Implications of Truth Pt. 2 Amazing Grace

Sometimes we Christians make, or listen to statements without understanding the implications of what it really means. I can remember asking God, in prayer, for the salvation of my family members not yet saved. This implied He was able to save them. Most in the churches today make the same requests. The implication is they believe God can answer their prayer. Yet at the same time we are taught that God does not violate the will of the unsaved. They themselves must freely choose to receive Jesus. The latest author I’ve read said God “cannot” violate the human will. Why then do we ask God to save them if God cannot change them, and give them a heart of flesh to replace their hearts of stone?

To pray for someone’s salvation implies:
1. That God can save them.
2. That since no man seeks for God (Rom. 3:11), we're asking God to violate the will of the unsaved in order to save them.
3. That since man is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), we're asking God to make them alive (Eph. 2:5).
4. That since men love darkness, we're asking God to shine the light of His glory and grace so they see can see Jesus.

God's amazing grace, among other things, is His unmerited favor. Amazing grace is given to the unsaved completely undeserved and unmerited. God sends His Spirit to open the blind minds of the unbelieving...the Cross no longer foolishness. That's why we praise Him and love Him. Yes, God calls us to proclaim the gospel, but salvation and forgiveness is all Him. "Lord, thank You for Your grace. We bow before You."

Songs Past & Present

Music has always been a part of our life. From grade school I have listened to that new 50's & 60's "rock" music. In Junior High School I was in a "rock" band called "The Vibrations." I played the tenor sax, or tried to. As we listened to the radio in those days, the words seemed to concentrate on teenage "falling in like." We refer to them now as secular lyrics, because we are Christians. In Donna's and my youth the lyrics said just as you are listening right now. That's why we can listen to them today and most of them gender good memories. You know...the older you get, the more fun it is to look back on your lives together. The Lord has always been good to us...even in the rough times, but how thankful we are that the Lord has been with us and taught us through the good and the bad. We love Him so much. Because of His love, our love as husband and wife continues to grow! And grow! Here are some of the "Oldies" that we remember. They really expressed my heart in our youth and still do now in the wrinkle years.

If you come from the Boomers era, take time...and enjoy with your spouse.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF TRUTH - PT. ONE

Sometimes we Christians make, or listen to statements without understanding the implications of what it really means. Here’s an example. I was with a group of believers last night, from several different churches, talking about missions. After our meeting someone said, “You know, there’s going to be a very last person saved.” He was correct. But what are the implications of this truth? Let’s think…
1. God will one day bring an end to salvation.
2. There will be, most likely, billions of people on earth unsaved at that moment.
3. This means God has determined who that last person is.
4. It also means God has determined the fate of the billions who will be unsaved on that day.
5. This means God determines who will be saved and who will not.
6. Therefore, the following biblical words literally mean what they say. (Chosen, elect, predestined, appointed, enabled)
7. This means “grace” is a free gift, and not activated by human choice.
8. This means the unsaved do not accept Jesus, He accepts us.

The Abundant Life? Pt. 2

Mark 8:34-35
34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

The Abundant Life?

James 5:7-9
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

These first century Jewish believers need for patience was due to the previous text. They were being mistreated. The answer to the tribulation they were suffering is the Lord is coming. He’s the Judge who is standing right at the door.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts;

James now gives these saints an example of the patience they and we need today.

James 5:10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Zechariah was murdered.
Jeremiah was rejected by men, and stoned to death.
Ezekiel was rejected by his people.
Isaiah was sawn in two (Heb. 11:37).
Hosea endured a heartbreaking marriage.
Elijah and Amos had to run for their lives.
Micah was smashed in the face by those who heard him.
Daniel was removed from his home, and eventually thrown into a lions den.
John the Baptist was thrown in prison and beheaded for the truth.

They were in the will of God, yet they experienced persecution and suffering.

Why were these faith hero’s stories recorded in Scripture? For our instruction (Rom. 15:4).

When I became a believer in Jesus in 1974, the gospel message included this quote. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” It’s referred to as “an abundant life.” Never think that the abundant life Jesus came to give produces ease and pleasure. The Word of God teaches the opposite.

Matt 5:11-12
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

What Happens When Jesus Comes?

When the Scripture says the coming of the Lord is near, we must understand near in relation to the entire scope of all the ages. Many ages have past since the creation of man. The age in which you and I live is referred to as "The ends of the ages" (1 Cor. 10:11), “The consummation of the ages" (Heb. 9:26), and the "last hour" (1 John 2:18). It’s also referred to many times in Scripture as the last days. In other words, it's almost over for mankind here on this sin cursed earth. When compared to all time, His coming is near! James says believers are to live with "Patience." “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7).

Why? What’s going to happen when the Lord comes?

1. He’s coming with all His saints who are now in heaven (1 Thess. 3:13).

2. He’s coming with an angelic shout and a trumpet call. The bodies of the saints will rise first. It’s called the resurrection. Then the living saints will then be changed and up they will go (1 Thess. 4:16-17). All this takes place in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).

