What kind of Vessel Are You?

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. II Timothy 2.20


Paul talked earlier about continuing your knowledge of God and that it would help you ignore heresies and cults that have risen up over time. Paul also talks about how in spite of cults that the foundation of Christ still stands. No matter how few true Christians there are in the world the foundation of God is sure. Now Paul moves to a more sensitive topic and asks what kind of Christian are you. He compares us to tableware.

So what kind of vessel are you? Are you the plastic tumbler that gets thrown around the house and the dog picks up and plays with and destroys? Are you the china cup that is adored and taken care of very carefully?

This is what Paul is talking about. What kind of Christian are you in God’s eyes. Are you a crapping one or a good one?

Do you dishonor God by what you do or do you honor Him? If you want to be used by God you have to throw off what is keeping you a disposable vessel. He wants to use you for His glory. He does not want you to be an idle Christian.

Think of it this way. You are a guest at someone’s house and they ask you if you would like something to drink? You say yes. Moments later they come out with your drink. Now how would you feel if they served you coffee in a beat up tumbler that burned your hands? You would feel a lot better if they served you coffee in a nice china cup with a saucer or a very nice coffee mug.


What type of vessel are you?

What is a Christian's foundation?

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”  2 Timothy 2.19.


In spite of cults, heresies, and Satan’s devices  God’s foundation stands and is solid. We do not have to worry about it because God is still on the throne. Nothing gets past him. All foundations crumble over time.  Just look at an old house whose foundation is starting to crack and break.  Unless this is fixed, there is no hope for the house or building. It will fall like a house of cards. This is not so with the foundation of God.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24.35. 

We have a guarantee. Our foundation will not crack, soften, or decay. Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

Jesus Christ is our foundation. He is the only begotten Son of God. Have you ever noticed that religions always attack Jesus’ Deity? They all do. The first thing they want to do is strip away the fact that Jesus Christ is born fully man and fully God. People do not want to accept this fact. They do not want to accept the fact that He has always been. They will willingly call him a prophet but not the Everlasting God.


1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:20
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,


The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. (Definition from wikipedia.com)


Jesus Christ is our reference point. Not sure if something is right or wrong. Would Jesus do it? Would you be embarrassed if Jesus showed up in the middle of your conversation? We need to live our lives though He is present with us physically because He already is spiritually.


This is why our belief is not a religion. True Christianity is NOT a religion. Religion is man’s way to God. Faith is God’s way to man. We live according to His foundation not some made up set of rules that someone else devised.

How to respond to Cultists at your door?

II Timothy 2.16
But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.


Most of us here in the United States have experienced this in one way or another. You are busy doing whatever and you get a knock on the door. You open the door and usually there stands two people dressed up to the max. They begin talking and you quickly gather that they are either Jehovah’s Witness or Mormons.  How should we respond?


In Paul’s days different cults/heresies were growing as quickly as the church. He gives us an insight in how we are to act.  Verse fifteen states we need to continue our education of God’s Word so we can grow in Him. How does this education help us? Let’s take a look.

The word shun is to avoid deliberately or keep away from. Learning God’s Word helps us know what a cult or a heresy is. Avoid or stay away from anything that contradicts the Word of God. Scripture interprets Scripture.

I Peter 1.20-21
knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,  for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Cult leaders are famous for twisting God’s words to deceive people. Satan did it with Adam and Eve.

Romans 16:17
 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

We are not to associate ourselves with those whose doctrine is different from the word. A number of reasons why but here are a few:

You probably won’t change their minds.
They could shake your faith.
They might shake someone else’s faith.
You may give into anger instead of responding in love.
You give them importance that they should not have.
Cultists will be encouraged that you talked to them and will continue in their religious zeal.

Remember the devil does not care how he throws you off as long as he does. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and let God be God and you be you. Does this mean we should not present the gospel to them if the Holy Spirit leads?

TITHING IS NOT OF GOD by Jackie Osinski (Guest Blogger)

We all know that “The Law” was nailed to the cross.  No matter how you look at it tithing (or the giving of 10% of your income) was part of the law and it therefore is an old testament principal.  Why do so many preachers teach that we are FREE from the law yet preach tithing?  It is because they can’t completely trust God or His people to rightly give to the church.  They operate out of fear – not faith, control – not trust, condemnation  - not freedom.

If pastors were to truly begin to teach that the tithe is Old Testament half the churches in America would shut down – not such a bad start considering that many don’t have a move of God there anyways.  Pastors will even go as far to tell you that if you don’t tithe you are under a curse. Not true!  How much should you give? What should be the guidelines?

