Tag Archives: the gospel

Belief Matters

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What is it to believe in Christ? Is it just being righteous in some kind of religion? Is it just a clean conscience? How am I going to speak the answer I see?

If you believe the Living God has forgiven your sins. If you believe that you will live forever in a perfect body. What kind of joy you should fill your every day? What kind of love would you be pressingly anxious to deliver every moment in this life? I guarantee you it’s not the same joy and love the world talks about. They try to motivate each other all day long, but nothing ever changes does it.  


Look at this. These are just words. And that’s how most people take them. That’s not what they’re intended to be. They are the promise of the Living God in Jesus his honorable, faithful, righteous, and beautiful Son. And it is impossible for God to lie. They are words that are sealed with the blood of Christ, as if a wax seal on the scroll.  


Yes, I talk about God constantly. It’s because of his promise. And I would do it a lot more if I wasn’t shut down every place I turn.  


People say they believe in Jesus. There are a couple of definitions about believing. One definition is believing like a demon, “Yeah, I know God exists. And that doesn’t make me all too happy”. The only thing such a creature ever sees is sorrow and trouble. He thinks all there is to life is sorrow and trouble. He thinks all there is in eternity is sorrow and trouble. He thinks God is nothing more than sorrow and trouble. It’s no surprise that people who believe like the demons struggle in their faith and religion.  


Demons have a religion too you know; avoiding the Son of God if at all possible. They practice absolutely everything but what is good. They are eternally devoted to being utterly useless. And there are billions of people who follow their example.  


The other definition has to do with believing that God cannot lie. If he promised eternal life and forgiveness of sins, it is as if it has already been done. Such a creature lives for one specific purpose: to receive the things of God’s joyfully extended promise. And in the receiving there is a phenomenally generous giving. It’s impossible to shut that kind of person down.   


That’s what a Christian is. It’s got nothing to do with religion. It’s got to do with an enormously thankful heart. It’s got to do with the developing love for the One who has given life.  


Yeah, these are just words. But they are endlessly full of potential. Who will dare to believe? And how can such a believer be afraid of what others will think? Everyone will do what he has purposed in his own heart.  

The Reason

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The Lord Jesus has not so much saved us from something, but he has saved us to something.  

Yes, he saves us from the anguish of our sins; the guilt of the mind, and the waywardness of the heart.  


But more, he saves us to praise his Holy Father. We find obedience comes easy because we have learned to love him. That love brings us to joy no matter where we find ourselves.  


It is said that the lord Jesus loves humanity enough to die for them. But he died for them and loves them because he loves his Holy Father more than everything else.  


He wants us to do the same. Appreciate creation. Strive to do what is right. Be joyful in the work of Christ on your behalf. Be patient in every affliction. But it is the Lord’s desire, that we do all of these things for love of the Living God. 


Here we see life in a myriad of form. But Jesus lives in an endless symphony of life, that IS his Holy Father. That is what he loves. And he has died to share it with us.  


Religion tells us to see it only from one perspective; “The work of Christ covers my sins”. But love for his Holy Father teaches us the reason why.  


And that same love is the central power that enables us to claim righteousness as if we own it. God’s people love him because God has loved them first.  


Psalm 22

22. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.


23. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!


24. For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.


25. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.


26. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him—may your hearts live forever!


27. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,


28. for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

Never Give Up

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The ingenuity of Man is astounding.      

If he wants something bad enough, he’ll find a way to make it happen.  


Look at every creature, see how it struggles to survive. Catch a fish, watch it thrash about trying to get back to the water. Even the most evil man wants to live.  


And when someone stumbles on the Gospel. Like the fish, they want the water of life. They will do everything they can to get into that life-giving environment. What happens if they can’t? Do they just lay there and die?


Some people do. They try to live on the floor of the boat. That’s simply not gonna turn out well.  


But look at the fish. He will thrash about until he can’t thrash anymore. Anyone would say of the fish, “he wanted to live”. Shouldn’t we take a lesson from all of this?


On the day we stand before God, will he say of us, “This one wanted to live”.   


Regardless your ability, Christ is the living water. Never give up.

The Tower of Babel

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​They gathered together and said, “Come let us build a city that reaches to the heavens so that we can make a name for ourselves”.  But it was not time in the history of man under God to do such a thing.  


We are living in the time when God has released man to do as he pleases.  The language of man is not being confused, it is unifying.


People call all their inventions “good”.  But look, where is God in all of this?  If God alone is good, and he has been stripped of his glory among men, how can this be good?


When the people chase after the things they want and love, once they strip themselves of the bounds of God’s rule, they never go back.  But God’s rule doesn’t change.  His demands and commands are life.  If the people try to avoid him, they curse themselves with death.  It can’t be any different.  And everyone, deep down inside, knows this is true.  “If you love me you will keep my commands.”  The inverse is true: “If you hate me you will despise my commands.”


With all that we have invented, we have become nothing.  Blindly, they think they are creating a paradise.  There is no celebration in the grave.

The Eternal Voice 

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​You are a soul encapsulated in a body.  Here you are helpless.  Everything and everyone is an enemy and a threat.  Your deadly enemy walks in front of your house.  By the look on his face  you know he desires your end.


   But there is no reason to be afraid.


Remember what God Said.  He didn’t say it with words.  He said it with the sound of blood as it trickled down a wooden beam.  He said it with the sound of skin being pierced by Iron nails.  He said it with the sound of sweat breaking through to the surface of the skin.


“I love you.  I will help you.  I will bring you to be where I am.  I cannot lie.  I am more powerful than death itself.  I will provide for you.  I will sustain you, no matter what.  And all I want from you is trust.  Believe these things.”

Song of Sorrow 

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​We all get it from time to time, that incredibly rude person on the other end of the phone.  That driver whose arrogance is near murderous intent.  Those contemptuous looks of people who pass us by.  And doesn’t the list go on and on and on and on and on.


People could have so much!  But they settle for less than nothing.  They don’t take the hand of profitability, they embrace willful destruction.  Do you think that’s the wrong thing to say?


Hasn’t the Gospel of Jesus has been around for over two thousand years?  Doesn’t the power of Christ cause us to be godly people?  


They don’t need to be that way.  They could be infinitely more than animals.  Personally, I am absolutely astounded at the vicious intent of mankind, when so much lays in the hand of Jesus to give.


How serious is it that anyone should utterly ignore the call of Christ?


5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6“I said, ‘You are “gods”;

you are all sons of the Most High.’

7But you will die like mere mortals;

you will fall like every other ruler.” (Psalm 82)


When it comes to sharing stuff on the web, why aren’t things like this all over the place?