Not Everyone Who Says, "Lord, Lord."

 What does God really want?  A man complained, "I go to church every Sunday.  I don't steal, kill, or commit adultery like others do.  I go to work and earn a decent living for my family.  How much more does God need?"  People everywhere have their own idea of what God is looking for in order to "pass" the test to get into heaven.  The important thing is what does Jesus say.

Jesus said some serious considerations in Matthew 7 about not judging others, about treating others the way you want to be treated, about many entering the wide gate of destruction and few going through the narrow gate that leads to life, about knowing good and bad people by their fruit, and about having a foundation that stands through the storms of life.  It sounds overwhelming.  Who can do this unless God helps him do it?  Yes, that is the point, God is with us and wants to teach us how to find His will and depend upon God's help to do it. 

Let's start with the foundation of the basic truth from which everything else flows.  The starting point is coming to know Him by believing in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead (thus completely paying for all your sin) and in gratitude declaring that Jesus is Lord (ruler, owner, master) of your life. (Romans 10:9)   

However, Jesus declares in Matthew 7:21, "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."  Calling on Jesus as Lord must be more than lip service, but a commitment to actually do what He says.  Jesus clearly reveals the Father's will in the Word of God.  Secondly, He sent the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth.  The purpose of helping us know the truth is so that we do it.  In short, obey His Word.  Jesus said those who love Him obey His commands in John 14:15.

We see this same principle in Micah 6:8, which is a strong verse that answers the question, "What is good and what does God require of you?"  He lists three things: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  All three have to do with the attitude of the heart and obedience.  To do justly is to do what we know is right; to love mercy is to be so grateful for God's mercy toward us that we also show mercy toward others; and to walk humbly is to acknowledge we need Him and to ask Him to lead us and guide us.  He gives grace to the humble.

Clearly God wants us to have a personal relationship with Him through coming to know Jesus and His love.  Secondly, He calls us to surrender our will and thoughts to His way and truth.  We are called to seek Him and His righteousness, then simply obey the instructions and promptings of the Spirit as He reveals what we are to do.  

Those who enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the will of the Father.   Not only is this promise talking about being in heaven eternally with Him after we die, but also experiencing the kingdom of heaven, "righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit," (Romans 14:17), now.  

This is the time of year when many people make new year's resolutions, even though these rarely meet the test of time.  However, with God's help, namely the Holy Spirit, we can choose to surrender fresh to acknowledge Jesus' lordship and do the next thing He directs.  We can resolve to obey His desires and thus enter into the Kingdom of heaven with righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit in our heart. 

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Choose Joy

Joy is a choice.  Paul, while in a Roman prison and probably knowing that he would lose his life, wrote the letter to the Philippians. That is why it seems so incredulous that he states in Phil 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice."  Peter and John express the same sentiment, even after being beaten for sharing the good news of Jesus, in Acts 5:41, "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."  There must be an anchor much deeper and stronger than the present circumstances in which the believer's life and joyful well-being depend upon.  

We just celebrated the birth of Jesus.  We sing the words, "glorious morning when Christ was born!"  We not only celebrate His birth, but also enjoy forever the purpose of His coming.  How can we describe an awesome and excellent God who cares so much about each of us?  This message was declared by the angel "I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." Jesus clearly demonstrated this through taking all men's sins to the cross and releasing everlasting life to all who call upon Him.  He explains to His disciples in John 15 the purpose of His life and His work, "that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."   

Have you noticed that children look forward to Christmas often because of the gifts, but the adults, or the mature, can see beyond the gifts to the loved ones who give gifts as tokens of their desire to give of themselves to those who are dear.  Certainly, in the midst of all God's gifts is the overriding truth that He has given Himself to us, and He desires to be our everlasting strength, joy, and life.  His gift of Jesus clearly reveals not only what He has given to us, but more importantly, the person and Life He is. 

Who are we and how can we respond to the fact that He has not only given Himself to us in coming as a child at Bethlehem, but also that this gift shows His heart which is willing to lay down His life for us in order to purchase our eternal joy with Him?   

In the carol O Holy Night, there is a line "and the soul felt its worth."  The fact that the infinite, glorious God would cheerfully lower Himself to be born a frail, helpless man in the most humble of circumstances, to a poor family in a dirty manager and and be known as from corrupt Nazareth (Can anything good come from Nazareth?), clearly reveals His total commitment to love us.  Psalm 8 reminds us "what is man?" with the answer that God has crowned us with glory and honor.  His coming and establishing us as His children with the authority and gift of ruling with Him forever is beyond our finite understanding, but the truth of His coming, His death and resurrection continue to manifest His eternal devotion to our value and place in His heart forever. 

No matter what happens or how evil the world becomes, the eternal truth of who we are in God's eyes and the value demonstrated by His coming, death, and resurrection far surpass any earthly suffering.  In short, all those who receive Him receive His love and nothing can separate us from the joy of reigning with Him forever.  Let us rejoice. 

