Selah - A Podcast by Koinonia Fellowship

There is only one perfect Father, and that is God Himself, the Everlasting Father. But because God is our perfect Father figure, human fatherhood should seek to reflect the fatherhood of God as best as they can. Biblical, Spirit-filled fatherhood is an “endangered species” in our society. But one of the most vital ingredients to a strong family, church and society is the need for biblical, Spirit-filled fathers. Biblical, Spirit-filled fatherhood is regarded as archaic and irrelevant in “today's culture” (whatever that means!). Sadly, even within the church, biblical, Spirit-filled fatherhood has been replaced by extremes of legalistic authoritarianism or flat out, no involvement and absenteeism leaving wives and mothers to “fulfill” a role that God never intended them to fulfill. Today's message is a call for the fathers and grandfathers of Koinonia to step up and accept our God given roles of fatherhood, in spite of how we feel or what society says. Men, our families need us to be Spirit filled men of God. Listen to this griping story: In 2003, Hurricane Isabel slammed into the East Coast of the United States, leaving 16 dead and cutting power to six million homes. The edges of the hurricane passed through Washington, D.C., prompting the president and members of Congress to find safer quarters. That was not the case at Arlington National Cemetery, where guards stood vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the time, just as they had done every hour of every day since July 1, 1937. When the hurricane hit, the soldiers remained at their posts even though they were given permission to seek shelter. That's what a soldier does. He acknowledges the storm, but he doesn't give in to it. He stands firm. Biblical manhood and fatherhood is under attack by today's society and the liberal church.Like these soldiers, Christian men, young or old, are called to stand and do our duty while staring down the very storms of a God forsaken culture that is pressuring us to neglect abandon our biblical posts as heads of our families. When men abandon this pursuit of Christ like, Spirit filled headship or when this responsibility of leadership is usurped by their wives or simply taken away from them... CHAOS ENSUES in the home, in society and in the church. For the glory of God, I pray that Almighty God pour out His Spirit upon each and every father here today. SELAH

Last year I got a plant for my office. It was a nice bamboo plant, exotic looking, with lots of life. It sat front and center on my desk. I sympathize with Jonah because I was “exceedingly glad because of the plant” (okay, maybe that's a bit overstated. But you get the idea). After a couple weeks, one of the shoots started to turn brown, so I trimmed it. Well done, Dylan. Except the next week another bamboo shoot turned brown. Trimmed again. Well, suffice to say, that plant is now the property of Waste Management. If that plant was to grow and remain healthy, it was going to require constant nurturing. Watering, sunlight, attention, pruning, etc. were required. Life is fragile. And if we are to nurture real growth, it must be done through intimate care.Paul tells us about how the gospel grew through his ministry. He did not preach with “error or impurity or any attempt to deceive”. He did not come with “words of flattery” or with “pretext for greed”. In fact, he did not even exercise the authority of an apostle (which he had the right to exercise). The gospel did not come through Paul with domination, but with self-donation. “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” A nursing mother is more than simply saying “a mother”. A nursing mother actively gives of herself for the growth and health of her children.If we want to see the gospel grow and develop in the souls of the people near us, then we must do more than simply proclaim the gospel with our lips. We must present it with our lives. But that does not mean that we are simply good people everywhere we go, smiling at the cashier, telling someone they look nice, and letting that red pickup truck change lanes in front of us. It means that we take active measures to donate ourselves to those who are closest to us. Yes, that is a tall order, but it is how the gospel came to us. More than that, it is the gospel itself - Jesus donating himself on the cross. If we want the gospel to pour out of us and into the lives of those near us, then it must be poured out through self-donation, as we depict the ultimate self-donation of Christ on the cross.

The greatest example of an evangelist or soul winner to ever set foot on planet earth was none other than the Lord, Jesus Christ. Whether it was the woman at the well or a great multitude, the Lord Jesus shared the truth with those that the Father sent Him.In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, verses 36-38, "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest”. In the gospel of John, verses 5-7, “Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink”.Whether it was a single individual or a great multitude, the Lord Jesus ministered to them with all of His heart, for He knew that the Father sent Him “to seek and to save those who was lost”. We tend to forget that whenever we read the accounts of the Lord Jesus ministering to people, we are seeing the heart of the Father at work, for Jesus Himself said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”.  At the end of each gospel and in the first chapter of the book of Acts we read what has come to be known as The Great Commission that has been passed down to every generation of saints throughout the history of the church. Jesus said to the disciples in the upper room, “as the Father has sent Me, so send I you”. And we learn from John 20 and Acts 1:8 that He sent them (and likewise God is sending us out) He breathed on them the Holy Ghost and sent them out. Please pray that the Lord will give you a renewed vision for reaching the lost to Jesus Christ and recovering the straying back into fellowship. We join you in prayer as we seek to invite people to come and hear and believe the everlasting gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. SELAH

The epistles that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians are thought by many to be some of his earliest epistles. One thing that will be clear to us as we work our way through these letters is that they reveal Paul's theology, and also give us glimpses of the transformed lives of those who came to salvation in Jesus Christ during these early stages of the spreading of the gospel. Bear in mind that this epistle and the remarkable “gospel-centered lifestyle” of the Thessalonians was written to a church that was largely Gentile in nature; who had recently heard and come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ out of a life of pagan worship and idolatry.He talked to them about the doctrine of divine election. He talked to them about the necessity of walking in holiness in the Christian life. He mentions the hope of the imminent return of Jesus Christ in every chapter in 1 Thessalonians. In chapter 4, we learn that one of the reasons why Paul wrote this book was to comfort saints who had questions about where their loved ones who had died were. He told them to comfort one another with the fact that that they were with Jesus.Beloved, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is a comforting hope in this insane world that we are living in. But what I'd like to leave you with this morning as a personal application “takeaway” can be wrapped up in 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10. It says, "For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come".Note beloved, in verse nine, that when these saints heard and believed the gospel, they turned to God from idols. That's repentance. They turned around. The Lord Jesus said, "repent, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). 59 times we find the word repent or repentance in the New Testament. Repentance is a vital part of the Christian life.Secondly, they began to serve the Living and True God. A truly repentant heart will devote itself to serving the Living God.Thirdly, they waited (like a waiter or waitress serving tables) for the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the good and faithful servant that Jesus taught us about in Matthew 24:42-47, these saints were serving the Lord in the anticipation of Jesus' soon return. These transformed lives were telling others about the gospel of the soon returning Lord Jesus Christ to such an extent that every place that Paul went to share the gospel, they had already heard about it from them!What would Paul write about our zeal for spreading the gospel? What would he say about the spiritual climate and culture of our church family at Koinonia?“Blessed Father, we ask You this morning in the Name of Jesus to stir us up by Your Holy Spirit, in order that we might as a church family be about the business of serving You in such a way that souls are saved, disciples are made, and You are glorified.” SELAH

Our passage today is about encouragement, what that really means and how we can have biblically empowered encouragement.Life is good, but life is hard, and we need encouragement. We need to be stirred up. We need our souls knit together. Paul talks about this idea of being knit together throughout his letter to the Colossians.Paul prayer in Colossians 2:19 is that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding, and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The thrust of his message is this: if you want to resist false teaching, if you want to resist heresy, destructive, deceitful ideas coming into the church, knit yourselves together, encourage one another.Paul then gives some practical ways that we can encourage each other. Number one, companionship. Number two, specificity. And number three, personal touch. He doesn't just offer words of encouragement to the Colossians, he sends his companion Tychicus, so "that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts." Sometimes when we think of encouragement, we think of a nice pat on the back. But that that's not the type of encouragement that knits our hearts together. The Greek word translated encourage here is parakaleō, which can be illustrated by a father teaching his son how to walk. The father encourages the son, comes alongside him, stands by him, then steps back and pleads for the son to come forward. If you want to really encourage someone where your hearts are knit together, consider the situation they're in, then tell them how you are doing in the same fight that they are engaged in. Secondly, Paul encourages us to get specific. In verse 17 he directly addresses Archippus with a specific encouragement: "see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."Thirdly, we need personal touch. Notice what Paul says in the last verse. "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." The people reading the letter would see that it's Paul's handwriting, but maybe it was a little more jagged than usual. And then they read that phrase, remember my chains, and think, oh, he's got chains on his wrist.Every Thursday morning, a brother in the Lord named Jack and I would get together and he'd teach me about hermeneutics, about how to study the Bible techniques.At the end of that time he got me this thick systematic theology textbook. I still use it every single week, and every time I do, I think about Jack, because when I open the front cover I see a handwritten note written just to me. A year and a half ago, Jack passed away. But every time I open that book it feels as if all the angels and all the saints of old are cheering me on. Exhorting me to read, encouraging me to pray. Calling me forth into truth.All the right information in the world can't do that. But the personal touch brings to life. When Paul talks about knitting of our souls together through encouragement, he's saying that as we encourage one another and as our souls are knit together in Christ, we inch closer and closer to glory. Father God of all comfort. Comfort us. Knit our souls together. Oh, Lord, we thank you that you reached out to us with personal touch to knit our souls back to you. God, what a marvelous mystery.God, you're with us now. You're in us by the spirit. You're in us by faith. You encourage us. You strengthen us. Help us to do that with our brothers and sisters.

