Category Archives: The Word

The Faithful Promisor!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #384

11 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Knowing God's Word, Salvation, Showers Of Blessing, The Word, Trials, Troubles, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #384 The Faithful Promisor!!!

 

As I sit here praising God for the wonderful ‘August’ rain here in Oklahoma, my mind goes to the scripture that God has given to us as a shower of His love, His Spirit and His truth into our lives, if we will but avail ourselves of it. The Word reminds us endlessly that God is our anchor in the storms. And God’s Spirit will open our hearts to receive and understand the truths of The Word. So let’s spend a few minutes together this morning rehearsing God’s goodness as He reveals truth in The Word, and He keeps every promise! (Always practice integrity toward The Word and don’t take specific promises out of their normal, natural context!! There are general promises for all, specific promises for particular individuals/groups, and specific promises for particular times or events. Remember—Context Is King!)

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me,

all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you,

and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest

unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy,

and my burden is light.”    Matthew 11:27-30

Jesus calls us to come to Him for every need, and our greatest need is His saving grace! And He has promised to give us rest, in fact total release, from the burden of sin that weighs us down. And He keeps His promises, and we can rest assured of His faithful provision as HE brings us to maturity, to be all that HE has created and gifted us to be.

“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

And we can take that confidence with us through every day and every difficulty or trail that we may encounter, and not only for ourselves, but also to share our confidence, hope and encouragement with one another as we go!!!

“Let us draw near

with a true heart

in full assurance of faith,

having our hearts sprinkled

from an evil conscience,

and our bodies washed

with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;

(for he is faithful that promised😉

24 And let us consider one another

to provoke unto love

and to good works:

25 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 10:22-25

So, take heart today, for faithful is HE that has “promised”!

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Titus 1:2

Sanctified To Serve!!! Bible Ballistics: BB3 #383

09 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Let You Light So Shine, Sanctified, Sanctified To Serve!, The Word, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #383 Sanctified To Serve!!!

 

We talked last time about being sanctified (Saved and set apart by God through the blood of Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit who HE imparts to those He saves.) rather than ‘sanitized’ by any good works of man. Today I’d like to go a step farther and take a brief look at how we who are being sanctified ought to behave and live our lives. We aren’t just saved and sanctified to ‘look good’ to others, but to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and be His hands and feet before the world, reflecting the light and power of Jesus in the dark!

Paul reminds us that we are to yield ourselves servants, “a living sacrifice” unto Jesus, being a servant to Him and not the one waiting to be served. Jesus talked about this mentality of service—even though we live in a culture that demands to be served instead!

“But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field,

Go and sit down to meat?

8 And will not rather say unto him,

Make ready wherewith I may sup,

and gird thyself, and serve me,

till I have eaten and drunken;

and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

9 Doth he thank that servant

because he did the things

that were commanded him?

I trow not. (I think not!)

10 So likewise ye,

when ye shall have done all those things

which are commanded you,

say,

We are unprofitable servants:

we have done that

which was our duty to do.”    Luke 17:7-10

Jesus clearly tells us that the ‘servant’ is to serve, and if HE is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we ought to serve Him who is due our service, mostly because He has saved and delivered us from sin, death and Hell. What could He ask of us that would be too much? I owe everything to Him who saved me and called me to follow Him. He truly is my Lord and King! How about you?

When Jesus saves us, He is continually sanctifying us for His service. We who were lost in sin and darkness, He has delivered, saved and transformed us for His glory!

“If a man therefore purge himself from these,

he shall be a vessel unto honour,

sanctified,

and meet for the master’s use,

and prepared unto every good work.”    2 Timothy 2:21

We are sanctified and made “meet for the master’s use” (fit for God’s service), by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, for apart from Jesus we cannot accomplish anything ‘fit’ for God’s glory!!! Only God can do the work of ‘sanctification’ by the sacrifice of Jesus!

“I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me ye can do nothing.”    John 15:5

And to sum it all up, a word from Peter that will help us nail down the purpose of sanctification—not to make us “holier than thou”–but to make us fit for HIS service! We are ever being sanctified and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge

of God the Father,

through sanctification of the Spirit,

unto obedience

and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace unto you,

and peace, be multiplied.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which according to his abundant mercy

hath begotten us again

unto a lively hope

by the resurrection

of Jesus Christ

from the dead,”    1 Peter 1:1-3

Jesus saves—

imparting His Holy Spirit to dwell within us–

sanctifying us for His service—

unto our good and His glory!

