Are you saved? How do you know you are saved? "I know I am saved because I feel it in my heart," many often say. But are the feelings of your heart the proper standard to determine your salvation? We do not use this standard in other matters. No one says of his bank statement, "I know it is right because I feel it in my heart," while they ignore to properly add and subtract from their balance. No carpenter says, "I know the board is 10 feet long because I feel it in my heart" -- he checks the board with the proper standard, the measuring tape! But, when it comes to a matter far more important than bank balances and board lengths -- salvation -- many are willing to trust their eternal welfare to their feelings.
Can you trust the feelings of your heart to tell you whether or not you are saved? The Bible says "No!" "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool" (Prov. 28:26), for "the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jer. 10:23). "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov. 14:12). Feelings are subjective; they change from person to person and even within the same person. Truth is objective; it remains fixed and does not change, regardless of the person or the year.
The way you feel about salvation does not change God's truth concerning it, just as the way you feel about math, does not change the truth of it. Whether or not you are saved is an objective fact, not subject to the whims of how you feel from moment to moment. So how can they know they are saved? The Scripture says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5).
You do not have to rely upon your own faulty and deceptive feelings concerning your salvation. The Lord has given "the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation" (2 Tim. 3:15). The knowledge and confidence of salvation can only come from the objective standard of God's Word. God will judge you by His Word, not by how you feel. Jesus proclaimed, "The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). What is your salvation based upon? Many people feel in their heart they are saved because they have "simply believed" in Jesus. While salvation certainly requires faith in Jesus, faith alone does not and cannot save according to God's Word. James wrote, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (Jas. 2:24). Other people have prayed and "asked Jesus to come into their heart" and now they feel they are saved. But nowhere does the Bible teach one must simply pray to Jesus in order to be saved. God's Word teaches to be saved you must: hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17); believe Jesus is the Son of God (Mk. 16:16); repent of your sins (Acts 2:38); confess Jesus (Rom. 10:9; Acts 8:36-38). Those who obey God's Word do not have to guess whether or not they are saved based upon the feelings of their heart. They know they are saved because their salvation is based on the unchanging Truth of God's Word.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
A Personal Relationship with God
What is the most important thing to you in your life? Is it you spouse, children, job, friends, home life, social life or is it, as it should be, God?
There are a lot of things that are important in life, and should hold a priority in our lives. But we need to learn how to prioritize all the important things; so that which is the most important is the one thing we make sure is accomplished. For instance, it is important to rest and relax but how much more important is it that we don’t rest and relax when our boss is paying us to work. You would agree that performing you duties on the job hold priority to you resting and relaxing.
Equally, we need to prioritize our relationships in our everyday life, nurturing those that are the most important. We nurture the relationship we have with our significant other. If we have children, we meet their needs as best we can. We also spend time with friends and professional associates cultivating self and personal growth. And then of course, there is the personal relationship that we should have with God.
Many people do not have a relationship with God. And those of us that do, many of us place Him very low in the pecking order, as to what amount of priority He should have in our lives. Some people feel that God placed us here and then left, claiming we are to do the best we can while fending for ourselves.
Another group of people work very hard at trying to live their life for God. They speak about God in almost every sentence. They are involved in lots of activities. They are very busy doing what they believe is God's will. But what about having a personal and close relationship with God? You could have someone do work at your house and never have a relationship with them. The men that replaced the roof on the parsonage, they were here for a few weeks; they worked hard and did a great job. But they never developed a meaningful relationship with me; accept for getting my work done.
The question then is, for those of us who believe that God is present here and now in our daily lives, does God just want us to be busy at accomplishing His work, or, does He want to have a very close and personal relationship with each of us? I personally believe that the latter is true. It has becomes obvious to me that there is nothing in life that could be, or should be, of any greater importance than our personal relationship with God. Why? Simply put, “Because it affects every aspect of our lives.”
So, how does one go about developing and nurturing a relationship with our Heavenly Father? After all, He is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and I am just me. How do I engage in such a relationship? The same way you develop and nurture a relationship with anyone else. You begin by having a conversation. Talk, speak to God. So many people feel God is unapproachable, but He has made a way for us to approach Him. God gave us His Son, Jesus, so we can come into His presence. God made the first move, He said, “Hello here is my Son”. He is now waiting for a response. While many are waiting on God, He in fact is waiting on us. He is waiting for us to believe in what His Son accomplished for us. He is waiting for us to believe that He has made us accepted because we have believed in His Son. He is waiting for us to come to Him and have a close personal relationship with Him.
