May 9th - "Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My!"

"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11).

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith does not save anyone from the consequence of sin, which is death. The mercy, love, and grace of God takes care of our salvation by our resurrection.

"God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us...vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved)..." (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Faith in His mercy, love, and grace delivers us from the fear of death and enables us to have peace and joy in the midst of difficult circumstances we have from time to time.  And of course, that kind of faith does "please God".

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:26)

When our salvation and transformation to immortality is complete we will have eternal abundant life.

"It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies." (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Don't fear "Lions and Tigers and Bears" Dorothy - Rejoice in God's "Mercy and Love and Grace - Oh My!

May 8th - The Knowledge of Salvation

Those who have "the KNOWLEDGE of salvation" are to share it with the rest of humanity. Salvation involves the remission of our sins through the tender MERCY of God.

"To give the knowledge of salvation to His people by the pardon of their sins, because of the merciful compassions of our God..." (Luke 1:77)

The mercy of God is shown in the shed blood of Christ Jesus for all humanity. 

"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all die; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

His death is the basis for the pardon of the sins of Israel, for making all humanity righteous (justification), and for saving all out of death.

"...the atoning sacrifice for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Romans 5:8-9)

The wrath of God toward humanity ends with the death of human beings. Humanity will not perish (stay dead), they will be saved out of death as a free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"For all sin and come short of the glory of God...The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

Again, those of us who have this "knowledge" should tell others about it. We are not to OFFER salvation, but declare the certainty of salvation through the finished work of Christ Jesus. We are to share the GOOD NEWS of the SUCCESSFUL, completed, and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ - the work of saving the world!

"...we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)

God does not need the help to save the world, but He does like for us to share our "knowledge of salvation" with the people who do not know about it!

May 7th - Craziness

The Apostle Paul, writing to his friend Timothy observed this about some people he knew...

"...he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is crazy over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy, quarrelling, revilings, ill-natured suspicions, and persistent wranglings...blinded to all knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 6:4-5)

This is what I see on TV over and over with regard to our political candidates. Most everything the network media says about them are based on suspicion. These "ill-natured suspicions" often has "blinded them to all knowledge of the truth".

All of us should consider whether our thoughts and opinions about others are based in truth or just "ill-natured suspicions"?

I learned years ago that I could get "crazy over discussions" that usually led to "quarreling" and I continue to fight that craziness from time to time.

The Apostle Paul went on the say to his friend Timothy...

"...godliness is gain, when associated with contentment..." (1 Timothy 6:6)

I rarely, if ever, change another persons mind by debating an issue so I have quit trying. It is enough for me to have "contentment" in what I believe to be true, sharing the basis for my views from time to time on social media as I await the return of Jesus who will settle all differences of opinion.

"...for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return." (2 Timothy 1:12)

May 6th - Addiction

All of us are addicted to something. And those who overcome an addiction are some of my heroes. My addiction was to the local church. It caused me to fall out of the grace of God and into religious bondage. Then, miraculously, I was set free by Christ Jesus. 

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:1-6)

Sometime after moving back to Sayre in 1977 I became addicted to the local church. I am not talking about my relationship with God or Jesus, or my place in the Body of Christ, or my love for the Bible. I am talking about organized, programmed involvement in the local institutional church. I got "high" on this ritual. I felt good and fulfilled only when I was participating in these church related activities. It was an addiction! 

Over twenty five years later God intervened - lovingly, graciously, and mercifully. I was at my computer, and in the search engine I typed the word "hell," and God began a five year process of delivering me from my addiction and setting me free from my addiction.  

I have been clean since that time and now seek to live every day in the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, and peace. I have a real appreciation for my loving and gracious heavenly Father, and for His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I grow in grace and knowledge of Them as I read and study the Bible. I am thankful for my addiction, for God knew it was necessary FOR ME to find Him and His plan for me and my family - and all others. Here is what I have learned about that plan in a a nutshell:

God is not mad at humanity. He loves us unconditionally. The Son of God became a man named Jesus. He came to die for the sins of the world and to demonstrate the love of God for His creation. Jesus died for our sin, was entombed, and then raised to life. Forty days later He was transformed back into His preexistent spiritual immortal body as He ascended back to His Father to be seated once again at His right hand. The Son of God will return soon, raise the body of Christ, and Jesus will reign over this earth for one thousand years. Thereafter, He will raise the rest of humanity, judge them, save them from the second death, and transformed them into His glorious immortal image. All humanity will then enter and see the New Heaven and New Earth, the Kingdom of God where we will never again be separated from Him. 

As I continue to study the Bible I discover the details of His incredible plan for the new creation.

"Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all." (1 Corinthians 15:28)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away... He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1, 5)

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

May 5th - The Truth

The truth is the truth whether we believe it or not. God will save humanity to of death and all will ne reconciled to God. Then all will know the Truth, and it will set them free from the bondage of religious doctrine. At that time...

"No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:11)

We will "know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)

That is GOOD NEWS!

May 4th - Paul's Peaching and Teaching

 "Him we preach, warning every human and teaching every human in all wisdom, that we may present every human perfect in Christ Jesus." (Colossians 1:28)

What was Paul "warning every human" about? And what was he teaching "every human in all wisdom"?

In verses 19-21 Paul had said this about Jesus:

"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:19-21)

Paul was teaching that God has reconciled "all things" to Himself through Christ Jesus. Paul was warning his listeners that it is immature (less than perfect) to teach or believe that Jesus would FAIL to do so.

May 3rd - Man's Dominion Will End

In the beginning...

"...God created humanity in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  (Genesis 1:27-28)

“Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:4-8)

Almost 6,000 years later, how is dominion in the hands of humanity working out?

Fortunately, God reserved for Himself dominion AFTER humanity’s dominion comes to an end. At that future time God will make humanity into a new creature, and they will live in a new heaven and a new earth.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humanity. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, the new has come into being." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

After humans have our shot at dominion we must give an account of the part we played, and there will be chastening associated with that accounting, BUT NO CONDEMNATION!

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)

"...when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may NOT be condemned with the world (cosmos)." (1 Corinthians 11:32)

We human beings should live in such a way that we will not be ashamed of our actions when the accounting comes.

"And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:28)

Human governments and religions have failed miserably in having dominion over this earth, and DEATH is the merciful and just result of that failure. However, God has told us that He will save humanity out of death in spite of its failure. He will not condemn any of us forever,  nor will He chasten any forever. He will make all of us into a new creation, the former failures will have passed away.

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive...The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:22,27)

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior wills ALL humanity to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth… there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 1:15, 2:3-7; 4:9-11)

Again, the governments and religions of humanity have and will continue to fail to save us - but God cannot fail so He will save us and make all things new when the age of mortal human dominion ends. 

It cannot come soon enough for me!

"He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” 

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20-21)