Hydration

Jeremiah 2:13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug their own wells, broken wells that cannot hold water.”

One of the keys to success in distance running is proper hydration. When running for extended periods of time, the body loses a great deal of water through perspiration. A runner, who fails to properly hydrate before a race combined with a lack of hydration during the race, is in for a great deal of trouble. In fact, the body will completely shut down, muscles will lock up, the body will overheat, vision will become blurry, balance will askew, and unconsciousness will result. Needless to say, the runner will stop running, lose the race, and need medical attention. The key to success in running (or any physical activity) is to drink plenty of water. Proper hydration will allow the runner to run a better, longer and harder race. Hydration is the key!!

After carefully reading the verse we should be able to make the conclusion that all people are thirsty. We all have a thirst inside us that only God can quench. The problem is that we seldom realize that we have a thirst or that God can quench it. In this verse, God alludes to His people being thirsty. He doesn’t come out and say it, but we can assume it just by reading the context. The cool thing is that God doesn’t reprove them for being thirsty. It is ok to thirst. Thirst is not the problem, but how you decide to quench that thirst can be a problem.

Notice that God accuses His people of committing two sins. He accuses them of forsaking Him and then He accuses them of seeking to quench their thirst on their own. God is the Fountain of Living Water and they are thirsty, yet they seek to quench their thirst apart from God.

We are no different. We thirst for happiness, security, stability, pleasure, contentment, belonging, love, relationship, purpose, and meaning, but instead of allowing Almighty God to be the providence for these things, we pick up our shovels and try to dig our own wells. But just like His people in the verse, our broken wells don’t hold water. We dig in a spot for a while until it dries up, and then we dig somewhere else. We eventually spend our whole life digging holes while never quenching our thirst. We live a life of dehydration because we fail to trust that God can and will forever quench our thirsts. You see, it is not wrong to thirst for happiness, security, stability, pleasure, contentment, belonging, love, relationship, purpose, or meaning; in fact, God designed us to thirst for these things. However, it is wrong to seek these things from the “wells” of the world and forsake the Fountain of Living Water.

God will properly hydrate us when we thirst, if only we would let Him. If you have been seeking to become hydrated from the “broken wells of the world”, then its time to lay down your shovel and take your thirst to God. John 7:37-38 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" If you thirst (and you do thirst), go to God, drink, become hydrated, get back in the race, and finish strong. Depending on God to quench our thirsty souls will allow us to run better, harder, and longer. Hydration is the key!!

Spending Time

Eph 5:15-16 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

ATTENTION: CrossWord Supporters

MEMORANDUM: CrossWord Bible Ministries Inc. is conducting an experiment with the first 20 readers today. The first 20 people to sign the attached application will be able to participate in a month long scientific experiment that will pay you $168.00 a week for one month. The only stipulation is that every cent that you spend of the $168.00 will have to be accounted for via receipt and all receipts will be turned in to CrossWord Bible Ministries Inc. for scientific evaluation.

Of course, there is a catch and the catch is that the memorandum above is not true. If it were true, then most everyone would jump at the offer. I know that I would! Even though it is not true, I can pretty much determine the results of the experiment. From an analysis of the receipts I could place people in one of two categories:

Category 1 - those who spent the money wisely
Category 2 - those who squandered the money foolishly

God has given to each one of us 168 hours in every week. Each one of us will fall in one of these categories as to how we are spending our time. We are either wise and “making the most of our time” or foolish and squandering our time. “Making the most” is translated from the Greek word exagorazo. Exagorazo actually means to ransom or rescue from loss. We are to rescue the time that we have been allotted from being lost, because when time is lost, it is lost forever. Listen; there is nothing further away from you than one minute ago. You can never gain time that has already past, once it is gone; it’s gone for good. There is a sense of urgency involved in rescue. When someone needs to be rescued from a burning building, firemen do whatever it takes to rescue that person. Time is of the essence! If the building falls, then the rescue is unsuccessful and the person in need of rescue is lost. The heightened state of urgency during a rescue is the same urgency we should have for the time that God allots for each one of us. We need to do whatever it takes to rescue our time from loss! But how is it that we are to rescue our time? Verses 17 and 18 of Ephesians 5 tell us exactly how we can rescue the time that God gives us each day. A moment-by-moment commitment to “Understanding what the will of the Lord is” and being “filled by the Holy Spirit” is the way to rescue the 168 hours a week with which God has entrusted you.

The only way that you will ever know what the will of the Lord is to get down and dirty in the Word everyday. Everything that God wants you to know about His will is in His Word. If you don’t know what the will of God is then you have not been “making the most of your time” by “accurately handling the Word of truth.”

Apart from walking by the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit, there is no rescuing the time. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul talks about our deeds as being worthwhile or worthless. Anything that we do apart from the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit is worthless, because it is done in the power of the flesh. Time spent in worthlessness is squandered time. On the other hand, anything that we do in the power of the Spirit is worthwhile, profitable, and wisely spent time.

In which category do you place yourself? Do you “make the most of your time” for the Lord? Or do you squander the time that God gives you to fulfill His purpose? It is pretty cut and dry!! You have 168 hours a week to live for the Lord Jesus Christ!!!! You can either walk as a wise person or unwise person!!!! You are either rescuing your time with a sense of urgency because God’s plan is important to you, or you are squandering your time because your plan or someone else’s plan is more important to you!!! Don’t be foolish, “make the most of your time" by "understanding what the will of the Lord is" for your life, and fulfill it by walking in the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit.

A Morning Word from Buck

2 Timothy 4:5 "But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Do the work of an evangelist.

What exactly does Paul mean by,"do the work of an evangelist"? Well, an evangelist is someone who "brings the good news", so to do the work of an evangelist would be to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How often do you proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What hinders you from proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I often hear Christians give the excuse, "Well, I just didn't feel lead to share the Gospel" or "It wasn't the right time to share the Gospel." Do we feel the same way when annoucing the birth of one of our children? You see, when a couple gets married and they have a child, they don't have to be "lead" in order to tell someone. They don't wait for just the "right time" to announce the birth of their child. They send out announcements, put balloons on the mail box, make phone calls, etc. They tell everyone that they know because they are proud, overjoyed, excited, and giddy over the fact they just had a child. Why don't we take that same attitude with Christ? How important is eternal salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life? How important is your "Rebirth"? Paul tells us in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that the Gospel is of first importance. Is that your attitude toward the Gospel? Are you ashamed? Is it of first importance to you? Let's stop making excuses for the reasons we don't share the gospel and take the command of Paul serious. We all have numerous opportunities throughout our day to share the Gospel with someone. Make the most of that opportunity today and "Share the Gospel." Do the work of an evangelist!

Running on Empty

Hebrews 12:1b-2 "...., and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

When I joined the military in 1999 I wasn't in the best shape and running was not my best event. The first few distance runs almost killed me because I had no training, no consistency, no motivation, and no endurance. If you have ever started a new running program then you know that you have to persevere through the first couple of weeks until your mind and body become conditioned. In the begining, I only focused on the pain, shortness of breath, distance, others passing me, and my lackluster run time. When my eyes were "fixed" on the discomfort and discontentment that I associated with running, my mind would tell me to slow down or even quit and my body would listen. It became a struggle to persevere through the pain and the pressure. Once I developed a little endurance and took my focus off of the negative aspects of running I began to run longer distances. Through persitence, determination, and endurance I embraced a new found joy for running because I no longer focused on the problems, the pain, or the pressure but on the "goal" of becoming physically fit.

In this passage Paul compares the Christian way of life to running a race. What we have to understand is that in order for us to become "Spiritually fit", we must persevere through many problems, times of pressure, and great pains. If we "fix" our eyes on these things then we will hinder our progress, slow down, or just quit running. But if we "fix" our eyes on the "goal"which is Jesus Christ, then we develop endurance and consider every step of the race a joy. James 1:3-4 says "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." Endurance is gained through the consistent training of learning and applying God's word. When we apply truth to experience our focus shifts from the trials of life and we "fix our eyes" on the author and perfector of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. Stop focusing on the pains, problems, and pressures of life and start focusing on the Perfector of life. He makes every step of the race a joy and you will become "Spiritually fit", being able to endure and enjoy the plan and purpose for the "race" that He has set before you.

