Your Life God's Way
It’s our life but we should want to live it the way God wants us to.
The Truth Internet Church
A church of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
We are a Christian church, serving all who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and those who would like to know Him. We meet only on the Internet. We have no walls; we have no pews; we have no restrictions, except to always tell
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4-2-23 Jesus’ Second Coming Will ADD Amazing Blessings to His First PART ONE
Summary: Jesus’ first coming to earth 2,000 years ago was remarkable, astounding! All the blessings of His first coming are still valid and available to us today. His biblically prophesied Second Coming will ADD some amazing blessings to those we gained from His first coming. Come see and be stirred up to join the apostle John’s heartfelt cry: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, KJV).
Jesus’ 1st Coming Luke 1:30-31 …the angel [Gabriel, 26] said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
In His first coming, Jesus came as a baby. His birth-to-come was announced by an angel to a virgin woman, Mary. The infant was born in a stable and his first bed was a feeding trough (manger). Jesus lived His first 30 years quietly, far from Jerusalem, the center of Judaism. In His hometown He was known to be a carpenter. Then followed 3-1/2 remarkable years of public ministry, at the end of which Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected the third day, and ascended back to heaven. From those humble beginnings, in just His last 3-1/2 years on earth Jesus redeemed us from the curse of our sins and offered forgiveness and eternal life to all who would repent of sins and receive and believe in Him.
2nd Coming 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
In His second coming we will no longer see Jesus as a baby born into humble circumstances and living most of His earthly years out of the public’s eye. We’ll see our magnificent, glorious Savior Jesus come visibly down from heaven, with a loud shout, the voice of archangel, and the blare of the last trumpet. The dead in Christ are raised, and all the believers still alive at the time of His coming are caught up together with them to meet the Lord in air. From that glorious moment the redeemed of all time, the followers of the Lord, will “be with the Lord forever.”
The verse above speaks of “the rapture” of the redeemed believers. It tells of the “dead in Christ” being raised from the dead. Together with them the living believers at the Lord’s coming are “caught up” (from the Latin word that is the source of our word “rapture”) to meet the Lord in the air. This occurs at the visible, glorious, last-trumpet, one-and-only second coming of the Lord (There is no earlier so-called secret coming). And Christ’s coming [singular] is not a return back to heaven, but is the entry of the resurrected saints along with Jesus into the thousand-year, post-Second Coming reign of Christ on earth with His followers. That is spoken of in Revelation 20:1-6, immediately after the Second Coming of Christ recorded in Revelation 19:11-21. That 1,000-year time is called the Millennium. Jesus’ coming back to earth to begin that glorious Millennium is the beginning of the saints’ being “with the Lord forever.”
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1st Coming Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
“Christ our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7), at the time of His first coming, shed His blood at the cross to redeem us. If we come to Him in repentance and faith, all our sins are forgiven! But we do still grapple with the temptations to sin day by day.
2nd Coming Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once [His first coming] to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
When He comes to earth “a second time” (still singular: just one second coming), Jesus will bring to us our “full salvation” (AMPC). No more sinning, ever! From the second coming on, the redeemed will be like those who had already died and gone on to heaven and had become the “spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect” [Hebrews 12:23, Amplified Bible]. We will be transformed into our immortal, imperishable, perfect bodies “like unto [Jesus’] glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). More on that below…
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1st Coming Luke 17:25 [Jesus told His disciples that…] “first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
John 1:10-11 tells us that “the world was made by him…[but] he came to his own, and his own received him not.”
Jesus was adamantly rejected by the majority of the Jewish religious leaders during His days of public ministry on earth. Even among the crowds who once followed Him eagerly, many turned on Him and joined those crying out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” He had come down to redeem the world that He had created, yet many in that world resisted His message and “received Him not.”
2nd Coming Hebrews 9:28 …he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
2 Thessalonians 1:10 …on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Picture the Second Coming. We see in 1 Thessalonians 4 (above) and from other verses that all the world will hear a loud shout, the voice of the archangel, the blaring of the last trumpet, and will see Jesus and the hosts of heaven coming in glory. As Jesus said (Luke 21:27-28) “…they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Unlike the widespread rejection at His first coming, at His second Jesus will be gratefully and excitedly received by those who have come to Him in repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). These joyful ones will be “those who are waiting for Him … to be glorified in His holy people.” And speaking to fellow believers, the apostle Paul promised, “This includes you, because you believed.” If you are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, you have nothing to fear of His second coming. Instead, as Jesus foretold, you can joyfully, hopefully “lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
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1st Coming Philippians 2:7 “He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
He had “emptied himself” (various translations say). This is one of the reasons Jesus said that He had come to earth — not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45).
2nd Coming 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, KJV And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints…
The triumphant, returning-to-earth Jesus will be no longer “emptied,” no longer here as a servant, but as the glorious, omnipotent Savior … possessing all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Revelation 19 (which also tells of His coming) speaks of Him as Faithful and True, with eyes like blazing fire, crowned with many crowns. He is called the Word of God, King of kings, and Lord of lords.
This second coming to earth of our Lord will be the time when He fulfills some of His earlier prophetic parables. In Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus speaks of the lost souls (symbolized by tares, weeds) being gathered and burned, while the saved (the ‘wheat’) will be blessed by being “gathered into [His] barn.”
In a similar prophetic parable (Matthew 13:47-50, KJV) Jesus had spoken of His second coming as “the end of the world” (49). The “net” would be drawn in and the “good” (the saved, “the just”) would be blessed by being gathered and preserved. At the very same time the “wicked” (the lost) would be “cast into the furnace of fire” (50).
What will make the difference between the saved and the lost at the second coming of our Lord? The answer is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, KJV — The Lord Jesus will be “revealed from heaven … [8] in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe…” The eternally lost will have earned to themselves damnation by their choice to “know not God” and to “obey not the gospel” of Jesus. By contrast, the saved will have chosen in their lifetimes to know God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6) and to receive and obey the saving Gospel of Christ.
Next week, Part 2
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/ever-increasing-faith.html
3-26-23 Ever-Increasing Faith | "Lord, Increase Our Faith"
Summary: Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith in His own hometown. By contrast, and rightly so, His apostles appealed to Jesus to increase their faith. Following their example, we too can grow in faith to receive great things from God.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more.
•• That’s something to thank God for — that is, that we are steadily growing in faith.
•• Like Jesus’ original disciples, that should be our personal goal — ever-growing faith.
• Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.”
•• This is grounds for hope, for great optimism — that is, that things will be done, even great things like healing of blindness, in proportion to our faith.
•• Many years ago I was praying for people at the close of a church service. A young man came up to me and said, “The Lord told me that if you pray for me, He will heal my eyes.” So I prayed, and the Lord did indeed heal his vision, as Jesus promised, “according to [his] faith”.