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit would come He would guide us into all truth. Even giving? Yup.  So actually the tithe is the very antithesis of the New Testament principle of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you as to how much you should give.

When I pastored a church I taught that we are to be led of the Holy Spirit as to how much we are to give.  We never lacked for anything.  We had excess. We were able to open a Baby Shop where several times a week we gave away everything from diapers, medicine, formula, cribs, baby food, bottles and pacifiers.  It was a very small church and people came from everywhere amazed at what God was doing in our small fellowship.  Yes, the Word of God is very clear that you should give.  Giving keeps the lights on, pays the bills, keeps the church functioning.  It is important to give. But there are too many people who give out of guilt instead of a joyful heart.

The Word of God gives us a clear mandate about giving

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God gives a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7

There should be two aspects when you give – joyfulness and desire.  You should give a certain amount because the Holy Spirit is leading you, not because you are feeling pressured.  When you do this you feel joy in giving, not a burden.

When I began teaching this principle I had several people tell me that they felt freedom and joy in the Lord, not a burden to have to give a certain percentage. Over the years Michael and I have given anywhere from 2% to 60% of our income. No matter how you look at it the giving should not be based on a percentage but on a heart decision of obedience. We always pray about it and ask the Lord to show us how much we are to give. Sometimes there was nothing to give and I would clean the church. There were times the Lord told us that we were to fix a single mom’s car and not give to the church that month.

When Believers are giving as directed by God it will all work out – there will be no lack.

Even when giving is sacrificial when it is done according to what God tells you to do and not what a pastor has said – there is always joy in it – not fear, guilt or condemnation.

Thank you Jackie for be willing to guest blog on my site. Please check out her blog at:

http://jackieosinski.wordpress.com/category/church-2/

Continuing Education

“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

I remember memorizing this verse when I was young. I think every AWANA program or its equivalent has this verse to memorize. This verse is the Continuing Education Program for Christians. Diligence means constant effort to accomplish something. It also means to be attentive and persistent in what you are doing. This is what we miss. When we are saved, it is not over. It has just begun.

My wife was a nurse for fifteen years then she went back to school to be a Nurse Practitioner. Her occupational field demands she continue in her education. It is the same with teachers. We as Christians need to keep studying God’s word to learn more about Him. We should know more about God then we did a few years ago and so on and so on.

Jeremiah 9.24 states, “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight,” says Yahweh.

Our knowledge of God should increase. When it does not we are put to shame. We are not doing the one thing that is so easy. This is our primary occupation. We are all full time ministers for Christ. Some just get paid to do it. God should consume our every thought and action. Every year I used to get a review or evaluation at my job. It told me what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. If I did not do a good job, I would get embarrassed, as I should.

1 Peter 3.15 states, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone that asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

How can we tell others about Christ if we do not know His word? If you do not take, God seriously why should others? We need to continue our Christian education. We need to be workers for God. The reason we need to do both of these two is so we know God’s word. So we can use it for His glory. One of the saddest things I see all the time are Christians who do not know God’s word. They are clueless. They believe whatever traditional tells them instead of rightly dividing the word of truth. How many cults come out of the Bible? It is all because people do not study God’s word. We get lazy. Satan counts on that. He tries to get us so involved in whatever that we have no time for God. God wants us to continue our education of Him so we know Him and His word and can tell others about Him.

Remind Them (2 Timothy 2.14)

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.

“Remind them of these things.” Remind whom? Remind them of what? Paul tells Timothy to remind Christians. Remind Christians of the four statements in 2 Timothy 2.11-13.  Remind seems to indicate that we need to be told over and over again. We forget we ignore we get caught up in our own lives. We need to be told again. Remember our citizenship is in heaven. We are here for a greater purpose. When we forget that, we deny God a part of our lives and then we are denied part of God’s blessings. Remind each other what our purpose is here on this earth. We are a part of God’s redemptive plan and He wants us to spread His word. Every action we make should have God’s redemptive plan on our minds. One of Satan’s big tricks is to get us distracted. He wants us to do other things that are not necessarily bad but they distract us from the plan of God. If he can do that, he has accomplished his mission.

“not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.”

