Tag Archives: New Testament

Upward Calling in Christ Jesus

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the

Upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV)

What keeps us moving ahead? What keeps us looking forward instead of looking back all the time? For the believers in Christ, it is our upward calling in Christ Jesus. Unfortunately, many are stuck in the past, focused on their past failures, or reminiscing on what they perceive as good times in the past. For the Christian, it should be different. Yes, hopefully, we have learned from our previous mistakes by only glancing back, but our focus should always be on the future and our upward calling in Christ Jesus. This does not keep us from being thankful in all things, including what God has done for us in the past (II Thessalonians 5:18). This is one area that fallen humanity has not grasped. From the news services to psychological counseling, and those who are unwilling to forgive others, they are always stuck in the past. They are always rehashing the past over and over again never allowing humanity to forget their failures and move on to a new day. They have not really learned from their mistakes because every time they are rehashed somehow the facts keep changing. They have not learned how to forgive the past, holding much of humanity in bondage to their past errors. For the Christian, it should be different. We learn from the past. We forgive ourselves and those who have wronged us, which allows us to forget the past and move on. Every day should be a new day in the Lord (II Corinthians 4:16). Continue reading Upward Calling in Christ Jesus

Confront the Christian Divisions Now

If we don’t confront the Christian divisions now, then all will be lost. If we don’t confront the Christian divisions now, then hate and disagreements will lead to unbridled persecution. If we don’t confront the Christian divisions now, then death and destruction will be inevitable. If we don’t confront Christian divisions now, then we will witness the great falling away and the extinguishing of the Gospel light leading to a horrifying darkness that will sweep the planet. This is exactly what Satan and the powers of darkness want. They have sought to divide Christianity since the beginning by raising up false prophets to twist the simple message of the Cross. They have gone well beyond the Bible by adding new doctrines and a methodology foreign to the simple truths delineated in the New Testament. We must all take part in confronting the divisions that are ripping Christianity apart. Although the biblical solutions are simple, they will take a great deal of faith to follow, doing things that will be extremely uncomfortable, especially in the beginning. We will examine closely each of these biblical solutions that will heal the divisions in Christianity and reawaken the bright shining light in a very dark world. Although the solutions may appear to take longer, they will not but will have a profound lasting effect upon the fallen world. Continue reading Confront the Christian Divisions Now

Blessed are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 15:9).

Blessed are the peacemakers who work for peace in a world ravaged by hate, division, and war. Today we will talk about true peace that can bring all parties to the table. True peace is much more than the cessation of hostilities. True peace reaches the soul and heart of humanity. It will open the vestiges of a new world governed by a sense of right and wrong. True peace will need to move beyond the limitations of the current world order that’s being controlled by the powers of darkness. True peace in the world will open up possibilities beyond our wildest imagination, although this world peace will never be realized by allowing the powers of darkness to influence all of our thinking and decision-making. We must return to the original model instituted for humanity; a model instituted in the beginning by the God of creation. There are many different models introduced to humanity over the last few hundred years that have allowed humanity to stray further from the truth about God’s created order of things. All the statutes and guidelines given to humanity have been slowly and methodically eradicated by the powers of darkness. We have gone so far as to remove the Ten Commandments from all the schools of public education in this country. Continue reading Blessed are the Peacemakers

Sins Will Cloud Your Eyesight

We can all disagree on eschatology and the timing of Christ’s Second Coming, but we cannot disagree on our need for repentance. My concern as a pastor for many years is that most don’t have a full understanding of what they need to repent of and more importantly how to properly repent. Most people qualify their need for repentance by what they see in others. If they see others on the news or social media with what they perceive as a much greater sin, then it often leads them to overlook the sin in their own lives. It’s very easy for the self-righteous to look down on others while ignoring their own so-called little sins. Therefore, our goal is to stop judging others, so that we have ample time to examine our own sins. Yes, it will take a great deal of time and effort to look within to examine our own character, our own thinking, and our own behavior. If we are honest, then we will soon discover that we all need repentance, including ourselves. Let’s look at the process together on how to look within to discover every unknown sin that has clouded our eyesight, then we will discuss the process of true repentance. Continue reading Sins Will Cloud Your Eyesight

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

The Bible says, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). Most are not what they appear to be. When Christ comes back their masks will be removed, and everything will be revealed. Are you truly ready for that day? Remember, God looks at your heart, your mind, and your soul. He looks at your memories and your every thought that you ever had. He looks at how you spend your days chasing after one opinion and then another. He is fully aware of how much time you have spent on social media, YouTube, entertainment, and your relentless searches on the internet. He knows everything about you as you stand before the King of Glory waiting to be judged for everything that you have done in the body (see II Corinthians 5:10). Now, tell me again that you are ready for His glorious coming in the clouds. The Bible says, “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). So, let’s talk about getting ready for the coming of Christ who will rapture up the pure Body of Christ, to be caught up to meet Him coming in the clouds. This is a topic we don’t want to quickly pass over. We need to take our time to ensure that we will be ready when Christ returns. Continue reading A Voice Crying in the Wilderness