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WITHOUT  EXCUSE

11/30/2017

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November 30, 2017                                WITHOUT  EXCUSE
Romans 1:18-20 “For the wrath of God is reveled 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 heart was darkened.”
The evil and discord that is rampant in the world is a result of man suppressing the truth of what they know about God. The problem is not that man does not know that there is a God, the problem is that man chooses to reject what he knows of God and chooses to live according to his own desires. There are many places in scripture that speak of how God has revealed Himself, even in creation, such as in the verses above, and in Psalm 19:1 which reads: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work if His hands.” The one who lives in the most remote village in the world can observe the creation that surrounds him and as he ponders what is seen, he can acknowledge the handiwork of God, and if it is his heart to know this God of creation, God will reveal Himself to him even in greater ways. We know from scripture that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God is not elusive and He is not hiding; God desires to be known.  The real issue is that if one acknowledges God, then he is accountable to God; if one denies or does not recognize God, then he us free to live as he pleases-but still, deep within, he cannot escape the reality of God. As believers, we have been set free by the truth-that God is God, that He is our creator, that our sins are forgiven, that we have been made new, and that the Holy Spirit of God abides in us. No longer are we limited to a life living as mere humans where selfish desires and ambitions rule, void of a relationship with God. The life that Jesus lived while here on earth is an example, or pattern of the life that is available to us as the sons and daughters of God. The truth of God in us, enables us to live totally different from those who do not know God. For examples; we can love the unlovely; we can extend forgiveness to others; we can bless those who persecute us; we can consider others more important than our selves; we can find that to give is better than to receive; and rather than criticizing others, we can speak words of encouragement. The scriptures reveal and describe our new nature, and as we read the scriptures, we discover who we really are-that we are indeed new creations with a new nature that resembles the very nature of God! Understanding the purpose of the scriptures should cause us to be diligent, to be thirsty for the truth we find in God’s word. If we do not seek out the truth of the scriptures, then we, even as believers are guilty of suppressing the truth, or neglecting the very truth that sets us free. As a believer, there is nothing more important in life than discovering our new identity in Christ, because living out of our new identity means that the life we live reflects the life that Jesus lived, it honors God, and blesses others.
John 8:32 “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,”
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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THANKSGIVING

11/27/2017

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November 27, 2017                                THANKSGIVING
Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the LORD; for He is good. His love endures forever.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
One clear, unmistakable part of God’s will for each us is that of being thankful-in all circumstances. Being thankful is one of the fruits of coming to know God in a personal way and knowing in the deepest part of our being that He is a good Father to us and that His love for us never fails. It’s not difficult to be thankful when everything is good, but even when things are not as we like, we can and should still be thankful. God has not promised that there would be no pain or discomfort in life, but He has promised “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. If it is our desire to walk in the ways of God, then we can be assured that whatever comes our way in life, God will give us strength to endure the trial and He will use it for good. It is through the difficult times that we come to know God as the God of comfort and to know Him in a way that we would not know Him apart from the difficulty. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 1 Corinthians 1:3. Being thankful does not mean that we do not feel the pain of the trial we may be enduring, but our trust in God sustains us. No matter what our circumstance may be at the present, we have much that we can be thankful for. All believers can be thankful that Jesus came and died that we might be born into the family of God; that our sins are forgiven; that we will spend eternity with Him; and that He lives in us. Let us not overlook, or take for granted the many blessings that most of experience daily-the basics-food, clothing, shelter, family, friendships, etc. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Not being thankful and grateful, is a sign that one is focused on self rather than being focused on the goodness of the Lord. Some ask how one can be thankful to God when God allows tragedy and bad things to happen-even to ‘good people.’ Even believers may find themselves asking the same question. Very simply, as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, all or born with a sin nature, and this sin nature of man has been the source of enmity and strife in the world. We cannot blame God for the choices that Adam and Eve made, nor can we blame God for the actions of men who reject the rule of God-their choices have consequences that affect everyone. However, God knew from the beginning that Adam and Eve would sin and God had a remedy for the fall of mankind. Jesus was/is the remedy, and through Jesus, God deals with the sin issue and He redeems those who trust in Him. God, in His infinite and wisdom and knowledge, is allowing Satan to do what he does. (Satan’s power is limited). However, Satan days’ or numbered. God is in the process of restoring man, as well as all of creation. In light of that, we have every reason to thank God for the restoration that is underway-even if we for the moment are dealing with difficulties. Let us this moment express thanksgiving to God-for all He has done and for all He is doing-His kingdom is expanding and it endures forever, and we are a part of it.
Revelation 11:15 “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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NO  SEPERATION