As I've been studying Ecclesiastes 12 this week, I can hear Solomon's voice—aged, reflective, and full of hard-earned wisdom. He urges me: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Not someday. Now. Before the noise of life and the wear of age dull my hunger for God. We sometimes think we will finally have time to get serious about faith later in life, when things slow down. But Solomon corrects us—life doesn't get easier, only different. If I won't follow God when I'm young and strong, I likely won't when I'm old and distracted.He's honest about the effects of age: the trembling hands, fading eyesight, shallow sleep, and quieter passions. He's not complaining—he's reminding us that time is short and precious. Life isn't about preserving youth but preparing for eternity. This body is a house that's wearing out, and the soul inside it is meant for something greater. I'm sowing the seeds of my future now—what kind of harvest do I expect?Solomon then points us to what lasts: God's Word. Wise words are like goads—they prod us, sometimes painfully, always helpfully. They're like nails fastened by the Shepherd—secure, reliable, worth hanging our life on. There's one Book, from one Shepherd, and it holds all the truth I need. Every time I've let Scripture shape me, it has steadied me.The conclusion of the book is clear: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Not part of it—all of it. This is what I was made for. Not to accumulate, impress, or indulge—but to love God with all I am. Solomon, who had everything the world offers, says it all left him empty. But fearing God—that's fullness.And there's a final reminder: God will bring every deed into judgment, even the hidden ones. For the believer, it's not judgment unto condemnation, but examination for reward. Even so, I'm called to live with purity of motive—serving for His glory, not mine. That makes today sacred. It matters how I live, and even more, why.So ask yourself today, is the gospel a question mark or an exclamation point? You've been redeemed. You belong to Christ. And this is your whole duty: to fear God, to keep His Word, and to enjoy Him forever.

Over one hundred years ago, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established it as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Much has changed since then; listen to this quote from Rachel Jankovic from Desiring God: “Modern women are starving for power. They are marching, demanding, and fighting — doing everything they can do — to try to obtain a sense of power because they are painfully aware of a feminine power shortage. The horrible irony is that they trample on the bodies of infants — demanding abortion rights as essential to feminine strength. But it is all a perverting of the truly shocking feminine power — that of childbearing, that which they are discarding. We have been slowly brought to believe that empowered women are those who have detached themselves from fertility. We stand by feeling embarrassed of our bellies, while intentionally infertile shells of women despise our childbearing, as though it was a hobby for the low-achieving and undereducated. They take the glory and the awe out of sex, both the act itself and the incredible archetypes God wrote into human sexuality. Love that is creational. mankind and womankind, constantly creating new men and new women. They have persuaded us that there is no fight in motherhood, no value to children in marriage. It's certainly true that no nation is ever greater than its mothers, for they are the makers of the next generation.”Every person reading this was brought into this world by a biological female who is identified by God as mother. A mother has the potential to touch a whole generation by simply loving her own child well with the love of Jesus. Actually, she can affect the next 2000 years. All of us are affected today to some degree because of the godly mother and grandmother who raised a young boy by the name of Timothy in the Holy Scriptures. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also".One popular poem, written almost 150 years ago, contains this line, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”  And a young mom added, the hand that rocks the cradle is usually attached to a mother who isn't getting enough sleep! One Jewish proverb says, “One mother achieves more than a hundred teachers.”Four scholars were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James because of its eloquent English. Another said he liked the ESV for its literalism. The third scholar was sold on the New Living Translation for its use of contemporary phrases and idioms. After being quiet for a moment, the fourth scholar admitted: “I have personally preferred my mother's translation.” When the other scholars started laughing, he said, “My mom translated each page of the Bible into life. It is the most convincing translation I have ever read.”Children of all ages, honor your mother today. She is not perfect, no one is, but there is only one person on earth who you can call mother, and it the woman who poured into you, loved you, and raised you. Pray for your mother, saved or unsaved. Extend to her the grace and mercy that you expect from God yourself. Remember, heaven is populated with imperfect mothers who trusted Jesus Christ for the salvation of their eternal souls, and purposed to live their lives for His glory and honor. SELAH

In the book of Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4, God speaks of a rest that remains for those who place their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:9 says, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. The Lord Jesus said to the multitudes in Matthew 11:28-30, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.The key to entering into this glorious rest, spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, is faith in God (Isa 11:10). In reading Hebrews 3 & 4, we learn that the Israelites failed to enter into the promised land because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:18,19 says, And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. The Holy Spirit goes on to say in Hebrews 4:10,11 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.So, dearly beloved, let me ask you a question: Are you resting in your faith or wrestling in your faith? Are you resting from your own works and finding rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ? Having begun in The Spirit, are you now being made perfect by your own works? Oh yes, we do work now, but the work that we do is motivated by our love for God and because He first loved us. It is only by faith in Jesus that we can have rest. It is this rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ that gives us the peace of God that passes all understanding. The perfect peace that stems from our mind being stayed on Him (Isa 26:3,4).It wasn't the giants that kept the Israelites out of the promised land, it was unbelief in the promise of God. Never allow unbelief to rob you of the rest that is yours as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is finished! SELAH 

As we move on in the book of Colossians the Apostle Paul begins to apply the word to the various areas of Christian living in society. One thing stands out bright and clear: Gospel believing people are called upon to live gospel centered lives that bring glory to God in this world.Paul is going to address the roles of the husband and wife in marriage. He is going to address the importance of children obeying their parents. He is going to warn fathers about provoking their children to the point of discouraging them. He is going to address the topic of slaves and masters, which would be like addressing employers and employees today. But in each and every area, the key component is that they are to carry out those roles as unto The Lord. In other words, obedience to The Lord Jesus Christ is the very key to carrying out those roles.Husbands should love their wives like Christ loves the church. Wives should submit themselves to their husbands as it is fit in The Lord. Children should obey their parents because it is pleasing unto The Lord. Servants or employees should obey their masters or employers with singleness of heart, fearing God. Masters or employers should be just and fair to their servants or employees, knowing that they have a Master in heaven to Whom you they accountable.The verses before and after these exhortations tell us the demeanor that we are to have as we live out these roles in society. Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.  Everything should be lived out with thankful, wholehearted obedience as unto The Lord! In other words, allowing The Living Lord Jesus to love, submit, obey and serve others through my life.Heaven bound saints will seek to live gospel centered lives here on earth with Jesus Christ being the blazing center of everything that we say and do for His glory and honor. SELAH

Today we are celebrating the bodily resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus said that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so His body would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. As Jesus was drawing closer to Jerusalem, He said that He would suffer many things of the elders and chief priests, and be killed, just as it was foretold in Isaiah 53; but He then said that He would rise again on the third day. Even his fiercest opponents said, we remember that deceiver said He would rise again the third day. Neither did His disciple nor His enemies believe that Jesus would rise again, but He did.Numerous accounts are recorded of Jesus appearing to His disciples. One account mentions Him appearing to above five hundred brethren at once. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus is necessary for a person to be saved. If Jesus did not rise again from the dead, there is no gospel (1 Cor 15:4). If Jesus did not rise again from the dead, we could not be justified from our sins. If Christ was not raised from the dead, our faith is vain, and we are still dead in our sins.Millions of people believe in the Jesus of history. Some espouse Him as a great Teacher. Others see Him as one of the many avatars of God. But the record of Scripture is the Jesus Christ rose again from the grave, and is a Living Savior. Jesus is our great God and Savior (Titus 2:13). Today is a celebration of the fact that Jesus is alive and that as He ascended up into heaven, and so shall He return (Acts 1:9-11). Because He is risen, He gives to all who call upon His Name eternal life (Rom 10:13).Trust the Living Savior, and He will give you life (John 1:12)! SELAH

Steve Jobs is famous for his black turtleneck, blue jeans, and new balance sneakers. He wore them everywhere he went. And his reasoning for wearing this every day seemed a bit esoteric - he felt that he had to make so many important decisions throughout the day that he needed to eliminate as many decisions as he could. One of the decisions he wanted to eliminate was what to wear. So, he decided to wear the same thing every day. I'm sure we can all relate… facing our closet every morning and trying to figure out what to put on for the day. Our clothes carry meaning and send a message to everyone we meet. What we put on matters. But what we “put on” spiritually matters far more. Just as we scan our closet and select certain garments to clothe ourselves with, there are certain qualities that Scripture commands us to put on. This is a highly intentional process. There are no accidents here. No one stumbles onto the street, looks down at their lower half and says, “How in the world did these jeans get on me?” Whatever we “put on” ourselves, we do intentionally. Such is the command we have from Scripture. We are to make efforts to “put on” Christ. Is this to earn Him in some way? By no means! It is because we are already “God's chosen ones” and because we are already made “Holy” in Christ, and because we are already “beloved” in Christ (all realities from Colossians 3:12 that precede what we are to put on) that God commands us then to “put on”. 

No matter how wise you might think you are, you'll never have all the answers for why things take place the way they do.Solomon was a wise man who believed in God, but he was perplexed with doubt and uncertainty. The problem was he only saw things through the lens of his human limitations and understandings, and he mostly was observing the ways of the world, the fallen world.He's not able to connect the dots with the character of God and with the truths of God. We've probably had those moments ourselves. And so he jumps right in and asks, who is a wise man and who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.True wisdom, a true encounter with the wisdom of God and the God of wisdom, lights up our faces. There's a glow that we have when we draw near to the Lord. Fear God. That's the beginning of wisdom. It's the beginning of knowledge. Fearing God is what keeps our hearts and our consciences clean and clear. The beggar who fears God is a prince, while the rich man who does not fear God is living in perpetual pain and suffering, in hell forever and ever.Rather than trying to use our finite minds to comprehend the infinite nature of God, we need to turn from those vain imaginations, those dark ways of seeing things to the truth of God.

