Preach The Gospel

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

—Jesus

An acquaintance once said to me, "Don't answer questions that people don't ask."

At first it sounded smart and thought provoking. But now, though it might fit in some post modern book or blog, it falls flat to the floor. Empty words.

What did Jesus command His disciples to do just before He ascended up to Heaven?

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15).

He didn't send them out telling them to not answer questions that people don't ask. He didn't tell them to go into all the world and wow the people through scientific debate or philosophy. He didn't command them to persuade the world with intellectual arguments of worldly, humanistic wisdom.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

If you read the bible and study what Jesus did and taught, He spoke the good news of salvation in Him, to the hearts and spirits of people. Broken, lost, hurting people—even if they didn't think they were lost, hurting and broken. He never tried to wow people with the statistical probability of Him fulfilling even just eight messianic prophecies concerning Himself. 

To many today, the words, "Preach the gospel" sound outdated and old fashioned. It makes some people who call themselves Christians squirm. They think what worked in the past will no longer work with this modern generation. They think people today need to be swayed by hip music and philosophical reasoning. And we wonder why so many people seem unresponsive to the message that many churches are sending out.

Do you know what the "Gospel" is?  The Apostle Paul writes;

“I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

This is the Gospel in a nutshell. However, for a very detailed overview of this all important topic, check out this excellent article at Christianity Today called, "What is The Gospel?"

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/june/what-is-gospel.html

We must get back to the Bible. If you don't know the Scriptures concerning Jesus, you can't effectively speak the Truth in love to the people who need it most. I recently heard someone say, "Jesus is just really a cool Guy to hang with."  And while that may be true, that won't save anyone's soul. 

People need to know who Jesus Christ really is—God Himself.

People need to know why Jesus came to earth—to save them from their sins.

People need to know why He had to die on the Cross—to pay the penalty for their sins.

People need to know why Jesus rose from the grave—to prove that He defeated death.

Do you really want to help people? 

Preach the Gospel.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails

More Than a Feeling

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” (2 Peter 1:19)

So many times over the years, I've heard people share how they made a major decision in their life, and said; "I prayed a lot and I have a peace about it."

A few years ago I made a life-changing decision to enroll in a local college and get an associate degree in family counseling. I prayed a lot about it, and consulted with my most trusted friends and even three of my mentors. I seemed to be getting nothing but green lights, so I declared I was going to do it because "I had peace about it."

After only a week into my classes, one of my advisors asked to meet with me. He said that I would have a very difficult, if not impossible time trying to find a paying job anywhere, with only a two year associate degree in this field.

I was crushed. I prayed..."But God, You gave me peace about this! And so many good people confirmed this was the right move to make. I even had scripture to back up my decision."

After much soul searching and prayer, I decided to leave the college and annul my enrollment. I still had time to cancel my student loan, get my deposit back, and return most of my books.

My wife was not happy. She said, "But you were so sure that this was what you believed God had called you to do!"

It seemed that everyone was unhappy with me. But I felt an enormous sense of relief. I truly believed (and still do) that God gave my college advisor a word of wisdom that saved me two years of my life, and over $20,000 in student loan debt, which I probably would not have been able to repay.

So what's the point?

Walking with God is immensely practical. Or should be.

So many people, including me, make crucial decisions based on what amounts to not much more than "a feeling." An inner "peace."

But I can tell you from many years of frustration and disappointment; feelings can be mighty fickle. We're very good at justifying something to ourselves if we really want it.

The Bible states:

"This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic." (James 3:15)

The world teaches you to "Follow your heart."  But God's Word teaches you to let your regenerated mind lead your heart. Big difference. The heart wants what the heart wants. But the mind that has wisdom will throw up objections and question whatever path the heart desires to take.

There is an endless amount of Godly wisdom in the Bible—"a more sure word of prophecy."

Here the writer of Proverbs speaks of the perils of adultery:

"My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.
Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.”

(Proverbs 5:1-6)

Oh....that we would heed the Word of the Lord and not trust just in our "feelings." We would be spared years of pain, heartache and destruction.

What happens so often, is we make a decision based on how we feel, and then we ask God to go along with it. We want His stamp of approval on something that He never actually authorized.

Or we make a rash decision because we have only two options, neither of which are great choices. Then we ask God to change our new situation into something more workable. But in truth, we should never have made the rash decision to begin with. We're just too darn impatient. You can't give God what's behind Door #1 and Door #2 and then tell Him to choose.

It doesn't work that way.

God is not obligated to honor our poor choices or bless our rash decisions.

The Bible primarily teaches us to get wisdom, not seek a peaceful "feeling."