11/23/2017

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November 24, 2017                                 NO  SEPERATION
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,”
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
We have a strong tendency to view somethings we do as being spiritual, and somethings we do as being secular, or non-spiritual. We may think that attending a church meeting on Sunday morning is more spiritual than playing golf on Friday, or reading the bible more spiritual than mowing the lawn. Contrary to what some may say, there is no room for the ‘secular’ in the thinking of the believer. The word ‘secular’ is defined as “denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.” The clear teaching of the scriptures is that the believer has been joined to God, and because we are one with Him, all we do is to flow out of that relationship. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.” And in Acts 17:28 we read “for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’” Even though we belong to Him, we can choose to walk not according to the Spirit and do things that do not please Him, thus grieving the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30. However, we can die to self and walk according to the Spirit and be a blessing to Him in all we do. There is a genuine freedom that comes when we acknowledge that we belong to Him and it becomes our goal and our desire to please Him rather than pleasing ourselves. This is the battle for the believer-can we abandon ourselves, die to our desires, and present our lives to Him with no conditions? God desires that we die to ourselves in order that He might fill us with Himself—what a trade! (Actually, living according to self is a miserable way of living.) The good news for the believer is that the life of God in us touches every aspect of our lives and it brings life and purpose to whatever we do. When walking in our true identity in the Lord, whether we go to church as unto the Lord, or whether we go fishing as unto the Lord, we are pleasing Him. (There are times when we may want ‘to go fishing’-or whatever-but the Lord may call us to do something else, and that we must do.) The point is that God always has in mind what is good for us, and He always desires to enjoy us and bless us, and He wants us to experience abundant life. So, whatever we do, let us do it as unto the Lord, with the desire to be pleasing to Him, trusting Him as the giver of life-He knows better than us what satisfies the longings of our heart and what brings a sense of satisfaction in life.
1 Timothy 6:17 “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 all things to enjoy.”
Romans 10:11 “For the scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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BE  IT  UNTO  YOU

11/20/2017

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November 20, 2017                     BE  IT  UNTO  YOU
Matthew 9:29 “Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘Be it done to you according to your faith.’”
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
The subject of grace is one where there is much misunderstanding and confusion, even within the body of believers. We hear countless admonitions to ‘have more faith,’ and all believers would agree that faith is a necessary ingredient in the life of a Christian. Even though we are told that we must have faith, we are not told how to have more faith-‘just believe’-they tell us. Many have tried their best to work up, or muster up more faith, only to be disappointed with their best effort. For many, trying to get more faith is like a dog chasing his tail-he never catches it! (Hint-the dog is trying to catch something he already has!) There is a human faith that is resident in every person; they have faith that the chair they are about to sit in will support them, or that the gas pumps will put gas in their tank-not water. Then, there is a supernatural faith that comes from God-and that is the good news for every believer. In Mark 11:22 most translations render the words of Jesus as “Have faith in God.” However, the original, literal words of the text read: “Have the faith of God.” There is a tremendous difference in the two! ‘Having faith in God’, places the emphasis on the individual to have the faith he has, whereas ‘having the faith of God’ places the emphasis on the faith that comes from God. In the Ephesians verse above, God clearly states that our faith does not come from ourselves, but is a gift from God. The root or foundation of faith is belief. We must understand that God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, resides in the believer and it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to believe, to have the faith that comes from God at work in us. If we are limited to whatever faith we can muster up, pity on us. Faith is not a single, separate component of the life of a believer. Faith comes as a result of something-a result of knowing our true identity in Christ as taught in the scriptures, knowing God as our real Father, and knowing that we have been made new.  If not careful, we will find ourselves trying to ‘work our way to God’ by trying to have more faith-a colossal error. Rather, we are to believe and receive all that God has said to those who know Him. At times, we find a mystery, or a paradox in scripture, and such is the case here; we do have the faith of God in us, but our faith should and can grow. Our salvation is greater than we realize now; there is more to discover about just what all it means to be in Christ, to be made new, and as we discover more of who He is in us, our faith does grow. Scriptures make it abundantly clear that God takes pleasure when He sees faith at work in one of His own. Whether it’s one who has just been born again having faith to believe that he is going to heaven when he dies, or the mature believer who has faith to ‘move the mountain’. At times, we find a mystery, or paradox in scripture, and such is the case here. Even though we have the faith of God in us, our faith can and should grow. Our salvation is greater than we understand at the present, but as we discover and come to understand to a greater degree what it means to be in Christ and Christ in us, and that we have been made new, our faith does indeed grow. May we find our faith growing and becoming stronger by seeking to know more about our ‘so great salvation.’ As a believer, there is no need to strive in trying to gain more faith-the faith of God has been given to us- let us exercise the faith of God that is present in us.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought to always give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows even greater.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
 
