Monthly Archives: August 2017

Safe In Your Storm??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #389

30 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, I Will Never Leave You, The Lord Is My Shepherd, The Word, Trials, Troubles, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #389   Safe In Your Storm???

 

“When thou passest through the waters,

I will be with thee;

and through the rivers,

they shall not overflow thee:

when thou walkest through the fire,

thou shalt not be burned;

neither shall the flame kindle

upon thee.” Isaiah 42:2

God never promised that we wouldn’t encounter storms! But He does promise that He will be with us when we face stormy situations. He promises to be with us, and Psalmist, David understood who His God was, is and ever shall be:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”    Psalm 23:1

Like David, we can come to know God as the faithful Shepherd, Redeemer and Deliverer, for God never says, “oops”, and He is never caught off guard! Instead He is our “all in all”, in any and every situation. (See Colossians 3:11)

“Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not

unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

and he shall direct

thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

We must simply (though it’s not ‘easy’) trust in the Lord God Almighty and His Son Jesus to direct our steps!!! I have learned through the years, that when we will trust and obey the clear directions of God, HE absolutely will direct our paths—yet we so often choose to go ‘our own’ way! But when we choose to walk in His ways, He promises that He will never leave us to walk HIS path alone!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.”    Hebrews 13:5-6

He has never failed me, and He never will, for He is The God Most High, who cannot lie, and keeps His ‘Word’, all of it! I’d like to share the first verses of a few of the Psalms from 23-35 (Read them all for yourself!), they all speak to the faithfulness of The God who saves and delivers! Here are a few for you to ponder today, no matter the storm that you may be facing!!!

“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1

“Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.” Psalm 25:1

“Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.” Psalm 26:1

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

Salvation-No Sin No Need??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No. 8

27 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in Choose You This Day!, He That Is Without Sin, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, No Sin No Need?, Sanitized, Sharing Our Faith!, SIN, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.8 Salvation—No Sin No Need???

 

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people

from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

Jesus came to save us because sin IS the issue for all mankind. But when we ignore the issue, we loose the urgency and import of real Holy Ghost, Biblical salvation from sin. Salvation that makes a sinner into a saint; that makes a new creature IN Jesus Christ! Jesus came to save lost sinners, to transform hearts and lives and restore men to a relationship of son-ship and peace with God! (Jn. 1:12-13)

“For the Son of man is come

to seek

and to save

that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access

by faith

into this grace

wherein we stand,

and rejoice

in hope

of the glory of God.”    Romans 5:1-2

Unless we recognize sin in our own lives, we can’t call others to repent from sin. We must share and preach God’s truth, God’s way. What do I mean by that? Well, what I am saying is that we can’t keep compromising and trying to sanitize sin. When we reject the notion of sin, we eliminate the need for a Savior! Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost” because all are lost without Him! Scripture proclaims it and we must stop trying to deny the reality of sin, and call the lost to recognize sin, repent from it, and believe in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for all our sin! If we claim to have no sin, then Jesus came in vain.

“All we

like sheep

have gone astray;

we have turned

every one

to his own way;

and the LORD hath laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed,

and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth:

he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before her shearers

is dumb,

so he openeth not his mouth.”   Isaiah 53:6-7

Adam brought all men under the curse of sin, making us all guilty of sin by nature (what we call original sin), but we are also guilty of sin because we choose to sin (personal sin).

“For all have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely

by his grace

through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus:”   Romans 3:23

We have not only sinned, but we also have come short of God’s glory. Just as Paul told us in Romans 5, where he declares that when we are redeemed by The Lamb, Jesus Christ, we have the hope of God’s glory for all eternity: we are justified (made judicially right before God—our sin debt, which we couldn’t pay, has been paid by Jesus) by the blood of Jesus—made right with God, saved from our sin!

“For when we were yet without strength,

in due time Christ died

for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love

toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

9 Much more then,

being now justified

by his blood,

we shall be saved

from wrath

through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies,

we were reconciled

to God

by the death of his Son,

much more, being reconciled,

we shall be saved

by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.” Romans 5:6-11

We can be reconciled to God (restored to a relationship), and our sins can be covered by the blood of Jesus which atones (satisfaction for a wrong done) for our sin— our choice to go “astray” and turning “every one to his own way”, as Isaiah so clearly describes for us in the beautiful passage that prophesied of what Jesus would do for us. Go over Isaiah 53 in your Bible and read what Jesus did for us, all who have “gone astray”! There has only been one sinless man and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, and because He had no sin, He was the spotless Lamb of God who went to the cross “as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”! Jesus went to the cross for you and me—because all have sinned!!!

