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LIFE IN THE KINGDOM part 1

9/28/2018

September 28, 2018 LIFE IN THE KINGDOM part 1
Matthew 23:10-12 “And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant, and whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
As we read and study the New Testament, it becomes very obvious that life in the kingdom of God is totally unlike life in the kingdom of this world. Only as one comes to know God can he or she experience life in God’s kingdom as it takes the Holy Spirit in us to reveal the kingdom of God. Because the world cannot comprehend in any way the things of God, it rejects, and even opposes the kingdom of God. The basic conflict is that the world believes that self is in control, whereas in the kingdom of God, God is the One who is in control. It is incomprehensible to the world that we, as believers, are to ‘die to ourselves’ if we are to find real life. The two verses above are just two of the many verses that give us insight into kingdom living. First, as believers, we are to see Jesus as THE Leader, and that everything revolves around Him and flows out of Him as He is the source of our life. We may, and should learn from others who are following God, but our focus is to be on Christ. In God’s kingdom, serving is paramount; we serve because Jesus served. The world may promote the idea of serving, particular in the business community, but this serving is based on getting something in return-customer retention, more sales, etc. In the kingdom of God, the motive for serving is to truly bless others-with no strings attached. Jesus came to serve by securing our salvation that we may be made a part of His kingdom. It is a part of our new nature to want to serve and bless others-let us look for ways to express that part of our new nature. Jesus plainly states that the greatest among us is the one who serves. Another clashing reality of the two kingdoms is that of pride and humility. Pride is at the core of the one who rejects God. Man wants his way, man wants recognition, and man takes pride in what he does by his own strength. Jesus came as Savior, and He came to inaugurate and make known the kingdom of God. Each individual, including believers, must choose to live according to the kingdom of this world, or according to the kingdom of God, and the choice we make has for reaching implications. We are most blessed to have the opportunity to live in and experience the kingdom of God, even as we live in this world. Let us examine the life we live and make sure we are indeed living in the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:8 “And He entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN

9/25/2018

September 25, 2018 MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN
Hebrews 2:14-15, 17: “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
It is an awesome to know that Jesus, who was reigning with God in heaven, actually came to earth and took on flesh and blood and became like us! The truth presented in theses verses, when believed, changes how we view ourselves, how we view God, and how we relate to God. In verse seventeen above, we are told that Jesus “had to be made like His brethren in all things.” Jesus lived in the same world we live in, and because He experienced the trials and difficulties that life on earth presented, He was able to become our merciful and faithful high priest.” God saw us as His Children and Jesus saw us as His brothers; how blessed we are to be a part of the family of God! Before Jesus came, man was under the rule of the devil and was enslaved, living in darkness and fear. Jesus saw the plight and the bondage of His brothers, and because of His love for us, He came to render powerless the devil and to set us free from the slavery and the fear that bound us. What Jesus accomplished by giving Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of man, made His death on the cross the epic event of all time. When Jesus died on the cross, He died as the sin-bearer; God accepted the death of the Jesus as the sacrifice for all sin, restoring the fellowship between man and God. Not only did God forgive sin, He disarmed Satan who held the power of death, and set us free of slavery. Concerning our life today, we can know that Jesus is fully aware of the difficulties we encounter in life, but we can also know that He comes to our aid, and through His Holy Spirit living in us, He gives us the power to overcome sin and all that would defeat us. We are forgiven, we have been set free, and Jesus is our high priest, giving us understanding concerning things “pertaining to God.” Let us live with the awareness that we are in God’s family, that Jesus is our merciful and faithful high priest, and that we have been set free from the power of sin.
John 20:17b “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Blessings,
Buddy

