or she is too busy.  Thankfully God is too loving and gracious to leave me there indefinitely; it just seems to be indefinitely.  You can of course do things to shorten the length of time God remains silent.  You can fast and pray and worship and consecrate.  All those things together will likely prove adequate to elicit a positive response from our Heavenly Father but nothing will make His joy as apparent as a quick original response.  Never forget that God says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” 

There is an unsaid corollary to that verse.  If you do not obey, you will sacrifice…possibly painfully.

Habakuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

My reason for writing this tonight is not to scare anyone into obeying God but to provide a moment of introspection and thought.  “Are you where you ought to be in life right now?  Yes…?  No…?”  God has a purpose, a vision if you will, for each of us.  There is a day it should begin, a day for each individual step and a day of completion where God says, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”  Any actions or lack of action on your part that prevents or delays His purpose is by definition and nature a bad thing.

You need to be swift to hear…slow to speak…slow to wrath…and let us not forget, swift to obey.  This is just a…public service announcement.  You may be right were you need to be in Christ.  If so, congratulations.  I give you your due honor.  If not, you want to be…don’t you?

In every school I have ever attended there have been tests.  After the test is scored the teacher will often go through your answers with you to correct any deficiencies.

Beloved, the next time God knocks on your heart’s door and asks to have a word with you; stop whatever you are doing and loudly proclaim, “Come on in Lord!” 

Father, I pray tonight for your beloved saints who read this message.  I pray you will be gracious with them and reset your door schedule to put them back up in front of the line.  I pray for their hearts that they be clear and pure toward you and that they have an ear to hear.  You said that whoever I forgive on Earth is forgiven in Heaven so Lord I forgive them in the name of your Son Jesus for ever putting you on hold.  I pray you will open up their hearts and ears and repeat the offer very soon; before they have time to forget their repentance.  Thank you Father; in Jesus Name.  Amen.

An Appeal for Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:16 Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].

I’ve been struggling lately with my sense of value of my own person.  Part of me of course recognizes that apart from God we are nothing.  Another part sees myself from a strictly human point of view, how much income I produce, who cares whether  I am alive or not.  This Sunday school lesson addresses this idea.  It begins by stating we regard no one from a purely ‘natural’ human point of view and by human standards.  Jesus Himself was born as a man and altogether too many in the church continue to view Him as that human man. 

Paul’s statement here is that while he did indeed once view Christ from a purely human viewpoint, he does not do so any longer.   Paul’s first introduction of Christ Jesus was as a cult leader who appeared to be leading Jews astray.  He was vehemently and violently opposed to Christ’s ministry and went so far as to throw these deluded Christians into jail to keep the heresy from spreading.  Paul was as focused as he could possibly be until one fateful day on the road to Antioch.  It was on that day that Paul came face to face; not with Jesus the man, but with Christ the Messiah and King.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any person is [engrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

The day someone becomes born again is not a day like any other.  It’s not the beginning of a process to be Christ like and yet…it is.  On the one hand, the work is instantaneous.  Becoming born again is an instantaneous process that happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  That is the process which transforms your spirit from death to life.  Having your mind renewed by the Word of God is a lifetime event that will last as long as you live on this earth.  We are told to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

2 Corinthians 5:18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

Everything we have since becoming born again we have from God and not flesh, not man.  We are reconciled TO God BY God THROUGH Jesus.  We are brought into the very favor of beloved children in this way.  Once we have become true and beloved children of God we receive the ministry of RECONCILIATION so that we might bring others into this same oneness.

We’re not perfect in flesh while we do this but we ought to be better, more loving and more gracious toward others than we were before coming to Christ.  God is love.  If I choose to curse and attack others…where is my love?  If I call others “Christ killers”…where is my love.  I ought to be someone that others are drawn to, not repulsed from.  If I am truly born again then the love of God ought to be shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

2 Corinthians 5:19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

If God Himself doesn’t count up and hold our sins against us in Christ, who are we to count the sins of others?  God actually cancels our sins when we accept the redeeming gift of Jesus into our hearts.  Notice it once again says that AFTER God’s forgiveness and AFTER receiving the justification of Christ we receive the message of reconciliation.  We CAN lead them to a holy relationship with God THROUGH Christ Jesus. 

2 Corinthians 5:20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We as Christ’s personal representatives beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor now offered you and be reconciled to God.

An ambassador comes from the king; from the head of the government and makes a statement on behalf of that king or head of government.  Notice it says that we are Christ’s ambassadors and yet says that God (all of God) is making this ambassadorial plea THROUGH Christ.  Over and over we see this hint of the triune nature of God.  God the holy Father could not accept us as we were and so He had to make a way.  The way is explained more fully in John 1. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Once we have become Christ’s PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES it is our responsibility to beg others to come to Him in any way possible.  This says nothing of cursing the lost or condemning them to Hell in Christ’s name.  We have a ministry of reconciliation and not rage.  Why should we be angered at others for Christ’s sacrifice when that sacrifice was offered on OUR behalf for OUR sins?  Why should we be self righteous and even angry toward those who struggle to believe in God when many of us struggled even harder to believe? 

