Month: January 2020

In the Bible, from start to finish, the two main themes are the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord and speaking to God in prayer. God is Spirit and you must worship Him in spirit. God has invited us into His presence any time day or night through prayer.  God commands us to pray. Prayer is a great privilege granted to us by God. When we get to heaven one of our greatest regrets will be we didn’t pray enough when we had the chance. In the following verses of Scripture God invites us to pray:

Matthew 11:28 – Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

John 7:37 – If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

God invites us to ask for His help:

Romans 8:26 – In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.

Why we pray to God:

James 4:2 – You do not have because you do not ask.

James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We need to make sure we have a clear line of communication with God and that takes study and practice. First, know God’s Word thoroughly which takes daily Bible reading and study, watch preachers regularly on television and read all the religious source material you can including books by well known Bible scholars and preachers. I have a library full of them and they are a source of joy. You will never know enough.  The goal is to stay in God’s Word until the Holy Spirit etches God’s commands into your heart. I want to become so familiar with Scripture they’re like old friends so I know exactly how God wants me to respond to any situation. The continuous journey we are all on should be spent seeking God’s will in our lives, which is called sanctification.

Second, we need to learn how to pray so we can become a mighty prayer warrior for God. We need to know what and when to pray and what resources we have available to help us pray to God effectively. I know one thing, it’s hard to pray effectively if you don’t know God’s Word. So we have to start there.  The Bible tells you how to pray in detail. There is a set process acceptable to God which goes like this: praise, thanksgiving, petition, intercession and confession. Use as appropriate, depending on the type of prayer and what you are praying about. Remember that prayer is just talking to God and He promises to listen because you are a child of God, His child.

Prayer doesn’t have to perfect to get results but the closer we are to the ideal prayer the better. The Lord’s Prayer is the perfect model prayer we are to emulate. Keep in mind the Holy Spirit is indwelt to hep us modify our prayers to God, if needed, so that it is acceptable to God the Father.  Jesus is also at God’s right hand making intercession for us continually. So, we have our own prayer interpreter (Holy Spirit) plus we have our own counselor in heaven (Jesus Christ) to plead our case before the throne of grace. It’s obvious God wants to hear from us in prayer because He has established the perfect framework for us to communicate with Him.  The Bible is God speaking to us and prayer is us speaking to God. God’s Word is perfect. God has established a perfect system to communicate with us.  The problem is man, who is falling down on our end by praying ineffectively or not at all.

In the upper room Jesus made a promise to His disciples:

John 14:16 – And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.

Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit, a divine member of the triune Godhead, who came to earth at Pentecost to indwell all believers. Once the Holy Spirit indwells a believer he is sealed by God as His own, never to be plucked from God’s hand. I went to church as a child and was saved at age twelve and baptized before the congregation.  I was then a backslider for 40 years and didn’t think I was saved all that time. For many years I was aware that God was pursuing me. I mean, you know when you’re being stalked. You can feel it. God kept throwing godly people in my path to the point it was noticeable. I just assumed God did this to everyone.

When I returned to God I realized I’d had the Holy Spirit inside me the whole time since the age of twelve. God wasn’t trying to save me, God was trying to bring me back into fellowship because I’d drifted away from Him. My question now is does God pursue the unbeliever like I assumed? I don’t think so now. If anyone out there knows different let me know.  I’ve felt the Holy Spirit move in me once which gives me the physical proof of God’s seal to go along with what I know by faith. God doesn’t do this with everyone and I don’t know why God blessed me in that way. I have the peace of God knowing whatever happens in this world I’ll be in heaven someday.

The job of every Christian is to bring along as many to heaven as we can until we leave for home. My only real concern is displeasing God by not witnessing enough. Trust me, you do not want to stand before the bema judgement seat of Christ empty handed in that regard. You still have time. Review all my early blogs which will prepare you to witness for Christ. Go forth among the people searching for a convicted heart ready to receive the gospel message.

The greatest spiritual law in the Bible, and the one that ensures our salvation, is that of imputation. This is the act of one person adding something to another person’s account. All men are born with a sin nature and the wages of that sin is death.  We got our sin nature handed down to us through Adam. In the Garden of Eden, Adam sinned against God and took on a sin nature that was then imputed (passed down) to all men who came after Adam.  So then So then, through the spiritual law of imputation all men have sinned because of Adam’s original sin and therefore come under the judgement of God requiring a death, a blood sacrifice, to atone for that sin. The justice of God requires this.