Sifting

Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

I can remember as a kid making cookies with my mom. (Not those pre-fab Nestle Tollhouse cookies that you buy at the grocery store.) We made them from scratch. I’m talking homemade from separate ingredients, the main ingredient being flour. Before the flour was added to the other ingredients, it had to be sifted with a sieve. Those not familiar with a sieve, it looks like an oversized soup can that surrounded mesh with a turn handle. The sieve would grind the flour against the mesh to separate the large particles from the small, what was left on the mesh was thrown away. There would always be some flour left that didn’t make it through the mesh. For more information on sifting, check your local T.V. listings for Martha Stewarts special on “Prison made utensils”.

1 Peter 5:8 “Satan prowls around like a roaring lion”.

So caught up in the notion that he was on the fast track to defeat, Satan went as far as to beg for permission to “sift Peter like wheat”. Not Peter. Not the one who cut the temple guards ear off in Matt. 26:51 when they tried to take Jesus to Caiaphas (High Priest of the Temple), or the one along with the other eleven disciples who said “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." Though Peter was sincere when he told Jesus this, it could not prevent the sifting of Satan. Peter was already dead in his transgressions.

“Simon, Simon, behold” Not once but twice did Jesus call him Simon (called name twice to get his attention; called Simon because Jesus was referring to Peters former self; i.e. Old Man, his will) in a warning that Satan was gunning for him. The warning did not stick because Peter (Simon; Old Man) had already rejected the truth. When Jesus told the disciples of the things that would happen to Him in Jerusalem, Peter took Him aside and rebuked Him (Matt. 16: 21-23). Can you picture the sieve handle starting to turn?

Jesus and Satan knew Peter was in rejection (“Simon, Simon”). He suppressed the warning from Him so He gave Peter a sign to bring him back to the reality of truth. It took one rooster, two crowings, and three denials. The first crowing he didn’t hear because of the defense mode he was in after being twice pointed out. He reacted with fear and flight instead of faith and standing his ground. The second crowing could have been missed because of his fear while making an oath in order to confirm that he was telling the truth to the people in the courtyard; though he was lying. If not for Jesus looking eye to eye, led out of the courtyard, at Peter while at that very moment in the background the rooster’s crow was revealing what Jesus told him, Luke 22:61-62 "The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly."

Peter’s sense of failure and remorse so over-whelmed him that he wept bitterly. It was the final turn of the sieve by Satan. Peter had been shot by the “flaming arrows of the evil one” Eph 6:16. His faith lapsed but did not fail. “But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” was Jesus’ answered prayer for Peter. Even though Peter had lost confidence in Christ by way of aggravated sin (sifting), he still new He was the Messiah. In His prayer, Jesus told Peter “when once you have turned again” or when he confessed his sin (1 John 1:9), then he would be able to walk consistently (Gal 5:16). From his own experiences Peter would be able warn others of the dangers, comfort and keep them from falling victim to continual sifting of Satan by “strengthening your brothers”.

Satan is always in the shadows lurking with his sieve and it is our Spiritual life he is grinding through the mesh looking for the smallest portion. He will not stop and we cannot afford to stop. We have to “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, and be strong” 1 Cor. 16:13

When the Walls Come Tumbeling Down

Hebrews 11:30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”

God had promised the Israelites a land that flowed with milk and honey, but standing in their way was the intimidating, awe-inspiring city of Jericho. Jericho not only had a formidable military, but was also fortified by two massive walls that encircled the entire city. The outer wall was about 6 ft. thick and 20 ft. high. The inner wall was about 12 ft. thick and was 30 ft. high. Between the walls was a guarded walkway about 15 ft. wide. Israel had a huge problem, and that problem was penetrating the walls of Jericho. Can you imagine what this place looked like to the average soldier of “little ole Israel”? If Israel would have “walked by sight”, then to conquer Jericho would have seemed impossible, but they “walked by faith” in the promise and instruction of the Lord, and the seemingly impossible became absolutely possible. Because of their faith and obedience to the word and plan of God, the walls of Jericho fell flat on the ground, and Israel conquered their insurmountable obstacle. (Joshua 6:1-24)

Just as Israel was presented with the obstacle of the walls of Jericho, you and I will face walls and obstacles in our lives, as long as we live. We have to learn to look upon our obstacles not as dead-ends, but as opportunities for the Lord to be victorious in every situation. Our walls could be marital problems, the death of a loved one, financial difficulties, struggles with addiction, or any one of a million different problems or obstacles. If we approach our walls by “sight”, then they will look just as ominous as the walls of Jericho looked to the Israelites. But if we “walk by faith” in the promises of God and obey the instruction of His Word, then we too will see our walls fall flat on the ground as they did in Jericho.

As we face our “walls”, whatever they may be, we can do so with confidence because “we walk by faith and not by sight”. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What we have to understand is that no obstacle is insurmountable as long as we face it in the Lord! The victory is always in the Lord. In 1 John 5:4, John tells us, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the VICTORY that has overcome the world -- our FAITH." As long as we apply the word of God by faith to our “walls of Jericho”, then we will always be victorious.

What kind of walled city are you facing right now? Does it appear to be unconquerable? Do the walls look too high and do they appear too thick? Does it seem that victory is absolutely impossible in your case?

Let me remind you that if your walls haven't already fallen down flat, they can! They can fall right now! You need to take a lesson from Israel and start handling your "Walls of Jericho”, God's way. Claim a promise from God, obey the instruction that He has given you in His word, and “walk by faith not by sight” around and through the walls that seem to be insurmountable in your life. The victory is in faith. Do you trust God to level your walls? He can and will, if only you will “walk by faith”.

Spiritual Gifts I

Ephesians 4:11-12 “ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

After we are born, we begin to grow and develop natural talents in different areas. Some people are naturally smart, athletic, artistic, or creative. We call these people "naturals". When we are reborn, at the moment of salvation by faith in the work and person of Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit comes to reside in our body (this is called the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit immediately issues or "gifts" us with a Spiritual Gift. We call this "supernatural".

It is important for you to identify your Spiritual Gift, because you will need to make decisions in your life based on the use of your Spiritual Gift as it relates to the plan of God. We should think of a Spiritual gift as a tool or an instrument that is to be used, rather than a gift that brings us pleasure or recreation. Think of the different tools that a carpenter uses to build up a structure from many individual pieces into one object. So are the Spiritual gifts. (Different tools to build up the church into one unified body.) These tools have been given to believers in order to unify the body of Christ, edify the body of Christ, and glorify Almighty God.

Today’s lesson will cover the first of fives steps to identifying your Spiritual Gift.

Step 1: The first step is to realize that God the Holy Spirit has given you a Spiritual Gift.

It is my belief that we only have one Spiritual Gift. If you believe that you may have more than one Spiritual Gift it is my recommendation that you try to identify one first. And when you begin to exercise your Spiritual Gift supernaturally, look for others if you choose, but it has been my experience that practicing one leaves very little time for practicing anything else, especially another Spiritual Gift.

Scripture supports the idea of one Spiritual Gift by referring to GIFT (Charisma) in the singular. 2 Tim 1:6-7 “ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the GIFT of God, which is in you…” 1 Peter 4:10 “ As each one has received a special GIFT, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Tim 4:14 “ Do not neglect the spiritual GIFT within you…” Romans 1:11-12 “ For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual GIFT to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-7 “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any GIFT, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ”

From these five passages of Scripture, we are given eight principles to apply concerning our GIFT.