Paul tells us not to get involved in silly arguments. Sometimes you have to agree to disagree. Here is a good story for you. I grew up in a very strict Baptist church. They thought they were the only ones going to heaven. As I got older and moved away, I found myself not being able to find a Baptist church I liked. I tried a Christian church and they had many different beliefs than mine. I debated with some others I did not. I found that I did not change their mind and they did not change mine. I stopped debating and joined the church. I found out that Baptists were not the only ones going to heaven. I learned that yes, there are certain deal-breakers so to speak but there were none at this church. This taught me a powerful lesson in life.

There is no reason to argue with someone when you are not going to change his or her mind. God does not force himself on anyone. Let the Holy Spirit guide you when you are to speak for God. Make it faith and not religion. The only good that comes from two people arguing is ruin. It causes contempt, disdain and resentment. This ruins relationships and there will be no advancement of the gospel. Remember let the message offend not the messenger.

Did God force Pontius Pilate to Kill Jesus?

Earlier this week I was asked if God was actively involved in fulfilling his prophecies or was it just a matter of foreknowledge?

I thought this was an excellent topic to discuss so I decided to dive right into the subject. This subject crosses several theological debates so trying to answer it in a blog section will be difficult. I will give my opinion and present Scripture with it. I am not very dogmatic on these issues but I will present what I believe. I will give a brief answer in what I believe.

The problem verse presented to me is as follows:

Acts 4:27-28 (NASB): Herod & Pilate, along with the Gentiles & the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your purpose predestined

This verse read at face value presents a problem. It appears that God forced people into doing evil. Is this true? Is God the author of evil? So we need to do a little research of the Bible to build a case. If God causes evil then we have a whole bunch of problems in which to deal with.

Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

We can never obtain to God's standard that's why we need a Savior. We have fallen short of God’s standard.

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The hardest thing to say is I'm sorry I was wrong. We are all sinners.  Sin is doing what God does not want you to do or not doing what God wants you to do.


Pilate had a choice. He did not have to let Christ be crucified. He could have said no. Would that have been the easy decision? Of course it would not. Would there have been consequences to Pilate had he said no? You betcha.

Colossians 2:15
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.


You see Satan does not know the mind of God. He did not know that Christ would die and rise again. He was at work trying to get Christ crucified. Satan is the author of evil not God. Did God withdraw some grace from Pilate that day? Perhaps! We don’t know. But we do know that God is not the author of evil.

See God knew that we would sin against Him. He is outside of time. He knows the end from the beginning. We chose to do wrong. He knew we would that’s why he predetermined to put into place a plan for our salvation. There is no sin in God. All of us would have buckled in Pilates’ shoes and had Christ crucified. Pilate was more interested in his political gain then doing what was right.

How many of us everyday do something against God’s will to try and further our own careers or finances or whatever?

God is Faithful (2 Timothy 2.13)

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

This is the fourth part of the four difficult or trustworthy statements. This is the verse that to me makes the other three not so difficult. What can we say about this verse other than to praise our God?  If we are faithless He is faithful. That if is really a since. Since we are faithless He is faithful. 

None of us are perfect we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23). We are all faithless at some point in our Christian walk. We have doubts.

He remains faithful.  In spite of our sins, doubts, and willful disobedience God is faithful. This is not a license to sin but it is an assurance that God is not fickle like we can be. We get resentful, hold a grudge and get vindictive towards others that wrong us. He remains faithful though. He does not hold a grudge against us or get resentful or vindictive. God loves the unlovable.

You can trust God because He loves you or you can trust him because He cannot lie. He cannot deny Himself. There has never been a time in my life that God has let me down. I may have thought He did but He did not.  

Hindsight is always 20/20. We look in the past and see that God was there all the time. He had a better plan for us they we did for ourselves. He is faithful to us because He cannot deny His own name.  He promised those who believe in Him that He would be there for them. He cannot lie.

How does this make you feel?

Does it make you want to serve Him more?

We have an awesome God.

Denying Christ (2 Timothy 2.12b)

“If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

This is part three of four of the difficult sayings or trustworthy sayings. This is also probably the hardest one to take at first glance. What does this verse mean? Will God deny us if we deny Him? I am sure all of us have denied Him at one time or another in our lives. Did we all lose our salvation? Are we all without hope? Did Christ die for nothing?

As a child I used to have horrible thoughts of what this verse meant. This verse disturbed me greatly. This is how I used to think about this verse. I was standing at the judgment seat of Christ and after my judgment Christ would say I never knew you. Then just before I was about to be kicked out of heaven the Book of Life was read and I was found in it. True story this how I used to think verses like this meant.

Fortunately for all of us that is not what this verse means.  This is a here and now statement. This deals with progressive sanctification. Progressive sanctification is the ups and downs of walking in your faith. Three steps forward two steps back.