In the final two chapters of Colossians, Paul moves from doctrine to duty, principle to practice. From this we learn that the purpose of all Christian behavior is to be rooted and grounded on the basis of solid biblical theology and doctrine. But as important as doctrine is, we must never divorce doctrine from practice, because the very purpose of solid biblical theology, doctrine and teaching must be applied in our lives if we are to bear fruit for His Name sake and glory.2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”. Contrary to common opinion, being heavenly minded does make huge difference in a person's life here on earth. The practical call of every follower of Jesus is to be a witness, salt and light in an “unsalty” and world that is lost in darkness. To “set your affection on things above” speaks of a settled bent of mind or disposition towards the things of the Lord.The apostle John would put it this way: “love neither the world system nor the things of this world”. This saying, “setting of our affections” refers to thinking, or having this inner disposition. To “set your affection on things above” means to look at life from God's perspective and to seek what he desires. As a compass points north, the believer's entire disposition in life should point itself toward the things of heaven.As heaven and earth are contrary one to the other and both cannot be followed together at the same time for the simple reason that the affection to the one will weaken and abate the affection to the other. Whatever you feed the most will get stronger, thus Paul writes in Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Thus setting our affections on things above requires mortifying or putting to death the things that are of the world. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Romans 8:13). SELAH

Solomon, the human author of Ecclesiastes, did not always see things from a purely biblical perspective. When he “considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and the tears of the oppressed", he felt "they had no comforter.” Though the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture, what Solomon is writing here is coming from a man who only sees the negativity, and there was a lot of bad things going on in his day, just like there is today. The gospel doesn't promise us that we would never have pain, that we would never have sorrow. It doesn't even tell us that we won't go through times of oppression. But we do have comfort, don't we?There is comfort for you and for me. Psalm 9:9 says, “the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.“I'm so thankful for our God. I'm thankful that we can know that we do have a comforter. Jesus said to the men in the upper room, "it's necessary for me to go, because if I do not go, the comforter will not come." The Spirit of God has been given to us. Praise God for the Spirit of God!He's the one who comes alongside of us to encourage us, to comfort us, to guide us and to direct us. Even in our darkest, deepest moments, we have one who loves us and comforts us as believers.

Colossians 2:10 says, And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power. When God says that those who repent of their sin and embrace Jesus Christ as Lord are complete, He means complete. Jesus Christ is called The Author and Finisher of our faith. Because Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form, that means that those who are born again are complete in Christ because of the composite work of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Spirit, in the life of every single believer.We will see in our study today that every false religious system or teacher insists that there is something else that needs to be done in addition to faith is Jesus Christ in order to be saved. Let me put it this way, whatever that something else is, let's call it an “ism”: Legalism, Ceremonialism, Ritualism, Mysticism, or Asceticism. When any “ism” is insisted upon in order to be made complete in Jesus Christ, whatever that “ism” is, is saying that Jesus Christ is not enough.Not all “isms” are bad in and of themselves, and there are many Christian “isms” that are used to define a certain theology or belief system. It can be Calvinism, Arminianism, Pentecostalism, Dispensationalism, or Cessationalism. In many cases, the “ism” can become our identity and necessary in order to understand the gospel clearly.Beloved, let us never forget that whatever “ism” you and I may choose to embrace as a follower of Jesus Christ, the believers identity is found in who they are in Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself IS The Gospel. Remember beloved, you are complete in Him, and no “ism” was ever meant to “fill the void” and that only Jesus can pay the debt of our sin and fill the spiritual void within the sinners soul. No “ism” is sitting on the throne of glory. No “ism” is the Head of The church. No “ism” created and maintains the universe. No “ism” can save your soul.Rev 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Amen. SELAH

One of the keys to walking in victory and over the fiery darts of the enemy is found in Colossians 2:7 - "Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." The key is found in the words, "abounding therein with thanksgiving."Why do the Scriptures speak so loudly against grumbling? murmuring? complaining? Prayerfully read Exodus 16:7,8. Numbers 14:27,28. 1 Corinthians 10;10. Philippians 2:14. Being thankful to God is huge in heaven's courts, beloved. Not only is it huge in heaven's courts, it is also one of the most effective weapons in the realm of spiritual warfare.Did you know that one of the things that “fuels" the fiery darts of the enemy (like when bees are drawn not honey) is when he hears a blood bought child of God murmuring and complaining. Listen to Abba speak to you and me this morning, my precious brothers and sisters, of how He values the attitude of thanksgiving.Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.Eph. 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Thess 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.Beloved, thanksgiving unto God is a key to wholeness of life in the midst of a fallen world that thrives on negativity and discontent. Read Luke 17:15-19. Thanksgiving is the not just the language of heaven, dear ones, it is like kryptonite to the devil and his angels. And to that I say, Praise be unto God from Whom all blessings flow. SELAH

Excerpt from “To My Favorite 17-Year-Old High School Girl” by Billy Collins “Did you know that at your age Judy Garlandwas pulling down $150,000 a picture,Joan of Arc was leading the French army to victory,and Blaise Pascal had cleaned up his room?No wait, I mean he had invented the calculator.Of course, there will be time for all that later in your life,after you come out of your roomand begin to blossom, or at least pick up all your socks.” As technology advances and productivity increases, maturity seems to move in the opposite direction. It is not necessarily maturity itself that is changing, but our expectations to live up to those standards are changing. Responsibility, interdependence, resilience, discipline - these are qualities that we find in someone we consider to be mature. Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary defines “maturity” as - “ripe… applied to a young man who has arrived at the age when he is supposed to be competent to manage his own concerns”. Nearly 200 years later, we would not disagree with this definition at all. But our interaction with this definition is what has shifted over time. But whatever the world may think about maturity, as Christians, we are primarily concerned with Christian maturity (and the rest of us are just concerned with whether “maturity” is pronounced with a strong “T” or a “ch” sound). And we are also concerned with using the word of God to measure our maturity, not the mores of culture, even if it be Christian culture. The entire first chapter of Colossians provides us with a powerful dissection of Christian maturity. Christian maturity is marked by knowledge of God's will, fruitfulness, joy in God, a fixation on Christ above all other things, and a strong grip on the mystery of the Gospel. This is the blossoming of a mature Christian. But what is the sunshine that matures the flower? What ripens the bud? In other words, how does a Christian mature? We know what one may look like, but how do we grow up into that? The answer to that question can be summed up in two short phrases from the first chapter of Colossians: “He is…” and “Him we proclaim.”

In this chapter, Solomon writes about the tears of victims of oppression, with no one to comfort them. No one to afford relief to their souls or bodies. How grateful we can be for the Comforter, God The Holy Ghost, Who has been sent to come alongside of those who mourn or are oppressed. The older that we get, we become increasingly aware of the fact that life is not always a straight line from home plate to first base. It is woven with multiple mysteries. The people of God hurting, while the children of the world live in prosperity and health. I call this the Psalm 73 syndrome.Psalm 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.He would be brought to a place of despair, until he got alone with God, and saw things from the heavenly perspective.Psalm 73:6 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.The only thing that makes sense in this senseless world is the truth and the hope in the gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ. Though we see not the complete beauty of Providence, yet we shall see it, and a glorious sight it will be, when the mystery of God shall be finished. May we live our live by faith, and not by sight. Trusting in The Lord with all of our heart, and leaning not unto our own understanding. May our contentment and completeness be in Christ. 

Today, we begin our study on the prison epistle of Colossians. Colossians is located about 100 miles east of Ephesus. The church here was primarily composed of Gentiles. This epistle to the Colossians is one of four “Prison Epistles” along with Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon. According to Colossians 4:16, this epistle was to be read to the neighboring church of Laodicea, and a letter that was written to the Laodicea's (not included in the canon of Scripture) was to be read to the saints at Colosse.Paul wrote all of these epistles during his first imprisonment while he was in Rome awaiting trial before Ceasar. Internal evidence suggests that though Paul had not visited Colosse (2:1), Timothy and Epaphras (1:7) had evangelized the city and founded the church during Paul's 3 year stay in Ephesus while on his third missionary journey. The epistle was written to combat certain heretical teachings that had crept into the church and have never gone away! We will address these heresies as we go through this powerful epistle. These false teachings were Gnosticism; Legalism, Mysticism and secular philosophy. False teachers also denied the deity of Jesus Christ. They taught that He was a created being and not the Creator Himself. They taught a false gospel of salvation via works or rituals or sacramentalism as opposed to the true gospel of His all-sufficient atonement for sin that grants salvation to sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, not of works or ritual lest any man should boast.What is said about Jesus Christ in chapter 1 reveals His preeminence over all creation and every created being and not only exposes as heresy, but renders useless all worldly, secular philosophies. It puts the nail in the coffin of legalism and every any any religious “ism”. Mysticism. Asceticism. Protestantism. Catholicism. Hinduism. Buddhism. Islam. Mormonism. Glory to God for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.It is only because of the redemption that is in His blood, that we have forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God. See what the saints in heaven declare in Revelation 5:9. In and through Christ alone, we are delivered from the power of darkness. In and through Christ alone, we have peace with God. In and through Christ alone, we are translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son!! In this letter, we also learn that among the glorious mysteries of our faith in Scripture is the mystery of Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, dwelling in the midst of those who belong to Him.Come join us as we journey through this letter of Paul, and discover how the preeminence of Jesus Christ is meant to affect our marriages. Our earthly vocations. Our child rearing. Our prayer lives. Our stewardship of time, finances and spiritual. And last, but not least, our relationship with one another in the body of Christ. SELAH

In verses 2-8 of this chapter, there is a remarkable listing of twenty-eight “times,” arranged in fourteen pairs of opposites. Every timed event has a “purpose” and every thing is “beautiful” in God's time for it (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Time is in heaven's control, not ours. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.The point that God wants us to understand here is this. Even though everything in the world is in a state of perpetual change from one thing to another, nothing in this life happens haphazardly. It is not chance or fate that governs the things that happen in the lives of people on earth, any more than chance or fate governs the repeated cycles of the wind, clouds, rain etc. Time operates under God's creative fiat. He ordained the sun, moon, and stars in their courses for the purpose of measuring off seasons, month, days, and years (Gen 1:14). The orderliness of time reflects the Creator's orderliness. His order extends beyond the universe, the solar system, our planet, plants, animals, and mankind. It even applies to that which is normally invisible: gravity, the speed of light, photosynthesis, meiosis, emotions, thought processes.Even though in our limited dimension of time and space we may never understand how a particular event can be either purposeful or beautiful, we can have faith that in God's time, everything is working together for good. (Romans 8:28). Psalms 31:15 My times are in Thy hand.