•• If this is the case — that our faith levels affect what we receive — then we see how vitally important it is that we grow in our personal capacities to believe God for His goodness and His divine intervention in our lives. Let’s look at some biblical principles that will cause our faith to grow.
Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.”
•• Doubt! — a great defeater of faith. Jesus said to Peter: “You of little faith ... why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) Doubt and faith cannot coexist. Doubt tears down faith.
• Think about it. If God has promised us something in His word the Bible (for example, healing, salvation, answered prayer, etc.), there is no reason to doubt our faithful God!
Mark 6:6 And [Jesus] was amazed at their lack of faith.
•• I don’t want to amaze Jesus in this wrong way. He clearly expects the normal condition for a Christian to be lots of faith.
•• Rethink faith — Having much faith is what Jesus expects of us. It’s our lacking faith that amazes Him.
Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
•• Faith is a choice of our will. It is something we can determine to do. Personalize it: “I will have faith in God.” Why should this be difficult? In hundreds of instances in your life, over and over again, God has proven Himself to be faithful.
•• You can settle for a mindset like this: “Groan! I feel sick. Let’s call the doctor.” That’s OK, and what you will get is the doctor’s best effort. Or ... you can choose to have a better mindset — “I’m going to have faith in God!”
John 8:30 Even as He spoke, many put their faith in him.
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
•• The message, the Gospel, God’s Word — that is where “faith comes from”.
•• Aware of this, my wife and I have developed a habit to help us grow in faith and grow in our relationship with the Lord. We take time each day reading the Bible out loud to each other at a pace that will cover the Bible at least once a year. Even though between us we have about 100 years of following the Lord, we are well aware that we need to be continually striving to grow in our faith. We take very seriously the command of the apostle Peter to “...grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, KJV).
Romans 1:12 ...that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
•• You can have a beneficial effect on my faith levels, and I on yours. I find that I am encouraged, and my faith is increased, by being around men and women of great faith. Choose to fellowship with those who have shown the ability to believe God for great things. It will have a tendency to “rub off on you”. Likewise, choose in turn to be a faith role model for the blessing of others.
•• Mark 5:35-36 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
• Jesus gave us a great example here — Ignore the naysayers, the doomsayers, those whose words would tend to defeat your faith. Rather, “Just believe!” Because just as our faith can inspire others, our unbelief can diminish the faith of others.
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God ... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith...
•• Pursue faith, take up the shield of faith. Don’t let situations rule you. Don’t become passive or fatalistic. You be the aggressor in faith.
•• Remember the example of the two blind men in Matthew 20:30-34. They kept shouting out to Jesus, “Lord, have mercy on us!” Unfeeling people in the crowd rebuked them, but the blind men shouted to the Lord all the louder. When Jesus asked them what He could do for them, they replied, “Lord, we want our sight.” And Jesus immediately healed their blindness.
• Several things stand out about the blind men’s faith. They were not inhibited by the magnitude of their need. They were not discouraged by the resistance and rebuke of the crowd. To the contrary, in the face of the crowd’s scolding, they “shouted all the louder” to Jesus. They remained the pursuers, the aggressors, and Jesus honored their faith. What is the takeaway for us? — Don’t give up! Keep pursuing the Lord. Let your faith be always active; don’t settle for passivity.
1 John 5:4 ...This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
•• Develop this mindset: “I am an overcomer. The world doesn’t defeat me; rather, through the Lord I overcome the world. How? By my faith!”
•• Believe God, trust His promises. Remember to always “...believe that ... [God] rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Summary of some keys to ever-increasing faith:
• God wants our faith to grow.
• Much of what we receive from Him will be “according to” our faith.
• Embrace the apostles’ attitude: “Lord, increase our faith.”
• Determine not to doubt God’s faithfulness to His word and His promises.
• Remember that Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. In other words, Jesus expects us to be people of faith.
• Determine, as Jesus exhorted, to “have faith in God”.
• Let the example of other faith-filled people inspire you.
• In turn, purpose to be a role model of faith to others.
• As the apostle Paul wrote, be proactive — take up faith, pursue it.
• As you walk in this troubled world, remember “the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith”.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/ever-increasing-faith.html
3-19-23 5 Keys to Growing in Faith--How to Increase Your Faith
Summary: Are you content with your present level of faith? I’m not! Christ’s apostles were not. Come and see 5 faith keys to help your faith grow.
Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Luke 18:8 When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
•• The apostles recognized their need and appealed to Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith.”
•• Are we better than the apostles Peter, John, and the others? Of course not. So we too should be crying out to the Lord to enlarge our faith. I'll turn 75 next week. But my cry is still for ever-increasing, ever-growing faith in my Lord Jesus and God our Father.
•• In Luke 18:8 (above), Jesus warned of the possibility of a faithless generation on earth at the time of His second coming. In light of that, I am strongly motivated to continue growing in faith and to help others do the same. Consider these Scriptural thoughts...
Romans 10:16-17 ...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
•• The message of Jesus Christ is what inspires faith. It’s not about formulas, phrases, and the like. No. Faith comes from the faith-building presence and knowledge of Jesus Christ in your life.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
KJV: For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen...
•• All God’s promises are “Yes!” in Jesus Christ. He is the Guarantor of the faithful promises of God to you.
•• How can you believe for one of God’s promises? Answer — It is “Yes!” in Jesus Christ.
•• How can you believe for healing? Answer — The “message of Christ” says, “By [Jesus’] wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
•• How can I believe for answered prayer? Answer — The very words of Christ Himself tell us: “Ask, and it will be given you...” (Matthew 7:7).
2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
•• Faith deals with the unseen. Faith reaches out with confidence and certainty for promises of God whose fulfillment we do not yet see.
FIVE KEYS TO GROWING IN FAITH:
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(1) Faith LEADS TO UNDERSTANDING, not vice versa.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
•• I recall reading about the then-young evangelist Billy Graham wrestling with doubts about the full inspiration of Scripture. In a deep spiritual encounter with the Lord, he experienced a victory of faith over doubt. Then the understanding and confidence came, a confidence that was never shaken in the following decades of ministry.
•• God’s way is not that we first grasp everything intellectually and then come to faith. To the contrary, our text above shows that it is faith in God’s creation that leads to understanding. Faith is an initiator, not a result. For example:
• Faith leads to salvation (Ephesians 2:8).
• Faith brings about healing (Matthew 15:28).
• Faith opens the door to understanding (Hebrews 11:3).
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(2) Faith is NOT PASSIVE, but rather seeks its object diligently.
Hebrews 11:6 ...anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
•• For example (Mark 10:46-52), the blind beggar Bartimaeus insistently cried out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Some onlookers rebuked him, but he cried out to Jesus all the more (vs. 48). Touched by the man’s evident and persistent faith, Jesus stopped, called him, and healed his blindness.
