Month: December 2019

God put us on this earth to seek Him out and bring Him glory by the way we lead our lives in fervent praise and worship through Jesus Christ. We are not to conform to the world. We are to be set apart and live to please God. We cannot serve two masters.  The world is evil and will persecute us.  God made us to live in heaven. Our citizenship is there. The earth is not our home, we’re only visiting. Jesus said the following:

John 17:14-17 – I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world; just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from evil. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.

When God says something in the Bible more than once it’s important. When God repeats Himself in the same verse of group of verses it’s very important. God is telling us our home is in heaven. Since we have to be here to witness Jesus has prayed for our safety and continues to be our Champion in heaven.  Twice God tells us our best defense in this fallen world is His Word. Read it, study it, apply it so that we will be sanctified before the Lord and ready to meet whatever the world throws at us.

In His love and mercy God has provided saving grace to those who believe in the gospel of truth and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Through faith our sins are forgiven and the saints are covered by the righteousness of Christ Jesus and are not condemned.  The saints are heaven bound and will miss the Great White Throne Judgement of God reserved for the unbeliever.  Those who do not have the Son will spend eternity in the lake of fire and be tormented without end.  The saints must still stand before the bema judgement seat of Jesus to receive the reward for works done in the body but salvation is assured.  God has appointed Jesus to judge the nations and rule over the 1,000 year millennial kingdom of Jesus on the earth before taking the saints to live with Him in heaven forever.  Jesus created the universe and will rule over His creation forever.

John 5:22 – The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgement to the Son.

Acts 17:31 – Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

Hebrews 4:13 – There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Matthew 10:26 – There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

In Tim LaHaye’s book, “Understanding Bible Prophecy,”  he references a Gallup survey on religion revealing 62% of Americans believe in the literal second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. The same percentage also believe Jesus is God. The amazing thing is only 40% of Americans profess to have had a born again experience with Jesus Christ. This book was written a few years ago but things will not have changed very much.  That means 22% of Americans, two in ten people you are likely to meet, are ready to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior if they are approached in the right way by a witness for Christ. This is one of the reasons I went from the hard sell approach to witnessing to a more gentle method of speaking passionately about my witness for Christ in order to identify myself to those 2 in 10 who are ready to accept the grace of God unto salvation.

That is better than butting heads with the 80% who are not ready to hear you and will reject you out of hand. Using the gentle approach lets everyone know what you’re about but offends no one. You will be remembered when they need a witness in future.  You must continue to winnow the wheat from the chaff which can be time consuming but there is no other way and any amount of effort is worth it if it saves even one person from an eternity in the fires of hell. Take heart in the fact that even in the face of rejection you are sowing the seeds of the gospel that may be reaped later by someone else.

Most people who get saved need to hear the gospel numerous times before they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior so every rejection of the gospel they hear helps bring those people closer to a decision to accept God’s grace.  Sower or reaper, it makes no difference; all will be rewarded and God gets the increase. We are merely God’s messenger presenting the gospel of Christ. It’s up to the Holy Spirit to convict a person of their sin and apply God’s saving grace unto eternal life. We only help out. It’s up to God to save someone.

Before reading the rest of this blog take a few minutes and first read Revelation 20:11-15.  If you die in Christ Jesus your spirit immediately goes to be with the Lord in heaven. Jesus purchased that gift of God by His death on the cross and our faith in Him. You will eventually stand before the bema judgement seat of Jesus to receive your reward for works done in the body. Heaven has already been secured for you.  However, if you die without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you will have missed the boat. Your spirit will go directly to hell within the earth and suffer torment continuously until resurrected bodily for the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the 1,000 year millennial kingdom of Jesus on the earth.

