Sin Impacts Others

Your sin will have an impact on others. Choosing to disobey God may cost your family God’s blessing. The power of God may be absent from your church because you are living in disobedience. Your friends may suffer because you are not living righteously. Diligently seek to obey every word from God, for you do not know how your disobedience could affect those around you. Scripture promises that if you will obey the Lord, your life will be a channel of blessing to others (Ps. 37:25-26).
Taken from Experiencing God Day By Day by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, pg. 304. Used with permission.

When I was working with youth as a therapist in a wilderness program a common phrase that I continuously expressed was: “What you do affects other people”. It’s an expression I still hold onto today. - JSS

Psalm 37:25-26 NKJV
I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.

The Temptation Of Jesus Explored (Part 4)

6. Ate Nothing - Do we practice moderation when it comes to food, money, work,  sleep, sex, exercise, others, etc.? Do we readily complain when we don’t receive what we want or when we don’t receive it fast enough? Can we make personal sacrifices in order to gain greater rewards at a later time for ourselves or others? Have we incorporated fasting into our spiritual walk with God? Do we stay away from those things that may harm us? Are we convinced that our body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit”?
7. Hungry - Outside of fasting, do we deny our bodies the essential nutrients they need to sustain themselves? Do we really listen to what our bodies are telling us? Do we regularly thank God for the food he provides? Have we satiated our “spiritual hunger” with prayer, reading and meditating on God’s Word, worship, fellowship with other believers? Are we anticipating communion with our Heavenly Father at His magnificent banqueting table?

The Temptation Of Jesus Explored (Part 3)

4. Tempted for forty days - Do we understand one of Satan’s simple tactics; the use of gradual, repetitive blows over time to effectively defeat his adversaries? Do we look to Jesus, our greatest example of strength? Do we ask God continually to sustain us in the valley, to pick us up along the way, to help us cross the finish line? Can we maintain hope knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us? Do we glorify the Father among the seemingly endless storms of life?
5. Tempted by the Devil - Do we truly understand how real Satan is and how much he wants to steal, kill and destroy? Do we give him an “open door policy” into our lives by the way we think, speak and act? Are we blocking the protection and blessings of God? Do we use the “sword of the Spirit” (the Word of God) as a weapon to fend off the attacks of our enemy? Do we trust that Jesus sympathizes, offers an escape and grants mercy, grace and forgiveness when we are tempted? Do we believe that God forever reigns on the throne?

The Temptation Of Jesus Explored (Part 2)

2. Led by the Spirit - Do we have enough discernment to even recognize who is leading us? Do we have the wisdom to know if we have been led and when to go? Do we make ourselves available to God? Are we walking in complete obedience? Are we making excuses and putting up roadblocks to avoid the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives?
3. Led into the wilderness - Can we leave our comfort zone, leave behind circumstances, possessions, even people, we’ve integrated into our lives? Do we trust God when He leads us into unknown and uncomfortable places? Do we allow our faith to be strengthened when we experience adversity? Can we sit in the “silence” of God?

The Temptation Of Jesus Explored (Part 1)

Luke 4:1-2 NKJV
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
If Luke’s preliminary narrative of Satan’s attempt to tempt Jesus Christ was condensed into bullet points and explored further using various questions, I believe some valuable wisdom could be discovered. Let’s take them in order. Jesus (was):
1. Filled with the Holy Spirit - Have we emptied ourselves and allowed the Holy Spirit to completely fill us? Have we properly prepared ourselves to receive the power and provision of the Holy Spirit? Do we believe and trust our Helper? Do we seek His peace? Are we ready mentally, physically, and especially spiritually to deal with Satan’s incredibly powerful, supernatural forces? In other words, have we put on the full armor of God as stated in Ephesians 6.

Becoming A Christian (Part 2)

Now that you are a "new creation" in Jesus Christ, the road ahead will be full of life-changing experiences. Growing in knowledge and understanding of the Bible and your Christian walk with God is essential for your spiritual growth.