“For even hereunto were ye called:

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example,

that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin,

neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled,

reviled not again;

when he suffered,

he threatened not;

but committed himself

to him that judgeth righteously:

24 Who his own self bare our sins

in his own body

on the tree,

that we, being dead to sins,

should live unto righteousness:

by whose stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep

going astray;

but are now returned

unto the Shepherd

and Bishop

of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25

Peter goes back to Isaiah 53, and shows us that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Oh the glory of God’s plan—Jesus gave His life for mine/yours, and He did it willingly and all by the foreknowledge of God!

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words;

Jesus of Nazareth,

a man approved of God

among you

by miracles

and wonders

and signs,

which God did by him

in the midst of you,

as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him,

being delivered

by the determinate counsel

and foreknowledge of God,

ye have taken,

and by wicked hands

have crucified and slain:”    Acts 2:22-23

Jesus was the plan before the foundation of the world. He isn’t plan “B”, because the “Law” failed, but He was the plan all along, and the “Law” of God was, as Paul describes it, was a ‘school master’ to show us all our sin!!! It was always about Jesus, who would come as the Lamb of God, to take away the sin of the world. He wouldn’t be a temporary covering for sin, but He would take it out of the equation for all who would repent and believe in His payment for sin, one plan for all time which God revealed at the right time.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as

he hath chosen us

in him

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy

and without blame

before him in love:” Ephesians 1:3-4

It was, is and ever shall be all IN Jesus, God’s plan before He even created the world! He knew the cost and yet He created us anyway! You talk about amazing grace!!!

“Forasmuch as ye know

that ye were not redeemed

with corruptible things,

as silver and gold,

from your vain conversation

received by tradition

from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ,

as of a lamb without blemish

and without spot:

20 Who verily was foreordained

before the foundation of the world,

but was manifest in these last times

for you,

21 Who by him

do believe in God,

that raised him up from the dead,

and gave him glory;

that your faith

and hope

might be in God.”1 Peter 1:18-21

It’s our faith in the atoning work of Jesus who died for our sins and was raised from the dead that saves. God did it all for you and me, He raised Jesus up from the dead so that we could have life. Paul gives us a very concise account of the truths of salvation, the Gospel in a nutshell.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you

the gospel

which I preached unto you,

which also ye have received,

and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved,

if ye keep in memory

what I preached unto you,

unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all

that which I also received,

how that Christ died

for our sins

according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried,

and that he rose again

the third day

according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Paul makes it clear, just as John The Baptizer did; that the Gospel is that Jesus died, was buried and resurrected to pay for our sin, and all “according to the scriptures”! God promised salvation throughout the Old Testament, and Jesus brought it all to fulfillment in His sacrifice for us. And He will also keep His promises of His return.

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,

Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world.”   John 1:29

Just as we said earlier, Jesus came to die to take “away the sin of the world”!!! He didn’t come to cover it up, but to take it away for all who would come to Him. But without Him there is no remission (removal of or payment of) of sin.

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

Jesus came to pay for sin—yet without His salvation to pay for sin, all are destined to pay for their own sin.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Even Jesus made it clear that He is the only way to salvation, and without Him there is only condemnation.

“For God so loved the world,

that he gave

his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son

into the world

to condemn the world;

but that the world

through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name

of the only begotten

Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil

hateth the light,

neither cometh to the light,

lest his deeds should be reproved.”    John 3:16-20

Condemnation or ‘eternal life’, that is the question! We can choose to receive the “gift of God” which is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”! Oh what grace, mercy and love we have been given in the redemption (Buying back, because God was our creator, but in Adam’s sin we died spiritually and lost our kinship with God, but redemption buys us back—it’s what this is all about!), but we have no hope without Him? But when we recognize our sin, then we can receive life in Jesus. If we refuse to recognize our sin, and don’t repent and trust Jesus for salvation from sin’s penalty, we must pay for our own sin. John had a lot to say about sin in his letter to beleivers!