At that time every sin of your life will be reviewed by Jesus and judged.  Your sentence will be handed down and carried out by an angel of God.  Everyone who finds themselves here gets the same sentence. The angel will lay hands on you and physically throw you into the eternal lake of fire God originally created for the fallen angels where you will be always in pain and agony for eternity along with Satan, the fallen angels (demons), the antichrist and the false prophet.  Our finite minds cannot grasp how long eternity really is. One hundred billion years is only a day in eternity.

The point is we must avoid hell at all costs.  Whatever it takes we must do it and the sooner the better! The way out of that fate is found in the Bible because God loves you and doesn’t want to send you to hell.  God has provided a way for you to escape hell through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior of your life. But God is also a just God and He will send you to hell if you turn down the mercy and grace offered to you by your loving Father. You have free will here.  It is imperative you make the right decision!

Hebrews 9:27 – It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement.

Revelation 20:15 – And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 22:12 – Behold, I am coming soon, and I will bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own works merit.

There are unseen forces, both angelic and demonic, that are actively working around us. God has a plan for our lives and works planned for us to do but Satan opposes God at every turn. That is spiritual warfare and the battle between good and evil has been going on since the dawn of human history.  Go to Amazon or Ebay and buy a copy of Stu Weber’s book “Spirit Warriors” for an in depth look at spiritual warfare. We can’t opt out of this fight because it’s about us and it’s all around us. We have to be in it to win it. To sit on the sideline is to forfeit any chance of victory.  This fight is in the spiritual realm against powers in heavenly places.

While we are in our earthly bodies in this physical realm we cannot see into the spiritual realm but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. Remember in Scripture when the prophet Elisha asked God to lower the veil between the spiritual and physical realms so his servant could see the angels from heaven stationed around them for protection. We’re that close and can’t see it.  Remember also when the archangel Gabriel was dispatched by God to speak with Daniel in response to Daniel’s prayers for Israel. Gabriel said he was delayed three weeks in a struggle with the prince of Persia, the demon controlling that area of the world.  The archangel Michael finally had to join the battle with Gabriel in order to free up Gabriel to complete his assignment from God.

Angels are very powerful. Can you imagine what it must look like for a thousand angel engaged in hand to hand combat with an equal force of demons?  Half the battle is just realizing there is a real firefight going on all around us. Without God and His angels protecting us the powers of darkness would destroy all human beings on earth within days. God loves us and in His Word He has given us everything we need to be victorious against Satan.  Put on the whole armor of God that is described in Ephesians 6:10-20, and take the battle to the enemy. Victory is already assured if we just obey God’s commands because God’s Word is truth and must come to pass. God loves us and would not leave us defenseless.

Only 10% of Christians who attend church regularly have read the entire Bible. Fewer still read their Bibles daily or actually study the Bible for deeper meaning. We all want to do it and plan to do it; we just allow Satan to distract us so we never get around to it. Satan knows without the knowledge of God’s Word we are defenseless against him and his demons.  More importantly, we cannot witness for Christ effectively without a good working knowledge of God’s Word. Satan’s goal is to make sure saved Christians remain on spiritual milk all their lives and therefore cannot save others on the road to hell.  Every non-Christian, of course, has not read the Bible either which is why they are non-believers. Every atheist, agnostic and adherent of other false religions all have this in common. In their arrogance they listen to themselves or to other people who profess to know all about religion without investigating themselves whether or not God is real.

None of them actually take the time to read the Holy Bible. Their eternal destiny hangs in the balance. Their soul depends on it. I’ll say this over and over until the cows come home. You cannot read the Bible through twice with an open mind without accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  The Holy Spirit is always present when God’s Word is read or spoken, ready to convict a willing heart of the truth of God’s Word. God’s Spirit will commune with your spirit to verify the truth of God’s Word in your heart.  In these last days it is very important to know you Bible thoroughly in order to know false teaching when you hear it because false prophets, false teachers and corrupt doctrine will abound in the end times to lead the elect away from the church and the truth of God’s Word. Prepare yourself for that day. Listen to God in Scripture tell us why we should study His Word:

2 Tim 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You will be able to discern the truth contained in the Bible because you have read and studied it so you will not be ashamed when you stand before Jesus at the bema judgement seat. Since you know God’s Word you will follow His commands and therefore you will meet with God’s approval on that day. This little verse says a lot.

