Bible Ballistics: Deny Him? 10/13/13 Vol. 2 No.22

We looked at “incongruity” last week, and found that it refers to things that don’t line up or match.  Looking at Jeremiah lately, I’ve seen an incongruity in Israel. They were talking about being “God’s”, but not really knowing Him.  Are we doing that?  To put a spin on a popular gospel song, “Can we, Could we, Would we—Yes we can, we could and we would but we shouldn’t”….

Who would deny Jesus?  Matthew 10:32-39 says,

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

Jesus tells us here that following Him will not always be a popular thing to do.  Following Him carries a price tag; one that many aren’t willing to pay.  Although salvation is a free “gift” of God, it isn’t “cheap”.  It cost Christ His life-blood on Calvary and it will cost us “losing our life” on the altar of faith and submission.  We see in Romans 12:1-2,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” 

We are called to give our life to Him—after all He paid for it (see 1Cor 6:19-20).  As Galatians 2:20 says,

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

To place my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, means I am depending on HIM for living my life.

As we see in 2 Peter 1:3, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”.

We hear from Peter, that salvation empowers us to have not only life, but godliness as we live daily.  Enabled to obey Him and His word, as Jesus himself says in

John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 

What does this have to do with “denying” Him?  I think a lot.  We often see in our “media” resources instructions to “do this or that” to prove we’re not “ashamed” of Him.   They quote Matthew about “confess me before men…..deny me before men…” and the consequence of each particular action to compel us to comply.  Is that what Jesus expects of us?  Does a button “deny” Him or my living?

I believe that Jesus has a much deeper meaning than what we have made it.  In our media saturated culture we have come to believe and base our security on something so flimsy as “tweets”, “posts”, “likes”, and “forwards” and have missed what our Lord has called us to be and do.  We must understand that scripture—all of scripture, teaches us that real saving faith in Jesus is evidenced by our lifestyle not by pushing or not pushing a button. You can’t push enough buttons to get to heaven….  Only faith in Jesus saves!!!!

James gives us a picture of “real faith”.  Not talking about works that save but works that are the evidence of real salvation. Ephesians 2 gives a similar picture.  Let’s look at both.

James 2:17-20, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”   Not a ‘say so’ faith but a ‘do so’ faith.

Real faith is more than words, or just saying one believes in God.  It is a total commitment of ourselves and our souls to the power and deliverance of God through Christ’s sacrifice for my sin.

Ephesians 2:8-10,  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” 

Here Paul clearly tells us that we are saved by faith through grace, but we are saved to do good works.  It’s not the vehicle of my salvation but the evidence of it.

As I have been studying Jeremiah in recent weeks, God calls his own people, Israel, to come to Him in truth not just words.

Jeremiah 5:2 says, “And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.”  

And Isaiah 29:13 mirrors the same idea, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

So what?

So I think we need to understand that God is holding me/us accountable for our whole life, not just our words (written or spoken).  Just “forwarding”, “liking” or “sharing” something or not doing so, is not the evidence of my allegiance to Jesus.  If I am devoted to HIM, my “LIFE” will reveal that, and others will KNOW that I love and obey HIM by my lifestyle.

How are we living?  Are we (am I) willing to claim love for Jesus when there is no cost other than pushing a button?  Or am I willing to sacrifice my desires and choices daily to follow Jesus?  Does my life show that I love Jesus most or myself?  A question we all need to ask.  May God speak to you this week as you ponder how and where you “walk” and if it’s with Jesus?

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”

As we continue with the physical side of being “ready” as well as the spiritual side, we’ll consider the 2^nd of our 5 D’s: Debt, Diligence, Discernment, Decency, and Dependence. Dilignece.

DILIGENCE– “Careful and persistent work or effort”.

To be “ready” for Jesus’ return, we must be careful in our walk and persistent in our loyalty and obedience to God each day.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life..”

Our heart is the seat of our emotions, our desires and our life.  If you don’t guard your heart, no one else will.  It takes continual “work or effort” to truly guard your heart.  Do it –it will determine your present and future!!!

Peter tells us how we can keep our hearts right with God and others in

2 Peter 1:4-6, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”

And Jude 1:3 says,

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—?????  Be ready-be diligent to walk God’s way so when He comes you’ll be unashamed. Grow in the 6 things Peter names.

So?  Keep looking up and live like He’s coming today—He could!!!  And remember—Debt free & Diligent.

Bible Ballistics: Incongruity? 10/06/13 Vol. 2 No.21

Incongruity?  A strange topic to address today but something has been weighing on my mind and this is the word that describes my thought.

Incongruous—“not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something”.  To put it another way, to ‘be out of step’ with what should be.  Hence our topic for today.

