Thoughts on Christ and His Word

What drives passion? Passion is driven by love. It is stirred up  by spending time  with the person or the activity  that we are passionate about  and even spending resources  to engage with that person or thing. When you love a woman deeply you are passionate about her safety her well-being and you display it by wanting to spend enormous amounts of time with her. The more time we spend with her the more we love her in the more passionate we become about her. When we are passionate about a sports team we buy their t-shirts and socks and we move Heaven and Earth to watch them live or at least on our HD TVs. The more we watched the more we fall in love (unless they are big time losers). What drives our passion for God? When we love God passionately it's because we understand his love for us, what it cost him to love us, and all the benefits that His love brings to our lives. The more we meditate on God's love as revealed in his Word we increase our passion for him and we wil

In Hebrews 5:11 - 14 the author tells the Jewish believers that they are still immature; That they are slow to learn. Even though they should be teachers they still need to be taught because they are not putting into practice the Word of God. I n verse 14 he gives the definition of a mature believer : But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Heb 5:14 Mature Christians are those who practice what they know; Who use their knowledge to discern right from wrong and choose to do right.

Titus 2:1 Paul wrote "You must teach what is in a accord with sound doctrine." Then the rest of chapter 2 and 3 is loaded with godly character traits and attitudes that Christians must have. He dictates the kind of relationships we need to have with one another and even the outside world. It seems like sound doctrine for Paul included heavy doses of Christian godliness rather than a focus on what Christians need to believe. Sound Christian doctrine as in our belief system is crucial however just as crucial is for us to live out our faith in godly character and attitudes.

Paul wrote to the Philippians: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." (1:9-10) We need to abound in love. But real Biblical love must be based on knowledge and insight. We need to learn to love God's way and forsake the world's ideas on how to love. Only God knows what it truly means to love because "God is love."

All sin is a violation of love, either a lack of love towards God or others. Romans 13:8 says "...for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law." So any command of God including the Ten Commandments are all related to love. The first four of the Ten Commandments are all related to how we love God and the last six on how we love other people. Romans 13:10 says "Love does no harm to its neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." In any situation we need to discover what true Biblical love looks like and then act in according to it. By this means we are fulfilling the law of love and acting in obedience to God.

What makes the parable of the lost son so beautiful is that we all understand that this is a story of the Father who has unconditional love and grace in his heart towards his son. And a son who after being beaten up by life, willingly and repentantly returns to the Father to receive his gracious gift of forgiveness.  The Father is constantly looking and longing for people to return to their loving Creator and Savior.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men 1 Timothy 2:5-6

God is the one who opens doors for the gospel. Open doors are opportunities where God opens the heart of people to receive the Gospel. We must pray and open our eyes for these open doors. In Acts chapter 10 God revealed to Peter that there was an open door in Caserea through the vision of the sheets and then by telling him to go with the three men that we're looking for him.  When Peter arrives at Caserea he finds a house full of people ready to receive the gospel. In chapter 11 the Jews who had been persecuted and scattered throughout Phonecia, Cypress and Antioch went preaching the gospel. At Antioch the brothers were bold enough and visionary enough to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles came to Christ which revealed an open door. The Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas who saw this great open door of Grace and then he went and got Saul from Tarsus and both of them kept preaching and picking fruit at Antioch. In the first open door Peter found it by a heavy dose of s

David wrote "When I consider your Heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" Psalms 8:3-4 Why does God think about people? Why does he care for people? In my view there can only be two answers: 1) Because God is love 1st John 4:16. God can do nothing else but love. God loves all of his creation but he has a special love for people because people are made in His image. Thus the second reason that God loves us is because he created us to look like him, to be like him. So we are his very special Creations, the jewel of all creation. When a sinful woman sleeps with a man whom she barely knows but in a heat of passion and Lust for Pleasure goes to bed with him and a child is conceived, at first she may not appreciate the fact that she is pregnant. But when that child comes out she loves him even if it was conceived through a man that she barely knew and throu