•• Faith can be patient, yes, but that is not the same as being passive — or worse, being fatalistic. No, faith operates in those who “...believe [in the Lord] ... and ... earnestly seek Him.”
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(3) Faith ACTS upon the prompting of the Lord.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family....
•• Noah spent many decades building an ark on dry land. He was mocked by the onlookers. But he remained steadfast, and it saved his life and his family’s when the flood came. What is the faith lesson here? It is that God will speak things to us (by His word, by His Spirit, perhaps by a genuine word of wisdom or word of knowledge). Noah heard from the Lord to build an ark. Noah acted upon that word from the Lord, despite the opposition and the inherent difficulties in the project.
•• I had a similar experience in my life. My late wife Mickey was medically infertile the first six years of our marriage. Then a reputable woman of God brought to her a word from the Lord: “Your barren days are over!” Well, with my concurrence, Mickey went out and bought a roomful of nursery furniture. About a year later our first child was born, followed by three more! The lesson? Faith acts upon the promises of God.
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(4) Faith is willing to go forward into THE UNKNOWN if God is genuinely perceived to be leading.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
•• The past is the place of history. It is predictable, safe. The present and future are the arena for faith.
•• We need no faith to enjoy the memory of the Charismatic Movement and later renewals. Those are established history. But by faith we venture forward into the uncharted waters of tomorrow, anticipating that God will do great things!
•• God spoke to Abraham to go. So he did. The great patriarch left his home, his nation, his familiar surroundings, and moved hundreds of miles westward. And yet he did not know where God was sending him. But he obeyed and went, and in the process God led him to Canaan and began the still-unfolding adventure of God establishing a people, later known as Israel, and giving them the “promised land”.
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(5) Faith involves LONG-HAUL OBEDIENCE to God.
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
•• By faith Joshua obeyed God and led the Israelites in a march around Jericho daily for seven days. He saw no victory. On the seventh day God said to march around the city seven times! After six times ... still no victory. Then upon completion of the seventh march on the seventh day, God caused the walls of Jericho to collapse and the Israelites were able to capture the city (Joshua 6:1-20). The faith lesson? Keep obeying the Lord’s direction until you see the result. Hebrews 6:12 tells us that it is “through faith and patience ... [that we] inherit what has been promised.”
•• The patriarch Abraham gives us another great example of what I call long-haul faith and obedience (Genesis 15, 17). When childless Abraham was 75 years old, God promised him a child, who was born 25 years later! Abraham did not stagger through unbelief, but was strong in faith (Romans 4:20). He kept walking with God and believing Him until the promise came to pass and Isaac, the ancestor of Israel, was born.
Summary: Five Keys to Growing in Faith That'll Give You Victory
• Faith leads to understanding, not vice versa.
• Faith is not passive, but rather seeks its object diligently.
• Faith acts upon the prompting of the Lord that is consistent with the Word of God.
• Faith is willing to go forward into the unknown if God is genuinely perceived to be leading.
• Faith involves long-haul obedience to God.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/growing-faith-keys.html
3-12-23 How to Receive from God by Faith - 3 Keys to Answered Prayers
Summary: It is not difficult to receive from God. The Bible spells out three simple keys to faith that work and gets results.
Hebrews 11:1-6 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must [1] BELIEVE that he EXISTS and that [2] he REWARDS those who [3] EARNESTLY SEEK HIM.
In verse 6 we see three keys to receiving by faith from God:
1. We must genuinely, sincerely believe in God.
2. We must believe that God responds to His people and rewards them.
3. To receive God’s rewards, we must diligently seek Him.
#1 — Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists.
•• Think of the patriarch Abraham originally living in polytheism and idolatry in Mesopotamia. But God revealed Himself to Abraham, and “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).
•• Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
•• The ultimate assurance and certainty we need in our hearts is faith in the very existence of Almighty God. And how do we come to that faith in God?
• We see God in the created universe — “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
• We see God in His miraculous intervention in the lives of men and women throughout history.
• Most of all, we see God revealed in the Scriptures.
•• As we by faith begin to understand this God in whom we have believed, we begin to get a clearer picture of what an awesome God we serve.
• It is God who said, “Let there be...” (Genesis 1:3ff) and the universe came into existence out of nothing.
• It is God who parted the Red Sea so that Israel could cross over and escape the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21-22).
• It is God who knocked down the walls of the fortified city Jericho, so that His people could conquer it (Joshua 6:20). He will do the same for the enemies in your life!
•• But just believing in God is not enough — James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.”
#2 — Anyone who comes to God must believe that He rewards His people.
James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.
•• You must believe and not doubt. Why? — Because God is pleased to reward the faithful.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!
•• God is a giver; He is a rewarder. It pleases Him.
#3 — Anyone who comes to God must believe that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
•• This speaks of active faith, like the man persistently knocking at midnight (Luke 11:5-10), or like the woman insistently pleading her case before the judge (Luke 18:1-8).
•• Seeking Him — Not just for answers to prayers, but also seeking Him to know Him, to be in His presence.
•• Psalm 105:3-4 “...let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
•• Jeremiah 29:12-13 “You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
So receiving by faith from God is not difficult. Rather, it is a delight and a privilege. What we must do is threefold:
1. We must simply and sincerely believe in God — in the full New Testament sense: John 14:1, KJV “Ye believe in God; believe also in me [Jesus].”
2. Believe that it is the desire of God’s heart to reward the faithful.
3. Earnestly seek Him ... Follow after Him ... desire to know Him better ... spend time in prayer and worship and His Word with Him.
IN SUM: To receive by faith, we must believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/receivingbyfaith.html
3-5-23 Insights for Living by Faith, From the Bible's Faith Chapter
Summary: Hebrews 11 is the Bible’s famous faith chapter. It offers profound insights for living by faith, not by sight, in this world. Come and see!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
•• This is the Bible’s clear definition of faith.
•• Faith deals with certainty, not doubts and wavering.
•• The rest of Hebrews 11 offers some helpful insights for living our lives consistent with that all-important faith.
vs. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
•• Faith leads to understanding, not vice versa. Some people wrongly say, “I need first to understand it, then I’ll believe.” But with God, it is faith that brings understanding.
•• Faith believes in creation ex nihilo — that is, out of nothing — not the “Big Bang” theory or the unproven, often preposterous, assertions of evolution.
•• Notice also — faith sees the “big picture” and does not get bogged down in the problem of the moment.
vs. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
•• Faith has unshakable confidence that God will “take us away” after this life.
• That will sustain you through many hard times.
vs. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
•• God-pleasing faith is confident in two things:
1) God exists!
2) God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
vs. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
•• Faith leads you to do things now before you see the desired results.
