Are you sold out on Jesus?  Do you truly believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of almighty God, given by His Holy Spirit, penned by those men chosen to document His Word for humanity?  Do you believe it is perfect truth, or is it simply a manuscript into which you inject edits, rewrites or redaction?  What is the degree of self-reliance or certainty upon which you are willing to bet your eternity?  I see your legs wobbling.  That’s good because it means the Lord has not yet turned you over to great delusion.  If you were to go on a sin rampage, in your last days, remaining unrepentent of your “free will” to follow you heart do you believe that there is even a 1% chance that you would forfeit your ticket to eternity with God?

In Revelation 3:5 of  the Lord Jesus tells the Church, His Bride to be, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”  What the Lord Jesus says that there is a possibility that my name may be “blotted out” from the Book of Life.  I thought that it is “once saved always saved” and that once I said that prayer that I could just live my life the way I wish.  Think again, a bit of trembling in the old knees now.

I know that my fellow tolerant Christians would have me dawn kid’s gloves for this expository, but the Lord bids me speak as clearly and straight as it is possible to demonstrate my love for you.  The time for Christian coddling is past.  The Lord’s return is nigh.  Be ready, have oil in your lamp, have His Word written upon your heart, be found doing that which He commanded and if you don’t have any idea of what it is that I am speaking about then I pray the Holy Spirit stimulate your awareness to the point where you start getting answers.  Time is short, eternity is long, don’t be found on the wrong side of the cross.

Why does the Bible say that, “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord”?  God has also written, “God did not give us the spirit of fear but of love, power and of a sound mind”, why then would he want us to fear him?   And how could that fear sponsor our entry into wisdom?  Do you have any fears?  Heights, spiders, the dark.  These are worldly influences that most would agree probably would have limited effect on our lives, yet we somehow feel certain that we are going to suffer great harm or die when confronted by them.  That is an important distinction because the worst that could happen from any of our fears is that we lose our lives.  That is why wisdom begins with a respectful fear of God, because not only can he take our lives but he can also commit our souls eternally to a place of judgment, an issue you would agree is much worse than simply losing this life.

Fear is sometimes prudent indication of danger ahead, in this instance it is best to refrain from contention with Almighty God and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that we deserved death for our sin and that grace is the gift of God as pardon for our unrighteousness.  My sin is not pardoned by God just because I think myself righteous.  My sin was never allowed by God, in fact it was forbidden by God and I was warned that the wages of my sin is death.  It is not that my sin was overlooked, exactly the opposite, my sin was recognized by Almighty God and its debt was paid upon the cross with His life given for mine.

I may think that He will tolerate my sin because that is what I imagine a kind god would do, but my thinking would be 100% incorrect.  Our God is an awesome and loving God who is also perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin for He must judge it in being true to His nature.  Jesus Christ is the righteous judge of all and unless He knows you for your recognition and reliance upon His sacrifice on the cross than you are headed for Hell, no matter what feel good concept upon which you continue to cling.  God recognizes you by the presence of the Holy Spirit upon your life.  His indwelling is an unmistakeable mark and without you are counted among the lost.  If you don’t have fruits of the spirit, goodness, kindness, self-control, long suffering, patience, etc., then I recommend you teeth start chattering.  Because without the evidnce of the Holy Spirit you’re probably going to here the following from Jesus when he sees  you, “Depart from me you doer of iniquity I never knew you.”  Now that is paraphrased from Matthew 7, but it is awfully frightening, isn’t it?  That the Jesus you thought you  knew all these years you’ve been going to Church on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas to worship, never knew you, is a agonizing idea.  Or Worse yet, that you were saved by visiting a church one time and the Pastor sold you that all you needed to do was say a simple prayer and that you would essentially get a get out of hell free card and permission to continue with your addictions, fornication, lying, gossiping, adultery, worshiping idols, saints and mary and all other manners of what God calls abominable.  You can think of me what you will but do not mess with God because He has given all of us the truth as well as sufficient warning to be alert and cautious of deception’s, ravenous influence.  The truth is the only safe ground upon which to build your faith, your life and your eternity.

