Posts filed under ‘salvation’
Sanctification: Memorizing Scripture
Paul is so good about getting to the heart of the issue, isn’t he? We can all relate to what he is stating. We want to do what is right, what pleases God, but we are too often bound by our sin nature. It seems to control us way too often. Yet, Paul, while pointing out how bad things can be for him within, looks to Jesus as the only true Redeemer. Jesus, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, will create within us truly clean hearts, hearts given to serving God, not our sin natures. But of course, our job is to actually go to Him during those times when we are torn and being dragged toward fulfilling the desires of our sin nature. It truly is a battle and the battle is won in our minds when we deliberately turn our backs on our sin natures and the temptations promoted by it, instead, looking to Jesus as our true Source of strength. He will overcome in our lives if we deliberately turn to Him. Sometimes, all we can do is plead with Him to help us and He will follow through.
Cooperating in Sanctification
The opposite of being disciplined is being lazy. There’s too much of that going around, even among Christians today. Paul could have just coasted. After all, he was saved, right? Why did he work so hard to bring about the change in his life that God wanted? By that I mean why did he make the strong effort to cooperate with God the Holy Spirit in order to become the person God wanted him to become? The answer is much more simple than the process itself. Paul did this because he wanted to bring glory to God and he understood that whatever he was going through, it was because God ordained it and in every situation, he wanted to respond in a way that pleased God. Because of that, he literally disciplined himself – his thoughts, his actions and his words – so that he relied heavily on the power of the Holy Spirit to create in him (Paul), what was good for edifying others and glorifying God. This meant constant growth and change for Paul.
I Purposefully Waited…
While it is very good to long for and expect the coming of the Lord, we cannot stop living and simply wait for Him to return on some appointed day at some appointed time as “revealed” by some believer somewhere. To me, this is very reminiscent of people on YouTube who claim to have been taken to heaven and talked with our Lord. These people go on and express much detail about what they saw and what they heard. In some cases, they claim that the end times is very different from what is in Scripture. In other cases, they tell us that salvation is also different from what the Bible reveals.
Continue Reading September 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM Leave a comment
Losing the Battle, Winning the War
Reading through the Old Testament and even the New, it is clear that Satan hates those who stand with God against malice, hatred and all manner of sinful corruption that plagues much of humanity. The apostles did not die quietly from old age. Many were brutally murdered. The prophets of old did not retire and draw from their pensions while living in relative ease. They were often treated brutally and even martyred for daring to speak God’s Words to people, words that those people found offensive.
Perilous Times of Evil
Some people enjoy going onto their social media accounts simply to create problems because they can do so often anonymously. They then sit back and watch the fireworks as it gives them a sense of power. In fact, it seems clear only a few years ago that people would say on their social media accounts what they’d never say to another person face-to-face. Now? Seems as though anything goes.
People are divided today by political and ideological lines and the resentment one to the other is often very deep and visceral. Because of social media, some of my friends and I often started butting heads figuratively speaking because of politics and then eventually went our own ways, never to talk again. This seems to have been the goal too.
Tyler Robinson, Alleged Killer of Charlie Kirk
The truth is God is still very much in control of all of our lives. As far as God is concerned, this was not an accident that took God by surprise where Charlie was concerned (or where my dump truck was concerned). He knew it was coming and in essence, He either allowed or designed it to occur. Does this mean that the shooter is somehow less guilty? Not at all, just as Judas and so many others in Scripture were moved or allowed by God to do something heinous but were completely culpable for their actions.
Continue Reading September 12, 2025 at 12:31 PM Leave a comment
Babylonizing America
One thing this has taught me is that Babylon and its proponents play for keeps. It appears to be coming to a point where Babylon is not going to put up with pesky conservatives/Christians much longer because there is too much for them to lose. Babylon isn’t playing to lose. Of course, the Bible tells us that at one point, during the coming Tribulation, that the system of Babylon will be killed, as it will no longer be needed (Revelation 18). Of course, God is allowing all of this for His purposes and glory regardless of how difficult that is for us to accept. The momentum is building, giving Babylon its growing power. That power will attempt take down anyone who stands in its way.
Continue Reading September 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM Leave a comment
Home Sweet Babylon
Babylon changed the names of the young men, with their new names pointing deliberately and directly to false gods of the Babylonian system. They also very possibly made them eunuchs to deny them their manhood. Then they gave them the best food and wine and took the time to educate them. Only a few men – Daniel and his three friends – managed to continue holding onto the God of Israel in spite of their forced name changes and other things. They never forgot who they were and kept themselves from being identified with Babylon’s system of degradation.
Introduction to Jeremiah
Jeremiah is made up of 52 chapters and represents one of, if not, the longest book in the Bible regarding text. Below are some facts surrounding the prophet Jeremiah and the book he is known for writing.
In the coming weeks, as we go through the book of Jeremiah, we will most likely cover a number of chapters together, rather than go over one chapter per week since it would take a year to do so. This look at Jeremiah will be a bit cursory, but will cover major aspects of the book and we’ll find out how it applies not only to the nation of Israel but to believers today as well.
Imagine Keeping it a Secret
What can and should be agreed on and stated clearly, loudly, and repetitively is that there is no salvation under heaven by which anyone can be saved apart from Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Any believer who disagrees with that truth and reality doesn’t understand the basics of Scripture and who Jesus actually is regarding our salvation. The overriding purpose of Scripture is to highlight God’s sovereignty and that focuses on primarily on His salvation. Even prophecy is there to point back to God, His veracity, proficiency and His awesome salvation.
Continue Reading September 6, 2025 at 9:58 AM Leave a comment
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