C.J. Sears's Blog, page 14

The LORD Will Provide

“Then He said, ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.’ Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, ‘It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.’” (Genesis 22:12-14)

Most Christians are familiar with the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. God instructed Abraham to offer his own child as a sacrifice. To many people, this seems cruel. And if it were not God who told Abraham to do this, I might agree. But what’s the real purpose behind this moment in time?

God never intended for Isaac to die. Not only would it have gone against His character, it would have made Him a liar. What did God tell Abraham?

“He took him outside and said, ‘Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘Your offspring will be that numerous.’ Abram [Abraham] believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5-6)

At this point in time, Abraham had no heirs. He and his wife were childless. A man named Eliezer of Damascus was destined to inherit all that belonged to Abraham. But this was not God’s plan. God chose Abraham, a man of faith, and formed a covenant with him. He revealed to this aging and childless man that his trueborn offspring would be as plentiful as the stars of the sky. And Abraham believed.

Imagine, then, what it must’ve been for Abraham to hear the Lord’s instruction to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. This child was the product of the promise of God to Abraham. If he perished, his only son by his wife, how could God’s word be true?

Nevertheless, Abraham trusted God. He took his son up the mountain and prepared to sacrifice him as he would a lamb. I can’t imagine the sorrowful state he must’ve been in or the power of his faith to persevere in spite of his fear. But Abraham’s belief was great and his faith was rewarded.

“Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn,’ this is the Lord’s declaration: ‘Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.” (Genesis 22:15-18)

So Abraham was blessed. So we are blessed. Why? Because we are all children of the new covenant. I’m not the most learned person. My explanation is not going to be heavily sourced and meticulously cross-referenced. But I think Scripture will speak for itself.

“As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, son Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon, son of Amminadab, son of Ram, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.” (Luke 3:23-38)

That’s a long and storied genealogy. Many of His human ancestors, such as Noah and David, have a significant part and purpose in history as recorded in the Word. But I want to draw attention to the bolded. By this genealogy (and the one in Matthew), we know that Jesus is among the offspring of Abraham. He is born of the covenant between God and his faithful follower.

This genealogy also parallels Jesus and Adam. Adam, our first human father, brought sin and death into the world by his rebellion. God created him directly, the first of the children of God. But the Lord’s true Son, His Only Begotten, came to earth to accomplish what humanity could not. He fulfilled the Scriptures as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16). By His blood, we are born anew in Christ, no longer held by sin through Adam and Eve’s mistake (Romans 3:24-25).

Ultimately, God is merciful, just, and a faithful Lord. He rewards His children with His grace, loving them as He does. So Abraham was right to name that mountain what he did. It is truth, utter biblical fact, that The Lord Will Provide.

Thanks and praise be to Him. And thank you for reading this post. I hope it’s been valuable and informative, perhaps even truly edifying. But I’m a mere man and my words are not Scripture. So please, dear reader, if you have not yet read the Word or looked into the hope and promise of eternal life with Christ, now is the time.

Believe, and it will be credited as righteousness.

A New Year: Old Goals

“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.’ And it was so.” (Genesis 1:14-15)

When God created the earth, he also created the expanse of the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars. He did this not only grant His creations light, but also to mark the passage of time. He did this not for Himself, for He exists outside of time, but for His living creatures to know the changing of days by their own minds.

The Scripture says that they will be utilized for signs and festivals. While not Biblically commanded, today marks the celebration of the calendar new year. Many folks threw overnight parties, watching the clocks tick down to zero. They also cared about a big ball dropping for some reason. Weird.

Now, I’m not going to go into the sinfulnes of carousing and getting drunk. Nor am I going to make some sweeping statement about the dangers of driving in the wee hours of the morning while drunk. That’s not what this post is about.

It’s common practice to make resolutions for the coming year. Everyone wants to do better. I’m no different. But the tendency is to overextend. How many will strive to cut out junk food? Which agendas will include quitting smoking? What about marriage and children?

