Security: Power, Love and Sound Mind

II Timothy 1:7 ESV
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

This verse talks of how God has equipped His children, His Saints, His loved ones, His Servants. A fear of man or evil would be a hindrance in the service of God, so the Holy Spirit moves us beyond that fear.

Rather the Holy Spirit equips our minds and hearts with power so that we are able to endure hardness like good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

As one of the mentioned fruits, the Holy Spirit also produces love in our hearts. This is a love of God, His Son and the fellow saints in the church. Those who have this love seek not their own ease and credit, but rather live for the Glory of God and the good of the saints and of mankind.

We are given a mind capable of learning the principles and doctrines of the Word. This mind is driven by God's wisdom and Word; not the passions of man which are often out of control. The evidence of a sound mind will show itself in how we live. Sound conduct and behaviour is sobriety, moderation, temperance, purity, and honesty. Equipped with a sound mind, we will not easily give ground to the enemies of our faith, or neglect our duty because of fear.

The Holy Spirit teaches us to fear God rather than to fear men. So take assessment of your mind and heart. Is fear of any kind ruling the roost? Or are you experiencing the power, love and sound mind installed and maintained by God's Holy Spirit?

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: I am a citizen of heaven

Philippians 3:20 ESV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 2:6 ESV
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:19 ESV
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Christians must live a life of dual citizenship. Like all people on earth, they enjoy the benefits of citizenship in their own country. These include identity, community, protection, and some elements of provision. Even though these are benefits worthy of our gratitude, they will come mixed with problems and failings common to anything man undertakes.

Christians are called to live with their heavenly citizenship fresh on their mind, as well. Your first thought might be of citizenship when you leave this world and enter heaven. The Bible is very clear that believing Christians enjoy this heavenly citizenship now. In fact, it says that we are currently seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Of course, this is a spiritual truth beyond our comprehension, so we will just take God at His Word.

We are citizens of heaven - "the kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ." We enjoy fellowship with our God and membership with His community - the church. God is the governing authority and the command, rule, protection and provision needed by His church is always available.

Citizenship is another way that we can understand and enjoy our relationship with God. It is one of many and brings new perspectives to us as we compare with earthly citizenship.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: The Good Work will be Perfected

I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected.

Philippians 1:6 - ESV
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 - ESV
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The good work is certainly God's work of grace in a believer. Actually the work begins with a non-believer, for all are dead in their trespasses and sins. Only God can start this work of grace. It is a wonderful blessing that we can be the workmanship of God, for God's work is perfect, He makes no mistakes and He leaves no job half done. The believer that understands the sinfulness of their own hearts is quick to realize that this work begun by God, must be carried on to completion by God. So we readily accept the fact that we are forever dependent on God for this good work, which is designed to bring the greatest good to our lives. God has chosen to do this work, He is more than willing and able to do it perfectly.

Let us then gladly spend time in prayer and the Word, seeking to understand our God and the work He is currently doing in our lives. May all of our thoughts, words and actions line up with God's blueprint.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: Hidden with Christ in God

Col 3:3 ESV
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

2Ti 1:12
12 ... But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

I Peter 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

There is much that can be said about our life in Christ, and about Christ who is one with the Father, being in the bosom of the Father. Our life with Christ is both present and eternal.

From the eternal side, our eternal life in Christ with God the Father is like a most valuable treasure. It was given to the faithful by God the Father and it is far too valuable for us to manage. So it is safely stored away with the Father. No one, absolutely no one can touch it. Thus we can be confident that someday we will lay our hands on it.

However, eternal life does not start after we die. Even now, today, the believer shares in that eternal life. The Holy Spirit within is eternal and living. The believer is in Christ who is living. Just as the branch draws life from the vine, so too we draw all that we need for our new, spiritually alive relationship with the Father from the Holy Spirit and our new life in Christ.

God's will is always accomplished. His will includes both the eternal life that we receive now by the Holy Spirit and the eternal life we will enjoy for eternity.

Live for God Almighty, not for yourself or things of this world. He has saved you and given you life for a purpose. Pray that His purposes will be accomplished in your life.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: Established, Anointed, Sealed

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.

II Corinthians 1:21,22 ESV
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.


As we think of our faith, we must remember that it is God who establishes our fatith and gives us this relationship in Christ. He gives us the ability to hope in Christ and He gives us grace to lean upon his promises.

Believers are anointed because the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us. In addition any believer that is walking with the Lord will be living a life directly influenced by the Holy Spirit. In Him and this anointing, we live and move and have our being.

By definition, a guarantee is something you can trust for a desired outcome. That's just what it is. In our tainted world, we have come to believe that the trustworthiness of a guarantee is the exception, rather than the rule. Not so with God. He is not tainted in the least, and the sinfulness of man has no power over what God desires to accomplish. In addition, the surety for this promise is Jesus Christ Himself and He is Truth.

God Bless You as you consider your position in Christ.
Dennis

Security: I Cannot Be Separated from the Love of God

Romans 8:35-39 ESV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In verse 36 Paul gives the clear example of being in very difficult situations and yet knowing that he is more than a conqueror. He must state that by faith, but that faith is built on the firm bedrock of God's love for him. God's love, like God Himself, is perfect. There has never been a mistake. The 'Children of the Heavenly Father' have never been forsaken.

Think on God's love today. If you are one of His, then rejoice that nothing that happens in your life can tear you from His hand of provision and protection.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: No Condemning Charges Against Me

I am free from any condemning charges against me.