• After six years of medically diagnosed infertility, my wife felt an inner surge of faith. She bought a roomful of nursery furniture, even though she was still not pregnant. The following year that crib was occupied by our firstborn child! My wife was living and walking by faith, not by sight, and the miraculous healing followed her faith. [later edit: In subsequent years, God enabled her to give birth to three more children.]
vs. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
•• When you know God’s “call”, faith leads you to obey and go, even not knowing where that will lead you.
• In 1959 the man who later became my pastor felt called by God to plant a church in the then-remote south end of Anchorage, Alaska. Now, in the early 21st century, that now-large church is within a big population center. But in 1959, to move that far “out” from downtown, he was living by faith in God’s leading. And God honored that faith over the years.
vs. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.
•• That is a key insight for living by faith — Consider Him faithful who has made the promise!
• Abraham did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief. Rather, he considered God to be faithful. And God honored that faith in Him.
vs. 13, 16 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.... [16] They were longing for a better country — a heavenly one.
•• Faith looks over the horizon.
• Faith does not “command” the Lord. It obeys the Lord.
• Faith does not live for the here and now.
• Faith is strengthened by your view of eternity.
vs. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
•• Faith enables us to hear from the Lord about the future.
• We prophesy (and receive other revelations) according to the proportion of our faith.
vs. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
•• Faith is so confident about God’s good plans (here, the future Exodus) that it leads us to make our own plans (Joseph's bones) in light of that vision of faith.
vs. 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
•• Faith is not afraid of “the king’s edict.”
• Peter: we will obey God, not man (Acts 4:19).
• When you know you are following God, faith keeps you from fearing the face of man.
vss. 24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
•• It is faith that will keep you from the “pleasures of sin for a short time.”
•• It is faith in God that will keep you from becoming entangled by the “treasures of Egypt” = covetousness in this life.
vs. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
•• Faith does things that may seem weird to the world.
• the sprinkling of blood on the door frames
• finding God’s blessing in giving, not getting
• endeavoring to live a humble life, not a self-exalting one
• giving up your Wednesday evening TV and your Sunday morning sleep-in to worship with God’s people
• seeking to serve, not to be served
•• We do these things because of our faith in God. Remember today's theme: "Insight for Living by Faith".
vs. 29 By faith the [Hebrew] people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
•• Faith versus presumption!
• Faith obeys God’s leading.
• Presumption acts on man’s leading.
vs. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
•• Through faith, astounding things can happen.
• Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils. All by faith.
•• Faith will keep obeying God, even after a seemingly interminable “seven days.”
vs. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
•• Faith in what God is doing can protect you when others around you are experiencing disasters.
To the reader: I trust that this message has given you some deeper insight for living by faith in our faithful God. May the Lord bless your walk with Him.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/insightforlivingbyfaith.html
2-26-23 Against All Odds Have Faith in God & He'll Do It!
Summary: The story of childless Abraham and Sarah and their miracle child Isaac is a story of faith in God, of trusting God against all odds, when the "natural mind" would say that the promised child (Isaac) was an impossibility. The vital message that comes through to us is: No matter what the obstacles, have faith in God!
Romans 4:16b-22 He is the father of us all.... [18] Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” [19] Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. [20] Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, [21] being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. [22] This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
King James Version, 20-21 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; [21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
•• Abraham's wife Sarah was childless. He was about 100 years old and she about 90. But God had promised them a son. In the face of their extreme age, it would have been easy to disbelieve God's promise. The odds were definitely against them in the natural! But the Scripture records that faithful Abraham "did not waver through unbelief," and the promised son Isaac was born to elderly Sarah. Today, 4,000 years later, Abraham continues to be for us a role model of unshakable faith against all odds.
•• By the way (vs. 22), this kind of unshakable faith is what prompted God to “credit it to him as righteousness.”
• 20, KJV “He staggered not...” — against all odds, have faith in God!
•• The apostle Paul: “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24).
•• 1 Corinthians 16:13 ...stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
• 20 “...at the promise of God” —
•• The what? The “promise of God”! Why should we even think of staggering?!! How simple it ought to be to have faith in God when we consider the faithfulness of Him who promised!
•• 2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
•• 1 Kings 8:56b Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.
• 20 “...through unbelief” —
•• Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God.
•• Matthew 17:19-20, KJV Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? [20] And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief.
• 20 “...but was strong in faith” —
•• I knew a Christian lady in Alaska who was slight in stature, but she was “strong in faith.”
• Faith: the great equalizer!
•• Abraham faced the bleak biological “reality” (19) “without weakening in his faith.”
• 20 “...giving glory to God” —
•• The desire to glorify God is perhaps a forgotten motive in our believing God for answered prayers and promises.
•• My friend, Pastor Tommy, made a hospital visit to a lady with a large goiter on her neck. Pastor Tommy simply laid hands on her and prayed, “Father, that you may be glorified, in the Name of Jesus, be healed!” And by the next morning the goiter was gone!
• 21 “...being fully persuaded” —
•• 2 Timothy 1:12, KJV ...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded [NIV: convinced] that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
•• “fully persuaded” — James 1:6, KJV ...let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
• 21 “...He had promised” —
•• Titus 1:2 ...God, who does not lie, promised... It's not difficult to have faith in God's promises when we consider the utter impossibility of God lying to us.
• 21 “...He was able also to perform” —
•• Matthew 9:28 ...the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.
•• Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
•• Matthew 19:26 Jesus...said, “...with God all things are possible.”
Christ's disciples recognized the value of unshakable faith, so they properly appealed to Him, "Lord, increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). As you seek God daily in prayer, in worship, and in His word, let that be your cry, too — "Lord, increase my faith! ... and help me to banish any lack of faith in me."
The apostle Paul lived out this message in his own life. During a furious storm on the sea, the Lord reassured Paul that they would be safe. Paul then encouraged his shipmates with the confident declaration: "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me" (Acts 27:25). What better place to close this message than with Jesus' straightforward exhortation in Mark 11:22: “Have faith in God!" ...even against all odds, trust in God!
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/staggernotthroughunbelief.html
2-19-23 Faith Without Works Is Dead (James 2:17) and Is Not Biblical Faith
Summary: All too often one hears Christians say things like, "I don't want to get into a works trip!" That's a misunderstanding of the Scriptures. And it will keep them from developing the kind of faith that pleases God, who said in His Word the Bible that "faith without works is dead." Or some may just be cringing: "Oh my, another 'faith without works is dead' sermon." But, my friends, if your response to the title is anything other than a hearty "Amen!" you run the risk of living out your life with a supposed 'faith' that is different from the Bible's definition of faith. Who would want what God calls a dead faith? I wouldn't. And I don't think you would either.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God…
No faith = no pleasing God! So it’s obviously of urgent importance that we have faith as God defines it in His Word, the Bible.
