Respect for Authority

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
–Matthew 28:18

Have respect for authority. Jesus Christ was under the authority of His Father in heaven . . . He lived for one thing: to fulfill the will of the Father. Everyone is subject to some kind of authority. There is one chain of command and the ultimate authority at the top is God.

What is the authority in your life? Is it your selfishness? Your lust? Your greed? Or have you turned it all over to God and said, “Lord, You are going to be my authority?Chr(34) When you are under authority, you are then able to assume authority.

-Billy Graham

Walking with Christ

 

He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
–Philippians 1:6

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ. When you start out, you start out as a baby. You must be fed on the simple things of the Bible, and you learn to walk in your Christian life gradually. At first ...you will fall down and make many mistakes, but you are to continue growing. However, there are many people who have stopped growing. They remain spiritual babes all their lives. I am afraid that this experience is all too common today.

Do you remember the day when you gave your heart and life to Christ? You were sure of victory. How easy it seemed to be more than conqueror through Christ who loved you. Thousands of Christians have struggles with themselves. The great need in Christendom today is for Christians to learn the secret of daily victory over sin.

Father, I fall so many times but how lovingly You give me Your strength to endure.

Our Defeated Foe

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword . . .
–Hebrews 4:12

How do we overcome the devil in everyday life? First, we need to recognize that the devil is a defeated foe. The Son of God came to undo the work of the devil. The crucifixion of Christ, which looked like a mighty victory for Satan, turned out to be a great triumph for God, because it was on the cross that Jesus took your sins and my sins. God laid our sins on Christ, so that when our Lord bowed His head and said, “It is finished,” He was referring to the plan of redemption and salvation. Then . . . we are to resist the devil. If we resist him, Scripture says, he will flee from us. Jesus overcame the devil not by argument but simply by quoting Scripture. That is why it is so important to learn and memorize Scripture passages.

The Gospel (or Good News of God) is represented in Scripture with six distinct elements of Messianic triumph and intent.

1)The Sentence of Death Removed

Man is imprisoned in his sin – unable to escape the control of sin, the earthly effects of sin, and the eternal penalty of sin.  However, the Good News of God is that the triumvirate of sin’s effect has been canceled through the work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ – the wrath of God has been absorbed by the stricken Son of God – divine justice has been served, sin has been condemned in the flesh.  Thusly, the guilty rebels of earth (you and me), if we would only accept this act of divine intervention with faith, have the privilege of legal justification before the bar of Heaven.  We can be forgiven of our rebellion, self-will, and lifelong resistance to His rule and reign.  Such justification and forgiveness, when accepted through faith, creates a way into the very Presence and Eternal Life of God.  The guilty conscience of man can be swept clean and filled with unspeakable joy, and the condemnation of Hell that hangs justly over the souls of every human can be wholly removed and replaced with hope of life ever after with God. 

2)The Prison Door to Sin is Unlocked

Man is controlled by sin.  And as a result, the pure and holy things he may esteem with his mind and wish to emulate with his life, he is unable to perform and act out.  He finds within his being, a barrier to purity, holiness, and righteousness.  However, the work of the Cross, the triumph of our Messiah, has done more than merely remove the sentence of Death from the children of God - in fact, for those who believe, it has removed the barrier to purity, holiness, and righteousness IN a believer.  That which has always hindered men from living out the commands of God has been removed.  The prison door has been unlocked, and now, the people of faith, have the privilege of walking in the light as our God is in the light, and bearing fruit that evidences a regeneration of the human soul.

3)The invitation to live in His Presence

Though man was a rebel prior to coming to the Cross, and though man was saturated with the dark stain of sin when first approaching the throne of Grace, amazingly, Jesus Christ’s work has created the one and only avenue through which sinful man can enter into the presence of the Divine.  Not just be forgiven, and not just be freed from the dark oppression of the soul, but actually permitted the privilege of living where the King lives, sharing in the rights and allowances of His Kingdom, the privileges and protections of His Spirit Law, being counted among His people, named amongst His company. 

4)The adoption as sons and daughters

Amazingly, the blood of Christ goes even further than even these three astounding realities.  It doesn’t leave us mere citizens of a Kingdom, washed clean and set on our feet with dignity, it also makes a way for us to be adopted into His very family and to be called amongst His sons and daughters.  Beyond mere forgiveness of sins, freedom from sin, and allowance into His Presence, this is the monumental privilege of sharing in the authority of His Name, the pleasures of His person, and the riches of His personal wealth.  We are offered a place not just in His salvation plan, but on His very lap, invited to know Him and become a heart-friend of the Most High God – actually free to call Him Abba, Papa, Father.  And thusly, we are privileged to actually share in His inheritance - all of it!