Romans 8:31-34 ESV
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

It is God who has justified the believer. The single highest authority that ever has or will exist has justified those who believe, so who can question it. To satisfy His own holiness, this justification was accomplished by Jesus Christ' death, burial and resurrection. Jesus Christ is now reigning at the right hand of God the Father and this shows that the work was perfectly accomplished.

So solid is our justification in reality that it cannot be touched. Yet we are in a battle while yet on earth. Satan and people will bring charges against us. They will question our faith. They will point out our failures over and over. They will attempt to discourage us, shame us and put us down. We must be able to recognize these attacks. Take what is told you and hold it up to the truth of God's word. If it doesn't match, throw it out! Remember what our Scripture says, "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?"

Fellow member of the elect, be encouraged in your walk with the Lord. Our salvation is so great. It was accomplished by Him and no man can touch it. Truly a treasure for us now (even as works in progress) and a treasure stored up in Heaven.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: All things work together for good.

Romans 8:28 ESV
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This is one HUGE promise that can bring courage, faith, peace and joy in almost any situation. When a new believer begins to comprehend this verse, they have no option but to take it by faith. It is too big to reason out in our minds. After growing in our faith, and learning God's word, we gain more confidence in this promise. This confidence is not due to our being able to understand how it works. Rather, our confidence comes because His word has taught us who He is and what He is doing, and all this teaching only made possible by the Holy Spirit.

A short analysis of this verse:
We know - not wishful thinking, but knowing with no reason to doubt.
For those who love God - This is not just any person. They must be saved and have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Romans 8:5 tells us that this 'love of God' is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That is only for believers.
all things - Yes it means all things. Everything that comes into your life - blessings, opportunities, trials, sickness, poverty, friends, enemies, kind family, mean family, new life and death, little tiny disappointments, major life-crushing tragedies. Because of God and His love for His children, and the fact that He is Sovereign, we really can trust that He will use each of these things for our good. We will trust Him to define good because He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Another source makes this statement: God's providence rules in such a way as to ensure everything that happens to us is working for our ultimate good.

called for a purpose - God's children are called for a purpose - even more than one. We are called to love and worship God, to serve and obey Him, to glorify Him with our lives here on earth and to worship and glorify Him forever in heaven.

If you are a Christian - read this verse, meditate on it and think about it until you can rest in the security of such a promise. The things that God brings to your life are not just circumstance. These things are hand selected by God and allowed to reach you for a purpose. It is for your good. Rejoice!

God Bless You,
Dennis

Security: No Condemnation Ever

Romans 8:1,2 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus [who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit].
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

First let me make a comment about vs. 1. The phrase that is in brackets is not in any of the early manuscripts. Therefore it was probably added as a comment at a later time. However, this is not too alarming, since the same phrase appears at the end of vs. 4.

Verses 8:1-4, along with Chapter 7 show how the law of "sin and death" has been deprived of its power to take believers into bondage. At the same time the holy law of God receives from believers a living obedience motivated by the wonderful work of our Savior.

Christ who knew no sin, was made sin for us, and those who believe in Him are made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor 5:21). This atoning work has changed us from the status of condemned sinner to some who is righteous, like Jesus Christ. In addition, we now stand one with Him. This oneness is a union of lives. Believers, through God's Spirit dwelling in them, are united with Christ just as the head and members of the body share one life.

Much more than we do, we need to meditate on the wonderful work of Christ on our behalf. We were transported by Him, from absolute condemnation to absolutely never being condemned. This is because God's wrath was satisfied (propitiated) at the Cross, and we need to thank God for that very often.

Is there security in these truths? Can you place your life in the hands of the Perfect One who best knows what you need.

God Bless You,
Dennis

djbtol On the Web

Glad to report to all my friends that I have a new website. Not only is it new, it is my very first. Now you must temper all expectations: this site is a baby and knows very few tricks yet. It is a start and I am glad to share it with you. Take a look. Hope you find something you like.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: The Review

To recap the ways that we are accepted by God:

• I am God's child
• I am Christ's friend
• I have been justified
• I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit
• I have been bought with a price - I belong to God
• I am a member of Christ's body
• I am a saint - a holy one
• I have been adopted as God's child
• I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit
• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
• I am complete in Christ

If I rephrase these, we may benefit from a different perspective:

• God has made me His child
• Christ has declared me His friend
• God has provided my justification
• God has made me one with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit
• God sought me out and bought me, at great price
• God has placed me into the body of Christ, in just the right place
• God has separated me out for His purposes and His glory
• God chose to adopt me, even though He knew all about my sin
• God give me constant access to Himself through the Holy Spirit
• God has provided my redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ
• God has made me complete in Christ with new life

This exercise was to drive into our minds that it is God who has made it His charge to care for His children. We must not take such wonderful grace for granted, or even worse taking credit for the good things in our lives.

Accepted

In the last several messages we have looked at numerous ways that the believer is accepted. The believer is wholeheartedly accepted by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Not only is God accepting, but it is only by His plan and His grace that we are accepted.

In the dictionary being accepted means being treated as one that belongs, as one that satisfies the requirements and as one that is wanted. The same can be said about the believer.

The context of our discussion laid out in the beginning is that some of us have a problem with anger. Most people respond to an angry person by excluding them and pushing them away. Note the outstretched, accepting arms of Jesus Christ. If we strive to come with a humble, repentant heart, then He says to us, "Come to me, I will give you rest". In this context that might be rest from the anger that simmers in our heart, the angry response that we feel throughout our being and the angry response by which we sin against others. We cannot communicate God's message to others out of a heart of anger.

