Hello family and friends,
As God continues to call my family to go out and serve, the more opportunities become available for us to do that. I thought last year was a busy one, but this year will prove to be our most busiest, in terms of Missions, and in the life of our home church Crosstown Chapel. My family and I have the opportunity to be able to serve this year in the Bahamas, Mexico, Orlando, Tennessee, and North Carolina with our church family. If you keep up with us, we went to most of these places last year, and it is very exciting, as well as humbling, to be able to go back, revisit and serve in these communities, the local churches, and the missionaries that are there already.
Our missions start out with me going to the Bahamas from April 2nd - April 8th. While here, I along with my church family, will be doing construction work at an AIDS camp, encouraging the residents there, and have the opportunity to take them out for an outing as well (something I am most excited about as they do not have the ability to get out much).
From there, my family will then join me in serving in Orlando as we do vacation bible school with our partner Orlando Children's Church. We will spend 4 Saturdays there on June 10th, 17th, 24th, and July 1st.
Alexander and I will then break from the pack and serve in Smyrna, TN. I am pretty excited for this trip as I did not feel a big calling to go, but my son did. I super stoked to be able to encourage and join him in missions for this trip. While there, we will be doing construction, vacation bible school, and a teen program.
After Tennessee, my family will band back together to head to Monterrey, Mexico from July 22nd - July 29th. Our primary focus on this trip is to do vacation bible school in the high mountains with a view to plant a church.
We then round out the year in North Carolina from November 25th - November 30th. Tara and I will get a break from the kiddos and will head to the Operation Christmas Child distribution center where we will help audit and pack (sometimes re-pack) shoe boxes, sort them into their appropriate containers, and send them on their way to their destination country.
As you can imagine, trips like these require financial support. The deadlines for monies due are fast approaching. Just so you have an idea, the costs associated with these trips include transportation expenses, lodging, food, and materials for the projects we will be doing. Crosstown Chapel strives to keep the costs as low as possible. If you could support me and my family in a financial way we would be extremely grateful. I never worry about the funds for these trips as God is always providing for us, and if you have previously given then let me say THANK YOU!
More importantly than your financial support, we need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in the various ministries that we will be involved in. Without prayer, nothing will happen. I included the dates of these trips so you can be mindful when we are there to pray.
If you would like to be a part of these missions through your financial support, send a check to:
Crosstown Chapel
1498 SE Preston Lane
Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983
Please make your check payable to Crosstown Chapel, and write "Mission Trip - J.R. Koch" or "Tara Koch" on a separate piece of paper. All contributions are tax deductible.
Much Love,
J.R.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Sunday, February 7, 2016
MISSIONS ARE ABUNDANT!
Hello all,
This year is proving to be the most busy, in terms of Missions, in the life of my church Crosstown Chapel. My family and I have the opportunity to be able to serve this year in the Bahamas, Mexico, Orlando, and North Carolina with our church family. It is always very exciting and very humbling to be able to serve with the missionaries, the church, and the community in those areas.
Our missions start out in the Bahamas from April 16th - April 23rd. While here, I along with my church family, will be doing construction work at an AIDS camp and encouraging the residents that are there as well.
From there, my family will then join me in Mexico from July 2nd - July 9th where we will be doing a vacation bible school and church construction projects.
We then move onto Orlando, FL. Our church is making two trips here, July 29th - July 31st and August 5th - August 7th. I will be attending both while my family will join me for one. In Orlando, we will be doing a vacation bible school and helping local ministries in the area.
We round out the year in North Carolina from December 3rd-December 8th. Still serving with our church family, Tara and I will be along to help pack and ship crates at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center.
As you can imagine, trips like these require financial support. The deadlines for monies due are fast approaching. Just so you have an idea, the costs associated with these trips include transportation expenses, lodging, food, and materials for the projects we will be doing. Crosstown Chapel strives to keep the costs as low as possible. If you could support me and my family in a financial way we would be extremely grateful.
More importantly than your financial support, we need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in the various ministries that we will be involved in. Without prayer, nothing will happen.
If you would like to be a part of these missions through your financial support, send a check to:
Crosstown Chapel
1498 SE Preston Lane
Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983
Please make your check payable to Crosstown Chapel, and write "Mission Trip - J.R. Koch" or "Tara Koch" on a separate piece of paper. All contributions are tax deductible.
Much Love,
J.R.
This year is proving to be the most busy, in terms of Missions, in the life of my church Crosstown Chapel. My family and I have the opportunity to be able to serve this year in the Bahamas, Mexico, Orlando, and North Carolina with our church family. It is always very exciting and very humbling to be able to serve with the missionaries, the church, and the community in those areas.
Our missions start out in the Bahamas from April 16th - April 23rd. While here, I along with my church family, will be doing construction work at an AIDS camp and encouraging the residents that are there as well.
From there, my family will then join me in Mexico from July 2nd - July 9th where we will be doing a vacation bible school and church construction projects.
We then move onto Orlando, FL. Our church is making two trips here, July 29th - July 31st and August 5th - August 7th. I will be attending both while my family will join me for one. In Orlando, we will be doing a vacation bible school and helping local ministries in the area.
We round out the year in North Carolina from December 3rd-December 8th. Still serving with our church family, Tara and I will be along to help pack and ship crates at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center.
As you can imagine, trips like these require financial support. The deadlines for monies due are fast approaching. Just so you have an idea, the costs associated with these trips include transportation expenses, lodging, food, and materials for the projects we will be doing. Crosstown Chapel strives to keep the costs as low as possible. If you could support me and my family in a financial way we would be extremely grateful.
More importantly than your financial support, we need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in the various ministries that we will be involved in. Without prayer, nothing will happen.
If you would like to be a part of these missions through your financial support, send a check to:
Crosstown Chapel
1498 SE Preston Lane
Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983
Please make your check payable to Crosstown Chapel, and write "Mission Trip - J.R. Koch" or "Tara Koch" on a separate piece of paper. All contributions are tax deductible.
Much Love,
J.R.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Bible Study 5-8-15
I've been reading through Exodus lately and the Lord showed me this great little nugget this morning. In Exodus chapter 35 Moses has just returned from his second forty day and forty night visit with God on the mountain and he gathers the children of Israel together and starts giving instruction on what they need to do to build the tabernacle. We are going to pick up in verse 30:
30And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled hime with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship," (Exodus 35:30-31, NKJV)
God gives us talents. These talents God gives us are not for our sole pleasure. They are given to honor, praise and worship God. They are given to complete a work God has intended for us to do. Lets move on the verse 34.
34"And He has put in his heart the ability to teach..." (Exodus 35:34, NKJV)
God has another purpose for these talents. They are given to be able to teach others. My prayer this morning is that He would help me to remember this. Whether it is business management, cajon playing, discipling, whatever, that he would help me to honor Him by passing along and teaching what He has given me as talents.
He could have easily put His Spirit in a bunch of other people to get this work done, but that is not God's goal. Bezaleel is going to die one day. What is going to happen when he dies? The tabernacle will most likely need repairs and such as it makes its journey through the wilderness. God could easily put His Spirit in someone new, but that is not His purpose for talents. It is for us to pass along. To invest in people and teach them, which is why He gave Bezaleel an ability to teach. God's goal has and always will be to invest in people, and He wants His people to invest in people. This is further shown in His direction to His disciples in the great commission right before His ascension in Matthew 28.
19"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Visit The 119 Project!
