Truth Inspires

We know that the mind is the place of spiritual battle. How is yours doing? Have you any room for the Good News of Jesus Christ or have you just left Him completely out? Has the cares of this life taken their toll? One day we will all stand before the Lord. It will either be at the "Judgment Seat of Christ" or the "Great White Throne Judgment". Both of these judgments will come. The question is "Are you ready?" Judgment Seat of Christ: The "Judgment seat of Christ"is a judgment for Believers in Christ only. It is here that the "Bride of Christ" will be clothed with the eternal rewards that God promises to all those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and are subsequently clothed in His Righteousness, 2 Cor. 5:21. Rev. 19:7-8 tell us "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;  it was granted her to clothe herself wi...

We must kneel in humility confessing our need of Jesus Could the Church Today Survive Nero? The times in which we live are full of uncertainties. In America the church is quickly becoming the laughing stock of the nation. It’s no secret that in today's Christian America our influence is severely waning. Our focus has become discombobulated as we look to ourselves first instead of Christ and His concerns. The Presidential election of 2008 saw millions of so-called Christians voting for a man that is for the butchering of unborn children. Why? The ones I know say they are pro-life, yet when confronted they said money is a greater issue. What? Money is greater than life? Wow! But they are not alone. Instead of listening to Jesus’ message of life and the value of life, choices are made quite often supporting the values of the enemy of life, Satan, even if inadvertently through silence.  Truly in this, “ we hate the full message of the gospel” world but we love the “everythi...

Prelude to a Storm Let’s now turn our attention a little deeper toward the letter of encouragement to the Hebrews in Rome. I have always looked at this letter in its theological setting as an apology for Christianity and our Lord Jesus Christ. But it is really more than that. It is a love letter written to a group or groups of Jewish believers who were scared—they needed to be encouraged that their faith in Christ, as opposed to Judaism and the repeated rituals, was not and never has been in vain. Jesus was in them and with them. He knew their fears  having been through the same trials Himself. “ For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted,” Hebrews 2:18 . He was also approachable at any given moment . “ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in a...

The early history of Christianity is a story of ups and downs—Joyful shouts to God and tearful cries in faith. Christianity was spreading like wildfire throughout the Middle Eastern and Roman worlds. Word of mouth and good news were being found to be difficult to restrain. Arrest a Christian and the arresters will hear the good news. In the world today Christians are still spreading the gospel to new generations, many paying for it with their lives. Men, women and children are still being faced with decisions that are life-altering as they face penalties of death and pillage from those who would destroy Christianity if they could. But the great “Cloud of Witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) is still around us cheering us on as we continue to run the race of faith knowing that our end, no matter which way it turns, will hopefully come with the banner of Christ still in our hands and our hearts. Claudius's Colosseum This series will explore the early persecutions of the church under E...

At what point does "Faith in Christ" become a basis for decision making? In your life, is there ever a time when what, "Jesus thinks" does not matter? In your personal walk with God do you ever take Him into consideration when decisions are made?  For what real reason do you attend church for worship? Do you honestly believe that God is not interested in your life--your whole life--every minute of it? If not, how much of it do you lay before Him? In short, "What does putting Christ first really mean to you?" The Bible teaches us to examine our hearts. Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)  When is the last time you examined yours? And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence ...

Jeremiah's Lament 1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold , how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! 3 Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them. Lamentations 4:1-4 (ESV) To some this may seem to be an enigmatic passage. But I assure you, just as Jeremiah the “Weeping Prophet” penned it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is as meaningful today as it was when he first delivered it. Let me interpret: The times: Siege of Jerusalem 587 B.C. The passage cited above reflects upon the aftermath of the Babylonian invasion of Judah and Jerusalem—the exile of its i...

My wife loves to make chocolate chip cookies; I love to eat them—it’s no surprise. But more often than not, I find myself sifting through the batch to find the one that is softest and has the most chocolate chips in it. Depending on how they were cut out and how much time they were cooked makes a difference in the experience of eating the little treat. The longer cooked the harder the cookie and some simply have more chips. As I was pondering this it dawned on me that like the cookie, our life can also be a treat that becomes a blessing both to God and to others. Jesus spoke of Himself as the “Vine” and His church as “Branches of the Vine”. He likened Christians to branches that either bore no fruit (no chocolate chips), some fruit (some chocolate chips), or a lot of fruit (delicious and tasty). But conditions, by proxy, determine which type of branch we are. Here is what He said: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears...