I Thought I Knew You

Do you remember going to Sunday School? What was that like for you? I can remember making a mosaic picture of a cross out of old vinyl floor tiles that my mom and dad had cut up. I remember pictures of Jesus on the wall in the classroom, and the 12 apostles.

I can remember singing songs like 'Jesus Loves Me, This I Know' and 'Jesus Loves The Little Children.' But that's about it. No doctrine whatsoever.

My next "religious" childhood memories were of confirmation class in high school. We met once a week and talked about stuff. I don't remember what. I remember memorizing a bunch of things so I could "graduate' and get out of it. But that was about it.

I don't remember hearing The Good News about Jesus at all, the 'Romans Road' of salvation, or my need for a savior. There was no connection, no real meaning, no knowledge of who Jesus really was, why He had to die, or ANY essential truths of the Christian faith.

It reminds me of a line from an old Beatles song from their Rubber Soul album (link at bottom).

"I thought I knew you. What did I know."

Ain't that the truth! There's a lot of that going around. And the key really isn't us knowing Jesus, it's Him knowing us.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" - Matthew 7:21-23

How do we know then that Jesus knows us? The Holy Spirit dwells IN us, and Jesus KNOWS whether or not that is true. It's like another line from that same Beatles song . . .

"You don't look different but you have changed."

And another . . .

"You're not the same."

Have you been "changed" after your encounter with Jesus? You should not be "the same."

I'm Looking Through You - The Beatles

Anti Christ

One of my favorite books in The Bible is 1st John. Why? Well, for one, it's short. Lol! But more importantly, it is absolutely filled with many wonderful proofs that we, who have confessed our sin and placed our faith in Jesus, are God's children.

However, John also writes about those who oppose Jesus. He refers to them as anti-Christ. John is writing here about anyone who opposes Jesus.

"Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²²Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son." - 1 John 2:18-22

Notice that John says, "they went out from us" in verse 9. The "savage wolves" . . . were part of the church. Once trusted, they turned their backs on Jesus and His disciples.

I know many people who are against Jesus. It saddens me that they won't even consider Him. They are just as convinced that they are right as I am of my stance.

But what about the "tweeners" - those that like some things about Jesus, but not ALL of Him? Do they get to go halfway to heaven when they die? I don't think so. Jesus is kind of an all or nothing kind of guy.

So, what do we do then, for these people that we have been commanded to love? Just wave bye-bye and say, "It sucks to be you?" I don't think so. That wouldn't be very loving.

We must pray for the lost, that God would reveal Himself to them. That He would become real in their lives, leading to repentance and forgiveness. Let the Holy Spirit work on them, convicting them, and rejoicing over them when they finally wake up.

Sadly, some will never get it. It's been that way from the beginning. Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you." I don't think he was talking about money, but the spiritually poor.

Love - pray - repeat.

We can't change people's minds, but God can change their hearts.

Easy Believism

I was scrolling through YouTube, looking for something to watch, when I came across a video by J. Vernon McGee. I've heard him on the radio (WRVM) many times before with his "Through The Bible" series, but I'd never seen his face before, so I clicked on the video.

The video was entitled "Dr. J. Vernon McGee DESTROYS Lordship Savation heresy!"

"Heresy? Hmm. I believe in Lordship salvation..." So I watched the video. And then I did some research.

According to Wikipedia, Dr. McGee died in 1988 - an ordained Presbyterian pastor. Uh-oh. From what I have read about the Presbyterian church, it is a very left-leaning organization. Here's my proof of that from their own website.

Next, I Googled "Lordship Salvation" and found GotQuestions.org's article on the same. I read it from beginning to end. It only confirmed my lordship salvation belief. That's where I found the title for today's story - Easy Believism. Apparently, it is the opposite side of the lordship salvation discussion.

In their article, Easy Believism is described as "salvation by faith alone to the extent that those who trust in Christ are under no obligation to live transformed lives. Easy believism is not just holding to sola fide (“faith alone”). Rather, easy believism is a rejection of any degree of repentance or change as a necessary aspect of saving faith."