Visit The 119 Project!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Bible Study 2-28-15
My bible study time has taken me through Genesis, and through the last week or so I have been reading about Joseph. Joseph was an interesting dude. He was a tattle tale, which can be noted in Genesis 37:2 -
"This is the genealogy of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father." (NKJV)
Joseph was also very proud and played on his father's favoritism of him. This can be seen through his explanation of his dreams to his family. If you read through Genesis 37:5-11, Joseph discusses two dreams he has with his family, in a very pompous fashion in my opinion, and how they will all bow down to him at some point in their lives. Now God is not a fan of pride, especially when a gift He has blessed you with is used in a very prideful way. Joseph needed to be knocked down a few pegs and this was done through his brothers selling him into slavery in Egypt. In Egypt, God placed Joseph in Potiphar's house, who was an officer for Pharaoh. Joseph learned humility quickly being sold into slavery and serving in Potiphar's house. I believe it was in Potiphar's house that his pride was torn away and it opened up his ability to have a meaningful relationship with God. This can be seen through the favor he found with Potiphar and being made overseer of his house and all that he had. A responsibility I don't believe God would have given him had his pride not been in check. We can also see Joseph's relationship with God in his ability to resist temptation. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with Joseph, but Joseph wanted nothing to do with it, he refused.
"8But he refused and said to his master's wife, 'Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'" (Geneses 39:8-9, NKJV)
Her advances persisted and Joseph continued to refuse. He in fact fled from her so fast that he ran out of the coat he was wearing and she was left holding. This caused Joseph to end up in prison because Potiphar's wife was offended and made up a story that he raped her using his coat as evidence. This was obviously an unfortunate occurrence for Joseph, but it shows that when we take stands for God and are committed to obedience in His word it is not without it's fair share of ridicule and persecution.
While in prison, Joseph again ascended the ranks through favor he found and God showing mercy in his life. While having his hand over all the prisoners he came across Pharaoh's chief butler and baker. While they were in prison, he was able to use the gift God gave them and interpret their dreams. I love what he says before he gives the interpretations:
"8And they said to him, 'We each have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.' And Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me please.'" (Genesis 40:8, NKJV)
He says something similar in front of Pharaoh when having to interpret his dreams:
"So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'" (Genesis 41:16, NKJV)
Why do I love that he said these things? Joseph was not afraid to give credit where credit is due even in the work place. God gave him a gift and he made sure people knew that his success had nothing to do with him, and it was all God.
Joseph was quickly made ruler over all of Egypt. The only greater being Pharaoh. There then ends up being seven years of great abundance followed by seven years of great famine, and God used Joseph to stock pile in those seven years of abundance to ensure there was no death in the seven years of famine. While speaking to his brothers after they have come to buy food from Egypt, Joseph says to them:
"7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:7-8, NKJV)
God's plan from the beginning of Joseph's life was to use him to keep his family alive during this famine. This was essential considering Joseph and his 11 brothers would be responsible for the reproducing the entire nation of Israel. God's plan will always come through and sometimes it takes some ironing out wrinkles and chiseling off rough edges on our part before that can happen. We see that in Joseph's life as he was fully aware as ruler of Egypt that he had nothing to do with it, and it was God who orchestrated his position there.
Visit The 119 Project!
"This is the genealogy of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father." (NKJV)
Joseph was also very proud and played on his father's favoritism of him. This can be seen through his explanation of his dreams to his family. If you read through Genesis 37:5-11, Joseph discusses two dreams he has with his family, in a very pompous fashion in my opinion, and how they will all bow down to him at some point in their lives. Now God is not a fan of pride, especially when a gift He has blessed you with is used in a very prideful way. Joseph needed to be knocked down a few pegs and this was done through his brothers selling him into slavery in Egypt. In Egypt, God placed Joseph in Potiphar's house, who was an officer for Pharaoh. Joseph learned humility quickly being sold into slavery and serving in Potiphar's house. I believe it was in Potiphar's house that his pride was torn away and it opened up his ability to have a meaningful relationship with God. This can be seen through the favor he found with Potiphar and being made overseer of his house and all that he had. A responsibility I don't believe God would have given him had his pride not been in check. We can also see Joseph's relationship with God in his ability to resist temptation. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with Joseph, but Joseph wanted nothing to do with it, he refused.
"8But he refused and said to his master's wife, 'Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'" (Geneses 39:8-9, NKJV)
Her advances persisted and Joseph continued to refuse. He in fact fled from her so fast that he ran out of the coat he was wearing and she was left holding. This caused Joseph to end up in prison because Potiphar's wife was offended and made up a story that he raped her using his coat as evidence. This was obviously an unfortunate occurrence for Joseph, but it shows that when we take stands for God and are committed to obedience in His word it is not without it's fair share of ridicule and persecution.
While in prison, Joseph again ascended the ranks through favor he found and God showing mercy in his life. While having his hand over all the prisoners he came across Pharaoh's chief butler and baker. While they were in prison, he was able to use the gift God gave them and interpret their dreams. I love what he says before he gives the interpretations:
"8And they said to him, 'We each have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.' And Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me please.'" (Genesis 40:8, NKJV)
He says something similar in front of Pharaoh when having to interpret his dreams:
"So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'" (Genesis 41:16, NKJV)
Why do I love that he said these things? Joseph was not afraid to give credit where credit is due even in the work place. God gave him a gift and he made sure people knew that his success had nothing to do with him, and it was all God.
Joseph was quickly made ruler over all of Egypt. The only greater being Pharaoh. There then ends up being seven years of great abundance followed by seven years of great famine, and God used Joseph to stock pile in those seven years of abundance to ensure there was no death in the seven years of famine. While speaking to his brothers after they have come to buy food from Egypt, Joseph says to them:
"7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:7-8, NKJV)
God's plan from the beginning of Joseph's life was to use him to keep his family alive during this famine. This was essential considering Joseph and his 11 brothers would be responsible for the reproducing the entire nation of Israel. God's plan will always come through and sometimes it takes some ironing out wrinkles and chiseling off rough edges on our part before that can happen. We see that in Joseph's life as he was fully aware as ruler of Egypt that he had nothing to do with it, and it was God who orchestrated his position there.
Visit The 119 Project!
Monday, February 9, 2015
Mission Trip to Mexico
This summer I will be going over to Monterrey, Mexico from July 11, 2015 through July 18, 2015 with a team from my church, Crosstown Chapel, where will be helping with church construction and build outs along with a vacation bible school which will spread the gospel and show the love of Christ to children in the area.
I am really excited about this mission opportunity and hope you can see the value in what our team will accomplish. I felt God's calling to this trip almost immediately. Ever since my mission trip to the Bahamas a couple of years ago, I've been clamoring for another opportunity to showcase God's love to people outside of my home comforts and encourage those missionaries who spend countless hours ministering to people and spreading the gospel to the regions God has called them to.
As you can imagine, a trip like this requires financial support. The first deadline to turn in monies is February 22nd for $100. After that, I will need to raise $750 by June 1, 2015. If you could support me in a financial way I would be very grateful. If you know my heart, you know this is a very tough thing for me to ask of you.
More importantly than your financial support, I need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in the various ministries that we will be involved in. Without prayer, nothing will happen.
If you would like to be a part of this mission through your financial support, send a check to:
Crosstown Chapel
1498 SE Preston Lane
Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983
Please make your check payable to Crosstown Chapel, and write "Mission Trip - J.R. Koch" on a separate piece of paper. All contributions are tax deductible.
Much Love,
J.R.
"Where God guides, God provides!"
Visit The 119 Project!
I am really excited about this mission opportunity and hope you can see the value in what our team will accomplish. I felt God's calling to this trip almost immediately. Ever since my mission trip to the Bahamas a couple of years ago, I've been clamoring for another opportunity to showcase God's love to people outside of my home comforts and encourage those missionaries who spend countless hours ministering to people and spreading the gospel to the regions God has called them to.