Unless of course you are only a partial believer in Christianity, or you have removed Hell from the Bible, or you feel that all pathways lead to heaven.  Therein lay the danger of editors to the faith.  If God is in charge and He said here is my truth then He probably would have pretty substantial punishment associated with edits, rewrites, omissions, changes, redaction’s or additions.  This is the price of partial belief, you have now broken the second commandment, “Thou shalt have no graven images before me”.  God is who He says that He is not who we want Him to be or reduce Him to being.

Let us investigate the horrific path remaining wide open to them who manufacture God or refuse to accept and obey His commands.  And to those of you who seem to stand upon the academic claim that the Bible has been translated and reiterated so many times because of a need to control the masses, wouldn’t any Christian who believes the Bible is the inerrant word of God, run from even the suggestion of changing, believing themselves then deserving of God’s punishment for such an action?  I fear the Lord and try my hardest, begging forgiveness if I ever even come close to removing or adding something to His Holy Word.  I personally cannot imagine any believer who would try God in this instance so the rewriting of scripture is a lie perpetrated by satan and his minions.  The facts actually when reviewed as to the orininality of biblical manuscripts actually CRUSHES any other accepted historical document.  You would be astounded by the truth.  Seek it out and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from ththings which are written this book.  Sorry my friend but your arguments appear to oppague and thin, lacking truth or substance.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they know God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creepy things.  Where God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.  For this cause God them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is a against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving behind the natural use of the woman, burned their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly , and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, hater of God, despiteful, proud, boasters inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

Did you read that passage, really read it?  It says what we all know is truth.  That God made the evidence for His existence Public, so that we would all know him and that others who do not wish to know him would have no excuse.  It said that those of faith share their faith with others of faith.  God even let everyone know about His judgment from heaven against sin, yet men still choose their sin over God.  And those who do not wish to believe are turned over to their own decadence.  Because they did not glorify God and were ungrateful their vain hearts were darkened and they transformed the image of God into something matching their own decadent imaginings.  Once in their own reprobate minds they were given to all manner of perversion and malignancy.  They even knowing their own sin would bring them death delighted in seeing others do the same.  None the less they have broken the law of the commandments by creating a little g god of their own imagination, creating a graven image, not wishing to worship the one true God and forsaking his truth.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.  Proverbs 29:1

Mark 7:8 laying aside the commandments of God, teaching the commandments of men.  “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, theaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  For laying aside aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.”

Jesus said in Matthew 5, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Do not be deceived or convince yourself that our national sense of tolerance frees you from obeying God’s commands, because neither path will gain you heaven but deliver to the lake of fire, forever.  “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” (I CORINTHIANS 6:9-11)

Adam or son of Adam as we Christians are known, do not be led into outright disobedience to God.  You will be led into eternal regret.  Do not forsake this life’s opportunity to be cleansed of all unrighteousness and spend eternity with God.  May your loins be guarded by the belt of truth and your mouth wield the two edged sword to protect your family from all spirits that would lead them off the righteous path.

Eve, do not be deceived.  Let not your heart or mind be led astray from your love and obedience to Almighty God.  Ready yourself for false teachers abound, let your mind be protected by the helmet of Salvation and your heart by the shield of faith.

In Jesus’s Holy Name I pray for your protection, strength and courage to finish the fight and run the race as if you intended to win.  May God bless in this new year.  Keep your feet firmly planted upon the Rock of Christ and your eyes heavenward for His imminent return.

I cannot remember nor count the times I have gone awry in thinking that my words of wisdom are sufficient to doing God’s Work.  I know that there are those studied few of us that have exceptional understanding of the human composition that they believe themselves gifted to assist those in social difficulty.  This ought not be confused with the work of God, for it is written that He will confound the wisdom of the wise.  Additionally, satan loves when he can twist our objective, our mission or our purpose to one that is self-defined, lacking God’s perfect alignment.  If I am to win souls to Christ, then my tool kit is entirely encapsulated within the Bible, the Spirit and to some strict manner within the those gifts to which He has empowered me.