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He made Christ to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become the righteousness of God, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  Through Christ we have become the righteousness of God, approved and accepted.  God literally knows we can’t live the lives He requires us to live.  This is why we are to press TOWARD the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  You will never arrive at His perfection apart from Jesus.  You MUST TRY of course but God’s grace is REQUIRED.  It is by HIS goodness…not ours.

Background

2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

God is appealing to us to become RECONCILED with Him.  Paul and the others with him BEGGED this worldly church to get their act together so they might not have received God’s grace in vain. This means that you CAN receive His grace in vain.  How?  By failing to accept His wonderful gift with all truth and all your strength.  Now is the acceptable time.  Now is the day of salvation.  Tomorrow is not promised to you. 

I remember reading in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs a story of a man who was being tortured for his faith in Christ.  He was in extremis and could not take it a moment longer.  He recanted and said Jesus was not Lord.  As they released the bands that had been tearing his body apart he died.  A young girl about 17 years of age jumped up on the device they were torturing him with and cried, “You FOOL!  But for one moment of peace you have condemned yourself to an eternity in Hell!”  The men grabbed her and put her in his place and she withstood it until she died.

You may never be forced to endure such things in your walk with God but Romans 8 makes it apparent that you probably will endure something.  God has not promised you peace and safety.  He has promised you eternal life with trials here and peace there.

ASV 2 Corinthians 6:3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Paul’s entire message here was to win the Corinthian church back to full fellowship with God.  In the next verses he insists that he is not going to do anything that might cause anyone to wonder if he himself was fully committed to this walk.  Paul points back to all they have had to endure for this walk.  He says that his pedigree doesn’t come from any degrees he might have, but from what he has had to put up with in his daily walk with God.  Look at this list.  He says it took great endurance to stand in the face of afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights and hunger. 

Paul endured these things by the same gifts of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23; purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, true Agape love, honesty and God’s Dunamis power!  He insists that he held the weapons of righteousness in both hands and has continued while being honored and dishonored, slandered and praised, accused of being a liar while desperately holding to the truth.  Sound familiar?  I certainly hope so.  It should be a reflection of our lives.

As important as he was to Christianity he was still largely unknown in many circles and yet well known both positively by his true friends and negatively by the nay sayers.  He was ready to die but walked in the newness of life, was beaten down and afflicted and yet still eternal.  Paul knew how grievous this life can be but even more so understood its joys.  Whether in poverty or wealth in desperate straits or swimming in money, Paul knew how to live before God and man.

2 Corinthians 6:12 There is no lack of room for you in [our hearts], but you lack room in your own affections [for us].  13 By way of return then, do this for me—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also to us.

Paul’s humility in Christ did not mean that he never called others on their failure toward God and God’s children.  In this case he chided them about their lack of love and grace toward those who brought the life giving Word to Corinth.  His whole purpose here was for them to open their hearts wide.

It is always difficult to overcome custom, tradition and community.  Even today in America there is a great gulf fixed between many of God’s children based on no more than skin color and race.  I read the post of a young man who declared that the God who passionately loved bright colored flowers must have also lived the diversity in racial characteristics.  He created DNA which could not breed between human and animal but is fully successful between ALL THOSE HE CALLS HIS CHILDREN.  Black, White, Red, Yellow and Brown can blend and mix the palate of life until we are one soul if we will but allow it.

God says, “My beloved children; OPEN YOUR HEARTS!  Receive one another as I have received you.  See the Christ in one another. “

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?

There IS a group that we should not breed or wed or do business with.  Unbelievers.  There are times when you must work for them to have income but what happens when your boss expects you to lie for the company or about your taxes.  When the truth will both set you free and cost you your job, what will you do?  Now the rubber is on the road and you know what your faith might cost you.  God expects much from us in this respect.  He never meant separation to be racial or color coordinated.  He meant it to be SPIRITUAL.

Key Scripture

AMP 2 Corinthians 7:2 Do open your hearts to us again [enlarge them to take us in]. We have wronged no one, we have betrayed or corrupted no one, we have cheated or taken advantage of no one.

Paul is trying once again to open up the way of fellowship.  Because of the tension in America there are races who would call me a liar if I said I have only the most noble and honest desire for them.  I might be called a mocker and a fool if I tried to make them believe that I would put their welfare ahead of my own.  I’ve done this many times over the years and still can feel the doubt from others that I am not fully trusted.

Unless you can prove that someone did you harm with a will, accept the good.  Unless you see or they have told you that they want to hurt you, believe only the good.  Open up your hearts and understand that there are those who are not like you who none the less love you with a powerful love.  Receive them beloved and appreciate the diversity of God’s love.

I love you.

Bishop J