As you can imagine, a trip like this requires financial support. The first deadline to turn in monies is February 22nd for $100. After that, I will need to raise $750 by June 1, 2015. If you could support me in a financial way I would be very grateful. If you know my heart, you know this is a very tough thing for me to ask of you.
More importantly than your financial support, I need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in the various ministries that we will be involved in. Without prayer, nothing will happen.
If you would like to be a part of this mission through your financial support, send a check to:
Crosstown Chapel
1498 SE Preston Lane
Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983
Please make your check payable to Crosstown Chapel, and write "Mission Trip - J.R. Koch" on a separate piece of paper. All contributions are tax deductible.
Much Love,
J.R.
"Where God guides, God provides!"
Visit The 119 Project!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
It's Been So Long...
Wow. I need to get my act together. I did not realize it has been that long since my last post. Life has been indeed busy, and I have not made the proper adjustments in my schedule to ensure consistency here. However, due to the Lord giving me insight on how to better manage my time I will hopefully be able to be a bit more regular. For those that follow and read, thank you for your patience and grace.
I have been reading through Genesis, particularly the story of Abraham this past week. Abraham is referred to by Paul as a hero of faith in Hebrews 11. One of the defining moments of Abraham's life is in Genesis 22:2.
"And He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Genesis 22:2, NKJV)
If you don't know the story, Abraham heeds God's command and takes his son to Moriah, takes him up to the mountains, ties him to an altar, and just as he is about to sacrifice him the Angel of the LORD calls to him and says:
"And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Genesis 22:12, NKJV)
A ram is then seen caught in some thorns and becomes a replacement sacrifice for Isaac.
First thing I want to point out here is in verse 2. This is the first time LOVE is mentioned in the bible. This is also the first time God asked a man to make such a great sacrifice. The two go hand in hand. True sacrifice is not done begrudgingly. It is not done for ulterior motives. True sacrifice takes true love, and it takes true love on both sides. On one side it's a sacrifice because, in this case, Abraham is having to sacrifice someone he probably loves more than anything in this world (next to Sarah). It's a sacrifice because of the immense heartache it is going to cause him if he has to go all the way with it. On the other side, Abraham loves God more and if this is what God is asking him to do than he has no choice but to trust that God knows what He is doing. This is also where Abraham becomes know for his faith.
Throughout his life, God has been guiding him and leading him. God asked Abraham to move from his homeland to the future land of Israel. By faith, Abraham makes the move. Lot, Abraham's nephew, is taken captive in a war that breaks out between surrounding nations. Abraham hears the news and takes 318 of his trained servants that were born in his house (God's blessing was truly on this guy), attacks and pursues Lot's captures, recovers all the stolen goods, the women and people, and of course Lot. This is shown to be a testament of faith that God was going to give him victory here because he honors God by tithing immediately following this battle to the priest king of Salem, Melchizedek. Now onto the call to sacrifice Isaac. Early in God's and Abraham's relationship, God told him that He was going to make him a great nation through his seed and all his descendants will be as sand on the seashore (innumerable, in case you wondering about the reference). God later defines that the seed of Israel will come from Abraham and Sarah. Granted they were old (really old), but God delivered on the promise with the birth of Isaac. Seeing what God has already done in his life, Abraham was able to answer the call to sacrifice his son, because he knew one thing. God promised him that he would have an innumerable amount of descendants. With only having the one son with Sarah, one of two things was going to have to happen. God was going to bless him with another son if he had to sacrifice this one, or God was going to bless him with a replacement sacrifice, and looking at the text Abraham was expecting and received the latter.
What we have to know about faith is that it takes action. In the book of James it says, "Faith without works is dead". I can look at chair and say I have faith it will hold me up, but I have to sit in the chair in order to show I have the faith I say I do.
Visit The 119 Project!
I have been reading through Genesis, particularly the story of Abraham this past week. Abraham is referred to by Paul as a hero of faith in Hebrews 11. One of the defining moments of Abraham's life is in Genesis 22:2.
"And He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Genesis 22:2, NKJV)
If you don't know the story, Abraham heeds God's command and takes his son to Moriah, takes him up to the mountains, ties him to an altar, and just as he is about to sacrifice him the Angel of the LORD calls to him and says:
"And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Genesis 22:12, NKJV)
A ram is then seen caught in some thorns and becomes a replacement sacrifice for Isaac.
First thing I want to point out here is in verse 2. This is the first time LOVE is mentioned in the bible. This is also the first time God asked a man to make such a great sacrifice. The two go hand in hand. True sacrifice is not done begrudgingly. It is not done for ulterior motives. True sacrifice takes true love, and it takes true love on both sides. On one side it's a sacrifice because, in this case, Abraham is having to sacrifice someone he probably loves more than anything in this world (next to Sarah). It's a sacrifice because of the immense heartache it is going to cause him if he has to go all the way with it. On the other side, Abraham loves God more and if this is what God is asking him to do than he has no choice but to trust that God knows what He is doing. This is also where Abraham becomes know for his faith.
Throughout his life, God has been guiding him and leading him. God asked Abraham to move from his homeland to the future land of Israel. By faith, Abraham makes the move. Lot, Abraham's nephew, is taken captive in a war that breaks out between surrounding nations. Abraham hears the news and takes 318 of his trained servants that were born in his house (God's blessing was truly on this guy), attacks and pursues Lot's captures, recovers all the stolen goods, the women and people, and of course Lot. This is shown to be a testament of faith that God was going to give him victory here because he honors God by tithing immediately following this battle to the priest king of Salem, Melchizedek. Now onto the call to sacrifice Isaac. Early in God's and Abraham's relationship, God told him that He was going to make him a great nation through his seed and all his descendants will be as sand on the seashore (innumerable, in case you wondering about the reference). God later defines that the seed of Israel will come from Abraham and Sarah. Granted they were old (really old), but God delivered on the promise with the birth of Isaac. Seeing what God has already done in his life, Abraham was able to answer the call to sacrifice his son, because he knew one thing. God promised him that he would have an innumerable amount of descendants. With only having the one son with Sarah, one of two things was going to have to happen. God was going to bless him with another son if he had to sacrifice this one, or God was going to bless him with a replacement sacrifice, and looking at the text Abraham was expecting and received the latter.
What we have to know about faith is that it takes action. In the book of James it says, "Faith without works is dead". I can look at chair and say I have faith it will hold me up, but I have to sit in the chair in order to show I have the faith I say I do.
Visit The 119 Project!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Bible Study 3-8-14
In John chapter 17, Christ prays for Himself, His Disciples, and future believers.
In His prayer for Himself, His heart is for God to be known and us to have eternal life. John 17:2-3, “2as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”(NKJV). I love how Christ in His humility speaks of Himself in the third person.
In His prayer for His disciples and future believers (the church), there is two common themes. Protection from the enemy and those in the world is one, but the other rings through these verses:
John 17:11, “Now I am no longer in the World, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given me, that they may be one as We are.(NKJV)
John 17:21-23, “21that they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22”“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have love Me.”(NKJV)
In case you don’t see it it’s unity. Christ’s heart is for His church to be unified. This is not unity in that we like the same songs, eat the same foods, and hang out at the same places. This unity He wants for us is the unity that He, the Father, and the Spirit have. The unity that operates as one. If the church operates as a single body, as Jesus prays for us to, then the world will know Him and know He loves them.
Lord, I pray that we can let go of those things that are currently dividing Your church and we can operate as Your heart desires us too, as one. In Jesus name, Amen.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Bible Study 12-30-13
I was reading through Mark chapter 10 this morning and I came upon the story of when blind Bartimaeus is healed. It's in verses 46-52.