God’s Word never returns void.  My word often misses the mark, dispels friends or scares people from me.  To which would I prefer to be coupled a Word that is perfect in its wisdom, authority and capacity to provide result or my somewhat crafty, often helpful amalgamated philosophies that discourage as often as they are beneficial.  Be aware this is satan’s work.  He continues to want us to be self-dependent beings, relying upon our own capacity as gods to do the divine work and in so doing delivering us to failure.  God’s Word is the Bread of Life, the Living Word, the water that quenches an everlasting thirst.  The two ought never be compared or thought equally effective.

You can argue with me and chances are you might be right.  You cannot argue with Almighty God, in which there are no prospects for victory.  The greatest personal advice or wisdom that I have ever given were those words that directed people to the resource of God’s Word, His Bible.  Yes, I can give testimony to how Jesus has saved me, changed me, prepare and prospered me for a life that He designed before the beginning of time, but these are still reflections/recounts of the things that He has done.  This ain’t about me and thank God for that, for the argument for my imperfection, deserved judgment and worthiness has already been pronounced.  I needed Jesus to die on that cross or I was eternally lost.  The problem I have now is reconciling that fact, that something I hate to ponder was the one gift that I could not have done without.  I made it necessary for Him to be crucified, yes He gave His life freely, but that only points to how perfect He is and how undeserving I am.  He is the only thing that makes me worthy.  His Word is the only thing that will shine the light of truth upon this shadowed world.  His power to save is the only thing of value that I have to offer when speaking to a lost and lonely population.  Make it count, learn His Word.  Use it frequently, abundantly and joyously for it will always return a favorable crop.

Men, even Christian men arguing over interpretation and memory to establish their bravado.  We cannot seem to let go of the rituals, rules, judgments and personal, importance jockeying that has plagued religious spirituality since the outset.  For example, this word predetermined.  There are men who have stopped speaking with each other because of differing understanding regarding this complex concept.  I don’t care how convincing I may be if I am arguing over a concept that is not clearly spelled out by God, then I am just being a disobedient cleric to suit my own purposes or ego.

I think the only ideas surrounding predeterminism that I need to contemplate surround, am I a predetermined friend of God who is going to escape His wrath to come?  My death is certain, except in the predetermined instance where I am snatched out through rapture to be with Him forever.  My service through discipleship is predetermined through my willing demonstrative love for God.  My humility is predetermined as I remember how my Saviour lay beaten, spit upon, naked, scourged, alone, physically impaled upon that cross haven drunken the cup of all man’s sin. God can do what He wants and if He predetermined that there should be certain instances that are treated in a specific manner for His Good Glory, then it shall be so, irrespective of my intimate thinking on the matter.

All I know is that I love you, because He loves you and that is enough for me.  But you are also lovable and I see their image upon you.  It hurts me to be involved in circumstances which chastise you, even when they are ordained by God for I want no pain to befall you.  God bids me look upon this world to see His judgment upon it and I will not look away, even when it breaks my heart to do so, because His Judgment is righteous and true.  I will not regret not having taken the availed opportunities to tell you of the coming Kingdom rather using the time wisely now to help you find salvation at the cross.  My joy is predetermined to everlasting alongside my Lord and God, Jesus Christ the King.

My attempts at deeper philosophical discussion are always flesh, inspired misdirection to ignore yet-surrendered-sin I somehow seek to avoid, camouflage or obfuscate.  To me, being holy is the greatest challenge for it cannot be faked or impersonated.  I came to the cross to find Jesus in hope that someday I would be holy through my interaction with the Holy Spirit.  My flesh would have me believe the opposite, that somehow I improved myself and polished my behavior enough that I might know Jesus.  Let me be resolute.  I did none of this, all change that has occurred in my life as a Christian was and is the Work of the Lord God through His Holy Spirit as a result of the Work done by Christ.  Volunteering to a master physician for surgical cure does not imbue the patient with self-curing capacity.