When we deny God a part of our lives we deny ourselves His blessings. This is what this verse means. God denies us a blessing that we would have if only we had not denied Him. It is so important to learn this. This verse has nothing to do with salvation. It has to do with our Christian walk.

Think of it this way. Denying God a part of our lives is like having dial up internet. We still have a connection but it could be way better. Allowing God fully into our lives is like having DSL or cable internet. We just cruise along at high speed with a full connection.

What part of your life are you denying God? Is there a corner or closet that is off limits to Him?

Enduring for Christ

“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”

This is part two of the four trustworthy sayings or I would call four difficult sayings. The first part of this verse is “if we endure.” Now at first glance that seems to be an English if then statement.  It also appears that our salvation is conditional. It appears that God’s love and salvation are conditional. We know from Scripture that is not the case. So what does this tiny little two letter English word mean in this passage.  It is important to figure this out. Many bad doctrines, cults, and heresies   come from not correctly interpreting the Bible.  Scripture interprets Scripture.

We know we did in fact die with Christ the moment we asked Him to save us. We know in fact that we live with Him currently and we will in the next life.  So these four difficult sayings seem to be facts. So you could look at this verse like this: since we endure, we shall also reign with Him.  Endurance is part of the Christian life. We all have to endure.  Jesus said take up your cross and follow Me.

How are some of the ways Christians endure? Believe it or not we endure every day. We tolerate Satan’s onslaught against us. We tolerate our own sin nature pushing us to do wrong.  Yes we still sin yes we fail. The difference now is there is an eternal struggle.  We follow the difficult path.  If you try to live for Christ you are going to be given a hard time.  You will struggle. Satan and his forces will come after you.

The positive side of this verse it the “we shall reign with Him.” The first part of the verse describes what happens to us now while we are on earth. The second part describes what will happen when we get to heaven.  One day all those who are in Christ will rule with Him. During the millennium we will be rulers with Christ. We will help in watching over His kingdom.  What a great God we have. For our mortal struggle we get eternal rewards.


How are you enduring today? Are you living for Christ? Are you trying to do His will?

Living with Christ

“we shall live with Him.”

The first part of this verse talks about is death with Christ. Romans chapter six gives a fuller description of this process if you want to read it. The second part of this verse states the opposite. When we die with Christ we live with Him. That is the process. What does this mean?

Accepting Christ as your savior gives you spiritual life. Spiritual life gives you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came into your heart the moment you were saved. Spiritual life means you no longer have to worry about dying physically. You know where you are going after your physical body passes away. Spiritual life also means that one day your physical corrupted body will be reunited with your soul and changed to an uncorrupted body.

Spiritual life means living with Christ eternally. Forever and ever you will live with Christ. If you read Romans chapter one you will read that humans have a God shaped hole in them. Humans need God. This is part of being made in God’s Image. Now they may find other ways to fill that hole and cloud God out but there is still that internal yearning for God.

The real tragedy with not accepting Christ as your Savior is that you will be eternally separated from God. Right now the unsaved still enjoy some of the benefits of the presence of God. In the afterlife the unsaved will no longer have those. How sad it will be to be eternally separated from what you were created for. This is not what God wants but it is your choice.

Below is an old hymn written by T. O. Chisholm I thought was appropriate for this:

1.      Living for Jesus a life that is true;

        striving to please him in all that I do,

        yielding allegiance, gladhearted and free,

        this is the pathway of blessing for me.

Refrain:

        O Jesus, Lord and Savior,

        I give myself to thee;

        for thou, in thy atonement,

        didst give thyself for me;

        I own no other master,

        my heart shall be thy throne,

        My life I give, henceforth to live,

        O Christ for thee alone.

2.      Living for Jesus who died in my place,

        bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace,

        such love constrains me to answer his call,

        follow his leading and give him my all.

        (Refrain)

3.      Living for Jesus wherever I am,

        doing each duty in his holy hame,

        willing to suffer affliction or loss,

        deeming each trial a part of my cross.

        (Refrain)

4.      Living for Jesus through earth's little while,

        my dearest treasure, the light of his smile,

        seeking the lost ones he died to redeem,

        bringing the weary to find rest in him.

Dying with Christ 2 Timothy 2.11

“For if we died with Him, we shall live with Him.”

This verse eleven of chapter two contains four faithful sayings as the passage says or you could say four trustworthy statements. This verse explains what will happen when you come to Christ and decide to be real Christian. This first part describes what happens to you spiritually the moment you come to know Christ. This is not an allegory.

