Letter To A Friend

Dear friend. Your letter has encouraged me greatly. Thank you for these beautiful, heartfelt words. In some ways our lives are two steps forward...one step back. Stumble, stumble. In His eyes we are perfect and holy. But in our daily lives, we still struggle with the spiritual battle, forgetting that we cannot, of ourselves, deter the enemy. Only our faith in Christ, as we apply the armor of God, wins each battle. Wounds are to be expected in a battle, Arlene so we shouldn't be surprised when we drop our shield a bit and one of Satan's fiery darts hits its mark. Not to worry, they are not fatal!

Your friend always,

David

What If It's True?

Looking Up

“...looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:13

Is The Cross of Christ Foolish?

"The message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved, it is God's power." ~Apostle Paul in first letter to the Corinthians.

Words of life!

All You Do Is. . .

We don't preach (or live) the whole gospel. Instead we live the AYDI (All You Do Is) gospel, When we share Christ, we often present the reality of the Christian life in manageable bites, starting with All You Do Is. We woo people along with the least amount of commitment, only to add more requirements the longer they walk with Christ. The progression looks a lot like this:

• All you do is say this simple sinner's prayer.
• All you do is attend church.
• All you do is stop doing bad things.
• All you do is read your bible.
• All you do is get baptized.
• All you do is learn how to pray.
• All you do is memorize Scriptures.
• All you do is learn how to share your faith.
• All you do is attend Bible studies.
• All you do is teach a Bible study.
• All you do is raise your kids to be Christians.
• All you do is make sure your marriage reflects Jesus.
• All you do is go on a short-term mission trip.
• All you do is give money to the church.
• All you do is give money to those in need. 
• All you do is become a pastor or a missionary or a deacon or an elder.
• All you do is die to your own desires and embrace Jesus' lordship.

This progression is not the Gospel. Where it ends, "All you do is die to your own desires and embrace Jesus' lordship," is where is should start. As Western Christians, we tend to think linearly, but the Gospel is more circular, all-encompassing. The Gospel isn't a progressive list of improvement tactics.
       Taken from, Everything, what you give and what you gain to become like Jesus. Mary DeMuth

Faith Not Feelings

We live by faith and not by sight!  2 Cor. 5:7

Unlike any other book, the Bible is God's living, eternal Word, filled with absolute promises that enable us to live an extraordinary life with no fear. However, because we do have weak moments when we do feel afraid, we have only to call upon the Lord, to read His words and see His promises to bask in the peace and security He freely gives.

Regardless of our circumstances, He will never leave or forsake us. Not only that, He awaits for us at the door of our mansion in Heaven with a perfectly fitted robe of righteousness, washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!

At a meeting, the leader, when talking about our feelings said, “Feelings are neither right or wrong, they just are!” At first some of those present stood against his description but after considering what he said, they all agreed it was true. Feelings are part of who we are but when they cause misdirection, confusion, fear, or more negative responses, we know they are to be controlled. And only God can come to the rescue. He can replace negative feelings with His promises of care and eternal salvation.

            John 11:25-26  ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

            John 10:10-11  I came that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly. ¹¹"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

            1 Peter 1:3-5   ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

            John 10:27-30  ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

            John 6:35-40  ³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. ³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. ³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

            1 John 4:4   ⁴ But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people (false teachers, spirit of the anti-christ), because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

            Romans 8:38  ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

            2 Corinthians 5:17  ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

            Matthew 11:28-30  ²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

            The teenage boy told his father, “Dad, I don’t feel like mowing the lawn today.” To which his father replied, “Then I guess I don’t feel like feeding you dinner.”

CONDEMNATION OR FORGIVENESS?

At first, Allen held his shield of faith high, deflecting those fiery satanic darts, extinguishing them quickly. But as time wore on, his shield seemed heavier and his focus scattered so it wasn’t held as high. A little space is all Satan needs for those darts. He is an excellent marksman.

            Time passed, Allen’s attention shifted, his shield dropped lower. More darts hit their mark. Allen seemed less positive about his faith and standing in Christ. He found doubt to be a normal part of his life, slowly replacing faith, slowly dropping his shield.

            Until finally, Allen didn’t bother to put on his armor at all. His shield of faith was somewhere in the closet, under a pile of doubt and insecurity.

If only I'd (done or not done) that. I should’ve seen that coming; saved more money; got rid of that credit card; been more honest with them; studied harder; finished the project on time. . . and so the little accusing voice (fiery darts) within our minds goes, piling on guilt and condemnation. The Bible clearly says, however, that there is no condemnation for believers. Will I listen to the condemning voice (not God) or the uplifting, encouraging one (God)?

            Romans 8:1-2  So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.

            Romans 8:9-11  But you are not carnal but spiritual if the Spirit of God finds a home within you. You cannot, indeed, be a Christian at all unless you have something of his Spirit in you. Now if Christ does live within you his presence means that your sinful nature is dead, but your spirit becomes alive because of the righteousness he brings with him. I said that our nature is “dead” in the presence of Christ, and so it is, because of its sin. Nevertheless once the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives within you he will, by that same Spirit, bring to your whole being new strength and vitality.

            Romans 8:14-15  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!

            Galatians 4:6  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!

            Romans 8:28, 31  Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?