We are to ever:

serve Him faithfully—

by His resurrection power—

reflecting His light into the world’s darkness!

Because of HIM and the “sprinkling of the blood” we can “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Sanctified to serve! (Gal. 2:20)

Sanitized Or Sanctified??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No. 5

06 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, Salvation, Sanctified, Sanitized, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.5 Sanitized Or Sanctified???

 

Today I’d like us to consider the doctrine of ‘sanctification’ particularly in light of a culture that seems to be much more interested in ‘sanitizing’ men instead of calling them to sanctification that only comes through the cleansing, life-transforming transaction of salvation—being born again of the Spirit of God! Only God can change the heart of a lost man, woman, boy or girl into the heart of a ‘child of God’!

“But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.” John 1:12-13

When someone comes to Jesus through repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for their own ‘individual, personal’ sin, they are transformed by the blood of Jesus into a child of God. They aren’t cleaned up (sanitized) by doing ‘good’ works, but sanctified by the sacrifice that Jesus made for ‘sin’! Paul describes this transaction in his letter to the Colossians, as deliverance and translation—being changed from a worldly, sinful creature to a new birth (See John 3:1-19) child of God.

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins…..

20 And, having made peace

through the blood of his cross,

by him to reconcile all things

unto himself;

by him, I say,

whether they be things in earth,

or things in heaven.

21 And you,

that were sometime alienated

and enemies in your mind

by wicked works,

yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh

through death,

to present you holy

and unblameable

and unreproveable

in his sight:”    Colossians 1:12-14 & 20-22

Do you understand that—

we were in darkness without Jesus–

but we can receive deliverance

from darkness into HIS light?

We were in sin without Jesus—

 but HE translates/changes us into HIS kingdom

 by redemption

 through HIS blood

 even the forgiving our sin/sins?

We were alienated from God—

 but Jesus reconciles us to God,

 and gives us peace with God?

All of this offered to those who will come to Jesus in repentance and faith in His death for ‘my’ sin! But it doesn’t stop there; He doesn’t ask us to ‘sanitize’ our lives but HE does a transforming work of redemption which makes us fit to receive the “inheritance of the saints in light”, and then He is works within our hearts and lives to “present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”. God clearly says that we can do nothing to save ourselves, but He will save from Hell, and sanctify us!!!

“And you, being dead in your sins

and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

hath he quickened together with him,

having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances

that was against us,

which was contrary to us,

and took it out of the way,

nailing it to his cross;”    Colossians 2:13-14

Jesus paid it all—all for you—and all for me!

“And you hath he quickened,

who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past

ye walked according to the course

of this world,

according to the prince

of the power of the air,

the spirit that now worketh

in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all

had our conversation in times past

in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires of the flesh

and of the mind;

and were by nature the children

of wrath,

even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy,

for his great love

wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins,

hath quickened us together

with Christ,

(by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together,

and made us sit together

in heavenly places

in Christ Jesus:”   Ephesians 2:1-6

All of these passages remind us that Jesus saves and gives ‘new’ life to those who will receive Him—a life that is lived by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, imparted to us because of the completed work of salvation that Jesus accomplished at Calvary!! As the old song says, “The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference”. Yet we live amongst those who are purporting a Gospel that promises to punch your ticket for heaven, but makes no change, and certainly no demands for any evidence of a ‘transformed’ life.

Jesus saves us to be His hands and feet to the world, but even more so, to be a demonstration of His saving power which manifests itself in the transformed life of those truly redeemed, children of God. And regardless of what men may say, God knows those who are really His own. And my friends, saying so, doesn’t’ make it so.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God

standeth sure,

having this seal,

The Lord knoweth them

that are his.

And, Let every one that nameth

the name of Christ

depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19

As my mother used to say, “You can fool all of the people, some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all of the time. But you can’t ever fool God!” Yet we have a whole lot of people who are promoting a ‘gospel’ that doesn’t line up with scripture. When we come to Jesus—He makes a change! What Jesus imparts isn’t cheap grace; it is the ‘blood bought’ transforming power of the blood of Jesus that “cleanses us from all sin”.

“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 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:

5 Having predestinated us

unto the adoption of children

by Jesus Christ

to himself,

according to the good pleasure

of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace,

wherein he hath made us accepted

in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace...”    Ephesians 1:2-7

We’re adopted into the family of God, and that new birth transaction will always leave a ‘family resemblance’. No, we aren’t made instantly perfect, but we are ‘being sanctified’ (made holy and set apart) unto God, learning to be a help and encouragement to all those who call upon HIS name.