Peter is going to be with His Lord Jesus soon, and as long as he is here on earth, his desire is to stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance. It is so important for you and I as followers of Jesus to remember the things that are revealed in the Holy Scriptures. You can hear the passion and concern that Peter has for the false teachers that are seeking to destroy the church with their heretical teachings and perversion of the gospel of the grace of God(2 Peter 2).You can also hear the passion and concern that Peter has for the lost as he tells them that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). You can hear his concern, passion and warning that he has regarding those who are living what I would call “borderline Christianity” in light of the fact that the pending Day of The Lord is imminent (2 Peter 3:10-14).But before Peter says goodbye, he exhorts them in 2 Peter 3:18 to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Dearly beloved, my prayer for you and I as a church family is that we, both individually and corporately will grow in grace and in the heart knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.Because of the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we are not getting what we deserve. I personally believe that Peter was telling these saints that one of the ways that we grow in grace in our personal lives and as a congregation is by being conduits of the grace of God towards each other. Remember beloved, the gift of eternal life is rooted and grounded in a vital, loving, intimate knowledge of the Only True God, and His Son, Jesus Christ. And the fruit or overflow of that relationship will Him will bring forth fruit in our lives that brings Him glory both now and forever, Amen. SELAH

The Parable of the Unjust Steward is one of Jesus' most enigmatic messages. In Jesus' other parables there are usually virtuous characters depicting righteous qualities for us to learn from. For example, in the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7), we have the good shepherd going after the poor sheep that was lost. In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), we has the good father representing God receiving back his lost son representing a repentant sinner. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) we have righteous Abraham comforting the poor man Lazarus after his death. However, in the parable of the unjust steward, we have a story filled with unscrupulous characters, yet somehow Jesus still has a profound message for us in it.How can Jesus take the actions of a shrewd conniving scoundrel and turn them into a message that challenges His disciples to greater depths of service and devotion? Through this parable, Jesus demonstrates Himself as The Master Teacher. He shows us how the interests of unrighteous persons in the world can mirror the qualities He's looking for in His followers. He reveals how the way the world sees and uses money can be a lesson to us regarding how we should be managing our resources. Beyond this, He shows us how the investments we're making now will have eternal ramifications.Listen as we consider what it means to invest shrewdly in the Kingdom of God.

Solomon sought for meaning in life by pursuing pleasure. He sought the pleasure in comedy and mirth (partying). He sought the pleasure in drinking wine. He sought pleasure in building houses, vineyards, pools and possessions of silver and gold. He sought meaning in life by surrounding himself with a variety of music. In other words, he sought real meaning in life by pursuing the 3 big E's……entertainment, edifices, and earnings. The poorest man of faith in his kingdom was happier far than he. Wouldn't you think that if you could have and afford whatever your eyes desired that you would be happy? All of this pleasure was short lived. After experiencing all of the pleasure that “money could buy”, he steps back and considers that it was all vanity and vexation of spirit. By explaining his intense disgust with life as he has been living it, Solomon is in reality urging us to labor to know Christ more, for when we draw nearer to Jesus, we have found that knowledge to be a fountain of delight.Enjoyment of life is a gift from God. God-given enjoyment can only have significance for the believer who sees all things as a gift from Him, for it is to that man or woman that Christ came to give life and that more abundantly. To know Jesus, to love God, to find satisfaction in heavenly things, this is wisdom, and the follies of Solomon should drive us thither. If you are looking for life under the sun tonight instead of life in God's only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ…do not ignore the warnings of Solomon and do not despise the invitation of Jesus to come unto Him and find rest for your souls. 

Do you remember this scene with Steve Martin from The Pink Panther? “Who are you?”“I am Yuri, the trainer.”“And what is it you do here, Yuri the Trainer?”            “...I… train…”“So you are Yuri the Trainer who trains… hmpf…”There's a bit of that comedy of language going on in 2 Peter 3:3. However, far from being the product of an aloof and ditsy detective, Peter pens these words with all the seriousness of a dying apostle - “Scoffers will come with scoffing.”His exhortation to the believers is simple: don't forget, scoffers will infiltrate the church and lead the way into a lifestyle of sin. These people are not those who are wholly opposed to the gospel, but those who profess Christ. They identify with christians, however, their true identity is that of a scoffer, it is how they sneak in and corrupt the faith. But not just general scoffing, they scoff at something specific - they scoff at the imminent return of Christ. That is what Peter means by saying that these scoffers will come with scoffing. They come into the faith willing to accept everything except one truth: that Christ will soon return to judge the world.This scoffy thinking is rooted in intentionally “overlooking” two fundamental truths about God's judgment: His method and His timing. And oh how devastating these oversights can be! This type of scoffing often creeps into the church unnoticed. The subtle message comes across that we can have Christ and the things of the world, that we need not get all worked up about holiness because God is merciful. And besides, it's not like Jesus is coming back tomorrow! We obviously know that!Such thinking is far from innocent. It is driven by sensuality and wickedness. It may seem innocent or maybe just immature, but it is thoroughly wicked. It is the strategy of the scoffing scoffers that come with scoffing.

Second Peter is the last letter that we have from him in the Word of God. He is pouring out his heart to the Lord's flock in so many ways. He wants them to know that the grace and peace of God is ours through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. He gives them a spiritual checklist in order to make their calling and election sure. He wants them to be aware of the fact that there are going to be false teachers and false prophets who will seek to infiltrate the church and preach a false Christ, a false gospel, and a false spirit. He reminds them of the judgments of God in the past and that there will be people mocking the biblical teaching of the second coming of Jesus Christ.The warnings that Peter gave to the church back then are needed just as much today, if not much more so with the advent of the internet and the constant stream of false doctrine and heresies galore. Peter knows that he is going to be with Jesus soon, and his desire was that the church that belongs to Jesus would always have these things in remembrance. Thank you, Peter!Today, we will be celebrating The Lord's Supper together. It is a covenant meal in which the cup and the bread signify the redemption that Jesus obtained for us in order that we might know that there is a new day dawning when all of the things of this former world, the sin, the sickness, the wars, the funerals will be destroyed, and God will usher in a new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Communion is meant to remind us of both our redemption past and our redemption future.Dearly beloved, may the grace and love of Jesus fill your hearts and minds with the glorious fact that every breath that you and I take today is bringing us one breath closer to being with Him forever. SELAH 

Having spoken of the Holy Scriptures being the more sure word of prophecy, Peter launches into an expose of false teachers and false prophets who will rise up and teach damnable heresies that contradict the truth of Scripture. Speaking of false teachers, the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works”.Our Lord Jesus Christ said “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:5). “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many”. (Matthew 24:11).  “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”. (Matthew 24:24). The apostle John tells us “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:18, 19).How can you tell the difference between a true prophet or teacher and a false prophet or teacher? Let me put it in layman's terms and the give you a couple of Scriptures to answer that question. A false prophet or teacher will use the same vocabulary, but use a different dictionary. They will say Jesus. They will say gospel. But when push comes to shove, and you ask them to define who or act they are talking about, the answers that they will give you is they are talking about “another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4).The US Government has a department that is devoted to detecting false or counterfeit money. How do they know what is a counterfeit $10, $20 or $100 bill? They compare them to the original. What is the original document that the church is to use to distinguish the false from the truth? “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 5:15).In Acts 17:10,11 we see how this way to “proof text” was carried out. “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so”.There is the answer beloved. Be a Berean. Check out all teachings that you hear to the all inspired word of God to see if the things that are taught are found in Scripture, and you will begin to see that you would never come up to the heretical conclusions that the false prophets and false teachers proclaim if you just read the bible. “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). Listen to God's Beloved Son! SELAH

Have you had a powerful experience of God? I'm talking about one of those experiences that you can't forget? Something that was so supernatural, you knew without a doubt that it was God moving right in front of you? How important is that experience (and experiences like it) to your faith? What I mean by that is, if someone asked you why you believed the Bible, would you tell them right away about that experience?In 2 Peter, we find Peter giving an apology for why he trusts in the gospel of Jesus. He begins his defense with an extraordinary experience of God. In fact, he recounts the greatest experience of God's glory that anyone on earth could ever have - he saw the incarnate Christ transformed into his divine glory. That is, the transfiguration. It's the first thing he thinks to mention when defending his reason for the hope that is within him. But then he continues to say that there is a stronger reason for his faith, a more certain foundation for his trust in Christ. And that is the Word of God - the Scripture. Both are crucial, yet there is clearly a hierarchy, a progression.Should we value our experiences with God? Absolutely! Peter does. Do we grow out of them? Never! Peter doesn't. But do we grow in them? Yes. Experiences of God are necessary for true faith, but they ought never be our primary apologetic - that is the role of Scripture and the prophetic unfolding of the gospel story. Drywall is necessary for a house, but I wouldn't recommend using it to build your foundation.No matter how great your experience of God may be, real Christian maturity is marked by a deepening confidence in the Word of God alone.

Have you had a powerful experience of God? I'm talking about one of those experiences that you can't forget? Something that was so supernatural, you knew without a doubt that it was God moving right in front of you? How important is that experience (and experiences like it) to your faith? What I mean by that is, if someone asked you why you believed the Bible, would you tell them right away about that experience?In 2 Peter, we find Peter giving an apology for why he trusts in the gospel of Jesus. He begins his defense with an extraordinary experience of God. In fact, he recounts the greatest experience of God's glory that anyone on earth could ever have - he saw the incarnate Christ transformed into his divine glory. That is, the transfiguration. It's the first thing he thinks to mention when defending his reason for the hope that is within him. But then he continues to say that there is a stronger reason for his faith, a more certain foundation for his trust in Christ. And that is the Word of God - the Scripture. Both are crucial, yet there is clearly a hierarchy, a progression.Should we value our experiences with God? Absolutely! Peter does. Do we grow out of them? Never! Peter doesn't. But do we grow in them? Yes. Experiences of God are necessary for true faith, but they ought never be our primary apologetic - that is the role of Scripture and the prophetic unfolding of the gospel story. Drywall is necessary for a house, but I wouldn't recommend using it to build your foundation.No matter how great your experience of God may be, real Christian maturity is marked by a deepening confidence in the Word of God alone.