He's crying out to Jesus to have mercy on him, the multitude is telling him to be quiet, but he cried out even louder. So Jesus stops, calls him over, and asks what he needs. He tells Him he wants his sight. Here is what happens in verse 52:
"Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road." (Mark 10:52, NKJV).
There are two things that need to be recognized here. The first is how the blind man is healed. Jesus didn't make a mud mixture or touch his eyes as done previously. What was going to heal this guy was faith alone to which he had because he received his sight immediately. That begs the question, when we bring things before The Lord do we have the faith that He can fulfill our requests before we ask Him or do we just ask and wait and see what happens?
The second thing that needs to be recognized is what the blind man does next. Jesus tells him to, "go your way", so after the blind man was healed he followed Jesus. The blind man had an encounter with Christ. The only way he had to go now was wherever Christ was leading. Isn't that truth? When we are saved, when we have that encounter with Christ and recognize that He is the only one that offers salvation the only way to go is wherever He is leading.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Bible Study 12-21-13
I was reading in Mark chapter 5 verses 1-20 this morning and was amazed by some things. If you're not familiar with the story, it's where Jesus casts the demon into swine.
The first thing that caught my attention was the actions of Legion, we find out that's his name in verse 9 because he is not occupied by one demon but many (the number my be around 2000 according to verse 13).
It says in verse 3-5, he "3had his dwelling in the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones." (NKJV).
What happens next is what blew my mind and caught my attention the most. Verse 6 of Mark says this, "But when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him." (NKJV).
This guy, Legion, has all this chaos going on inside of him and around him. The one thing that brings a peace to him is the sight of Jesus to which he responds in worship. What an application! It says in Philippians 4:7, "and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV). Our peace comes through Christ. Next time your world seems like it is chaotic, distorted, unconquerable remember the One who brings peace, Jesus.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Bible Study - 12-1-13
It's important how we treat and serve others. I’ve been reading through Matthew and seeing just how much of a servant Jesus actually was. Nothing would prevent Him from serving someone (in terms of their need, not necessary their wants) even if He had to go out of His way to do it. I was blown away in Matthew 19 and 20 by how important it is for us to follow that example.
In Matthew 19 Jesus comes across a rich young ruler. The ruler asks Christ how to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds in Matthew 19:17, "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." (NKJV). The young ruler then replies, "which ones?" Here is where I was blown away by the importance of serving others. Jesus gives him this response in Matthew 19:18-19. "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and your mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself". That right there is 6 out of the 10 commandments.
The 10 commandments are broken up into two parts. The first four tell us how to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. The last six tell is how to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Christ stresses the importance of serving others by telling the rich young ruler that if he wants eternal life, Christ is going to look at how he treated and served others while here on Earth.
Obviously our decision to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior ultimately decides where our eternity is spent, but in that decision to follow Him there should be a shift in thinking and actions that drives us to serve others as He Himself served others. If it hasn,t then take it to the Lord in prayer and seek out why.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Bible Study 11/16/13
Matthew chapter 10 starts out with Jesus getting ready to send out His disciples to serve the multitudes and cities of Israel. Before He sends them out He instructs them in how to handle themselves.
One of those instructions caught my attention this morning. Jesus says in verse 16 of Matthew chapter 10, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise serpents and harmless as doves".
In my service to Christ through my community I need to be wise about my surroundings and the intentions of those I'm serving and serving with. However, in that, there has to be a spirit of gentleness and a heart that displays grace. This doesn't mean I let someone walk all over me. In fact, I think it means quite the opposite. If someone has bad agenda I need to be able to recognize that and then in the spirit of grace and gentleness tell them to step away.
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Bible Study - 4/22/13
55I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit, 56You have heard my voice; Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help. 57You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!" 58O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. (Lamentations 3:55-58, NKJV)
What great confindence we can have in our Lord to answer when we call on Him. From a subtle sigh to a screaming cry. He hears it all. He knows our hearts and what we need, to which He replies "Do not fear!" We can have confidence in that. We can also have confidence in our redemption. He's pleaded our case and redeemed our lives. Why? We called on His name. He answered.
What great confindence we can have in our Lord to answer when we call on Him. From a subtle sigh to a screaming cry. He hears it all. He knows our hearts and what we need, to which He replies "Do not fear!" We can have confidence in that. We can also have confidence in our redemption. He's pleaded our case and redeemed our lives. Why? We called on His name. He answered.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Bible Study 4/15/13
It's been a while since I've posted. I've been extremely busy. The new website is up. Go check out http://www.the119project.com. It's an online magazine of sorts. It will be discussing the variety of topics contained in Psalm 119. The first issue, The Introduction, is ready to be read. The second issue on Obedience to God's Word is coming soon. Be sure to check it out.
In ay event, my daily devotions have brought me to the book of Lamentations. I came across the following verse this morning:
20See, O LORD, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious...(Lamentations 1:20, NKJV)
When bringing our sin to the Lord, this is how our heart should feel and our spirit should feel when confession is taking place. Our insides should be so troubled and feel so out of place that we recognize our rebellious nature and confess it to God. This type of attitude most certainly lays the foundation for repentance, which if you don't know means laying your sin down and not returning to it. Wow. Such an applicable verse for tax day. (Just kidding!) Such an applicable verse for our prayer lives and our walk with Christ!
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Saturday, September 22, 2012
Bible Study - 9/22/12
Since my last blog post, I am continuing my study through Isaiah and have ventured into 2 Corinthians. I will share some of the verses that affected me spiritually and really caused me to stop and think during my study through Isaiah. It says in Isaiah 34:18, "Search from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For my mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them." If you're not searching God's Word, you should. It will not fail you and it will not lack in fulfilling, but rather fulfill over and above.
In Isaiah 35, God gives Isaiah a glimpse into the coming Kingdom. The 1000 year reign of Christ. I love how in verses 8-10 the Highway of Holiness is described. Nothing "unclean shall pass over it", "whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray", "But the redeemed shall walk there", "and the ransomed of the LORD shall return".
In Isaiah 37:16 I believe we are given a great example of how to start a prayer to God. Jesus gives us an outline of how to pray in Matthew chapter 6, and in that outline the beginning is praise to God. Matthew 6:9, "...Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." Isaiah 37:16, is the start of a prayer from King Hezekiah to God. It says, "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth."
Isaiah 40:6-8 - "6The voice said, 'Cry out!' And he said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." People wither and fade away. Our eternity rests in the promises made in God's Word. The promise that if we have Jesus as our Savior then we will spend eternity with God. We can rest in that, and have peace in that. People don't stand the test of time, but God's Word does, it stands forever.
The latest thing to get me thinking and being truly thankful for is in chapter 43:1 and chapter 44:23. The two, in my opinion, go hand in hand. Let me give a little background story first. In Genesis 25:26, Jacob is born and he is named Jacob because he came out of the womb holding onto his brother's heel. For those that don't know, Jacob means supplanter or deceitful, and deceitful his was throughout his life. If you don't know the story I suggest you read it. Anyways, in Genesis 32 after Jacob wrestles with God, God renames him Israel which literally means Prince with God. Okay, now we can proceed. Isaiah 43:1, "But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel; 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have call you by your name; You are Mine." Isaiah 44:23, "...For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel." God creates life in our birth. Then we are born, but we are not born pure we are born sinners. Look at the story of Jacob if you don't believe we are sinners when we are born. He came out of the womb grabbing onto his brother's heel as if to say "I want to come out first". Pride in the heart of a newborn already. However, God does not stop at the creation process. He takes that life he created and forms it when we allow Him to do His perfect work in us which is triggered by our true and whole hearted acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Read these verses from Romans.
