Posts Tagged ‘Holiness’

God’s Unconditional Love

Posted: October 25, 2012 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Study!, Wake Up!
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I hear it all the time, how God loves us all unconditionally. Over the years of having conducted services at a mandatory rehab for people whose crimes were drug related, ministered at homeless shelters and having countless conversations with “believers” who readily admit they are not walking with God as they should, I frequently run into those who enthusiastically confess to me how they know, absolutely know, that God loves them unconditionally and that He accepts them just as they are.

This has led me into many discussions with people about what it means to “believe” and what exactly this “grace” is that these people are boasting about since they know they are saved because of it.  Sadly, many have no real understanding of what grace really is, they simply repeat what they were once told, “It is unmerited favor.” It is as if people are convinced that when God looks at them He has on some special “Jesus only” colored glasses because they think God only sees Jesus when He looks at them and not themselves for how they truly are.

Grace is truly an amazing gift of God given to the believer, but there are four things about grace we can readily know from scripture –

1. Grace is sufficient

2. Grace can be frustrated

3. Grace while working similarly in all God’s children, still has a uniqueness to it purpose as it is given to each of us

4. Grace can be received in vain.

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Legality versus Legalism

Posted: October 6, 2012 in Coffee House, Wake Up!
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(Click poster or link below)

Coffee House 9-18
Legality versus Legalism

Note: In this message I state “grace is not unmerited favor.” For clarification my intent was to express how is grace is not just unmerited favor, it is much much more than that. By grace are we saved, therefore we need to understand God’s grace if we are to fully utilize it and not frustrate it or exhaust its sufficiency before it completes the task God gives it to accomplish in our hearts. Therefore, grieve not the Spirit of Grace and lay hold of the power of the Gospel which makes dead men live and to turns sinners into saints.

Run the race He has set before you lawfully . . .

1Cor 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Ga 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Php 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Faith, as a grain of mustard seed.

Posted: March 27, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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Ps 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Part of the restoration process is the tearing down phase where God works to be sure we have a good foundation from which to rebuild. For that reason in my last few articles I reviewed a variety of topics in Luke which Jesus addressed before the Pharisees and His disciples, each having great significance. I have now come to the end of my recent scholastic yoyage and journalism to this place in scripture where Jesus tells us ‘If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this sycamine tree, Be plucked up by the root, and be  planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

Lord, grant us such faith.

In addition to the topics I’ve recently examined, there are equally significant others that Jesus’ shared deserving of a brief review. Such as when He asked lawyers and Pharisees which one of them would not rescue their ox or donkey if it had fallen into a ditch, even if it was on the Sabbath? Even though they couldn’t defend their own actions, they couldn’t avoid the hypocritical judgment that stirred in their hearts against Jesus when He then healed a man on the Sabbath before them.

While at the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread with them, Luke tells us that all these lawyers and Pharisees “watched” Him, meaning they insidiously and scrupulously observed Jesus looking for fault with Him. With purer judgment than theirs, Jesus openly acknowledged how all they all had taken seats of honor straightway when they came, risking shame and humiliation by possibly having their place taken from them for another more deserving. When invited to affairs such as a wedding Jesus explained, it was more prudent to take the lower place whereby they might receive respect from the host with honor as he publicly calls them up to better positions.

Luke 14:11 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Christianity is not passive

Posted: March 4, 2012 in Coffee House, Wake Up!
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While finishing up my next article I wanted to submit this exhortation I gave one night at the Coffee House.

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We are instructed by the scriptures to be vigilant in our faith, to strive to enter the strait gate, fight the good fight, run the race, be good soldiers, finishers of the faith.

The Goodness and Severity of God . . . Do you believe?

Posted: February 23, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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Understanding how God’s grace saves us.

Why we need faith, why we must hear and believe God’s word to us . . .


Ro 11:18 Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.