Eph 4:14 – That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

How is that for a warning what will happen if you don’t read and know God’s Word intimately? God is warning us to protect ourselves with His Word so do it now.

Eph 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Satan is a very powerful fallen angel and we have no chance against him by ourselves and make no mistake, Satan is out to utterly destroy us. Satan is no match for God and God graciously offers His protection to us through His Word.

Matthew 4:19 – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.

As Jesus was beginning His ministry He was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and chose His first two disciples, Peter and Andrew, when He uttered the above verse to them. Jesus didn’t choose disciples for the fun of it.  Jesus chose people he was going to train to go out and share the “good news” of the gospel with a sin-filled world. The disciples didn’t know that then but Jesus knew from the beginning. What good would it have been for Jesus to die for our sins if He left nobody to carry on and share the “good news” with the rest of the world?  The key was to teach these new disciples how to “fish”; to hook them and haul them into the boat of God’s kingdom as His possession.  Once Jesus taught the disciples how to fish for men they were expected to train others to do the same thing.  Fishing for souls and pulling people out of the fires of hell is serious business.

Once you are a Christian you are a disciple of Christ and another synonym for disciple is “fisher of men”. Disciple and fisher of men are two names that mean the same thing. We are a disciple but what we do is fish for men. We are what we do.  Whenever you see the term disciple in Scripture think “fisher of men” and you’ll always have God’s primary command to you before your eyes and at the forefront of your mind.  You are not only what you do, you are what you think. Say it out loud “I’m a fisher of men” and say it repeatedly in order to train your mind to make it a reality. In the Bible God says you can have what you say so keep saying “I’m a fisher of men” and pray for it also.

God will give you your wish because it’s a promise in His Word and God cannot lie. It’s God’s will and fondest wish for you and because you have asked. In Scripture God says to ask of Him what you will and it will be given to you if it’s according to God’s will, and it is!  Ask God to make you a fisher of men and you’re in God’s wheelhouse! God has been waiting and hoping you’d ask for this so be prepared to be blessed beyond belief. As a fisher of men you must “go” and not wait for men to come to you.  I’ve tried that so I know that doesn’t work as well.  Make others aware of what you’re about and then the choice is theirs when they’re ready to talk with you.  Don’t be pushy but be available.  They will come.

Rom 10:15 – And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Lk 14:23 – Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

It’s late on Christmas eve and I should be in bed but I’m staying up to write one last love letter to God, which is what my blogs are. It’s a blessing to be able to share my love of God with others. The Holy Spirit has given me the inclination to write and when I sit down at my desk I usually don’t have a clue where I’m going. I have tons of reference material. I’ll drink a few cups of coffee and meditate a few minutes while asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. I scratch wherever I get the itch.  I’m streaky and sometimes repetitive. Sometimes I get on a topic and beat it to death. Sometimes I repeat myself but it’s all good. I speak what’s on my mind and I make no apologies for it. I go where my passion takes me. I’m not a politically correct person so don’t be offended by my honesty. I could be wrong but I never have a hidden agenda. I simply want to know the truth wherever that takes me.

I welcome comments because a discussion helps us all grow in our faith. In the wisdom literature of Proverbs God confirms that the council of many results in better decisions. In this age of television, cell phones and texting people don’t talk over issues like they used to and interactions are superficial at best.  The next time you go to a restaurant look at the tables around you. The majority will be on the phone, playing games or texting. They may as well dine alone because conversation is nil. The best venue for Christians to fellowship is still at church as a member of the congregation.  Blogging is a viable way for the body of Christ to gain information and insight and even share their views on-line if they aren’t a member of a local church. The important thing is to go directly to God’s Word for the answers to your questions and not rely on others interpreting God’s Word.  I try to back up my comments with supporting Scripture as much as I can.  I welcome feedback and correction on any blog.