“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.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful

and just

to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:7-10

The choice is clear, we can confess our sins and find salvation and eternal life IN Jesus, or we can deceive ourselves, denying that we have any sin (or calling it something else), and God will hold us accountable for our own sin! Are you deceiving yourself or are you listening to the call of Jesus to repent and believe?

Some of you may be wondering why we spend so much time on the Gospel, but it is what we are called to, as children of God and followers of Jesus. Let’s examine what Jesus commissioned us to as He was about to ascended to The Father. When you face Him, what will you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Or will you hear a different response, “Depart from me, I never knew you”?

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,

All power is given unto me

in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore,

and teach all nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you:

and, lo,

I am with you alway,

even unto the end of the world.

Amen.”   Matthew 28:18-20

What are you spreading as YOU go, the truth of the Gospel or are you living out the lies of the enemy? Choose wisely!

Where Is Your Sanctuary??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #388

25 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Confidence, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Sanctuary, Strong Tower, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #388   Where Is Your Sanctuary???

 

Just a few minutes of our time today, to consider a question; ‘Is your sanctuary Jesus, or a building?” It seems we often forget that Jesus IS the sanctuary NOT the building where we assemble together to worship Him, fellowship and grow in His grace, truth, and love together into mature believers.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

While it is a biblical imperative that we are to gather with our fellow believers—for our good, and Christ’s glory in HIS church—we are not to worship the ‘gathering place’! It’s not the building that saves and delivers from sin; it’s Jesus Christ our Lord, Redeemer, Savior and friend. Jesus came to ‘seek and to save’ the lost, and give us “life…..more abundantly”! He wants to be our sanctuary—the One who is there with us all the time, not just on one day a week when we are gathered together!

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.” Proverbs 18:10-11

It is The Lord who is our “strong tower”, not a building, or something as fleeting as wealth, or ease, or security in worldly things, and we certainly shouldn’t rely on our “own conceit”! So the thing I want us to consider today is, “Is our confidence in The Lord Jesus and our Father God (through the power of His Holy Spirit!)?” “Or is your confidence in a ‘brick and mortar’ building, or any other earthly substance or thing?” Instead we ought to run to our “strong tower” in every situation, for He is The One who has promised to walk with us, assuring us that He will not forsake or leave us—ever!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”   Hebrews 13:5-6

I love this passage of scripture; it is the conclusion of a list of instructions for successful Christian living, and it reminds me so clearly that “contentment” is a key element in the life of effective believers. Even as Jesus Himself told us:

“No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life more than meat,

and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air:

for they sow not,

neither do they reap,

nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought

can add one cubit unto his stature? ……..

31 Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need

of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof.”     Matthew 6:24-27 & 31-34

So take sanctuary IN Jesus, seeking first His Kingdom, for He is able to keep His own! We can run to Him, we can rest in Him, we can depend on Him—but we must let go of the world! Consider wisely, there is a test at the end—and Jesus IS the answer, always—and a sanctuary for His children!

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

Check your perspective, you have a true sanctuary-Jesus!

Time Is Grace, Don’t Waste It!!! Bible Ballistics: BBS #387

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Salvation, The Word, Time Is Grace!, TODAY, Walking With Jesus, Wasting Time

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #387   Time Is Grace, Don’t Waste It!!!

 

Today I’d like to remind us all that ‘Time Is Grace’, not “money”! While the old adage called us to work diligently and earn all we can (And a good work ethic is a good thing to have!) but I’d like to remind us today that ‘Time Is Grace’! What I mean by that is that we all have only 24 hours in each day, 7 days in any week, and 12 months in each year—we can’t create time—either time to come to God and be saved, or as believers to obediently serve the God that we claim to love and follow. Good people, bad people, lazy people, productive people all have that same 24 hours credited to their ‘time bank’ each day; but it’s what we do with that ‘time’ that matters.

God is a God of grace and mercy; He extends opportunity after opportunity to us—whether it’s to you to come to Jesus (as the Holy Spirit pricks your heart to repent and believe), or to those of us who have already come to Jesus, to obey. God’s desire is for all to come to Him, and for all who come to grow and flourish—to have life “more abundantly”!