3. Not just believers, but all unbelievers will also rise at the coming of the Lord (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-32).

4. The lawless one will also be killed by the appearance of His coming (2 Thess. 2:8).

5. The earth and all its works will be burned up and melt with fervent heat. The context of this passage is the second coming of our Lord (2 Peter 3:9-11). He's not slow concerning His promise to come.

6. The angels also come with the Lord, then judgment day occurs for all mankind. All peoples are placed into their eternal dwelling place – the lake of fire, or heaven (Matt. 25:46).

Matt 25:31-32
31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him;

All the preceding occurs at the second coming of Christ.

In other words, the ages will culminate, the ages will end at the second coming of Jesus Christ. We now live in the last days. How then should we now live?

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming (1 John 2:28).

Patience My Brethren

James has some tough things to say to the ungodly rich in this world (See Blog post below, The Unsaved Rich), and how they mistreat God’s people. Look what he writes.


James 5:4-6
4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.


Notice in verse 4, those who did the harvesting cried out to God. Why? Injustice. Their pay was withheld. Now notice the name James ascribes to the Lord. “the Lord of Sabaoth.” Sabaoth means “armies,” or the Lord of armies, or the Lord of hosts. If one day we should experience injustice, remember, the Lord of armies is watching, and is ready to repay.

Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

How are we to act and live in the meantime? Read the next verse.

James 5:7-8
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

When the Scripture say the coming of the Lord is near, we must understand the scope of the ages. The age in which you and I live is referred to as "The ends of the ages (1 Cor. 10:11) and The consummation of the ages (Heb. 9:26). It's almost over for mankind here on this sin cursed earth. His coming is near! When the Lord comes, He will repay. He’s coming with His armies. It’s going to be a wonderful day for us, but a day of wrath and judgment for them. May we live with "Patience."

My next post will ask the question, “What will happen when Jesus comes again?”

She Won!!!

I'm going to tell you something that I still find it hard to understand or believe. During the month of March my wife turns into the biggest college basketball "nut" I've ever seen. Why? Because Darren has us and many others fill out the March Madness National College basketball tournament. We select the winners and losers of the 64 team brackets. WELL, guess who won this year? Ya...she watched every game she could...cheering, groaning...etc.


North Carolina just won the championship game. She picked North Carolina. She had me take this picture and put it on my blog. How did I do this year? Well, anyway here's her gloating.

The Unsaved Rich

James gets tough with the unsaved rich.
James 5:1-3 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

There’s only one place where moths and rust won’t destroy.

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys

Not a good idea to store up treasure, especially in the “last days.” What are the “last days?”

1. The ends of the ages (1 Cor. 10:11) 2. The consummation of the ages (Heb. 9:26) 3. The days in which the nations will stream to the mountain of the house of the Lord – the church. (Isaiah 2:2) How then shall we live in the last days?

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 29 But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;
Life is brief, a vapor. Marriage should not reduce one’s devotion to the Lord, and service to Him.

30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
The believer should not get so swept up in the emotions of this life as to lose their hope, purpose, and endurance. Steadfastness is required in the last days.

31 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.
The believer is not to be swept up in earthly affairs so that heavenly matters become secondary.

Here's a principle in the Kingdom of God. What we keep, we lose. What we give to God we keep...and He adds interest to it.

Plans That Result In Sin

Can I share with you our Men's Bible study this morning? We're studying the letter of James. Some Christian men made some plans. We found out it was evil and sinful. Oh, not in what they said, but in what they did not say.

Here's what they said.
James 4:13
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."

They left their Lord out of their planning. James gives two reasons why it was foolish for these men to leave God out of their plans.
Reason #1:
James 4:14
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

We simply do not have control over our lives. Man cannot control future events. He has neither the wisdom or the power to control the future. For him to boast to that effect is sin; making himself God. (See also Prov. 27:1)

Reason #2:
James 4:14
You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Life is short. (Read Job 7:6; 14:1-2; Psalm 90:10-12)
We count our years at each birthday, but God tells us to number our days.

Planning and making decisions is not wrong. Sin enters when we leave God our of our decision making and planning.

How then should we respond? "if the Lord wills" (v. 15). It's not so much the statement, but the attitude of the heart. The same plans and decisions can be made by two believers. One can be sinful, and the other not, based upon your desire for God's will to be done.

Not only did these men ignore God's will to be done in their lives, they were actually arrogant in their decision.

James 4:16
But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

The Word of God says it was evil. Why? In their arrogance they did not acknowledge God. They left Him out. With this context in mind, read the following verse.

James 4:17
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. NASU

What's the right thing?

I'm going to continue to share our nuggets with you..."if the Lord wills."

Sleep

I told you I would let you know how my night went after the bad dreams the previous night (see previous blog). I did close my day in prayer. I gave thanks to the Lord, I prayed for others, and lastly I asked God to keep the demons out of my house tonight, if in fact it was the enemy who caused those awful dreams. The result? I slept all night long, and awoke refreshed. Thank You Lord.