Romans 8:1, and 12-17 - "1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors-not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'. 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
WOW! There is so much goodness in Romans 8. I encourage you to read it. In any event, I shared these verses because when we have Jesus as our Lord and Savior and living according to the Spirit, we are considered co-heirs with Christ. We are Princes with God. We go from being created sinners (Jacob) to being formed into Princes with God (Israel). How awesome is that!? I am so thankful for that! Words can't even express the joy! Why does God do it? If you look at Isaiah 44:23 again, our redemption is for His glory. Simple as that.
Thank you for reading. I know these a multitude of things going on here, but it just goes to show the dynamics of God's Word.
In Isaiah 35, God gives Isaiah a glimpse into the coming Kingdom. The 1000 year reign of Christ. I love how in verses 8-10 the Highway of Holiness is described. Nothing "unclean shall pass over it", "whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray", "But the redeemed shall walk there", "and the ransomed of the LORD shall return".
In Isaiah 37:16 I believe we are given a great example of how to start a prayer to God. Jesus gives us an outline of how to pray in Matthew chapter 6, and in that outline the beginning is praise to God. Matthew 6:9, "...Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." Isaiah 37:16, is the start of a prayer from King Hezekiah to God. It says, "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth."
Isaiah 40:6-8 - "6The voice said, 'Cry out!' And he said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." People wither and fade away. Our eternity rests in the promises made in God's Word. The promise that if we have Jesus as our Savior then we will spend eternity with God. We can rest in that, and have peace in that. People don't stand the test of time, but God's Word does, it stands forever.
The latest thing to get me thinking and being truly thankful for is in chapter 43:1 and chapter 44:23. The two, in my opinion, go hand in hand. Let me give a little background story first. In Genesis 25:26, Jacob is born and he is named Jacob because he came out of the womb holding onto his brother's heel. For those that don't know, Jacob means supplanter or deceitful, and deceitful his was throughout his life. If you don't know the story I suggest you read it. Anyways, in Genesis 32 after Jacob wrestles with God, God renames him Israel which literally means Prince with God. Okay, now we can proceed. Isaiah 43:1, "But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel; 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have call you by your name; You are Mine." Isaiah 44:23, "...For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel." God creates life in our birth. Then we are born, but we are not born pure we are born sinners. Look at the story of Jacob if you don't believe we are sinners when we are born. He came out of the womb grabbing onto his brother's heel as if to say "I want to come out first". Pride in the heart of a newborn already. However, God does not stop at the creation process. He takes that life he created and forms it when we allow Him to do His perfect work in us which is triggered by our true and whole hearted acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Read these verses from Romans.
Romans 8:1, and 12-17 - "1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors-not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'. 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
WOW! There is so much goodness in Romans 8. I encourage you to read it. In any event, I shared these verses because when we have Jesus as our Lord and Savior and living according to the Spirit, we are considered co-heirs with Christ. We are Princes with God. We go from being created sinners (Jacob) to being formed into Princes with God (Israel). How awesome is that!? I am so thankful for that! Words can't even express the joy! Why does God do it? If you look at Isaiah 44:23 again, our redemption is for His glory. Simple as that.
Thank you for reading. I know these a multitude of things going on here, but it just goes to show the dynamics of God's Word.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Bible Study - 9/4/12
On my last blog I gave a rundown of some of the things I have come across while studying through Isaiah. Today I'm going to give a rundown of the things I've come across while reading through 1 Corinthians. Being that the last time I posted about something was in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and I am now in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, I will try to be as brief as possible.
One of the things I love about 1 Corinthians is that it is very matter of fact. There really isn't any need for interpretation. The letter explains itself pretty well. Following are just some of the verses that caught my eye through my study in this book over the last couple of weeks. This is not an all inclusive list either. I've studied this book many times. These are just the things that popped out this time around.
1 Corinthians 4:6, "...not to think beyond what is written..." - I love this verse for the very reason I just mentioned. This letter doesn't really need a whole lot of interpretation. There is no reason to think beyond what is written because the letter says what it means and means what it says. The main thing I take away from this verse and the surrounding ones is that there really isn't any reason to take scripture to far beyond what it says. If it's not clear or evident, than take it to prayer and seek the Holy Spirit for understanding, "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law", Psalm 119:18 (NKJV).
1 Corinthians 4:15, "For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." This verse stuck out to me because of the calling I feel God has placed on me. When a pastor is over a church, the relationship with the body is more than teaching them, it is likened to a father and his children.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 - I challenge you, to go read these verses. This is a sort of church discipline, in my opinion, that is being neglected. That's all I will say about that.
1 Corinthians 5:11, "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner - not even to eat with such a person." Wow. When you read this verse in its context it pretty much says that our mission is to spread the gospel to fornicators, those that covet, idolators, revilers, drunkards, and extortioners. To do that we have to go out to where they are. However, if we have a brother or sister in Christ who is practicing these things then we need to stay far away from them. The question is here is why? Well it could possibly be because that brother or sister that is practicing those things are being bad witnesses. How can you bring a non-believer to Christ who is practicing those things if they see "Christians" practicing those same things?
1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." This is an interesting verse for many reasons. When you read it with the surrounding verses it still begs the question, huh? I look at it at the way it is written. To explain this, lets look at smoking. Smoking is lawful, but not helpful. It's obviously bad for the body. Research shows that. Smoking is lawful, but it can become sin if you are brought under the power of it. When it becomes an addiction, a have to have, is when it goes from being lawful to sin. At least that's the way I read this verse.
1 Corinthians 7:19, "...keeping the commandments of God is what matters." Plain and simple. No need for explanation.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3, "1...Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." Love builds the body of Christ. Through love we are able to serve one another and meet needs that need to be met. Edifying the body. Knowledge says it, but love does it.
1 Corinthians 8:9-12 - Read these verses. How we handle ourselves around others has a huge impact whether they are believers or not. However, when you sin against our brothers and sisters in Christ and wound their weak conscience you sin against Christ, as it says in verse 12.
1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel." 1 Corinthians 9:16, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" We have to preach the gospel. To preach the gospel we have to live the gospel. I'm not saying we have to go evangelizing the world, because not everyone has that gift. However, if we are living the gospel then our lives are preaching the gospel. We are being witnesses of Christ as Christ Himself told us to be.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "3For I delivered to you, first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures". If you were looking for two verses that laid out the Gospel message simply, here they are.
1 Corinthians 15:25-26, "25For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." These verses got me thinking about the millennial reign of Christ. It says in Revelation that we will reign with Christ 1000 years, then the beast will be released and then cast out to fire for all eternity, which then starts our eternity with Christ. So, while we are reigning with Christ for those 1000 years, will there still be enemy forces on this earth contending with God? When I read these two verses all I can say is, I think so.
1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We have victory over death because Jesus Christ is our Lord. How awesome is that?
One of the things I love about 1 Corinthians is that it is very matter of fact. There really isn't any need for interpretation. The letter explains itself pretty well. Following are just some of the verses that caught my eye through my study in this book over the last couple of weeks. This is not an all inclusive list either. I've studied this book many times. These are just the things that popped out this time around.
1 Corinthians 4:6, "...not to think beyond what is written..." - I love this verse for the very reason I just mentioned. This letter doesn't really need a whole lot of interpretation. There is no reason to think beyond what is written because the letter says what it means and means what it says. The main thing I take away from this verse and the surrounding ones is that there really isn't any reason to take scripture to far beyond what it says. If it's not clear or evident, than take it to prayer and seek the Holy Spirit for understanding, "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law", Psalm 119:18 (NKJV).