Test yourselves to see if you are truly in the faith.
Examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you
–unless indeed you fail the test?
(2Co 13:5)

The Strait Gate

Posted: January 4, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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Jesus taught us that “all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.” This is one of the great distinctions from those of other belief systems clarified by Jesus’ teachings on the oracles of God. Many religions out there aggressively preach messages of constraint, i.e., don’t treat people the way you don’t want to be treated. Often such religions and institutes affix to their messages oppressive obligations of repetitious prayer, have vain ceremonies and require their followers to maintain a cultural appearance of (perceived) piety.

Here Jesus takes us immediately into servitude to others, “Do for others what you would want them to do for you.” All those out there who continually harp on the difference between the law and grace, they would do well to pause and consider Jesus words here “for this is the law and the prophets.” Jesus wasn’t throwing away the law and saying, “From now on, this is what we do.” He was actually warning everyone not to get caught up in mere religion, that this is what God has always really required.

In the Old Testament when Balak, king of Moab, consulted with Balaam what he needed to do that he might know the righteousness of the LORD. Being ignorant to the righteousness of God, he asked what was it he had to give. Listen to his question and Balaam’s reply –

 Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? Should  I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?  7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you, do justly and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

Sadly, because the churches are no longer teaching from the whole Bible, many people nowadays fail to understand the distinction between the two separate aspects of “The Law,” that part which was fulfilled and done away with, and that part of which not one jot or tittle will pass away until after all is fulfilled.  Let’s look at Jesus words –

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Stay free, be not entangled, keep focused, run the race.

Posted: December 30, 2011 in Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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There are many things that still must come to pass before the Lord returns, things that are clearly written in scripture that we might be aware of the time and season in which we are living. These things were written so that we the Church could stand fast, and keep our focus on our responsibility of each of us perfecting our call to holiness while endeavoring to fulfill the purpose for which we have been elected/enlisted/chosen by the Captain of our salvation.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (KJV)

2Ti 2:4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (NASB)

We all have not only been called to be holy for the Lord is holy, it is both a commandment and a necessity; for without holiness no one will see God on favorable terms. Equally true is that each of us have been given a certain rank and file in the army of God whereby we are to . . . no, whereby we must labor together with other members of the body of Christ according to the effectual working of His grace given each and everyone of us. None of this has to do with God being a respecter of persons, rather it is in His wisdom that He has dispersed His gifts unto men with the seemingly greater gifts also bearing the greater responsibility. Nonetheless, regardless the uniqueness of our individual calls to ministry given by our Father, every believer’s priorities should be for His name’s sake to be wholeheartedly seeking and doing His will “according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

2 Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall.

Sisters and brothers, we must make our callings certain (not in vain), for there has been given to each an everyone of us “grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ,” meaning our Lord has equipped each and every one for a unique function in His body that by having ears that hear what the Spirit is saying we can collectively work together making Christ known and warning men to flee the wrath to come. This is why we study to show ourselves approved, that we might not only rightly divide the  Word of truth, but be applying it as well, thereby proving all things as we submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God . . . for there is no place for rouge independent “Christian ministers.” That is not to say that true men and women of God at times will not feel alone, but their hearts are ever seeking others with whom they may labor to God’s glory.

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

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Being born again, of incorruptible seed, by the word of God (Hell – part 2)

Posted: July 11, 2011 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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Part 2 of 2  of series on hell 

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

God’s word is more glorious than even the wonder of birth; for in it He has given us some incredible insights into His own heart’s desire. His word is not merely a bunch of rules and laws made to regulate every aspect of men’s behavior and to oppress their freedom in life. No, God’s word is actually the only true wellspring of life, in addition to the only effectual means for guarding what He gives unto His people. Some may immediately feel compelled to challenge that statement, but I am not speaking about the bible you have on your shelf, I am speaking of that which came by unction of God’s Holy Spirit unto His prophets and apostles, that which is spirit and not merely “letter.”

The bibles we have are but books made of paper and ink, filled with letters that cannot do anything of their own, there is no power in them anymore than a flashlight has the ability to illuminate without batteries being in it. It is only a means, a tool whereby the supremacy of God’s spoken word which is ultimately spirit can be revealed unto us . . . that is if and when our heart is in the right condition.