The apostle Paul writes to those who have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-11).  Jesus Christ Himself IS the gospel. Belief, or placing faith in the crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven is the beginning of a relationship and fellowship with Him. We can never underestimate the importance and necessity of faith in the life of the follower of Jesus Christ. But Peter exhorts us to add to our faith.There are some who talk about nothing but faith, as if that is the sum of the Christian life. When the apostle Paul was sharing Jesus with Felix and his wife Drusilla, he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come (Acts 24:25). Growth in our faith in Jesus is measured by good fruit, such as virtue, knowledge, temperance or self control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity or love. Saving faith abides in The Lord Jesus and brings forth fruit.The fruit is not the cause of our salvation. The fruit is the evidence of our salvation. Peter tells us that it is by the manifestation of this fruit that we make our calling and election sure. In other words, there is the fruit of saving faith. Paul the apostle writes, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.(Galatians 5:22,23).This growing in grace that produces fruit is an ongoing process of being conformed to the image of Jesus in the life of every believer. None of us bear all of the fruit all of the time. But every true follower of Jesus will display the fruit of the Spirit in their lives to various degrees, which in doing so allows us to be the light and salt here on earth for which we have been redeemed as witnesses of Jesus. SELAH

The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the Wisdom Books of the OT, along with Job, Psalms, Proverbs and the Song of Songs.Ecclesiastes is traditionally read in the Jewish synagogue on the third day of the Feast of Tabernacles (or, Booths, Sukkot) in late September or early October (15–21 Tishri). It is the time of the annual harvest festival recalling Israel's wilderness experience (Lev 23:33–43). The fact that it is read during a festival of great joy (cf. Neh 8:9) should be a clue that the tone of the book is not considered by Judaism, at least, as pessimistic, but instructive and a no nonsense account of the futility of seeking to find real meaning and purpose in life picture by pursuing the pleasures and sensual experiences in life under the sun, instead of acknowledgement and submission to The Living God.  Beloved, whenever we read in Scripture a thou shalt not or a warning of some sort, that is our loving God and Creator telling us, do not harm yourself by doing this.  Ecclesiastes describes three problems that every single human being faces in this life:- The uncertainty of time and chance.- The endemic and incurable nature of wickedness.- Death has the final word in any human enterprise.So, in light of these 3 problems or mysteries in life that each and every one of us has to deal with, what is the divine purpose and meaning of Ecclesiastes for us? The book's epilogue should be allowed to speak for itself. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

Have you ever heard the saying, it's not what you know, but who that makes all the difference in life? To some extent, that is true in regards to “success” or “promotion” for our life here on planet earth. But that same principle is often applied to a person's spiritual life as well.For example, there was a group of people on earth in the early days of the church known as the Gnostics. Gnostics were anti-gospel, anti-Christ, individuals who were heady, intellectual, mystical, high-minded and puffed up with esoteric knowledge. They had a spiritual and pseudo-religious philosophy which stressed that the way to “experience” the “unknowable God” was via a plethora of books. In other words, it is what you know, not who, because according to them and their “spiritual offspring” today, the who you know can be whoever you want them to be. But the Lord Jesus boldly declared in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. That certainly narrows down the Who doesn't it?In his last letter before being martyred for his faith in The Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter writes in his opening sentences, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. The Authorized Version translates this as ‘the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ', as if this referred to two persons, God and Jesus; but in the Greek, there is only one person involved and the phrase is correctly rendered our God and Savior Jesus Christ.Both grace and peace are multiplied in our lives through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The word knowledge here means “to become thoroughly acquainted with.” The apostle Paul does not say in 2 Tim 1:12  ‘I know what I have believed'; he says, I know whom I have believed'.Eternal life is the personal and intimate knowledge of The Lord Jesus Christ. So, dear reader, if are you concerned about the salvation of your eternal soul, please know that both what you need to know and Who you need to know is The Lord Jesus Christ.  John 17.3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. SELAH

Haggai was the first of the prophets to minister to Israel following the return from the Babylonian captivity. The period of Israel's history during which he ministered is recorded in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The reason and purpose for this powerful two-chapter book was this: The remnant of Israel had returned from Babylon and enthusiastically laid the foundation for the new Temple, but the work was interrupted in its restoration because of opposition from residents of the land. Ezra 3:10,11 tells us that the work started gloriously, but the work came to a sudden standstill for about 14 years.The rebuke we read in Haggai 1:4 was directed towards an indifferent and apathetic people: Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? The reason for the challenge/rebuke in verse 4 is because the people who claimed that they did not have the time to devote to the building of the temple of God evidently had found the time to build themselves luxurious houses that were paneled (not only on the walls, but also on the ceilings) with fine woods. So The Lord says to His people these timeless words that need to be spoken to us today. Consider your ways. This command is issued five times throughout the course of this prophecy (Compare verses in Haggai 1:5, 1:7; 2:15, and 2:18 (twice)). It is a plea on the part of God for the people to take note of what they are doing, compare it with what they should be doing, and amend their ways accordingly.A “street way” of saying consider your ways is literally “put your heart on your roads.” Haggai asks God's people to consider the priorities in their lives. It has been said that Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. Their actions, which were driven by their desires, prompted the exhortation consider your ways. The people made their excuses sound spiritual. They couldn't speak against the idea or importance of building the temple, so they spoke against its timing. “It isn't God's timing to rebuild the temple.” The Lord Jesus best put the phrase consider your ways like this in regards to any excuses that we may come up with to put anything or anybody before Him and His call to Follow Him:  Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”Beloved, whenever a Christian makes the decision to prioritize their life around sowing and eating and drinking and clothing yourselves and earning wages instead of seeking first the Kingdom of God, their entire Christian life will be one of constant frustration and emptiness inside. The problem with the people of God in Haggai's day and the problem with so many of God's people today is simple: Distorted priorities often times lead to an indifference to the things of God and the glory of God. The temple of the Old Testament existed for the glory of God. And the Church today exists for the glory of God. One author wrote: A kingdom man is a man who visibly demonstrates the comprehensive rule of God underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of his life, both publicly and privately.As we near the end of another year and consider what lies ahead in 2025, the words of Haggai ring loud and clear. To consider our ways, we must purpose in our hearts to set spiritual goals that are in alignment with the Word of God and the purposes and the exercise of the gifts and call of God on our lives both individually and as a local fellowship. SELAH

Every story that finds a resonance in culture, happens so because it contains an echo of the gospel. There is really only one story that mankind is able to rejoice in, and that is the story of the gospel. We repackage it, reshape it, change a few details, but the main redemptive plot always remains. God designed us to respond and leap for joy at the good news of the gospel so when we see its common thread in any story (whether it be Harry Potter or Crazy Rich Asians), we rejoice.One of those resonant stories was prominent during the 1300's-1500's in England. It was the “King-in-disguise” motif. All throughout these centuries, this fictional motif worked its way through thousands of stories in England, Scotland, and surrounding kingdoms. The basic plot went like this: King goes incognito amongst the commoners. A humble and good man helps this incognito king. Then the king rewards the humble man.Now, we could simply write this popularity off as a coincidence. That someone came up with this plot, it somehow got circulated, then more and more people started to employ its concept. But something else was taking place - this story was finding a resonance in society because it is an echo of the gospel story. The aspect of this storyline that we find so attractive is that of someone with great power, becoming lowly. The thought of someone using their authority to lift the humble, is an idea that sends our hearts soaring with a “Yes and Amen!” How we long for those who dwell in the “high places” in our government to do the same - to genuinely care for the lowly. To take a minute and learn what it is like to flip burgers at a McDonalds… of course, without the gimmicks. How we long for genuine lowly leadership to occupy the highest offices in our land. And that is exactly the type of God we serve. He is “high and holy”, yet he decides to make His home with the “lowly and contrite”.

The prophet Ezekiel said in Ezekiel 18:23, “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” The prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:33, “For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men”. The apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:9, “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”. Lastly, but of course not least, the Lord Jesus said weeping in Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”In our study today, some people will call God a monster when they read verse 8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. They cry, how can a God of love, a good God send people to hell? The answer: He doesn't.Jesus Himself declared in Matthew 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”. Hell was prepared for the devil and His angels. So why does man go there? They make a choice. They reject the gospel because they love darkness rather than light.As image bearers of God, mankind possesses the gift of choice. They can choose to heed or ignore the gospel call of God unto salvation (Romans 10:13-16). Moses and Joshua exhorted the Israelites to make a choice (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15). Read Proverbs 1:24-29.From the time that God sought out Adam in the Garden of Eden, to the time of the end of the ages, God is crying out to man. (Genesis 3:9; Revelation 22:17). The great commission of the church is that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”(Luke 24:47).Revelation 21:8 is not saying that “bad people” go to hell and “good people” go to heaven. We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. We are made new creatures and begin to walk in newness of life. We become holy as He is holy. Listen to how Paul describes the life that is changed by faith in Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”. Verses 9&10 are bad news (BC). Verse 10 is good news (AD).Which verses describe your life today my friend? SELAH

Holiness at once breeds in our hearts a deep attractiveness and a trembling horror. We find in it something that our souls crave, and yet something that we inherently know we will never have of our own accord. That perfection and purity is something we desire acutely, and yet are certain of its im-possess-ability. Like an injured Olympian, who watches on as another competitor runs and wins the gold medal in his absence, we encounter God's holiness and find that we cannot look away, and yet cannot look at it square in the face either.  And how the angels produce this same effect on those faithful, simple God-fearing Jews who were shepherding their flock. Every time one of those angelic beings dwelling in the light of the creator would descend to dirty earth, their very presence, though helpful and desiring to bless, would innately inspire fear. Such fear was inescapable, even to the most devout. It was to Mary that the archangel said, “Do not be afraid…” Yes, even Mary - she who was “blessed among women” was stricken with fear at the very presence of the angel.  This great holy revelation, before serving as a source of eternal comfort, inflicts our soul with trouble. Before God's perfection can be a balm, it must first be a bitter herb. Before it can cure, it must first cut. Is that not the state that we find all the great angels responding to? That their very presence had stricken horror in the hearts of those they were sent to minister to. And that horror had to first be addressed before any healing could be administered. “Fear not” were those ever comforting words, striking down what was natural. Yes, I do say “natural”. To fear the presence of God's holiness is the first and most natural response. It was the response of many faithful men and women all throughout the Scriptures. The closer one was to God, the more acutely aware they were of the gaping disparity between their own composition and God's. The more they felt that God's ‘otherness' was an unapproachable good - something they deeply desired, yet were certain of its ‘un-attain-ability'.  But on that great Christmas day, the angel found new strength to exhort the fearful to take courage. Not because they had found favor with God on their own, or because their prayer had been heard, but because God, in His sovereignty, had decided to bring good news to men.