 
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SIMPLICITY

11/17/2017

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November 17, 2017                          SIMPLICITY
Acts 10:34-35, 43: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him. Of Him all the prophets bear witness through His name everyone one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
If we so choose, we can hear numerous sermons, read countless books, and engage in lengthy discussions about what the Christian life is supposed to be. And, we often hear conflicting messages and differing viewpoints and interpretations of what the scriptures actually teach. However, God never intended the message of the gospel to be complicated-any complication or confusion is self-inflicted. The bible is an amazing book-it challenges the brightest minds, it is a history of mankind, it touches every aspect of life, but its message can be understood by all who have a desire to know God. The core message of the gospel and the reason for Jesus giving His life on the cross was that we might receive forgiveness of sins and be rightly related to God. There has been much debate on the subject of salvation-how one is saved, can one loose his salvation, is it by works are purely by grace, and whether some are elected to be saved and some doomed to hell. As Jesus always did, in the verse above, He makes it crystal clear that anyone who ‘fears’ (believe, respect) Him is received by Him and He forgives their sin. This central truth is the foundation of the Christian faith and it is on this foundation that we come to know all that God has for us. By knowing our relationship with the Father and by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we live in the beautiful simplicity of being the sons and daughters of our Father-who is God. The Holy Spirit was given to reveal the Father to us, and the primary way He does that is through the scriptures. The scriptures are not a set of laws we must keep, and living according to the scriptures is not burdensome once we know our identity in Him and once we come to know Him as our Father. On the contrary, the truths found in the scriptures are the doorway to life and we discover that through the reading and study and application of the teachings scriptures, we do indeed experience life to the fullest. Man, outside of God, is lost in his way and his life tends to move toward complication, without a satisfying purpose. As believers, the Spirit of God lives in us and is at work transforming us into the image of God; because we have been joined to God and made new, we can actually live a super-natural life-a life unlike the life of one who does not know God. Even as believers, if not alert, we will move from the simplicity of the gospel, just as Paul warned the believers in 2 Corinthians 11:3. May we be quick to recognize when we begin to move away from the simplicity of the gospel that is ours in Christ. The truth from which we live is that our sins are forgiven, we have been made new creations, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God is our Father. When God rules in our hearts, we experience peace and joy, and find purpose in what we do. Let us mature in the Lord, but never move from the foundational truth of what it means to be a child of God.
Ephesians 1:18: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
                                  
 
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November 14th, 2017

11/14/2017

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November 14, 2017                              A  WORTHY  AND  OBTAINABLE GOAL
1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
We live in a world where it seems that corruption and impurity is the norm. Even within the community of professing believers we find that the same impurity and corruption of the world has made inroads into the church. A basic truth is that evil resides in the heart of man when man does not know God as Savior. Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9. The good news of the gospel is that the admonitions to be pure in heart is not a command that is impossible to fulfill, but is something that every believer can see become a reality. When one is born into the family of God, God gives him a new heart, a new spirit, and a new mind. Living as this new creation that He has made us, does not happen automatically, but is something that demands our participation.  The new heart that God has put in us is pure, and when we live according to our new heart, our thoughts and our actions are pure. We find many scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, where God deals with the heart of man, and indeed, life is lived according to the heart as seen in Luke 6:45: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”  The condition of our heart is a priority to God and should be our priority as well. In Jeremiah 17:19 God said: “I the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”  There is nothing that could compare to living with pure motives, a pure heart, rightly related to God and others, knowing God’s forgiveness, and knowing that we belong to God. You might say that that picture of life on planet earth is a ‘pipe dream’, but it is actually the very life that God has made available to us and a life that He desires we live. The good news-the great news-is that no matter what our past may be, and no matter our present circumstance may be, we can experience the life just described. It all begins with being honest with ourselves and with God, confessing our faults and sins and turning from them (repentance) and then receiving God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Also, a crucial ingredient in the process of gaining a pure heart is to read the word of God with the goal of learning of our new identity as a child of God. God is looking for those who have a heart that wants to know Him, and we can be sure that He will respond to the one who desires and seeks Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” When He is our chief desire and our heart is turned to Him, and when we work with Him as He works in us, the Holy Spirit will lead us in the path that God has for us, and all that God has for us is pure and perfect. In a very real sense, it is God’s desire and plan for us to become like Him-our Father. Let us refuse to believe the lies that tell us that we are just humans who are sinful that cannot be like God and let us cleanse ourselves of anything that is not in keeping with who we are-sons and daughters of God who have been made new.
Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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ADD  TO