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth,

to them that are sanctified

in Christ Jesus,

called to be saints,

with all that in every place

call upon the name of Jesus Christ

our Lord,

both theirs

and ours:

3 Grace be unto you,

and peace,

from God our Father,

and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”     1 Corinthians 1:2-3

So our questions for today are, ‘Are you trying to live a ‘sanitized’ life by your own power?’ Or, ‘Are you born again, yielding to the work of God in your life and reflecting the sanctifying power of God before a lost and dying world; sanctified by the substitutionary, sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ?’ Jesus brought in the ‘New Covenant’ by His sacrifice, the indwelling Holy Spirit to “guide you into all truth”! (See John 16:13)

“Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.

He taketh away the first,

that he may establish the second.

10 By the which will we are sanctified

through the offering of the body

of Jesus Christ

once for all.….

14 For by one offering

he hath perfected

for ever

them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make

with them

after those days,

saith the Lord,

I will put my laws into their hearts,

and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins

and iniquities

will I remember no more.……

22 Let us draw near with a true heart

in full assurance of faith,

having our hearts sprinkled

from an evil conscience,

and our bodies washed

with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith

without wavering;

( for he is faithful that promised; )

24 And let us consider one another

to provoke unto love

and to good works:

25 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 10:9-25

May we ever provoke one another “unto love and to good works”, especially “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus”!  Amen and Amen!!!

Gratitude Is Timeless!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #382

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Gratitude Is Timeless, Praise God Today!, Thanksgiving, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #382 Gratitude Is Timeless!!!

 

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,

all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD

with gladness:

come before his presence

with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD

he is God:

it is he that hath made us,

and not we ourselves;

we are his people,

and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates

with thanksgiving,

and into his courts

with praise:

be thankful

unto him,

and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good;

his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth

to all generations.”   Psalm 100:1-5

Many people often regard God as the ‘great slot machine in the sky’! Drop in your coin, pull the handle and God is ‘obligated’ to supply you a ‘jackpot’! God forbid, He is our creator and worthy of our praise—not our efforts to manipulate and control HIM! If I might, I simply offer a few thoughts about how many people seem to really respond toward God and His sovereign grace, mercy and love!

“Complain to and about everything—even God Himself-

all ye lands!

Demand your way with God who is YOUR servant—

And complain about everything!

Stomp into His presence

in arrogance and discontent—

Reject God’s sovereignty—

After all “I” am the ‘Center of the universe’!

He is my ‘genie’ at my disposal—

To meet my every lustful whim!

Call Him into My gates–

With discontent and lustful greed—

After all I deserve more!

For The Lord is never enough—

He isn’t meeting My desires promptly—

His Word has no relevance to my life—

And if it did, I have no time to study it!

I am the only ‘generation’ that is important–      

In fact, I’m the only ONE that counts!”

While this is a bit much, I pray that we’ll each examine our own hearts, and see if we have an ‘attitude of gratitude’ toward God, or if our life is marked with ‘grumbly discontent’? We are often quick to call on God when things are out of our control, or when desperate situations arise; but are we as quick to recognize His presence, His love and His mercy and thank HIM for HIS provision? Or do we expect God to provide without having any sense of His worthiness of praise? May we truly possess the heart of the Psalmist and join those who are continually “thankful unto him”? I pray that we will each check our ‘attitude of gratitude’ quotient! Live praising HIM! Amen and Amen!

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being;” Acts 17:28a

“I am the vine, ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

Wise But Harmless??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #381

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Harmless As Doves, Living Right, The Word, Walking With Jesus, Wise As Serpents

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #381 Wise But Harmless???

 

Today I want to veer off the normal path, and share what I hope will be some helpful pointers for living an “open-eyed” life for Jesus. So many today seem to be walking around blind to the tricks, traps and decoys of the enemy of our soul, Satan, yet he is a busy-beaver when it comes to entrapping us in the spider-webs of the world. Jesus had much to say about living for Him in this crazy world.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep

in the midst of wolves:

be ye therefore wise as serpents,

and harmless as doves.

17 But beware of men:

for they will deliver you up to the councils,

and they will scourge you

in their synagogues;

18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings

for my sake,

for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up,

take no thought how or what

ye shall speak:

for it shall be given you

in that same hour

what ye shall speak.

