Category Archives: the gospel

Stark differences

by

0


Non believers may live their entire life as an enemy of God.  All the while fear dresses them like some dark shimmering  light.  The end of such a man brings him directly before the Most High God for judgment.  Fully unaware and fully unprepared.

If they had fear in this life while they were at such a great distance from God, how much more fear will they have before him at the judgment?  And that with no place left to hide or ignore.  The steady gaze of perfectly righteous eyes is no longer turned aside.

There are many who have placed some measure of faith in Christ Jesus, but have never matured as God would have them.  As the writer of Hebrews pointed out they are still sucking on milk.  They have never considered the solid food of Christian maturity to be worth the effort.  How do they plan to stand any stronger than the previous group?

This post is therefore for both groups.  I write with all hope to stir up a desire for freedom in Christ.  I write this with the hopes that their fear may become dispelled. 

If maturing christians have a fear similar to the first two groups it will be found in continuing in the work of Christ.  By this I mean they are painfully aware of the sinful nature’s presence.  They are painfully aware that they too are capable of falling.  But their fear is mixed with a belief that Christ is willing and able to cause them to stand on the day of judgement.  So the fear in maturing Christians is more a love for the gain of God, and a great respect for he who is able to make us stand.

The difference being that the first two groups fear punishment.  While the maturing Christian finds his heart yearning  for God’s honorable reputation among men.  The first two are centered on themselves.  The third is centered on God.

Doesn’t this fit the gospel perfectly; death to self, life for Christ.  The honorable man will seek the better of the greater.  He will give honor where honor is due. 

If you do not find yourself to be an honorable man, don’t despair.  Simply get on your knees and confess to the Lord that you need his help to become honorable.

It must also be said that, there is not one aspect of maturity in Christ that a man can manufacture himself.  Everything the Christian becomes is given to him by God. 

This last statement has got to fly like broken glass in the face of established religious practices.  The Lord can heal those kinds of lacerations too.

By His Grace

How to become a Christian

by

0


There are many who will tell you various ways of ensuring your place with God for eternity.  Some will talk about doing certain things, saying certain things, thinking/praying certain things.  It’s easy to be confused.  If you are expecting me to give you a formula now, you’ll be mistaken.  There are millions who will give you a formula, a step by step proceedure to follow to ensure acceptance by God.  So many claiming to know the “way”.  How can you really know?  But let me ask you something: Who do you seek to be accepted by?  Isn’t it God Himself?  Then why are you looking to humans for the way?  Before you begin, you turn away from God, in that you look to humans for the answers.  The only way to avoid all the pitfalls laid before you is to go to the source. 

Consider something: you’re seeking eternal peace, right?  So why look here on earth for it?  There are some simple truths.   Look at the creation and think it through.  Anyone seeking God, and expecting to please Him must, believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.  So, humble yourself before Him and earnestly (with all your mind, heart, strength, and soul) seek Him.  If you do so, He will be found by you.  You’re not seeking a burger at a fast food joint, so why act like it?

God is the God who searches through out the earth seeking those who humble themselves before Him.  Admit that you are full of lies, hatred, envy, strife, idolatry, and more.  Look inward and consider your ways.  Listen to your mind and you will see it is full of these things.  If anyone says they are without sin, they lie.  So, humble yourself before the Lord of Heaven and Earth.  When the time is right from God’s perspective, He will lift you up. 

Jesus is His Son.  There is Salvation for eternity in His sacrifice.  But you will find that God desires truth from His people.  You will be required to lay down all sin in your life.  Through the cleansing of Jesus, you will find the power to do this.  But make no mistake, the way to eternal life is a VERY narrow path.  There are billions of ways to hell, but ONE way to eternal life.  Walk to God in Faith, Believe Him, accept and admit that your failings are fatal and eternal, then. . . prepare to meet your maker.

Pray and act as though you want His approval.  Be ready to lay down your present life if you find Him.  Consider what he said about that: “IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, WIFE AND CHILDREN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YES AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.  AND WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS CROSS AND COME AFTER ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE” (Luke 14: 26, 27).

If you want a quick, sure fire way to find God’s favor, go looking.  You’ll find thousands of them.  They might make you feel good.  But they might lead you astray too.  Want God?  Seek God.    “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14).