BE ON YOUR GUARD

9/22/2018

September 22, 2018 BE ON YOUR GUARD
Luke 12:15, 19-20 “And He said to them, ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does life consist of his possessions.’” “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said, ‘You fool!’ This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’”
Jesus always knew how to get His message across in just a few words, and His message always addressed the real issues of those who heard-and His words continue to do the same today. The word to ‘be on guard’ is certainly a word for us to take seriously concerning material possessions and greed. At first, we may be quick to say that we are not materialistic nor are we greedy. It’s a fact that most spend a lot of time and energy acquiring possessions and maintaining those possessions. Most possessions in themselves are not evil, but amoral-neither right nor wrong; the issue is our heart and the importance we put on possessions. If we find our security and our joy in possessions, and we trust in our possessions, including our savings, IRA’s or other retirement funds, and our insurance policies-then we need to hear the words Jesus spoke. For sure, there is nothing wrong in having possessions, or making financial plans for the future, and in fact, we should be diligent in work and providing for our families and meeting the needs of others. But, this is where the words ‘be on your guard’ come into play. In our working and providing, and planning for future, we can without realizing it, begin to trust in what we are doing-what we are acquiring, etc. As a test to see where our trust lies, how would we react if we lost our most valued possessions, or suddenly, our retirement account and our savings were lost? I am not saying that we should not feel any grief if that was to happen, but if we truly trust in the Lord, we will not be devastated by such a loss. When we come to know God and experience Him personally, we realize that life comes from our relationship with Him, not from our possessions. God is not opposed to our having possessions, as long as those possessions do not have us. 1 Timothy tells us: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” We also must be on guard against “every form of greed.” Again, if not careful, we can become envious, or greedy over what others have. Greed is not a part of God’s kingdom, and greed robs us of the joy of the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:6, 9 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
Psalm 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
Blessings,
Buddy

CONTEND EARNESTLY

9/19/2018

September 19, 2018 CONTEND EARNESTLY
Jude 3: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Jude is exhorting the believers to not wavier or turn from the faith that was “once for all delivered to the saints.” Just as in the days when this letter was written, we also need to heed this exhortation. Today, we often hear a message in Christian circles is that of what refer to as ‘easy believism’ where all that is needed is for one to say a short prayer asking God to save them. The problem with this view is that it is unscriptural in that it ignores the mandate form God that we become disciples and that we mature in the faith. Our culture likes the easy way; what we want, we want it now, without a lot of effort on our part. That may be over-spoken, and there are some who have not bought into this idea, but there is some truth in this view of the culture. The idea of ‘contending earnestly’ for the faith also contradicts the ‘name it and claim’ belief that says all we have to do is to speak a word, and whatever we speak will come to pass. The gospel of the kingdom of God calls believers to action, to be His ambassadors, to be transformed into His image, and to overcome the world. In this world, we are constantly bombarded with philosophies, doctrines, opinions, and beliefs that are in direct opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of these beliefs are obviously contradictory to the gospel, and others are more subtle. Two of the more subtle contradictions is the emphasis placed on personal fulfillment and the emphasis on getting rather than giving where bigger is better. In the kingdom of God, the emphasis is placed on such things as: serving; dying to ourselves; blessing others; giving; prayer; being content with what we have; seeking God first; fellowshipping with other believers; being kind-hearted; speaking the truth; being light in the darkness; loving others-including the unlovely; growing and maturing in the faith; being a witness of what God has done; considering others more important than ourselves; obeying the commandments of God; living and walking in our true identity in the Lord; studying the word of God that we may grow into the likeness of Jesus; and the list could go on. As believers, we must make the choice as to whether we will ‘go with the flow,’ and be lackadaisical in the faith, or whether we will actually “contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” and be about building our life on the gospel of the kingdom.
1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Blessings,
Buddy

