Lonely Christians

 I have to keep going back to this verse often in my life: 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

FOR THOU ART WITH ME.  When no one else is or seems to be, He is with me. 

Our Christian walk is sometimes very lonely in this world and few are willing to endure taking up their cross because the cost is high, friends don’t come easy and family would rather you never spoke a word about this truth you cling to because it doesn’t seem loving to them.  This world is not getting better.  It’s not.  True Christianity just isn’t worth it to many.  Unless it comes alongside all that is shiny and fun and freedom to sin as one wishes the label is good enough but if it involves sacrifice in the least little bit then to the majority it isn’t the road they wish to walk.  It seems as long as you’re in agreement with the world friends are countless and always around.

Though genuine believers walk a lonely road we have a God who never leaves our side.  If not for this truth revealed to me at such a young age and clinging to it for most of my life I don’t know how I would have ever endured this life up until now.  I thank God for His word to comfort me, to bring me joy and peace and to sustain me.  I thank Him for true Christian friends who know the trials and temptations of this life.  It ain’t easy!  But oh for the grace of God!!!!  He is with me!  He shares in our weaknesses! He knows the temptations of this world!! He knows!

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

Hebrews 4:15-16 NASB

This link I am sharing below is worth the read. If you’re a genuine Christian you’re going to understand just what this is talking about.  When no human seems to understand you can trust The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit to understand.

https://endtimesprophecyreport.com/2014/06/08/narrow-road-true-christianity-is-a-lonely-road/

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 NLT

I have become estranged from my brothers And an alien to my mother's sons.  

Psalms 69:8, NASB

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith on the earth?”Luke 18:8

For the church, the outcome looks cold, bare and lacking.  Will He find genuine faith when He returns or superficial faith that does not save?  Oh that we all would engage more-so in knowing Him.  

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.”

Luke 21:17

For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  

Matthew 10:35-37 NASB

THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN

By A.W. Tozer

The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone. The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.

The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens. He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else.

I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.  Psalms 119:19

This world is not our home.  We are merely journeying through this kingdom of men on a mission for the LORD. 

Hebrews: The Preeminent Person of Christ

 Hebrews 1:1-4

Christ is superior to the prophets, writing and speaking prophets.

Hebrews 1:5-2:18

Christ is superior to the angels.  

- Angels are servants/ministers of God.

- Angels gave the law of Moses.

Hebrews 2:1-18

Christ’s superiority is not contradicted by His humanity or by His suffering.  Christ being the God-Man does not deny His being superior to angels and prophets.  It is easy to drift away from the truth about Christ.  Some will come with their teachings that deny His superiority, His deity.

Hebrews 3:1-4:16

Christ is superior to Moses.

- both Christ and Moses were faithful to God.

- Christ is the builder of the house, Moses was a member of the house.

- Christ is the Son over the house, Moses was only a servant in the house.

- Christians need to make use of Christ who is their mediator.

Hebrews 5:1-7:28

Christ is superior to Aaron.

- Aaron was the first priest under the Old Covenant, Leviticus priesthood.

The priesthood of Aaron

The priesthood of Christ

The priesthood of Melchizedek

Hebrews 8:1-10:18

Christ’s ministry is superior to the Old Testament ministry.

- Christ performs a better priestly ministry than the prophets, the angels, Moses and Aaron.  His ministry operates form a better covenant, a superior sanctuary and with an offering whose effectiveness is without question.  

The new covenant is solely based on God, not man.  It offers better promises.  God will give believers the desire and ability to obey Him, believers will have fellowship with God, believers will know God and God will forgive their sins.  

The old covenant was weak as sacrifices had to be offered over and over again and the law could not make anyone perfect. It could not remove the guilt that keeps mankind from access to God. Man still sinned and thereby was guilty before God and still needed repeated sacrifices to God to cover their guilt and shame due to sin.  

The promise of the new covenant makes us realize that the old covenant was insufficient or unable to do what the new covenant could do.  The new covenant provided a sacrifice that was offered once for all time and forgave sins past, present and future and appeased God forever.  The old covenant found fault with people and offered no satisfying remedy to God for all time.  The law was a constant reminder of sin. 

Psalm 40:6-8

“A body You prepared for me.”

All must come to God the Father through faith in God the Son.  Sins must be forgiven.  Hearts must be radically changed for Christ. Relationship with God cannot exist outside of Jesus Christ.  So how is this accomplished since mankind cannot be found innocent on their own?  The body and blood of Christ is the desired sacrifice required of God the Father.  No other sacrifice will do.  Good works will not override the sacrifice Jesus Himself made to appease the wrath of God that comes due to sin.

