Category Archives: Approved Unto God

Depending On Who’s Goodness??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #431

26 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Approved Unto God, Choices And Consequences, Dependence, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Salvation, SIN, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #431 Depending On Who’s Goodness???

 

We hear the expression, “Depending on”… the weather..the circumstances…my schedule…’I will’… do whatever. There are a lot of things that we “depend’ on in life, and there are many things that people depend on for their own eternal destiny, but are you depending on the right One?

I saw something this morning referring to the Tower of Babel; people who were depending on their own abilities, and wisdom to do what they wanted rather than what they knew God had told them to do—it didn’t work out for them–and it won’t work out for you! No matter how “good” we think our way is; no matter how many organizations (including the church, which in reality is an organism—not an ‘organization’), clubs, or philanthropic entities one may serve; our attempts to create our own ‘goodness’ or ‘righteousness’ will never succeed. Only God’s righteousness can take anyone to heaven.

“For since the beginning of the world

men have not heard,

nor perceived by the ear,

neither hath the eye seen,

O God, beside thee,

what he hath prepared for him

that waiteth for him.

5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth

and worketh righteousness,

those that remember thee in thy ways:

behold, thou art wroth;

for we have sinned……..

6 But we are all as an unclean thing,

and all our righteousnesses

are as filthy rags;

and we all do fade as a leaf;

and our iniquities,

like the wind,

have taken us away.”   Portions of Isaiah 64:4-6

No matter how good we think we are God says that our efforts are “as filthy rags”! We have sinned—all of us—only God has the cure—salvation in the blood of Jesus!

“As it is written,

There is none righteous,

no,

not one:

11 There is none that understandeth,

there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way,

they are together become unprofitable;

there is none that doeth good,

no,

not one.” Romans 3:10-12

There is only ONE-WAY to be ‘good’/‘righteous’—and that Way is Jesus. Only the gift of God’s righteousness, that Jesus bought at Calvary, can give us a right relationship with God. All through the blood of Jesus Christ The Lord!

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God,

who hath reconciled us to himself

by Jesus Christ….

God was in Christ,

reconciling the world

unto himself,

not imputing their trespasses

unto them….

be ye reconciled to God.

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.”   Portions of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

We can deceive ourselves into believing that we are good enough to get to heaven, or we can believe God and come to Him through Jesus—The One who died for unrighteous, ungodly sinners, us. And only when we see our own helplessness in sin, will we need a redeemer—Jesus Christ, the only hope of salvation!

“And hope maketh not ashamed;

because the love of God

is shed abroad in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength,

in due time

Christ died for the ungodly.”    Romans 5:5-6

I’m so glad that HE did! How about you? Are you still trying to ‘be good enough’? Jesus stands ready to save! I join with Paul and invite you to the “good” news of Jesus.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”   Romans 1:16-17   Amen!

 

Leading To Or Following What??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #407

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Approved Unto God, Confidence, Freedom To Or From?, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, Salvation, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #407 Leading To Or Following What???

 

“Be ye followers of me,

even as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

We are to be followers of Jesus, and as part of the body of Christ Jesus, we are to lead one another to the cross. Paul called those he had influence over to be followers of him, “as I also am of Christ”! And friends, that is the only thing that we can trust in. As we follow anyone, the litmus test must be “Are they following Jesus and His Word?” It’s truly all about Jesus, and He calls us to testify of His Gospel, and to encourage and call each other to the cross!!!

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

We are to be iron sharpening iron—helping one another! We are called to be iron, not plastic—changing shape with every wind of change around us.

“For when they speak

great swelling words

of vanity,

they allure through the lusts of the flesh,

through much wantonness,

those that were clean escaped from them

who live in error.” 2 Peter 2:18

There have always been false teachers and leaders around:

“But there were false prophets

also among the people,

even as there shall be false teachers

among you,

who privily shall bring in

damnable heresies,

even denying the Lord that bought them,

and bring upon themselves

swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

We must beware of those who twist the Word of God, and to do that we must know The Word for ourselves, so we won’t be led astray. In fact, one of the words used in this passage to describe these false teacher’s words, is a root that we get our English word “plastic” from! In other words they “molded” their words to fit the listeners! We must know truth to discern whether others are speaking truth or error!

“That we henceforth be no more children,                           

tossed to and fro,

and carried about

with every wind of doctrine,

by the sleight of men,

and cunning craftiness,

whereby they lie in wait

to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love,

may grow up

into him

in all things,

which is the head,

even Christ:” Ephesians 4:14-15

And we can only gain maturity as we dig out the truth for ourselves, by searching the scriptures.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God,

a workman

that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.”   2 Timothy 2:15

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,

in that they received the word

with all readiness of mind,

and searched the scriptures daily,

whether those things were so.

12 Therefore many of them believed;

also of honourable women

which were Greeks,

and of men, not a few.” Acts 17:11-12

May we be like the Bereans, who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”; measuring everything we hear and read by the Word of God, to know if any person is speaking the truth or error. We are not to be blind to the lies of false teachers, but know the truth so as to recognize and discern the things that we hear and see, whether it’s truth or error.

“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14

Rather than blind, we are to have our eyes opened by truth.

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

May we have only one message—the truth of Jesus Christ our Lord and His Word (Which IS Jesus! See John 1)!

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”   2 Corinthians 4:5

Who are you following? Who are you leading? Where? We are either leading people “to” the cross, or away “from” it! Are you on the broad road or the narrow? There is a test!

Fresh Focus For Fall??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #398

29 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by in Approved Unto God, Compassion, Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, SIN, The Only Way, The Word, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #398   Fresh Focus For Fall???