So we lay this piece of the foundation: Even with my sin, I am accepted by God the Father through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ and the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. We must pray that we can truly understand this and rejoice in it. The first step toward our healing is to receive the acceptance that Jesus Christ offers. Realize that what Jesus Christ has for us supersedes anything else we can imagine.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: Complete in Christ

Colossians 2:9,10 ESV

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

We are accepted by Christ. We are now found in Christ. We are made complete in Christ. Adam and Eve were perfect upon creation. Once they sinned by disobeying God the destructive force of sin began it's work and has continued to do so in all mankind. If we look at ourselves today, we may not even realize the ways that we are damaged goods because of sin's destruction.

Before Christ, not only were we spiritually dead, but also our physical, mental and emotional condition had deteriorated. It's all connected. Just as an unsaved person does not have a spiritual relationship with God, he also is not able to draw upon the wisdom of God in his life decisions. Rather, the unsaved person is marched around by the lusts of his flesh and the wiles of the devil.

In our salvation, at the point of regeneration, God brings life to that which has been spiritually dead. He places His Holy Spirit within us. We now have spiritual life. We are no longer dead. Our new life in Christ is furnished by the completeness that is in Jesus Christ Himself. We can now fellowship with God Almighty through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

II Corinthians 5:17 ESV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Although we must work to rid ourselves of the dead man's baggage, in Christ we are new creatures with a potential that is reminiscent of that first man and woman.

Let's walk with God daily and talk to Him, as He condescends to be involved in our lives.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: Redeemed and Forgiven

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins!

Colossians 1:13, 14 ESV

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The most significant and dire problem of every person that has ever lived or will ever live is that they are a sinner. There is a holy and righteous God that has a perfect knowledge of every sin each person has committed or will commit. This God is a Holy God and will not look lightly on sin. On the human side, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that the person can do to earn forgiveness. There is not one religion on this planet that will allow a person to get out from under their burden of sin. We are all born with a sin nature and we are part of the kingdom of darkness. Yes, the natural man is easily swayed and used by Satan. If you understand what I have just written, then you understand the word hopeless. Hopeless in terms of a present solution, and hopeless in terms of any good to look forward to in eternity.

Fortunately for many that is not the end of the story. The only way to get out from under the burden of sin is to cry out to God and ask for His mercy. God has a plan of redemption in place. His plan is perfect and required a perfect sacrifice. God could not be God and ignore the sin. The penalty for the sins of the redeemed had to be paid. So look at the cross. See Jesus Christ on the cross. See Him die and be buried. Then see him on Resurrection morning - He is alive, He is not dead! The sacrifice that Christ paid fully satisfied (propitiated) God's wrath reserved for the sins of the elect. The elect are those people God has chosen from eternity to be saved and brought into His kingdom.

Who are the elect? I cannot tell you. Are you part of the elect? I cannot tell you. All I can tell you is that salvation and redemption are only available through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and if you want that redemption, cry out to God, seeking His mercy. You do not go to God touting your own goodness, rather acknowledge your sinfulness and hopeless, and ask to be covered by the blood of Christ. Call unto God with a sincere heart and you can expect him to save you. This is more than just reciting a 'sinners prayer'. This must be a sincere seeking of God's mercy from the depths of your heart. When you see what a sinner you truly are, this will not be difficult. If you are not so convinced of you sinfulness, then ask God to help you see the truth about yourself.


God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: Direct Access to God

Direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.

Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

First we should consider the context of this verse. In this passage, Paul is talking about the fact that God was working to bring two different groups to himself. The Gentiles (those who were far off) and the Jews (those who were near). Because of God's promises to Abraham the Jews did enjoy covenant promises and blessings that the Gentiles had not yet been part of. However, in terms of righteousness, both groups were equally in need of a Savior, and both groups were to be reconciled to God the Father in the same way. That is through the blood of Jesus Christ. As God reconciled both parties to Himself, He also merged the two groups into one body - the body of Christ.

Comments from Matthew Henry on Ephesians 2:18
For through him, in his name and by virtue of his mediation, we both have access or admission into the presence of God, who has become the common reconciled Father of both: the throne of grace is erected for us to come to, and liberty of approach to that throne is allowed us. Our access is by the Holy Spirit. Christ purchased for us leave to come to God, and the Spirit gives us a heart to come and strength to come, even grace to serve God acceptably. Observe, We draw nigh to God, through Jesus Christ, by the help of the Spirit. The Ephesians, upon their conversion, having such an access to God, as well as the Jews, and by the same Spirit, the apostle tells them, Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners,

This passage describes the wonderful reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles and also contains truths for each believer. Through the work of Jesus Christ, our Mediator, we have access to God. More specifically we have access to God's throne of Grace. We come to God's throne to be reminded that He is sovereign, and to the throne of Grace, because that is what we desperately need. It was that very Grace that brought about our salvation, and it is the same Grace that we need every day all the time to live for His Glory. Grace is that undeserved favor, that multitude of blessings that God pours out on His children. Finally, no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit gives us the heart and the strength to approach the Father. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to convince us of the Father's great love.

Believer, what will you do with this 'direct access'? Will you ignore it? forget about it? convince yourself that you do not have time for it? The 'direct access' is a gift from God to His people for a purpose. Shall we squander it today? If we get to the end of the day and have not at least once stretched our hand out to that throne of Grace, how can we believe the day has been what God intended?

