My Little Children

In First John 2:12 John writes this little tidbit of information for us to catch a glimmer of and it says, "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His names sake."

How emotionally appropriate it seems that God looks a us as "little children" and He has passed that idea on to His disciples that we may continue to think in that vain in today's society. We are God's children, all at different levels of understanding His plans for each of us, but all His little children none the less.

So the most secure times in my life were those times when I was safe in the arms of my earthly father, as his little child. Somehow I knew that no matter what would befall me at that moment, my father had his arms around me and that NOTHING could touch or harm me.

Today, I can see this analogy in the arms of Christ today. Oh, there are a lot of things that slip through the cracks and get to me, but there is something about being a child of the King that remove any and all fear of the outcome; Does that make sense? I feel a complete calmness about this issue. I am His "little child" and so, while that is fact (which will never change throughout eternity) nothing that can touch me, can destroy me (my spiritual being) or my relationship with Him.

I reference this verse back to First John 2:1 which says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with he Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." There was a time that I didn't have a clue what "propitiation" meant until I fully grasped the love and compassion of God. This is an act of conciliation or appeasement to our God. Could we POSSIBLY be entwined in better arms than Christ?

Dave

We Have This Treasure In Earthen Vessels

Here is a very interesting and inspiring passage of scripture that needs very little commentary and just a thought or two.

It is in 2 Corinthians 4:6,7 and it reads, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves..."

Pretty cool, huh? The light shines in the darkness. I remember in the beginning, on the first day of creation that God created light; in fact, He said, "Let there be light; and here was light." (Genesis 1:3) What is unique about that is that the Sun, Moon, and Stars were not created until the fourth day of creation (find this in Genesis 1:14-19).

So what is it that "...shall shine out of darkness?" I submit to you that it was the light of God Almighty. When Jesus walked into a room, even the darkness headed for the corners and the doors.

Jesus is the light of the world, whether you decide to believe it our not, matters not. God spoke and there was light. Nuff said!

Dave

Now Then Go

"Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say" (Exodus 4:12).This is an interesting verse of scripture. It follows along with the story of Moses and the burning bush. You can read the story in Exodus 3:1-9). It is an amazing story of the calling of God to Moses to lead God's people out of bondage. I can imagine if some of us were there at the time we might be raising our hand and jumping up and down saying "I'll go, send me! I'll go, send me!" But would we really?

Moses was a Godly man and he had just had an experience talking to God through a bush that was burning but it was not being consumed. In fact, in verse 4 we can see that Moses was slowly edging closer and closer to the burning bush, ever so slowly, trying to determine what this magical mystery was when suddenly he hears "Moses, MOSES!" You might know that I have my own thoughts as to why God called Moses twice. Okay, your in the middle of a mountain, no one else around, probably dark at this point, dusk at least, you don't know why you are where you are and suddenly you hear your name coming from the burning bush. NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I know what I'd do. I do a quick 180 and start running as fast as I could, the other way. Well, I think that may have been Moses' reaction. And that's probably why God had to call to him a second time. I can't prove that so just humor me, please.

So, now that God has his attention, He explains to Moses what it is that He wants done. And Moses sits and listens and finally God says in verse 12 "Now then go..." Well it sounds like too big a task for Moses so he basically says, Lord, why don't you just send someone else? Earlier Moses had attempted to use the excuse that he was "slow of speech" which probably means he stuttered. As the story continues, God's anger burns against Moses, so he assigns his brother Aaron, (who would later become Moses' albatross) to be his mouthpiece.

• 
  "Well God, it was really crowded at the Mall and besides, that guy had every exposed part of his body pierced and I didn't want to get too close to him!"
• 
  "But God, they don't allow us to talk about you in class and I really need an "A" in this class to get into that other school!"
• 
  "Are you kidding, God? That guy hasn't had a bath in probably a month, he stinks, he's scary looking, and you want me to go give him a sandwich and tell him about you?"

For thousands of years we have made excuses for not following through with God's plan for our lives but how quickly we forget that God had a plan for another person one day and he walked right up to me and told me how I could get to heaven. Boy, I'm sure thankful he had the courage to share God with me.

Oh, I think I'm starting to understand. I don't have to receive a degree from a big seminary to share my faith in Christ. I don't have to have a large vocabulary to get the point across. All I really have to do is be available when Your Holy Spirit says "Now then go...!" Now we are starting to understand.

I do have a degree from a big seminary, but you know what? Nobody has ever seen it. It sits in a box in the garage, collecting dust, because most of my evangelistic education came from passing out those sandwiches and tracts, getting invited to leave prisons for showing prisoners a better way to live, stopping at the Mall to talk to the "intolerable" and raising the name of Jesus in the face of demon possessed (that was scary).

If you don't know anything else to say to someone who may be searching for life's answers you can simply say, I once was blind but now I see (John 9:25 paraphrased). Once we were all blinded by the deception of this world, but now we see, and what we see is Jesus!

Dave

We Are More Alike Than Unalike!

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10: 11 & 12 that, "Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will NOT be disappointed. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him."

I captalized and underlined the word NOT in that passage because it is emphatic (uttered, or to be uttered, with emphasis; strongly expressive) grammer. Here's what it means. Now listen close. You don't want to miss this. It means "NEVER, NO NEVER, NOT EVER!"