1. We are to come to an enlightened understanding of our Spiritual gift. (2Tim 1:6-7)
2. We are to employ our Spiritual Gift. (1 Peter 4:10)
3. We are commanded to not neglect our Spiritual Gift. (1 Tim 4:14)
4. Our Spiritual gift is for encouraging each other in the faith. (Romans 1:11-12)
5. Our Spiritual Gift makes us firm and stable. (Romans 1:11-12)
6. We are to exercise our Spiritual gift accordingly. (Romans 12:6)
7. Our Spiritual gift is for serving one another. (1 Peter 4:10)
8. Our Spiritual Gift is for the common good. (1Cor 12:7)

The purpose of Spiritual gifts is to unify the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:25), but it becomes more and more clear to me everyday that Spiritual gifts ARE DIVIDING the church because of a lack of UNDERSTANDING within the body. Satan’s uses our ignorance of Spiritual Gifts to divide the body. He understands the principle of “UNITED WE STAND; DIVIDED WE FALL.” Luke 11:17 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” Satan wants nothing more than for us to continue in ignorance and arrogance, debating over Spiritual Gifts. As long as we stay divided over Spiritual Gifts, the battle stays within the body instead of unifying and directing the fight towards him (Satan). If you are confused about Spiritual gifts, don’t know what your gift is, or have questions concerning Spiritual Gifts, then stick with me for a few days as we will go over in detail the next four steps to Identifying your Spiritual Gift. Remember, the first step is to realize that God the Holy Spirit has given you a Spiritual Gift, now it’s time to find out what that gift is and employ it.

Spiritual Gifts III

1 Peter 4:10-11 “ As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever * serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”

We have been going over five steps to Identifying Your Spiritual Gift. The first step was: Know that you have a Spiritual gift. The second step was: Continually Walk by the Spirit. Today we will go over the third step to identifying your Spiritual gift.

Step 3: Study the Word of God

In order to identify your Spiritual gift you must gain an intelligent understanding of what the Bible specifically says about the Spiritual Gifts. There is no substitute for a deep self study on the Bible’s teaching about Spiritual gifts. Because Spiritual Gifts are dividing the Body instead of their indented purpose, to unify it, I will only list the nine spiritual gifts that most churches agree on. If I leave out a gift that you may think that you have, please leave a comment or email me and we can discuss it in detail.

Two types of gifts: Speaking and Service

1 Peter 4:11 “Whoever SPEAKS, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever SERVES is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;”

Speaking gifts

Eph 4:11-13 “ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the EQUIPPING of the saints for the work of service, to the BUILDING UP of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

From this passage of Scripture we are told of the Speaking Gifts. Two of these gifts are still active in the church today.

Pastor-teacher - a supernatural ability to lead and teach believers whereas the end result is spiritual growth leading to maturity. This includes the ability to study and understand the doctrines of the Bible, to organize them, and then teach in a way that is most understandable to the hearer.

Evangelist- A supernatural ability to communicate the gospel, the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, to unbelievers.


Service Gifts

Romans 12:6-8 “ Since we have GIFTS that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise THEM accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching, or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

1 Corinthians 12:28 “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”

From this passage of Scripture we are told of the Serving Gifts. Seven of these gifts are still active in the church today.

Helps - a supernatural ability to help out and lend support to any work, activity, and ministry inside and outside the church. Also lend support to other believers in the function of their gifts.

Mercy - a supernatural ability to sympathize with others undergoing intense suffering, and to provide just the right physical support or words of encouragement to help alleviate their suffering.

Exhortation - A supernatural ability to encourage, support, console, through conversation and through the word of God with others who are need of such support. Also is able to detect those in need of such support.

Leadership - a supernatural ability to provide leadership and influence people to work together to accomplish goals within the church.

Giving - a supernatural ability and desire to give material support to those in need. God tends to give these believers much in order to pass it along.

Serving in ministry- the supernatural ability to organize, participate in, implement spiritual gifts in, and see completion in any and possibly every ministry of the church.

Administration - the supernatural ability to understand and put into action the things that directs the progress of the church. (Logistics, finances, organization, structure, church business)


You will never know what Spiritual gift you have been given if you don’t have an understanding of permanent Spiritual gifts. I advise you to do as much personal study as you can on these gifts. If you have any questions or complaints please leave a comment or email me. Tomorrow we will look at step four.

Spiritual Gifts II

1 Corinthians 12:1- "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware."

The first step to understanding your Spiritual Gift is to realize that you have one. I know a lot of people who are Christians that have no idea that they have been given a Spiritual gift. So obviously the first step would be to come to an understanding of Spiritual gifts by studying what the Word has to say about the subject.

In the New Testament there are five different Greek words used for the English word GIFT.

Doma - This is simply translated as a gift and can be found in Phil 4:7.
Dorea - is the word used to describe a gift offered in honor and can be found in Eph 2:8, 4:7; Heb 6:4; John 4:10; Acts 2:38, 8:20, 10:45, 11:17.
Hadrotace - can be translated as an abundant or a generous gift and can be found in 2 Corinthians 8:20.
Eulogia - can be translated as GIFT, but is better understood as blessing and can be found in 2 Corinthians 9:5.
Charisma - which is always translated as a Spiritual Gift and can be found in Ephesians 4:11-12, 2 Tim 1:6-7, 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Tim 4:14, Romans 1:11-12, 1 Corinthians 1:4-7, and 1 Corinthians 12:1.

The New Testament uses the Greek word Charisma to speak of various gifts given to believers by God the Holy Spirit. In English, Charisma is used to describe someone who has a certain indefinable quality that attracts people to his personality, but if we translate it literally from the Greek it means manifestations of Grace (Charis). This is an accurate translation because Spiritual Gifts are manifestations of the Grace of God in the life of a believer. In layman's terms they (Spiritual Gifts) are gifts denoting supernatural abilities, distinguishing Christians and enabling them to serve the church of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual Gifts are given to each believer by God the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts enable the believer to serve, edify, and unify the church by the power of the Holy Spirit. And Spiritual gifts can only be identified by walking by means of the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Today's lesson will cover the second of fives steps to identifying your Spiritual Gift.

Step 1: The first step is to realize that God the Holy Spirit has given you a Spiritual Gift.

Step 2: Walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16)

Maturity is not a prerequisite for identifying your Spiritual gift. We are given a Spiritual gift at the moment of Salvation, therefore Spiritual gifts are part of the salvation package, considered milk doctrine, related to the Doctrine of Salvation and can be identified by baby believers. That being said, they (Spiritual gifts) can also be abused by the baby believer that does not have sound teaching or a full understanding (epignosis) of what God's word has to say on the subject of Spiritual gifts.

Although Spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for identifying your Spiritual gift, walking by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit is absolutely a prerequisite. Moment by moment examination of ones sins by confession is necessary to be filled by the Spirit (1 John 1:9). Walking (Peripateo) by the Spirit requires not only being filled, but also requires study and application of God's Word, a love for God that is demonstrated by obedience to His will, and a life lived in the presence of God. Do you live your life as if you are in the very presence of God? Or do you only live your "church" life as if you were in the very presence of God? A disciplined soldier in the military is a soldier who "makes the right choices when no one is looking". A disciplined Christian is one who makes choices as if he were in the very presence of God. Regardless if you live life as in the very presence of God or not, YOU ARE ALWAYS IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD! LIVE LIKE IT!

Remember, it is a SPIRITUAL gift and cannot be exercised nor identified in the power of the flesh. One must be SPIRITUAL. Are your choices and descisions made only after careful consideration of the Word and Will of God? A believer who is WALKING by the Spirit is a believer who learns from God, lives the Word, loves the Lord. A believer who is WALKING chooses God's will over his own. A believer who is walking by the Spirit is not WALKING by the flesh.

Gal 5:17-18 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (17) For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

If you are searching for your Spiritual gift by taking online tests, STOP!! What you need to do is understand that you have a Spiritual gift by studying every passage of Scripture that relates to Spiritual gifts, and walk by the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you apply these two steps then you will be well on your way to identifying your Spiritual gift. Stop by tomorrow and we will dive in to step three.

Spiritual Gifts IV

1 Peter 4:10 “ As each one has received a special GIFT, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Let me preface this by saying that this is not a magic formula for identifying your Spiritual Gift nor is it some new method. It is, however, a practical and Biblical approach to identifying your Spiritual gift. Let’s review the other three steps before we get into the fourth.