You died the moment you accept Christ. You became dead to sin. Sin’s power no longer has an eternal bearing on you. Jesus paid for your sins so you did not have to pay for them yourself. When God the Father looks at us He sees us through Christ’s blood. We were once dead in our sins but through Christ we are dead to sin.

A big fancy word for that is positional sanctification. It means that no matter what you do your place is still held by God. Does that mean we have a license to sin? Of course not! When we sin God will punish us. He will convict us of sin. If we continue in sin the consequences will become greater. Hebrews 12.6 says that whom the Lord loves he chastens.

If you truly believed one way to prove it is to live in sin and see God come after you. This would be called progressive sanctification. It means like a roller coaster ride your Christian walk will have ups and downs. It will not be the sweet by and by as they say. If you live in sin and God is not punishing you perhaps you need to reconsider your salvation. God does not want us to be a slave to sin. No matter how much sin may appear to be freedom it is not.

We are created in His image. There is a part of every person that longs to follow God’s ways. We are built that way. The sad part is we are so taken over by our sin nature we reject the things of God. We become like a petulant child where nothing is good enough.

The Father does not want us to live this way. He loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us.  

Suffering for the Cause of Christ (2 Timothy 2.9)

for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

I was sixteen at the time I met the youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church. He was a man of passion, and a 

man of God. He was young, energetic and had a heart for ministry. His preaching was full of conviction. He 

was a youth minister at a successful church. It was a stalwart in the community for almost forty years at that 

point. It was a comfortable church. The youth pastor challenged that. He got to preach to the congregation 

many times due to the health of the senior minister. The Lord used his preaching to get many right. I remember 

many going forward at the altar calls. He was fired a year later by the deacon board.

Fast forward some fifteen to twenty years in a different state. I met another youth minster. He was a different 

man than the other. He was not a great preacher or teacher. He was a great minister. The youth group 

exploded with life. Many were coming to Christ. Many were trying to live a better Christian life. The church 

became a light to the neighborhood. From kindergarten on up was solid. There were plenty of workers to 

do the work. Church had become a celebration. A couple years later he was forced to resign.

Those who live truly for Christ are those who rock the boat. They challenge the status quo. They are going 

against the grain of the world’s system. See right now the devil runs the world’s system. He runs most 

churches. Those who live for Christ are considered troublemakers. These two men I mentioned were deemed troublemakers.

How do we suffer as evildoers today?

Does your faith cost you something?

Consider What I Say: 2 Timothy 2.7

Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

           

            Two years ago I had the swine flu. I was stuck in bed for the better part of two weeks. I could barely move. Getting out of bed and going to the bathroom was a major deal. I was miserable. I could not breathe well. I could not eat or sleep. God had me right where He wanted me. See I had allowed anger and pride to enter my life. It was blocking my relationship with God. Those two weeks I had nothing but time to lay and bed and think. What does God want me to do? Am I being a faithful Christian? Do I care what God thinks?

There is an old song that says “I live my life like there’s no tomorrow.” It is a fun song but unfortunately, it describes what so many of us fall into everyday. We do not think about the long term consequences of our actions. Many of teenagers who engage in sex and drugs do not think about the long term consequences. People who drink and drive do not think about the consequences. When people speed while driving, they do not think of the possible consequences. The list goes on and on. What we do in this world has long-term ramifications.

The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy to think about what he is saying. Think about the long term consequences of being a faithful Christian. To say some words someone else tells you to say and going to church once or twice a week is easy. Being a faithful, Christian takes dedication. A faithful Christian is a twenty-four hour a day three hundred sixty five days a year job. Paul is telling Timothy to think about it. Reflect and put some thought into it.  Make sure this is what you want to do. Reflection is an important part of life. If you do not reflect on life there is no possible improvement.

Today reflect on your spiritual life. Are you doing what God wants you to do? Are you living for Him? Have you brought everything to Him in prayer? Are you holding back from God? When we consider what God wants us to do, He will give us understanding. 

Part 3: I am a Christian what do I do? (2 Timothy 2.5-6)

And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.

1. Be honest.

I was eight years old. The Pittsburgh Steelers played the Denver Broncos to a 35-35 tie. I thought it was great. I was a football fan from that point. Terry Bradshaw was my hero. Football and baseball were my two favorite sports. I grew up a big sports fan. Sports became a big part of my life. Through the years I noticed a disturbing trend in sports.  More and more athletes were doing anything to succeed. More and more leagues were doing anything to sell tickets.