5)The commission to represent the King’s nature and herald the King’s Word to this lost world

We are also chosen to now represent Him to this lost world, to carry His burdens, to stand for His Truth, to preach His message, and to live as He Himself lived.  As the One who has called us is holy, so we are to be holy in every thing we do, in order to demonstrate to this world the stunning virtue and excellence of our Champion, Jesus Christ.  We are called to be His Body – His very hands and feet to valiantly undergird the weak, His mouthpiece to shout His Gospel, His ears to hear the cries of the needy, and His feet to go into all the world, seeking and saving that which is lost.  We are called to follow Him, to do as He did, and to die in similitude to His dying.  We are called to absolute purity of heart, mind, and life.  We are called to model God’s perfection.  And whereas, such a calling is wholly impossible for us to fulfill and carry out, God doesn’t back down in Scripture in clarifying this amazing intent.  And this is why the sixth piece to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see below) is so important – because without it, none of the above features can even be realized beyond a miniscule level.  

6)The privilege of becoming the dwelling place of God

The Cross was about far more than forgiveness.  It was about more than men being set free, invited into the Kingdom of their King, being adopted as His very children, and being commissioned to represent His Truth to this world.  Shockingly, the Cross also purchased the way for us to find the fullness of Life.  The Cross created an avenue through which the awesome, all-powerful, consuming fiery Life of God can actually enter into the bodies of believing men and women and make the entirety of this Gospel (as mentioned above) a living, breathing reality.  God desires to live inside us, to speak through us, love through us, feel through us, hear through us – live, move, and have His being in and through us.  Just as Jesus did nothing but what His Father in Heaven was doing (He only spoke that which His Father spoke and only did that which His Father did), so we are to be baptized with the very living presence of God within, enabling us to do precisely the same thing (speaking only that which Jesus is speaking and do only that which Jesus is doing).  Our life is not our own, it’s been bought with a price.  And when we yield to this indwelling Life of God, suddenly it is no longer just a human attempt at imitating the magnificence and perfection of God, but it is the magnificence and perfection of God at work within us demonstrating His Life to this onlooking world. 

Despicable Pharisaism

Robert Speer said, “The evangelization of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for workers; deeper far, than the need for money; deep down at the bottom of our spiritual lives is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, worldwide prayer. Missions have progressed slowly abroad because piety and prayer have been slow at home.”

Robert Speer is right; prayer is evidence of our utter dependence on God. Without Him we can do noth- ing. However, never forget that Jesus said there was a lack of laborers in His time, and there is a lack of la- borers in our time (see Matt. 9:37). It is easier to pray for this world than to preach the gospel to them. So make sure that you don’t substitute the sacrifice of prayer for the obedience of evangelism; to do so is to play the hypocrite.

“We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism...To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God. Quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist!” C. T. Studd

Charles Spurgeon- Prayer

“All hell is vanquished when the believer bows his knee in importunate supplication. Beloved brethren, let us pray. We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men. Prayer links us with the Eternal, the Omnipotent, the Infinite, and hence it is our chief resort...Be sure that you are with God, and then you may be sure that God is with you.” Charles Spurgeon

Handling Temptation

It is Satan’s purpose to steal the seed of truth from your heart by sending distracting thoughts. It should encourage you to know that the devil considers you a good enough Christian to use as a target. Think about. You're on Hell's most wanted list!

The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is: though they both may have good and evil thoughts, Christ gives His followers strength to select the right rather than the wrong. You see a man going to prayer meeting with a Bible under his arm. That man was undoubtedly tempted to stay at home, go bowling, or to some other activity. But, as these diverse thoughts came to his mind, he made the right selection, and headed for the church.

Another man walks through the night to a bar. It no doubt occurred to him that he had best stay home with his family. But he yielded to the negative thought, and gave in to his lower appetites.

It is not the temptations you have, but the decision you make about them that counts.

Higher than I

When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 61:2

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; emptied as when a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside down; submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm. Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is he, his mercy higher than our sins, his love higher than our thoughts. It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord. A Rock he is since he changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at his feet; he is not disturbed by them, but rules them at his will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text. O Lord, our God, by thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; thou, thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon thee-we need thee to bring us to thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is thy gift, and thine alone. This night be pleased to deal well with thy servants.
-Charles Spurgeon

You know who one of the hardest groups to witness to is? Your loved ones. I find it easier sometimes to witness to strangers rather than family members and I've figured out why. If a stranger gets offended and walks away, I've lost nothing, but if a family member gets offended and walks away, I've lost everything. I know some of you are home with our families, so I encourage you to take the time and talk about the things of God with them, open up your Bible, or share your testimony with them. Let love swallow your fears and share your faith. Think of the outcome if they died in their sins tonight. I pray that that gets into all our hearts and moves us!

Repentance- it's neccesary for Salvation

Instead of desperate sinners knocking on the door of heaven, we incorrectly paint a picture of Jesus pleading at the heart of the sinner. This type of “invitation” gives the impression that the sinner will be doing God a favor if he responds. The gospel is not an invitation because invitations can be politely turned down without fear of reprisal. Scripture says that “God . . . commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30, emphasis added).

“If my six-year-old daughter was out on the road playing in front of my house and I saw a huge truck barrel- ing around the corner, what would I do in that moment? Out of my love for my daughter I would not gently invite her to step away from the street. I would command her to change her direction, and get off the road! Why? Because of my love for her. I know that the truck would not be able to stop in time and it would run her over and kill her. The same is true of the Father’s love for us. Out of His love, he commands us to repent, because at any moment the truck of sin and death could run us over for playing on the road of rebellion!”
- Rob Price