The Gospel Ministry has put me at the side of several "death beds" over the last 30 years or so, and I can personally testify that, without exception, there has not been one person, on his or her way out of this life, claiming to be sorry that they trusted the Lord for their life. Trusting Christ for our lives is not a disappointment but the greatest gift of life ever given.

And Paul goes one step further to explain to us that there is no distinction between us. We are all God's children. For Jesus is the same Lord for you and for me, for the Jew and the Gentile, for the saved and the lost. What is the only distinction is the "abounding riches for those who have called upon His name.

My pastor friend Norm, always says "We are more alike than unalike." But the greatest thing about where we can be alike is receiving His Grace and Promise of eternal life.

Dave

Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

Law Number One

God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. (References contained on this Home Page are from the Bible and should be read in context wherever possible.) God's Love "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"(John 3:16 NIV). God's Plan [Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10). Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?Because...

Law Number Two

Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life. Man Is Sinful "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin. Man Is Separated "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).

This diagram below illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails. The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

Law Number Three

Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. He Died in Our Place "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He Rose From the Dead "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."
(1 Corinthians 15:3-6).


He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. It is not enough just to know these three laws...

Law Number Four

We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. We Must Receive Christ "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12) We Receive Christ Through Faith "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8.) We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation [Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"(Revelation 3:20). Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. These two circles represent two kinds of lives:


When self is on the throne Christ is outside; the life Interests are directed by self often resulting in discord and frustration







When self has yielded to Christ then He is in the life and on the throne; Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan.


Which circle best describes your life?Which circle would you like to have represent your life? The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (Prayer is talking to God) God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

The above presentation is an excellent format for presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost (courtesy of Campus Crusade For Christ). Whether you are a seasoned veteran at presenting the Gospel or a brand new Christian, this simple example has led millions of people to their "knees" in prayer, asking God to take over their lives. You don't know what it feels like to lead someone to Christ until you have done it yourself.

Dave

More Than Burnt Offering And Sacrifice

"...to love Him (the Lord) with all the heart and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark 12:33).

We see this passage in other places as parallels to the Gospels and each one speaks of the same thing. Laws were made with mankind, God saw that we could not keep them and when Jesus came onto the scene, He was sure to make a more simplified manner in which to be obedient to Christ.

You know, as long as there is emotion in the world, as long as there is right and wrong, we are going to have trouble with this issue. Aren't you thankful that you have a Savior Who was willing to still go to the cross even after He had simplified the law to the extent that all we had to do is Love God and Love one another. All God is looking for is the sincerity of our hearts. Around here we have differences of opinions concerning moral and ethical issues such as abortion, adultery, stealing from others, etc. However, God seems to have said that it is okay to "hate the sin", I just want you to be able to "love the sinner." And we find ourselves on both sides of the spectrum. We are both the sinner and the one who loves the sinner a well. That's not too difficult, is it? And if we begin to think that this IS too difficult, I think it is time to re-evaluate our spiritual well-beings.

Next week I'll have something to say about the "penalty of sin" in the sight of God (Romans 6:23). Thank God, He made provision for our sins because it is no secret that we, of our own strength, have no ability to stop ourselves.

When, within the Gospel messages, Jesus said to "love your neighbor as yourself" He was simply saying that it is absolutely possible to hate sin and still love the sinner. Think about it because this idea effects every single one of us.

Dave

Warm & Fuzzy or Black & Cold

Listen to what the writer of Proverbs has to say in chapter 11 verse 20: "The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their walk are His delight." You've undoubtedly heard the verse of scripture that says "delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" right? Well here the writer makes a distinction between the two hearts.

There is a heart that is black and cold and everything that comes from it has an "odor" or an "insult" or something very contrary to the peaceable heart of God. And then there is a heart that is "warm & fuzzy" and just waiting to find a way to glorify God. There are hearts out there roaming the world that just lie waiting to pounce on something or someone and bring the element of pain and discouragement. And then the other heart walks the earth looking to be a blessing to someone, perhaps someone in need.

What color is your heart? Does the Lord God look down on you and see a heart badly in need of repair (that repair being a "touch" for the Almighty), or does God see your heart working His will as often as you can find a place to minister.

I sometimes embarrass my daughters when we go out for dinner, but I always try to find someone to talk to, about most anything. Sometimes I even say "stupid" things just to get their attention. But the whole purpose is to bring a smile or blessing of some kind to an individual. Trying to offer up just a little kindness each day as I walk through life. I do know that there were some people in the chemotherapy treatment center that were sad to see that I had completed my treatment for the time being, and of course there were those that were having a party because I wouldn't be coming back.

You don't have to go too far to find the smile that is trying to escape from another person as they walk through life. And even once, while being hooked up to my chemo treatment IV, I was given an opportunity by God to get on my knees and help lead a precious dying woman to Christ. And it was all because I chose the "warn & fuzzy" over the black and cold heart.

What's your choice? Are you afraid to start up conversations with complete strangers? I've got a secret for you that will change your whole way of thinking. Next time you get the opportunity, just remember that the person you are working toward being a blessing to is "just like you" and you may be the only "Jesus" they ever get a chance to see.

Dave