When Peter preached repentance for the Forgiveness of sins in Acts 2:38, the repentance referred not to general sin but to the fact that they had crucified Jesus Christ who was both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). By repenting (Gk. "change of mind") they would stop rejecting Christ and in fact turn to Him in faith and thus "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" Acts 2:38. Acts 3:19 says "repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out." Again what were they to repent of, general sin such as fornication or drunkenness? No, they were to repent of having killed the "author of life", the holy and righteous one. They were to change their mind about who Christ was and rather than rejecting him they were to turn to God in faith believing that Jesus is the Son of God whom the Father sent to die and pay for the sins of the world and that he rose again on the third day. So repentance is a turning but not necessarily a turning from smoking and dr

In John 15:2 Jesus said "He cuts off every branch that in me bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." We all know that pruning includes trials, troubles, and tribulations. And the purpose of these trials is to create the character of Christ in us which equals love. Every hardship and trial is God moving us more in the direction of love - loving Him and loving others more. When Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave God was moving Joseph toward more love for himself and for his brothers. He needed to learn to love his brothers and therefore increase in having the character of God. And he needed to learn to love and have faith in God even when he couldn't understand what God was doing. So God's ultimate purpose in pruning us is that we would have more love for him and for others and therefore be able to produce more fruit.

John 15:1-2a says "I am the True Vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit..." Those who bear no fruit are unbelievers. They are branches by virtue of Christ being their creator, but their lack of fruit shows that Christ is not their God and Saviour. These are like the soil #2 and #3 in the parable of the sower. While they believe somewhat, it's not true Faith because they never bear fruit. Only the fourth soil bears fruit in various degrees. So people who genuinely put their faith in Christ will bear some fruit. It is difficult to believe that a person can genuinely put their faith in Christ that the Holy Spirit comes in and yet nothing changes. These are those that bear no fruit and are cut off from their creator.

During the prophet Malachi's time the Israelites had developed an incredibly pathetic attitude. In Malachi 1:2 they questioned God's love. They asked God "in what way have you loved us?" In vs. 7 and 8 God rebukes them for not bringing Him their best. They would bring to God blind, lame and sick animals for the offering instead of bringing their best. In verses 13 and 14 they spoke about the weariness of having to come and serve God and bring offerings. So they brought stolen, lame and sick animals for the offering. They would steal someone else's stuff in order to bring it to God and avoid giving their own stuff to God. At times they would make a vow to offer God the right sacrifices but then would make a switch and give the blemished, sick, and lame animals to God. But God rebuked them and proclaimed "I am the great King" and "my name is to be feared among the nation's. We need to give God our best materially and in service and give him 1

In this debate Calvinism sees God’s Sovereignty as the supreme Controlling principle in all things,  while Armenians view God’s love as the supreme controlling principle. Here lies the crux of the matter. No doubt that God is Sovereign. But that is not his driving force. It's Love. This Love which gives holiness it's parameters,  makes God limit the use of His power --- God cannot lie, not because He is powerless to do it, but lying is unloving and therefore unholy. God cannot sin, because all sin is unloving and therefore a violation of God's character. So while we see that God limits his power because of Love,  He never violates love because of his power. Love trumps sovereign power without diminishing it.

The prophet Jonah had an unforgiving heart, which lead to an irrational stubbornness and hard-heartedness towards God. He had been angry with the people of Nineveh for their mistreatment of the Israelites, perhaps even his own family. So when God sent him to preach to the Ninevites he fled in the opposite direction. Finally after a great ordeal in the high seas he went and preached. The Ninevites did what was unfathomable in his heart - they repented and turned to God. So he sat on top of a mountain top looking down to see if they would return to their Wicked Ways and God would destroy them, which is what he wanted. In his anger he wanted to die. He would rather die than see his enemies be blessed by God. God lovingly and gently tried to persuade him to be merciful and compassionate on the ninevites just like He was. But the prophet would have not none of it. He remained angry and stubborn until The Bitter End.