Faith is not just mental consent to truth. The Bible tells us that “the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19, KJV). Satan and his demons certainly acknowledge the truth that there is a God, yet they tremble in fear at the thought and are not saved! Their mere intellectual assent to God's existence is not biblical faith.
Right at the outset let me state where we are going with this line of thought. That is, faith and works go together. Sad to say, I’ve heard Christian friends speak condescendingly of works as a “performance mentality.” That phrase has a catchy ring to it, and gullible Christian believers (or sometimes those looking for an excuse for their conduct) grab hold of it, much to their spiritual detriment. The Bible doesn’t speak of faith as something we can hold intellectually and conceptually without a demonstrable expression of our faith. Biblical faith is active, not passive. Let’s read on in chapter 11 for some examples.
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.
Abel didn’t just exclaim, “God, I believe in you.” No! His act of bringing an acceptable offering validated his faith — “By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings” (vs. 4b). And Abel’s example of faith, demonstrated in his offerings, “still speaks” (4c) to us today, as we read that God commended him as righteous when He looked upon Abel’s faith-prompted offerings.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned [by God] about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.
“By faith Noah…built an ark.” Noah’s faith in God’s warning prompted him to work as God had commanded him. How do we know that Noah had faith? By the observable work that he did. This verse also adds an additional insight — “Noah…when warned by God…” Faith is not just launching out blindly and hoping somehow we stumble upon the right path. Noah had a word from God: Build an ark! And “by faith…[he] built an ark.” We see the same pattern in Abraham.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called [by God] to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
The Genesis account tells of God calling Abraham to leave his native country and go to a place that God would show him. Did Abraham respond in faith? Yes. How? By obeying and going as God had directed.
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
Again we see faith with works, faith with action. By faith Moses’ parents hid the newborn baby for three months, unafraid of Pharaoh’s edict that the Hebrews baby boys should be killed. How about Moses himself when he was a grown man?
Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Moses chose a course of action for his life. He sided with the Hebrew people of God rather than indulging himself with the fleeting pleasures of a sinful life in Pharaoh’s palace. This showed Moses’ faith (“by faith Moses…refused…chose…”). But what does the Scripture tell us about Moses’ faith? It was demonstrated by his works! “By faith…he refused [luxury, and]...he chose to be mistreated with the people of God…” rather than to bask in pleasures as an adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. What motivated Moses’ inspiring faith-and-works example? By faith he chose these actions “…because he was looking ahead to his reward” beyond this life. (I’ll say more about rewards shortly.)
More examples could be drawn from the Bible’s heroes of faith. But let these suffice for the moment. We have seen a clear pattern: the faith of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses’ parents, and Moses was demonstrated by works. The biblical writer James gives us an unmistakably clear statement of this principle.
James 2:17-19, NKJV Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
Vs. 17, NASB Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead…
In a word, faith without works is dead! So the Christian believer who dismisses works as a “performance mentality” is indicting himself as having dead faith! The demons, says James, have dead faith. Oh yes, they are quite well aware that there is a God in heaven (19). But just acknowledging that to be truth is not faith; it is “dead.” Mental consent is not faith. By contrast, biblical faith is demonstrable — “I will show you my faith by my works,” said the inspired writer.
“But wait!” some might be saying. “I thought that works are not what get us saved.” And those who say that are correct. Let’s see some Scriptures that put faith and works in the right perspective.
Titus 3:5, KJV Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…
That is very clear. We are not saved by good works. You cannot work hard enough or well enough to earn salvation. No one can, no one ever did. Its took the perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary to secure our salvation. The apostle Paul writes further on this.
Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This powerful Scripture portion gives us a holy perspective on the faith-works connection. First of all, our salvation is “not by works.” We don’t deserve it, and we cannot earn it. Quite to the contrary, we are saved by grace, through faith. We become a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) through “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21, NASB).
But…notice (vs. 10) that as these new creations in Christ, we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” In brief, we don’t do works to get saved. We don’t do works to stay saved. We do works because we are saved! We are born again, we become new creations in Christ, “to do [the] good works” that God has in mind for us to do.
Our Christian walk is a walk of faith. Not of mere intellectual consent to truth, but an active embracing of God’s truth that motivates us to good works. Otherwise, faith without works is dead. God expects us to show our faith by our works (James 2:18). We are saved by grace through faith, not by works, that is certain. We live that faith out in active obedience to the Lord in a life of holiness, devotion to the Lord, and a doing of the “good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). And that is the context of James's statement that faith without works is dead. Not works to get saved, but works that are the expected fruit and evidence of our salvation by grace through faith.
Have you come to Jesus in simple repentance for sin and faith in Him and His death and resurrection for our sins? Then you are saved, born again, a child of God heading toward eternity with the Lord. Meanwhile, we have a life to live out on earth for the glory of God. And it is God’s desire that we live that life here on earth in a faith walk that motivates us to the good works that He has determined for us to do. As you look forward to the coming of the Lord, be reassured by Jesus’ words: “…behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12, NKJV).
We will be among the redeemed by grace, through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). You will be blessed beyond earthly imagining at Christ’s Second Coming, because you have built your life upon the one true foundation, Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). There will also be a dispensing of rewards by the Lord to His saved people, and that is very much related to the quality of our works (vss. 12-15). So be diligent to be among those who have “believed in God … [and] devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8, ESV). That is the kind of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6ff).
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/faith-without-works-dead.html
2-12-23 Self-Control of Your Tongue--Tame the Tongue Or It Will Ruin You
Summary: How would you like to be able to control every part of yourself, every aspect of your personality, in a way that is pleasing to God? It can be done. How, you say? By getting the victory over your most unruly member — your tongue! Conquer that and the rest falls nicely into place.
James 3:2, Contemporary English Version All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.
Vs. 2, Phillips …if he can control his tongue he can control every other part of his personality!
Vs. 2, New Living Translation For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
• I’ve been a Bible-believing, Scripture-reading Christian for 45 years. But just the other day the awesome truth of these words came forcefully alive in my mind and my spirit.
• Consider what God is saying here: that if you can control what you speak, you can get the victory over all the other parts of your fleshly, carnal nature.
• The man or woman who understands the power of the tongue and keeps it under control will be able to control the whole body (CEV) … able to control every other part of his personality (Phillips) … able to control ourselves in every other way (NLT).
James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
• Our words have incredible power for good, but also for evil ("the tongue is a fire"). Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that, without the restraining power of God working in us, our tongue will inevitably prove its reputation as “a world of evil.”
• The tongue is a corrupter. Given free rein, it will eventually pollute your life down to the very deepest levels of your soul. James wrote that it can corrupt the entire body.