The superior sanctuary is in heaven, on the throne of God. Christ serves in the true tabernacle.

The effective offer was His body and blood. See Hebrews 10:1-18

Christ came to do what the law and Old Testament sacrifices could not do.

Gospel of Jesus Christ

BAD NEWS:

We are all sinners. 

(Romans 3:23) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

We all deserve death as payment for our sins.

(Romans 6:23)"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

We are separated from God in our sins.

(Colossians 1:21) Left in our sins we are alienated from God.

We are His enemies.

(Romans 5:10) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

GOOD NEWS: 

Christ died for sinners.

(Romans 5:8)"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Salvation is a gift of God:

(Romans 6:23)"but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

We must confess Jesus is Lord, we must believe with our heart:

(Romans 10:9)"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." 

We must make our appeal to be saved to Jesus Christ:

(Romans 10:13) "for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

We are made righteous in Jesus Christ through faith:

(Romans 5:1) "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

In Christ we will never be condemned for our sins:

(Romans 8:1) "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." 

Being in Christ we have the promises of God:

(Romans 8:38-39) "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We must be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  He is our righteousness.  

(2 Corinthians 5:20-21) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be recofnciled to God. 

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

GOSPEL VERSES: 

Mark 10:45: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

Romans 5:8: God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23: The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:32: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

2 Corinthians 5:21: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 8:9: You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

1 Timothy 1:15: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

1 John 4:10: In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Revelation 5:9: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Revelation 5:9: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Remember What You Have Received!

 So remember what you have received!

Received his word.

Responded to the things spoken of by Paul.

Received the word of God.

Received the Holy Spirit.

Received Him.

Received His testimony.

Received them (the words the Father gave to Jesus).

Received grace and apostleship.

Received the reconciliation.

Received a spirit of adoption.

Received the Spirit who is from God.

Received the gospel.

Received the things taught by the apostles.

Received Christ Jesus.

Received instruction from the apostles.

Received mercy.

Received a special gift to serve others.

Received His anointing.

Received commandment to walk in truth.

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.  (Acts 2:41, NASB)

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.  (Acts 16:14, NASB)

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,  (Acts 8:14, NASB)

Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.  (Acts 11:1, NASB)

"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"  (Acts 10:47, NASB)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,  (John 1:12, NASB)

33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. 

34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.  (John 3:33, NASB)

for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.  (John 17:8, NASB)

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake,  (Romans 1:5, NASB)

And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.  (Romans 5:11, NASB)

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"  (Romans 8:15, NASB)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,  (1 Corinthians 2:12, NASB)

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,  (1 Corinthians 15:1, NASB)

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 

4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  (1 Corinthians 15:3, NASB)

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9, NASB)

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,  (Colossians 2:6, NASB)

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.  (1 Thessalonians 4:1, NASB)

for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.  (1 Peter 2:10, NASB)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  (1 Peter 4:10, NASB)

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.  (1 John 2:27, NASB)

I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.  (2 John 1:4, NASB)

So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.  (Revelation 3:3, NASB)

Identity in Christ versus focus on Christ

I have to share this for women reading my blog.  This information is so helpful and I find her words to be spot on.  May you all be blessed by this.

By Nancy Guthrie

So many of us women need to hear this.  We’ve been deceitfully captured for far too long by the idea of lifting up self that we tend to now lean towards believing that if we deny ourselves then we will be blaspheming the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives to make us Christ-like and standing firm in our “identity” in Christ.  Too often in modern churches our identity in Christ overrides the focus of Christ.  We need to understand the difference between lifting up “me, me, me” and lifting up The Lord.  In the WOF and Charismatic groups the difference between justification and sanctification and glorification is not talked about and on the rare occasion it is mentioned, no real understanding comes from the mentioning of these words.  Now granted, sanctification is a work of God and no less a work of God than justification and glorification.  However we tend to put ourselves above Christ and promote ourselves above Christ.  

Can a believer lose his or her salvation?"

There is no possible way someone who truly understands the gospel and receives it in his heart will turn from it.  They know the value in and of it.  They know the power of God to save.  

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  (Matthew 13:44, NASB)

They know there is no other way of salvation.  They understand Who holds them.  To Whom else will they go?  Those who walk away from such a treasure could never have possibly had faith in the value that is revealed from God.  They know the truth, they’ve heard it, they don’t see and trust and hope in it’s value.  

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, 

8 DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, 

9 WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. 

10 "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; 

11 AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"  (Hebrews 3:7, NASB)

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" 

68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 

69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."  (John 6:67, NASB)

If Jesus and the Father have hold of you, if the Spirit seals you, how is it possible to walk away on your own?  You cannot!  Do you have more power than God?  Believe God.  Believing what He has said is faith.