LISTEN UP

9/16/2018

September 16, 2018 LISTEN UP
Proverbs 1:33 “He who listens to Me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.”
Throughout the world, multitudes live with fear as a constant companion. Those who promoted a humanistic philosophy and claimed that we were in the days of ‘enlightenment,’ promised that the world would get better, wars would cease-all because man was ‘good’-and how wrong they were. In all of history, man has resisted and rejected the rule of God and has lived according to his own way. Because man has gone his own way, the world has not gotten better, but on the contrary, things continue to degenerate into greater darkness. However, God has made an awesome promise to those who know Him and listen to Him. Even though we are surrounded by darkness, we can live in the light of God by listening and learning from Him. God has made provision for His people, and when we receive of His provision, we live free of fear. Let us not miss the obvious, but easily over looked part of this verse-God speaks to us and we can hear Him! God speaks in many ways to the one who desires to hear Him. The obvious way that God speaks is through His written word, the Bible. The Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God. The Bible is the ‘historical’ word of God, it is also the ‘current’ word of God in that for the one who desires to hear God, the Holy Spirit makes the written word alive and personal. God also speaks through other people, whether it be a preacher of the gospel, or a friend, or even someone we may not know personally. The necessary part of hearing God is the Holy Spirit in us revealing to us the heart of God to us individually. God may speak to us by giving us His thoughts; we may hear in Him our spirit; or we may hear Him speaking through the circumstances and happenings around us. God is all-knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present, and He loves us and He desires for us to know Him. Because He loves us, He always has our very best in mind. If we truly desire to hear God, then let us read His written word, let us expect to hear what He has to say to us in whatever way He chooses to speak, and most importantly, let us act on what He says.
Isaiah 30:21 “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or to the left.”
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Luke 11:28 “But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”
Blessings,
Buddy

GETTING THE FULL STORY

9/13/2018

September 13, 2018 GETTING THE FULL STORY
Romans 7:15: “For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
Romans 7:24-25: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Perhaps this section of scripture is the most widely misunderstood and misapplied of all the New Testament scriptures. It is necessary for us to understand the truth found in this section if we are to live according to our new identity as believers. All of chapter seven should be read, but verse 7:15 is a verse that many believers identify with, agreeing that that verse describes the life they live. Living life as portrayed in 7:15 is a life dominated by the old sin nature. As a believer, Paul had experienced the frustration that comes when the old nature dominates, leading him to cry out “wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?” (In biblical days, if someone murdered someone, the punishment was to tie the corpse on the back of the one who murdered-in time, disease from the corpse would lead to the death of the murderer-that is most likely what Paul was referring in the body of death.) However, Romans 7:1-24 was not Paul’s testimony, but a description of his life before he came to know the freedom of not being in bondage to sin. Romans 8:1-2, is Paul’s testimony-free from the law of sin and death! In Christ we are new creations, sin no longer has the rule over us, and we are slaves to sin no longer. Because we are in Christ, and He is in us, we can say no to sin and yes to righteousness. The truth of the gospel centers around the fact that Jesus came to forgive us AND to set us free from the bondage to sin. When we experience the freedom of life in Christ Jesus, we have no desire to sin, but in fact have a desire to do the things that please Him. It is a major victory for us when realize that Romans 6:11-12 describes who we are: “Even so consider yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lust.” Let us get the full story; the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 6:13-14: “and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Blessings,
Buddy

HE HAS GIVEN

9/9/2018

August 9, 2018 HE HAS GIVEN
1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
It is the very nature of the man that does not know God to think that he is master of his own destiny and that he is in control. Even in religious matters, he believes that he is the one who finds his way to God, thus we have man-made religions that are built upon the idea that one finds God by his own effort, by keeping certain rules and rituals, etc. The basic tenant of Christianity is that God reaches down to man, and that only through God’s grace can one come to know Him. One can debate election, that says only those who God chooses will be saved, and the free will of man, that says that anyone can be saved if they only believe in Jesus. The scriptures teach that God died for the sins of the world, but the fact is that many reject Him as Savior. Scripture also teaches that it is God who initiates salvation and that He draws those who are to be saved to Himself. With that being said, we now have understanding of who God is only because Jesus came and revealed God the Father to us. It is amazing, but we can now know God! It is indeed humbling to realize that God loved us to the point that He came in the person of Jesus Christ, not only to reveal Himself to us, but also to bear our sins on a cross that we might be saved. God is true, and He is the source of all wisdom, and He gives wisdom and understanding to those who know Him and walk in His ways. Proverbs 14:12 tells us that “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Even as believers, it is possible for us to make decisions and live in a certain way that ‘seems right to us.’ As we go about life, let us live in the awareness that the Son of God has come, and He has given us, and will give us, understanding and wisdom for every circumstance and every situation in life. We can thank God that we are not limited to our own wisdom and understanding! The greatest opportunity afforded to us is that we might know Him-the one who is all-powerful, who is wisdom, who is creator, and who is our Father! Let us know that we are in Him and let us live accordingly. 2 Peter 1:3 “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
Blessings,
Buddy