• And where does the tongue get this power? It is “set on fire by hell.” The devil apparently expends much effort in persuading us to use our words loosely, immorally, viciously, and in ways that will hurt both ourselves and those around us.
• The damage that the tongue is capable of is almost immeasurable. Can you think of something you’ve said sometime in your life that was deeply hurtful to someone? Don’t you wish you had never spoken those words? The old expression "Hold your tongue!", if obeyed, would keep many thoughtless speakers from hurting others.
• Wholesome, uplifting speech, “a word spoken in due season” (Prov. 15:23, KJV), can bring blessing and life. But the opposite results come from dishonest, immoral, critical, unwholesome words — “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21).
You might be saying, OK, I get the point. But how can I get control of my words, and by doing that get control of the rest of myself? The answer, I believe, lies in a cooperative combination of God’s work and grace in us along with our own diligence to apply Scriptural principles in our unending battle to harness the power of the tongue for good, not for evil. Here are some helpful truths:
1. Seek the Lord for the spiritual fruit of self-control.
• Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
• Self-control! Apply it to your words, and you’ll find it will have a “trickle-down” effect into all other areas of your life. Remember, James wrote that if we can control our tongue, we can control our whole body! This ability to curb our carnal impulses is a blessing and a spiritual fruit that is imparted to us by the Spirit of God. Seek it, cultivate it in your conduct, let it permeate all that you say and do.
• Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
• Here is where we cooperate with the Lord. His Holy Spirit grows within us the fruit of self-control, which certainly includes self-control of the tongue. Our part is to apply that and to “crucify the flesh” with its carnal cravings and desires. Will those cravings come, including temptations to speak harmful words? Yes, they will. But the Holy Spirit in us will give us the strength to crucify, to put to death, those temptations and inclinations. So as unwholesome words begin to arise in your heart, say a firm “NO!” to them.
2. Determine that your mouth’s words will be a fountain of grace.
• Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace…
• From their early childhood, our four children heard us recite this verse to them. They got to the place where they too would repeat it. And it seemed to get a good grip on their speech. I’m happy to say that all four spoke consistently with grace and do so to the present day.
• As you ponder speaking, ask yourself: Is this kind? Are these words merciful? forgiving? likely to help the other person?
• Jesus came to earth “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And His words consistently reflected that grace to His hearers. He is the perfect Pattern for us. Always ask yourself: is what I am saying or about to say “full of grace”?
3. Decide that your words will always be edifying, not corrupting.
• Ephesians 4:29, KJV Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
• Two important questions: (1) Is what I am about to speak likely to corrupt me and my hearers? Or (2) is it likely to edify, to build up?
• Before speaking, ask: am I about to speak innuendoes? off-color stuff? coarse language? would I say this in the presence of my pastor? would I say this to Jesus? Don’t be a corruptor! Speak what will build others up, not tear them down.
4. Aim to be more a good listener and less a gabby talker.
• James 1:19b, Amplified Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak.
• Don’t be that person who has to have the last word. Don’t feel that you have to fill every quiet moment with your words. Listen a lot; speak much less, and do that with reserve and deliberation. “Let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). You’ll be amazed at how much more people will enjoy your company.
5. Rethink what it means to be properly, biblically “religious.”
• James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
• In some Christian circles, sad to say, it has become fashionable to say they don’t want to “be religious.” Yet God speaks of “pure and faultless religion” as a good thing (James 1:27).
• We should all want to be living out that pure and faultless religion. But James warns us that a fast track to making our religion worthless is not keeping a tight rein on our tongues.
6. Speak God's word often, and it will retrain you to speak in ways pleasing to Him.
• Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
• The devil tried to entice Jesus with three temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-10). In each instance Jesus responded by quoting from the Scriptures. That's a perfect, sinless example for us. If we feel stressed, tempted, confused, angered, etc., the carnal nature in us may feel to reply wrongly. The safe and victorious response, though, is to base our spoken reactions upon the word of God. Let His word — not our anger or pride or self-justification — shape the words upon our lips.
Much more could be said, and more Scriptures could be quoted. But I think we get the point. The Christian is called to a very high standard of speaking. Let our speech be characterized by self-control, graciousness, other-centeredness, kindness, honesty, purity, and other virtues. Let it never become harsh, critical, immoral, coarse, prideful, and the like.
Our words have the power of death and life, both to ourselves and to others. Thinking back to our opening verse, we’ve seen a remarkable principle that God has built into us humans — that is, that if we can get the victory over our unruly tongues, we will find that spilling over into victory over other areas of our carnal natures. Let’s close today with a reminder of that awesome promise: “If you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body” (James 3:2, CEV).
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/control-your-tongue-words.html
2-5-23 How to Overcome Foolishness and Stop Being a Fool
Summary: "You fool!" Those are words I would never want to hear God say to me. Yet He does say that about conduct that many, sad to say, take for granted. All of us seeking to be wise and to conform increasingly to Christ's image can profit from some sound biblical advice on how to overcome foolishness and stop being a fool.
Don't blameshift. Take accountability for your actions
Proverbs 19:3 A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
•• This is the classic fool’s maneuver — to blameshift. The tendency to blame others for our own folly began way back in the Garden of Eden.
• Adam blamed God and Eve: “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12).
• Eve shifted blame for her sin to the serpent: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13).
•• As the proverb above states, the fool looks to identify someone else — even God! — as the cause of his ruined life, rather than to acknowledge, “My own folly has done this.”
•• (1) Stop being a fool by failing to take personal accountability for wrong attitudes and bad conduct.
Don't spread derogatory information about others
Proverbs 10:18 ...whoever spreads slander is a fool.
•• Some people find it easy to badmouth others, to spread false reports. Perhaps it makes them feel better, superior, or more important. Whatever the motive, God’s word calls the slanderer a fool!
•• Even one false report about a person can severely damage his or her life. God forbid(!) that such folly should proceed from our mouths.
•• (2) Don’t be a fool whose mouth gushes derogatory comments about others.
Listen to advice. Don't be a know-it-all
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
•• What a difference! The fool says, “I can take care of myself; I can figure out my own life. I don’t need others telling me what to do.” By contrast, the attitude of the wise man is: “I’m always open to the input and advice of those older/wiser/more experienced than I am.” And that is why, as another proverb says, the wise become even wiser.
•• (3) Don’t be a self-centered fool by ignoring wise and helpful input from others.
•• The old saying "never argue with a fool" is consistent with this biblical proverb. Arguing with a fool will rarely get you anywhere, because the fool enters the argument with the assumption that he or she is right and doesn't need (and will rarely heed) your input.
Rather than getting annoyed, be willing to forgive offenses
Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
•• There’s a wise, ages-old saying that says, when you are upset, “count to ten”. The fool rarely does this. Instead, as The Message translation of this verse says, “Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly.”