1 Corinthians 4:15, "For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." This verse stuck out to me because of the calling I feel God has placed on me. When a pastor is over a church, the relationship with the body is more than teaching them, it is likened to a father and his children.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 - I challenge you, to go read these verses. This is a sort of church discipline, in my opinion, that is being neglected. That's all I will say about that.
1 Corinthians 5:11, "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner - not even to eat with such a person." Wow. When you read this verse in its context it pretty much says that our mission is to spread the gospel to fornicators, those that covet, idolators, revilers, drunkards, and extortioners. To do that we have to go out to where they are. However, if we have a brother or sister in Christ who is practicing these things then we need to stay far away from them. The question is here is why? Well it could possibly be because that brother or sister that is practicing those things are being bad witnesses. How can you bring a non-believer to Christ who is practicing those things if they see "Christians" practicing those same things?
1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." This is an interesting verse for many reasons. When you read it with the surrounding verses it still begs the question, huh? I look at it at the way it is written. To explain this, lets look at smoking. Smoking is lawful, but not helpful. It's obviously bad for the body. Research shows that. Smoking is lawful, but it can become sin if you are brought under the power of it. When it becomes an addiction, a have to have, is when it goes from being lawful to sin. At least that's the way I read this verse.
1 Corinthians 7:19, "...keeping the commandments of God is what matters." Plain and simple. No need for explanation.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3, "1...Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." Love builds the body of Christ. Through love we are able to serve one another and meet needs that need to be met. Edifying the body. Knowledge says it, but love does it.
1 Corinthians 8:9-12 - Read these verses. How we handle ourselves around others has a huge impact whether they are believers or not. However, when you sin against our brothers and sisters in Christ and wound their weak conscience you sin against Christ, as it says in verse 12.
1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel." 1 Corinthians 9:16, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" We have to preach the gospel. To preach the gospel we have to live the gospel. I'm not saying we have to go evangelizing the world, because not everyone has that gift. However, if we are living the gospel then our lives are preaching the gospel. We are being witnesses of Christ as Christ Himself told us to be.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "3For I delivered to you, first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures". If you were looking for two verses that laid out the Gospel message simply, here they are.
1 Corinthians 15:25-26, "25For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." These verses got me thinking about the millennial reign of Christ. It says in Revelation that we will reign with Christ 1000 years, then the beast will be released and then cast out to fire for all eternity, which then starts our eternity with Christ. So, while we are reigning with Christ for those 1000 years, will there still be enemy forces on this earth contending with God? When I read these two verses all I can say is, I think so.
1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We have victory over death because Jesus Christ is our Lord. How awesome is that?
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Bible Study - 8/25/12
Though I have been reading God's Word consistently since my last post, I have been unable to post about anything. It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks. So today I'm just going to give a rundown of some of the things I have come across in my studies through Isaiah and 1 Corinthians over the past couple of weeks.
In Isaiah 26, Isaiah is prophesying about a song Israel is going to sing on the Day the LORD returns to establish His kingdom. However, there are some aspects to the song that are so applicable to today. Lets take a look:
2Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed in You. 4Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength...12LORD, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us. 13O LORD our God, other masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your...15...You are glorified; (Isaiah 26:2-3, 12-13, 15b NKJV)
How great is this, we can experience perfect peace as long as we keep our focus on the LORD. How do we keep our focus on the LORD, by trusting in Him. He will provide us with strength everlasting to help us get through this thing called life. Now, we have all had, or have, other masters in our lives. Our bosses at work, parents, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and so on, but only God gets mentioned, only God gets glorified because He establishes peace in us through the works He is doing in us. Now when it comes to the day of the Lord's return, the world will learn God's righteousness because, 9...For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9b, NKJV).
In Isaiah chapter 33 I came across this nugget of goodness as well:
5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure. (Isaiah 33:5-6, NKJV)
The New Living Translation says it like this:
5Though the LORD is very great and lives in heaven, He will make Jerusalem His home of justice and righteousness. 6In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
I don't have much to say on that, since it's pretty self explanatory. God supplies us with a solid ground to stand on, eternal salvation, wisdom and knowledge. To gain these treasures, we have to fear Him, or revere Him which is a better translation.
Ever wonder where America got the idea of a three part government? The men God used to found this country and establish this government were God fearing men. They used the Bible as a foundation for this country to stand on. It's a shame that it's different now, but no political tangents for me. Anyways, in Isaiah 33:22 it reads, "(For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us". The judicial, legislative, and executive branches of our government were molded after God's character. Great stuff!
I came across a bunch of stuff in 1 Corinthians, but I am out of time for now. Just keep your focus on the LORD and He will establish peace in you. Glorify God for the works He is doing in You.
In Isaiah 26, Isaiah is prophesying about a song Israel is going to sing on the Day the LORD returns to establish His kingdom. However, there are some aspects to the song that are so applicable to today. Lets take a look:
2Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed in You. 4Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength...12LORD, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us. 13O LORD our God, other masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your...15...You are glorified; (Isaiah 26:2-3, 12-13, 15b NKJV)
How great is this, we can experience perfect peace as long as we keep our focus on the LORD. How do we keep our focus on the LORD, by trusting in Him. He will provide us with strength everlasting to help us get through this thing called life. Now, we have all had, or have, other masters in our lives. Our bosses at work, parents, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and so on, but only God gets mentioned, only God gets glorified because He establishes peace in us through the works He is doing in us. Now when it comes to the day of the Lord's return, the world will learn God's righteousness because, 9...For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9b, NKJV).
In Isaiah chapter 33 I came across this nugget of goodness as well:
5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure. (Isaiah 33:5-6, NKJV)
The New Living Translation says it like this:
5Though the LORD is very great and lives in heaven, He will make Jerusalem His home of justice and righteousness. 6In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
I don't have much to say on that, since it's pretty self explanatory. God supplies us with a solid ground to stand on, eternal salvation, wisdom and knowledge. To gain these treasures, we have to fear Him, or revere Him which is a better translation.
Ever wonder where America got the idea of a three part government? The men God used to found this country and establish this government were God fearing men. They used the Bible as a foundation for this country to stand on. It's a shame that it's different now, but no political tangents for me. Anyways, in Isaiah 33:22 it reads, "(For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us". The judicial, legislative, and executive branches of our government were molded after God's character. Great stuff!
I came across a bunch of stuff in 1 Corinthians, but I am out of time for now. Just keep your focus on the LORD and He will establish peace in you. Glorify God for the works He is doing in You.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Bible Study - 8/7/12
I have been journeying through Isaiah and 1 Corinthians in my devotional time. This morning I was particularly struck by a verse while I was reading through 1 Corinthians 3:5-17. It reads:
16Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, NKJV)
The New Living Translation reads like this:
16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.
Wow! God's Word is calling the Church holy. Why is it holy? Because God is in the Church by way of His Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit get in the church?
8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, NKJV)
4And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4, NKJV)
The Holy Spirit is in the Church because He is in each person that has accepted Jesus into their life as their Lord and Savior. It says in Romans 8:11 (NKJV), "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the His Spirit who dwells in you". The Holy Spirit is where? In the Christian. He is dwelling in the believer. Wait a second. God's Word is calling the Christian holy. We are holy and the Church is holy because of the Spirit that is dwelling in the believer and the believers make up the body of the Church. Pretty awesome. Now that we see that. Lets get onto the main point.