In other words, salvation is by faith alone and there is no reason to live a changed life as a result.

Here are some examples of Easy Believism teachers I have found - Joel Osteen, Bobby Schuller, Chuck Swindoll

Lordship Salvation pastors - John MacArthur, Voddie Baucham, Paul Washer, Billy Graham, David Wilkerson

Here's what the Bible says:

"Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22-24

And James says this:

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what goodb is that? ¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." - James 2:14-17

If there is no change in our hearts, are we then truly saved? I think not, according to the Bible.

"Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

There must be repentance of our sins before we receive salvation. It says it right there!

"Jesus is Lord!" people say in Easy Believism. Jesus says, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

Here's a fun little exercise. Open your favorite Bible app and do a word search for the word 'repent.' Count all of the verses and see how many you can find (I found 70+ in most translations. 105 in the King James Vesion.

'Repent, Believe and Forever Receive' is what we teach in VBS. Not Repent, Believe, then do whatever you want.

Lordship Salvation - GotQuestions.org

Testimony

There are two very compelling stories in the Book of Matthew. Both surround the crucifixion of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection. The first begins during The Last Supper. Jesus is talking to His disciples.

"Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

³²But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same." - Matthew 26:31-35

Every one of the disciples was so sure that they would never leave Jesus, never deny Him, even though Jesus told them that they would. Let's keep reading.

"⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled." - Matthew 26:55-56

They all said they would never leave Him, then just a few hours later, they all did. Keep that in mind now as you read this. This was how those scattering disciples went to their individual deaths.

Peter - crucified upside down

Andrew - crucified

James (Zebedee) - executed with a sword

John - natural causes

Phillip - executed

Bartholomew - crucified

Thomas - stabbed with spears

Matthew - slain with a halberd (spear/axe)

James (Alpheus) - stoned to death

Thaddaeus - attacked & murdered

Simon - crucified

Matthias - stoned to death

With the exception of John, all these disciples chose death rather than deny Jesus Christ and stop preaching The Gospel. Their dramatic change is their testimony to their salvation.

The second Bible story is one that also shapes beliefs. The story occurs while Jesus hung on the cross. It was His conversation with the thief next to Him that testifies to us. The thief was never baptized, never went to church or confirmation class, never took communion, and never did a single good deed. Not one that we know of. Yet . . .

"Then he (the thief) said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

⁴³Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:42-43

That's it. Pretty simple. It is the testimony of the disciple's actions and the thief's faith,  all coupled with the Holy Spirit of God that has caused us to believe. The question then becomes, "What does MY testimony say?" What about yours?

Do we have that kind of commitment the disciples had after they finally came to believe? Do we have the testimony of the thief in our hearts upon facing his own death?

Do we have a testimony that reflects our Lord and King, and what He means to us?

Deception

When Jesus was walking through Jerusalem with His disciples, they asked Him, "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” - Matthew 24:3

Jesus gave them a really strange answer.

“Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:4

Huh?

Jesus could not have been more right. 

The world we live in is absolutely filled with deception. Even in the church! But you know where the most deception exists? In our own hearts and minds. This is an exceedingly dangerous time. For everyone. 

Here's what I mean. How do we know that what we believe is actually true? Where do our beliefs come from? Some pastor? The news? A YouTube video? Our friends and family?

Jesus said, "I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life." - John 14:6. But who is this Jesus? There are many versions of him out there. Which one is THEE Jesus? Mormons have a Jesus. So do Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the Quran of Islam mentions Jesus. So many versions to choose from. Which one is right?

"For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." - Matthew 24:5

That's for sure! Can we agree that there can be only ONE truth? I mean, either something is true or it is not, right?

I go back to my encounter with Jesus of the Bible. Not a face-to-face meeting by any means. But when Jesus, THEE Jesus, became real to me, January 15, 2006, I changed.

And that is the key. Jesus, the Truth, changes us. Our eyes become opened and we can see clearly for the first time. And by 'see' I mean understand. It's like the man born blind.