•• A prudent man, by contrast, overlooks an insult or offense. As Proverbs 19:11 says, “It is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” So many broken relationships would never have been broken if the parties involved had simply been willing to overlook an offense.
•• (4) Stop being a fool if you find yourself tolerating, even justifying, your “Irish temper”. Left unchecked, it will devour you!
Choose good companions, not those who may drag you down
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
•• “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). The company you keep will affect you.
•• I didn’t make my personal commitment to serve Jesus Christ until my mid-20s. Prior to that time, the company I chose to keep definitely included some of openly bad character. Those companions definitely influenced me into some bad habits such as underage drinking. After I turned my life over to the Lord, it took some time for God’s Word and His Holy Spirit to work on weeding out habits I had learned from being “a companion of fools” in my earlier years.
•• (5) You're being a fool if you think you can associate with bad characters and not be affected for the worse.
Conquer your quick temper, don't excuse yourself for it
Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man does foolish things...
Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
•• I’d like to know the percentage of those convicted of violent crimes who have quick tempers. I suspect it is quite high. Angry, quick-tempered people, lacking in self-control, tend to be “quickly provoked” and to do “foolish things”.
•• Examine yourself. Don’t let yourself off easily on this topic. Do you have an “Irish temper”? Left unchecked, it will lead you to do or say foolish things.
•• (6) Stop being a fool by giving yourself a “pass” if you have a quick temper. Acknowledge it to God and seek his help to conquer that anger, by applying His word and by yielding to the sanctifying influence of His Holy Spirit.
Be teachable and correctible
Proverbs 15:5 A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
•• Fools resist proper discipline. Wise people heed it.
• To those of you who are raising children, never allow them to be defiant.
• To teens still living at home, be teachable. Don’t resist your father’s (or mother’s) instruction and discipline, to your own hurt.
•• (7) To all, heed the principle of this Scripture. That is, don’t become a fool by ignoring proper discipline, correction, and instruction. In decades of pastoral ministry and church-based Bible School teaching, I observed that those who progressed well in their walk with the Lord were those who were teachable.
Don't offend others by a constant flow of your own opinions
Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.
•• I like to hear others’ insights and opinions. To think otherwise is to fall prey to the arrogant belief that my opinions are 100% correct, always, and do not need the benefit of the wisdom of others. This is the sin of pride and the mark of “a fool”. My wife and I read the Bible aloud to each other. Often we'll stop and discuss it, and I often receive excellent insights from my wife's comments.
•• I enjoy talk radio (but not the arguing!). It gives me the opportunity to hear additional perspectives, then to filter them through the principles of Scripture and the lessons learned from life experiences.
•• (8) I don’t want to be a fool who insists on “airing his own opinions”. Few things are more obnoxious than a know-it-all who thinks he has the answer to everything, when in reality that attitude puts him in the category of what the Bible calls a fool!
Listen well first before answering
Proverbs 18:13 He who answers before listening — that is his folly and his shame.
•• I made this mistake once years ago in a dispute between a pastor and elder in a small church in Alaska. The elder called me and presented what, on the surface, seemed like a “good case” against his pastor. Foolishly, having heard only his side, I jumped on board with him against the pastor. Then later I heard the pastor’s side and realized I had made a great mistake. I had foolishly “answered before listening”.
•• (9) The simple way to prevent becoming this type of fool is to build into your life the wisdom of the verse that says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19).
Do not be quick to quarrel
Proverbs 20:3 It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
•• Some say, “I like a good fight.” God says, “You’re a fool!” Ouch. It’s a pretty serious thing to have God call you a fool, and even more serious not to take action to correct your fault if you are a quarreler.
•• (10) Don’t be argumentative. “Only fools insist on quarreling” (vs. 3, Amplified). Ask yourself: do you like to be around such people? Then don’t be one!
Seek moderation over instant gratification
Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
•• Ours is an age of instant gratification. I need it/want it/must have it now! So all moderation and planning for the future are cast aside in the desire to satisfy one’s “now” urges.
• Saving up to pay cash for something is a thing of the past (alas!). Many consumers today just plunk down the credit card and go deeper and deeper in debt, because they see something they’ve “gotta have … now!”
• (11) By contrast, the wise person is moderate and temperate in consumption — of both what he has and what he would like to have.
Trust in the Lord, not in your own 'wisdom'
Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Proverbs 28:26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
•• The Scriptures are wonderfully clear on this:
• “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).
• “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:19).
• “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV).
•• (12) Don’t be a fool, taking pride in what you perceive as your intelligence and wisdom. Such wisdom “is foolishness in God’s sight”. By contrast, trust the Lord, learn His wisdom from the Scriptures of the Bible, acknowledge Him and His ways, and you will be a truly wise man or woman.
Here's a biggie! Consider quitting alcohol
Proverbs 20:1 (NLV) Wine makes people act in a foolish way. Strong drink starts fights. Whoever is fooled by it is not wise.
•• 51 years ago, at age 27, I went on the wagon. As my Irish ancestors would say, "I took the pledge" to stop drinking alcohol. Thanks to the Lord's help, I've kept that commitment. I have not regretted that decision once, from that day to this. As a young adult drinker of "adult beverages," I often talked and acted like a fool. As the God-inspired Proverb says, alcohol made me foolish, not wise. Yes, the Bible does say that alcohol can turn a person under its influence into an unwise fool.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/dont-be-a-fool.html
1-29-23 Personal Revival: 5 Steps to Spiritual Revival That Will Change Your Life
Summary: Wise believers pray, "Lord, send revival, and let it begin with me!" How can we be God's vessels to lead a lost world to Christ if we ourselves are not stirred up spiritually? Come see five simple keys to opening yourself up to a personal reviving touch from the Lord.
Psalm 85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
•• “Revive us,” Lord! That’s a noble goal to have. But now what about how to be revived spiritually? God will certainly do His part. Our focus today will be: what is our part? What do we need to be doing to receive that reviving touch from the Lord?
•• We’ve been praying for heaven-sent revival to come upon our portion of Oregon. That’s a worthy hope. But for that divine visitation, that powerful move of God, to come upon our region, it will first need to come upon us, His people. Jesus said to His followers, "Keep your lamps burning" (Luke 12:35). Many of us need to get fired up again for the Lord. We’re asking the Lord to “revive us again”. Three key words:
• revive — we need to be stirred up by God’s Holy Spirit, to be given a heavenly dose of spiritual excitement, of greater devotion to Him, of an enlarged motivation to minister in His name to a lost world.
• us — If God wished, He could preach the Gospel directly from heaven. But instead, He has chosen to use us, His followers on earth. For spiritual revival to come to the lost, it is vitally important that we be revived and stirred to greater levels of effectiveness for the Lord.