All of these are admirable goals. A person might even be able to fulfill them. But for the most part, we fall short of our own expectations. We fail to stop drinking soda. We don’t excise life-threatening habits. We neglect to approach our romantic life with patience and care. We fail and make the same resolutions next year or drop them altogether.

But why not take smaller steps? Exercise more, but maybe not every day. Throw out half a pack of cigarettes and spread them throughout the day. Learn to be more caring, more empathetic to another person’s needs instead of jumping in headfirst in a relationship.

Your path is more malleable than a rigid set of instructions. When you fail, and you will, don’t write off the whole idea. Instead, make a change. Tweak the resolution. Once you’ve consistently met the new goal, then try for the more difficult prize!

In the same way, the struggle against sin has the same ups and downs. Those of us who are born-again are not immune to temptation. We can falter and succumb to pressure the same as anyone else. But thank God we have an Advocate and forgiveness in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-2).

We can do nothing on our own, but must produce by abiding in the true vine (John 15:4). Without Christ, we cannot hope to succeed. How gracious and merciful is He that when we believe on Him, our sins are forgiven and we have the hope and promise of eternal life, a place in the Father’s house (John 14:2).

So my resolutions for the new year are pretty basic: read and learn from the Word of God, follow in His steps, and grow in Christ. Everything else is secondary. Important as my other goals might be, they must flow naturally from this greater source. Thanks be to God.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Thanks for reading. Have a blessed day and a fruitful new year. Peace be to you.

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Don’t Fret: The Lord is in Control

“For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

Believers in Christ know that we are not merely flesh, but spirit as well. When we pass, there is a greater life, eternal with our Savior. So we must not mourn or be too fearful of what inevitably happens to our bodies. We should look to the heavens above for our union with Him.

Of course, this is difficult in practice. Most of us naturally fear our deaths. Death is the earthly consequence of sin (Romans 6:23). All must endure it, even believers. But how is it that we overcome these reservations?

Death is frightening. It’s a subject we tend to dance around, even in fiction, because we’d rather not discuss it. But God has not left that as a choice for me or you. Barring those alive in body at the second coming, all who believe will die at an appointed time.

God sets the areas, the times, and the boundaries of where and when we will live (Acts 17:26). Our Sovereign Lord is in control and He knows best where we will work and believe on Him. Who are we, then, to question the wages of sin? Who are we, then, to doubt His foresight?

I’ve certainly thought about my death a few times. Before He saved me, I’d even wished for it in my darkest moments. But now I am a new person with a renewed purpose to serve and honor Him. Death should not override my duty to Christ.

Faith is a great motivator. The best, I’d say. I’d be lying if I said I don’t still fear death. I do. How will it happen? I don’t know and that’s often scary itself. But faith in Jesus has quieted that fear. It no longer rings so loudly in my ear.

Yesterday, a car nearly spun into my mother and I. They’d tried to pass someone in front of them and made a potentially fatal mistake. We could’ve been injured or worse. But, strangely, I wasn’t all that scared. I should’ve been, but I wasn’t. I thank God for our safety and the knowledge that it wasn’t yet my time.

Incidents like that remind me not to worry. Death is scary, but it has power over only my earthly body. I have no control over the events that occurred. Death is not the end and I couldn’t stop it if I tried. God is ever watchful and He already knows where and when it will be. That gives me comfort.

Paul reminds the church in Corinth that our bodies are but shells. Persecution and all manner of violence will come upon us, but we have a greater goal in mind. Death is certain, but so is eternal life with Christ Jesus to all who would believe on Him (John 3:16).

So don’t fret over death or disease. Don’t be anxious about persecution and threats. Be faithful and be mindful of the Lord, knowing that your reward will be great in heaven.

Thanks and praise be to Him. And peace be to you who read the Word and believe.

Have a great weekend and a Happy New Year!

Body & Blood

“And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you.'” (Luke 22:19-20)

What we call Communion or the Lord’s Supper is a sacred rite of the Christian faith. We value this tradition because it serves as a vital reminder of the sacrifice of our precious Savior, the Lamb of God. While I can’t speak to the number of times or when it should be practiced, it is nevertheless a grand yet humble occasion in which to partake.