My plan was to write one blog a week and respond to any comments during the week. The problem is after four years of studying the Bible I had so much material stored up I just had to get it out and into the blog archives. So, in the first twelve days on line I’ve posted over fifty blogs and I still have maybe two dozen more I need to post.  Christian blogging for me is passive witnessing for Christ.  It satisfies my soul and I believe there is no better use of my time. I’m like a dog worrying a bone, I can’t leave it alone. I go to bed at night and wake up in the morning formulating blogs in my head that need to be written.  Maybe the new will wear off but I don’t think so.  I think this is God’s plan for the rest of my life. I’m not a pastor or Christian scholar. I’m a simple layman with a passion for God’s Word and for witnessing for Christ.

I seek to share and to learn in equal measure. I seek the truth and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I don’t know how long a blog should be. I’m trying to keep it to one page, around 250 words or less.  Any less and I may not get my point across. Any longer and I might bore you to the point you lose interest. Everyone has a short attention span today, including me. Blogging is a new journey for me that I hope to get better at over time.  The Holy Spirit gives each believer a spiritual gift or gifts to aid them in their walk with God. Amazingly, most Christians don’t have a clue what spiritual gift they have. I’m not sure myself but I’m starting to believe I have the spiritual gift of “exhortation”, which is proclaiming God’s word and encouraging the brethren to faithfulness.

Exhortation is usually the gift of preachers, teachers, and evangelists but Christian writers fall into this category too. The Apostles Peter, John and Paul had this gift. I believe Christian blogging falls into this broad category but I could be wrong. Maybe I’m just hoping.  I’ll continue praying for clarity.  As the author of history, God prepares His servants to use every new advancement in communication methods. Blogging is here now with the potential for impacting millions out there who do not attend a church but still hunger for God’s Word and the salvation it promises. Blogging is evolving and if used correctly can unite the faithful and guide others to the truth of God’s Word.

I never intended to write a Christian blog. Blogging found me. I’ve always been a profuse writer of study notes and personal letters so writing comes naturally. I have a journal. When I started studying God’s Word my personal journal became my spiritual journal. I progressed to sharing my Christian insights with family and friends by email.  A childhood friend who is a man of God suggested I start a Christian blog so here I am. All I know is the Holy Spirit prompts me to study God’s Word and write about it. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch, an urge I can’t resist. I can understand how the writers of the Bible books were moved along by the Holy Spirit as they wrote their verses.

The name of my blog has been on my mind for a number of years. It stuck with me since  I first heard the following story, which makes me think the Holy Spirit even then was grooming me to be a blogger. A son was writing an article about his father, an elderly pastor, who was in a hospital dying of terminal cancer.  The old pastor on several occasions got out of his hospital bed and heading for the exit.  As he hurried down the hospital corridor in his hospital gown, Bible in hand, he could be heard talking to himself.  The old pastor kept repeating over and over the phrase, “one more for Jesus.”   That struck a nerve with me.  I intuitively knew here was a man who knows a secret and is pursuing it until his dying breath.

My website, www.onemoreforjesus.net, is named in honor of this old pastor, whose name I’ll never know.  I do know his secret.  I too will witness for Christ while there is breath in me, always striving to get, “one more for Jesus.”  Here was a man who knew what was important in life. Here was a man who knew he was dying but his only thought was saving one more person from an eternity in the fires of hell. His life was focused on the only important thing. No telling how many people this old pastor ushered into God’s kingdom but his focus was on the next one and then the one after that.  Until  his last breath he was going to work God’s harvest field. The old pastor is my hero and a shining example of witnessing for Christ as life’s top priority, using every waking moment searching for an unbeliever to save. Never being satisfied. Always striving for “one more for Jesus”.