The great thing about accepting Christ as your Savior is that the rules never change. We don’t have to do anything unethical. We just have to be honest. We need to compete for God according to His rules. We don’t have to come up with gimmicks to get others to come to Christ. We just need to stick to the message. It’s the same as it always has been. Grace through faith. Honesty and integrity are important aspects of the Christian life. The reason the world doesn’t notice a difference is that we do not live lives that are honest. We talk about following a certain code but we really don’t. We just end up being hypocrites. Saying one thing and doing another. The most honest thing we can do in our lives is ask God are we honest with You? Do we love Him? Do we live for Him? Do we tell others about Him?

2. Be hard working.

I live around forty miles southwest of Columbus, Ohio in a rural area. Drive south on US-62 and you will find my town. You will drive down a two lane road the whole way. Corn and bean fields litter the landscape along the way. Every spring I notice farmers plowing, and planting. Every fall they harvest. Sure as the sun and the moon exist this happens every year. If the farmers neglected one of these activities they would have no produce.

We as Christians are to be hard working as farmers. Christianity is not some designation we fill out on some paperwork. It is real life. We don’t stop being a Christian at conversion we work harder. Some just want to do enough to get to heaven. That is really sad. Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead for us. We should be willing to return the favor but many of us are content to just do the bare minimum. I had a friend once said that no matter what he did his wife would always love him. His attitude was what is the least I can do for you? Many times this is how we are in our spiritual lives. God what is the least I can do for you today? It should be what can I do for you today?

God the Son (Jesus Christ)

God the Son. (Jesus Christ)

• We have redemption and the forgiveness of sins through God the Son. Col. 1. 14
• God the Son is Superior in Creation Col. 1.15-18
• God the Son is the image of the invisible God. Col. 1.15
• God the Son is the firstborn of all creation. Col. 1. 15 
• Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe. Col.1.15
• The Universe was created for God the Son. Col. 1.15
• God the Son existed before anything was created. Col. 1.17
• God the Son holds the universe together. Col. 1. 17
• God the Son is the head of the body of the church. Col. 1.18
• God the Son is to have first place in everything. Col. 1.18
• God the Son will stand upon the earth one day. Job 19.25
• I believe when Yahweh of hosts is used in the Old Testament it is referring to the pre incarnate Christ. (Isaiah 8.13-14
• Jesus Christ is fully God. (Colossians 1.19)
• God the Father sent God the Son to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. (Col. 1.20)
• Jesus Christ has made us holy and blameless in His sight. (Colossians 1.22)
• Jesus Christ has given us freedom.  (Colossians 2.4-3.1)
• We know that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. (Col. 2.9)
• We are complete in Jesus Christ. (Col. 2.10)
• We have been spiritually circumcised by Christ. (Col. 2.12)
• We have been spiritual buried with Christ through a spiritual baptism. (Col. 2.12)
• We have been spiritual raised from the dead through faith in Christ. (Col. 2.12
• )God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead. (Col. 2.12)
• We have been forgiven of all our sins by Jesus Christ. (Col. 2.13)
• We have had all of our sins nailed to the cross by Jesus Christ. (Col. 2.14)

Seeing Jesus for who He Really Is (Isaiah 6.1-5)

In today’s world life rarely appears as it really is. Everyone wears a mask hoping to only show what they want people to see. We hide so many items in our lives. We even put on blinders to only see what we want to see. Then we have our own special glasses that filter everything so it fits to our own presuppositions. Christians are not the only ones who do this. Everyone does. Everything has its own spin just watch two different news shows or read two different newspapers. We have so many barriers no wonder so many don’t come to Christ. Suddenly though everything gets stripped away. You see Jesus for who He really is. Next you must decide what to do with Jesus who is called the Christ. Isaiah had a different experience then us but one that gave him a landmark occasion.



In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. (Verse 1)

This verse establishes the when of the story. King Uzziah died somewhere around 740 BC. Isaiah was in the beginning of his ministry that expanded some sixty years. The winds of change were blowing at this time, as Assyria was becoming the superpower nation. The Assyrians were cruel and vindictive.  Isaiah was a part of the Kingdom of Judah and the apocalypse was near for this tiny nation. Isaiah was given a glimpse of seeing the one true God Yahweh in all his glory.

Above it stood seraphim, each one had six wings: with two, he covered his face, with two, he covered his feet, and with two, he flew. (v2)

The seraphim are angels who are in the presence of Almighty God constantly. I find it interesting that they need two wings to cover their faces. I think we as humans forget how holy God is. We can tend to be quite irreverent at times. Angels are sinless beings yet they need to cover their faces from the holiness of God.

