F4S: January 2017

Sunday, January 29, 2017

It's important to be in the will of God.. to accept the right responsibilities and go worship the (Bible) Lord alone. How? Do this biblically.

America--the USA--is not Mecca, in fact the interesting thing about this fact is that Saudi Arabia (where Mecca is) will not receive any (as in ZERO) refugees or Palestinians cuz they say they don't want the terrorism (most of those ME countries won't). And what's more ..no infidels (zero non Muslims) are allowed inside Mecca, not any visitors of any sort..ever.

The awesome thing is that there are many Muslims repenting of sin and trusting the Lord. Many of them are coming to Jesus Christ. The one we read about in the Bible. You can too, right now. Go for Him

I heard about that happening with some people getting saved even today--Muslims are turning to the Lord. 

But it's amazing how many people don't discern or make much sense any more too--ones that should know better. Though our U.S. Government has the responsibility to carefully vet (for the sake of protecting citizens, as has now started up) those people wanting in our borders, we individual believers have our own duties and responsibilities. Like.. to go, to lovingly win, and to welcome those of every Land into our churches once they are here with us. Inclusive rather than exclusive. Though many uber-compassionate believers etc... say the responsibilities are to be exactly the same for our Gov, biblically they are just different.

Believer, God's word is the only hope we have. He is the authority and the hope of the family. 

"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." ~ Joshua 1:9
When ya feel afraid, in danger, kind of alone, overwhelmed, or in the middle of a trial... be strong in the Lord. Just run into God's open arms who is always real strong. Sure, cuz He wants to hear from you and take care of you. The Lord can help you handle and get through whatever hard situation you are facing. facebook.com/shareJesus

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Do you humm or do you sing? In private and in public?

I'd sing it if I could... well no, will sing anyway. 


Verbally denyin' that the Lord is there.. just to avoid establishing a two way friendship with Him is kinda like stayin' in a deep frigidly dank cave ..just to eliminate the penetrating warmth of sunshine, even though you really desire the pleasant heat of it coming down on your back. You were designed for worship -- yup, of the Lord and of no one else. Of nothing else.  

You verbally denyin' that the Lord exists just to avoid biblically establishing a two way friendship with Him, is kinda like stayin’ in a deep frigidly dank cave just to eliminate the penetrating sunshine.. even though you really desire the pleasant warmth of it on your back. @kurtwvs :

Friday, January 13, 2017

A disadvantage can be turned into an advantage when our heart and motives are right.

A disability can be turned into an ability when you and it are given to the Lord. A disadvantage can be turned into an advantage...

..in the Lord. There is not one storm that is too big for God. There's not one that you are going through believer, where God's glory will not be revealed in some way if you persist onward in faith. There's not one time of suffering you go through where you won't see good if you just hang on to Christ. So look to and cling to Him! 

i.e., Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujicic (Nick jokes that his foot looks like a chicken drumstick). They both have leveraged their pain and struggles into effective efforts to glorify the Lord and for spreading His Gospel. God said to the Apostle Paul said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“So that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.” Matthew 15:31
See what happened with Jonathan, the son of Saul’s son Mephibosheth. Yeah, Jonathan had a “son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.” 2 Samuel 4:4. He ate daily with the king -- and you and I have a King who is far more kind that that. 

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Happy New Year, and be encouraged. H.O.P.E. Hold On, Pains End.

It's a new year with 365 new chances and we can have hope in Christ.. despite our specific needs, hurts, or current longings. I want to commend you to our anchor of the soul--the God of hope.

God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11


"And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security." ~ Job 11:18

Whatever God does or allows in your life is motivated by his love for you and for others. It can all work out and together for good if we believe and love Christ in return (see Romans 8:28-29). Most false teachers outside and inside the church, cult leaders as well as so called word-faith prosperity preachers won't tell you what I will tell you here. 

Life here has some pain, bummers, sorrow, afflictions, troubles, and death. So many people think that they will get a pass on this stuff. But it happens to everyone. It might start with the passing of your grandparents.. not an easy time. 

And so many word-faith (false, off base) teachers within the church with their aberrant doctrines (so called Christian minsters) keep telling us that if we have faith and give to them then we will get the hundredfold blessing and find ourselves out of debt and rich.. like them cuz so many fools gave to them even when they didn't have enough for their bills. Some even used their credit cards to give to em.. presumptuously expecting to get rich (go read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Go hear the audio book Christianity in Crisis and Counterfeit Revival by Hank H). 

We have a living hope, but there are struggles. Hey, even the best of marriages or businesses have problems. And Christians can learn through trials and struggles. We / They will grow through the hardships as we press in to know the Lord--yes, hope can be found and can develop through the troubles or tribulation. 

Christians will have more trials ahead and some with suffering that will yes.. actually work for rather than against.. them. Sure, as they look to, worship, serve, and get closer to the Lord.

"Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made." ~ RC Sproil

Sometimes it seems like we are being refined by fire until we are more pure like pure gold. God likes us holy--He loves us and want us mature, strong and pure. Notice what the Bible tells us of Paul the Apostle and his missionary team.. "They preached the Gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. 'We must endure many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God..'" Acts 14:21-22

Jesus basically told us that in this world you will have some struggles. Why? Man’s sin, his bad choice in the garden of Eden and later other sins elsewhere because we've all sinned.. they have changed this planet and the people here. But no worries.. God loves you anyway. He sent Jesus who died in your place on the Cross. And He's alive again.
  
"The Christian Message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity–hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory–because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross." ~ J.I. Packer

Christ in the Bible says, “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” John 16:32-33


"The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer’s life." ~ John C. Broger

"Without Christ there is no hope." ~ Charles Spurgeon

The fall (of man in the garden) has marred this sin-cursed earth. There should have never been aging, obesity, sickness, baldness in women or men, poverty, disease and or death in this place--it wasn't part of His original plan and design. He was well acquainted with sorrows, temptation, sufferings and grief--He knows. Through the trials, through the dark and stormy night, (biblical) faith holds a light up if you will. No matter the size of the storm. Ever seen a light on a ship, or from a light house -- when you do it's time for hope. And that shines out in the blackness of night to help guide to hope and safety. We want to shine out basically reflecting His light out, because so many people still need to hear the Gospel of hope. So many need that living hope in Christ and they can enjoy Him today.

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand." ~ Thomas Aquinas
"The law works fear and wrath; grace works hope and mercy." ~ Martin Luther
"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation." Psalm 42:5

Check it out in the Bible--God loves you as much as He loves His own Son Jesus. This hope we have is kinda like an anchor of the soul in this life of turbulence. Hey, if it has troubled your heart, it troubles his. Christ weeps when we feel the pain.. yeah, when we hurt.. He hurts. But He allows things to happen so that we will turn from sin..so we might turn to Him. It’s because he really loves us. 

Death is not the end of existence for people, it is just a change in your existence and location. Turn from sin. Call out to God in faith. Listen, the Bible is filled with an eternity’s worth of reasons for us to have hope in Christ. facebook.com/shareJesus

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

"Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’" ~ Jesus, in John 3:7


You can know Jesus and make Jesus known today!

Wanna be...
* Encouraged in your walk with Christ
* Challenged in how you view those who don’t know Jesus
* Inspired to live out the Great Commission
* Equipped to effectively go and tell someone about Jesus
"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" Mark 16:15-16

Monday, January 9, 2017

Our unity as born again believers is to be formed around our relationship with God through the Christ of the Bible, the Essentials of the Word. Yes, and around nothing else really. This is basic stuff of real love!

Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised). Hebrews 10:23

Want to hear or rehear the Main of all main Christian things, believer? Sure, we all do!



..be sure to do your part in maintainin' ..or in preservin' if you will.. the unity of the Spirit with other fishers. Imperative!

You don't have to create it - unity - or weird-out majorin' on minors (..like elevating non-essentials to the importance-level of our essential tenants of the faith) ..or even in minorin' on majors with Family members or strangers (i.e., in an effort to unify with say Muslems, New agers, JWs, or Mormons).

We are called to unify with born-again believers around Christ and the clear Essentials in the Word, and then we cut peeps some slack. Important. You already know this, but I like to remind folks cuz I need to be.  

Remember: Of course it is not in any way arrogant to be fully convinced in your own mind about the truth that you study. Yeah, to strongly believe something like.. "Hey gang, I challenge you to go check it out well in the Bible—I'm confident that right on this one."

But proceed with discerning caution and some deferring restraint in serving with saints, cuz it is indeed arrogant to not consider along the way about the possibility that "Hey I'm a mere mortal and I could be wrong on this secondary, doctrinal-grey-area so I too will recheck."

"Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers." 2 Tim. 2:14

We can't connect with the Father without having Jesus inside, and we won't trust Jesus without knowing Him. And we can't know Him apart from His written word, His essentials and believing prayer. And remember, when you see broken beyond repair He sees healing beyond belief! @Kurtwvs

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men [and 'all' in the original language here actually means: all], apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves..." 2 Tim. 2:24-25, emph. mine

God makes us tender-hearted and kind like Jesus, as we make the choice to be like Him. Dear.. dear brothers and sisters, many secondary differences can still be respectfully debated even in a spirited way, but why go and break fellowship with family members when these ole debates which godly saints have thoroughly discussed, have been around for multiple centuries? Have we not nets and hooks to cast instead of minutes to burn?

Peace-out bro n sis. Let love compel you—no witnessin' time to waste! Be gracious. Be a blessing to hang with. Both sinners and saints loved to be with Jesus. He had a great attitude with the right priorities. Be godly ..daily, instead of pugnacious, uber-gruff, abrasive, puffed, hurtful, divisive, or contentious.  