"One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see." - John 9:25

Only our 'sight' is an understanding of the Word of God, the THINGS of God.

When we meet Jesus, we become changed. No change = No Jesus = no Holy Spirit.

In the Book of 1st John there is a checklist of sorts for the Christian. Here's an example:

"⁶If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." - 1 John 1:6-7

This is a check for us. Are we "walking in the light?" In other words, are we obeying God's comnands? Are we seeking after His will? If we are not, why would we then be referred to as Christians?

There are many other proofs such as this in 1st John. How many can YOU find? There is a link below. Check it out. There are only five chapters, but the book is FILLED with eye-opening truths.

1 John

Dear Mr. Putin

I watched a music video recently. No, it wasn't Pink Floyd, Hendrix, or Santana. It was Tchaikovsky.

What struck me about the video (link below) was that is was basically a tour of St. Basil's Cathedral. I had never seen the inside.  Wow!

With such a beautiful building at the center of Moscow, one would think it's leaders would be quite religious. You'd think.

A lot of the world's leaders do things in the name of their god. Except their gods are not really the one-true God.

When Paul entered the city of Athens he made similar observations about its people.

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'to an unknown god.' So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship - and this is what I am going to proclaim to you." - Acts 17:22-23

Not knowing the God we worship is a one-way ticket to hell. That statement is not simply MY opinion. It's God's Word.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7:21-23

There's a lot of good words in Matthew 7. Most read 'do not judge' and stop reading. Read the whole chapter! Jesus tells us that we ARE to judge people, by their fruit.

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" - Matthew 7:16

As Christians, we are to resemble the God we follow. By that criteria, Putin would appear to follow HIS god, Satan, not Jesus as the images inside his cathedral confesses.

There is one God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who created the universe and everything in it. The God who sacrificed His one and only Son so that we could live with Him forever.

KNOW WHO YOU WORSHIP.

Hymn of The Cherubim - Tchaikovsky

All Along

There are currently 8.2 billion people living on earth right now. Some of them are dying. Some have just been born. But ALL are on a faith journey, whether they acknowledge it or not.

There are many different belief systems and many different gods. So, which one is true? Or are they ALL true?

Recently Pope Francis of the Catholic church said, "All religions are a path to God." Really? What does Jesus say about this?

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

Maybe that's why many of the world's religious leaders are so upset with the Pope. He is speaking lies. Or is he?

We do all take different paths to ultimately find God. The problem comes when we make a wrong turn in our journey and don't discover our 'lostness' until it's too late.

But it also doesn't help to have religious leaders giving comfort to those are walking on an incorrect path. It is downright wrong.

The following song reflects someone's faith journey. We don't know the path they followed or the wrong turns they made along the way but we DO know they found who they were looking for. Jesus.

It's not everything it seems, the world and its dreams

Slipping like water through my hands tonight

All the things I thought would fill me up inside

Left me empty here and now I know why 

All along I was looking for something else

You're something else

All along I was looking for something more

You're so much more

I finally found what I could never see before

You've always been The One that I was looking for

Always seek the truth. Trust no one. Only trust God who never lies. Jesus IS the truth. Seek Him while He may be found. Because He is coming soon, and then it will be too late to change your mind.

All Along - Remedy Drive

Something's Missing

My wife and I recently attended a special Grandparent's celebration at our grandson's school. It was wonderful!

Our grandson came and sat with us in the bleachers and we listened to a pastor present the Gospel. That too was wonderful.

We heard about how we are all sinners.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23

Then we heard that Jesus died for our sins, once for all.

"He (Jesus) sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself." - Hebrews 7:27

More wonderfulness. But it seemed as though something was missing.

I went back over what we taught children at VBS this past summer - Repent, Believe, Forever Receive. Again, that's all good, but there's still something missing. What is it?