“The thief cometh not,

but for to steal,

and to kill,

and to destroy:

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it

more abundantly.” John 10:10

One of Satan’s greatest tools for causing his havoc of “stealing….killing and destroying” is to cause us to think that we have ‘forever’—that we can do it ‘tomorrow’! But my friends, ‘tomorrow’ never comes; when today’s clock rolls over past midnight, then it is ‘today’ again—no tomorrow! And if the enemy of our souls, can cause us to delay and put off trusting Jesus, or to delay living an obedient life for Him, then he has robbed us of the ‘abundance’ that Jesus has for us; he will have robbed you of the opportunity to trust Jesus, for in this life is the only opportunity we have to be saved; and he robs believers of the best that God has for us in obeying Him to make a real difference for Jesus in this world! Today is all that any of us have, and God want’s all of His creation to know Him. The choice is yours, today!

“But, beloved,

be not ignorant of this one thing,

that one day is with the Lord

as a thousand years,

and a thousand years

as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack

concerning his promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering

to us-ward,

not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come

to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9

We must be careful with this passage, for it is not telling us that God’s ‘time’ is 1,000 to 1 to our time, rather Peter is simply telling us that we can’t measure God’s working in human time! God has his own time schedule, and while it may seem ‘late’ to us, God is an ‘on-time’ God! But Peter doesn’t stop there, he goes on to tell us that we can be assured that God has it all in control, and His purpose is ‘grace’—“Time Is Grace”; for God is “not willing that any should perish”, but He is ever “longsuffering to us-ward”, giving people time to respond to Him in repentance and faith! It is God’s pleasure to extend grace and mercy to give us yet another opportunity.

“This I recall to my mind,

therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies

that we are not consumed,

because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.”    Lamentations 3:21-23

Praise God for His “great….faithfulness“ —but while you have “time”-don’t procrastinate away the opportunity that you may only have today. God won’t wait forever.

“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,”              Genesis 6:3a

This refers to men in the days of Noah, the same subject that Peter was talking about in our passage above—isn’t God’s Word amazing, it’s all about His amazing grace IN Jesus! So as we think about utilizing our days wisely, and not wasting them, let’s keep eternity in mind; for none of us will live forever in this body of flesh (And believe me, at my age, I’m looking forward to a new body—with parts that work!) so we must live today with purpose and focus on our Lord, with our hope firmly in Jesus’ perfect will and plan!

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”   Hebrews 9:27

“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” 2 Corinthians 6:2

Today IS the day—it’s all we have for sure, right now. So, what will you do with your 24 hours today? Will you come to Jesus if you don’t know HIM? And if you already belong to Jesus, will you serve and obey HIM today? Join me in seeking to serve our King, making a grace-difference today!

How Will We Be Saved??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No. 7

20 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Every Knee Shall Bow, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Salvation, SIN, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.7 How Will We Be Saved???

 

We were blessed with a thought-provoking message this morning and I’d like to use its inspiration to share an often-neglected subject today!!! There have always been false teachers, preachers and prophets in the past, and they are still with us today! But we must understand truth, so we can recognize the subtlety of their deception. God’s truth ever stands, and we can stand in the power of His might, truth and sovereignty, resting assured in His provision. Peter gives us some great insight into this eternal conflict.

“Knowing this first,

that there shall come

in the last days

scoffers,

walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying,

Where is the promise of his coming?

for since the fathers fell asleep,

all things continue

as they were

from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of,

that by the word of God

the heavens were of old,

and the earth standing out of the water

and in the water:

6 Whereby the world

that then was,

being overflowed with water,

perished:” 2 Peter 3:3-6

Peter knew that there were those in His day that rejected the creation account of scripture, and they are still among us today, and if we aren’t in the “last days”, I don’t know where we are. Our culture and the world around us, just like those that Peter refers to, have chosen to deny the presence and work of God in our world. They not only deny His creative work, but also His very existence and certainly His presence among us. Believers are ridiculed for trusting in “myths” and “fantasy” or “pie in the sky”, but we can “stand fast in the evil day”, knowing God has saved and redeemed us because He loves us, and has called us to continue to spread the Good News of The Gospel of Jesus Christ! Yet Peter didn’t stop there, He also reminded us that as God judged the world and destroyed all living creatures in the flood of Noah’s time, He is coming again in the final judgment of this world, for sin and unrighteousness! And He will judge the world according to His Son Jesus!