11/11/2017

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November 11, 2017                             ADD  TO
2 Peter 1:15: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness……..”
As Oswald Chambers has pointed out that we must not forget that there are things that God does that we cannot do, and there are things that we are to do that God will not do. In a broad sense, it is God who draws us to Himself and only He can change us at the core of our being. However, there is a tendency for us to think that our only part in the process is to be receivers, and to wait on God to change us and make us spiritually mature. There are many scriptures that admonish us to work out our salvation, and to take the initiative in adding to our faith the things that we are told to add. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12. Salvation is not just about going to heaven when we die, but about being transformed into His image during our life on earth. To say that we cannot do a certain thing the scriptures calls us to do is not true because the Holy Spirit in us enables us to do all that the scriptures command. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. Not to be pro-active in adding to our faith, and not taking the initiative in our spiritual development insures that we do not mature in the faith and that we remain as ‘babes in Christ.” Romans 12:2 is another clear example of where we as believers are to take initiative: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It is God’s will that we grow and develop as a believer: “like new born babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:2-3. God has instructed man to take dominion and it is God’s design that His children to be overcomers in the world in which we live, and because of this, when a believer is not taking the initiative to mature in the faith, he is not living according to design and he is unfulfilled, or incomplete. Contrary to taking initiative in life is to live a life of responding and reacting to whatever happens-whatever comes our way-this is not God’s plan for us. Matthew 18:18 is an interesting and challenging verse and it gives us a clue as to the awesome responsibility that God has given to believers: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Another astounding verse dealing with our having the power to take the initiative, to go on the offensive in life is found in Deuteronomy 28:13: “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,” Let us not live another day waiting on God to ‘zap’ us, but let us hear the call of God for us to ‘add to’ our faith, to take the initiative, to grow and be conformed to His image. God did not make us robots. When we discover that God has indeed given us responsibility and we act on what He has given us to do, we find that that that is how we are wired-that is our new nature taking dominion. May our view of life be like the baseball player that said “put me in coach”! When we read a command in scripture-just DO IT!
2 Peter 3:18: “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Philippians 2:13: “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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ONE  GOSPEL

11/8/2017

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November 8, 2017                                 ONE  GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                                                  
Galatians 1:8 “But even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse.
Romans 1:2 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,”
We live in a culture that rejects the idea of absolutes and promotes the idea that each individual decides what is right in his own eyes. The danger of such belief is that a society cannot survive for long when there is no moral compass or foundation. And when individuals live according to their own judgements of what is right what is wrong, the repercussions are sure to come.  John Calvin once said: “For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when he resist and strives against God.” Many reject the fact that the heart of man is evil, and herein is why living according to one’s on dictates puts an individual and a nation on a path of decay and breakdown. “For we also once were foolish ourselves, deceitful, deceived, enslaved to various lust and pleasure, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” Titus 3:3. Evil comes in various shapes and forms, but the essence of evil is rejecting and denying the creator God and insisting on living according to self instead of submitting to the rule of God. Today, if one says that there is only one way to God and one truth, he is quickly labeled as narrow minded and hateful. But, the truth is that there is only one way to God, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior; anything that is not in agreement with the truths of scripture, is a lie, or untruth. The reality of there being only one way to God and all truth being in God is viewed by many as limiting or restraining life is some way.  However, just the opposite is true. When one becomes a part of God’s kingdom, life takes on a much greater and higher purpose because the creator of the universe is alive and at work in us, transforming us into His very image! The Apostle Paul understood the power of the gospel of God and it was his all consuming passion to preach the good news of the gospel with no compromise. Contrary to popular thought, there is ONE gospel, and there are no contradictions in the gospel. As Peter Parris has said: “The gospel may contradict itself, but only in our minds.” To a great extent, there is a “church on every corner” because there is disagreement and division within the body of Christ that is centered around various interpretations of the scripture. We need to know that it is not our place to ‘interpret scripture’, but to let the scripture interpret itself and let it change how we believe. Our part is to study the scriptures, realizing that after all, the scriptures were authored by God, and understanding the scriptures is not reserved for a few-but for all who have a heart to know Him. This is not to say that we do not need teachers and preachers of the word, but we need teachers and preachers who do not present their own viewpoints and preferences but preach the gospel ‘as it is.’ There are some mysteries in the ways of God and we will find some things in the word that we do not fully understand yet-but that is ok. It is the gospel of God that has the power to change us and to transform us into His image. The good news is that God has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us into truth and to open our eyes to the truth of the gospel. Yes-there is only one distinct gospel, and through this gospel, God reveals Himself to those who seek Him first.  
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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SET  FREE