Jesus summed it up in one single question. It's a question we ALL must answer.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

We can believe in God (even the demons believe) but if we are not changed by that belief, our faith is useless, as James says:

"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." - James 2:24

Works do not save us. Works are EVIDENCE that we have been saved. If the Good News of Jesus' death, resurrection, and life does not change us, our faith is meaningless. We are still dead in our sins.

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

And there it is. That's what was missing. Not only must we 'believe,' we must be changed! Jesus MUST be our Lord! He must be in our heart.

What all of that means is, we must do what He says. We must love our neighbor. We must love God. We must not lie. We must not covet. The list goes on. But here's the thing . . .

Example: Why do so many Christians celebrate Halloween? The holiday started out with good intentions (remembering the dead), but it has been perverted by "the world" into something totally different.

Example: Why do those who profess faith in Christ support those who want to kill their own babies? This is an abomination to The Lord!

Jesus MUST be Lord of our lives or we simply will not be saved. We must DO what God commands us to do. Study the Bible. What are God's commands? Are we doing them?

We've got an election coming up. Do any of the candidates profess faith? Do they back what they say with their actions? Or is their faith dead?

Our remaining time here on earth is short. Make the change. Serve the Lord.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God." - 1 Corinthians 6:19:20

Jesus Is Lord - Voddie Baucham

The Dividing Line

You cannot see it, but it is there. It separates us, divides us, as surely as if it were an impenetrable wall of stone. It pits one side against another. What is it?

Look at this verse from the Apostle Paul. Can you see just what it is that divides us?

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

The line that divides is "the message of the cross" - Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus, and "the message of the cross," divides those who are perishing from those who are being saved. 

But Jesus is the Prince of Peace. How can He divide us? Let's ask Him and see what He says.

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” - Luke 12:51-53

That sounds like a battle to me and not peace. And indeed, it IS a battle.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

It is a spiritual battle. And it is being waged right now!

And finally, these words from Pink Floyd's Division Bell album - sung perhaps by someone on the other side of the divide:

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition

There's a hunger still unsatisfied

Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon

Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener

The light was brighter

The taste was sweeter

The nights of wonder

With friends surrounded

The dawn mist glowing

The water flowing

The endless river

Forever and ever

High Hopes - Pink Floyd

The Words I Would Say

Have you ever left a conversation and said, "What I SHOULD have said was (fill in the blank)." I do that way too much.

Or how about this one . . .

"I should have prayed with him/her."

Or . . .

"I should have shared the Gospel."

Speaking of sharing the Gospel, how do we do that without people getting mad at us? My advice is to start out slow and ask a lot of questions. Jesus Himself asked the perfect question of Peter.

"But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” - Matthew 16:15

We could ask people if they believe in God, but there are many gods. We should ask people about Jesus, specifically. Sadly, there are also many versions of Jesus in the world today. Peter gave a pretty good answer to Jesus' question.

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:16

We must then get specific about Jesus. After they answer the question above, ask them this one.

"Tell me about Jesus. What has He ever done for you?"

Someone who is already saved will most likely give you their testimony, or at least part of it. Then they should tell you about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. The unsaved person will merely describe who they 'think' Jesus is.

[Be cautious right here my friends. When questioning someone's beliefs we must be prepared for pushback. People don't like having their beliefs questioned.]

That's why we must read the Bible and have verses at the ready. How can people argue against God, who IS God . . . and never lies.

But they WILL argue. They WILL push back. What should we do then?

"When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “Because you have so little faith." Matthew 17:14-20

We humans do not have the power to save anyone. But we do have the ability to make them think. Get them thinking. Then let them go. That's where prayer begins.

We much pray for God to open their hearts and minds. Is their salvation the 'desire of your heart?' And that's where faith begins. Pray that God would increase your faith!

Remember the demon-posessed son whose father came to Jesus for help?

"If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“ ‘IF you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” - Mark 9:22-24

Lord, help us overcome OUR unbelief. Ask questions, answer when we can, but most importantly, take them to Jesus in prayer.

The Words I Would Say - Sidewalk Profits

The Christianity Trap

There is a danger that exists when someone grows up in a "Christian home." That danger is "thinking" that you are a Christian when you really are not.