STEP ONE: Realize that your have a Spiritual Gift.
I know a lot of your were probably wondering why I started of with this as a first step. The reason being is that there are many Christians who are taught more about Psychology in the Christian life than they are taught about Spirituality in the Christian life. In fact, (please don’t take this bold statement as arrogant) I would venture to say that most Christians don’t have a clue about the Spiritual Life. Therefore it is necessary that we start at the beginning and that is realization. Only when we believe that we have a Spiritual gift can we begin to identify and employ it.

STEP TWO: Walk by the Spirit
Walking by the Spirit is a prerequisite for the Christian way of life. In fact, walking by the Spirit is the Christian Way of Life. Apart from walking by the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to identify and employ your Spiritual gift. Walking by the Spirit requires confession, correction, and positive volition (choice) toward the plan, will, and Word of God. WE MUST CHOOSE TO WALK BY THE SPIRIT! Walking by the Spirit is a daily, continual, commitment outlined for us in Romans 12:1-2. (Please read)

STEP THREE: Study God’s Word on the subject of Spiritual Gifts
It is of the utmost importance to gain a full understanding of God’s Word on the subject of Spiritual gifts. This requires you to understand the difference between temporary and permanent Spiritual gifts. This requires you to understand the purpose for the temporary gifts that were used by the Apostles in the book of Acts. On the devotion I listed the nine Spiritual gifts that are active today in the church but if you would like more information on temporary and permanent Spiritual gifts, I recommend that you use these links to study. Introduction to Spiritual Gifts. 19 Spiritual gifts; Temporary Spiritual gifts; Permanent Spiritual gifts; Spiritual gifts and the plan of God; Temporary Spiritual gifts part 2 ; Spiritual Gift problems; Spiritual gifts and Love ;

STEP FOUR: Prayer
If you are one who is searching for your Spiritual gift; how much time do you spend in prayer with regard to your gift? The identification of Spiritual gifts should be a matter of careful, continuous, and confident prayer on our part. It seems pretty simple according to Scripture. All you have to do is ask God the Father to disclose to you which particular gift the Holy Spirit has given you. He is your heavenly Father and He absolutely knows. Why not ask him? If you want wisdom, direction and guidance about Spiritual gifts, then who is better than God from which to seek it? Ask God through persistent and consistent prayer.

James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 1:5 starts out with a first class condition in the Greek language “if”. This doesn’t mean that maybe you do, maybe you don’t lack wisdom as it sounds in the English. It means that everyone lacks wisdom; therefore, since we all lack wisdom let us ask God AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM. This is a promise from the Word. Grab it right now and apply it. Don’t get confused though. It doesn’t say that it will “immediately” be given to him. It says it “will be” which is a promise of delivery at some point in future time, not immediately. This can absolutely be applied to Spiritual gifts. Grab this verse and start applying consistently and persistently. Remember that God is accountable to His own character to fulfill His promises. This is one of those promises. Apply it and He will fulfill it.

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.”

In this verse the verbs ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK are all in the present tense in the Greek language. The present tense in the Greek language adds continuity to the verb. It should read “keep on asking”, "keep on seeking”, and "keep on knocking”. If you are wanting to identify your Spiritual gift, then you are going to have to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, and God’s Word promises that you will receive, find, and open the door that leads to the understanding of your gift. We will look at this verse in more depth tommorrow. Right now just concentrate on asking. There is no one better to ask than God. Without asking there is no receiving; without seeking there is no finding; without knocking, there is no opening.

Tomorrow we will wrap up this lesson with step five. I pray you all have a great day.

Spiritual Gifts V

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.”

Yesterday, from looking at Matthew 7:7-8 in the original Greek, we learned that the verbs ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK are all in the present tense. The present tense in the Greek adds continuity to the verb; therefore we can correct the translation to read, “keep on asking”, “keep on seeking”, and “keep on knocking”. If we desire to correctly identify our Spiritual gift then we must be persistent and “keep on asking”. If we are asking persistently, then we must also be “listening” persistently. God will absolutely answer your prayer, but if we are not “listening”, then we will never get the answer. Let me explain what I mean by “listening”. To be listening means that you have to be cognizant of the manner in which God will answer your prayer to reveal your Spiritual gift. This is where “keep on seeking” becomes the key that unlocks the door.

STEP 5 “KEEP ON SEEKING”; Get Involved!

As we continue to “keep on asking” through persistence; we must also “keep on seeking” with the same persistence. When we persistently seek for the answer to prayer, God promises that we WILL find what we are seeking. “Listening” for an answer is knowing where to “seek for the answer”. “Not listening” for the answer is not knowing where to seek the answer. We must know what to look for and we must know where to look.

THE BIBLE
Of course the first place to look when you are seeking for answers from God is His Word. If we truly want answers then we must study. We should always “listen” for correspondence between our prayers and the things that God reveals to us through His Word. The Bible is the very breath of God; every word authored by God the Holy Spirit, so to pray without opening the Bible to “seek” for an answer is to ask of God without allowing Him to speak. After we ask God to reveal to us our Spiritual gift we must maintain the Spiritual desire to obtain the answer. If you are looking for answers from God, then it only makes sense to “seek” for the answers within the Word.

SITUATIONS
You must be alert to the situations in which God continues to use you for His purpose. Basically this takes thinking from Divine viewpoint. Take a minute right now to think of how God uses you. Are you consistently in situations in which you find yourself regularly giving the gospel? Are believers drawn to you for a better understanding of God’s word? Do you find yourself teaching a lot? Do you find that you are placed in situations in which you are able to influence people to accomplish goals? Are you frequently encouraging people? Or it may be that you don’t like to take charge, but you don't have a problem doing anything you are asked, in fact, you feel led to always help out. Are you placed in situations in which you are being used devise and execute organized plans? Are you drawn to all aspects of different types of ministries? Do people who need comfort in affliction often seek your encouragement? Do you feel led to give and have been blessed with the resources to do it? What kinds of situations are you being placed in consistently? This is requires looking at the situations that God is placing you in from “His eyes”. This involves knowledge of your sphere of influence on others, whether at church, work, the store, home, etc. There may be certain experiences going on your life, which would tend to lead you one way or another. We may find that the way we respond in certain situations (when we are under control of the Holy Spirit) has been supernaturally discerned.


LISTEN TO OTHER MATURE BELIEVERS
Many times other, more mature believers who understand Spiritual gifts will be able to confirm your gift as they observe its function and its results. Friends and family may be able to “see” what you haven’t allowed yourself to “see”. Listen to their input which may give you enlightenment in identifying your Spiritual gift.

GET INVOLVED
Try a variety of situations. It is a great idea to get involved in different types of ministries within the local body. Volunteer to help out someone that you know is involved in ministry. By getting involved with all types of ministry the Holy Spirit will make it clear as to which gift you are performing supernaturally. Be open to anything. Just because you don’t like to speak in front of a crowd does not mean that God hasn’t given you a speaking gift. Just because you are an introvert and shy dies not mean that God is not calling you to leadership. Remember this gift is SUPERNATURAL. You may have to step outside of your natural “comfort zone”, in order to identify what God has given you to perform supernaturally. For example, you may have never been a good listener or counselor, but you find that more and more people coming to you and sharing their problems. Be open to what God wants from you and not what you want for yourself or what makes you feel comfortable.

God wants to use us, but we will never be used by Him in the fullest way until we know our gift and have committed it to Him. Your gift was never given FOR you. It was given to assist someone else. Look for supernatural ways in which you make a difference for God in a person’s life. I believe that a person who is Spirit filled and consistently submitting to the will of God will come to discover their gift with a certain amount of ease. The key is to get involved in the ministries and activities where you see Spiritual gifts operating within your church. Or you can start a ministry out of your house and invite people for prayer, bible study, or fellowship. This may open your eyes as to what the Holy Spirit has given you. “Keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and it shall be opened to you.” Apply the 5 steps consistently and I have no doubt that you will identify your Spiritual gift.