Open up your whole heart; tell Him all that is on your heart and mind. Thank Him for what He has done for you; ask Him for the things that you need. In short, make time to spend time with your heavenly Father. When two people engage in a relationship, they make time for each other and spend time with each other. But, it doesn't become a big deep relationship overnight. It takes time. But the more time you invest into developing the relationship, the more it will continue to grow. Develop a close personal relationship with God should be the most important thing in our lives.
Your Servant In Christ, Pastor Ray
There are a lot of things that are important in life, and should hold a priority in our lives. But we need to learn how to prioritize all the important things; so that which is the most important is the one thing we make sure is accomplished. For instance, it is important to rest and relax but how much more important is it that we don’t rest and relax when our boss is paying us to work. You would agree that performing you duties on the job hold priority to you resting and relaxing.
Equally, we need to prioritize our relationships in our everyday life, nurturing those that are the most important. We nurture the relationship we have with our significant other. If we have children, we meet their needs as best we can. We also spend time with friends and professional associates cultivating self and personal growth. And then of course, there is the personal relationship that we should have with God.
Many people do not have a relationship with God. And those of us that do, many of us place Him very low in the pecking order, as to what amount of priority He should have in our lives. Some people feel that God placed us here and then left, claiming we are to do the best we can while fending for ourselves.
Another group of people work very hard at trying to live their life for God. They speak about God in almost every sentence. They are involved in lots of activities. They are very busy doing what they believe is God's will. But what about having a personal and close relationship with God? You could have someone do work at your house and never have a relationship with them. The men that replaced the roof on the parsonage, they were here for a few weeks; they worked hard and did a great job. But they never developed a meaningful relationship with me; accept for getting my work done.
The question then is, for those of us who believe that God is present here and now in our daily lives, does God just want us to be busy at accomplishing His work, or, does He want to have a very close and personal relationship with each of us? I personally believe that the latter is true. It has becomes obvious to me that there is nothing in life that could be, or should be, of any greater importance than our personal relationship with God. Why? Simply put, “Because it affects every aspect of our lives.”
So, how does one go about developing and nurturing a relationship with our Heavenly Father? After all, He is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and I am just me. How do I engage in such a relationship? The same way you develop and nurture a relationship with anyone else. You begin by having a conversation. Talk, speak to God. So many people feel God is unapproachable, but He has made a way for us to approach Him. God gave us His Son, Jesus, so we can come into His presence. God made the first move, He said, “Hello here is my Son”. He is now waiting for a response. While many are waiting on God, He in fact is waiting on us. He is waiting for us to believe in what His Son accomplished for us. He is waiting for us to believe that He has made us accepted because we have believed in His Son. He is waiting for us to come to Him and have a close personal relationship with Him.
Open up your whole heart; tell Him all that is on your heart and mind. Thank Him for what He has done for you; ask Him for the things that you need. In short, make time to spend time with your heavenly Father. When two people engage in a relationship, they make time for each other and spend time with each other. But, it doesn't become a big deep relationship overnight. It takes time. But the more time you invest into developing the relationship, the more it will continue to grow. Develop a close personal relationship with God should be the most important thing in our lives.
Your Servant In Christ, Pastor Ray
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Do you have God's Attention?
Do you have God's Attention?
When God chooses someone to represent Him, it is not based on their looks, their eloquent speech, their possessions, their influence or their talents. All these things sound and are wonderful to have, but they are not requirements for a person to have, in order for God to use them. It is easy to yield to someone who looks attractive and speaks persuasively. This is known as someone who has "charm." It is a very attractive personality trait to have. King David's son Absalom has this quality and he used it to his advantage. The people of Israel fell under his influence and rebelled against David because of it.