God Bless You
Dennis

Accepted: Adopted - more scripture

The theme of adoption is throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament God often speaks of taking people that are not His own, and making them His children. The theme is also consistent in the New Testament:

Romans 8:14-17 ESV
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Galatians 4:5 ESV
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

II Corinthians 6:17-18 ESV
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

I John 3:1-3 ESV
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

We have been adopted, we have the Holy Spirit of adoption, and we are most certainly Children of God. God wants to be a Father to us, and He wants us to be children to Him. Shall you reject such a perfect offer? Rejoice in these truths today, as you praise, thank and trust God with your day to day issues.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: Adopted as God's Child

Eph 1:5 ESV

5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

If you are a Christian you have been adopted. Think about adoption and you will see that acceptance is at its core. Consider a married couple that is not able to have children of their own. They have made the decision to adopt a child. They go through various approval procedures with the adoption agency. They scramble to find the large amount of money needed. Then they wait for the right child to become available. Finally they get a call from the adoption agency that everything is set. The new parents go to pick up the child and bring the child home. These parents have committed in their heart that they want this child to love and care for. They only have partial or limited understanding of who this child is, but still they say, "He is ours!" The child could not do anything to make this happen, but yet the child will receive major blessings through this adoption.

Maybe you have adopted a child, or know someone who has. Is not the adopted child accepted and loved. They certainly are. Now there is no basis to expect that this child will be the most wonderful, well-behaved child in the world. But that does not matter. The love of the parents is a committed love that assures the child's acceptance.

Now we look at our heavenly Father. Our adoption is born out of predestination. That assures us that God's will was the only factor in the decision and that we had absolutely nothing to do with it. God did not look forward in time and see that we are so cute that He just had to adopt us. God adopts His children for His purposes alone, and those purposes are born out of love.

Consider also that when our God adopts us, He knows everything about us. Every sin that we will ever commit is known by Him. He knows we will fail and that we have no righteousness of our own. He knows about His holiness and about His wrath that is due us. Along with our adoption comes the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ. That is how the sinful, adopted children can sit at the dinner table with a thrice holy God Almighty.

Today, if you are a Christian, I encourage you to rejoice in being so accepted by God that He claimed you as His own child. Rest in the love of a perfect Heavenly Father.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: I am a saint, a holy one

Ephesians 1:1 NKJV
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

Paul uses the term saint a number of times and it basically means Christian. The expression 'holy one' may also be used. It is not talking about a great person who died, but rather a Christian who is or has been through this earthly journey.

Being called a holy one references the fact that a true believer is sanctified. When a believer is holy, they are sanctified and set-apart. Believers are set apart to God for His glory and purposes, and away from the world and the kingdom of darkness. If you are thinking of holy ones being righteous, that is incorporated in justification and is absolutely true - being clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

There is another aspect of being a saint. As we rejoice in our 'set-apart' standing and relationship, we must remember that we are called with a purpose. Paul here references the saints who are not only in Ephesus, but are also faithful in Jesus Christ.

In Romans 16:2, Paul tells the Romans to receive Phoebe unto themselves "in a manner worthy of the saints". This carries two meanings: first, because Phoebe is a saint, she deserves to be received with Christian love, secondly, because the believers in the church at Rome are saints, their behavior toward her must be that of Christian love. Saints take care of each other for the pleasure of Christ.

As we have talked about saints, you may have had the Roman Catholic list of saints banging around in your head. That is a totally different thing. Those saints have supposedly earned (merited) enough righteousness that they have made it to heaven. This is an extreme deviation from Scripture. No one will make it to heaven other than by the righteousness (merit) of Jesus Christ.

Wishing you God's richest blessing, fellow saint.
Dennis

Accepted: A Member of Christ's Body

1Corinthians 12:27 ESV
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Some other key verses, working up through the chapter. (I realize bottom to top is not generally recommended.)

12:26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

12:18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

We have been considering many ways that a believer is accepted by God. Many of these have focused on the believer as an individual. With this indicator of acceptance, we see that God has accepted the believer as a part of something much larger: the body of Christ. Now this is not the physical body of Christ, even though the current passage of scripture is based on the analogy of the physical body. The body of Christ is the Church, and of course I mean the true Church, those believers who are truly redeemed. Christ is obviously the head of this body. By God's design, the combining of believers into a body provides much strength and ability that would not be available for an individual body part.

As God knows intimately each believer, He knows how to fit each one into the body. God has an exact place for each believer in the body. The positioning is not only what is best for the individual, but also what is best for the body. All the members of the body take orders from the head of the body (Jesus Christ), and as they trust and obey, the body is strengthened. When believers do not trust and obey, then the body is weakened.

So what is your experience in the body of Christ? Your 'in the body' experience is first in the Church, and secondly in fellowship with the broader circle of Christians. The norm presented in the New Testament is that the believer functions in a church body. Have you found the place that God wants you to be? Are you enjoying strength and support from the fellowship? In the midst of your body life, are you able to see your sins and faults, and forgive others for theirs? How about the Pastor?

I certainly hope you are living in victory and joy with this issue. God has designed the body of Christ for our good. We must believe that, even if it is only by faith. In this day and age, many Christians have struggled with rejection (real or perceived) from the body, as if they were a transplant that did not belong. These people are hurting and need the love of others in the body. The sanctification of all believers is still underway. The fruit of remaining sin is that sometimes the church will dump their wounded along the road (maybe because they are not perfect Christians) instead of restoring them.