Some sections of the faith believe that something more mystical takes place. They call this the Eucharist. My personal feelings not withstanding, I and many other Christians do not find this position supported by the text. But regardless of this disagreement, the Scripture above highlights how the Lord has chosen to make atonement for our sins.

What do I mean? In the passage, Christ tells His followers that the bread is His body. He says that His body is given for them, the believers. He then adds that the wine is His blood, which He will offer for them. In Matthew 26:28, He explicitly states that His blood is shed for the forgiveness of sins.

This new covenant, signed and sealed by the body and blood of Jesus, represented by the bread and the wine, shows the power of the gospel. By the sacrifice of one man who is God, all who believe on Him are reconciled to their Creator. No longer are these people dead in their sins, but are reborn with a new spirit from God.

This past Sunday, I finally enjoyed the privilege of participation in the Lord’s Supper. I ate of His body and drank of His blood. I rejoiced in knowing that because of Him, I am no longer a sinner but a sinner saved by grace – a saint.

No, Communion does not save. But the blood of Jesus Christ, shed two thousand years ago, did and does indeed. He served as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and is the one true God of all creation. I’m glad and fortunate to be counted among the born-again, not because of my own worth or merit, but by His grace.

Thanks and praise be to Him for His ultimate and once-for-all sacrifice. I thank You, Father, for Your Son and Your love for us. You are truly loving and gracious, merciful in every respect. May Your name be declared and exalted the world over. May Your Spirit comfort and replenish Your peoples across the globe.

Thanks to everyone for reading. Sorry for the lateness and brevity, but I think there isn’t much more that needs to be said on this matter at this juncture. Hope you all had a good Christmas and peace be to you.

 

Evils of this World 99 Cent Anniversary Sale

It’s difficult to put into words how grateful I am to the Lord my God to have published two novels in the space of a year. Rather than celebrate this occasion with flowery prose, I’ve decided to offer readers a grand new deal!

For a limited time, The Shadow Over Lone Oak and its sequel The Smiling Man Conspiracy will be available digitally for a mere 99 cents. “That’s right,” he said in a cheesy infomercial voice, “only 99 cents!” Starting today, the 23rd of December, both ebooks have been discounted on Amazon. This offer ends December 30th.

“So what are you waiting for?” the salesman asked. “Get your digital copies of both books now!”

What a convincing advertisement. How can this Billy Mays of eBook sales refused? Such unbound charisma cannot be contained or ignored!

Okay. In all seriousness, I’d like to thank readers past, present, and future for looking into my work. I pray that these books have been entertaining, harrowing, and just a bit enlightening. If you enjoy a good B-movie plot with a hint of thoughtfulness and likeable protagonists, akin to the X-Files, then my novels should suit your needs.

Without further ado, if you’re interested, click the links below: 

Again, thank you for taking the time to peruse my work. But I can do nothing on my own. Thanks and praise be to the Lord my God for creating, saving, and sustaining me. May His name be exalted forever. Amen.

The Grand Everlasting Inheritance

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

When a person is born again, they have passed from death to life (John 5:24). They are, as Peter says in the Scripture, born into the hope and promise of eternal life. This salvation is a gift from God because of His great mercy. The grace He bestows is irresistible and unable to be thwarted by the might of man and the power of sin. This promise, Peter says, will not perish and we are being kept by His power through faith.

How great He is that although we are weak, He is strong. His perfect holiness is beyond what we could ever hope to accomplish of our own accord. This gift of His, that we who will believe on Him shall possess eternal life, is truly unequaled. Even more profound is it that those in Christ have been foreknown and predestined from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6).

At every turn, Christ’s love for His children, the elect of God, has been provided for His glory, to which our salvation testifies. Thanks be to the Lord that we are no longer bound to the misery of sin nature, but have been adopted by our loving Father (Romans 8:12-17). Glorious and victorious is Christ Jesus, whose precious blood redeemed us from our iniquity (1 Peter 1:18-19).

This grand inheritance, then, is nothing to scoff at. By the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Only Son, He has preserved for Himself a chosen people. They were and are not worthy by their own deeds, but by the imparted righteousness of Christ Jesus. Death no longer has its sting for the believer in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Let us not soil our new standing in God, but embrace the eternal gift and the knowledge of His imminent return. Be ever vigilant and thankful to Him who created us anew and saved us from our sin. He is a good God, the only God, our wondrous Hope from Above.

Be assured that He who started a good work in you will see it to fruition (Philippians 1:6). He who has granted His grace is just and merciful, ever faithful in sanctifying His children (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). The everlasting inheritance given to His children will forever show that He is loving and that those who shine with His love are His (1 John 4:7).

Know that as we soon celebrate His first coming, He does not delay His second (2 Peter 3:9).

Merry Christmas, have a great upcoming holiday weekend, and God bless.

Writer’s Block & the LORD

As a writer, my work is not an unceasing process. It comes in fits and starts. There are days when I’ll write from morning until evening. Other times I’ll write five hundred words and be unable to continue. Worse yet are the days where no writing occurs at all and I’m left feeling like I accomplished nothing of interest.

Writer’s block, which I’ve written about a few times in the past, is not an enemy that can be conquered in any true sense. It can be cast aside for a time, but I find that it creeps in unwanted back into the author’s life before he or she knows it. It’s a persistent threat and leaves one on the verge of disappointment and regret.

But it’s not inescapable. It’s a lurking menace, to be sure, but those who write will, I think, return to their craft in due time. We who pursue the art of creative communication are ever pressed to share our work and outlook with the world. I find that even in my laziest, most mind-blocked moments as an author, my eyes look forward to a future time when I will write again.

Because of who I am, I must strive to write. Writer’s block descends upon my path like a sluice gate, but the river of my passion for words seeps through the gaps. The waters may be halted for a time, yes. Yet I am never cut off from the ability to create, develop, and envision.

In the past year, I’ve been increasingly evangelistic with my posts. I hold to the ideal that we must share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, which is hopelessly lost and depraved without Him. Imagine my sorrow, then, when I am unable (or unwilling?) to write for the Lord my God. It grieves me when I cannot glorify Him by my words as I’ve been accustomed. Failure to honor Him with my writing is perhaps my greatest fear of disappointment.

But I’m mindful that this too will pass. Indeed, as I write this post, I feel a burden on my shoulders lifting. I can’t help thinking of the greatness of the Lord Jesus, that in my weakness His strength is made known:

“Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Sin, like writer’s block, is a perpetual machine, and one which afflicts the believer. The gears are always turning and the devil keeps the weaknesses of the flesh and the allure of the world ever in the mind. How great is the Lord our God that He promises us freedom from the rusted cogs of this machine?

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)

Christ fulfilled the law. None could keep it, for they walked in sinful flesh. But Christ’s righteousness has been passed onto His children, the believers in Him (John 1:12-13). We are no longer slaves to sin, but are free to worship Him in His glory.

“All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:14-15)

God says in His Scripture that we are not born again into a new slavery but that we have been adopted by our loving Heavenly Father. We have passed from death to life in Christ Jesus (John 5:24). Thanks and praise be to Him that we can rejoice in our salvation, knowing that He is a merciful and kind Lord!

So when I’m struggling with etching my words onto a page or nursing the injuries caused by sin (others and my own), I can take solace that He has proved for me the ultimate victory. I may stumble in my task, but it’s only a flesh wound. The Spirit is that great warrior of life, who changes the believer from day-to-day, ever onward sanctifying him before the Lord. He heals and He saves.

Writer’s block, like this flesh and this world, is only temporary. It is not and has never been permanent. It is an insidious parasite (though not truly comparable to sin, despite how I’ve been utilizing these metaphors) worming its way into my mind, yet the cure has been foretold and already the doctor is purging it from my system.