Believe this to be true.  

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.  (John 10:28, NASB)

Luke 17 Following After False Signs

 Luke 17

Don’t follow after those who set times and places for Christ’s return, instead sacrifice this life for the gospel, for Christ’s sake and be used of Him to evangelize and disciple others until He returns for us.

I have to admit I get so much from even one chapter in scripture that it’s hard to condense all it offers into one thing that God is saying.  He is teaching us many things in His word.  

This chapter alone teaches us not to sin by tempting others to sin, our obligation to forgive our brothers, the power of saving faith and the proper service to Christ.

2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 

3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  (Luke 17:2, NASB)

Also we learn in this chapter that we shouldn’t expect to be rewarded for our duty to Christ and that the kingdom of God will not come with outward evidences, but rather inward evidence.  So all these miracle workers, sign chasers and modern day prophets are not seeing the real miracle of Jesus Christ which is to save sinners and make man a new creation. 

20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 

21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."   (Luke 17:20, NASB)

God requires a heart change, the kingdom of God is within you.  Jesus is speaking to his disciples and He was with them at this time.  Soon they will be in dwelt with His Spirit when He ascends to The Father.

Introduction to Hebrews Study

In early 2020 I finished a bible study on the book of Hebrews.  It took us nine months.  Yes we spent that long on one book but to be honest I believe we could have spent much longer on it.

I was eager to get started with Hebrews.  The first things we focused on were the author, audience and canonicity of this book.  The authorship is truly unknown.  But does it really matter?  We know the author over all of scripture is the Holy Spirit.  Hebrews is written after Christ ascended.  We learn that the original audience is that of professing Jewish Christians, the Hebrews.  These are those people who came out of Judaism to embrace Christ as their Savior. Being tempted to go back to the Levitical laws they were wavering in their faith.  These Hebrews were in danger of falling back into Judaism because they did not understand the true nature of Christianity. This book was written to prove that the New Testament and Jesus’ blood is superior to the Old Testament and the sacrifice of animals.  

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 

Hebrews 8:7 NASB

The New Covenant replaces the Old Covenant.  We move from the Law and the Prophets to grace, from type to reality, from animal sacrifices within the Levitical priesthood to the substitutionary atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  These Hebrews were considering going back to the law, neglecting the salvation they heard about in Christ and were in danger of drifting away from the truth about Christ. They were not pressing on to perfection.  The point of Hebrews is that the person and work of Jesus Christ is a much better and perfect sacrifice.  

having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 

Hebrews 1:4

The author stresses the reader to move forward to spiritual maturity.  These Hebrews kept teaching the elementary basic truths over and over again instead of growing and maturing in the faith.  Spiritual maturity is an important goal for this author to express to his readers.  He intended to encourage these believers to press on in their faith and to not fall back.  To keep their focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ.  

Persecution and false doctrine are also addressed in this book because the reason why these Jewish Christians were wavering in their faith was due to some false teachings and mixing the law with grace.  This false doctrine came from legalistic Judaizers.

9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.  

Hebrews 13:9-10

The key verse for our study is Hebrews 4:14

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

Hebrews 4:14

Social work doesn’t save people

13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 

15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 

16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 5:13, NASB)

We don’t save people by prohibiting alcohol, abortion, drunk driving, nor do we save people by feeding the homeless, providing healthcare or job security.  

WE don’t save people.  

We preach the gospel.

We disciple.

We love and care for our brothers and sisters in Christ because we love God.  But we don’t save them by doing good deeds for them. We are the salt and the light they see in the world that reflects the person of Jesus Christ and His work to save.  If we lose our desire for God, if we lose our light, our flavor, we fail to draw people to Christ.  God works in us and through us to shine and glorify Himself.  So let your light shine!  The true church is not tasteless and dark.  We are of the Light!!  We point people to the One who saves.

We point to the Savior!!

The gospel is the means by which people are saved.  We preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of sins and we preach His resurrection, how He was raised to life by God the Father to eternal glory.  When a person confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believes in his heart this good news about Jesus, he will be saved.  He then at that moment is given new life, he is born again and indwelt by the Spirit of God (He is the Spirit of Truth) and will also be raised to eternal life.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

In the gospel we learn that Christ is the only righteousness we need.  We are not righteous enough in ourselves to get to heaven on our own.  We need Christ’s righteousness.  We cannot be as righteous as God is and He is our standard of righteousness.  Can we measure up?  No.  He is God, we are not.

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."  (Romans 1:16, NASB)

We are made righteous by Christ.  Jesus Christ clothed us in His righteousness while He was clothed in our sin.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB)

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.  (Ephesians 1:13, NASB)

GOD does the SAVING work.