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

I Can Do All Things...

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”—Jesus 

Over the years I've heard people use the expression; "If it's meant to be, it's up to me"—which, all semantics aside, is simply another way of saying, 'If I am going to succeed, it's all up to me.'

Or, another very common saying is, "You can do anything you set your mind to."

But if you've lived for at least twenty or thirty years, you know in truth that this is simply not accurate. We've all failed, many times, in things that we set our minds to. We believed, we told ourselves; "you can do this!" But we fell short, and more times than not, if we're being honest.

Some think that through the power of positive thinking they can accomplish anything. And the proof in that pudding? Survey says; No, you can't.

A former client of mine once boasted; "I can heal my own body with my mind." But she had some form of cancer which did not heal. She simply wasn't living in reality.

I've heard a lot of people quote the bible verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) They put the emphasis on 'I CAN DO ALL THINGS...' and de-emphasize "Through Christ who strengthens me." A more accurate rendering of this verse would be, "I can do whatever Christ strengthens me to do."

The emphasis is always on Christ, not I CAN DO ALL THINGS.

And the verse at the beginning of this post—Jesus' own word's—proves this. He said:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

That's pretty simple. Without Jesus we can do nothing.

We can't bear any good fruit, do any great works, or build anything lasting without His empowerment, wisdom and provision.

And mankind's many failures and blunders are the clear evidence of that.

Here's further proof that we are totally reliant on Him:

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

Today, June 12, is the five year anniversary of my brain seizure I had while on a business trip. I literally thought I was dying. I didn't know if I was having a stroke or an aneurysm. I didn't know if I would survive it. After multiple tests, an MRI, and a couple of hours in the Pocatello emergency room, I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia, fondly referred to as the "sucicide disease." (Google it). To say that it has changed my life is an understatement. At it's worst, it was completely debilitating. I didn't think I would ever be able to work again. But only through Jesus Christ who strengthened me—have I been able to work and function again. All praise and glory to Him forever!

Yes, we have to be responsible and work and put effort into doing whatever has been set before us to yield good results. Anything less would be lazy and irresponsible. But we are not the captain of our own salvation. If it's meant to be it's not up to me. You can believe the mantras of the world and think that you can do anything that you set your mind to. Or you can believe Jesus who said without Him you can do nothing.

I choose to believe Jesus every time. 

I have failed many, many times in my life and will fail again. But God has never failed me whenever I take Him at His word. And He has proven Himself faithful time, after time, after time.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Don't Judge Me

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” 

(2 Timothy 4:1)

"Don't Judge me!"

Have you ever heard that angry comment thrown at you as a Christian?

Or maybe its, "We're not supposed to judge."

First let's clear a few things up; the biblical word for "judge" means to condemn, as in eternally. It implies a person is beyond saving, and is totally worthless. And yes, we are never to say that. That's not our place. Only God is the Judge who can eternally condemn someone.

Now, saying you don't agree with something or someone is a different story. You can even say that the Bible says it is wrong. And that is not condemning (judging) someone. 

For example, if you point out to someone that the speed limit on the street is 30 miles per hour, are you condemning or judging that person simply by saying so? Of course not. If someone is caught speeding in a thirty mile per hour zone, the police officer writes them a ticket. Then they go to court and upon being found guilty, the Judge passes sentence, or levies a fine. He or she alone sits on the Judges seat. And he or she judges that person according to the law.

So, if for instance you choose to marry someone outside of what the Bible says is allowable by God, you are not ruining my own marriage, but you will bring God's judgment upon yourself. If you kill an innocent unborn child through abortion simply as a matter of your convenience, you will bring God's judgment upon you. I'm not judging or condemning you by saying that... I'm simply communicating to you what God's Word says you will bring upon yourself.

God is the Judge who eternally condemns, not me.

And here's something more to consider; throughout history in the Bible, God judged entire nations who refused to repent and turn from their wicked ways and turn to Him. He gave some nations such as the Assyrians over 400 years to repent of their wickedness, and gave them chance after chance. Ultimately, He wiped out that nation because they never repented. Look at the once mighty Roman empire; it ceased to exist altogether. The immoral city of Sodom was also wiped from the face of the earth by God for its wickedness and sexual immorality.

Look at the nation of America today. What was originally founded upon godly principles, the Bible and prayer, has now declined into perhaps the most immoral and corrupt nation on earth. Do you think America is immune to God's judgment if it does not repent and turn to God?  How can it be.

Closely examine this biblical command and promise:

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus) whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, will judge the entire world in the upcoming future. He gives the following warning to anyone who refuses to hear and receive His message from His people whom He has commanded to share it:

“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” (Matthew 10:14-15)

Are you right with God? 