Authors: when in doubt, just write. It doesn’t have to be good or meaningful. It probably won’t be your best work. But the best remedy for writer’s block is striving to ignore its very hold on your person.

Believers: when suffering from sin and the afflictions of the flesh, know that the Lord your God is a Perfect Savior. He is not surprised by your actions, your thoughts, or your ailments. He cares and provides for you. As Paul says, His power is perfected in your weakness. Run to Him, that Great Shepherd, knowing that He loves you and will not lose a single sheep in the fields of ruin.

So I write. So I pray. Because these are the things I must do, not for my own glory, but His. The Lord is ever faithful to His children. How then can I do anything else but honor Him in the manner in which He has gifted me?

Thank you, Lord God Almighty. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). May we believe never forget Your Word and the hope and promise You have granted us. Though we are often faithless, You are faithful. Your will be done.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you’ve enjoyed and found the words within useful. And if you have not yet come to the Lord, please keep in mind that He always fulfills His promises, for He cannot lie. Who are you, then, to resist Him? I testify, and more importantly the Word testifies, that He is Good. He is God.

Blessed Are Those Who Believe

“As He was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘The womb that bore You and the one who nursed You are blessed!’ He said, ‘Even more, those who hear the word of God and keep it are blessed!’” (Luke 11:27-28)

We’re in the midst of the Christmas season. Around the world, Christians recall the scene of the nativity and the coming of Jesus, who is Christ (Messiah). They picture a blessed virgin giving birth to a babe, wrapping him in swaddling clothes, and placing him in a feeding trough. They may also envision wise men, shepherds, and animals gathered around the newborn Son of God.

It’s a beautiful image, preserved in the words of the Bible (although there is a fair amount of artistic license used in the modern era regarding the timing of these events) for all to read and understand. Many of us would agree that there’s a sort of spark in the air as December rolls on, a feeling of joy and happiness. Much of it comes from the selfish desire for presents (and indeed, I would be lying if I claimed I do not look forward to gifts), but the Word remains true and His advent is worth celebrating.

But I want to call attention to the verse I’ve shared above. Jesus has driven a demon out of a man who had been rendered mute. The multitudes, seeing this, accused Him of operating by the power of Beelzebub. After rebuking their claim, a woman in the crowd honors Jesus’s mother, Mary. Rather than reveling in the praise and adulation for Him and his earthly family, the Lord counters the woman’s claim by telling her that those who hear and keep His Word are more blessed than His own mother.

Now, let’s not take this verse out of proportion. Jesus harbors no ill will towards Mary. I’m sure that He loved her as He loves all His children. Indeed, the angel Gabriel tells Mary:

“Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

So Mary was honored and humbled. The angel tells her that she will bear the Son of the Most High. He says the Holy Spirit will come upon her and overshadow her (Luke 1:35). Elizabeth, her cousin, also compliments Mary, saying she is most blessed of women (Luke 1:42). Suffice to say, God looked highly upon Mary when He chose her to bear the fleshly incarnation of His Son, Jesus.

Why, then, does Jesus correct the woman in the crowd? Why does He tell her that the one who believes is more blessed than the woman that bore Him? Mary was, I’m sure, a righteous woman. I’m sure, had she been recorded in the days of the Old Testament, she would’ve been listed among those who did what was right in the Lord’s sight.

But Mary was a sinner as we are all sinners. Her righteousness came not from her own doing but from God, who blessed her as He blesses His children. Just as Jesus tells the woman that those who hear and believe are more blessed, so does Elizabeth tell Mary:

“She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!” (Luke 1:45)

To which Mary replies:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.” (Luke 1:46-50 HCSB)

Mary was rewarded for her faith, not her self-righteousness. She was blessed by God because she believed, not because she was good or better than any other sinner. Thus, Jesus’s words spoken to the woman in the crowd ring true: those who hear and keep His word are those most blessed by Him.

God knows His children. He knows who will believe. He loves His children, and He credits their faith with righteousness.