Try as I can, my thoughts always involve a skew from God’s intended holiness.  Invariably when I contemplate a situation it is always misshapen by my fleshly desire, my eye or my heart.  Yes, this causes consternation in my wheelhouse, for I am driven to repentance and my nine thousandth request for forgiveness of the Lord.  But that is the nature of this glorious, grace gifted road upon which we stand.  Without Him we were all hopelessly headed for eternal separation from the Divine.  Hallelujah for the King, the Lamb and the Lion of Judah.

Holiness may not be my quest, but it certainly ought to appear somewhere upon the short list of each Christian.  For this is God’s desire.  Being Holy is not in our knowledge base.  Certainly we can imitate Jesus and try to walk in the steps He’s left in the sand, but none of us can say that we know what it means to be Holy.  Alas the Holy Spirit resides in each of us.  So, I do have the repository available for inquiry, assistance and guidance upon request, that is if I have not quenched Him and hurt Him enough that He has sought repair through distance.  I must be mindful of my continued desire for sin.  I know that someday I will be completely free from it vestiges rooted deep within my soul, but for now I really must be very careful of those things to which I expose His Spirit.  Valuation causes contemplation and the opportunity for willful demonstration of faithful commitment to His purpose.

The Word says it, all your bones know it and the storm looms on yonder horizon.  Will we fail to heed all warning, remaining unprepared, without constant prayer or dutiful performance of our commission?  Even the lost see it coming, yet they are without hope.  What then differentiates us from those who do not know the Saviour?  Is it my mannerisms, my character, my adherence to principle?  How weak my understanding of scripture if I believe that it has anything to do with me.  Sealed by the Holy Spirit I have redemption from God.  Dedicated to prayer I have communion and relationship with God.  Armed with the two-edged Sword of God’s Word I am readied for whatever battle shall be sent my direction.  Buoyed by my Faith, the only thing that may please God, I am committed to fulfilling His direction for my life, spreading the Gospel Good News of Salvation and freedom from His Wrath to come.  Filled with His Spirit I wait for the Master’s return.

What is maturity?  I believe maturity is the experiential component of wisdom that allows a man to listen to those who know, love and respect him when it comes to advice of action or inaction.  If you my Brothers warn me against a particular course of action I ought to take that advice seriously and avoid the predicament that invariably follows.  Maturity is a man knowing the right course of action and then executing those steps ordered by the Lord to its fruition.  So, maturity is an idea and an action, and just as faith or love require demonstration to be true and complete.  In this instance it is therefore not enough to know the future God tells us is coming, but I must offer demonstrative action solidifying my maturity into concrete reality.  What then would some mature actions be knowing the coming storm?  The Lord tells us to pray unceasingly.  The Lord tells us to work while there is still light in which to work.  The Lord tells us to write His Word upon our hearts.  The Lord tells us to be ready, knowing that our redemption lies near.  If you aren’t at least doing these then you are avoiding maturity at a time when to do so is tragic.

A willing heart and the faith to lay your problems before the Lord.  God cannot teach the unwilling.  We must be open to His direction, His Word, guidance and yes, chastisement.  This World is not within my power to save.  Billions of humans will go to their deaths never heading the prompting to believe in the Lord and be saved.  Even now, good people have so dedicated themselves to serving self or minor gods in a quest for happiness or a better life that they are choosing separation from God for eternity.  Can I help them through a kind gesture or word, perhaps a good argument for considering God?  God says so.  Can I save them if I sit in my immaturity, knowing the right thing to do but never doing it?  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  We need faith right now to share the Good news of Christ with everyone that we meet.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  So if perhaps you or those around you do not have faith then the only way they will acquire it is through hearing the Word of God.  Do not pity them standing their with the key to their jail cell in your fingers.  Learn the Word, Know the Word, Share the Word, that is the demonstration of your faith.  In Jesus’s Holy Name I pray for you this day.