Through God’s holy word comes first the revelation of His supremacy and preeminence, that “God is,” meaning there is in fact a God to whom all men are accountable. Secondly it teaches us how He has created all things in a state of “good.” God created the realms for life to flourish, the sea, the air and the land and then brought forth all manner of life and gave them not just the command to be “fruitful and multiply,” no much more than that, God gave forth the blessing of life.

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Hell

Posted: July 8, 2011 in Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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This is part one of a two part series on hell.

It is not enough that we each have our own set of Christian beliefs that we faithfully hold to. For many religions have faithful followers; many of which that would shame the half-hearted “Christian” who professes to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Even if one was faithful to their favorite religious creed, faithfulness cannot deliver from sin or offer an assurance of eternal life.
Yet so many people boldly declare they are free simply because they have a belief system, a religion of choice, and their favorite translation or particular version of holy oracles or religious book which they cling to above all others. Many going about their daily lives with absolutely no clue that they are deceived and dead in their trespasses and sins; having only a form of godliness while they deny the true power of God which truly sets men free and transforms them.

John 8:31-36 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, “If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed;  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  They answered him, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say you then, ‘You shall be made free?'”  Jesus answered them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.  And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever.  If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If one is off a little in their foundation of their theology, then they will be considerably more off as they continue to build upon the principles they have embraced for their faith. As a building contractor I learned a long time ago that if I start off out of square, unlevel or out of plumb, the more I build off my starting reference point the further off I get. It is the same with the tenants of faith in Christendom.

Part of the devil’s plan was to saturate Christendom with theologies that are “mostly” true. I have a saying I use often with my kids, “The best lie is the one with the most truth in it.” Reason being, that if you want to deceive someone, let’s say someone with a little understanding and knowledge of God’s word, you will need to bait them with certain truths and plausible theories in their own popular Christian lingo.

They will then recognize some of those aspects of the truth they are acquainted with and will be more likely to embrace it, since it appealed to their logic and familiarity. However, because of their weakness of scriptural knowledge and understanding they can be tricked into embracing a carefully forged lie simply because they saw logic in it and will therefore often embrace a whole theology without thoroughly proving it. This is because most people have a pride that causes them to trust in their own ability to recognize truth without having to prove it.

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Understanding God’s Anger

Posted: March 26, 2011 in Coffee House, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized
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It has been said by some that “the God of the Old Testament was an angry God.” Now that creates a need for clarity because God never changes. That He is the same yesterday, today and forever is in fact the teaching of scriptures, but they also state that God is indeed angry with the wicked everyday (Psm 7:11), because they have made themselves to be His enemies. His word also clearly tells us that to become friends with world is to willfully engage in war with Him.

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If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Posted: March 15, 2011 in Deity of Jesus Christ, Devotionals, Study!
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I Corinthians 15:20-28

Here is a passage of scripture which many people quickly read through and think they “got it,” but never really slow down and take time to verify what they think is “obvious,” concerning what Paul was saying here. The very succinct nature of the passage alone demands further investigation into the depths of Paul’s meaning and intent. Simply consider how Paul takes us all the way from Christ rising from the dead and being the “firstfruit of them that slept,” then covers the redemptive plan of God from the consequences of Adam’s sin which brought death upon all men, to the very conclusion of God’s plan for all things – when God will be “all in all.” That’s a whole lot to cover in just nine verses.

I Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Most believers fail to stop and marvel how so much theology has been so efficiently congested into just nine short verses. For most simply read straight through them thinking “OK, yep, I got it. seems perfectly clear to me.” However, with such a vast expanse of time and information being addressed, it appears obvious to me that Paul was merely doing a quick connection and summarization of several key tenets of the Christian faith; points which he obviously expounded upon when he was there in person teaching the Corinthians, reasoning with them Old Testament scriptures in greater depth, and only makes allusion to here.

Therefore it would be prudent of us to humbly ask God’s Spirit for enlightenment that today we too may grasp the magnificent gravity of these words by trying to expand them and gaze into the depth and riches of God’s plan and promises for His people. My hope is for this post to be an encouragement to the readers to invest time to carefully look at each verse and search with me the scriptures Paul had, whereby he would have proved to them their current understanding this passage and his other teachings/epistles as well. (more…)

Where two or three are gathered together in My name . . .