“Abram [Abraham] believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

It is Christ who makes us righteous by His grace through our faith in Him. God loved Mary as He loves His children. She loved Him as a child loves her Father, putting her faith and trust in Him.

Have faith in Him, children of God. Hear and keep His Word. As the Scripture says, those who believe, who have faith and listen with ears to hear, are credited with righteousness. Whose righteousness? Christ’s.

“God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)

As we move toward Christmas, the celebration of His first coming, let’s be mindful of the sacrifice He made for us. Be knowledgeable of His Word and believe on Him, for He is coming again, and those He has blessed by His grace will be saved.

Thanks and praise be to our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, who created us in His image and saved us from our sin. May we grow ever closer to Him, hoping and striving to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.

Thank you for reading. God bless and peace be to you.

Words Are Fruit

“A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray.” (Proverbs 25:11)

When someone we know is suffering, how do we react? Do we coddle them? Do we confront them? Do we claim that they must be in sin, else they would be healthy? Or do we, as the proverb says, hand them gold apples on a silver tray?

All of us have been at a point in our life where we’ve been submerged in the murky depths of the dark waters within us. Maybe we’re poor, on the brink of losing our homes, and can’t see a way out. Perhaps we’ve committed a crime against our neighbor and are unsure of what’s going to happen next. Or it might be that a loved one has passed away and no one has offered us comfort.

Whatever the case, the proverb is indeed true that a word spoken at the right time makes a fundamental difference to our joy and mood. I can’t tell you how many times a simple conversation with someone has brightened my day and moved me beyond my sorrow and anxieties. Even more profound is the impact the Word has on me, to bring me to rest and serenity in Christ Jesus.

This proverb, like all of Scripture, calls to mind our loving Savior and Creator. I daresay it would be impossible to separate this passage or any other from the Truth that is Jesus Christ. The Word says that all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). From where could Solomon’s wisdom have come from except from the mouth of the Lord Himself?

No man or angel can compare to the Lord our God as a wordsmith. Who can hope to understand Him if He does not reveal His Word to us? Scripture says:

“Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open My mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:34-35)

The Word is the written revelation of Jesus Christ. The whole of the Bible tells the story of Creation and God’s purpose for us from beginning to end. It is only by His Sovereign grace that we can hope to understand what is contained therein.

One can read the Word in its entirety yet not contemplate the vast depths of His knowledge and wisdom. I struggle to believe even the most ardent man of faith can say he has a totally firm grasp on God’s Word. Nevertheless, He has bestowed on us this gift of golden fruit and placed it upon a silver tray. Who are we to refuse this offer which has been given to us at the right time and place?

I’m gladdened each and every day that He saved me from myself, my ignorance, and my sin. I feel emboldened by Him to preach the Word in this manner, through text, because I believe exactly what Scripture says. As His Word reached out to me at the right time, so too can He use me to deliver His Word, that same book of Scripture, to plant the seed of knowledge in the minds of those who don’t yet believe.

“For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

The Lord is confident that His word never comes back to Him fruitless. Seeds beget plants, plants beget fruit, and fruit is harvested. Apples are, of course, a kind of fruit. And what is a word spoken at the right time, as the proverb says, if not a golden apple offered on a silver tray?

Thanks be to Him that His Word is Truth. Praise be to Him, for He is Holy, Just, and Merciful. May our Loving Savior Jesus Christ continue to plant the seed of wisdom where He wills, knowing it will always bear fruit fit for His harvest.

Have a great day. Thanks for reading and God bless you.

Parable of the Net: Believers & the Kingdom

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50)

Christ taught many parables to His followers and the crowds to which He preached. Many of them He did not explain because the people did not have ears to hear and listen. But in this instance of Scripture, He rather explicitly explains His parable to the disciples.

The net cast by the Lord will gather many people. But not all will be worthy. Many who call themselves Christian, or who believe in their own self-righteousness, will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The wicked, the rebellious, will be thrown into hell alongside the devil and his angels. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s the only outcome for the wrath of a just and holy God.

But who are these debauchers? Who is it that is unworthy of the kingdom of God? Why? What can a person do to be saved and not thrown into the fires of the furnace?