When Samuel went to anoint the son of Jesse, as God instructed him to do, even he fell under the deception of choosing based on the outside appearance. As the sons of Jesse walked by Samuel, he thought, surely this one is to be anointed, as each walked by. But we read that God rejected them all. Instead God chose the most unlikely of all Jesse's son, the youngest. In fact, Jesse didn't even have this son show up for the feast; instead he was out tending to the sheep. Finally, when David came before Samuel, God spoke, this is my chosen. You see, it had nothing to do with David's gifting, appearance, stature, speech or any kind of influence. He caught God's attention based on one thing. But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
We have all heard the phrase David was a man after God's own heart. But do you know what that means? Many think it just means David loved God or he fought bravely against the Lord's enemies. This is not the true meaning. Throughout the Bible we can read about people whose heart was after God. We know this due to the lives they lived. They would rather live a life that was pleasing to God. This does not mean they were perfect people, but when confronted with their sin, rather than justify it, they repented.
When you have a heart after God, it shows through how you speak, what you listen to and what you look upon. People who do not have a heart after God will be careful how they behave depending on who they are around. If someone who is a leader like a pastor or teacher is nearby, they will be careful how they act. But as soon as they are out of their presence, their true nature shines through. They gossip, cuss and talk badly about others. They perk their ears up when they hear a bit of juicy gossip about another or a dirty joke. They are wide eyed when it comes to seeing sin on the TV, movies or real life. And when they do witness these things, it does not grieve their heart. Rather it feeds what is already there. We read in Isaiah 33:15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: This is a description of someone whose heart is after God. A person's heart who is after God will obey His word above all others. His heart will be steadfast on honoring God seeing others treated justly no matter their race, status or position in life. They rejoice over righteousness and shun immorality.
Have you ever wondered why God rejected Saul as king when he sinned against Him by offering the sacrifice rather than waiting for the appropriate time? And yet, David had an innocent man killed and committed adultery with another man's wife and yet, God did not remove him from being king? (Although David did later pay a high price for his sin, which resulted in his infant son dying as well as his eldest son being killed). After each was confronted for their sin, they both acknowledged their sin. What David did was deserving of death, but God took David's sin away and allowed him to live. The reason God did not reject David afterwards, as he did Saul, was because he committed a personal sin. Saul on the other hand misrepresented God to the people and yielded to man rather than honoring God's word. If this was not enough, he then attempted to justify his sin. God was not pleased and regretted placing Saul over his people. The roll of the king was to govern the people under the Lord's leadership. To represent God to the people and guide them to living justly. When the king failed to connect and obey God, they were rejected. To misrepresent God to others is a grave sin.
Even today, God is looking for men and women who are connected to Him. Those that have a heart to obey His word completely and represent Him faithfully to others. When God finds a person who is devoted to Him, that person, like David, will grab God's attention. He then will place that person in a strategic place for their generation because He knows that they will honor Him above all else.
When God chooses someone to represent Him, it is not based on their looks, their eloquent speech, their possessions, their influence or their talents. All these things sound and are wonderful to have, but they are not requirements for a person to have, in order for God to use them. It is easy to yield to someone who looks attractive and speaks persuasively. This is known as someone who has "charm." It is a very attractive personality trait to have. King David's son Absalom has this quality and he used it to his advantage. The people of Israel fell under his influence and rebelled against David because of it.
When Samuel went to anoint the son of Jesse, as God instructed him to do, even he fell under the deception of choosing based on the outside appearance. As the sons of Jesse walked by Samuel, he thought, surely this one is to be anointed, as each walked by. But we read that God rejected them all. Instead God chose the most unlikely of all Jesse's son, the youngest. In fact, Jesse didn't even have this son show up for the feast; instead he was out tending to the sheep. Finally, when David came before Samuel, God spoke, this is my chosen. You see, it had nothing to do with David's gifting, appearance, stature, speech or any kind of influence. He caught God's attention based on one thing. But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
We have all heard the phrase David was a man after God's own heart. But do you know what that means? Many think it just means David loved God or he fought bravely against the Lord's enemies. This is not the true meaning. Throughout the Bible we can read about people whose heart was after God. We know this due to the lives they lived. They would rather live a life that was pleasing to God. This does not mean they were perfect people, but when confronted with their sin, rather than justify it, they repented.