Wrangler

2 Tim 2:14 “ Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”

The more I am blessed with a platform in which to teach the truths of God’s Word, the more I run into to people whom would rather argue and dispute about the subjects in which we differ, rather than be unified on the more important issues in which we agree. Sometimes I become frustrated with people who seem to live for the fruitless discussions over non-essential differences in our Theological beliefs. When frustration sets in, I am quickly reminded by God the Holy Spirit of Ephesians 6:12 as to the source of the senseless “wrangling over words”. Ephesians 6:12 “ For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.” The real dispute is not against the person who has a difference of opinion, but against the “dark forces of this world” in the arena of Spiritual Warfare. The only way to combat such opposition is to rely on the “Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”, and simply continue to teach truth.

2 Timothy 2:14 begins with “Remind THEM of these things, and solemnly charge THEM in the presence of God…”

The first question that comes to my mind and yours should be, “Who is THEM?” In order to understand exactly who THEM is, we must refer to the context of the Chapter. Back in 2 Timothy 2:2 it is clear that the THEM in which Paul is referring is “Faithful men who will be able to teach others also”. As believers we are required to become teachers of God’s Word. (Hebrews 5:12) Part of teaching “faithful men who will be able to teach also” is to remind them not to “wrangle about words” with those who stand ready to “wrangle”.

The statement “wrangle about words” is actually one word in the Greek, logomacheo. The word logomacheo is a compound word derived from two Greek words: logos meaning word and machomai meaning war, or a war of words. In any type of war there will always be casualties, even in a war over words. Therefore, we have two warnings from Paul as why not to war with others over The Word. Paul clearly explains that a warring over The Word is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. The Greek word translated “useless” is actually two words in the Greek, oudeis which is a negative meaning no, and chresimos which means serviceable or profit. To war over the Word is of no service to anyone especially to God, and profits us nothing. No one ever wins in an argument over The Word, and no one is ever edified through an argument over the Word. It is a fruitless discussion usually taking place in the flesh and not the Spirit.

The second warning Paul stresses is that it “leads to the ruin of the hearers.” The word Paul uses, katastrophe, is obviously where we derive the English word catastrophe, which literally translated means utter failure. Whoever hears the war over the Word between believers will see the Christian Way of Life as a failure. “If these guys both claim to be Christians, yet believe different things; why would I want to get involved in something that seems to only cause conflict?" If we as believers ever cause someone to utter these words or even think these thoughts, then we have failed our responsibility as “workmen who need not to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth."

As believers fighting on the same team against the real enemy, Satan, we need to stay focused and alert so that we may be unified instead of forming factions against one another. When discussing the Word with others that may share a different Theological viewpoint, talk about the issues that are agreed upon and steer clear of the differing beliefs. This will be a giant step toward unity and away from division. Jesus Christ says in Mark 3:25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” It is wise to heed the words of OUR Savior and stand together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember, together we stand; divided we fall. We need to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil”. One of his schemes is getting believers to argue and “wrangle over words.” Don’t give Satan a stronghold by arguing with other believers; refuse to "wrangle over words"!

Absolute Truth

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

WHAT IS TRUTH? Better yet, what is ABSOLUTE TRUTH? Definition: “That which is true for all people, for all places, for all times.” It is objective, universal and constant. God is the original, the universal, and the absolute standard for everything that is good and right. Without that standard, there can be no universal, absolute moral guidelines. One of many studies done by the Barna Research Group in 1994 (with church youth groups) showed that youth who did not embrace absolute truth were more likely to: Cheat on a test, physically hurt someone, watch pornographic material, get drunk, lie to parents, steal, use illegal drugs, and attempt suicide. They also are more likely to: Mistrust people, be disappointed, be angry often, lack purpose, and be resentful.

When you have a standard of truth to measure situations, you can make decisions properly and fairly. (You are dancing to right tune.) Sin offers immediate gratification, but right choices offer long-term benefits. When you reject truth as an objective standard, your view of life becomes distorted, you easily accept the counterfeits that lead to wrong choices, and then you suffer consequences. Therefore, I call it “dancing to wrong tune”. Let’s look at two miserably rich but lonely women in the Bible who had no standard of truth except “It’s all about me!” (There was some dancing involved. Literally.)

Herodias was a wealthy, controlling woman. She was married to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. She was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She was married to an uncle (Herod Philip I), then Herod Antipas visited them and talked Herodias into leaving Philip and marrying him. She left Philip and took her daughter with her. Her daughter’s name was Salome. Salome relied on her mother for decisions. You can tell by the way she ran to Herodias in Matthew 15:1-12 and Mark 6:17-29. Salome knew to ask her mother about everything! Herodias had “nursed a grudge against John the Baptist” (Mark 6:19). No one crossed Herodias! Salome could dance for the elite and “let her frustrations out” but when it came time to make a rational decision, she had to rely on mama. Salome literally “danced around the truth” and you will see it in the rest of the story. Read Mark 6:19-25

These were two different women but both headed in the same direction – to loneliness, misery and eventually to hell! They had rejected TRUTH! Right in their palace (or jail) sat John the Baptist. Do you think anyone in that town did NOT know what message John preached? Everyone in town knew John’s message. He proclaimed that the Messiah would come. That was his life – to prepare the way for Christ and proclaim the Christ. (John 3:27-36 and Luke 3:15-18). Matthew 3:1-3 says: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Herodias and Salome rejected the absolute standard of truth preached by John the Baptist. Absolute truth stared them in the face and they rejected it! Herod even rejected truth. He hated John the Baptist, and had John arrested because of the “truth” he spoke. John had confronted Herod and Herodias with their “sinful” marriage. {NIV note: Luke 3:19 “Herod Antipas had married the daughter of Aretas IV of Arabia, but divorced her to marry his own niece, Herodias, who was already his brother’s (Herod Philip’s) wife (see Mt. 14:3; Mk. 6:17)} Herod, however, was afraid to have him killed. Many people believed that John the Baptist was a prophet and Herod did not want an uprising of the Jewish people. Herod actually liked to listen to John the Baptist. But Herod never accepted absolute truth. (Question: Do you “dance” around the truth, and do not accept it? Is it all around you but you do not listen?) Mark 6:20 "Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man." When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had her opportunity to “get even with” John the Baptist. Her daughter, Salome, danced before the king at his birthday banquet. High officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee were all there. The dance was so pleasing, that Herod granted her any wish He could possibly give her. She asked Herodias, her mother, for advice. Guess what Herodias said? John the Baptist’s head on a platter! Salome did not think twice. She asked for John’s head on a platter. And it was done. Herod didn’t like it. It could mean trouble in his kingdom, but he didn’t “wear the pants” in the family – Herodias did! She had her own “dance” (or agenda) to follow. Herod was doing his “dance”, too. He had to grant Salome’s wish. Why? Because he had integrity and wanted to honor his word? Are you kidding? After divorcing his wife and stealing his brother’s wife? HA! Double HA! No, this would be a great way to get rid of truth (John and his preaching) and go on about life in the fast and rich lane. Maybe he wanted to impress all the big shots at his party, too – maybe even show that he “wore the pants” in the family. Who knows?

If you haven’t noticed, Herodias and Salome rejected truth and revealed what the Barna research Group documented about 1994 church youth groups (see above list) who did not embrace absolute truth: Mistrust of others, disappointment, anger, lack of purpose and resentfulness. So believers can actually look and act like unbelievers! Yes, that’s right! Believers can compromise so much that, eventually, they will blend in with unbelievers and look exactly like the lost. How do believers compromise? By not accepting absolute TRUTH everyday of their life! (I’m talking to myself here too.) What does that mean? It’s so general and vague: “Accept TRUTH”. Huh? Maybe these questions will help you see the worldly side of a Christian. Are you in and out of fellowship a lot due to habitually sinning? Are you just “going through the motions” of being a Christian? Do you keep your mouth shut when opportunities come knocking on your door – chances to witness or chances to stand up for Christ and the TRUTH? Do you hide the fact that you are Christian (maybe because you might need to live according to God’s Will and it’s just not worth it)?
Do you have areas of sin in your life that need attention (confession and the WORD) but you are not willing to let God work in your life? Is your prayer life non-existent (or almost non-existent)? Is study and application of God’s Word non-existent? (Maybe an occasional devotion or scripture reading here and there.)