Don't get me wrong. Coming from a Christian home is a wonderful thing. It is a blessing to be sure. The danger comes from the lack of understanding about just what the word "Christian" means.

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were Sunday school teachers, they sang in the choir, we went to church, I was baptized as a baby, I went to confirmation class and memorized Bible verses. I was a Christian, right? Wrong. I only THOUGHT I was. And that's the trap.

I heard a sermon once about this topic. The pastor said the thing that surprised him most during their baptism services at his church was that most of the people were "saved from Sunday School." He expected that the majority of people would be saved from things like drugs or alcohol. Nope. Most had only THOUGHT they were Christians but admitted in their testimony that they really were not.

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

So, how do we test ourselves? That's easy. We must read the Bible and then compare our lives with what it says. Are we obeying God's commands? Are we following the teachings of Jesus?

"And He (Jesus) said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3

Did you catch that? Jesus said there must be a change, from what we were to what we are now, in Christ. Have we changed from what we used to be?

And WHEN did we change? Surely, we remember an event like that! What was the cause? The catalyst? If we didn't change, Jesus just said we "will NEVER enter the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus actually gives us a one-question quiz a few chapters earlier in Matthew 16.

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” - Matthew 16:15

How we answer that question determines where we spend eternity. Who do we say that Jesus is? Peter gives the perfect answer just one verse later.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:16

Many people can't handle being a Christian. They like to live their secular lives, believing what they want to believe. They don't FOLLOW Him. They cave in on issues like abortion and gay rights. Jesus said this to those who professed to be His followers:

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you - they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” - John 6:63-69

We need to "believe and know" that Jesus is God, the Holy One. Only then will we be saved. Only then will we be true Christians.

Syncretism

What do you think is the dominant world view in the United States? Christianity? Nope. Islam? Nope. Global Warming? Umm, nope. It's Syncretism.

Syncretism is defined by Merriam Webster as "the combination of different forms of belief or practice."

Basically, it's an ala carte world view - picking and choosing which things you like from various religions or beliefs. You've heard of Build-A-Bear? This is Build-a-god.

92% of those surveyed by Barna are classified as syncretists. Those with a biblical worldview amount to only 4% of those people surveyed.

Basically, 9 out of 10 Americans you meet on the street are Syncretists. Even though 72% of Americans profess to be Christian. That's a little troubling. What that means is even though many Americans THINK they are Christians, the Bible does not guide them as they live out their lives.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

Here are some steps you could take to make sure you are a looking at the world through a Biblical lens.

1. Read the Bible. That's where the truth can be found.
2. Study the Bible. Understand what you are reading. Dig deep to find true meaning. Invest in a Study Bible.
3. Attend a REAL church - one that opens God's Word every week, one that shares the Gospel, one where love abounds and worship is in "spirit and truth."
4. Don't trust your pastor. Make sure that what he is saying is true.

"Now these Jews (the Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." - Acts 17:11

Believing in something, if it is not the truth, is believing in a lie. And if the Truth is not in us when we die, we will be living in the hell that God created for all liars and sinners. And you will be living there forever.

Please, know and understand what you believe in. Where you spend eternity depends on it.

Sifting

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” - Luke 22:31-32

What an interesting couple of verses. Let's start with the first two words - "Simon, Simon." That's weird. Why did Jesus call Peter "Simon?" When they first met, Jesus Himself changed Simon's name to Peter.

"You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated as Peter)." - John 1:42

And now Jesus is calling him Simon again? Why? Think about it. Jesus is just about to be crucified in that opening verse. And Peter was just about to deny Jesus three times, although Peter denied that he would.

But the interesting part of Jesus talking to His disciples that day was this:

"Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat."

What in the world is going on here? Jesus then goes on to say that He was praying specifically for Simon. That his "faith would not fail." Why didn't Jesus just tell Satan "No! You can't 'sift' any of my disciples?"