If not, you need to repent—turn to Him, today. Don't put it off. Don't wait. Jesus said He is coming to judge the world at an hour that you do not expect. 

The only way to get right with God, is to turn to Jesus and confess that you are a sinner, incapable of saving yourself or making yourself right with Him. That's why He came to die on a Cross—to pay with His life for the penalty of your sins and my sins. It's a free gift, but you have to choose to receive it—to receive Him.

Jesus said:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

The Fear of the Lord

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

When many people today hear the phrase, "The fear of the Lord" they think of the Old Testament Law, or legalism, or as something that doesn't apply to Christians now, since we are under grace.

But Paul, the apostle of grace, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these New Testament words to the Corinthian Christians.

Jesus Himself said, 

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

The writer of Proverbs wrote:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

For the Christian—child of God—"the fear of the Lord" does not mean a cowering fear, afraid that God will strike you down at any minute, like you would a pesky insect. But rather, it means a reverential awe and respect for the Almighty God; the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is God; the Righteous Judge, who will judge the living and the dead (see 2 Timothy 4:1).

And it should strike a reverential fear, awe and respect in the heart of every Christian when we acknowledge the fact that we all will one day stand at the feet of Jesus, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Doesn't that make you tremble inside just a little bit? If it doesn't, you don't have a healthy fear of the Almighty.

It was prophesied that in the Last Days (i.e. now), that there will be a great Apostasy; a falling away and defection from the Truth of God's Word. And we are smack dab in the middle of that great falling away as we speak. If you can't see that, you're blind as a bat. 

It seems to be the norm today for many people who profess to be "christian" to be living in all kinds of various sin and disobedience. And people go to great lengths to write off or twist God's Word, in order to justify their sin as normal and acceptable in today's culture, and they dismiss God's Word to be archaic and outdated. This demonstrates a total lack of a reverential fear of the Lord. 

Do we not think there will be consequences for our disobedience and rebellion?

Read the next sentence of that passage from 2 Corinthians chapter 5:

"Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..."

Doesn't the phrase, "The terror of the Lord" strongly express that God is very serious about this?

A lot of folks today seem to have the attitude that God is like some laid back surfer dude, who lets everything slide, and is just here to be your benevolent genie in a bottle, to give you your every wish, but doesn't require anything from you.

Read Revelation chapters two and three. Here Jesus is recognizing what good things the churches did well. But He also admonishes them in the areas they need to repent, as He does here to the church that was in Ephesus:

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

Consider the admonition and the command, "I have this against you", and "Unless you repent."

The are some very strong warnings and impending judgments upon the churches (Christians) who refuse to heed God's warnings here. 

There will indeed be consequences. The most daunting being this sobering warning from Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

For those who call themselves "Christian" but who choose to transgress God's commands and live according to the corrupt culture and your own twisted sense of right and wrong; unless you repent and turn your heart and lives back to God, obeying Him according to His Word, the ultimate consequence of a lifestyle of lawlessness will be eternal banishment from God's presence, to a place of eternal torment. Jesus will say to you, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

I don't know of anything that will instill a healthy fear of God in a person's heart, more than this dire warning from Jesus.

Ultimately, it's about love.

Jesus said, 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21)

The question is, do you love Jesus as much as you say you do?

...Then prove it.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

  

Unconditional

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to your wife.” 

(1 Peter 3:7)

It's the day before Valentines Day and I felt compelled to write about knowing my wife more deeply, and loving her unconditionally.

If any of you guys are struggling in your relationship with your wife, I pray this might offer you some helpful insights into this marvelous and paradoxical mystery—the heart of a woman.

Not that I am The Expert on marriage and women. Lord knows I've made more than my share of mistakes and blunders in the 29 years I've been married to my wonderful wife. But in those 29 years, I've learned a few things, as the Lord has taught me, when I stopped trying to change my wife's heart, and move out of the way and allow Him to be her Lord.

First, and most difficult—the word unconditional.

When was the last time you did something for your wife that was absolutely without condition? No strings attached? No hidden, selfish agenda? No quid pro quo (you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours). Something simply to bless her, not even to make you feel good for doing it? Think of the last time you offered to rub her back... You get the picture.

Early in our marriage, I did a lot of nice things for my wife. But almost always there was some hidden agenda attached for my doing so. If I do this for her, maybe she won't nag me when I want to go fishing next weekend... If I do that for her, maybe she'll let me buy that new rifle I've been wanting. If I rub her back maybe she'll... Guys, you know what I'm saying. It was all conditional. It was never really just to bless her. Sometimes it was just so I would feel like a great guy for doing it, and I could tell my friends just how great a husband I was. But it was never really unconditional.

