Tag: Trust Jesus

We Should Make Spiritual Progress

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….. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

  The writer (Paul) makes an allusion to the Olympic games.  As those who ran in the Olympic races would throw aside everything that might hinder them in their course, in a similar manner Christians, desiring to go to heaven, must throw aside everything that might hinder them in their Christian race.

  Let us start, run on, and continue running (press on) until we get to the goal.  Some claim one only has to start the race and then it has already been won.  Scripture clearly indicates otherwise; one must constantly continue to exert the effort to become more and more like the Christ in all our ways, thoughts, words, and deeds.

I.   We Think

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

A. Many dwell on the negative side. Their pessimism brings disappointment to themselves, discouragement to others, and displeasure to God.

Bad tempered people never seem to learn, and as a result bring troubles upon themselves repeatedly.

Moral uprightness is more important than wealth, and wise action is more important than hasty action.  People are foolish, very foolish, when they blame God for the trouble they brought upon themselves through their own mistakes.

B. We must think positively, crowding out negativism with thoughts of faith, hope, and love (Phil. 4:8).  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

The object of the apostle is to recommend holiness and righteousness to them in every point of view; and to show that the Gospel of Christ requires all its professors to have the mind that was in Christ, and to walk as he himself also walked. That they were not to attend to one branch of righteousness or virtue only, but to everything by which they might bring honor to God, good to their fellow creatures, and credit to themselves.

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

John 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

II.  We See

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”

(Heb. 12:2).

  1. Our world is filled with sin, suffering, and sorrow. Many become bitter because they see only the faults and failures in others.
  2. If we are not making progress then we are regressing.

Hebrews 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

 

Bad examples and false teachings have corrupted thousands, and are still making desolation in the world and in the Church.

Be a good example; you can do it!

Jesus the Christ

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Let’s settle something history already settled. You can debate theology. You can debate doctrine. But denying that Jesus of Nazareth walked this earth is not really a faith debate. It is a historical one. And historically speaking, Jesus is one of the most documented figures of the ancient world. Not just in the Bible. Outside of it.

Non Christian historians wrote about Jesus without trying to promote Christianity.

Tacitus was a Roman historian who wrote about Christus being executed under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Tacitus was not a believer. He actually viewed Christians negatively. Yet he still documented that Jesus was a real historical figure who was crucified.

Josephus was a Jewish historian who referenced James as the brother of Jesus who is called Christ. That is powerful because it is coming from a Jewish historical perspective, not Christian preaching.

Pliny the Younger wrote about early Christians worshipping Jesus as God. This shows that very early followers were not treating Jesus like just a teacher. They were treating Him as divine.

None of these men were trying to build Christianity. They were recording what they observed in their world.

Archaeology also lines up with the Gospel record. Evidence confirming Pontius Pilate as a real Roman governor was discovered. Evidence connected to Caiaphas the high priest was discovered. Even Nazareth, which critics once claimed was made up, has been confirmed as a real first century town.

The manuscript evidence for the New Testament is stronger than most ancient historical writings. The time gap between when events happened and when they were written down is much smaller than most ancient documents historians trust every day. Yet people rarely question those documents. They only question Scripture because of what it claims.

The Gospels were written close enough to the events that eyewitnesses were still alive. If Jesus was not real, the movement would have been crushed quickly. Instead, Christianity spread under intense persecution. People were beaten, imprisoned, and killed and still refused to deny what they said they saw. People might die for something they believe is true. They rarely die for something they know is a lie.

Then you have the prophetic layer. The Old Testament described details about the Messiah long before Jesus was born. Details about where He would be born. How He would suffer. How He would be rejected. How He would be pierced. These were written centuries before the crucifixion.

Serious historians are not really debating whether Jesus existed. The real debate is who He was. Because Jesus did not present Himself as just a good teacher. He claimed authority to forgive sins. He claimed unity with God. He predicted His death and resurrection.

You can reject church culture.
You can reject organized religion.
You can reject Christian doctrine.

But rejecting that Jesus lived requires ignoring Roman records, Jewish historians, archaeology, manuscript history, and early eyewitness testimony.

That is not blind faith. That is historical reality.

The real question was never whether Jesus existed.

The real question has always been what will you do with the fact that He did.

The Cause of the Right and the Left

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In the human world there is right and wrong.  There is the Temple of God and there is a court that is outside and there are many refusing to enter the temple in the prescribed way.The cause of the right has its mighty defenders. 

It is not a light work to stand up against a corrupt world and struggle against an age brimming with selfishness, sensuality, stupidity, and downright demonic deviency designed to denigrate everything honest, holy, and heavenly. 

The right seeks to distribute divine light to the sin-darkened outer courts.  Were it not for the divine defenders of the light, the grand heroes in moral history, all the lamps of truth would go out and the whole human race would be mantled in midnight.

The antagonists of the right are malignant. The spirit of persecution is an infernal virus that gallops through the veins of the intolerant lefties who seek to silence the right by any means possible.

And yet; the cause of the right is destined to triumph.  Therefore, join the right while you still can.  The day is coming when the door of the Temple will be closed, and misery  will be multiplied on those willfully remaining in the outer court.