I think it's because Jesus WANTED Peter to be 'sifted.' Why? Perhaps to teach Peter something about what true faith is. It is not denying Jesus. It's not that Jesus didn't love Peter. He did. It's because Jesus loved Peter that He wanted to teach him to fully embrace his beliefs - no matter what the cost. 

In one of them most vivid and chilling passages in the Bible, Jesus doesn't say a single word.

"Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly." - Luke 22:60-62

Sifted.

I think that was the moment when Peter truly changed - from Simon into Peter.

I read that story and wondered about my own faith. Would I too deny Jesus if my life depended on it? Would you?

And how about the sifting we have already encountered in our own lives. Have we emerged stronger because of that sifting?

I hope so.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

[The following song is from a little-known rock band from Sweden. The second verse speaks of Peter turning away when Jesus looked at him.] 

Pitiful - Blindside

Good Morning Gill

Today's story is about perspective and discernment. It's about how we tend to see things through our own 'fishbowl' rather than seeking out the actual truth.

Consider little Gill here looking out at Bill Murray from the comfort of his own little fishbowl. Gill probably thinks the big face is a god - always providing food, clean water and a place to live. The truth is often far different from the reality we might perceive.

Each of us encounters life through our own eyes. We are basically a movie camera, filming everything we see, for our own unique movie. It's only when we consider other perspectives, other viewpoints, that we can comprehend a bigger picture.

How do we know Christianity is true? Did we just inherit our faith from mom and dad? Or did we research it, examine other faiths,  and THEN determine it to be true?

Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth. The second one contains a key passage. Speaking about the Pharisees and pre-Christ Jews, who were still stuck in THEIR world view, Paul wrote this:

"But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:14-18

Basically, our minds too were blind to the truth until we placed our faith in Jesus. Only then is the 'veil' taken away and we become transformed.

Have you placed your hope and trust in Jesus? And here's the key: Have you been changed after doing so? Has the veil been removed from your life to reveal the truth? I sure hope so. Otherwise you will be spending the rest of eternity inside your own little fishbowl wondering how come the water is getting cloudy and the food has stopped falling from heaven.

Good morning Gill - What About Bob 

Where Are We?

Do we truly know where we are? Not physically. Even my phone knows that. Where are we, spiritually.

I was talking to a friend who moved to a big city from a small town. She was saying that she really missed living in a small town and its relatively peaceful setting. There was more violence, more homelessness, more general unrest. And then she spoke about squad cars on permanent display at the local Walmart due to the number of shootings.

This past Sunday our pastor commented about how we should be grateful to be living in these times. We have God's word - the written Bible.

We also have a great many teachers and churches, compared to living in the old west, all alone out on the prairie.

Before the printing press was invented there were no personal Bibles to study. Talk about feeling alone!

Faith in biblical times really WAS faith. There was nothing else. Today we can do research online, attend conferences, participate in Bible studies.

Ultimately though, it all comes down to what we believe in. I think God said it best when He was walking through the garden, looking for Adam.

"But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” - Genesis 3:9

It doesn't really matter what city we are living in. Or what time period. What matters most is where are we in our faith? Still searching? Non-believing? Agnostic? Atheist?

I've been studying the Bible for over 16 years now and, although I don't have a theology degree, I know this: 

When the Lord returns for His Church we want to be found IN Christ. We don't want to hear God asking us our whereabouts. He's not wondering where we are. He's wondering where our obedience is.

We should be found living a life that says, "Here I am, Lord!" regardless of where we live, or when we lived there.

"Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” - 1 Samuel 3:4

Where are YOU?

Why?

"Life would be so much easier if everyone would just agree with me."

Everybody has an opinion. So, what happens when someone's beliefs conflict with ours? When someone's world view conflicts with our own, how do we handle it?

There are three options. 1.) We can dismiss their opinion. "They're obviously wrong." 2.) We can argue and fight over it. "I'm right and you're wrong." 3.) Or we can try to understand their position and verify our own stance. "Why do you say that?"