True, unconditional love is absolutely unselfish and without condition. And trust me, she can always see through you and spot your hidden agendas...

So try blessing your wife simply because you love her, and because she deserves it; as she is your better half, your soul mate, and your best friend. And, if you are a true Christian—a follower of Jesus Christ—do it because you have been given the amazing privilege of loving and serving one of God's own daughters! Understanding that incredible truth forever changed how I look at my role as a husband.

Next, the Word says, Husbands, dwell with your wife with understanding.

If you are having issues communicating with and understanding your wife, start by getting on your knees and ask the Lord to help you know and understand your wife better as a woman, as a person, and as an individual. Ask Him to help you understand her heart—what she needs, and how you can nurture what He is doing in her heart. If you haven't yet figured this out, I'll let you in on a little secret—men and women are vastly different. I know, it sounds simplistically idiotic for me to say that. But you'd be surprised. Many guys are clueless as to how God made their wives emotionally—how He wired them, and how they think. I've been studying my wife for over thirty years, getting to know and understand her, and I'm just now really beginning to figure her out.

Part of dwelling with your wife with understanding, is to know her Love Language.

If you've never heard this term, here are the five Love Languages:

1. Words of affirmation
2. Acts of service
3. Receiving gifts
4. Quality time
5. Physical touch

My wife for instance absolutely loves it when I do acts of service for her. The other day I cleaned out the garage and assembled some baker racks and neatly put the plastic storage tubs of her Sunday School supplies on them. You would think I gave her ten dozen red roses! She thanked me with tears in her eyes. This is her number one Love Language. A dozen roses or bouquet of flowers doesn't really do much for her. But if I go out and weed the flower beds and then clean the kitchen, different story! 

Now my daughter says her love language is getting pretty flowers. Some ladies prefer spending quality time above all else. Others love daily words of affirmation the most. Every woman is different, and that is why you need to know your wife more deeply and seek to understand her better as a woman, as a person: as an individual.  You may be buying her flowers and chocolates, while what she really needs and desires from you is altogether different.

Every woman really wants and needs all five of the things on this list. But understanding your wife individually and personally, knowing the order of importance each item holds in her heart is the secret—and one that you will absolutely need God's help to unlock and truly understand.

A man's list would probably be totally different than his wife's. Most guys would undoubtedly place physical touch at the top of the list. Next would probably be quality time. Third might be receiving gifts. Next, words of affirmation. Acts of service would be at the bottom of my list, but it's at the top of my wife's. Men and women are different, and guys—aren't you glad that we are!

So this Valentine's Day (and every day after)... love your wife unconditionally, and bless her by knowing, understanding, and speaking her love language—not yours. 

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

The Beginning of All Things

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 

(The Revelation ch 21)

There is a fascination and huge focus today on the Apocalypse—The End of the World. The End Times. The End of Days.

And while there yet remains the end times or "Last Days" period known as the Tribulation, which is a seven year period that culminates the end of days, which shall be a time of great trouble and suffering such as the world has never experienced, nor will ever experience again, the end of the world will not be a time of doom and gloom for the true, faithful, believer and follower of Jesus Christ—only for the people who have rejected Him.

Many people today are looking for, or speculating on, who the Satanically empowered "Antichrist" figure is, or will be. Folks are nervous and even frightened about the imploding economy and culture all around us. Brother is ready to go to war against brother over gun owners rights, among others. America has never been more morally and ethically divided as it is today. One wonders, "How could it get any worse?"

Countless books have been written about the Rapture of the Church, the End Times, the Last Days, or the Apocalypse. Movies and even television series on the subject are morbidly popular today. For many people, the whole topic is just a big joke.

However, for the children of God—the true followers of Jesus Christ—the end of the world is actually the beginning of all things; not the end.

Read Revelation chapter 21 carefully. God promises a time when He will forever be with us personally, face-to-face, as our God and Father. This will be a time when the former earth and heavens, corrupted by sin and Satan, will be burned up, even the very elements will be melted with a fervent heat (See 2 Peter 3:10). And God will make a new, incorruptible, heavens and earth, for us to enjoy forever. And for all of eternity, we will never again experience a single moment of death, sorrow, sadness, or pain, Can you even imagine it!

To the Christian, Christ told us to watch for His coming—not for the appearance of the Antichrist. 

 So don't get bogged down in the bad news on TV every night. This is not our future. Heaven is! Invite others to come along, and be saved, and to know Jesus personally. There is no better life!

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:14-17)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.