God Bless You with what you need regarding 'body life',
Dennis

Accepted: Bought With a Price

I Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Here are a few additional scriptures that express this idea of God's people being owned and purchased.

Psa 100:3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Rom 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
Rom 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

Tit 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

From Barnes:
We are purchased; we belong to God; we are his by redemption; by a precious price paid; and we are bound, therefore, to devote ourselves, body, soul, and spirit, as he directs, to the glory of his name, not to the gratification of the flesh;

Dennis: A Christian knows he is accepted because he has been bought with a price and he is owned. If your reaction to being owned is to start kicking and screaming, then you need to give new consideration to the one who purchased you. If the Almighty and Sovereign God of Heaven above has a desire to buy this filthy and helpless sinner how can I object. It would be a foolish resisting. Compare His offer to what I have: judgment and death to look forward to. There is a peace in knowing that I have been purchased.

Secondly there is a peace in knowing that I have been purchased at great price. As part of the true church, the family of truly saved believers, I have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. That is worth far more than the largest pile of silver and gold. If God the Father is willing to go to that extreme to buy me, then there can be nothing better than Him owning me. As messed up as your life or mine might be right now, how can you say it is worthless. My heavenly Father knew about every sin I would ever commit when He made the decision to purchase me. His love and His plan of redemption caused Him to purchase a vile filthy sinner with a black sin nature. Why? For His purposes and glory. God intends to do a great work in our lives. Are we cooperating with His plan?

From Gill:
Not with gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, as the whole church, and all the elect of God are. This proves them to be the Lord's, not only his redeemed ones, being ransomed by a price from the bondage of the law, sin, Satan, and the world; but his espoused ones, and which is chiefly designed here; for one way of obtaining and espousing a wife among the Jews was by a price.

Dennis: Finally I highlight the point brought out by Gill. In Jewish culture, the groom's family had to pay a bride price to the bride's family. When God the Father purchased us at great cost, He was paying the bride price for the wife of His only begotten Son Jesus - the church, the bride of Christ. And there is no doubt that the bride is accepted by the groom.

I hope and pray that these Scriptures and thoughts will be a blessing to you.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: United with the Lord

I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in Spirit.

I Corinthians 6:17 ESV
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

I Corinthians 6:19 ESV
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

In addition to being a child of God, a friend of Christ and being justified there are other changes that come to the Christian. The Christian has a living, vital, spiritual relationship and oneness with God the Father and God the Son because God the Holy Spirit resides within the heart of the believer. The actual Holy Spirit of God living within the core of the believer. (This would obviously be impossible without justifiction.) The presence of the Holy Spirit is essential for transforming the believer, for strengthening the believer and for enabling the believer to live for the glory of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit in an individual shows that God's love and compassion is personal. Also, the Holy Spirit works differently in different people's lives.

The Christian's relationship with God does not consist only of what God has done and declared outside of the believer, but it also includes what God is doing everyday inside the very being of the believer. We should ask this question about everything in our lives, "Is this hindering the work that God wants to do?"

So today, you should:

• Thank God for the gift and presence of His Holy Spirit
• Pray that you will be made more sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit
• Pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit you can be more obedient to Christ.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: I am Justified

Romans 5:1 - ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Justification is an act of God whereby He pardons sinners and accepts them as righteous. This is done for Christ's sake, and by doing it God establishes an eternally right relationship with a person that replaces the previous enmity and estrangement.

The basis of this pardoning is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ, as the second Adam, is our representative head, acting on our behalf. He obeyed the law that bound us and endured the awful punishment for lawlessness that we deserved. By doing this he merited our justification. In our justification, Christ's righteousness is reckoned (placed) to our account.

Romans 5:18-19 ESV

18 Therefore, as one trespass [first Adam] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience [second Adam] the many will be made righteous.

This justification of the believer by the righteousness of Christ settles the judgment of the Last Day. It is a judgment on our eternal destiny, and God will never go back on it.

The necessary means of justification is personal faith in Jesus Christ as crucified Savior and risen Lord. Faith is necessary because the meritorious ground of our justification is entirely in Christ. We have no merit in ourselves. The beauty and guaranteed effectiveness of this justification is that it only depends on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Not even our faith can be considered a deserving act on our part, for it is a gift from God. If in any way, our justification depends on something we do, then we will not be able to rest in our salvation.

One of the key drivers in a Christian's life is gratitude for this justification. He chose me, and chose to justify me with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the guilt and punishment of my millions of sins and my horrible sin nature are pardoned.

As I consider this, I know there is nothing in me deserving of such grace - such marvelous grace. After all that He has given me, you think I would be more grateful and more fully committed to living every second for His glory. Obviously the power is not within me to do that. He must produce the fruit of His Holy Spirit within me. At the same time I must always strive to trust and obey.

When a person, even an angry person, has their score of sin settled with God the Eternal Judge, there is great peace and contentment available. How can anyone feel more accepted, than to know that God, knowing all of their sin, has chosen them to be His handiwork. When God looked at our angry heart and angry outbursts, He did not shun us; rather He embraced us.

Christian Rejoice! Non-Christian, you need such a Wonderful Savior as this!