11/5/2017

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November 5, 2017                             SET   FREE
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”
Isaiah 58:6 “Is this not the fast that I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?’
If there is any good news in the gospel-and there’s plenty-these verses capture the central message of the gospel, and it is the ultimate good news! God anointed Jesus, and He sent Jesus to “preach the gospel,” and the gospel that came from God through His Son reveals the heart of God for His people to be free. Even though we may not be poor financially, we may not be held as captives, we may not be physically blind, and we may not be overtly oppressed, we nonetheless are not free apart from knowing Christ as Savior. Human nature is such that it adapts to the circumstances as they are and thus one can learn to live with and adjust to a life God does not intend us to live, not free. Oppression and bondage come in many forms, and it originates with believing the lies of Satan. Just as Satan deceived Eve into thinking that she should control her own destiny by doing what she wanted to do instead of obeying God, Satan continues to propagate the lie that man is in control of his own destiny-yet it is Satan who is controlling. Satan’s desire is to steal and kill and destroy and to oppress. John 10:10. Contrary to what man thinks, living according to self is to live in bondage and oppression. Living for self is ‘small’ and narrow living, is self-centered, and is unfulfilling. When focused on self, one can be oppressed and depressed with present or past failures, can feel inadequate, not feel accepted, fearful, be un-content, be prideful, and etc. (When one lives according to his own desires and dictates, he can experience some good days and times when he feels everything is ‘going his way,’ but like the man who built his house on the sand, it cannot endure the storm.) God designed man to be so much bigger than self; man was designed to partner and rule with Christ and to take dominion. In Christ, self is dethroned, and the Spirit of God takes up residence in the believer, and where God lives, there are no limits, no oppression and no blindness. We must understand that this freedom is not a license to do as we please, but we are free to do what the Spirit leads us to do, and this freedom is true freedom because it is living according to God’s design. There is nothing that can bring lasting contentment and fulfillment other than knowing the freedom that is in Christ. The basic message of the gospel is that God wants break any yoke of bondage, oppression, blindness, and wickedness, and set us free-free to find our true identity in Him. God allowed Satan to temporarily mar God’s design for man, BUT in Christ, man can once again live according to the plans and the design of God. Satan has been defeated, and the road to freedom from all hindrances has been opened in Christ!
John 8:36: “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Galatians 5:13: “You, My brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Blessings,
Buddy
                                                
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COME  OUT

11/2/2017

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November 2, 2017                                    COME  OUT
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord, touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  
John 17:16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
We live in the world-we work, we build houses, we shop, we play golf, we marry, we plan for our future-yet, Jesus says that we are not of the world. Because we are so involved in worldly affairs, we may forget that even though we live in the world, we are not of this world. For us to be made ‘no longer of the world’ is indeed a fantastic miracle. Not being of the world, implies that we are different sort of beings with a different nature, living a life unlike those who live in the world. God has not re-furbished us, but has given us a new nature, a new heart, and a new spirit, and this new person that He has made us sets us apart from those who do not know Him as Savior. However, scripture warns us that it is possible for the believer to revert back to his old nature and not walk according to the Spirit, and this is why we have the admonition to “come out from among them and be separate.” It is absolutely necessary and most important that we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh if we are to live a life not of the world. Because God has purified us and made us holy, because we belong to Him, and because He has put His Spirit in us, we are to live in purity and holiness because that is who we are. There is no mixture with God and He does not share His glory, and He does not co-habit with our old nature. It is not a matter of trying to be holy and pure, but a matter of being pure and holy because that is who we are; not to live as such is contrary to our new nature. As believers, we have the opportunity to come out of darkness and live in the light. Coming out from them and being separate has practical implications for us. This clear instruction means that we do not participate in activities that do not honor or please the Lord. Just as an example, there are some movies or programs that should not watch; there are some activities we should not participate in, etc. However, scripture does not tell us to not to associate with those who are not believers, but rather to be light in the darkness-without an attitude of judging. (Jesus spent time with sinners.) In this life, we will be surrounded by those who do not know the Lord, but even though we are around them, we live out of a new nature, and because of this new nature within us, we live as unto the Lord. The key is that rather than being conformed to the ways of the world, we live being conformed to the Spirit of God who indwells us. And when we live as unto the Lord, consecrated to Him, we will experience Him as our Father. Remember, we cannot be pure and holy by our own effort, but only by discovering who we are in Christ can we live in holiness and purity. So, let us make choices that are in agreement with the new nature that God has given us. 
1 Peter 1:15-16: “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.”
Blessings,
Buddy
        
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    Buddy Fitzgerald

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