Look, I have been there. And it’s not a pretty sight. That dance is truly terrible! However, God loves us, not “in spite of us” but with all that baggage! We (I) must constantly wake up each day and listen for God’s music! Dance to the absolute TRUTH. Get in fellowship (1 John 1:9), take in His Word and let Him speak to us (me). Walk and “dance” in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23).

What’s in your ear? What do you hear? Do you dance to God’s Word or to the world’s song (worldly advice)? Someone asked me if I ever danced to Christian music and I answered, ”Yes!” To this day, I do not know the point they were making. On that note, I ask of you: do you dance to God’s Song? If you hear God’s Word (being taught or even in a song), does it “connect” with you? Can you relate? Can you apply it? Salome “connected" with the men in that room with Herod that night. She got what she wanted, what Herodias wanted, too. The men enjoyed the dance. But it was not a lasting experience (maybe a lusting experience). No one in that room connected with THE TRUTH. It was under their roof – in their “vicinity” and they all rejected it. They rejected the truth that John the Baptist was preaching – “Jesus is the WAY! Dance to that music!”

Do you connect with the truth? Do you dance to the tune of truth? Absolute truth? God is absolute truth. There is no one else like Him! Any other “advice” is NOT TRUTH! His Word is truth. And Jesus is the door in which we follow and seek truth. We have the mind of Christ, which is TRUTH. 1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

Or do you dance around the truth? Do you read God’s Word and attend Bible classes, and then “shelf” the information? Do you apply worldly advice and not God’s advice because it’s easier, or cooler, or just habit? Do you “pick and choose” what to apply because God’s Will is just “not cool” in every area of your life?
LeAnn Womack sings a song, “I Hope You Dance”. I like the lines:”And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance I hope you dance” (LeAnn Womack)

I do hope you dance. Dance to God’s Tune – His WORD! His WILL! His WORK!

Plank Eye

Matthew 7:1 - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Why is it that in our lives we always want to place judgment on every one else? We seem so quick to judge, yet fail to see our own shortcomings. I mean, how many times have you played the blame game? I remember when I was growing up as a teenager; I was so quick to point my finger at others. If not verbally, I was sure to point out their faults in my head. One time specifically, I can remember telling my brother that something he was doing was wrong. He turned to me and said, “You only use God and the Bible when it’s convenient for you, and you’re not perfect”. He continued on to show me how blind I was to my own sinful way.

Christ tells us very descriptively the ramifications of casting judgment. Matthew 7:2 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” But what exactly does that mean? I believe that 1 Corinthians 11:28 and 11:31-32 explains it very clearly. 1 Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself…” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 “(31) But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. (32) But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord…” If we judge others while in the power of the flesh and fail to "examine ourselves", then we invite discipline from the Lord. If we feel the need to reprove others, we must first “judge ourselves rightly” (walking by the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit), lest we open ourselves up for Divine Discipline.

Even though we read the Words of Jesus regarding “judging”, we are still so quick to pass judgment. You see in my example above I didn’t even hesitate to judge my brother. Pointing fingers is always such an easy thing to do as long as those fingers are pointed at someone else. But it becomes very difficult to point those same fingers at ourselves. Matthew 7:3-4 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

The problem is that we want to place ourselves on a higher pedestal than the liar, the thief, the adulterer, the murderer, or the drug dealer. The world feeds our own self-righteousness by telling us that we have a more valuable “status” or “reputation”, than these individuals. We "appear' to be a “better person”,don't we? Christ, however, knows better. He knows our heart. The sins we commit in our closet are not any less of a sin just because no one see them. Neither are they any less of a sin, because we feel that they are “sins of a lesser degree”.

Does this mean that we should never tell other believers that what they are doing is wrong? Of course not, we still need to hold others accountable, but only after we hold ourselves accountable. Matthew 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” We must first “examine ourselves” and be filled by means of the Spirit before we try to “examine” others. If we approach a believer while walking by the Spirit, then it is not pointing fingers, but seen as more of a counseling opportunity. Let’s remember before casting judgment on others, we should ask ourselves. “Am I in the power of the flesh and just pointing fingers, or is this conversation led by the Spirit? " This will make the all the difference between pointing the finger of judgment, and lending a hand to help.

Wake Up!

2Pe 1:13 “I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder”

In order to understand this verse properly, (the way in which Peter intended for us to understand it) we must look to the original language in which it was written, Koine or Common Greek. The way that it is translated in most Bibles does not sufficiently express the words of the Apostle Peter as he wrote them. “I consider it right”, should actually be translated “I consider it my solemn duty”. Peter not only considered “it” right, but also considered it his duty as an Apostle and fellow Christian. As believers saved by grace through faith, "it" becomes our duty as well. Therefore, we must pay attention and follow the example of Peter. “As long as I am in this earthly dwelling” simply means, “as long as I’m alive”. “To stir you up” is better understood as "to thoroughly wake someone up from sleeping". Have you ever tried to wake someone up that is a hard sleeper? It’s tough. You shake them persistently until they awaken from a state of sleep and become alert. To the sleeper, this seems harsh or even rude because of your insistence that they wake up and get moving. All the sleeper cares about is the sleep that you have so rudely interrupted.

This verse should now read: “I consider it my solemn duty, as long as I’m alive, to thoroughly awaken you from sleep by way of reminder”

In my training to become a Green Beret, I had to persevere through numerous days of sleep deprivation. This training allowed me to react properly, even under physical and mental duress. Unfortunately, there would be times while lying on the ground in a defensive position, that someone would fall asleep. This not only places the soldier, but also places the entire team in a vulnerable and dangerous position. The “team” needs every member alert and awake in order to defend against surprise enemy contact. It then becomes the “duty” of the “team" to make sure everyone is “thoroughly awake”. A sleeping soldier in enemy territory is at risk of becoming a casualty of war.

The believer living in the devil’s world cannot afford to fall asleep. The believer must, at all times, be Spiritually alert. As Christian leaders, it is our solemn duty to thoroughly awaken a sleeping believer by means of encouragement through the Word of God. Whether you believe it or not, as a Christian, you stand on the front lines of warfare everyday; Spiritual warfare. This is referred to as the "angelic conflict." In this daily battle, the enemy wants nothing more than for you to fall into Spiritual sleep. A sleeping believer is absolutely ineffective! In fact, you can’t even afford to be Spiritually groggy! You must remain alert at all times! “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 How many of your Christian friends have fallen asleep in their Spiritual walk? What are you doing, as a soldier for Christ, to awaken them? Or are you becoming groggy in your Spiritual life as well? Remember, as a Christian, you are a citizen of Heaven and not of this world. (Phil 3:20) If you become at home and comfortable in the devil’s world and think that you can have an impact for Jesus Christ, then you are dreaming. If you are dreaming, then you are asleep, and if you are asleep, then you need to WAKE UP. When a Christian loses heart and drifts away from fellowship with God, other believers tend to write them off and forget about them. Peter clearly shows us that it is our duty, as long as we are alive, to encourage the Christians that have fallen asleep Spiritually by reminding them about Jesus Christ. I challenge you to take a leadership role in your Christian walk and wake up a sleeping comrade. God needs them, and we need them to get back in the fight and make a difference for Christ.

Controversy

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

Here we have one of the most debated, controversial, and misinterpreted verses in the Bible. What exactly does this verse teach? Can we lose our salvation? What happens to Christians who “fall away?” Does this verse contradict passages like John 10:28-29 and Romans 8:38-39?
Most people would rather keep on believing what they believe rather than take a stand on such a controversial passage, because with controversy comes confrontation and Christians don’t like either one. So today, instead of a traditional devotion, I will take this opportunity to delve into this passage of Scripture which has, for a long time, been a battleground in Christianity between the proponents of eternal security and the proponents of a loss of salvation, or in other words, between the camps of grace salvation and works salvation.

