Whose Life Am I Living, Mine or His?

"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you.  I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking....Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires....But they deliberately forget....But...you ought to live holy and godly lives." (From 2 Peter 3, NIV) 

Most of people are, "scoffers."  Don't believe for a moment all that talk about wanting sermons, teachings, etc., which make the Bible "relevant."  First of all, any sermon which points people to Jesus Christ, which is Bible expository in nature is relevant.  You don't and cannot make truth relevant. Truth defines relevancy.  What most people want, contrary to very popular opinion, is "truth" which affirms them in their rebellion. They want truth which makes them feel good.  Maybe this is why so many teachers in Christendom today are centering on you and me and not on Jesus Christ.  To state once again the very obvious, Jesus Christ is Truth; "His Word is Truth." 

Most people think that Jesus' main purpose for "coming" was to come to us and wallow with us in our life struggle.  It was not.  It was to bring us to Father in Himself.  Now He promised that, "You will be hated by everyone because of me," and, Paul warned us that, "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  But notice that all this is because of Jesus Christ and our lives lived in, "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ," not because of a life of trying to drag Him around in our agenda.  I find it interesting that most say to Jesus, "Come to me."  While the Biblical injunction is, "Come to Me!"

As I see it, this is the Gospel of the, "God-Breathed," Word, Biblical Theology, or, one could say the philosophy of life which will keep us, sustain us, and, as Peter says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..."-- and to, "Father's house," of, "many mansions."  Frankly, I prefer by far His, "many mansions," over any dwelling I may have.  The, "godly lives," of our text is I living His will, not Him living mine.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I would rather You bring me to You, than I try to bring You to me.  Amen.
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The Relevancy of the Bible at: www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

God Turned, "The Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah Into Ashes"

"For if God...did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,...and if he rescued Lot----- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly...."

(2 Pet. 2, NIV)

 

Isaiah 24 is being fulfilled right before our eyes.  "The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither.  Even the greatest people on earth waste away.  The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God's instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant.  Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.  Its people must pay the price for their sin."  Don't listen to CNN, MSNBC, or even FOX pundits.  What you have just read, my friend, is the current reality.  The majority of the present generation in Christendom, however, does not believe this.  These Bible Texts to most are merely an "Old Testament Reading" and a "New Testament Reading," readings and nothing more, nothing to, "take heed!"  

 

Some people either teach or imply (and others just accept) that judgment expressed in our text will never happen again.  Just listen closely to the message coming from modern liberal, evangelical, charismatic organizations and you walk away with the distinct impression that your life will just go on as usual, and mankind will just keep living in "sun rise, sun set, sun rise, sun set, swiftly go the years;" history is really headed nowhere.  O, yes, we are "saved," going to heaven, are a worshipping people, doing missions, helping the poor, conducting self help conferences, just going about the same religious things, with variations on a theme, that so many others have been involved in for the last couple of generations.  But Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."   

 

"....and then the end will come."  What, "end"?-- the end of life as mankind has known it from the Garden, the end of humanist governments, 401(k)s, "the end," of conferences, worship seminars.  The King is coming!  He will be here on Planet Earth---- no campaigning, no elections, just King Jesus and the Earth under His reign.  What comes after that in the universe is as debatable as the exact events of the "Second Coming."  But we can be very sure of this--------- "and then the end will come," is written in the very "fiber" of both Old AND New Testaments------------ and, the earth.

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You know, "how to rescue."  Amen.

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Don't Get Behind on Prophetic News-- New Articles @: www.apf327.blogspot.com

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, heard "the call to evangelize China, that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
(Hebrews 12:2)

"We Were With Him"

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to him from the Excellent Glory....and we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." (2 Peter 1:16-18)

 

So many people tend to speak of Peter in a sort of joking manner, even belittling this great Saint.  As for me, I would like to have Peter on my side.  Most people speak of his bumbling imperfections, yet he was the only one of the disciples who ever walked on water, who recognized, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," always one of the three, the one who drew a sword to defend Jesus, who was the first to take off, running for the Tomb.  Also, if Peter were such a bumbling fool, why did Jesus give him, "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," and, by the way, even after all the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, it was Peter who stood up and declared fearlessly the first sermon of the newly "formed" Church.  Perhaps we owe a lot of the survival of the Church throughout the centuries to the "DNA" of this sword-welding Follower of Jesus Christ. 

 

Our text today is a testimony of this old warrior of the Cross, "We were with Him on the holy mountain."  It is the spirit of this testimony which has the power today to reach men and nations.  We will never really impact anyone if we cannot say this in absolute reality, "We were with Him."  This reality enabled Peter to face persecution and the cross.  This reality enabled those who, "were tortured," those who, "had trial of mockings and scourgings,..of chains and imprisonment,..stoned,..sawn in two, were tempted, were slain,..being destitute, afflicted, tormented"--- to, "endure to the end."   

 

Through the centuries, people have argued, debated, maligned, and rejected Jesus Christ and His Church on what man loves to call, scientific and intellection grounds.  But, "science falsely so-called," and arguments have no chance against, "We were with Him."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, may I always be, "with Him."  Amen.

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New Article on "The Impotence of the West" at: www.apf327.blogspot.com

I was really sick yesterday; hence, the reason there was no devotional

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, heard "the call to evangelize China, that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
(Hebrews 12:2)

There is Perishable and Imperishable Seed Available-- Which Do You Choose?

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, 'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'"  (1 Peter 1:23-25, NIV)

 

I heard someone say recently, "It's not what you and I say to God; it's what He says to us."  This is why the Bible is the foundation of prayer.  The Bible is "what He says to us."  If I am to walk in, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," then I need to be able to recognize His will.  Too many seek the will of God in "sensing land."  They call it "waiting on God," but it is mostly waiting on some feeling.  They go from meeting to meeting, prophet to prophet to find the will of God.  But it is not prophets, nor meetings, nor "sensing" which enables us to recognize the will of God.  It is the, "God-Breathed," Scriptures.  Neglect the, "Words of God," and one is in the greatest danger of missing the will of God.

 

Our text today gives us a key to victorious living.  "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,..the living and enduring word of God."  This the choice for you and me today.  We can choose to build our lives on listening to and obeying the, "perishable seed," or the, "imperishable," seed of, "the living and enduring word of God."  It is really a glaring choice.  Chase after others and our "sensing" to "find the will of God," or recognize that you and I have God's will in us, "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts...."  This, my friend, is the New Covenant, "a better covenant, which was established on better promises."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that Your Will is not far off.  Amen. 

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* DATE CORRECTION FOR UPCOMING MISSION:  MARCH 26-APRIL 25

* New Jerusalem Watch Article at:  http://www.apfjw.blogspot.com

* See timely interview on Israeli "Apartheid" @: www.apf327.blogspot.com 

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, heard "the call to evangelize China, that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
(Hebrews 12:2)