“Because he hath appointed a day,

in the which he will judge the world

in righteousness

by that man

whom he hath ordained;

whereof he hath given assurance

unto all men,

in that he hath raised him

from the dead.” Acts 17:31

One of Paul’s most concise messages was this message to the Athenians, proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus to the them—the point at which they ridiculed him. But the point that Paul makes is that the assurance of the power of God, is the raising of Jesus from the dead– the assurance that HE will judge the world by Jesus! And I can’t help but believe that day is closer than we realize. And as an old gospel song says, “this time it won’t be by water, but by fire!” And only those who are ‘washed in the Blood of The Lamb’ will be delivered from that fire. All because of God’s amazing grace and love, which Jesus accomplished at the cross. He was lifted up in death that we might live and not experience the judgment of God.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,

that one day is with the Lord

as a thousand years,

and a thousand years

as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us-ward,

not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come

as a thief in the night;

in the which the heavens shall pass away

with a great noise,

and the elements shall melt

with fervent heat,

the earth also and the works that are therein

shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things

shall be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought ye to be

in all holy conversation

and godliness,” 2 Peter 3:8-11

Peter reminds us of the coming judgment of God, and encourages us to be bold and faithful in godly living and conversation (our words and deeds!). We must focus on God and living for Him, and to His glory–whether anyone believes us or not. We are called to share The Gospel, knowing that only The Holy Spirit of God can change and transform hearts and lives! And born again, redeemed men, women, boys and girls will not undergo this ‘wrath’ of God.

“Much more then,

being now justified

by his blood,

we shall be saved from wrath

through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more,

being reconciled,

we shall be saved

by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.” Romans 5:9-11

Praise God it is the Resurrection Power that saves, keeps and delivers us from the wrath of God, and just as it did in the past, it is doing in the present and it will do in the future. To get to the real focus for today, let’s consider at a short passage in 1 Peter 4. First Peter was written to a people who were suffering for their faith, and he encourages them to press on, knowing that God is at work in everything around us, even our suffering. Peter also reminds us that we will give an account of our living and our service to Jesus, but without condemnation!!!

“For the time is come

that judgment must begin

at the house of God:

and if it first begin at us,

what shall the end be

of them that obey not

the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved,

where shall the ungodly

and the sinner appear?

19 Wherefore let them that suffer

according to the will of God

commit the keeping of their souls

to him in well doing,

as unto a faithful Creator.”    1 Peter 4:17-19

Peter assures believers that even when we suffer for Our Lord, it is God to whom we can ever “commit the keeping of their souls”! Even as Jesus reminds us:

“And fear not them which kill the body,

but are not able to kill the soul:

but rather fear him

which is able

to destroy both soul and body in hell.”   Matthew 10:28

Only God can destroy the soul in Hell, and those who refuse Jesus will recognize that too late, but they will bow:

“And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name

which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of things in heaven,

and things in earth,

and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue

should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

Jesus gave His life for mine/yours, and we can commit our lives, our souls and our future to HIM! He is a worthy God, Savior and Redeemer, and by the blood of The Lamb, we live! But what does Peter mean when he says that judgment must begin “at the house of God”? I’d like to share a few thoughts in response to that question.

Judgment begins “at the house of God” because our sin has been judged at the cross. God saves our lives and souls from sin at the cross! The cross of Jesus brings us to God as His Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, births us into His Kingdom.

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access

by faith

into this grace

wherein we stand,
and rejoice

in hope

of the glory of God.”    Romans 5:1-2

“There is therefore now no condemnation

to them which are in Christ Jesus,

who walk not after the flesh,

but after the Spirit.