Scripture gives examples of all three. Jesus, being God, was ALWAYS right. So there is an example for #2. But because we are humans, and often governed by emotions and/or life experiences, we seem to factor in our own personal desires in any solution.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?" - James 4:1

Our third option for resolving differences seems our best choice. Try to understand what shapes the opinions of others that makes those opinions different from ours.

Jesus did that. For someone who KNOWS everything and can read our minds, He sure asked a lot of questions. Why?

Jesus asked questions as a means to get people to realize they were wrong. His questions led them to what He ultimately was trying to teach them. The truth.

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good - except God alone." - Mark 10:18

"Why?" is a very powerful question. So, WHY don't we use it more often?

Voddie Baucham once said that "we Christians must know WHAT we believe, WHY we believe it, and then be able to effectively communicate to others". He's right.

Unfortunatly, most of us stop at 'knowing what we believe.' That's just our meaningless opinion. 'WHY we believe it' means everything.

"Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?"

YES!

"Why?"

Uhhhhh. Well.... let me get back to you on that, okay?

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." - 1 Peter 3:15

Do you remember this song from Sunday school?

"Jesus loves me, this I know."

WHY?

"For the Bible tells me so."

And there you have it.

The Ultimate Question

I have two questions for you this morning. The first one is easy. Are you a Christian? That's one of those 'yes' or 'no' answer questions. You either are or you aren't, right? The second question is a bit harder.

Why?

The people who are not Christians usually have answers ready to give. The Christians, however, always seem to struggle with the 'why' question.

"Well, I, uh, I've ALWAYS been a Christian. I never really thought about it."

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." - 1 Peter 3:15

I like to answer the why question with another question: How do you define "Christian?" Depending upon who you ask, you will likely get a wide variety of answers. Until the "What is a Christian" question gets answered, it's hard to know if you are one or not.

So, what IS a Christian? This is from GotQuestions.org

The word "Christian" literally means, "belonging to the party of Christ" or a "follower of Christ." Unfortunately, over time, the word "Christian" has lost a great deal of its significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

That would be a good answer to the "Are you a Christian?" question.

"I am a follower of Jesus Christ."

On second thought, that's still not specific enough. Mormons follow a "Jesus Christ" and he is WAY different from the God of The Bible.

Perhaps we should answer the "are you a Christian" question like this:

"I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The first and the last, beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, All things were made through Him and for Him. He never changes and always loves. He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. Whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life.

That's not a 'yes' or 'no' answer but it is an accurate answer. Is that the Jesus you believe in?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:1-5

Defining Jesus

It is one of the most important questions any of us can ever answer. "Who do YOU say that I am?" How we reconcile Jesus is so incredibly important to our eternity. Who exactly is He? And most importantly, who do WE believe that He is?

Jesus posed two questions to His disciples concerning His identity. It's important to note the differences. Here they are:

"And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” - Mark 8:27-29

The first question is kind of odd really. "Who do people say that I am?" Jesus already knew the answer to this question, but He wanted to hear the answer from His disciples. The second question though is the most important. "Who do YOU say that I am?"

I think Jesus emphasized the word YOU when He asked that question.

People had various opinions about who Jesus was. A prophet, a demon-possessed man, Elijah, the carpenter's son, John The Baptists, etc.

Even today there are different ideas concerning Jesus. The Mormon faith for example teaches that Jesus was actually Adam's son, born into this world. The Christian faith says that Jesus is fully God and always existed. There are two different versions of Jesus being worshipped here. Which one is right?

The Jewish people believe Jesus was just a man, not the Son of God. Islam teaches pretty much the same thing - a human, a prophet.

That brings us back to Jesus' second question. Who do YOU say that I am?

If we think that Jesus was simply human, a prophet perhaps, Jesus will have an eternal home prepared just for us. If we think that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of the Living God, Jesus will offer us a different eternity.

So, who do YOU say that Jesus is?

