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20 Jun

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Romans 6:10-11   For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul has been explaining of how sin entered the world through Adam in the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. He points to Adam as a type of Christ; using that example of imparted sin on all of man, to the imparted grace through Christ for all of man. Of how that grace is greater than that sin; for how it justified us to a holy God. 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. He continues to explain of how we are united with Christ into that death of sin, and of how the greater joy of being baptized into the newness of eternal life. We are to understand that we are to live our lives in that knowledge of being dead to sin, but alive in Christ.

This world we live in is drowning in the cesspool of sin. Idolatry & sexual immorality abound before us every day. Satan seeks to take our eyes off God and live for only the temporal pleasures he can provide. He wants us to live for the moment and never worry for eternity. What if we are captured in that moment of sin when our life clock stops? What if we fall back into that sin and run from God wanting to bank on Grace? Was our hearts ever really changed if we continue to live in sin? Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? I remember telling my parents for years that I wanted to have my fun for a time and then I would get right with God. Only by God’s am I able to be here today, to share a life full of sin, to a life full of forgiveness. I now seek to live my life to the best of my ability in showing others of His grace I was given.

I had a great talk with a customer yesterday, and the topic was about living your life as an example. Of how people are always watching you even when you don’t realize. I told her of how I believe many times our lives are the only Bible some ever read. All of the sin in my life; many great sins, are forgiven by that Grace I have been extended. All of my testimony can be used to reach someone that God has placed in my path with the same battles. I can through Him, show them the eternal forgiveness and escape from that snare that sin has on them. Live your life as an example of what Christ did for you. Live your life differently that those around you. Walk on the water through Christ;  don’t be dragged down into Satan’s cesspool.

 
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Posted by on June 20, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Wolves among us

30 May

Wolves among us

2 Timothy 4:1-5    I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

I believe we are living in these days that Paul speaks of; the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Those days have truly been around since the beginning of time, for we are a world born into sin and all the traps of it. We seek to find all the pleasures in life that come with religions that promise worldly pleasures and, eternal life. That we are all good people and deserve all the good in life. We must understand that we are sinners, and that we are eternally lost without the only One whom can save us, Jesus Christ. You are not a sinner because you sin, you sin because you are a sinner. Christ provides you the means to justify you before a Holy God for that sin debt that we all must answer for; He has justified, or paid your debt by His death.

Many of today’s false prophets are simply wolves in sheep’s clothing. Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” They come with promises of earthy blessings; of smoke and mirrors that tickle your fancy and get you to think you DESERVE all of it. They never preach of the truth of sin and hell, for that scares people and effects their pocketbooks. Anybody will listen to a sermon that makes them feel good, but who wants to hear a sermon that makes you squirm in your seat in the realization of your sin? There is power in that conviction, and in that power resides the Holy Spirit that is drawing you to eternal victory; not a temporal false pleasure for your short time here.

Something in me stirred this week with a new church I saw, Animation Church. I simply cannot get past the trouble I have with the name alone. Animation is make believe characters, a fantasy land of make believe where anything goes, including death and life. A world where there is no truth, but only what satisfies the current need. How boldly can they proclaim their heresy on the title of their building? “We will make it all up as we go, and make it all work out in the end.” These are the days that Paul speaks of. There is the need for you to draw near to God and the things of God every day in His Word and prayer. This will provide you the discernment that you need to not be devoured by one of these wolves that are among us today.

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Whoa….did I do that?

03 Mar

Whoa….did I do that?

1 John 1:8-10   If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

I was talking yesterday with someone and they shared how some people they know think they are not sinners. Before I even knew it I had spouted off a paraphrase of this scripture. I guess I don’t get it; how could anyone believe they do not sin? That would be a pride so lofty they would likely consider themselves heavenly; yet were captive of the demon below. Is that belief truly out there? Denial of God, denial of Christ, many other roads of religion; but is there a sect of humanity that elevates themselves to that level? Even when I was my farthest from God in a life steep in sin, I had that conviction; knowing I was doing wrong, but denying it’s impact.

When you begin to research this epistle of John, you read of the blends of religions that were steering people away from the Gospel of Christ. There were blended cultures that divided God; divided Christ life, and death. They did not believe that a holy God could create matter; they did not believe Christ truly died on the cross; they did not believe that Christ was fully God and fully man. John was an eyewitness to this and he testifies of it. 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. The apostle John and Christ did have a special relationship; John was the apostle whom Christ loved. John was always close to Christ in His most intimate moments.

There must come a point in your life you feel these sin convictions. These convictions should lead to Salvation, but the repentance does not stop there. We are still living lives as sinners, but we are living lives assured of our salvation in our faith in the power of the atoning sacrifice at the Cross. We should feel guilt immediately upon sin that steers us to confess that sin. Matthew Henry pens the repentant life so well: “The Christian life is a life of continued repentance, humiliation for and the mortification of sin, of continual faith in, thankfulness for, and love to the Redeemer, and hopeful joyfully expectation of a day of glorious redemption, in which the believer shall be fully and finally acquitted, and sin abolished forever.” YES! Come Lord Jesus and rescue us from this body of sin. Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

 
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Posted by on March 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Just between you two

28 Jan

I was spending time in Matthew 6 this morning, and came across where my bible has these two verses highlighted and a line drawn showing the similarities. I probably could have written a couple of pages pouring my heart out on these, especially Fasting. If you have never Fasted, I would encourage you to seek God’s wisdom regarding this topic. If you feel God leading you Fast, you cannot come out the other side of a prolonged Fast the same. It is a game changer in your relationship and walk as a Christian. You will have a new spiritual awareness that you have never had before, for just as Matthew says here “He will reward you openly.”

We are almost through our 30 days without the News. ‘Yay,’ and ‘oh well’ in the same refreshing breath. I hope that this month you have felt refreshed without all the mayhem, and I hope that God has used me to encourage you in some way. I will be continuing these short daily devotionals, and I am trying to decide on the best way to continue the distribution.  Many of you are my Facebook friends (Michael Anderson in Huntersville -friend me!), and I have also secured a domain name (Huge God story) at http://www.oneminuteministry.me  and of course this email structure also. We are told to use all the means given to us to share the Good News and the glory of Christ.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Anderson

Just between you two

Matthew 6:    6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Private, personal things, held in secret between you and God. The similarity in these two verses is astounding. Here they are speaking of the Holy God who’s omnipresence means God is everywhere, even you think you are alone. You cannot hide from God. But you can also rest in that assurance of when you approach God alone, He is always there. Matthew 6 is a very powerful chapter, and speaks much of how people do things to be seen and heard to gain the respect of men. God tells us that they get what they want, an earthly reward, but miss the heavenly treasure if it had been done in secret to honor God, and not themselves.

Private prayer is something every Christian should seek and do regularly. Fasting is a powerful means to consecrate yourself to honor God, by denying yourself the pleasures of delicacies, and replacing them with spiritual nourishment. Both of these in this context are God honoring private  time between just you two. It is not for your glory, but His. We all have someone close of whom we may share deep personal things, and that strengthens our relationship. How much more do you suppose, when you share secret things with God, that honor and glorify God?

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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