God Bless You,
Dennis

Accepted: I am Christ's Friend

John 15:15 ESV

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Friend is such a powerful word and it is full of a variety of meanings. If you tell a non-believer that Jesus is your friend, they will probably create an image in their minds that is totally different than what this text is saying. Maybe something like this:

Hey Jesus, want to go to a movie? Are you going to the game Friday night?
Jesus, do you want to go golfin'? Jesus, could you pick up some milk on the way home? Jesus, you are a cool friend!

Now I know there are Christians that believe that is exactly what it means to have Jesus as your friend. But the context of our passage today is much deeper. Keeping this friend idea in context, consider these points:

John 15:9,10 ...abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love.

John 15:12 This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:14 You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Clearly a friend of Jesus will live a life dedicated to obedience of His every word. It is a relationship where we thrive in the love of Jesus Christ and the Father. We acknowledge that we were chosen by Him, only by Grace, and that this relationship is to be intimate and for the purpose of bearing fruit in line with the Word, and bringing glory to His name. The context of this friend idea reminds us that just because Jesus is our friend, it does not mean that we can pull Him down to our level. He is far superior to us.

At the same time, let me encourage you with this. There is plenty of scripture to support the truth that Jesus is a compassionate friend. He knows us in every detail, and He cares about everyone of those details. He works in our lives daily. His plan for our lives is not an old, once-prepared document. Rather, it is an interactive plan, where Jesus continually works amongst our weaknesses, our failures and our sin to transform us into His image so we can bear fruit unto Him. Jesus, my Friend, wants to hear about my problems, whatever they may be. He will comfort and console, but like a true freind, He will also jab the truth into my heart whenever necessary.

Jesus Christ, you are the friend that I need more than anything. Help me to obey you and to rejoice in the relationship you want us to have. Amen.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Jesus Is My Friend

In the next post we are going to talk about Jesus, our Friend. This hymn beautifully states this truth in many aspects. Enjoy!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now adore Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain

Accepted: I am a Child of God

The book by Anderson & Miller includes a list of truths that apply to the Christian. These are truths we often lose site of, and even worse, they are often replaced by lies in our heads and hearts. I would like to present these foundational truths here in an effort to lay a good foundation for our study of anger.

Acceptance, Security and Significance are all important for our peace of mind. Many of our angry roots may tie back into these areas.

John 1:12 (ESV):
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

As Christians we must embrace this important truth. So much more than words, it tells us about the core of our relationship with God the Father and reminds us that we only got there through Jesus Christ.

We have the privilege of adoption, and we are numbered among God's children. We were children of wrath and children of this world, but now we are children of God. God calls us His children, and we call Him Father. It is a relationship of love. We can enjoy all the privileges of children at the hand of this Perfect Father. Not the sinful fathers you see here on earth, but the Perfect Heavenly Father. This Father is all powerful and all knowing. His heart is full of lovingkindness and compassion for his needy children. He does discipline, but never in anger. His love for us is always present and active. Because of the perfect sacrifice of the first born son, Jesus, on the cross, God's wrath is no longer directed at us, but rather He loves to care for us and to keep us from harm.

This acceptance into the family of God is not based on my goodness or merit, but upon the Sovereign Grace of God. He chose me, before I could choose Him. When I think of enjoying the benefits of a perfect father, I am so grateful, and I want to live to please Him. Lord, help us and strengthen us so we can be obedient sons and daughters.

I am a child of God.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Do you have a problem with anger?

Anger is a problem that many people struggle with. Not only in the general population, but many Christians also. I must admit that I am in that number. Anger is at the same time a God-given emotion, and when it is out of control, a pervasive sin that strives to please the flesh and destroy everything else.

I can recommend a really good book on this. It is both practical, with true life illustrations, and also soundly rooted in Scripture. The book does not merely agree with God's word, but actually works to apply the very specific truths of God's word to this problem of anger.

Maybe this would be a helpful book for you. I would like to share some of the truths from the book in this blog. That would be a help to me, as well as my readers.

The book is "Getting Anger Under Control", by Neil T. Anderson & Rich Miller.
The subtitle on the front cover says:

Overcoming

• unresolved resentment
• overwhelming emotions
• the lies behind anger

God Bless You,
Dennis

Starting Something New

Looking real seriously at starting some devotionals that will be looking at the broad issue of anger. I struggle with anger, my family struggles with anger and we all know it is wrong. Only God can help us get inside and see the source of this anger. I've got a book that I will use as a resource

Do stay tuned. It will be worth it and informative.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Contact with the Father

Yesterday I was thinking how important it is that we have daily contact with God through His word and prayer. In an effort to share this point with my daughters, we had a brief time of prayer last evening, after we looked at these verses from Psalm 5.

Psalm 5:1-3

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

So we meditate on God, we direct our prayers to Him, and then we look up, in expectation for the answer. Even the baby sparrows know how to do that.

God Bless You,
Dennis

What God says about Anger

Here are just a few scriptures on the topic of anger. Maybe today is the day you needed to be reminded of these.

"But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Matthew 5:22

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31,32

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:19,20

And that is so, so true. The fruit of anger is certainly not righteous and not what pleases our Great God - El Shaddai.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Solid Evidence

If you were to look at my life you would see some solid evidence that I have not incorporated the truth of El-Shaddai into my life. For if I was truly trusting Him, resting in Him and living in Him, then I would not allow the emotion of anger to control me. Even today there were a couple of times where I reacted in anger. There are triggers that set me off really easily. I am not stating that as an excuse, because I know that the responsibility lies with me. Over the years, I have more and more allowed anger to be part of me, as opposed to confessing it as sin and cleansing the wrong attitudes out of my heart.