We now begin our Christmas Series for 2024. We will be using Revelation 21:1-8 as our bases texts, with verse three, “Behold, the tabernacle (dwelling place) of God is with man”, being the main point. The tabernacle of God that is spoken of here is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. On Wednesday nights, we will be looking at the promises of God that refer to the first coming of Jesus Christ. In prayerful consideration of our series this year, I read a phrase that caught my eye and pricked my heart. “Don't let Christmas distract you from Christ.” Bear in mind that the exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown. This much we do know. He was not born on December 25th. Sorry to inform you of that. There are a lot of different themes and traditions that are going on in our culture this time of year. The vast majority of them have nothing to do with the biblical account of Christ's birth and the purpose of His birth. For example, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the word Christmas originates from the phrase “Cristes Maesse”, first recorded in 1038, which means the mass of Christ. But the Incarnation of Jesus Christ isn't about going to mass. It isn't about Santa and Rudolph and mistletoes. Although the word “Christmas” is never used in scripture, (neither are the words Trinity or Rapture), Christmas is a time when Christians choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is much more than celebrating the day of His birth. Why was Jesus born? According to Scripture, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, or Christmas if you like, is the proclamation of the gospel or good news about how the Father gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sin, that sinners, by Gods grace, by repentance and faith in Him would receive forgiveness of sin, and enter into a relationship with Him of love, hope and joy.  But Jesus spoke of the reason for His first coming for our sin, He actually said much more about the fact that He is coming again a second time in glory, majesty and power to usher in a new kingdom, wherein dwells righteousness. And for those who received Him as Lord and Saviour, this promise of God is stated at His second coming. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God”. At His second coming, only those who have repented of their sin and received and followed Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be with joined to and united with Him forever in glory. The beautiful tradition of giving gifts to one another at Christmas is meant to reflect Gods gracious gift of eternal for us. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Our prayer for you this year is that the real meaning of Christmas would be much more than a one day event that comes and goes, but a new birth that brings you into fellowship with God.  “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:3, 4). SELAH

Before our presidential election this year, an unbiased conclusion that I drew from listening to the television and podcast pundits on both the left and on the right prior to the election was one of extreme anxiety and great concern if “the other party or wrong candidate won”. Sadly, the levels of anxiety and concern about the outcome of the election were not much different within the church. But then I read this incredible article from Time magazine's website that stated: “2024 is not just an election year. It's perhaps the election year. Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 64 countries (plus the European Union)—representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world—are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come.” With that thought in mind, I asked myself, and now I am asking you my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, of those 64 nations, that consist of nearly half of the planet's population, where or in Whom does a born again Christian's peace come from as a result of the outcome of their elections? Where or in Whom does a born again Christians peace come from if they have no choice at all in the outcome? Almost immediately, I began to think of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in nations where Christianity is a crime, where owning a Bible or being publicly water baptized or witnessing will land you in prison or cost you your life. Can those brothers and sisters have the peace that the Bible promises if they live in Kabul? Gaza? North Korea? Is the promise of peace only good for the saints who live in the USA if the right candidate or political party wins? Think of answering that question if you were a believer like Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany during World War 2, if you were a believer who was thrown to the lions in the Roman Colosseum, or beheaded along a beach by ISIS radicals because you would not recant your faith in Christ. I told Lizzy as we were watching the election results, “We do not know who will win the election, but this much I can tell you….we can go to sleep tonight and wake up in perfect peace because tomorrow morning the solar system is going to be running like a clock. Tomorrow morning those waves on the Gulf of Mexico will be flowing the same way that they are tonight. That beautiful sunset that we have seen will be there tomorrow, and it will not depend upon who wins the election, or who is the elected leader of any other 63 nations”. The basis of my answer is found in Daniel and Revelation. In Daniel chapter 4  in verses 17, 25, and 32, it emphasizes the importance of knowing that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Dan 4:35 adds, And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we read in Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Read those words again beloved and think of being a Christian in any of those other 63 nations, under any form of government. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and The Lord God omnipotent reigns. End of discussion. Beloved, the source and degree of our peace in this life stems from Who we believe is in control of these 5 things: the universe, this planet, this country, this church, and your life. Here are our options: Man, Satan, or The Living God. Beloved, my message today is far more practical, and far wider and more comprehensive than the political realm in our nation. One is a declaration: as Bible believing Christians, our only source of peace and rest on this crazy planet lies in the fact that our God reigns and that my times are in His hands. And two, is a question: Has the outcome of any election in any nation changed the mission of the church? In light of the fact that Jesus is coming again, how then should the church be living? SELAH

The Christians are the only light for culture. There is no other hope to brighten up a dark world than for the redeemed of the Lord to rise up and shine. But what does that look like exactly? How does the heat and light of the gospel flood into a cold and dark world? When the believers prayed for boldness in Acts 4, it wasn't a simple prayer for a little more courage than they had before. It was a desperate plea to God to help them keep their flame lit. They were faced with a serious problem - Peter and John (their leaders) were threatened by those in power. So they turned to God with one accord and prayed that he might strengthen them to continue to obey and preach the gospel. The result was two-fold. They (1) boldly proclaimed the word of God to the outside world, and they (2) built a vibrant Christian community. In other words, they cultivated a blazing fire around which they gathered with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and they lit a blazing torch which they carried to the outside world. There was a fire to warm them and a torch they shone on the world. When the smoldering embers of their spiritual light were threatened, the Holy Spirit fanned their community and evangelism into a ferocious flame. They had a strong base and a strong attack. They lit themselves and the world. This community was no ordinary social group. It was characterized by a radical selflessness and profound sense of unity. We find these same words - “selflessness” and “unity” - used in the secular world. But when they are used (or rather, simply mused) in those circles, they are thought of in a much lower grade. An ancient hieroglyphic compared to the vivid picture of an overpriced TV from Best Buy. The selflessness and unity of this Acts 4 community would send shockwaves through the world today. Much like how a caveman might respond to seeing the glimmer of a new 60-inch Samsung. A Christian community, properly set ablaze, will shine with stunning distinction against the bleak communities that the world offers. In the US Army survival manual, there is a chapter on building a fire. The last sentence of the intro to that chapter says this, “Remember, weigh your need for fire against your need to avoid enemy detection.” Fires provide all sorts of benefits to those who are around them, but they also draw the attention of the enemy. The stronger the fire, the easier the target for the enemy. Thus, the plea for boldness and power, of necessity, accompanies a people who have a well-flamed community. That's how the light works. It repels the wolves and attracts the sheep. And there are yet many “other sheep that are not of this fold” and Jesus will “bring them also and they will listen to His voice”. So let us inflame ourselves by the Holy Spirit, so as to bring in as many who are fleeing from the darkness as possible. 

With the 2024 election over, you may feel that you have your ‘man' in the White House. You may feel thrilled at the possibility of the US government over the next 2-4 years. You may feel that a major victory was just won for the sake of the pro-life movement and the Biblical sexual ethic. But don't rest on your laurels! It is a grave mistake to feel that a political victory is a complete victory. Even if all the right laws were to be passed, Christian Supreme Court Justices appointed, state constitutions re-written for the glory of God, and the Chick-fil-a sauce recipe was leaked… there would still be work to be done. The laurels are not yet complete. They are yet to fully blossom. Don't rest on a rose bud, you'll crush it before it blooms and snuff out its glory.Jesus said that the Christian people, those who have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, are the light of the world. The only hope for a dark world is light. And the only light that exists is that which the Christian carries in his spirit. Too often we forget this glorious truth and think the “light” of God to be housed in some ideal or doctrine. We consume ourselves with talk of laws and policy, as if those legal statutes carry the light of God in them. They do not. They may point to the light, but they are not the light themselves. WE are the light. Those who are born again by the Spirit of God, are alone the light of the world. Shall we fight and advocate for righteous legislation in our land? A thousand times ‘Yes!' For when the laws of a nation reflect the glory of God, they clear the skies for the sun to shine. They weed out the garden for the rose to bloom. Any Rochesterian knows the daily slog produced by those long and cloudy wintry months. Our moods swing low, seasonal depression rises as the sun hides. But those occasional February days, when the clouds part and the sun gleams off the perfect white snow - they remind us that there is a sun, that it is warm, and the dreary days will soon end. Righteous laws have the same effect. They clear away the moral and social fog. They warm up the soul and remind us of God - that there is a real moral standard. But they only clear the way for the light to shine clearly. And what is that light which righteous laws make room for? It is the light of the transformed soul. It is the light of the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” to which a person has been totally awakened to. If that light does not shine like a “city on a hill”, then what good are the laws? What good is the clearing of the skies if the true light is but a dim whimper of a single candle.LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! You are the light of the world. No doctrine or law can light up the dark world, but only you! Only the soul that has been transferred from the “kingdom of darkness” and “brought into the light” can emit the light that the world needs. The laws may clear the skies, but you must shine the light. You are the light of the world. 