 John 1:12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

            God's rescue is eternal and very personal. He prepared the way by allowing Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God,  to be crucified so we may experience not only joy for the moment, but a joy everlasting. Well aware of our weaknesses, He implanted His Holy Spirit in our hearts, our souls—preparing  an immediate, incorruptible two-way communication system between us and Himself.

            And what of your shield of faith? Is it shiny and dent-free, hanging on the wall or hidden in the closet? Or is it covered with dings, dents, scrapes and black spots where those fiery darts were extinguished?

“You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free”  John 8:32

How often do we struggle with our behavior, thoughts, attitudes and actions? Others may not be aware of our struggles but they are hiding just below the surface. Many years ago a visiting pastor stood behind the pulpit, sharing the Word of God. He was unknown in the church. In appearance he seemed unremarkable. A man in his fifties, glasses, dark hair, dark suit.

            His message was tearing at our facades; who we really were when we were not at church. Did our neighbors see us as our Christian friends did? How about or fellow workers. What version of us do they see?

            Then he drove home his point vividly: “Here at church, people see me as I am right now, smiling and friendly, standing upright, the picture of Christian behavior. But what about on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and throughout the week, is this what they see?” As he said this, he stepped from behind the pulpit and walked slowly across the stage, revealing to us his deformed and crippled right leg. Each step required effort as he drug that leg sideways, causing his entire body to lope along with effort. “Do my neighbors and co-workers see a different person from the one I present at church?”

            Faith in Christ CAN set us free if we walk in the truth.

·         John 8:36  So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

·         Romans 8:1-2  So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

·         2 Cor. 3:16-17  Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom.

·         Gal. 5:1  Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free men, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.

·         Gal. 5:13-14  As for you, my brothers, you were called to be free. But do not let your freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires rule you. Instead, let love make you serve one another. For the whole Law is summed up in one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

·         1 Peter 2:16-17  Live as free men; do not use your freedom, however, to cover up any evil, but live as God’s slaves. Respect all men, love your fellow believers, fear God, and respect the (President).

·         Romans 7:6  Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners. No longer do we serve in the old way of a written law, but in the new way of the Spirit.

·         Romans 6:20-23  When you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. Well, what good did you receive from doing the things that you are ashamed of now? The result of those things is death! But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God; as a result your life is fully dedicated to him, and at last you will have eternal life. For sin pays it wage—death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Freedom is one of the primary pillars on which America was founded. Over the decades, those freedoms have been eroded and the original foundations have given way to vicious assaults by evil men who do not walk in the freedom of Christ. “Thinking themselves wise, they became fools,” according to Romans 1:22.

True freedom, freedom in Christ, can NEVER be taken away from one who has put their faith in Christ. Just as Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins (Jn. 10:18), he also guards our lives for all eternity.

THE FALL OF PRIDE

In weakness we can find strength, God’s perfect strength. But in our strength, our pride, when fully developed, we can find desolation and pain. Such was the case in my life many years ago in a place far away.

I was a faithful Christian, involved in church leadership, teaching Bible classes, volunteering at the children’s private Christian school. I was the epitome of walking after the Lord…on the outside.

Inside I had allowed doubt and lust to establish a foothold in my heart and mind. Subtly I allowed stray looks, personal remarks and thoughts to slide in and build comfortable seating arrangements in my inner man, in my heart.

"He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed." Psalm 107:29

Solid Food!

“You need milk, not solid food.” Hebrews 5:12

            By the third grade, all the students and teachers realized that Daniel always brought an insulated lunch bag to school to keep his milk cool. That in itself, was not a radical thing to do. But in his case, milk was all his lunch bag contained. Finally his teacher met with the principal and they decided to talk with Daniel’s parents.

            “This may seem strange to you, Mrs. Phillips but we are concerned about your son’s diet in that he seems to only be drinking milk; no solid foods.”

            “Once we realized how packed-full of protein, vitamin D and calcium milk is, his father and I decided there was nothing better Daniel could take-in each day,” said Mrs. Phillips.

            “Do you mean to say you son eats no solid food?”

            “That’s correct, he only drinks milk. Of course we add little flavor treats at home and on weekends like chocolate, vanilla, and ice cream. We all need a little variety in our diets!”

            Fortunately for Daniel, the school provided professional dietary help for the Phillips family which included adding vegetables, grain, and fruits.

            Although this fictionalized version of extreme behavior seems silly or worse to us, we are warned by God to move away from a spiritual diet based on milk alone. Specifically, we are cautioned that instead of being able to teach others and understand more of His teachings, we remain as children, with stunted comprehension.

Floundering or Flourishing?

“But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.” Romans 12:24

            My friend had been a Christian for 15 years, having the same combination of joys and struggles most of us have, when he began listening to a pastor who proclaimed that God wanted all believers to enjoy prosperity, better jobs, health, happiness and that elusive promotion.

            “God loves you so much,” the man said, “that he wants you to enjoy your piece of heaven right now while you're here on earth. Don't believe the talk about a recession or bad economic times,” he continued, “it is during these times that God moves all obstacles in our way so we can prosper and be an example to the world!”

            After listening for several months and sending his tithe and offerings, suggested by the pastor (as you give so shall you reap), his overall fortunes took a dive. My friend was floundering. He was discouraged and disappointed with God. Instead of realizing that the pastor was in error, he looked higher and fixed the blame on God. His heavenly dispensing machine had failed to produce according to his wishes.

            My friend had been lured away by the promises of a worldly pastor, using materialistic bounty to distort and confuse the truth of the Gospel.