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." See Paul's whole context with Eph. 4:1-3, nkjv

"Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind." ~ Eric Hoffer

"We put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ." 1 Cor. 9:12

Holy fear, a clear conscience, accuracy with the text-work, and pure-passion must inform our tone, inner human spirit, approach, and tact ..for indeed our hook, net, and appropriate bait-occasions don't really come by so often ..and besides.. these are your last days as well as mine no matter your escatological stance. 

The Essentials of Christianity
By Kurt von Schleicher

When we talk about the essentials, we are referring to the basic elements that make up and characterize our historic faith, and which separate it from other false belief systems in the earth. Our goal is to make people so familiar with the Word of God and the essentials of the Christian faith that when a counterfeit looms on the horizon, they will recognize it instantaneously.

I like the maxim Augustine used to quote that originated from a basically unknown German man named, Rupertus Meldenius in AD 1627.  Regarding different Christian teachings, Meldenius stated: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity." That’s profound, because we all need to let the written Word of God dictate our faith and practice rather than supernatural experiences, feelings, or well-intentioned spiritual leaders and yet not cut off people for minor differences of opinion. We simply need to look to the Lord in this as we prioritize our beliefs and our relationships. Again, we don’t ever want to break fellowship with other Christians just because we can’t come into a full agreement about the periphery doctrines of our faith that really aren’t pertinent to salvation—namely non-essentials. Maybe like me, you've experienced a situation were a TV preacher was verbally elevating secondary teachings to the level of cardinal/essential Christian doctrine and then watching them divide with other Christians over these. That’s so wrong and should be addressed!

Today religious leaders from prominent Christian denominations say even Moslems and Mormons will enjoy salvation apart from the Bible Christ. But real Christians must form their unity around nothing more than the Bible Jesus and the Essentials, since essential Christian doctrine forms the only line of demarcation between the Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the cults. Now, as perhaps never before, this line is not just slightly blurred by false teachers and their teachings, but it is being totally distorted. The tide in evangelicalism is turning from unity around the essentials to unity despite the essentials -- unity at any price. Sounds sweet, but we aver that truth is more important than unity. Movements within our culture today—cults as well as within the church—are compromising, confusing, and contradicting essential Christian doctrine and it’s time we Christians wake-up to our duty with no compromise!

It is precisely because these essentials have been unrighteously redefined that millions have a completely distorted view of what it means to be a Christian today. Today several putative “Christian leaders,” (para-church and local church ministers) exacerbate the cloudiness and I believe unintentionally obfuscate what’s orthodox. Of course they will use Christian terminology in their teaching and mix in many true statements (otherwise who would swallow the poisoned part), but the meaning they pour into many of the words they use is decidedly unbiblical.  Jesus Christ commands, “judge righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24). The Bible says, “Open your mouth, judge righteously” (Prov. 31:9). In light of these verses let’s look at the essentials:

First, we believe in the authority of the Scripture, which is another way of saying that the Bible is God’s inspired, infallible and inerrant Word. It’s the ultimate source for knowledge about God, as well as the definitive guide for our everyday lives.

Second, we affirm the existence of a triune God, or one God in three distinct persons--yes, three distinguishable personages. (In other words we are talking about: a plurality in the divine unity or God’s three-in-oneness. Not three Gods, yet each of these Persons is fully God)—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This God is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, righteous, and loving. God created the universe from nothing and He rules over His creation sovereignly including both human and angelic beings. (Note: Though the term “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible it does belong to that class of terms which are biblical in the sense of expressing clear Scriptural teaching).

Third, we also hold that man is a physical and spiritual being who is created in God’s image. But because of his sin or transgression, man has lost his fellowship with God. The extent of sin is so great that its effects continue to this very day in the form of cruelty, suffering, and death.

Next, by God’s grace, Jesus Christ—who is fully God and fully man—was sent to save us from our bondage to sin. We believe that Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died vicariously for our sins, physically rose from the dead, and will one day return to judge the world and deliver His people. Personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only means by which mankind can escape eternal damnation and judgment.

Finally, we recognize the church as God’s ordained institution—a living organism that’s headed by Jesus Christ. The true Church is composed of all believers, and is organized for worship, for fellowship, for the administration of the sacraments, for spiritual growth and support in the Word of God (for there is no spiritual growth apart from the Word), and for the evangelization of the world.

A lot more can be said about these, but here is some further reading: Paul Little’s book Know What You Believe, R.C. Sproul’s Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, also Bruce Milne’s Know The Truth (IVP). Here's what's also a main thing.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

God cares about you more than I can describe in any earthly language. You know that don't you?

He loves us all more than words can describe! Christ did his best to reach all with the Message when here, and he wants us believers to do that for others too. 
Jesus Christ did not put seeds in good soil ONLY… No no, He loves us all so much, and still wants to save as many as are willing to repent and believe in His finished work on the Cross. He is inclusive – Jesus is the only way into the Father’s holy heaven, but he did not exclude anyone from the Gospel. Why should we do any differently. 

“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. and as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.  Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.'” Matt 13:3-9 Kurtwvs.Tumblr.com