And one cried to another and said: “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
      The whole earth is full of His glory!”  (v3)


I am not much of a numbers guy. Some commentators say that because they said holy three times it is the number of completeness. I tend to look at it as a sign of the Trinity. God is One yet Three. It is probably both the latter showing how holy God is and the former indicating the Trinity. Holy means set apart. God is set apart from us. He knows no sin. He is NOT the author of sin. His ways are higher than our ways. This is why you cannot earn your way to heaven.

“The whole earth is full of His glory.” Many times, I take my wife to work to the town just south of us. It is a two-lane road with corn and bean fields on both sides. There are plenty of trees and hills and curves on the way. I love that drive. That is just one small example of the earth being full of His glory.


And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. (v4)


As earthly creatures separated from God, we do not grasp His holiness. Isaiah got a full picture here. He got an earthquake and a fire out of the deal. In the gospels when Jesus casts out the demons you notice they tremble and fear. I find it funny and it makes me angry how television always glorifies demons. They are evil and scary and they fear nothing. That is not how it really is. They fear God and tremble at Him.

So I said:
“ Woe is me, for I am undone!
   Because I am a man of unclean lips,
   And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
   For my eyes have seen the King,
   Yahweh of hosts.” (v5)

Isaiah saw all of this and was blown away. His life was forever changed. Now Isaiah believed before this point but this was a landmark occasion. I was saved at eight years old and baptized the same year. I had gone to church all my life. I grew up in Christian schools and went to Bible College. I was the pastor of two different churches. I say all that to make this point. It was two years ago I had the swine flu. It was the most miserable thing of my life. I was changed then. I decided that Jesus was not going to be something that I just believed in but he was going to consume every part of my life. I wanted him to have it all. God had my undivided attention at the time. My eyes had seen the King. Would I continue to live my life only giving God bits and pieces or would I surrender to him my hopes, dreams, and everything?


When your eyes see the King, it will demand a decision. Will you follow Him or not? Later in the passage, the Lord asks who will go for him to tell the people. Isaiah says here am I send me. Will that be your response today?

http://youtu.be/pIP2hHAQh44

My Beliefs About God the Father

•         God the Father is the author of everything perfect and good. James 1.17
• God the Father is the Father to all humankind. Ephesians 4.6
• God the Father is distinct from the Son and the Spirit.  Eph 4.6
• God the Father  is the spiritual Father to all those who believe in His Son.  2 Cor 6.18 Rom 8.15
• God the Father saves all who come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.  John 1.12
• God the Father loves us. He sent God the Son to die for us.  Jn 3.16
•         God the Father is Spirit. He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.  John 4.24
• God the Father has never been seen by man.  John 1.18
• We should give thanks to God the Father. Col. 1.12
• God the Father has made us eligible for an inheritance. Col. 1.13 
• God the Father has delivered us from the power of darkness. Col. 1.13
• God the Father has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son. Col. 1.13
• God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead. (Col. 2.12)

My Beliefs About God

• I believe in God. 
• I believe in one God and His Hebrew name is Yahweh.  Deut 6.4 Isaiah 44.6
• There is no other God in existence except Yahweh. Isaiah 45.5-7
• Yahweh is one in nature, characteristics, power and glory John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:4–6 
• I believe God is eternal, all powerful, all knowing, and all present.
• I believe God exists in three persons.
• I believe the three persons of the Godhead are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• I believe the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is one God.
• I believe each person of the Godhead is equal in essence but different in function.
• I believe sometimes God allows Satan to attack His servants. (Job 1.21-22)
• I believe we are to have reverence for God and fear Him. (Isaiah 8.13)
• God does not delight in religion. (Isaiah 1.-14)
• (Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:4–6). 

Part 2: I am a Christian what do I do?

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2.3-4

      Be a soldier.

I was eighteen years old when I signed to join the Michigan Army National Guard. I raised my right hand and took an oath to defend the United States of American and the State of Michigan against all enemies foreign and domestic. I gave the government full control of my life to do with it as they saw fit. No matter what was taking place in my life that would serve as second place to the military for the next six years. I had no choice in the matter I made a commitment. Many of us are related to soldiers or know soldiers. We know the commitment they have made and are held to that. We know the sacrifice that comes with deployment orders. When we become Christians we are to be the same way.