20 For it is not ye that speak,

but the Spirit of your Father

which speaketh in you.”   Matthew 10:16-20

This has always been an amazing passage to me, in that Jesus never called us to walk a ‘garden path’, or to think that we are to serve Him wearing ‘rose-colored glasses’; but Jesus told us that when we serve Him the world wouldn’t like it. He calls us to be aware of our surroundings, and while we here in America have historically been relatively free from suffering for the Gospel, there have been more martyrs for the Gospel in the last 100 years than in all the previous generations. Yet, many still accuse those who claim that Christians are being targeted and persecuted of having a vivid imagination, or creating “fake news”! Jesus told his disciples long ago that they would face opposition when they shared the Gospel and lived it out before the world. He gave us some great principles that we can still practice today.

First, Jesus reminded us that HE was sending us out as “sheep in the midst of wolves”—did you get that? Jesus said that we would be as vulnerable as sheep because He was sending us into the world of wolves—and wolves love to eat sheep (Not to be graphic, but that is what Jesus is warning us about!) Just as Jesus told us, the enemy’s desire is to “steal…to kill…and to destroy” US! And yet we skip along in life like we have no mission other than to please ourselves (which is why so many have no inkling about opposition or suffering), but Jesus has “sent” us out to do His work. And if you remember, HIS work cost Him His life! And HE calls His own to live their lives being “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”!

What does that mean? Simply put it means that we are to pay attention! If you’ve ever watched a snake they are always watching; ready to pounce, run, strike or consume their prey. Yet Jesus also added a caveat to the call to be wise, He said that we are to be “harmless as doves”. While there are many birds of prey, the dove isn’t one of them. They are the world symbol for peace—being harmless—doing no harm. And that is how our wisdom is to be exercised. We are to cause no harm intentionally.

We are to speak the truth boldly with love—the love of God that desires that none would be lost.

“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 3:9

While it isn’t easy to be ‘harmless’ all the time, we are to pursue peace without timidity or fear, yet recognizing the challenge. Scripture speaks to this dilemma:

“Recompense to no man evil for evil.

Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible,

as much as lieth in you,

live peaceably

with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,

but rather give place unto wrath:

for it is written,

Vengeance is mine;

I will repay,

saith the Lord.”   Romans 12:17-19

Paul reminds us that sometimes when we stand firm and boldly for the truth and won’t back down, it brings its own conflict. At those times Jesus instructed us that we are to depend on the Holy Spirit to direct our words and actions; being faithful witnesses of the truth, no matter the cost, trusting to our Father to provide the strength, wisdom and courage to speak truth, exercising peace “as much as lieth in you”. (I am responsible for ‘my’ actions and reactions!)

I also want to share a bit iin regard to a few simple things that seem to be going unnoticed for a great many today. We are to be gentle in all our ways, regardless of ‘my personality’. The grace and love of God are to be the hallmark of our interactions with others—in person, in private, on social media, in public, and most importantly in our homes and churches. Kindness and civility are their own reward. Don’t allow yourself to be bated into useless banter on social media or anywhere else, you don’t need to join every ‘chat’ or ‘comment’ stream, exposing yourself to ridicule or even worse, being provoked into betraying The Lord in anger. We are not to put ourselves in danger by “posting” information that others can use to harm us or our family—be “wise” about what you put out in public. There are “wolves” that peruse ‘the net’ looking for targets—not only identity theft, but crimes against you and your family, burglary and worse (Don’t tell the world you’re not home for the next two weeks—duh! That’s like an invitation, ‘Come rob me, no one is home!) We are to be peaceful, not ignorant of ‘the wiles of the devil’. And those ‘quizzes’, ‘surveys’, and ‘tests’ are often simply ways to get your personal information, not to mention those cute little friendly ‘games’ of ‘answer these questions about yourself’! You are playing right into the hands of those who desire to take what you share and do you harm. Hello!!! If we’ve just listed our family names, ages, and other personally identifying information for public broadcast, why are we suddenly shocked that someone has ‘hacked’ our accounts, stolen our ‘identity’, or our money?

My friends, I pray that you will receive this in the love that I am extending in trying to make us aware of the dangerous ‘wolves’ around us. We must pay attention to the dangerous world we live in. As believers in and followers of Jesus Christ The Lord, we must heed His words, practice wisdom and try to “do no harm”! May we ask Him to “Be Thou My Vision”!

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life;” Philippians 2:14-16