Since no man was worthy to be that atoning sacrifice for our sins God Himself came down off His throne to die in our place so that we might have our sins forgiven and have eternal life in heaven in fellowship with God. God came to earth as the man Jesus because a human being was required for this sacrifice. Jesus was both fully man and fully God.  Jesus Christ died a horrible death on the cross at Calvary in our place, thereby taking on to Himself the sins of all men, past, present and future. The wrath of God for that sin fell on Jesus instead of us. Jesus died for you and for me.

It’s personal.  By the spiritual law of imputation our sin was imputed (passed down) to Jesus so he could bear it for us. In exchange for our sin, Jesus exchanged or imputed (passed down) to us His righteousness.  When God looks down from His throne at us now He doesn’t see our sin. Our sin was forgiven. In sin’s place God only sees the righteousness of His beloved Son Jesus. We have passed from death to life. This is the greatest swap of all time by the grace of a loving God.

Rom 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth.

Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.

Mat 26:28 – For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Rom 4:24 – It (righteousness) shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Have you ever noticed that at no time since the foundation of the world has God utterly destroyed a creature created in His image (angels & men)? God is eternal so anything made in His image (i.e. with a spirit) is also eternal.  I think it’s a spiritual law once God has put His Spirit in something it cannot be unmade or destroyed. God cannot be mocked by violating His Word. God could destroy Satan and all the fallen angels with a word but chooses instead to one day incarcerate them in hell for eternity.

Man also becomes immortal at conception the instant God bestows on us an eternal spirit. Once our journey starts in the womb the die is cast. We have two possible eternal destinations, heaven or hell, and the choice must be made by us during our lifetime on earth.  It’s up to each of us to seek out God and accept His grace unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  To reject God outright or even make no decision is to choose an eternity in hell being tormented 24/7. We have a binary choice, heaven or hell, and only a heartbeat separates us from both destinations.

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

Satan and his fallen angels sowed sin in heaven long ago and were thrown out. In the future they will reap an eternity in the lake of fire God made for them. In times past angels came to earth, took on human form and slept with women. Violating their estate was an abomination to God and those angels even now are chained up in the lower pits of hell awaiting God’s judgement. Those fallen angels sowed sin and will reap eternity in the same lake of fire as Satan. God never destroys what He has made but God is always just.

We all know God established the physical laws that govern our universe. Less known is the fact God has also set up spiritual laws. God hasn’t announced hey, these are my laws but He also hasn’t tried to keep them secret. If you study God’s Word you will see spiritual laws. One principle that jumps out to me is “you reap what you sow”.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

I see this spiritual law vividly illustrated in the Bible story of God’s death angel striking down the first born of Egypt after Pharaoh made the same decree for the Israelites. Another memorable story of this spiritual law in action occurred in Persia where Haman built gallows to hang Mordecai the Jew and the king hanged Haman instead. Time after time in the Bible the Israelites sowed disobedience to God and then reaped destruction. The results were inevitable because God is always just.  This spiritual law, “you reap what you sow”, was not limited to the Old Testament times. This law is valid in our time and forever. I can recall times in my life where this spiritual law unfolded as written and I’ll bet you can too. We can change this dynamic by starting to sow “good things” so that God will reward us accordingly. God is always just.

In my Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible there are 21 listed attributes of the Lord. I know God is inside of me and my constant companion and friend. It’s important we don’t get too complacent about that.  The Bible tells us in numerous places to fear the Lord. By fear the Bible means to look upon God with awe and reverence. With that in mind, it’s a good thing to think about who God is on occasion.  It’s up to us to keep that fear of God alive in us. I’ve put God’s attributes on an index card so I can reflect on God on a regular basis and try to understand the majesty and magnitude of God.

1. God is holy – His most prominent attribute.
2. God is love – He has unselfish concern for man, always seeking our highest good.
3. God is good – He is kind, cordial, benevolent and full of good will toward men.
4. God is faithful – He is loyal to Himself and loyal to men.
5. God is true – His divine nature is the definition of truth.
6. God is righteous and just – He has moral equity.
7. God is merciful – He grants forgiveness and salvation.
8. God is gracious – He grants unmerited favor to men.
9. God is light – He is the source and strength of all illumination.
10. God is wise – He uses infinite knowledge to the best possible end.