After spending a bit of time this week looking at the “social media”, it occurred to me that for many, it is a place of incongruity.  A place where people in just a few short “posts” state, reveal and talk about “things of God”, things supposedly inspirational, supposedly encouraging for themselves and others, and then a few lines later, post, picture and/or reveal items of a lewd nature, words that shouldn’t be heard from a person desiring to reflect Jesus.

Why have we resorted to this method of communication?  I think there a several answers, but one appears to be, a replacement for genuine relationship and real communication. 

It also seems to create an alleviation of personal responsibility, as if I can say, show or reveal anything I desire regardless of its hurtful, harmful or cruel nature with no conscience of how it will affect others or my testimony.  Is there a Biblical response to this?  Let’s search it out.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 

Paul calls us to be steadfast and unmoveable—in other words unflinching, sure and anchored to truth.  In our character to “always” abound in God’s work and ways.

1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  

Doing ALL that we do to God’s glory—   Every word (spoken or written), every deed (real or virtual), every action (in the flesh or on the internet).  Every contact with others (family, friends, co-workers even those that we encounter casually) is to reflect the glory of God.  Quite a standard isn’t it?

An even more simple command is found in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”   

And Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Simply stated I must BE a friend to have a friend, and

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”  Proverbs 17:9.

We are to be healers not hurters. Simply put—you probably DON’T have 1,875 friends!!!!  If you have one real friend you are abundantly blessed.  But “friending and unfriending” are trends of a nation/world that is focused on ME not others, especially GOD.

What about the Internet?  Isn’t that free reign?  Or is God to be the overriding standard even on Facebook, MySpace, twitter, email, and any and every source of influence that I may have in the world?

2 Peter 1:3, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” 

And Phil 3:9-10, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

When we come to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior He gives us power to overcome the baser elements of our nature, to walk in His righteousness NOT our own.  Romans 8:28-29 tells us that we are being continually conformed to His image, while Romans 12:1-2 calls us to present our bodies unto God to continually be made more like Him and live pleasing unto Him. 2 Cor. 5:21 tells us it is by Christ’s atoning death for our sin that we overcome, not by anything that I can do on my own.  By His blood we are made the “righteousness of God in Christ Jesus”

Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 12:1-2, “ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 

So what does all this have to do with media, God and me?  Let’s see if we can pull it all together.

1 Peter 1:2-3 says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

When we are born again, it is of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, and we are to purify our souls through obedience.  This produces love of the brethren (and of all).  When scripture calls us to ‘love’ it is usually the Greek word “agape”, referring to a love that always does that which is best for the recipient of the love.  We are called to love others and in that love, to do what is best for them not just ourselves.

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others”. 

We are to consider the welfare and good of others before ourselves.  If I am considerate of the needs of others, including Jesus, I will always do that which is “true… .honest… .just…pure….lovely…of good report … virtuous….praise worthy….”  (Phil 4:8, my paraphrase).

I am to be a reflection of Jesus to the world, and try as I may, I can’t find anywhere that Jesus spoke or acted in lewd ways, or did things that were cruel or without feeling.  Why would I think it alright to say and do things without conscience or consideration because I’m writing it out of sight of a person’s face or hearing?  I am still accountable. (see Romans 14:10-12).  I challenge each of us to “examine ourselves” to see if we are “walking worthy of the Lord” in all.

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”

Our Sunday post asked, “Are you ready?”  I’d like to continue in that vein but with a more ‘material’ application.  Let’s think about the physical side of being “ready” as well as the spiritual side.  In the next few articles we will be looking at 5 things that deal with “readiness”: Debt, Diligence, Discernment, Decency, and Dependence.

DEBT– The number one cause of conflict in most homes is a financial one—DEBT.  This is a problem of epidemic proportions and although we can’t solve it all here, we can find some scriptural advice and apply it to our lives.

Matt. 6:11 says, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

The first principle of avoiding debt is to remember that Jesus tells us to pray for our “DAILY” bread.  I am to live in the day and within the means that I have TODAY!!!

Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” 

Our goal is DEBT-FREE!!  Why?  So I can love without the encumbrance of ‘DEBT’ draining all my time, effort and emotions.  So we can be free, as Proverbs 22:7 reveals,

“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” 

Debt enslaves and should be avoided if at all possible, waiting until we can afford it because,

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12.  Waiting brings a tree of “life”, rather than the enslavement of debt.

Where then is the balance?  We must live within our means and make decisions accordingly.  I don’t have to acquire the biggest, best or fastest – first.  God will never lead us to violate His word, but to make good choices for ourselves and our loved ones based on Biblical principles.  To create a legacy of reason & ‘readiness’…

As the religious leaders were trying to entrap Jesus about money,

“And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”  Matthew 22:20-21.

When we give God His due place (first place) in our lives then he will teach us how to give due diligence in the appropriate use of our resources.

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—?????  Be ready-be wise.

So?  How??????  Keep looking up and live accordingly!!!