“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.” (Acts 16:31-34)

This jailer asked Paul and Silas a simple, yet profound question. So they instructed him and subsequently he was delivered to the Lord God as a new follower, a new creation. But what was it the separated him from his wickedness into the Lord’s favor? Was it baptism? No, it was not. The man and his family were baptized, yes, but it’s clear that the baptism itself did not save him. Rather, it marked he and his family as converts. So what saved him? Belief.

Belief is the difference between heaven and hell. Belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the difference between everlasting joy and eternal punishment. Knowing your need for Christ as your one and only Redeemer is fundamental to the Christian faith. You and me and the whole world over are sinners in need of His grace.

Without Him, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Donate to charity if you want. Give a homeless man a lift. Feed the hungry if you will. These are all good, commendable things, but they do not save you. You can do every good work imaginable and not enter the kingdom of heaven.

But, some will protest, doesn’t every Christian believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? The answer, sadly, is no, many are not true believers. How can they be among the lost and damned? If belief is mere intellectual assent (I believe Jesus exists and that He is the Son of God), then that’s a great step, but it’s not the belief He requires of us. Even the demons tremble and believe that there is one God (James 2:19)!

Let’s look at Acts 16:31 again. It says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” I’ve emphasized the second word for a reason. It’s not enough to simply believe in Jesus’s existence. You might as well believe in Santa Clause for all the good believing in a being’s real presence will do. No, as Paul says, we must believe on the Lord Jesus.

So what does that look like? It means knowing that you are a hapless sinner. It means recognizing the truth that God is holy, that He is just, and that He cannot abide evil. Because of this, if we are to be saved, we must believe that our only hope is in Christ Jesus, His Only Begotten Son. We do not merit or earn our salvation through human means, even admirable ones. Our salvation can only come entirely through His grace, which he bestows for assurance upon all the elect that they may be saved.

“In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. Now if by grace, then it is not by works: otherwise grace ceases to be grace.” (Romans 11:5-6)

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of the world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Some will say this is unfair. How can He be just and loving if not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven? Why are even the “good” punished if they do not believe? But I tell you, Scripture says that none are good and all have fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). We are corrupted beings and we cannot do good except by His grace. Even the works we do before salvation come only by the loving and patient hand of our Sovereign God.

He does not wish any to perish, but that all should come to Him in repentance of their sins (2 Peter 3:9). Truly, when I look at the things I have done in my life, I can only ever be grateful for His enduring love. I have, in my youth and nature, committed all manner of iniquity. To think that someone like me can indeed be saved and have a seat in the kingdom of heaven is beyond kindhearted of Him.

But that’s God. He is more than we can put into words. I daresay even these oft-quoted Scriptures below cannot adequately describe the vast depths of His love for me and all His children, but it is nevertheless the cornerstone of our belief:

“He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, he gave them to the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13)

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

Rather than write us all off and cast us into hell, He chose to sacrifice His own Son in our stead, so that many of us, the true believers, could be saved from the fires of hell and proclaim His glory. What we must do is believe on the One whom He sent and we will be saved. For if we do not:

“…anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

So then what choice do we have but to believe? Why refuse the call of the Lord? Can the Christian who truly believes even do such a thing to his Lord? Truthfully, I think he cannot, for I believe that whosoever is born again is predestined to inherit the kingdom of God. Indeed, Scripture says:

“Jesus answered [Nicodemus’s query], ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.’” (John 3:5)

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Rejoice that if you have believed on Him, you will be saved. Be glad, knowing that He has made you into a new creation fit for the kingdom of heaven. Take heart that He is merciful, loving, and kind, not prone to anger, but ever holy and full of grace.

Know that when He cast the net, He always knew He’d catch you. Thanks and praise be to Him, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit. May He prepare us to do the works of His kingdom in good faith, demonstrating to the world that He is ever the Sovereign Creator of all things and the Most High Almighty God.

Thank you for reading, God bless, and have a good week.