When you have a heart after God, it shows through how you speak, what you listen to and what you look upon. People who do not have a heart after God will be careful how they behave depending on who they are around. If someone who is a leader like a pastor or teacher is nearby, they will be careful how they act. But as soon as they are out of their presence, their true nature shines through. They gossip, cuss and talk badly about others. They perk their ears up when they hear a bit of juicy gossip about another or a dirty joke. They are wide eyed when it comes to seeing sin on the TV, movies or real life. And when they do witness these things, it does not grieve their heart. Rather it feeds what is already there. We read in Isaiah 33:15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: This is a description of someone whose heart is after God. A person's heart who is after God will obey His word above all others. His heart will be steadfast on honoring God seeing others treated justly no matter their race, status or position in life. They rejoice over righteousness and shun immorality.
Have you ever wondered why God rejected Saul as king when he sinned against Him by offering the sacrifice rather than waiting for the appropriate time? And yet, David had an innocent man killed and committed adultery with another man's wife and yet, God did not remove him from being king? (Although David did later pay a high price for his sin, which resulted in his infant son dying as well as his eldest son being killed). After each was confronted for their sin, they both acknowledged their sin. What David did was deserving of death, but God took David's sin away and allowed him to live. The reason God did not reject David afterwards, as he did Saul, was because he committed a personal sin. Saul on the other hand misrepresented God to the people and yielded to man rather than honoring God's word. If this was not enough, he then attempted to justify his sin. God was not pleased and regretted placing Saul over his people. The roll of the king was to govern the people under the Lord's leadership. To represent God to the people and guide them to living justly. When the king failed to connect and obey God, they were rejected. To misrepresent God to others is a grave sin.
Even today, God is looking for men and women who are connected to Him. Those that have a heart to obey His word completely and represent Him faithfully to others. When God finds a person who is devoted to Him, that person, like David, will grab God's attention. He then will place that person in a strategic place for their generation because He knows that they will honor Him above all else.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
When Good Men Do Nothing
“Darkness does not overtake light, but light overtakes darkness. And if there’s darkness spreading through the land. Guess what, it is not because somebody went out into the middle of Kansas and opened a box of darkness… If darkness is spreading across the land, guess what. It is because somebody is hiding the light.” (Del Tackett; Focus on the Family’s “The Truth Project”)
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).
When Christians fail to be the light of the world, darkness spreads. To be light, one must do good works; the Lord commands His people to do so (Luke 6:35; Eph. 2:10). Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).
As Edmund Burke said "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Good men must take action and let their light shine; darkness must be opposed. God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it. Christians are to not only to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11). Those who do nothing about the darkness, help the darkness to prevail. A person who sits idly by, when there are others around them in sin becomes a partner of their sin (Eph. 5:7).
Jesus warned “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt. 12:30). In the fight against darkness there is no middle ground, no fence sitting allowed. Those who are not actively and zealously fighting against darkness are assisting its spreading.
When a person’s light is hidden, it is of no use to anyone, not even to themselves. Many have the false belief, that being the “light of the world” is simply the absence of doing what those in darkness are doing. Not so! One is light not simply because they do no evil, but because they are actively shining their light into the darkness, by their good works. “He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Pet. 3:11). James explained, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17).
Those who stand on the sidelines of life and do nothing but watch the darkness spread, they cease being innocent bystanders and idle spectators. Their failure to act not only allows evil to triumph, but makes them just as guilty as those actively involved in promoting the darkness they refuse to reprove and rebuke. In God's words, “On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them” (Obadiah 11).
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7). Those who refuse to let their light shine into the darkness are sowing some dangerous seeds. They are doing nothing good as Jesus commanded them to do; they are helping the spread of the darkness by hiding their own light, and have become partners of the darkness they did nothing to stop. Do not allow the darkness to spread. Do not sit by and do nothing. Stand up and be counted, speak out against the darkness in this world. As Jesus said, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
“Darkness does not overtake light, but light overtakes darkness. And if there’s darkness spreading through the land. Guess what, it is not because somebody went out into the middle of Kansas and opened a box of darkness… If darkness is spreading across the land, guess what. It is because somebody is hiding the light.” (Del Tackett; Focus on the Family’s “The Truth Project”)
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).
When Christians fail to be the light of the world, darkness spreads. To be light, one must do good works; the Lord commands His people to do so (Luke 6:35; Eph. 2:10). Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).
As Edmund Burke said "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Good men must take action and let their light shine; darkness must be opposed. God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it. Christians are to not only to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11). Those who do nothing about the darkness, help the darkness to prevail. A person who sits idly by, when there are others around them in sin becomes a partner of their sin (Eph. 5:7).