What are hard conversations? They are conversations that are difficult to have because they will affect you and the person you're talking to emotionally. Jesus had these types of conversations all the time. He rebuked the Pharisees and his disciples, he threw hard questions at those who tested him, and challenge people's attitudes and actions when they weren't in accordance with godliness. Below are some quotes from John Maxwell's the 360-degree leader. "Be ready to have hard conversations. There is no development without hard lessons. Almost all growth comes when we have positive responses to negative things. The more difficult the thing is to deal with, the more we need to push in order to grow. The process is often not very pleasant, but you always have to pay a price for growth." "Good leaders are willing to have hard conversations to start the growth process for the people under their care. When you don't want to have a difficult conversatio

Hosea 4:6: "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." The priests were supposed to be faithful in studying and teaching God's Word. But they had rejected God's Word and the people were suffering for it. As a pastor I must be faithful to studying, applying and teaching God's word. I am reminded of Ezra the priest:  "for Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra 7:10

In Daniel 6:4 we see that Daniel was faithful and that there was no fault found in him. But Daniels righteousness did not keep him from suffering or injustice. His enemies plotted against him and had him thrown into the the Lion's Den. But God delivered him from the Lions and King Darius praised the Living God of Daniel "Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions (v.27).  This story exemplifies what the apostle Peter wrote: "the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment" 2 Peter 2:9

Iin Daniel 4 we see a clear example of how God is Sovereign and yet man retains free will. After being warned about his humiliation Nebuchadnezzar remained prideful and sinful. After one year of the warning he said in his heart that the greatness of Babylon was because of his mighty power and for his own honor and Majesty. That's when he was slapped down and made to live like a beast in the wild. God created the circumstances that helped him to come to repentance. After a while Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes to heaven and recognize that God is the king of Heaven and nobody can restrain him. So while God did bring down discipline on Nebuchadnezzar it was Nebuchadnezzar out of his own free will turning to God in Repentance. God will lead us to Him but he will not force us to cross the line of faith and repentance.

There is a huge difference in God's eyes between the death of the wicked and the death of His Saints. Ezekiel 33:11 says "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Contrast this to Psalms 116:15 that says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones." We his Saints are of great value to God and it is a precious and holy moment when we die and go into the presence of God. But God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked because they will be eternally separated from Him.

God's sovereignty means God is in control. Nothing in this world can happen without God making it happen or allowing it to happen. Some take God's sovereignty to mean that He controls people to do what he wants at all times and in every situation. Basically man has no free will to do anything. But that is not a Biblical position. While God is in control of all things he has obviously given to man the ability of self-will, even if limited. Throughout Scripture God gives commands and gives people the ability to respond. They can obey or they can refuse to obey. Below is another example of that in the ministry of Ezekiel: But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels. Ezekiel 3:27 NLT

Many years ago one youth group leader tried to convince me that drinking Coca-Cola was sinful. His rationale was that it was bad for the body and the body was a temple of God and therefore doing anything that damages the body was sinful. So by his logic drinking Coca-Cola which has a negative effect on the body is sinful. Using logic like this we can create many new laws and make many things sinful that God does not say directly that it’s sinful. And in this way teachers and preachers get into a lot of trouble by preaching from their own heart rather than from the heart of God. This has always happened since there have been prophets, teachers and preachers. And in Ezekiel’s day it seemed to be a sport. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the Lord ! Thus says the Lord God , "Woe to the foolish prophets who are f

Here's God's prescription for anger. "Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." Psalms 4:4.  Anger is love turned inside out. 90% of our anger is due to self love. We get angry at others because of some wrong they did to us or at least we perceive it that way. That's why we need to be still and meditate on "why" we are angry. We should not act impulsively because usually that will lead to sin. Rather we need to take our anger to God and act prudently and lovingly. See Ephesians 4:26 - 27 and Psalms 37:7 - 8.

Depression can hit any of us. When the circumstances of our life overwhelm us depression can easily set in. Some people have a personality that tends towards depression. They can get depressed more easily like the Prophet Jeremiah who cursed the day he was born and cursed the man who brought the good news to his father, that he had a son (Jer. 20:14-18). Jeremiah wished that he had died as an infant. He was a godly man and a prophet of God and yet he suffered with bouts of depression. So it's okay if we suffer from depression at times also.

Jeremiah 3 reveals Gods great mercy. God's Mercy is so great that even after he had kicked the Northern Kingdom of Israel out of its land by the hand of the Assyrians he beckons them back. Even though they had played the harlot with many lovers (idols) (v. 3), God says "return to me." in verse 12 God declares himself to be a merciful God and that his anger would not remain forever even though he had given Israel a certificate of divorce. And in verse 22 God says "return you backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings." God is always ready to forgive and embrace us when we are ready to confess and forsake our sin. He is a merciful God.