14And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh.' 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:14-17, NKJV)
We share the same Spirit with Christ because it is His Spirit that dwells in us. IN THIS UNITY, WE ARE IN CONSTANT FELLOWSHIP WITH THE TRIUNE GOD. It's all caps because I'm making sure it sinks into knowledge, not just yours but mine as well. Anyways, knowing this, why are we so PASSIVE about sin? When we sin, we are defiling the temple because we are inviting something bad (sin) into the fellowship of something good (God). When you're watching something pornographic, you're watching it in the fellowship of God. When you're gossiping to a friend, you're gossiping in the fellowship of God. And so on. Isn't that crazy!
How about, when you're reading God's word, you're reading in the fellowship of God. When you're singing praise and worship tunes, you're singing in the fellowship of God. I would say these are much better options. Which one should you do?
The Bible is very clear about not quenching the Spirit. That means, when you are about to sin and you feel the Spirit in you telling you not to do it, but you do it anyway, you have just quenched the Spirit. You put Him out because you didn't heed His warning. He's warning us to not sin to keep us holy and to keep our fellowship with God pure and undefiled.
I am by no means perfect. I falter on a regular basis just like you, but think about the next time you falter, or are about to falter, Who you are including in that falter.
16Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, NKJV)
The New Living Translation reads like this:
16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.
Wow! God's Word is calling the Church holy. Why is it holy? Because God is in the Church by way of His Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit get in the church?
8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, NKJV)
4And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4, NKJV)
The Holy Spirit is in the Church because He is in each person that has accepted Jesus into their life as their Lord and Savior. It says in Romans 8:11 (NKJV), "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the His Spirit who dwells in you". The Holy Spirit is where? In the Christian. He is dwelling in the believer. Wait a second. God's Word is calling the Christian holy. We are holy and the Church is holy because of the Spirit that is dwelling in the believer and the believers make up the body of the Church. Pretty awesome. Now that we see that. Lets get onto the main point.
14And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh.' 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:14-17, NKJV)
We share the same Spirit with Christ because it is His Spirit that dwells in us. IN THIS UNITY, WE ARE IN CONSTANT FELLOWSHIP WITH THE TRIUNE GOD. It's all caps because I'm making sure it sinks into knowledge, not just yours but mine as well. Anyways, knowing this, why are we so PASSIVE about sin? When we sin, we are defiling the temple because we are inviting something bad (sin) into the fellowship of something good (God). When you're watching something pornographic, you're watching it in the fellowship of God. When you're gossiping to a friend, you're gossiping in the fellowship of God. And so on. Isn't that crazy!
How about, when you're reading God's word, you're reading in the fellowship of God. When you're singing praise and worship tunes, you're singing in the fellowship of God. I would say these are much better options. Which one should you do?
The Bible is very clear about not quenching the Spirit. That means, when you are about to sin and you feel the Spirit in you telling you not to do it, but you do it anyway, you have just quenched the Spirit. You put Him out because you didn't heed His warning. He's warning us to not sin to keep us holy and to keep our fellowship with God pure and undefiled.
I am by no means perfect. I falter on a regular basis just like you, but think about the next time you falter, or are about to falter, Who you are including in that falter.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Bible Study - 7/31/2012
So in my morning Bible Study time, I have been reading through Isaiah and 1 Corinthians. I like to have a good mix of Old and New Testament in my diet.
Lets start with my time in Isaiah. I read through chapters 20 and 21 today. I'm in the section of Isaiah where God is giving Isaiah prophecies of judgments against the nations surrounding Israel and Israel itself. A lot of these prophecies have already come to fruition or are end of days prophecies. It can be a little hard to discern the two, unless your a history major to which I am not. In any event, what stuck out at me this morning was a couple verses in Isaiah 20:2-3. They are as follows:
"2at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3Then the LORD said, "Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia," (NKJV).
I've read through Isaiah a couple of times and don't remember ever catching this, but I caught it today. I know it's a strange verse to be talking about, but you have to look at the details. God told Isaiah to take his clothes off. He doesn't tell Isaiah why and for how long. After 3 years, God tells Isaiah why he has been walking around naked for that period of time, which when you read the rest of chapter 20 you find out why. What is so striking about this? Isaiah is showing a level of obedience and faithfulness that is awe inspiring. Isaiah didn't have the whole picture. He just had one instruction from the LORD and he obeyed it. He didn't know why, he didn't know for how long, and he did it anyway. Why? Because in Isaiah chapter 6 he told God in verse 8, "Here am I! Send me." He made a promise to God to do His will. So Isaiah in chapter 20 is doing God's will. The question that arises is, if God asked you to do something, would you do it? Even if you didn't have the whole picture. Because God isn't going to give the whole picture. He only gives one step at a time, hence the verse "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105, NKJV). Why does God do it that way? Because it is all about having faith in Him. If your read my blog http://godcallingjr.blogspot.com/ you can see a real world example of this. I am not saying I am perfect and always obey, but I did obey in that instance, and still giving God all the praise because of it. When we accept Christ into our lives we are saying, "Here am I! Send me." Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (NKJV). As Christians, those who have accepted Christ into there hearts for salvation, we are witnesses to the work God is doing in our lives. We are to be able to proclaim that in word AND deed, while giving God ALL the praise. So if God calls you to do something crazy, do you do it? And if you do be sure to give God all the glory for the outcome.
My time in 1 Corinthians was spent in chapter 2 verses 10-16. This is one of my favorite portions of scripture, and you really need to start reading from verse 6 to get the whole context. It is pretty much how the Holy Spirit reveals Godly wisdom to us. It's a great read and pretty self explanatory. I encourage you to read it if you haven't. Jesus says in John 15:15, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (NKJV). "We have the mind of Christ" as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:16. This was very convicting for me this morning. I have the Holy Spirit in me revealing to me Godly wisdom, but I sometimes disregard that to give myself over to sin.
Lets start with my time in Isaiah. I read through chapters 20 and 21 today. I'm in the section of Isaiah where God is giving Isaiah prophecies of judgments against the nations surrounding Israel and Israel itself. A lot of these prophecies have already come to fruition or are end of days prophecies. It can be a little hard to discern the two, unless your a history major to which I am not. In any event, what stuck out at me this morning was a couple verses in Isaiah 20:2-3. They are as follows:
"2at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3Then the LORD said, "Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia," (NKJV).
I've read through Isaiah a couple of times and don't remember ever catching this, but I caught it today. I know it's a strange verse to be talking about, but you have to look at the details. God told Isaiah to take his clothes off. He doesn't tell Isaiah why and for how long. After 3 years, God tells Isaiah why he has been walking around naked for that period of time, which when you read the rest of chapter 20 you find out why. What is so striking about this? Isaiah is showing a level of obedience and faithfulness that is awe inspiring. Isaiah didn't have the whole picture. He just had one instruction from the LORD and he obeyed it. He didn't know why, he didn't know for how long, and he did it anyway. Why? Because in Isaiah chapter 6 he told God in verse 8, "Here am I! Send me." He made a promise to God to do His will. So Isaiah in chapter 20 is doing God's will. The question that arises is, if God asked you to do something, would you do it? Even if you didn't have the whole picture. Because God isn't going to give the whole picture. He only gives one step at a time, hence the verse "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105, NKJV). Why does God do it that way? Because it is all about having faith in Him. If your read my blog http://godcallingjr.blogspot.com/ you can see a real world example of this. I am not saying I am perfect and always obey, but I did obey in that instance, and still giving God all the praise because of it. When we accept Christ into our lives we are saying, "Here am I! Send me." Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (NKJV). As Christians, those who have accepted Christ into there hearts for salvation, we are witnesses to the work God is doing in our lives. We are to be able to proclaim that in word AND deed, while giving God ALL the praise. So if God calls you to do something crazy, do you do it? And if you do be sure to give God all the glory for the outcome.