2 For the law

of the Spirit of life

in Christ Jesus

hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”     Romans 8:1-2

Praise God we are made free from condemnation and wrath; but we must remember that we are at war with the “prince of the power of the air”, the one who is ever against us in this world, Satan. He hates us, and all that God intends to do in, through and with us; and we will suffer persecution of one sort or another when we choose to live our lives faithfully before God. You can choose to blend in with the world, and loose your ‘saltiness’, and dim your ‘light’ so it won’t shine the light of Jesus, but when we choose to follow The Lord and His Word we will encounter opposition.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12

Not a message that we hear often, but Paul told his son in the ministry, that suffering would be the norm for those who follow Jesus faithfully and “live godly in Christ Jesus”! Just as Peter told those he wrote to, we are to live in light of eternity, not our temporal circumstances! When we march to the beat of a different drummer, others will notice, but they won’t always like it. And in these days of “tolerance”, people seem to expect tolerance to be given to everyone except those who believe in the historical, biblical, Word-of-God Christian faith; those of us who believe that God hasn’t changed His Word or “the rules”!

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.” John 14:6

Only One way then! Only One way now–and that way is Jesus! When we are saved by His grace, through His death, which bore our sin, and condemnation, while His righteousness was imparted to us. Judgment is a reality; experience it yourself, if you reject Jesus; or you can receive the gift that God offers in Jesus, “redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”. (See Col. 1:14)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Judgment begins with us, we who have been to the cross and accepted the substitutionary judgment that Jesus took for us at Calvary! But the rest of Peter’s question is the saddest of all things to me—there are those who will refuse the gift of God. As Peter put it:

“if the righteous scarcely be saved,

where shall the ungodly

and the sinner appear?”

When God offers the gift of salvation, those who reject His gift will face the consequences of their choice. They won’t stand before the cross and receive grace; they will stand before the throne of God and receive the just reward of their own choice!

“For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come

in the glory of his Father

with his angels;

and then he shall reward

every man

according to his works.”     Matthew 16:26-27

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

The believer will give an account of his working out of his salvation, because our sins are under the blood of Jesus; but the unbelieving will stand before God and give an account of every word and deed without the blood of Jesus!

“And I saw a great white throne,

and him that sat on it,

from whose face the earth

and the heaven fled away;

and there was found no place

for them.

12 And I saw the dead,

small and great,

stand before God;

and the books were opened:

and another book was opened,

which is the book of life:

and the dead were judged

out of those things

which were written in the books,

according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead

which were in it;

and death and hell delivered up the dead

which were in them:

and they were judged

every man

according to their works.

14 And death and hell

were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life

was cast into the lake of fire.”    Revelation 20:11-15

“…….I will recompense them

according to their deeds,

and according to the works

of their own hands.”   Jeremiah 25:14b

So Peter’s question isn’t talking about ‘working’ for our salvation, but the difference of having our sin paid for in Jesus, or paying for our own sin our own self—which is eternal death in the Lake of Fire. But we who belong to Jesus will be the recipients of His promises and His eternal presence. All this by God’s grace, and we can walk in the confidence that God is working all things to His glory and our good! We can keep our eyes on eternity, by the power of His Spirit working in us—regardless of our circumstances.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,

they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage

again to fear;

but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,

whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness

with our spirit,

that we are the children of God:

17 And if children,

then heirs;

heirs of God,

and joint-heirs with Christ;

if so be that we suffer with him,

that we may be also glorified

together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings

of this present time

are not worthy to be compared

with the glory

which shall be revealed in us.”     Romans 8:14-18

There is no comparison of this life to the eternal life with Jesus in glory! And when we are called to suffer we can have total confidence in our God who is in control of it all.

“Nevertheless I am continually

with thee:

thou hast holden me

by my right hand.

24 Thou shalt guide me

with thy counsel,

and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee?

and there is none upon earth

that I desire beside thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth:

but God is the strength of my heart,

and my portion for ever.

27 For, lo,

they that are far from thee

shall perish:

thou hast destroyed all them

that go a whoring from thee.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God:

I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,

that I may declare all thy works.”   Psalm 73:23-25

We can count on God’s faithfulness regardless of our circumstances. What are you trusting in today? Will you choose forgiveness and redemption through Jesus or will you choose to reject HIM and pay for your own sin. And may we who know Him, “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” May we joyfully and confidently proclaim with the Psalmist!

“But it is good for me to draw near to God:

I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,

that I may declare all thy works.”

Amen and Amen. Won’t you trust HIM and “declare all” HIS works to a lost and dying world. Eternity is ahead!