​If your eyes ever behold the face of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, if your feet ever are blessed to walk heaven's streets, if there be any hope within your heart this day of those things, it is because Jesus died for your sins.
Now, the question begs your attention, "Why did he have to die?" The answer is unheard of today, "Because you are a sinner and do not deserve in any way heaven's habitation." You have no ability to attain to that height. You are corrupt and without hope in this world, in fact, without God on your own.
Yet, you say that you have not been that bad. You do not realize that you were conceived with an inherent disease called sin. Your very nature is sinful and the actions of your character are dictated by that. And you fail to realize that the Judge of right and wrong/good and evil is God and not you.
If there be any hope for you and me it is in the blood of Jesus Christ, If there be any glory and praise it belongs to Him and not us and our religion. Heaven and Hell, you don't chose, that is done. Adam chose to rebel and lost all for you. Jesus chose you and died in your place and won all in turn.
There is ONLY ONE way, ONE truth, ONE life, and His name is JESUS CHRIST. There is no God, but ONE. There is no church, but ONE. There is no record of His truth, but ONE.
Repent of your idolatry and religious ignorance and turn to Christ! If that strikes any cord of conviction and raises any desire for heaven, you ARE a child of God. That is grace. Now act like and stand up, speak up, and submit to Him, TODAY!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9
Herein lies salvation available only to the child of God, not the world in general, but those born of God in the world. What presents itself here is the true fact that to the individual that believes in his heart in the resurrected Christ and will by faith confess him with their mouth deliverance comes.
In essence, when our hearts and mouths connect Christ is raised to the position of glory in our lives which he is due. From and individual that is sinful by nature the power of the name of Jesus is heard. This is nothing more but life from the dead in a manner. We who were dead in sin have been raised by God and given the privilege to speak the name of Christ.
This is life eternal to know God and Jesus. This is salvation in the struggles of the day of the individual. This is glory to God for what he has done within. May it be heard and seen without today!
What we believe is shown in what we say. Lord Jesus save me today from myself and help me be an example to others. Amen.

​With all the discussion and explanation of terms, did you know that Jesus defined "great faith" for us? He did so being impressed with the response of a Gentile centurion. A man without the history and pedigree of the law expressed an understanding of authority that so marveled Jesus that he said Israel had not shown such. The centurion had come because of the need of another and requested the help of Jesus for a servant. He said he was not worthy of the Lord's presence in his home, but if Jesus would only speak, it would be done. He acknowledged Jesus as Lord and submitted to the authority of God he saw at work in him and the power of his word. That is the expression of faith without the law. Indeed, as Jesus said, GREAT FAITH.

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing, My brethren, these things ought not to be." James 3:10
Indeed, they ought not so to be, but obviously they are. What an absolutely wonderful, perplexing, dilemma. While the gurus of religion struggle with this inescapable daily battle, those that are honest students of scripture find truth exposed.
There are those that would say that a "real, true" believer, child of God, Christian, regenerate, born again individual would not act that way and in fact would prove that they are not sincerely or actually 'saved'.
I don't wonder at that because those same people do not understand that not all of the elect have been regenerated, and not all of the regenerated believe, and not all of the believers are Christians, and not all Christians remain so.
The truth of the matter is the fact that the same mouth of the individual can speak in two different manners, the same hand that one day helps someone up could also knock someone down. The same feet that walk in obedience can follow the wrong crowd to destruction. And even more so, the supposed right appearing actions can be done for the wrong reasons by the same person. This is the manifestation of two warring natures in the same individual and is not so in the non elect or the unregenerate. Only those that have been born of the Spirit of God have this war within. Only those that have been quickened into eternal life struggle with these expressions of the battle between the flesh and spirit.
This is a mark of the "true, real" born again, child of God. For only they have this fight and deal with the ebb and flow of the ups and downs of their own existence. Here is Romans chapter seven lived out in my life. Here is where Paul and I cry out to be delivered from the "the body of this death".
Now, these things ought not to be. And should not be so and can be overcome in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit within us leading that inward, new creature to overcome the old, Adam, carnal nature and its desires and lusts and in turn to live for Christ. There is the victory my friends, and there is the truth. Stop looking for your assurance of salvation in self, but find victory over self and this world in Jesus Christ and His grace alone. Amen.

In the morning reading a vivid reminder of details overlooked at times stood out with renewed clarity. As the book of Leviticus opens with instruction for sin and trespass offerings and oblations I was convicted with the details of the offerings for sin committed in ignorance. When these sacrifices are killed and slaughtered, certain parts are to be lain directly upon the wood for the fire of sacrifice and other parts placed in order upon the altar to be burned. Thus one part of the animal is considered fuel for the fire and the other to be consumed with fire.
Here is what struck me. When we are made to know of our sin before God our sacrifice of repentance from the activity of our old nature should be killed/mortified at our own hand to fuel the fire to make our new nature and its offerings of praise and obedience as a sweet savor to God. It is all of one individual who is now consumed in the submission of a new life in service to God and forgetting that of the past. It is the knowledge of the war within of the old man/sin nature being brought into submission by the new man/spirit nature to live through death to God's glory.
This is the lot and quest of the regenerate child of God. To overcome self to serve Christ. As Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 KJV
So may it be that in all we say and do that as one part of us fuels the fire of sacrifice, the other is raised as a sweet smell in the nostrils of Almighty God! Amen.

"Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold." Proverbs 9:10
As I ponder the thoughts of this today I am made to think of the use of these words by an apostle in two accounts from the record of New Testament circumstance.
Peter, a man who had asked what profit was there to have forsaken all, when faced with the request of the lame man of Acts 3:6 replied, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:" and stated in 1 Peter 1:18 that we know that it was not "with corruptible things as silver and gold" that we were redeemed from the empty rituals of traditions taught us by our fathers. It has always made me to wonder then what it was he had to give and to consider the value of the blood of Christ.
In the Proverb we are reading the lessons being taught by "Wisdom" as she speaks of the value of the knowledge to be gained in comparison to the temporary things of this life. Thus, it makes me to think that to come to understand the finished work of Christ Jesus in my place and for my case is a treasure beyond price indeed!
For those that are hindered in life and bound in the past, for those overcome of self and ceremony of religion, those that have sat at the gate all their lives and never entered; what could possibly change their case? Could it be silver and gold, or some other prosperity message? I think not. Could the power and position, however fleeting they be, of our own past and tradition ever change us to the truth? I can attest to a negative here.
Then what more could it be than to come to the knowledge of grace and mercy in Christ and to by faith rise and walk in newness of life to follow Him and learn the wealth of wisdom day by day in our own personal experience? What riches indeed! What joy and peace! What freedom beyond description to learn that he, though he be a pauper in this world's goods, is the Lord's priest and king of all things. Wondrous thoughts indeed.

​Been sitting and pondering, that's what I do in the dark, by the fire, with coffee.
I confess to reading religious periodicals and listening to media preachers at times. I do think it needful to be aware of what is being said and promoted. When looking to the welfare of our congregations as pastors we must be, to some extent, aware of what they are exposed to. I also confess that this produces thought to be addressed later, such as now.
When I look to scripture I find that God established the Church, as He would by the way, with a very simplistic manner of worship: singing, praying, and preaching. When I begin to examine what is viewed and accepted as "church/worship" today I find glaring contradictions.
I won't even begin with the blatant contradiction proposed by those that have 'forsaken assembling' and have solaced themselves with whatever. Then there is what has replaced singing with all out productions and performances that would rival Broadway and the Vegas strip. What prayers I hear are obvious routine and prepared for the purpose of pleasing and stirring men and not acknowledging God. There again not even to mention the thinking that regeneration is a simple decision and saying a few repetitious words and now, "Welcome to the family of God", please!
Yet what has begun to become vividly obvious is that what is presented as preaching today is nothing more than religious 'self help' theories and programs designed to attract those seeking to embrace a system that will motivate them to pick themselves up out of the mire of depression and circumstance to exercise mind and heart in their own efforts to in turn give them some false sense of hope of assurance they are a child of God because of what they are doing. "Oh, you can't save yourself or trust in men, but you need to accept what God is offering you today before it is forever too late." Thus, "TRUE" faith has become confidence in what we have understood and do instead of what Christ did and finished. Lord deliver us from ourselves!
Where is the pure gospel of Jesus Christ declared? Where is Christ alone taught and believed? Where are the hymns of praise sung to a sovereign God who works and none can hinder? Where are prayers poured out of the hearts and souls of men that need God? Where is the assembly, yes the congregation, that is met for the purpose of hearing from God? Where is it that tears flow from the eyes and down the cheeks of those heart broken because of sin and grief of self and not because of laughter at some jester that mocks God and truth? Are we a post-Church society that has totally pushed God and truth from our lives to accept the religious clamor of empty men? The answers are too close to home. What is your vision for worship????

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9 KJV
Where do you stand? Where do you take a knee? Considering this passage of inspired scripture it would seem that there is only ONE gospel, not many. It would appear that Paul believed in only ONE God and ONE Lord. It convicts me to think that there are some in ministry that deliberately alter the facts to promote their agendas and their popularity. It condemns me to know that I have participated in the past of defending tradition thinking I was preaching the gospel.
The conclusion of this matter appears as well that we are to reject completely the ideas and support of any that would present any other teaching than that of the finished work of Jesus Christ. Regardless of the person or position, even from heaven (as we might suppose), the separation from such is to be complete and definite. Accursed is a very serious term.
Indeed, do we seek to please men or God? And that would include, SELF! Do you know the truth well enough to reject heresy? Are you ready to defend the gospel and contend for the faith once delivered? There is but ONE. Amen.

Just a few passing thoughts this morning: The Galatian letter is one of, shall we say, 'coming of age' as children of God. It is not addressed to individuals for the purpose of making children, but encouraging children to be who they are.The traditions of men and religion were pressing upon these folks to conform to their standards and rules or be considered outside of the blessings of God. Like most modern day teachings of assurance by performance, this is a bondage rather than freedom.
The Apostle Paul is reminding God's people here that they were taught better and now should act better and reject such foolish notions of men. There was a time when law/religion held a place in our lives to control us in right and wrong. But, when that time to be set at liberty has come, it is time to embrace what is ours by inheritance and honor our Father.
The simple truth of this of self evaluation is, are we serving God and others out of fear or by faith? Do we do what we do because we love God or think we have to? The system that demands of us certain things to be in line with men is bondage. The truth that sets us free is that Christ paid all our debt and we are no longer servants, but sons.
Embrace your inheritance. Lay hold of eternal life. Make your calling and election sure. All these are for now and by such we inherit the kingdom of God in our time and life. It is the grand difference of loving the house of your Master and because of love staying and/or bowing in submission because you fear the consequences or living for payday. For your consideration.