My time in 1 Corinthians was spent in chapter 2 verses 10-16. This is one of my favorite portions of scripture, and you really need to start reading from verse 6 to get the whole context. It is pretty much how the Holy Spirit reveals Godly wisdom to us. It's a great read and pretty self explanatory. I encourage you to read it if you haven't. Jesus says in John 15:15, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (NKJV). "We have the mind of Christ" as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:16. This was very convicting for me this morning. I have the Holy Spirit in me revealing to me Godly wisdom, but I sometimes disregard that to give myself over to sin.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Cross – A Reminder of Salvation and Redemption or a Tool for Idol Worship
It
sounds like an odd title I know, but it is something that is quite
serious. Let me start with how I
was confronted with this. A few
months ago I heard a song on the radio, the song will remain nameless out of respect
for the artist(s). It was an okay
song, not one I particularly liked at first, but it started to grow on me. Anyways, as I was singing the song one
day it came to the bridge and it was talking about the cross and lifting it
high. As I sang those words, I was
hit with an immediate conviction.
Why am I lifting the cross high?
In worship, or anything else for that matter, God should be who is
lifted high and nothing else. I
actually became quite irritated by this, and set out to see if this is a trend
that the church as a whole needs to be wary of.
First
thing I did, and continue to do, is be in prayer about it. If there is something I’m missing I
want to make sure God reveals that to me, but if the church is starting to
become misguided then I want to make sure I’m praying for the church to correct
itself. I also brought this to my
wife and some brothers in Christ, one being my pastor, as well to seek counsel. Also, to make sure all my bases are
covered, God’s word has been searched for answers as well.
When God gave Moses the 10 Commandments the first two were – “7You shall have no other gods before (besides) Me. 8You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9you shall not bow down to them nor serve them” (Deuteronomy 6:7-9a). God is pretty clear that He is God and that is all. Any form of prayer and worship should be directed to Him and nothing else. That should be easy. Most people know the 10 Commandments, and most Christians know not to subject themselves to idol worship, I hope anyway. The heart of my concern is not that people are worshipping the cross on purpose; my concern is that people are worshipping the cross without even knowing it, which can have dire consequences.
Lets take a look at a story from 1 Samuel 4. Israel goes out to battle against the Philistines. They meet in battle, Israel loses, and about 4 thousand men are killed. In verse 3 of 1 Samuel chapter 4 it says, “And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” So the ark gets brought, they go again to battle the Philistines, Israel loses again, and this time they lose 30 thousand men. Now I get Israel’s thinking here. When God instructed Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant it was so His Spirit could sit atop the ark between the cherubim, guide Israel out of the wilderness, into the promised land of Israel, and into victory against their enemies so they could inhabit the Promised Land. There were other reasons the ark was built, but they don’t need to be mentioned for this. So, Israel goes into battle against the Philistines, lose, and their first and only thought as to why is because the ark is not with them. So they get the ark because they believe, “that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies”. Their assumptions are all wrong. They don’t recognize that it is God that brought them victory before, so instead of going to God first and seek His help for victory, they have made a god for themselves in the ark, and are seeking it to bring them victory. This thinking brought about some serious casualties, 30 thousand to be exact, along with a loss to the Philistines in battle.
One of the things about scripture is that there are certain topics that are always repeating themselves. When we look at the cross, at least for me, I’m reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made in dying for my sins so that I can be saved and His blood being spilt for my redemption according to the riches of God’s grace. Now what happened on the cross, God did that. Not the cross. However, it is my fear that what Israel did with the ark is happening with the cross today. This is being done by translating what God did through Jesus on the cross to the cross doing that. Sounds crazy. I know. Here is a real life example. There is a cross hanging in a local church. Whenever that cross is obstructed, complaints are heard in mass numbers because it prevents them from being able to worship and pray. In the natural, you say what’s wrong with that. It reminds us of our salvation and redemption. It’s disrespectful to cover a symbol to our faith. In the spiritual, however, if you need the cross to worship then what exactly are you worshipping? The definition of an idol, according to Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, is a representation or symbol of an object for worship. It is something substituted, usually something that can be physically touched and/or hand-made, for the true and living God. Idolatry is the worship of that idol. “Worship of something created as opposed to the Creator Himself” (Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, idolatry). I know that on occasion when the word “cross” is used it’s referring to what Jesus did on it. Simply by saying “cross” we are stating how Jesus died there and our sins are forgiven. There's also the phrase "look to the cross" which could reference to look to Jesus. I get that, but it’s still, in my opinion, a dangerous slippery slope. The more this happens the more the cross becomes a symbol for Jesus and now there is an idol created because the cross is being substituted for Jesus. The only symbol for Jesus we should have is Jesus.
Let’s take a look at an old hymn. I would imagine this hymn has been sung in almost every church. Being that it is public domain, here are the lyrics:
The Old Rugged Cross
© By: George Bennard
On a hill far away
stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suff’ring
and shame and I love that old cross
Where the dearest and
best for a world lost of sinners was slain
So I’ll cherish the
old rugged cross till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the
old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown
Oh the old rugged
cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous
attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of
God left His Glory above
To bear it to dark
Calvary
In the old rugged
cross stained with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I
see
For ‘twas on that old
cross Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and
sanctify me
To the old rugged
cross I will ever be true
It’s shame and
reproach gladly bear
Then He’ll call me
some day to my home far away
Where His Glory
forever I’ll share
Now this old hymn starts out great. It talks about how the cross is an
emblem of suffering, kind of how I stated it earlier, but then it goes downhill
from there. As you read the lyrics
it goes into loving the cross, cherishing the cross, clinging to the cross, and
being true to the cross. Hear my
heart in this. When singing this
song, whether in worship, as a prayer, or just singing it for the sake of
singing it, God is hearing every word.
So as these words come from the mouth, God hears how you love the cross,
cherish the cross, cling to the cross, and want to be true to the cross, but
hears of no affections towards Him.
God says in Deuteronomy 5:9, “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous
God”. It’s a jealous love. He wants our affection and love because
He loves us with an unfailing love.
It’s like a marriage. In
fact, if you read the book of Hosea, you would see this perfectly laid out. God is, or should be if He isn’t in
your life, the object of our affection, praise, and worship. Now I’m not trying to bash the Old
Rugged Cross hymn. In fact, if it
said I love what Jesus did for me on the cross, I cherish what Jesus did for me
on the cross, I cling to Jesus because of what He did for me on the cross, I
want to be true to Jesus because of what He did on the cross then I would have
no problem with this, but it doesn’t and there are many songs that point to the
cross like this one does and not Jesus.
I’m just saying to be careful and understand what you are in fact
listening and singing along to.
This doesn’t stop with songs either. I know of at least one religion that has special prayers to
the cross as well. We can take
this a step further and talk about how we adorn ourselves with jewelry,
clothing, and tattoos of the cross, (I have two out of these three) but I will
digress.
Now what kind of dire consequences will be seen if this type of idolatry is continued? Apostasy is the biggest one I could see happening. Apostasy is defined by Hebrews 3:12, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God”. Apostasy is denouncing your faith in God because you stop believing in Him. What can cause disbelief in God? Praying to and worship something that is not God, but believing it is God, and then getting mad at God because He is not responding to you. How can God respond if you’re not even talking to Him?
So, is the cross a reminder of salvation and redemption or a tool for idol worship? It is in my opinion that it is in danger of becoming both. Understand, this is just a viewpoint. This is meant to inspire conversation and warn of the dangers of putting an inanimate object before the Almighty, All Loving God Himself.
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