This is bad for me, and it is really bad as I see how my anger has passed on to my children. Big zero for this father on the anger battle!

God Bless You,
Dennis

El-Shaddai

Genesis 17:1-8

This is the name God used of Himself when He spoke with Abram in Genesis 17:1-8. The scene is when God is repeating to Abram the covenant promise that he would be the father of a multitude of nations. Remember that Abram is 99 and Sarah is 89 at this time. The promise of a son leading to many nations was first given by God more than 20 years earlier, but there was still no baby.

God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, by inserting one Hebrew letter, which happens to be the main letter in the name of God himself. The symbolism is clear, when God is in the midst of any impossible situation, it becomes possible.

It is also worthy to comment on the name El-Shaddai. The El is a shortened form of God's name Eloim - meaning Almighty and all powerful. Shaddai refers to God being compassionate and caring for his people. The root of the name is the Hebrew word used for breast. Think about how a baby finds all sufficieny in his mother's breast. Physically the food is complete in itself, but we must not forget that the baby's emotional needs are also fully satisfied there.

God wants us to realize that we are not self-sufficient, even if we think we are. If we are to have a meaningful life (as defined by God's word), we need to see our dependence on the Lord and then cry out to Him for help. He is wanting to give strenght, power and all-sufficient blessing, if we will just cooperate with His love.

djbtol

Amazing Love Un-deserved

This verse from the well-known hymn "How Great Thou Art" says so much.

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Such an incomprehensible love for such an unworthy person, it is beyond description. I will never merit this love, I can only love and praise the Great God giving it. My prayer is that my life could be what He wants it to be.

Do you know Him? Then "magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together"

God Bless You,
djbtol

Fight to see holiness in your life

Matthew 6:13 ESV

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

A few more thoughts on the sixth petition in the Lord's prayer. When you were first saved and made peace with God, you invited war with the world, flesh and devil. So you are now at peace with God, friends with God and this makes you an enemy of Satan. Prior to the change in your heart, Satan had you right where he wanted you. You are now enjoying new friendship in the church family, while your real family is not impressed with your religion. Before you walked in sin and it seemed so natural. Now you are called to a life of righteousness which seems foreign to your members.

The flesh will undermine your attempts to be holy, the world resents your efforts to be holy and the devil stands opposed to you choosing to be holy.

You must fight to be holy. The Grace that led you into this conflict is the same Grace that will fully equip you to stand strong for the King.

Don't be surprised at the battles, and remember, we need to be praying for God to strengthen and protect us.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Temptation and Testing

Matthew 6:13 ESV

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

These words are from the model prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray. Today's sermon was on this verse and there were many good points.

For now, I'll just point to one of the key points. God certainly does lead his children into testing. This is essential to our faith. But He will not put us in over our heads or leave us there. On the other hand, Satan leads us into temptation, not to build our faith, but to destroy it. You can have in the same circumstances, both God and Satan at work. Of course, Satan always remains subservient to the Sovereign God.

We look for benefit in our trials because God is the mastermind.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Wisdom from the Word

Ask God for wisdom in applying His Word as you read the Bible. You'll find that God's advice is just as relevant today as it ever was.

We certainly must be reading God's Word on a regular basis, but reading alone is not enough. The Bible is far more than a book.

We need to ask God for wisdom to read with understanding, knowledge and thoughtfulness. Also we must have a heart set to obey and apply the truths we read. We want to actively incorporate the things God allows us to see.

Then God's Word will surely be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

God Bless You

Dennis

Watermelon Devotion

Believe it or not, the watermelon can cause us to think about our faith! If we find that we are always trying to figure out how God does the things he does, our attitude toward God may be off. While on earth, we will never be able to explain many of the things God does. We must be content to leave His actions with the fact that He is God. Then we must believe His Word and obey it.

So marvel at the watermelon, be amazed at Jericho and let God be God.

http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/devotion.php/lessons/272

Dennis

Thursday email test

As you certainly can tell, I am a newbie with blogging and websites. In reviewing my setup for this
blog, I came across the option of using email to submit a blog entry. This may be helpful next week
since I will be away from my normal computer.

So here it is! Hope it looks OK!

Have a great day,
Dennis

and many believed in Him

John 8:30
As he was saying these things, many believed in him. ESV

On this verse, Matthew Henry says the following:

"Here is the good effect which this discourse of Christ's had upon some of his hearers: As he spoke these words many believed on him.

Note, 1. Though multitudes perish in their unbelief, yet there is a remnant according to the election of grace, who believe to the saving of the soul. If Israel, the whole body of the people, be not gathered, yet there are those of them in whom Christ will be glorious, Isa. 49:5.

This the apostle insists upon, to reconcile the Jews' rejection with the promises made unto their fathers. There is a remnant, Rom. 11:5. 2. The words of Christ, and particularly his threatening words, are made effectual by the grace of God to bring in poor souls to believe in him. When Christ told them that if they believed not they should die in their sins, and never get to heaven, they thought it was time to look about them, Rom. 1:16, Rom. 1:18. 3.

Sometimes there is a wide door opened, and an effectual one, even where there are many adversaries. Christ will carry on his work, though the heathen rage. The gospel sometimes gains great victories where it meets with great opposition. Let this encourage God's ministers to preach the gospel, though it be with much contention, for they shall not labour in vain. Many may be secretly brought home to God by those endeavours which are openly contradicted and cavilled at by men of corrupt minds."