In Genesis chapter 16, we are introduced to Hagar. She was the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, wife of Abraham. Sarah suffered barrenness and as a result, she decided to take matters into her own hands. How many of you have ever been tempted to take matters into your own hands, and you just make a bigger mess, instead of giving it to God and placing it in God's hands? Sarah said to Abraham in Genesis 16:2, the Lord has kept me from children having children, go sleep with my slave, perhaps I can build a family through her. Abraham agreed to go along with Sarah's plan, and Hagar conceived a son named Ishmael. Scripture says when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she despised Sarah. And Sarah blamed Abraham. Sarah then mistreated Hagar a and Hagar fled, attempting to escape the difficult circumstances in her life.Hagar is running towards Egypt, where she is originally from, and we know in the Bible that Egypt, is a type of the world. Hagar is running to the world to find solace, but the world only leaves you in a more desperate, more empty and broken place.How many find us running to the world for solace, for an answer? 1 John 217 says this world is passing away. Its system and values, its political systems are passing away. Did you hear that, church? Its political systems are passing away. They are not eternal. God has a greater purpose for us than anything we can find in this world.The world offers you no hope. The world offers me no hope. Those of you watching or listening online, the world offers you no solution, no peace, no hope. It is this reality that the Lord desires for us to let go of this world and reach for the greater purpose for which he created us. We live in a world in which our greatest eyes can never be realized, because God wants us to look towards something else, something far greater and something everlasting.

The apostle Peter exhorts the saints at the close of this letter of 1 Peter with the exhortation to “be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). The Prophet Micah said, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).Humility within the church family can never be overestimated; Peter had already written to the saints about submitting to government, to the design of God in the marriage covenant, and now he writes about submitting one to another. The opposite of humility is pride. God resists, is actively opposed to the proud. God hates the sin of pride (Proverbs 6:16, 17; 8:13).Pride disturbs and disrupts peace and unity. Oh how we need to guard against pride in any form personally or congregationally. Pride corrupts. Pride defiles. Pride is a glory monger. Pride destroys. Only by pride comes contention. Pride grieves the Spirit of God. Nebuchadnezzar knew firsthand the tragic consequences of exalting himself. He writes, “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase” (Daniel 4:37).One of the most needed attributes in the local church are people who walk in humility before the Lord, and one another. Humility is the atmosphere that attracts the presence and power of God. It takes grace to submit to one another, but God does give the grace to the person that humbles himself before Him, and all submission is to be done under the mighty hand of God that directs our lives. The Prophet Isaiah said, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).The punchline of Jesus in the teaching of the Pharisee and publican in the temple is this: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14). I believe that this word of humility is a word in season for the church today. In the eyes of God, you are either walking in pride and are about to be abased, or you are walking in humility, and are about to be exalted. “He that hath as ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches” (Revelation 2:7). Selah

The first time that the English word sufferings is used in the New Testament is when Paul the apostle wrote in his letter to the Romans, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Two things that Paul writes here are things that every serious follower of Jesus Christ can count on. In this life there is going to be suffering for the cause of Christ. But in the life to come, the glory of God is going to be revealed in us who suffer for HIs names sake. That is exactly what the apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:11 when he writes about “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow”.Contrary to the carnal, fleshly, self centered, me-centered gospel of health and wealth, the gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of self denial and persecution for those who follow Jesus in spirit and in truth. Years ago, Leonard Ravenhill said: "The early Church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity." The subject of suffering for the cause of Christ is not a popular one, but it is a biblical one.Peter tells us in verse 12 of chapter 4 that we should not think that fiery trials for the cause of Christ are strange. Quite to the contrary, we see them as ways in which we partake of the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (Philemon 3:10). And the promise of God is that if we partake of His sufferings, we will also reign with Him partake of His glory and joy (2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 4:13).This suffering and persecution that Christians experience are not things that we go out looking for. They are things that happen to us because we live in a fallen world that is influenced by the spirit of antichrist. Jesus said, “if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecuted you” (John 15:20). To choose to follow Jesus Christ and live holy and pure in a world that loves darkness rather than light, persecution is inevitable (2 Timothy 3:12). The stony ground or shallow faith individual is offended and flees when persecution comes their way (Matthew 13:21). But the true follower of Jesus Christ knows that persecution can separate him or her from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35).Peter concludes this section on suffering for the cause of Christ with these words,  “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). The Lord Jesus would say to every one of His people who are suffering for His Name sake these words. Matthew 5:12 says, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”.  Amen. So be it, Lord Jesus. SELAH

There are many ways we relate to God in Scripture. He is our father (Matthew 23:9, Malachi 2:10, James 1:17). We are his children (1 John 3:2, Romans 8:15). We are heirs of God (Romans 8:17, Ephesians 1:18). Our relationship with God is not one-dimensional, but multidimensional. He is not only our father, but he is also our master. We are not only his children, but we are also his servants.This concept of being God's servant is what our culture finds so repulsive. We are in love with the “rugged individual” and the “self-made man”, the one who is their own boss and needs to answer to no one. We want to “climb the corporate ladder” because we are desperate to finally get out from under “the machine”. Being someone's servant our whole life is not only repulsive, it's terrifying. It frightens us to think that we might dehumanize ourselves to the point of robotic servility. Just doing what someone above us told us to do.Now, if you take that cultural attitude and mix it with the gospel's call to be God's servant, it doesn't make a pleasant drink. But that is primarily because people are only concerned with what we might call “circumstantial servitude” - living, moving, and operating in submission to someone above us. All our cultural attitudes find the idea of living for someone else to be wildly unattractive. But they neglect a different and deeper type of servitude - what we might call “motivational servitude”. Some of us are servants in a circumstantial sense, but all of us are servants in a motivational sense. That is, something moves us to live, whatever it may be, and we are servants of that thing.No matter what servile circumstance we may find ourselves in, it is always true that we are living FOR something. There is something that moves us to get up and do things. It is this “motivational servitude” that the Bible challenges us on. That is the big question for our souls - what is our motive? What do we live for? We may do well for ourselves by escaping the circumstantial servitude of the corporate world or a minimum wage job, but, hard as we may try, there is no escaping our motivational servitude.So, the question becomes: what/who is our master? We have two options - (1) our human passions or (2) God. To say I serve myself may be a western ideal, but it is the furthest thing from freedom. Our passions and desires are not masters, they are designed to be servants. But when we live for our desires, and make them our masters, we find ourselves in a retrograde system. The janitor has been put in the C-suite, and the CEO is now cleaning floors. That only leads to frustration for everyone involved. If you don't want to frustrate your desires, but want them to have their full and healthy expression, then displace them as your master and become a total servant to God.

Jesus' death on the cross was a sacrificial death. He died for sins. Jesus did not die for his own sins, for he never sinned. He was the only perfect man and sinless spotless Lamb of God. Jesus suffered (died) once for our sins. “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5, 6).Jesus' death on the cross was an unrepeatable death. When Peter says Jesus died once, the Greek word literally means “once and for all.” Jesus died on the Jewish Passover. Scholars suggest that 250,000 sheep would be killed each year at Passover. But that great river of animal blood could never accomplish what the holy blood of Jesus accomplished when He died on the cross for us. What the blood of bulls and goats could never do, Jesus did in his death on the cross. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us”.Jesus' death on the cross was a substitutionary death. His death was the just for the unjust. Jesus, The Just One, took our place on His cross; He bore the penalty of our sin on His cross. Jesus and Jesus alone paid the price for all our sin. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).Jesus' death on the cross was a reconciling death. He died for our sins, in our place, that He might bring us to God. Listen to how Jude describes us being brought before God after placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Jude 24 says, “To present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”. Glory to God for His gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord. SELAH

In our last teaching we began a section of Scripture in 1 Peter that addresses the biblical subject of submission. One of the definitions of the word submission means "to place in order". As we learned, another definition is that it was used in the military to describe the submission of a soldier in lesser rank to one in a higher rank. One thing that most believers overlook whenever we study the topic of submission is this: We tend to focus on the institution or person that we are called to submit to instead of the One who is the head of all principality and power.Ultimately, every time Christians are called to submit we are in reality submitting to God, regardless of the institution, personality or character of the individual. The only exception to any level of submission is when the individual or government in authority commands you to disobey God, as was the case with the Hebrew midwives, the 3 Hebrew children, Daniel or the apostles in the book of Acts. Today we are going to tackle the topic of wives submitting to their husbands as unto the Lord and husbands submitting to God in how they are to love their wives like Christ loves the church.To say that Jesus “entrusted” Himself to God at the end of chapter 2 and to say that holy women of old “hoped” in God means the same thing. They submitted themselves to God by submitting to the authority that He placed in their lives. Although there is an ontological spiritual equality between men and women, there remain physical, positional and functional differences. There are designated functions for a husband and a wife which man cannot change because God has ordained them. Any endeavor to effect change will bring frustration, vanity, and emptiness, for the simple reason that God did not create us unisex, but male and female.Beloved, the number one enemy of submission to God is SELF! The opposite of submission to God is rebellion. So as I “walk the plank” of addressing the subject of submission to God in marriage, I can tell you right now that what God has to say is not popular in our culture that cannot even tell us who is a male and who is a female anymore. Beloved, submission to God isn't about you or your husband. Submission in a Christian marriage is all about you and your relationship to God, which is why I've been saying it for 40 years and it's as true today as it was then. Any relationship conflicts or causes of disruption or disturbances in a Christian marriage stem from disobedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.The late Tim Keller wrote, "When you come to Christ, you must drop your conditions. You have to give up the right to say, ‘I will obey you if . . . I will do this if . . .' As soon as you say, ‘I will obey you if,' that is not obedience at all. You are saying: ‘You are my adviser, not my Lord. I will be happy to take your recommendations. And I might even do some of them.' No. If you want Jesus with you, you have to give up the right to self-determination. Self-denial is an act of rebellion against our late-modern culture of self-assertion. But that is what we are called to. Nothing less.” SELAH

Yes, you read that title right. Submitting to the government is not a polite way of talking about political slavery, it is in fact the evidence of someone who is a totally free person. I can hear all your internal objections rising up: “What about the last few years in America? What about all the wicked things the government has done? What if the government is totally corrupt? Aren't I free to disobey the government as a Christian?” and so on. Yes, all valid points and worthy of consideration. Needless to say, there is a lot of emotion and personal experience attached to these few verses of Scripture. Few things come more naturally to Americans than pontificating on politics and the state of the nation. We hear one word introducing government into the conversation and we are off to the races, rehearsing the greatest one liners from Tucker Carlson to Don Lemon. Maybe even touting our deep political knowledge by quoting a president or two. All wonderful tools for ending the family dinner early, but horrible habits for receiving God's word about government and our relation to it. When we come to this Scripture, we must resist the urge to jump to our own conclusions and rehash the same arguments. Letting the Bible speak for itself is easy to conceptualize, but difficult to execute. We must begin with asking lots of questions about this text - what is the context? What did this statement mean to its original hearers? Why does Peter bring up this idea of government in the first place? What grounds does he give for his propositions? And so on. Beginning with an attitude of Biblical curiosity goes a long way in damming up the tide of subjective political pontification.There is one other thing that is crucial for understanding this passage: having a grammatical hermeneutic (meaning that we believe the very words and grammar in Scripture are inspired by God and therefore the grammatical style and choices determine the true meaning). Peter's argument is intentional and inspired. Just pulling one phrase out - especially when it's something as emotionally charged as the idea of government - will only lead us away from what is Biblically true and good. Here's what I mean: Peter's command to “Be subject… to every human institution.” is interpreted in light of the preceding verse (“keep your conduct among Gentiles honorable…”), the grounds/reason for this command (“for this is the will of God…”), and the qualifying phrase in the middle of the sentence (“for the Lord's sake”). See what I mean? The grammar really matters.Okay… warm up over. I hope you feel stretched and ready to understand God's word!