WALK BY THE SPIRIT

9/6/2018

September 6, 2018 WALK BY THE SPIRIT
Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
The simple, but powerful truth of this verse is often overlooked, and often misunderstood. This is evidenced when a believer says something to the effect of: “I know I am a believer, but when certain things happen, I really get angry-that’s just who I am-I know I should not, but I do.” In scripture, the ‘flesh’ refers to the old man we use to be before we were born again; it’s the part of us that wants our way. The Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit of God who from the point of salvation lives in us. As believers, we have two, and only two choices; walk by the flesh, or walk by the Spirit-there is no neutral ground. The clear teaching of the New Testament is that our old self, our flesh, was crucified with Christ when He was crucified, and the power of sin was broken. (See Romans 6.) We no longer have to sin. As believers, God has made us new, has given us a new heart, a new mind, and a new spirit-as Peter Parris has said, “we have lost our disposition to sin.” The good news is that the battle has been won, the power of sin has been defeated, and now we are free to live as new creations. The critical point for us to understand is that we have a part to play in this process; we have a choice to make as to whether we walk by the flesh, or walk by the Spirit. If we are to experience victory over sin and walk according to the Spirit, we must apply what is said in Romans 6:11 and Ephesians 4:22: “Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” There will be times when we are tempted to respond according to our flesh, BUT, we can at that moment consider, or reckon, our old self, the flesh, dead, and can simply lay it aside and then respond according to the Spirit. This may sound simplistic, but it’s the gospel way. As believers, it is possible for us to sin even though the power of sin has been broken. But note the words “that you may not” and “if” in 1 John 2:1. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” We walk by the Spirit when we hear and when we obey the leading and the prompting of the Spirit who indwells us. If we are weary of the roller-coaster spiritual life, of responding often in the flesh, and finding that we often do the things that do not please the Lord, then let us say ‘no’ to our flesh and choose to walk by the Spirit-we can do just that.
Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Blessings,
Buddy

YOU ARE FROM GOD

9/3/2018

September 3, 2018 YOU ARE FROM GOD
1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Do we know and are we conscience of the fact that as believers, we are from God? We tend to think that we are from our earthly parents, that our physical birth was our beginning. We cannot totally comprehend it, but God knew us even before the world was created! Knowing that we are from God sheds a totally new light on our life on this earth; certainly, our ‘origin’ is of upmost importance as it is key to our identity. A second amazing and all important fact is that the Holy Spirit of God lives is us! That’s who we are-from God and temples of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not know God as Savior, are mere humans, void of the Spirit of God, living in a fallen world. A third amazing fact is that there are only two kingdoms in existence-the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of this world that is Satan’s domain. God’s kingdom is one of light while the kingdom of this world is one of darkness, and these two kingdoms clash. Even though the kingdom of Satan is one of darkness, Satan is deceptive and can even appear as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14. The system of the world promotes the false idea that man is supreme (humanism) and denies the existence of God. We find that this world system well entrenched and its influence is seen in every segment of society. And sad to say, but yet true, even in some ‘churches’ we see the influence of this world system. The all-important battle for the believer is that of overcoming the world that constantly promotes the idea that man should do whatever is right in his own eyes and whatever makes him happy. One day, this world system will be no more, but for now, we must overcome it by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. It is critical that we know that we are from God and that we have a destiny in Him, a destiny that involves us overcoming the world and ruling with Him. It is time for believers to be bold, to refuse to live according to the worlds standards. In essence, the world says to get, while in God’s kingdom, the emphasis is on giving and blessing others. God’s word is the handbook on the kingdom of God, and in it, we find our true identity and purpose, we find instructions for living, we find hope, and we discover exactly what it is that makes us complete and fulfilled. God has done all that is needed for us to be overcomers-we already are overcomers. BUT, we must make the choice to walk in His ways and be guided and empowered by His word and by His Spirit.
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.”
Blessings,
Buddy