Glory to God, Our Horn Lifted Up

 Glory to God in the Highest and His peace to you. 

Yes, Christmas is upon us and heaven's declaration endures forever.  In Psalm 148 it declares, "His glory is above earth and heaven, and He has lifted up a horn for His people."  We may understand a little about God's glory, His greatness and showing His awesome heart, but what is a "lifted up horn?"  I had to look it up.    

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The horn is a term for power or strength as well as a symbol of them.  One definition stated that the “horn” is a metaphor for strength, might, fortitude, for horn is rigid, it can harm and repel enemies, like a deer can repel wolves by horns.  Like in Psalm 89:17: “For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn”, that is to say, “You exalt our power over our enemies.  Horns, like the four horns of the altar can also indicate dominion and authority.  So Jesus is our horn of salvation, only by his authority are you forgiven, made whole, and freed from the attacks of the enemy. 

We are blessed beyond measure.  How can anyone shop for Christmas presents for the person who has everything?  Most of us can't think of one thing that we really need, and likewise, some of the people we shop for have everything they need also.  However, shifting beyond us, what can you and I give to the One who made us, gave us everything, owns everything, and abundantly meets every need.  The answer lies in Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 5:9, setting our minds on the Spirit and seeking to please Him in all we do.  God desires obedient children who live according to the truth.  Remember the verse in 3 John, "I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth."  

We love because we are loved, we forgive because we are forgiven, we are filled so that our cups run over to others.  Therefore, as the Word goes forth this season and our hearts realize how great it is to have the Lord raise our horn and give us His peace and joy, our only honest response is to look for ways to please Him.  That is the way to give glory to God.  

What We Need Every Sunrise - (For Son to Rise in Us)

God knows exactly what we need.  In Psalm 143:8 David speaks out what is needed in each of our hearts, "Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul."   

Many times, we wake up with negative feelings and problems running through our minds.  We don't "feel" blessed and walking in abundant life.  In truth we may feel overwhelmed with the challenges. Psalm 142:6 reminds us of the truth that "the enemy is too strong for me."  Sometimes we forget that we are fighting a spiritual war not a flesh battle.  God's mercy is fresh every morning according to Lamentations 3:23, but the Lord waits for us to take it, to receive it.  

So, there is a need to take a moment to stop before God and "hear" Him declare His fresh lovingkindness to set us free from our natural fallen-nature thoughts and feelings.  To "lift up my soul" simply means to turn our focus and attention on Him, letting His Word and the truth of His love transform our thoughts.  Then the truth of Psalm 23 can happen, "He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul."  We let God's Spirit take over and the Word of God dwell richly in us.  

Psalm 142:7 says it even stronger.  "Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name."  We are in prison, captured by our flesh until we let God deliver us to know the truth which sets us free. Then we are available and teachable to accept "the way in which we should walk." 

Paul instructs us to pick up His cross daily, obviously to die to the flesh. The Spirit gives us power to put to death the deeds of the flesh helping us set our minds on the Spirit and His truth.  May the Lord continue to renew our minds every morning with His fresh lovingkindness and teach us how we should walk. 

Let this Christmas season remind you of His glory and greatness of love in becoming a man and doing everything needed to ensure that His peace and joy daily fill our hearts.  Every sunrise it is up to us to let the Son rise in our hearts.  

Advent - Has Come and Is Coming

Come.  Advent, of course, means coming.  We celebrate Jesus coming to earth at Bethlehem, and we celebrate His coming to each one of us the moment we acknowledge Jesus as savior and Lord, but the fulfillment and exciting finale is that we know and prepare for His coming back to make all things right.  

Step by step we see the enemy set up all kinds of lies and barricades to entrench evil in the minds and hearts of people, but glory to God, there is no power on earth or hell that can stop Jesus.  When He declared on the cross, "It is finished," it was.  Then we read in Revelation 21 the unfolding of this completed mission with Jesus coming as King of kings overcoming every attack of the enemy with the words, "It is done."  

There is strength and joy in knowing that no matter what negative things are happening to us or what evil is being promulgated by government or media, Jesus is truly king and will overcome the lie and turn every attack of the enemy which he meant for evil into good.  God is not mocked.  I think that is why God promises a special blessing on those who read or hear the words of Revelation.  He wants us to live with the absolute confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and that His love overcomes all.  He will destroy the evil empire and every stronghold that hinders love.  We already have His kingdom and share His victory in our spirits through faith (choosing to believe) in what the Word declares. The kingdom of God in us (Romans 14:17) is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Jesse DuPlantis shares in his testimony of being taken up to heaven where Jesus told him to go back to earth and tell the people one thing: "I am coming back soon, sooner than you think."  Things will not continue the way they have always been, they are moving toward the climax.  It is clearly a day to forgive and make peace, to look for opportunities to bless and share about Jesus, and to walk in the love and power of the Holy Spirit.  We are the most blessed (Psalm 21:4) people on earth who know Him and His forgiving mercy and love, and now can live by His life and Holy Spirit power in us.  Thank you, Jesus.  The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"