Christians are soldiers of Jesus Christ. Not physical soldiers but spiritual soldiers. When you accept Christ as your Savior you agree that everything else becomes second to God. You agreed on that commitment. This is what God expects of you. For the rest of your life God expects everything in your life to be second place to Him. The Father gave His best; He expects your best in return. What does that mean?

Obviously God does not want all of us in vocational ministry. We all have our jobs. The apostle Paul actually made tents for a living. Surrender is what God wants: Our life, our hopes, dreams, vocation, family, our past our present and our future. He wants everything because He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. When we keep a part of lives from God’s control we cheat ourselves from His blessings. God wants us to do everything we do as if we are offering it to him. He does not care how much we accomplish in life as long as we get to know Him better. A good saying is “let go and let God.” Let God be in control of every facet of your life. As Christians we have already signed the recruitment papers. We are God’s and He is ours. He has already made good on His end let us make good on ours. Let us not get entangled in life. Let us get entangled with the Father and let Him do with us as He will. Don’t be a God deserter.  Be a God soldier.

What does God want for my life?

Does He want me to change anything in my life?

How can I focus more on Him?

Have I surrendered my entire being to Him?

Does my life honor God right now?

Am I a God soldier or a God deserter?

My Beliefs about the Bible

• I Believe the Bible is true.
• I believe that the Bible is given by inspiration of God. In this I mean that the Holy Spirit guided the men who wrote the Bible in what to write through their own personalities.
• I believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the Bible—historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical—as appeared in the original writings. 
• I believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error. 
• I believe that the Bible centers around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming. This includes the Old Testament as well as the point of the Bible is to lead to Christ.
• I believe that the Bible was written for practical application. 
• I believe the Bible is verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings.
• I believe the Bible is the final authority of faith and life. 

Mark 12:26 


But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Jesus proves the writings of Moses are true.


Mark 12.36
For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.

Jesus proves the writings of the Psalms are true.


Mark 13.11


But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Jesus proves that the Holy Spirit is God and is different than God the Father.

Luke 24.27


And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Jesus proves that the Old Testament is true.


Luke 24.44


Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Jesus proves that the Old Testament is true.



John 5:39


You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

Jesus proves that the Bible has the way of heaven and speak of Him.



Acts 1:16


Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

The Book of Psalms spoke of Jesus before He was born on the earth.


Acts 18.28


for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

Jesus used the Bible to prove He is the Anointed One of Yahweh.
Acts 26.22-23


Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

Christ is the purpose of the Bible both Old and New Testaments.


Acts 28.23
So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.

Paul used the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Christ.


II Timothy 3.16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 

The Old and New Testaments are inspired by God.

I Peter 1.21

For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible through holy men of God.

Part 1: I am a Christian what do I do? (2 Timothy 2)

¹ You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  (NKJV)

1. Be aggressive

Verse 1 does not talk about physical strength but spiritual strength. Be powerful for God. Be aggressive for the Lord. Tell others about what God has done for you. However, do it through His grace. When the Holy Spirit gives, you the opportunity take it. The Father gave us the ability to be strong through His Son Jesus Christ. God gives us grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Unmerited favor is receiving something you do not deserve. It is like going to court for a speeding ticket and the judge decides to let you get by with only paying court costs instead of the whole ticket. That is grace. You did nothing to deserve it. Grace is receiving good things we have done nothing to earn. I know I received grace at birth in that I was born in the United States. I could have been born somewhere else. Many things in life we get are by grace. We do not deserve them.

Notice the verse says, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” If we try to be strong with our own strength, we will fail. We cannot serve God on our own strength. That is why religion does not work. Religion is man’s way to God. Religion is man’s physical and mental strength to try to show God that we do not need His help.   We cannot be spiritual strong without grace through Christ. Trying to serve God on your own will only bring you frustration. Another way to say this verse is perhaps “be aggressive in Christ Jesus who gives you His unmerited favor.”

2. Be a leader-pass it on

Verse two Paul says what you learned from me make sure you passed it down to others who will pass it on to others and so on and so on. Paul received the Gospel from God and passed to Timothy who passed it on to others. That is what our job is. God calls all Christians to be full time ministers of the gospel. When you accepted Christ as your Savior, you became a Christian. Not just on Sunday or at church but twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. You placed your eternal destiny in His hands in exchange to follow Him. What we accomplish in this present life is meaningless unless it stands for eternity. The question every Christian must answer: What have you done with Jesus Christ? Did you tell others about Him? Did you try to live a life that was pleasing to Him? Or did you just live life your way?