September 6th - Mercy On Us All

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

There is a great difference between “renewing” our minds based on "God's mercy" and having our minds “brainwashed” by the opinions of a religious system. What institutional religions teach, Christianity included, is the opinion of their leaders.

Humanity is not to be "conformed" to religious or political doctrines in the world but be conformed to the mind of God. When we conform our mind to the MERCY of God, we can clearly see and understand what God "WILLS" for humanity, which is to save and reconcile every human to Himself whether they agree to be saved and reconciled or not.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,  for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…" (Lamentations 3:22)

"For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:32)

"...this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILLS all humanity to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

September 5th - Labor is Good

Labor Day remembers hard working men and women who make the world worth living in.

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense… make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.” (Proverbs 12:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:11)

"If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies…” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11)

Working people have a sense of self-worth. When our ancestors were without work, they planted gardens or hunted to feed their families. And when they had plenty, they were inclined to share with others who could not find a job but were willing.

September 4th - After Death Comes the Resurrection

“I have come as Light into the world...I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world..." (John 12:47)

From the mouth of Christ Jesus Himself comes the truth that He did not come to judge but to save the world. He also told the world that it is God's commandment to give eternal life. 

“...the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life...” (vs 49-50)

God intends to resurrect humanity from death and give them eternal life. 

When? 

John Chapter 12 is about death and resurrection. Jesus had showed the world His power to raise the dead when He resurrected His friend Lazarus. But the final proof would be the power of God to raise Jesus from His own death! So Jesus declares...

“Now judgment is upon this world (death); now the ruler of this world (death) will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth (resurrected), will draw ALL MEN to Myself.” (vs 31-32)

The enemy of humanity has always been death. Yet God will not only abolish death, but Jesus His Son will return to resurrect the dead and give humanity eternal life in a transformed body which cannot die! 

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

"...the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable…DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:52,55). 

This is good news and it is for ALL humanity, not just for a few. 

"For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

"This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior Who wills all humanity to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time. (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

"...it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers." (1 Timothy 4:10).

 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone." (Titus 2:11) 

This glorious salvation of all was kept a secret from humanity until revealed to the Apostle Paul...

"...this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this secret, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Ephesians 3:1-5)

"...the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory we are announcing, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we should be presenting every man mature in Christ Jesus." (Colossians 1:27-28)

Sadly, the gospel of the salvation of ALL is still a secret among institutional religions. Yet, our hope remains, to be resurrected from the dead by Jesus - and the Bible says He will do just that when He returns from heaven to earth!

"...we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20)

September 3rd - Love is Patient and Kind

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

My perception of God is that He meets humanity on the basis of love for His family. God deals with humanity by the Grace of a loving parent who sets forth an ideal standard to live by (His law), then allows us to test this standard within our own unique set of circumstances. All of us will one day agree that abiding by the standards set by God would have been best.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I grew up, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:11-13)

September 2nd - Be Commended for your Faith

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)

Who were those “commended for their faith"? The list is the hall of fame of the Bible…Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.

They were commended for their faith even though none of them received what God had promised during their lives. The same should be true of us all. We should learn what God has promised and have faith that He will do what He promises. And He has promised immortality to humanity after death.

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life..." (Romans 6:23)

“…as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man...buried in weakness and raised in power; buried a natural body but raised a spiritual body…The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-53)

Having faith in God’s promise will make a sinful person hopeful, and a self righteous person humble.

September 1st - I Will Build My Church

 “Jesus said to them, who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered; you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said to him…I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:15-18)

Christ is the rock and the church is His body. Hades is where the body and soul dwell when people die (the grave). 

“...the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body...” (Ephesians 1:17, 22-23)

You do not join or go to church. If you are a part of it, it is only because God has placed you into it…

“God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” (1 Corinthians 12:18)

Members of the church are present anywhere that there are humans who have accepted that Jesus died for our sins,  was entombed, and then God raised from the dead. 

King David wanted to construct a house of God and God sent the Prophet Nathan to tell him...

"...the Lord spoke His word to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Will you build a house for me to live in?...I have never said to the tribes, whom I commanded to take care of my people Israel, “Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?”...’I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so they can live in THEIR OWN HOMES." (2 Samuel 7:4-5, 6, 10)

Solomon built the Temple and it became a place for "solemn assemblies" and teaching the "precepts of men".

“I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies…what do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.” (Amos 5:21; Jeremiah 6:20)

"Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men." (Mark 7:5-8)

Members of the body of Christ do the things God requires...

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD REQUIRE of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

When members of the body of Christ help those in need, they do so without telling everyone about it...

"When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get." (Matthew 6:2)

What members do will be "manifested in front of the Dais of Christ". There each of us will be praised, or not, according to our acts, and the motives for those acts.

"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5)

"For all of us must be manifested in front of the Dais of Christ, that each should be requited for that which he puts into practice through the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

"And I perceived a Great White Throne, and Him Who is sitting upon it, from Whose face earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them." And I perceived the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And the scrolls were opened. And another scroll was opened which is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged by that which is written in the scrolls in accord with their acts." (Revelation 20:11-12)

The bad stuff will be burnt up - and I for one will be glad to see it go up in smoke.

"For other foundation can no one lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each one's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is." If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire." Are you not aware that you are a temple of God and the spirit of God is making its home in you? If anyone is corrupting the temple of God, God will be corrupting him, for the temple of God is holy, which you are." Let no one be deluding himself. If anyone among you is presuming to be wise in this eon, let him become stupid, that he may be becoming wise, for the wisdom of this world is stupidity with God." (1 Corinthians 3:11-19)

The  church is not a magnificent construction project - it resides inside each member of the body of Christ every day of the week.

August 31st - The Opinions of Men

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Books and commentaries written by Theologians, nor Pastor's sermons, nor  the views of those with YouTube channels or Blog sites are Scripture. Most may be very fine people, but as good as they may appear to be, their thoughts, nor mine, are “God-breathed”.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

"...having heard and believed the word of truth--the gospel of your salvation--you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit..." (Ephesians 1:13)

No matter how sincere and reasonable the product of religious thought, it is still just the opinion of men. So, I read the Word of God for myself.

“Come…take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)