Jesus warned “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt. 12:30). In the fight against darkness there is no middle ground, no fence sitting allowed. Those who are not actively and zealously fighting against darkness are assisting its spreading.
When a person’s light is hidden, it is of no use to anyone, not even to themselves. Many have the false belief, that being the “light of the world” is simply the absence of doing what those in darkness are doing. Not so! One is light not simply because they do no evil, but because they are actively shining their light into the darkness, by their good works. “He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Pet. 3:11). James explained, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17).
Those who stand on the sidelines of life and do nothing but watch the darkness spread, they cease being innocent bystanders and idle spectators. Their failure to act not only allows evil to triumph, but makes them just as guilty as those actively involved in promoting the darkness they refuse to reprove and rebuke. In God's words, “On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them” (Obadiah 11).
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7). Those who refuse to let their light shine into the darkness are sowing some dangerous seeds. They are doing nothing good as Jesus commanded them to do; they are helping the spread of the darkness by hiding their own light, and have become partners of the darkness they did nothing to stop. Do not allow the darkness to spread. Do not sit by and do nothing. Stand up and be counted, speak out against the darkness in this world. As Jesus said, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Serving God by serving others
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)
The greatest thing you can do in serving others is to give them hope. And the greatest hope of all is salvation through Christ Jesus, but how do we do that. How can we share our hope in Christ Jesus, with people who want nothing to do with the church; because of false assumptions, or they may have been hurt by people in the church. Well we can listen to Paul, and "serve one another in love." If you show people you care about them, by meeting their physical needs. You will gain their trust and the ability to speak to them about their spiritual needs. Jesus said Himself, that He did not come to be served, but to serve. So let us follow our Lord's example and serve our communities. One way the First Church of God of Westminster has been serving her community and gaining its trust is through Angelfood Ministries. This has allowed me the opportunity to speak to about 30 people in the past few weeks and a few hundred people in the past few months. And their are 15 or more other people from the church directly involved in AFM, can you see the potential of how many people we are getting a chance to share our hope in Christ Jesus with because we first gave them hope of being able to meet a physical need? Below is a paragraph taken from an Angelfood menu distributed by the Alpha Lions Den Ministries in Derry, PA.
With the condition of the US economy and with unemployment on the rise, the number of people who will be in need of a hand up is going to continue to rise also. The fields are ripe for the harvest and Angelfood is a great tool to reap it with. Let us serve God by serving others. for more information go to www.angelfoodministries.com
The greatest thing you can do in serving others is to give them hope. And the greatest hope of all is salvation through Christ Jesus, but how do we do that. How can we share our hope in Christ Jesus, with people who want nothing to do with the church; because of false assumptions, or they may have been hurt by people in the church. Well we can listen to Paul, and "serve one another in love." If you show people you care about them, by meeting their physical needs. You will gain their trust and the ability to speak to them about their spiritual needs. Jesus said Himself, that He did not come to be served, but to serve. So let us follow our Lord's example and serve our communities. One way the First Church of God of Westminster has been serving her community and gaining its trust is through Angelfood Ministries. This has allowed me the opportunity to speak to about 30 people in the past few weeks and a few hundred people in the past few months. And their are 15 or more other people from the church directly involved in AFM, can you see the potential of how many people we are getting a chance to share our hope in Christ Jesus with because we first gave them hope of being able to meet a physical need? Below is a paragraph taken from an Angelfood menu distributed by the Alpha Lions Den Ministries in Derry, PA.
HOPE
Where there’s hope there’s Angel Food Ministries
Hunger is a very real problem in this nation — each year over thirty five million Americans face life without adequate food. With today’s economic challenges, many ordinary families have fallen on hard times and just need a little help to make ends meet while they get back on their feet. That’s where Angel Food Ministries can make the difference. Angel Food is a nationwide program offering low cost food relief to anyone in need. If you or someone you know needs help —Angel Food Ministries is here for you. “Angel Food Ministries, the most effective, powerful, non-threatening evangelistic tool to ever hit the modern day church!”
With the condition of the US economy and with unemployment on the rise, the number of people who will be in need of a hand up is going to continue to rise also. The fields are ripe for the harvest and Angelfood is a great tool to reap it with. Let us serve God by serving others. for more information go to www.angelfoodministries.com
Your Fellow Servant In Christ, Pastor Ray
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