Here are some ways that you can grow as a Christian: 

• Be baptized.
Baptism identifies you with Christ.
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:35-40)

• Study the Bible.
The Bible will guide you through life and answer life's questions.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)
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)

• Share your faith with others.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:8)
Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witness to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

• Be part of a local church.
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

• Fellowship with other Christians.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24, 25)

• God desires to meet your needs!  Make prayer a part of your daily life.
So He said to them, “When you pray, say: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Luke 11:2-4)

Taken from www.DavidJeremiah.org Used with permission.

Becoming A Christian (Part 1)

God Loves You!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God has a wonderful plan for your life!
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b)

Walking Down the "Romans Road" to Salvation . . . .
• Because of our sin, we are separated from God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)

• The Penalty for our sin is death.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

• The penalty for our sin was paid by Jesus Christ!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

• If we repent of our sin, then confess and trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved from our sins!
For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)
 ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9,10)

To receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I'm like everyone else - I can't make it through life on my own. I'm imperfect. I'm prone to sin. I have come to realize that there's nothing in the world I can do to make myself acceptable to You. But I know that You have loved me so much that You were willing to submit to the cross and die on my behalf. That's a grace so amazing I cannot understand it; I can only accept it. And I do. I accept Your free gift, and I know that from this moment on, I am saved. I am a child of God. And I give the rest of my life to serving You and experiencing the joy that only You can offer. Fill me now, dear Lord, and raise me to walk in the newness of life. I thank You and praise You! Amen.

Taken from www.DavidJeremiah.org Used with permission.

Baptism Of The Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Acts 1:4-5 NKJV
He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:8 NKJV
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:1-3 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Baptism Of The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

On Sept. 12, 2011, I went to church with the girls near where they live. Whenever I’m in town I try to attend church with them on Sundays. I enjoy going for several reasons and this particular Sunday was no exception. Pastor Jason preached on the need for the Church to get back to being moved by the the Holy Spirit, to receive a Pentecostal movement as in years past, to not be so tied to rituals and doctrines so as to lose the Holy Spirit. I was moved by his sermon and came forward when asked if anyone wanted to experience a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. As I was standing, praying, weeping, Pastor Jason came up to me and asked if I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I thought he was referring to regular baptism so I immediately said, “yes.” He told me that God was with me on the road and Pastor Jason walked on to someone else. After the service was done I realized that I had misinterpreted “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”. So I went to Pastor Jason and explained to him just that. He and Shannon (a member and a good friend of Pastor Jason) took me into another room and explained the difference between the two baptisms. He asked if I wanted to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and I responded with a yes. He and Shannon prayed with me and I began to weep. I don’t know the exact reason why, maybe to release some pain, maybe to acknowledge that I needed God and wanted to be closer to Him. Maybe it was a heartfelt expression of a simple love for Him; maybe all three. I felt God’s presence and His simple message, “It will be ok, I love you, even though you don’t understand everything I do.” When we finished I have to admit I didn’t feel much different then when we first started praying. I explained to Pastor Jason and Shannon what areas I felt needed improvement in my life, how I’ve seen God’s hand direct me to do His work for the Kingdom. Shannon explained that in our daily walk with God we have little moments to serve Him. It’s a journey and most of the time we don’t have what I call “Moses moments”; grand events of colossal change for the Kingdom. Both stated that I will receive greater strength and power from the Holy Spirit. I have to admit I didn’t feel different after we were through and I don’t feel much different now. And at times I’m as much confused about where God is leading me as before. All I can fall back on is just continuing to trust Him more and more. I hold onto believing that He has a special purpose or purposes for me, that He’s preparing me in some way and that He will reveal His intentions in His time. – JSS

God's Wrath On Unrighteousness (Part 2)

Proverbs 3:33-35 NIV
The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

Romans 13:1-4 NKJV
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

John 15:6 NKJV
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

God's Wrath On Unrighteousness (Part 1)

Romans 1:18 NKJV
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

Nahum 1:2-3 NKJV
God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked.

God's wrath is very serious business and must be viewed with the utmost sobriety. It is so serious in fact that God didn't even spare His own Son to appease it. His anger will finally come to a resolution and justice against the wicked will rightly be served at Christ's Second Coming.
May we not wait until that fateful hour but come to Him now...for today is the day of salvation. - JSS

Peter, Please Come Home (Lyrics)

V. 1
Jesus, I have denied You
As I hear the birds last call,
And I’ve fallen into darkness
In guilt and shame I crawl.

V. 2
Father, why have You taken
The only friend I’ve known?
Abandoned and forsaken,
Am I to die here alone?
Jesus, please come home.