These first ten attributes show us who God is, His personality and His majesty. They should instill in us a sense of reverence. These are the attributes we always need to keep at the forefront of our mind when dealing with God. Always approach the throne of grace with humility while giving praise and worship to God the Father at all times. These next 11 attributes show us the magnitude of God and should instill in us a sense of awe toward God.

11. God is sovereign – He is the absolute and sole ruler of the universe.
12. God is omnipotent – He is all-powerful.
13. God is omnipresent – He is everywhere.
14. God is omniscient – He is all-knowing.
15. God is infinite – He is without limitations.
16. God is eternal – He is not bound by time.
17. God is self-sufficient – God has no need not provided by His nature.
18. God is self-existent – He exists because He exists.
19. God is immutable – He is constant, never changing.
20. God is inscrutable – He is inexplicable and mysterious.
21. God is incomprehensible – Man cannot understand or comprehend God.

10. We spend more time in worship and praise of God.
11. We desire to give more to others.
12. We see trials and temptations as a chance for spiritual growth.
13. Our spiritual battles become more intense.

If the Bible teaches us anything it’s no pain no gain. The Bible makes it clear we will suffer in this life as Jesus suffered. If we follow God and persevere until the end we will be rewarded and God will be glorified. God doesn’t tell us why He does everything He does nor does He need to. Our job is to trust God and obey Him while offering praise and worship to the Father at all times.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – We live by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

A natural result of spiritual maturation is more time in praise and worship of God. As we grow in Christ we want to give more to the needy as Jesus did. However, the more we obey God the more we come into conflict with Satan and his demons who oppose everything God does. We are not as powerful as demons so God will send His guardian angels to protect us so we can do the works God has planned for us to do since the foundation of the world.

Luke 22:40 – Pray that you may not enter into temptation.

James 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Hebrews 1:14 – Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.

Psalm 91:11 – For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

7. We start to feel God’s love.
8. Our desire to obey Him becomes more intense and sin becomes less attractive.
9. We are eager to share our relationship with Christ with others.

I’ve said it before and I know it for a fact you cannot read the entire Bible through twice with an open mind without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In the presence of God’s Word the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit to not only confirm God’s existence but to declare we are God’s own children.

Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

What draws people to God is not His awesome power or the threat of hell; it’s the unfailing love God has for us. Scripture says God is “love” and that creates trust. We all know if you want someone to listen to you and believe in you, you must first convince them that you care about them. God does that in the Bible.

Psalm 84:2 – My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Psalm 42:1 – As the deer pants for streams of water, my soul pants for you, O Lord.

When you stay in God’s Word regularly you begin to know God and feel His love for you. You feel God’s “goodness” and it makes you not want to displease Him. You want to obey God so sin loses its luster for you. You want to please God and the best way to do that is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Jeremiah 31:3 – Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

4. We experience more awareness of His presence.
5. We start to view everything as coming from God.
6. We can sense our faith growing stronger.

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires a lot of hard work but it will happen over time as you read your Bible and study God’s Word. How could it not? It’s God’s will and a part of the sanctification process by the Holy Spirit.  First, read your entire Bible at least once a year.  Second, memorize Scripture as an important exercise and component of Bible study. I have two boxes of 3″X 5″ index cards with memorable Scriptures in numerical order and tabbed with the Bible book where the verse is located. One box is for the New Testament and the other is for the Old Testament. I review the verses regularly so I can recall them as needed for my blog.

Third, read other biblical source materials. I’m currently rereading a history of Jesus. I have a number of Bible guides and commentaries I review often. I have a library full of books by well known Bible authors. I have Strong’s concordance for Scripture research.  The point is, the more you read the more well rounded you are in all things pertaining to God and the kingdom and that’s a very good thing. The more you read about God and know about God the more your thirst for God will increase.  We all know God is everywhere but human nature being what it is, we’re out of sight out of mind.

When you read God’s Word daily, and study it, and meditate on it, God is constantly before your eyes. You’re constantly reminded God is there inside you as the Holy Spirit and His goal is to help you.  You start to view God as a constant companion and friend instead of a distant Creator and this is reinforced by Bible verses you can recall from your study of God’s Word. All things work in concert to make you more aware of God’s presence.  I have a new appreciation of God’s ownership of the earth and everything in it, including me. Scripture says all good things come from the Lord and I know that in my soul. My faith grows stronger every day because God is reaffirmed in everything I learn.