 

I’d like to share part of a story with you all this morning, the story of Israel’s return to Jerusalem from their Babylon captivity. Ezra and Nehemiah were two faithful servants of God who became leaders of the people in this tumultuous time in Israel’s history. While the people were returning to their home, they were easily discouraged and distracted (ring any bells?), and often wound up straying from God and His Word, even after seeing HIM keep HIS Word and deliver them from Babylon. Ezra was the religious leader of his people and Nehemiah the political leader, the appointed governor of Jerusalem. But the thing I want us to consider is the commitment of these two men to lead the people back to serving God faithfully, even when they met with opposition and disobedience.

The passage that we want to consider this morning is from the book of Ezra and deals with an issue of compromise that the people had been guilty of, and when this was brought to Ezra’s attention, he called for these disobedient people to repent and make things right before God. We won’t go into the detail, but you can read the entire account in chapters 9 and 10. If you want to get the entire picture of dealing with the conflicts of doing God’s work in an antagonistic world, read Ezra and Nehemiah this weekend—you’ll find it most enlightening.

But for now, let’s dig into what Ezra’s experience when confronted with the sin of his people. May we take heart today as we find ourselves also in a culture gone amuck with sin, and seek the face of our God—not in despair, but rather in hope and confidence in the God who will give us a “nail in his holy place”! God had promised His people that He would deliver them; and He has promised us that He will “never leave thee, nor forsake thee”! (See Hebrews 13:5-6) Consider Ezra’s response:

“And when I heard this thing,

I rent my garment and my mantle,

and plucked off the hair of my head

and of my beard,

and sat down astonied.

4 Then were assembled unto me

every one that trembled at the words

of the God of Israel,

because of the transgression

of those that had been

carried away;

and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up

from my heaviness;

and having rent my garment and my mantle,

I fell upon my knees,

and spread out my hands unto the LORD

my God,

6 And said,

O my God,

I am ashamed

and blush to lift up my face to thee,

my God:

for our iniquities are increased

over our head,

and our trespass is grown up

unto the heavens……

8 And now for a little space

grace hath been shewed

from the LORD our God,

to leave us a remnant to escape,

and to give us a nail in his holy place,

that our God may lighten our eyes,

and give us a little reviving

in our bondage.” Ezra 9:3-6 & 8

Ezra was grieved over the sin of his people, yet He knew the answer was repentance and faith! Faith in God’s power, goodness and salvation, and honesty before God in dealing with ‘sin’ as ‘sin’; for repentance is the only option!

So the thought I’d like to leave us with today is, may we allow God to burden out hearts with the sin of our culture, that we’ll intercede for those steeped in the clutches of sin. May we truly be beacons of truth to those in such desperate need, not with arrogance but with a heart broken for those who are wounded and broken by sin, reaching out in love and compassion. May we each reach out as Ezra did and call people to the Holy God who gave His Son Jesus to purchase salvation and impart it to all who will come to Him in repentance and faith! Reaching out:

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature

of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children,

tossed to and fro,

and carried about

with every wind of doctrine,

by the sleight of men,

and cunning craftiness,

whereby they lie in wait

to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love,

may grow up

into him

in all things,

which is the head,

even Christ:” Ephesians 4:13-15

Amen and Amen!

 

Snippets For Friday??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #376

14 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by in Approved Unto God, Knowing God's Word, The Word, Wait on the Lord, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #376   Snippets For Friday???

 

“Yea, though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff

they comfort me.”   Psalm 23:4

We often see this passage quoted or read at times of grief or sorrow, at funerals or just when we need comfort in times of difficulty. But I’d like to take a different approach to it; I’d like us to recognize something that is often overlooked—this person IS walking. He’s not sitting down and unafraid, he’s not lounging, or twiddling his thumbs, and unafraid—he IS ‘walking’! He is on the move with the Lord, and when we keep on walking with the Lord, and He with us, we can truly “fear no evil”, for He IS walking with us. The key being, we must ‘walk’ with Him, not sit on our ‘pew’ and wait for others to ‘get moving’, but be “walking” with Jesus!

By the same token, there is a time when we are to wait! We are to “wait upon the LORD”! Another familiar passage and again I want us to peruse a different focus than we usually have in this verse. While the Lord will renew our strength, and we will mount up—there is also (again) the clear indication that we are to be movement!

“But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run,

and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

While we are waiting on the Lord it is to be as a servant “waiting on” their master. This servant isn’t expected to idly sit by and “wait” for something to do; wait for his name to be called; wait till someone is watching; wait till he’s ‘in the mood’! No, “I must be about my Father’s business” continually (Luke. 2:49). God expects us to be ‘walking’ in His ways, then as He leads in a particular way or time, HE will provide the strength to “run and not be weary”, to “walk and not faint”, through the mundane, routine walk of living a holy, righteous life before a dark and wicked world. Too many of us are sitting around waiting to “mount up”, when we aren’t even moving! Even Jesus in His childhood knew that serving the Father was an active, participatory relational activity. What about you?

So how do we move and wait at the same time? We simply press on with Jesus, going in one direction (His direction!) until HE changes our marching orders.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

And last but certainly not least, we “study to shew thyself approved unto God”! We stay in The Word and feast on the truth of God—both the living Word, Jesus, and the written Word, the Bible.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”   Psalm 119:105

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

There it is again, a path—indicating movement, and my feet—walking! Even Paul calls us a “workman”—that’s pretty clear. So get up, get going and follow wherever HE leads you today, having NO fear “for thou art with me”!!!