As we continue our journey through Peter's first letter to the scattered, persecuted followers of Jesus Christ, we've come to that section where Peter begins to tell them who they are in Christ. Back in the 60s, the hippies were constantly trying to find themselves. In the pursuit of seeking to find out who we were, many of us sought the “help” of psychedelic drugs and only found ourselves more lost than ever. Many, however, ended up being found by hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, The Jesus Movement as it was called.But did you know that The Jesus Movement was in existence way back in the first century? These scattered, but born again saints, were now starting to live a new life; a life in Jesus Christ via the new birth. As they began this new life, they immediately were made aware that there was this entity within them called the flesh. The old man. The old life. And in verse 1 of chapter 2, Peter tells them to lay that old life and the old way of dealing with things away.In verse 11 he tells them to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul. And what was the basis of Peter giving such direct commands? “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”. (1 Peter 2:9,10). Because of the mercy of God that awakens them to place faith in Jesus Christ, they were now born again.He is exhorting them to remind themselves of who they are in Jesus Christ. Chosen. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. A peculiar people. They were called out of darkness and ushered into His marvelous light. As a follower of Jesus Christ, there are times when you are going to find yourself wrestling with your old ways of thinking and living. If you are not careful, you can even begin to believe the lie that your old life and old way of living IS the real you. That is a lie! Stop listening to the lies of the enemy.Stop listening to the lies that you are saying about yourself. If you are in Christ Jesus, you are a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Don't let the devil, other people or even yourself tell you who you are….speak to yourself the truth of God that we see in 1 Peter 2:9,10. Tell yourself this in the morning and throughout the day. To use my hippo analogy, do not let the devil or your feelings “put you on a trip”. Let the truth of who you are in Christ set you free with gospel centered thinking and living. SELAH

Suffering, of any degree, always consumes us. How many delightful Saturday afternoons with the grandkids have been darkened by the clouds of our foot being impaled on a scattered lego. Or a delicious meal being ruined by an overzealous bite that chomps our tongue instead. When pain or suffering arises, all else is forgotten. No matter how rapturous the joy, the suffering is able to smother it completely. All the light-hearted humorous conversation of a mother and daughter turns sour when the cancer test comes back positive. As Frank Sinatra put it, “The days of Wine and Roses laugh and run away like a child at play.” What should you say to the suffering soul? “You'll get through this?” “Better times are ahead”? The inevitability of suffering poses a great puzzle for each person - how do we handle it?  In 1 Peter we get to eavesdrop into a conversation between the apostle Peter and a group of Christians facing a fiery trial of suffering. But much to our surprise, Peter does not send them a Hallmark get-well card. Instead he sends them an Apostolic wake up call. Much like a warrior that is about to march to the front lines, Peter sees the suffering Christians as in a battle. Suffering is a weapon that is wielded with remarkable effect - for good or evil depending on who holds the sword. When God holds the sword, it is a weapon for refinement and for glory - “you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire…” (1:6-7). But when it is in the hands of the enemy, it is a heat-seeking missile launched to destroy our future salvation. Suffering seeks to consume us so that we would lose our hope, and fall away from our faith. So, the get-well wishes will have to wait for another time. What general would send a fruit basket to the colonel on the front lines? What we get instead is a strong order to re-orient ourselves in the midst of suffering. It is the disorienting nature of suffering that leaves us so vulnerable to attack from the enemy. And so, we must make it our business to consciously orient ourselves, in the midst of suffering, back onto Christ. Peter gives us three points of focus to reorient ourselves. We ought to focus on: Heavenly future (“set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you…”), Heavenly family (“As obedient children… and if you call on Him as Father…”), and Heavenly affection (“love one another earnestly…”). These three points of focus will triangulate us in our suffering and keep us from losing our way.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! (Isaiah 40:9) My prayer for each of you dear brothers and sisters in Christ is that you will have a BEHOLD day. What do I mean to behold? Well it doesn't mean to glance at. It means to perceive. To gaze upon. The apostle Paul exhorts us to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). His face is shining upon you, beloved. The more that you behold the face of Jesus, the more clearly you see Him in all of His splendor and glory. The call of God to you and me on this Lord's Supper Sunday is to behold our God. The word behold is so full of wonder. May we gaze upon His beauty and behold His majesty.The prophet Isaiah says to you and me today, “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:10, 11). The passages obviously point us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is your Shepherd. Behold, Jesus Christ is Adonai, Jehovah. He is the Lord, your God, your Great Shepherd who feeds His sheep and gently leads us. In Isaiah 12:1 we read, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation”.Behold this morning beloved, the Lord God Himself is your salvation. Behold the Lord Jehovah is also your strength and your song. As we draw near to the communion table this morning we hear the voice of John the Baptizer make the following proclamation: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By the grace of God, the Lord Jesus has taken away your sin. Hallelujah. Behold what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself declares in Revelation 1:18: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death”. Glory to God, beloved!Jesus Christ is alive! He has conquered sin and death. And because Jesus is alive, the mercies of God towards you are new. From Genesis to Revelation, we are exhorted to behold our God who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). In the context of the Passover Meal in the upper room, Jesus gave the disciples a simple command, this do in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). So when we take the bread and cup of common today, may we do it remembering and beholding the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, the One who came to seek and to save that which was lost. SELAH

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25). Jude is a much needed book that is full of warning and the exhortation to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints, but it closes with supreme confidence in God. Here at the end, Jude reminds the saints who were facing many trials and opposition with the words: our God is able!“Now to the One who is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began”(Romans 16:24). “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21-21). My precious brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, our God is able to keep us from falling. Not only is He able to keep us from falling, He is going to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy! We are not going to be presented faultless before God because we are without fault. We are going to be presented faultless before God because of His grace and the imputed righteousness given unto us through faith in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!Jude closes the letter with a beautiful doxology or a brief declaration of praise to God.  The crescendo of a worship song if you may to the only wise God our Saviour (speaking of the deity of Jesus), be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. We declare that there is only One wise God and our Saviour. The prophet Isaiah said, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11). “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me” (Isaiah 45:21). Who is this only wise God and our Saviour?Let's let Scripture interpret Scripture for us. “But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:3-4). “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus 2:10). “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). One of the staggering truths that we are called to contend for in proclaiming the truth of the gospel is that this One wise God and Saviour became a man in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in order that He would die on the cross as fallen man's sin bearer that we may be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Him alone. SELAH

Jude is a one chapter letter that packs a powerful punch of apologetics that is as necessary today as it was the day that he wrote it. Jude was going to write something to the saints about the common faith that we have in Jesus Christ. However, when he was about to put the quill to the parchment, the Spirit of God told him to exhort the church to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”. And the reason for the exhortation was that there were “certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”.Jude in verses 4-19 is going to give us the “profile” of a false teacher, false prophet or counterfeit Christian, but I want to draw your attention to two heresies that are common to all false teachers and false prophets. One, is that they turn or change, or redefine the biblical meaning of the sanctifying grace God as a license for lasciviousness or sexual promiscuity. Two, they deny the biblical doctrine of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.False teachers and false prophets distort or redefine the Biblical meaning of the grace of God. In Jude's day there was an apostasy known as gnosticism. Gnosticism taught that all matter was evil, and that the spirit alone was good. Therefore, the material body was essentially evil. Therefore, since the spirit alone is good and you are saved by grace (which is true) you were free to satisfy what the Scriptures calls sexual immorality (which is heretical and false). Beloved, any teaching that winks at, condones, or justifies the practice of sexual sin, be it heterosexual or homosexual, as a God given freedom that we have in Christ is exactly what Paul is addressing when he writes: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2).Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Any teaching with any disregard for the moral law of God is known as antinomianism (no law). This heretical description of the sanctifying grace of God is contrary to the scriptural call of God to walk in holiness and righteousness.Secondly, these false teachers denied the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to both Jude and Peter, these false prophets and false teachers were denying the Lord that bought them. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying ( refuse, reject, renounce) the Lord that bought them (that is redemption language), and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). The Greek word that is translated “Lord” by Jude and Peter describes “One who possesses supreme authority”. What a man teaches or believes about Jesus Christ makes the teacher true or false. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The name Jesus or Yeshua means Jehovah is salvation. Paul writes to the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.Note, the church of God was purchased with His own blood. God the Father is Spirit, but it was God the Son, the Word made flesh, that took upon Himself a human nature so that He might bleed and die to redeem sinners. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”(Philippians 2:5-8). Prior to His death, Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him with the glory which He had with Him even before the world was created (John 17:5). Jesus Christ, the Word of God appeared in the form of man so that as the Lamb of God, He would pay the price necessary to take away the sin of the world. Jesus Christ IS the gospel. SELAH