Remembering the Oklahoma City Bombing

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30 years ago (April 19, 1995) and only because of divine intervention, I was not in the Murrah Federal building when the truck-bomb exploded in a retaliation effort due to the Bill Clinton/Janet Reno killing of those people in a compound near Waco, TX.

I could relate to you how “coincidences” deterred me from my 9 AM appointment, but what has been on my mind this day is – “What have I done since that day since I was spared and didn’t become one of those memorialized with a chair…”

During the ensuing years, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a Boy Scout Chaplain for a couple of thousand boys who are adults now making their mark in the world.  I also got to sponsor a Trail Life Troop and pastor some churches.  I even did a homeless ministry for a few years and had the opportunity to provide some guidance to some others doing ministry to homeless folk.

Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to continue to serve You.

Trump Won

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Now that Trump has won,  we are officially unburdened by what has been.   Thank You, Lord and my fellow patriots; or should I say “Garbage” (Great American Rebels Believing Almighty God is Everything).

Socialist Prayers

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Place your trust in Jesus the Christ, not government.

Massive US Church Votes to Leave Woke Denomination

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Source: Massive US Church Votes to Leave Woke Denomination

Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira

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Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 

Rev 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 

Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 

Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 

Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 

Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 

Rev 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 

Rev 2:25  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 

Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star. 

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

Verse 19 gives the impression that all is well with this church.  But we quickly find otherwise. First the commendation, or praise, then that which needs to be corrected because the Christ will not ignore the faults; a lesson which we all need to take careful note of. …Hello…

Like the saints in Pergamos, the believers tolerated sin in the church.  In Pergamos the false teachers were compared to Balaam and Balak. Here the false teacher is compared to Jezebel, the proponent of idolatry and immorality. Idolatry and immorality usually go together, and Jezebel personifies both (1st Kings 16:29-34; 21; 2nd Kings 9:30-37) The teaching was being spread that self-indulgence was better than self-discipline and more.

The story of Jezebel’s reign is the story of the quick corruption and utter downfall of the Kingdom of Israel.  Idol feasts were followed by “chambering and wantonness” and corruption spread rapidly among the youth of Israel.  In a like manner a love of talk about forbidden things was setting in, regard for the law was being weakened; audacity was taking the place of reason and conservatism.

Notice, however, the angel of this church is not charged with teaching this doctrine but with tolerating it. 

The church ruler seems to have had an inadequate sense of the authority of law.  Both he and the church are charged with neglect of duty. The woman called herself a “prophetess” and the thinking may have been “Who knows but that God may be speaking through her notwithstanding all that is suspicious in her teaching?”  even the “judge not” thing may have come into play.  The strong of Christian character may not be prone to succumbing but that does not negate their responsibility to their fellow believers in the Christ.

Not everybody in the fellowship was guilty of sin, and the Lord did not warn them.  Instead, He encouraged them to hold to the truth and be faithful.

The minister was not charged with sharing the doctrine but with tolerating it; both he and the church were charged with tolerating it and warned of their neglect of duty.  Doubtless, he bore with her because she was a woman.  The gracious tolerance of a strong man often takes this form. It is very hard for such a one to assert himself at all; most hard where self-assertion seems most easy.  Next the woman called herself a prophetess.  Here comes in regard for the freedom of prophecy; the very inspiration of the Church was a hindrance.  After all, who knows whether God is not speaking by her, notwithstanding all that is in suspicion in her teaching that was contrary to scripture.

The appeal to reality.  Nothing is more needed than occasional plain speech about the foulness which lurks in much that professes to be an enlarged spirituality.  They who encourage display of the peculiar charms of womanhood and seek to advance public causes by constant speech of things which nature and piety tell us should be held in strict reserve, degrade the women they supposedly seek to emancipate and brutalize the man. A corrupt doctrine will lead to a corrupt life.  Creed and conduct have vital connection with each other, a very vital connection indeed.

— The above is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by Pastor Ward Clinton. See some of my books here

Smyrna of Revelation

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the Agora

Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 

The church at Ephesus needed to be reminded that His watchful eye was upon them, to stimulate them to recall their first love, and to do their first works; but the church of Smyrna, which was more pure, and had yet to pass through fiery trials, needed most of all to dwell upon the unchangeableness of His power and love.

The name comes from “Myrrh,” which is a bitter herb, a suitable name for a church facing persecution.  Would the believers be fearful or faithful?  There were genuine Jewish Christians among them, and there were Jewish pretenders.  He knows who are the right-hearted, and He knows who are insincere.

Suffering can enrich us, even if we think we are poor; and what people think is wealth might turn out to be poverty (3:17).  Although materially poor, this church was spiritually wealthy because it truly had the Christ.  The Christ assures His people that He is intimately acquainted with every feature of their history.  “I know …” The “I know” of love is the smile of God.

The 10 days?  The grand principle is that there is a limit to the suffering of the Church and the saints.  The Christ soothes and emboldens His saints by the promise of infinite compensation.  He does not promise zero suffering in this life but He will not permit it to go beyond what we are capable of handling.  And the Christ will not only deliver His saints from the sphere of suffering; He will introduce them into the sphere of eternal rest and joy.

What difference does it make if people slander you so long as you have the Lord’s approval?

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