We can't blame God for our spiritual condition. Our sins and our turning away from him are our own doing and not caused by God. Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way?... Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty... I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? Jeremiah 2:17‭, ‬19‭‭, ‬21 NIV God is the one who is leading us towards himself. He is the one who draws us and gives us the tools necessary to live for him. It is our own doing that we turn away from him into Wicked evil people.

Does God cause us to go astray? O Lord , why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?"  Isaiah 63:17 ESV Are we not responsible for rebelling against God?  YES WE ARE. In Isaiah 64:10, the prophet is clear about who is to blame for our rebellion:  "In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them."  Isaiah 63:9‭-‬10 NASB When we rebelagainst God, He begins to resist us (James 4:6) and allows us to go down our own destructive path (Isaiah 6:8-10; Rom. 1;24, 28-29).  But all it takes is a repentant heart returning to God and He will return to us (Joel 2:12; Mal. 3:7).

And Isaiah 58 God gives us his instructions on fasting. As we know fasting is not eating any food for a certain period of time to devote greater time to prayer and meditation. Through this act of humility and devotion we try to show God how serious we are about our prayers and our needs.  After fasting the Jews complained that God didn't listen to them. God replied: They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Isaiah 58:3 NET The fasting that God accepts is when we come to Him combining fasting and acts of love and justice. When we come to God leaving sin behind and with acts of righteousness and love then H e promises: Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ Isaiah 58: 9a NET

Isaiah 53 makes the mission of the Messiah clear. He came to die to pay for our sins. Six out of the 12 verses in this chapter tell us that Messiah came to pay for sin. V.5 - He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,  and by his stripes we are healed. V. 6 and the LORD has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. V. 8 for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. V. 10 when you make his soul an offering for sin. V. 11 for he shall bear their iniquities. V. 12 and he bore the sins of many. The blessing of the Messiah is that he came to pay for our sins and open the door for eternal life to all who believe.

All of us fear. Some of us hide it a little bit better than others but we all tend to have fears. But God does not want us to live in fear especially the fear of man. The fear of man is always a trap. God tells us: “Listen to me, you that know what is right, who have my teaching fixed in your hearts. Do not be afraid when people taunt and insult you;  they will vanish like moth-eaten clothing! But the deliverance I bring will last forever; my victory will endure for all time...The Lord says, “I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass?” Isaiah 51:7‭-‬8,12 GNT

I want to walk on the "Highway of Holiness" (Isaiah 35:8). Isaiah 35:9-10 says "the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." My heart longs to be in this place and to walk the Highway of Holiness to get there.  I want to experience Everlasting Joy and never again have sorrow, pain, sickness or any negative thought.

God is love. 1 John 4:8. God is holy. Psalms 99:9. God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29 God is eternal and passionate love. This passionate love He has for his son Jesus Christ and for his children - you and me. God is holy. His holiness is his flawless interaction of love with his Son and us. We are all separated for God and in God through Jesus Christ. God is a consuming fire which means he lashes out against those who violate love for his Son Christ and violate love for us, His children. All sin is a violation of love towards Christ and/or his children.

Our great God is coming to implant his Kingdom in the near future. In Isaiah 25 we get a glimpse of what this Kingdom will look like for us who have believed in him. Isa 25:6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines. Isa 25:7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; Isa 25:8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. So here's a glimpse of what we will experience in the Kingdom of God: A banquet with rich foods, plenty of the best meats and best wines. We will know God more fully as the veil is taken off our eyes. As it says in 1 John 3:2 "We shall be like him for we will see him as he is". And we will never again shed a tear, never again feel shame, disgrace, gu

In 2018 we will need to guard our hearts more and more. As the coming of the Lord Jesus draws closer there will be an increase in sin and wickedness that will leave our hearts cold. Jesus warned... "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Matt. 24:12 Let's commit our lives to loving God and His Word more and 2018 and loving one another with true Christ-like love - a love committed to the relationships that God has put around us - Family, fellow believers and all friends.