Let me start out by saying this - If you try to form a doctrine from “proof texting” this passage then you will misinterpret, mishandle, and misappropriate GRACE. In order to properly understand this passage of Scripture, it is paramount that we study these verses in light of the complete context and not the “proof text” of Hebrews 6:4-6. The complete context of this passage begins with Hebrews 5:11 and ends with Hebrews 6:20. These passages deal with the 3rd of 5 warnings in the book of Hebrews regarding the danger of retrogression in the Spiritual life. (Probably more widely known as “backsliding”)

Heb 5:11-14 “(11) Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. (12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. (14) But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

Heb 6:1-6 “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (2) of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. (3) And this we will do, if God permits. (4) For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

The main idea of the 3rd warning is to inform the reader of the dangers of failing to “hear” (study) the Word of God. Hebrews 5:11b-5: 12a “…since you have become dull of hearing. (12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God…” Some Jewish believers had become “dull of hearing” which resulted in a lack of Spiritual maturity. Instead of pressing on to maturity and becoming teachers, they had regressed in their Spiritual growth and needed to be taught the “elementary principles” again. (Meaning they had been taught the elementary principles of the Word of God before, but were drifting back to the traditional Jewish teachings because of their lack of “hearing”. This is a falling away, backsliding, or retrogressing. In other words, GOING BACKWARDS!)

In Hebrews 6:1-2 the writer tells us which "elementery principles” they had “fallen away” from. Hebrews 6:1-2 (1) “not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (2) of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment." The writer lists 6 elementary teachings in which they had become “dull of hearing” and warns the reader not to fall into the same trap but to “press on to maturity”. The six were as follows: (1) repentance from dead works; (2) faith towards God; (3) instructions about washings; (4) the laying on of hands; (5) the resurrection of the dead; and (6) eternal judgment. It becomes blatantly obvious that some of the Jewish believers had returned to Old Covenant teachings because of their lack of “hearing” New Covenant teachings. Studying the passage in context allows us to understand that the warning is not about the dangers of losing one’s salvation, but the difficulty in recovering enthusiasm for the Word of God once the believer has become “dull of hearing” and reverted back to his old ways.

(4) For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then have fallen away,

The writer describes the “dull hearers” as “ones who have been enlightened”, “tasted the heavenly gift”, “have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit”, “have tasted the Word of God and the powers to come” but “have fallen away”. Only believers can be enlightened, indwelt with the Holy Spirit, understand the Word of God, and access the power of God. John 3:16 tells us that “whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have ETERNAL life”. John 10:28-29 says “(28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” Romans 8:38-39 says “(38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And Romans 8:1 says “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We must deduce from the text and from comparing Scripture with Scripture that they have “fallen away” from teaching through a lack of “hearing” and have not “fallen away” from salvation.

Where people fall apart on their understanding and interpretation of this verse is Hebrews 6:6b. “…It is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” The key word in this verse that everyone gets hung up on is the word repentance. In order to not make the same mistakes as those who misinterpret, we must strictly adhere to the laws of interpretation set forth in hermeneutics, (The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of Scriptural text.) which says that the use of a word in context is determined by its first use in the context.

Remember that the word repentance, which is metanoia in the Greek and means to change ones mind, was the first of the 6 “elementary teachings” in which they had become “dull of hearing”. Hebrews 6:1 “not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” We can associate “repentance from dead works and of faith towards God” with “hearing” by comparing this verse with Romans 10:17 which says “FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by the words of Christ.”

The term “dead works” refers to the Old Covenant teachings of “washings”, and “laying on of hands” which were based on the “works” system of the Law and were considered “dead” in the new age of Grace. Comparing this with Titus 3:5-6, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”, and Ephesians 2:8-9 “(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”, makes it clear that they had “fallen away” from the foundational (elementary) teachings and reverted back to their former manner of life. But in no way does this imply that they had lost their salvation. The writer makes it clear that they need to be re-taught and not re-saved. The issue is with “hearing” and not with salvation.

Paul writes to believers with similar problems in the epistle to the Ephesians. Paul addresses the problem in the same manner telling the Ephesians to lay aside the old, be renewed in the spirit of their minds (an understanding that comes from hearing), and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). If the issue of reverting back to a former manner of life were a loss of salvation, then Paul would have stated it here, but he did not. The issue once again is a re-learning not re-saving.

So from comparing Scripture with Scripture and looking at the context as a whole instead of “proof texting” the passage, we can come to the following conclusion about Hebrews 6:4-6; “It is impossible to renew those who have fallen away from Spiritual growth through a lack of hearing until they are re-taught the elementary principles again, because by reverting back to Old Covenant Judaism they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, for which that is also impossible to do”.

I will close this with a quote from Charles Ryrie on these verses. “The ‘falling away’ is from the knowledge of truth, not personal possession of it. The phrase [“is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”] is similar to saying something like this to a class of students: “It is impossible for a student, once enrolled in this course, if he turns the clock back (which cannot be done) to start the course over. Therefore, let all the students go on to deeper knowledge.”

Do these verses teach that we can lose our salvation? Absolutely not!! They, in fact, reassure us that we are secure in Christ, but warn us of the dangers of “falling away” do to a "lack of hearing". It also explains that the path of renewal that leads to Spiritual Growth is impossible as long as the believer is negative toward the Word of God. The issue is negative volition towards the Word of God and not a loss of salvation.

Indescribable

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

There is at least one day every month, sometimes more, that we celebrate an occasion to either give a gift or receive one. Everyone knows what it is like to be the giver and the recipient of a gift. Have you ever received a gift from someone that you really didn't want or need? How grateful were you for that gift? Have you ever been completely broke, in debt up to your eyeballs, and without asking, someone walks up to you and hands you some money? How grateful were you for that gift? It seems the more we are in need of a gift, the more gratitude we express toward the giver. It means more to us when we are helpless and in need. I am not saying that it is ok to be ungrateful for unwanted gifts; I'm just saying that in our society, it seems to be the norm.

Paul is expressing his gratitude for this "indescribable gift" from God because he understands that he is helpless and in need. What we must understand is that this "indescribable gift" is not a thing, but a Person. This gift is Jesus Christ. God has given you the gift of eternal life through faith alone in Christ alone. This gift is the grace of a loving God. How great is the work and the person of Jesus Christ to you in your life? Are you truly grateful and abounding in love for the "Gift" and the "Giver"? The amount of gratitude and love that we have for the Lord will be expressed in the amount of ourselves that we "freely" give back to Him.

The majority of people who profess to be Christians, ask of God, take from God, and beg of God but rarely, truly, or wholly give their lives to God. Maybe these attitudes sound familiar. "How can God make me happy?" "How can God better my life?" "If God were a loving God, He wouldn't allow all of this suffering and pain in my life." These attitudes reflect the mind of a person who doesn't understand the "indescribable gift" that God has given us. This is the attitude of an ungrateful recipient. The more we come to know and understand the person of Jesus Christ, the more willing we become to freely give our life to God for His purpose. Your willingness to be used by God will let others experience the love and the grace of God through you. The only worthy response to the gift of Jesus Christ is gratitude. True, unreserved, unrestricted gratitude is shown by humbly relinquishing the grasp that you have on your life and giving it to the One who gives life to you. How grateful are you for Jesus Christ? Are you so grateful that you are willing to completely and totally live your life for Him. Remember, He did it for you!!!

Tempted

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Have you ever been faced with a choice to do something that you knew was wrong? Have you ever been asked to do something you didn’t think was right? Have you ever been pushed into doing something and afterwards you were troubled with what you did?

If you have experienced any of the following, you my friend have fallen into the hands of temptation. We all have! It’s not an easy thing to face, but we face it daily! When I was young, I wondered how to be temptation free. I knew that falling into temptation was wrong, but how could I be temptation free? Guess what? I couldn’t and neither can you. Temptation is something that we will have to deal with as long as we are living in the devil’s world. Christ Himself was tempted. (See Matthew 4:1-11) The deal with temptation is that our own lustful desires within us cause us to fall into temptation. Everyone has a “thorn in the flesh” so to speak; a weakness in the area of temptation.

Since we are all guaranteed temptation, what can we do to fight off the urge to give into it? Here are three of things that will help.