Posted: March 10, 2011 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts
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Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

A brother and I were praying for another when he quoted parts of these verses in his prayer. It got me to thinking about how these two verses are possibly the ones I hear taken out of context most when praying with others. Each verse seems to have their own catch phrases that tend to be quoted by young or untrained believers. Even believers who appear mature and seasoned are still only repeating without evaluating what they’ve heard from some preacher, trying to “claim” the promises of God. However, I need to ask, is that really Jesus’ intent here? Was He merely trying to teach us the formula of what and how things need to be done so we can then successfully claim His promises and get our prayers answered?

So, wen I hear people misused verse 19, it is actually quite troublesome to me, because they really believe that by getting me or another to stand in agreement with them that they’re more likely to have their prayer answered. This flawed understanding literally keeps these believers in a position of trying to perfect the way they do things so they can have faith for their prayers… rather than simply praying because of faith.

Sadly, I am absolutely certain there are many Christians out there who cannot even understand what I just said. Because they been taught things incorrectly, they are left believing “faith” is something they must somehow muster up to compel God to move on their behalf, or even to hear their prayers.

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Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Posted: March 8, 2011 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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The other night I was busy working on some studies and took a break to check a few other things, email, read the latest news online and then decided to dropped by my Facebook page real quick. I really don’t use it too much; it is more of just a way to stay in casual touch with a few friends and my sons . . .  and also to shamelessly promote Gates of the City. While I was there I saw that one of my friends I met via my sons had a post that looked like a typical nonsensical YouTube link.

Now, I love this young friend and speak frequently with them, sometimes with private messages over personal things trying to encourage them. I am thankful the Lord has placed quite a fondness in my heart for this individual and therefore I usually pay attention to their status and posts. But this time the post seemed a bit odd for them, the title actually seemed to indicate mischief on the part of whoever made the link. However, since this was my young  friend, I figured I would click it to see why they posted it. All it did was change the page a bit as the picture of the link got a little bigger as YouTube links normally do, but that was it. Apparently it wasn’t a video, or if it was it certainly didn’t work. So I just clicked back, read down my FB page real quick and went back to working on other stuff.

Within minutes of going back to work I get a YIM from my friend Rhonda who shares this blog with telling me I may have a virus on my FB page. Naturally I am a bit surprise and ask her what she means, to which she asks me if I clicked “like” on a link called such and such. Now, upon re-reading the title with it removed from my other friend’s name next to it, it now appears a great deal more mischievous than before, provoking an embarrassment as now on my FB page  it reads that “William Males ‘likes’ this link.” I asked Rhonda why people create these things, what is the purpose, what are they gaining? She simply said something about it’s a type of cyber graffiti, just getting their handiwork across the web on as many “walls” as possible, because there is some sort of a ping back where they keep score I guess. I am so thankful God has given me such higher goals to press forward to.

However, being computer savvy enough to create a good impression of being capable, yet still ignorant to all the aspects web life and warfare, I asked how to eliminate this distasteful thing from my wall and name since it doesn’t respond to my feeble efforts to delete it. Rhonda patiently explained the process where I had to change the password in order to delete it. Well, it’s gone, but the whole experience really troubled me on a few levels.

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Today, God is in our midst.

Posted: February 7, 2011 in Coffee House, Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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If God can’t deliver you today, it isn’t because He isn’t able. It is because you aren’t willing to let Him be God. Today is the day of salvation and as long as it is called “today,” Jesus Christ is able to save the utmost those who surrender and entrust the absolute control of their lives into His hands.

Fulfilling The Call To Holiness

Posted: January 16, 2011 in Coffee House, Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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The Bible tells us many truths we must embrace if we are to live a life of intimacy with our Redeemer Jesus Christ; that we are to “prefect holiness in the fear of God” and also “without holiness no man shall see God.”

Because these truths apply to everyone of us, the Apostle John tells us, “every man that hath this hope in God purifies himself, even as He is pure.”

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