The Invisible Trap

The thing about traps is that we don't expect them, we simply can't see them, or we just can't understand how they could possibly even BE a trap. That's what makes a trap, a trap. Everything LOOKS safe. It looks innocent. What could possibly go wrong . . . right? SNAP!

We have mice that get into our house every now and then. I set traps, baited with peanut butter or some cheese. It doesn't take long. That's because the mouse is more interested in the bait than it is in the workings of the trap.

My wife and I went to a high school jazz concert the other night. We walked in as they were setting up the stage. We were supposed to meet a friend there, but they never showed up. We were even given a program that said, "Christmas Jazz Concert" on it. And we were seated at a table just like they were expecting us. That's because they were. It was a trap!!

And what was the trap? The trap was of our own doing. In our own beliefs. My wife and I had walked into the wrong school. They just happened to also have a jazz Christmas concert going on at the same time, on the same night. No wonder our friend wasn't there!

Why did we go to the wrong school? Lack of information on my part. All of the information was there. I just never read it. I had made an assumption, and my assumption was wrong.

The Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah, is NOT a trap. It is the truth. But there are other religions and false gospels out there. People are believing in them as if they are fact. They are traps - invisible traps for unsuspecting.

Other religions can sound good. They can relax us and make us feel comfortable. They can even make us feel safe and secure. SNAP!

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

For those who want to avoid getting caught in the trap of false doctrine and false religions, there is an easy way to do that. Educate yourself on the workings of "the trap." Dig into each belief. Compare them to the teachings of The Bible. Read! Understand! Retain!

Mormonism is false. Scientology is false. Buddhism is false. Hinduism is false. How do I know that these other religions are false? I compared their teachings to that of The Bible. And how do I KNOW that the Bible is the absolute truth?

The Bible was dictated by God (who cannot lie) through His prophets. God's Holy Spirit spoke to the writers of the New Testament through people who witnessed the risen Christ (Jesus) personally and were given revelation by God Himself. The same God who raised the dead, parted the Red Sea and fathered the only sinless man (Jesus) through a virgin. And told us that it would happen hundreds of years beforehand.

But the final piece of evidence in my life that the God of The Bible is who He says He is, is this: He changed ME. He changed who I was, into who I am today, all in the twinkling of an eye.

We should not fall for the trap of comfort in our faith. Our faith should be living and active. Not comfortable. Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble," not comfort.

There is no arguing with the truth. There are no "versions" of the truth. There is only ONE truth. We can either accept it or deny it. It's up to us to test everything that comes at us in this world. Only the Truth (capital T) will set us free.

“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8: 34-36

Causality

Most of life's problems can be broken down by simple cause and effect analysis. The key question in any such analysis is "Why?" Why did I eat an entire bag of potato chips? Cause: I was hungry. Effect: I ate, I gained weight, I am no longer hungry, I am sick.

Take this same causality analysis into the political arena for example. Donald Trump wins the 2016 election. Why? Because the majority of people were so sick of politicians that they were willing to take a chance. Effect: Republicans control 2/3 of all power at the national level. Trump fills all vacancies in the Supreme Court and Federal Courts. In doing so, the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court changes from Liberal appointees to Conservative appointees.

Each of these things has it's own cause and effect.

There is one more "cause" that I left out in the above Trump cause and effect analysis. God. Did God cause Trump to win to accomplish a desired effect for the Supreme Court? Who knows but it IS possible because God holds people's hearts in the palm of His almighty hands.

"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." - Hebrews 3:12-19

Cause and effect. What is the cause of the decisions we make? Are we like the Israelites who sinned and died in the desert? Cause: Disobedience. Effect: Death. Or are we like those who made it to the promised land. Cause: Obedience. Effect: Blessings, milk and honey.

What is the cause of our faith? Is it our OWN beliefs that guide us? Or is our faith based on Godly decisions, based on the truth found in His Word? What will be the effect of the decisions we make today?

We say that we chose to believe in Christ. Or was it God leading us to an inescapable conclusion. Either way we have been caused to believe. The effect is eternal life. Cause and effect.

Cause and Effect - The Matrix