1. When we are first attacked we need to go to the Lord in Prayer.

Understand that temptation does not mean that you have already sinned. Sometimes when approached by temptation I feel like I am already wrong, but that “feeling” is really a warning sign. We need to go to the Lord in Prayer to ask for His intervention. We have to believe by faith and we shall be delivered. James 1:5 -8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Pray in full faith and confidence for the wisdom to beat it! Pray for an out!

2. We need to look for the out!

The Lord will always give us that opportunity to back out of temptation when in the face of it. We need to jump on this boat and ride out. I know it is a hard thing to do and sometimes that window of opportunity is a small one. If you miss that first opportunity it will only get harder. The longer we ponder falling into temptation the harder it is for our minds to overcome it! I remember as a kid being asked by a friend if I wanted to steal some candy from a store with him. Well, if I took that first out by simply saying, NO, then it would have been so easy. But instead I said “Maybe” and rode my bike across town to the store while considering it. When I walked into the store with him; it became a little harder to back out. Within a matter of moments I placed something in my pocket and walked out of the store without paying for it. I had just fallen into temptation. You see how the window of opportunity gets smaller and tougher the longer we stay involved in temptation?

3. Avoid people and places that you know will be a temptation for you to sin.

Let me explain. If I were an alcoholic, it is not in my best interest to choose a place that primarily serves alcohol as a hangout. This is setting oneself up for failure. Don’t set yourself up for failure by placing yourself in circumstances or with people that you know will be a temptation. If you place yourself in tempting situations then you are doing two things. First you are inviting temptation in, and second you are causing yourself to be more vulnerable to sin.

Listen, we will never be able to avoid temptation. James 1:13 says “When tempted….” Notice it doesn’t say if tempted, might be tempted, or only the “unbelievers” are tempted. It says “When tempted”. It is inevitable that we will come into temptation. But that doesn’t mean we cant take precautions (study the Word) and be prepared (apply the Word to situations)when we are attacked by temptation. When we take the right precautions (knowing the Word) and conquer the current temptation we are in (application of God's Word), we are blessed in time by not receiving consequences of our lust, and rewarded in eternity at the Judgment Seat of Christ. James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Weathering the Storms

Matt 8:23-27 23 “ As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. 25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to die!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, "What kind of man is this? --Even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

Matthew 8:23-27 is a picture of the Christian Way of Life (CWL). We decide to follow Christ into the boat of Spiritual life hoping for smooth sailing on calm seas. What we fail to understand is that when we choose to follow Him into that boat, we set sail for the storm. The destination of the Spiritual life is Spiritual maturity, but Spiritual maturity can only be attained by weathering the storms of life. Most of us go through life trying to avoid the storm rather than sailing right through the middle of it, but faith is not strengthened by “dodging the bullet”, it is strengthened by being shot and living through it. What we have to understand is that even if Jesus seems to be sleeping through the storms of our life, HE IS STILL ON THE BOAT WITH US!!! It is our responsibility to prepare for the storm.

"If a Christian does not know what God has done in the past and does not have faith in what God will do in the future, he will be overwhelmed by today's crisis." Chester McCalley

These disciples feared for their life, because they weren’t prepared for the storm. In order to be prepared, we must know what God has done in the past and have faith in what he will do in the future. We can’t be amazed like the disciples and say “What kind of man is this”! We have to know who Christ is, what He has done, and what He will do. Confidence in Jesus Christ allows us to rest through the storms of life by faith. Matt 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Fear, anxiety, worry, panic, and uncertainty in life’s storms will beat you down to the point of exhaustion. But resting by faith in the Lord relaxes, rejuvenates, and restores the soul in the eye of the storm.

Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

If only the disciples would have known who Christ was then they could have had faith in what he would do during the storm. If only they would have known the Word they would have had a “confidence that confirms” instead of a “fear that fails.” Job 9:8 “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” Psalms 89:9 “you rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them. “ Psalms 107:29 “He stilled the waves to a murmur and the waves of the sea were hushed.”

These disciples didn’t have faith because they didn’t know the Scriptures. If we don’t know the Scriptures, then we won’t have faith in Him during the many storms that we will encounter in this lifetime. How are you holding up in the storms of your Spiritual life? Are you failing in fear or firmly rooted in faith? Be prepared for the storms of life by knowing what HE has done in past and having faith in what HE will do in the future. Know the Word and rest in It’s truth!! Remember, we are all in the same boat.....with Jesus!! Prepare for the storm!! 2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Nearly Far

Ephesians 2: 11-13 (11) Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands—(12) remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Do you feel that you are near to God or far from God? If you feel that you are doing the right thing in studying, going to church, trying to live Gods plan for your life then you should feel close. Shouldn’t you? On the other hand, one might feel that they are far from God, though being a believer, trusting Christ, knowing of eternal life and your place in the family of God, but your weaknesses, failings in your spiritual life, or your attitude is that you may feel far off. If you feel nearer to God, you may be further than thought and if you feel further, you may be nearer than you might think.

What Paul wrote in verses 11-12 described the state of the Gentiles to the Jews. Imagine the sad feeling being of the “uncircumcision” (Gentile) a reference given by the “Circumcision” (Israel or as a whole the Jewish nation.) It is a sad depiction of what someone other than a Jew had to deal with.

Paul writes that the uncircumcision (Gentiles) where without four things:

1. “separate from Christ” no promise of the coming savior, no understanding of a savior
2. “excluded (alienated) from the commonwealth (citizenship) of Israel” never having that chance of being a citizen of Israel or never being a Jew (Gods chosen)
3. “strangers to the covenants of promise” Simply put; the agreements between God and man.
4. “no hope and without God in the world” alienation, ignorance, no hope with God

Could you imagine the people that went to Israel to worship and what they had to deal with? A wall of separation, physically and spiritually from the Jews, not only at the temple but the rest of the world. To be outside that wall and the feeling of separation one could only hope to have just a little piece of what the Jews had. As far as we have come from those times and as much we have learned about how we are to live like Christ, the church (body of Christ; Christians), have fallen into the same legalistic mentality the Jews had. We have made the idea that we are chosen, a select people near to God with our legalistic rules and regulations, better than attitude, and systems of religion, that if your not part of it then you don’t measure up. We have alienated the non-believers and the spiritually failing believers, as did the Jews thousands of years ago.

James 4:6-8 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Let's review some of the parables of the Jesus.

Luke 15: 11-32 (paraphrased) One son stays home and works with his Father and the other goes and squanders the estate but finally he returns to the Father who accepts him back with joy. Which of these are you? Are you far or near?

Matt. 20: 1-16 (paraphrased) the landowner hires workers, throughout the day some worked some part of the day and some didn’t work but the last hour. The owner paid the workers from last to first. They all got the same pay at the end. Some got mad because others didn’t deserve the same pay because they didn’t do as much but the owner paid the same. Vs. 16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last." Which of these are you? Are you far or near?

Matt. 18: 12-13 (paraphrased) The story of the lost sheep. A shepherd has hundred sheep and looses one. He leaves the ninety-nine somewhere safe and goes to look for the one that was lost. When he finds it, he “rejoices over it MORE than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.” The parable of the sheep in Luke 15: 7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be MORE joy in heaven over one sinner who repents then over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

What does this tell us? Not only does it tell us of the unbeliever becoming a believer but also if a members of Gods family has wandered away, comes to the point of repentance (change of mind; Strong’s Grk.) and back to God in humility. “He gives greater grace”-“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:6.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We are no longer far off but we have been brought near. We have a position with God who cherishes us and gives provisions by grace. “In Christ Jesus” the barrier (wall) that separated the state of the Jews has been torn down. There is nothing that will separate us anymore. John 19:30 Jesus said, (tetelestai) “It is finished”

God has given not one human being higher position than the other. We all have equal provisions in grace. We are all children equally in the family of God. If those who have felt far from God would stop to consider the need to change your mind (repentance) and in doing so take what the word of God teaches us that through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross you have been brought near by His blood. For those who say they are near, it is about our duties of discipleship. Do not take Gods privileges for granted and when we see a believer return we must rejoice with them so we to are not far off.