Salvation depends upon the grace of God and the effectual working of the Holy Spirit in accord with the Word of God. Today, as we think of our salvation (are you saved?) let us praise our Great and Sovereign God for His grace that first works in us, for the Holy Spirit that sheds the divine light in our very dark and dead hearts, and for the glorious Word (both living and written) that helps us to see all that God the Father is doing for us.

May God Bless You,
Dennis

Simple Truths

Simple Truths

Speaking of believing in Him, here are some basic verses that all Christians can relate to. Listening to my daughter read these the other night reminded me just how beautiful these Sacred Words are.

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand? Psalm 130:3

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

…. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved …. Acts 16:31

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

I hope this review of some simple truths was helpful to you.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Many Believed in Him

John 8:30 ESV
"As He was saying these things, many believed in Him."

Not only was Jesus saying those things found in verses 28 and 29, but the context of this verse would include many other things earlier in Chapter 8. Some of these are listed here:

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (8:7)
“Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.” (8:16)
“You know neither me nor my Father.” (8:19)
“I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” (8:21)
“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (8:24)

Jesus spoke the truth very directly to those who were present. Sometimes the truth sounds hard to us. Their responses to Him indicate that many did not understand, but some believed in Him.

God Bless You,
Dennis

Then you will know that I am He...

John 8:28 ESV
So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

Returning now to John 8, and having looked at Jesus being lifted up, let's focus on Jesus statement in the second part of the verse. The events before, during and after the crucifixion did cause many Jews to see that Jesus is the true Messiah. Most of them would not admit that, but in their consciences they knew. Jesus specified two things they would know:

1. He did nothing of himself, which is another way of saying He is not a false prophet (those who prophesy out of their own hearts, as opposed to those who speak forth God's truth).

2. He spoke the things the Father taught Him. Not only was He not acting on His own, but He was committed to the truth received from the Father. The doctrine preached by Jesus was the counterpart (not the replacement for) the counsels of God. Jesus spoke truth from the Father that complemented and completed the truth spoken by the Father prior to coming of the Messiah. Because of this, Jesus taught with divine power and authority.

When Jesus spoke the truths of His Father, He did not need to qualify or justify those words. Neither was the validity of those words dependent upon Him (although they could have been since He is the perfect one). Those words were fully saturated with divine power and authority because they were God's words. Words backed up by the all the attributes of God.

God Bless You,

Dennis

The Bronze Serpent

Numbers 21:4-9 ESV

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9 So Moses made a bronze F37 serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Yesterday I referenced the account of Moses and the bronze serpent from the Book of Numbers. I thought I better put the actual text up here to make sure my postings are accurate.

It is good to take note of the behavior that brought about this situation: impatience, speaking against God and Moses, complaining and grumbling about the food.

Today, let us not complain against God and the provision He has made for us. Also let us not ignore Him and His commands.

God Bless You
Dennis

Lifted Up

"So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me." John 8:28 (ESV)

Referring to John 8:28, Jesus told the Jews that they would better understand once Jesus was lifted up. What does it mean that Jesus will be lifted up? In John 3:14 Jesus is talking with Nicodemus and states that He will be lifted up and He uses the picture of Moses raising the serpent on the pole. (If you remember back in Numbers 21, the people of Israel are being attacked by poisonous snakes. People continue to fall until Moses, in obedience to God, places a larger serpent on a pole and raises it up. When the people obey and look upon the serpent being lifted up, they are saved.) In John 12:32, Jesus references Himself being lifted up and saving men. Finally, in John 19 Jesus is actually lifted up on the cross.

Just like the sacrifices under the law were referred to as being lifted up or elevated, so is Christ the great sacrifice lifted up.

In another sense the lifting up of Christ can be seen as exaltation. The culmination of His perfect obedience to the Father was completed on the cross. His work was finished and He was ready to return to His heavenly home.

When you think about Christ today, remember that he not only was lifted up, as a victorious sacrifice, but He forever remains lifted up as He sits at the right hand of God the Father.
Our Saviour is truly Victor. May we have faith to believe it. Lift your eyes to the cross!

God bless you,
Dennis

John 8:28-30 ESV

So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."
As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Comment: Jesus lived His life in subjection to the authority of His Father, He enjoyed sweet fellowship with His Father and He lived to please His Father.

Today: Let us be subject to God's authority, reminding ourselves of the relationship purchased by the blood of Christ and being ready to live for His pleasure.

Update

Welcome back to my blog. The blogging universe is very wide and varied. There are so many types of blogs, so many different approaches, so many purposes and the depth of content goes from light and trivial to very deep.

I intend to put up a profile. I think if folks have some idea about who I am they will be more comfortable to post on the site.

Eventually this blog will have worthwhile content, it will have visitors and it will have purpose. In the meantime I will take advantage of this strange phenomena of writing off into space. As far as I know there is no one reading this, so I cannot write to my audience. It's just me and the computer - so watch out.

In addition to this blogging effort (which is still a newborn), I am spending some time over at BlogFeast. My username there is djbtol and this link will take you there.

If you want to try your hand at blogging, and maybe make some money, go ahead and sign up. I'll be glad to show you the ropes as you get to know the system.

Dennis

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The Beginning

You have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is the very beginning. There is going to be a learning curve here, and I need to make some decisions about what I want to accomplish with this blog.

Just the same - glad to be here and looking forward to it.