V. 3
Spirit, where is Your comfort
Like He promised some time ago?
For now Your sheep are scattered,
And we need Your strength and hope.
Jesus, please come home.

Bridge
Peter, I’ve not denied you
Can’t you see my love on the cross?
He’s come to offer forgiveness,
Take comfort with those who are lost.
So Peter, please come home.
Oh Peter, please come home.

Ending
Peter, I’ve not denied you.
Can’t you see my love on the cross?

- JSS

The Kingdom Within

Luke 17:20-21 AMP
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you].

An interesting note about the above passage-He was asked by and answered the Pharisees, not the disciples at this moment. As E. Stanley Jones in his book, Abundant Living confirms: In this exchange Jesus was talking not to His disciples, but to the Pharisees--unchanged people. Is the kingdom of God then in us all, changed and unchanged? Yes.
Taken from Abundant Living, pg. 11, by E. Stanley Jones, edited by Dean Merrill, Summerside Press. Used with permission.

God's Glory, Your Glory

Isaiah 60:1-3 NKJV
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 60:19-22 NKJV
“The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Psalm 115:1 NKJV
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.

Stop Digging Holes

Psalm 7:15 NIV
He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.

I think the above passage is referring to sin and how it engulfs us if left unattended. First, it talks about initially digging a hole, it’s an active attempt at committing a sin. It seems innocent at first, similar to a child digging a hole in the ground, just playing. Then it progresses to scooping it out ever deeper and wider. We are not satisfied with just digging a hole and then filling it back in. Like sin, we’re not satisfied with the temptation, recognizing it as such, and letting it be cast off, with the pursuit or intention to grow closer to God. Sin grows if not tamed at the crossroad of temptation. We often want to see how far we can take sin while all the while it often takes us into places we do not wish to go. There is an ongoing false sense that we are in control when we engage sin and allow it to fester. We say to ourselves, “I’m in control, I can shut it down anytime I want to, it doesn’t have a hold on me.” If we aren’t saying these things we are at least thinking in this manner. Sin will eventually take over.
God may and can turn us eventually over to a reprobate mind as it states in the bible. We will as a natural and logical consequence “fall into the pit” of sin and destruction. If it does not occur in this world it certainly will occur on the day of judgement for God will judge us accordingly.
This verse ends with “he has made”. In other words, we can’t blame anyone, anything else other than ourselves. We create and maintain a lot of our sin in our lives. This does not take Satan out of the equation but if we are born again, washed in the blood of the Lamb, sanctified and set apart, then we have no excuse to enter into or at least manifest/nurture sin in our lives. “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
The solution-try not to dig a hole in the first place, arrest temptation, admit it and immediately turn it over to God. This is not easy since we are bombarded by temptation without limit. We must saturate our mind with the Word of God, recognize patterns or signs/signals or habits that lead up to sin and flee from an oncoming sin. If we fall into sin we must stop “scooping it out”. In other words, we must stop ourselves from getting deeper into it. Claim victory over it through the cross, releasing it to the Father who fights our battles for us. This won’t happen if we continue to think falsely that we can handle our sin on our own. We can’t and we deceive ourselves and ridicule the grace that God has already given us.
And finally, if we have allowed sin to take over and consume us, we must immediately go to God, humble ourselves and ask for His forgiveness. We must allow Him to be who He says He is and allow Him to do what He says He can do. God will forgive us because  He loves us and states in His Word that He will “restore us unto Himself”. God understands our weaknesses and Jesus was like us in everything; tempted in every way but never sinned. He understands and has provided the victory. He went to the cross so that we would not have to fall and remain in our own “pit”. - JSS

Our Royal Priesthood

1 Peter 2:9-10 NKJV
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Numbers 18:7 NIV
I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.

Numbers 18:7 NKJV
I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

We must consider our “priesthood” over our family/community as a gift from God.
I like the NKJV version because it emphasizes the the gift is given for service. It is bestowed by God to be acted upon, to be exercised (and this must be done in God’s strength, not our own). - JSS