• again — Many of us have lived through great experiences with the Lord. Some of us have participated in exciting times of widespread spiritual revival. Historically, in the years between those stirring times, God’s people often tend to cool down, to lose some of their former fervor for the Lord’s work on earth.
•• So our goal, our hope, our purpose today, is to look at five key steps to personal revival.
1) God’s WORD —
Psalm 119:105, 130, KJV Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.... [130] The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
•• Jesus said that His words are “spirit and life” (John 6:63). That’s what I need — more spirit and life!
•• Do your want your spirit stirred? Do you want to experience more life in your walk with the Lord? Then read His word ... read His word ... read His word, daily. That Word of God:
• will be a lamp to you, a light for your path
• will give you spiritual understanding
• will bring you into a higher-quality spiritual life
•• So read His Word often ... and come and hear it preached.
2) WORSHIP —
Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
•• Worship tends to bring gladness to your soul. Singing praise to Him tends to bring joy to your soul. I desire a greater measure of joy and gladness.
Psalm 22:3, KJV But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
•• In the act of praising the Lord, there seems to be a special sensing of His presence.
•• I have been in times of worship where it seems almost as if we were swept up into the Lord’s very presence. Don’t wait for church for that; praise the Lord often throughout the day. Sing to Him whenever you can with “joyful songs”.
3) PRAYER —
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually.
•• Fill your day with five-second prayers, with one-minute prayers, with ten-minute times of prayer, and more when you can.
•• A suggestion: pray the Lord’s Prayer ... slowly ... enlarging each element before the Lord. Jesus told His disciples, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name...” (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4).
4) HOPE —
Psalm 42:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
•• Feeling downcast? discouraged? disturbed within? “Put your hope in God!” It’s a choice of your will. And you will love the results (see the next verse).
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
•• Are you tired? weary? stumbling? feel like you’re ready to collapse? Then “hope in the Lord”! As the Psalmist said, “Put your hope in God.” And watch His reviving come — you’ll renew your strength ... you’ll soar like eagles ... you’ll walk and even run without growing weary.
5) REPENT of all KNOWN SIN —
Repentance is not just for the unsaved. In Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, Jesus commanded five churches to repent.
•• Why is unrepented sin so devastating to our walk with God? Because God says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Sin brings a wedge of separation between God and His people.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
•• “Examine yourselves,” said the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 13:5). How is your faith? your walk with God? your conduct? your thoughts? If you detect sin in any area, there’s only one thing to do: repent and turn back to God. The result? — “times of refreshing ... from the Lord”.
In sum: Five simple steps to personal revival —
• Read His Word
• Worship Him, sing to Him often during the day
• Pray whenever you can
• Be hopeful; put your hope in God
• Repent of all known sin and experience times of refreshing!
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Revival starts with each of us as spiritually revived individuals.
• “My people”
• Humble ourselves.
• Seek God in His Word, in worship, and in prayer.
• Turn from any sin, any wicked ways.
• Then hopefully expect God to move, to hear from heaven, and to heal our land.
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
https://www.jimfeeney.org/personal-revival-keys.html
1-15-23 Three Fixations Beneficial to Your Emotional and Spiritual Health
Summary: Psychologists would usually tell you that “fixations” are to be avoided. But there are three healthy fixations that, by contrast, are beneficial to your spiritual health and wellness and will help you to live a victorious life.
Hebrews 12:1-4 ...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross... [3] Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [4] In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
•• We live lives filled with hindrances (vs. 1) — financial shortfalls, people who dislike us or oppose us, cars or plumbing breaking down, and many other negatives.
•• And, of even greater consequence, each of us also lives with the constant, daily testings and trials of our sin natures (vs. 1), our tendency to be easily entangled by sin.
•• Is there a solution to these obstacles to a victorious daily walk with the Lord?
• Is there a way to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” us?
• Is there a way to “run with perseverance”?
• Is there a way to win our “struggle against sin”?
•• Yes! The answer is a healthy fixation — “Fix [your] eyes upon JESUS ... Consider Him...” (vs. 2).
• There is a wonderful worship song with these lyrics:
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace”
•• Some years ago, after the close of a church service, a few of us were standing around when a young man with a history of seizures began to have another one. Immediately one of us encouraged him to call out the name “Jesus! Jesus!...” He did that, and the onset of the seizure stopped!
• What had just happened? He had fixed his eyes on Jesus, and Jesus met him at his point of need.
•• In 1969, after many weeks of reading the Scriptures, I set aside my prior theological “clutter” and simply fixed my focus on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All alone in my room on an Air Force base I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and to save me. I was immediately blessed with a sense of His loving presence and forgiveness. In fact, in a vision of my mind’s eye I saw Him at the foot of my bed receiving me into the family of God!
• Again, what had happened? Simply this: I had stopped trying to intellectualize religion and instead looked directly to Jesus Himself. I had “fixed” my eyes upon Jesus.
So “healthy fixation” #1 is: FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
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Hebrews 2:17-3:1 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. [18]] Because he Himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. [3:1] Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
•• Are you suffering physically? emotionally? mentally? relationally? (vs. 18)? Is there a solution? Yes!
• Another healthy fixation — “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.... [remembering that] He Himself suffered.”
• When I was younger I became a “two-gallon donor” at a blood bank in Anchorage. I’m not too fond of being poked by needles. So as the nurse was getting the blood draw hooked up, in my mind I used to focus my thoughts on Jesus on the cross. I would ponder the thought that if Jesus could suffer so much pain for us, I could easily put up with a little needle poke! I realize that it’s silly of me even to remotely compare my discomfort to His pain. But my simple point is this: by deliberately looking unto Jesus, by focusing my thoughts on Him, I found that any earthly suffering I might have experienced faded out of sight.
•• Are you suffering temptation? — “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.... He is able to help...” (vs. 18)
• Are you tempted to retaliate to unjust persecution or slander? Fix your thoughts on Jesus before Pilate.
• Are you tempted by immoral thoughts? Fix your thoughts on Jesus and His blameless, pure conduct in the presence of many women during his years of ministry.
• Are you being tempted by pride? Fix your thoughts on Jesus successfully resisting the wilderness temptations by Satan — “All these [kingdoms of the world] will I give you...” (Matthew 4:8-9, KJV).
So “healthy fixation” #2 is: FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON JESUS.
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2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
•• Are you starting to “lose heart” (vs. 16)? Do you feel like you are “outwardly ... wasting away” (16)? Are you being beset with many “troubles” (17)?
•• There is a healthy fixation available for you — “Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen ... [on what is] eternal.”
• If I dwell on my aging body’s aches and pains, I could lose heart at times. But by fixing my focus on the “unseen ... the eternal”, I’m reminded of the glorious body that I’ll have for all eternity after the resurrection!
• You can dwell on “troubles” — financial, social, job-related, whatever. Or you can fix your eyes on eternity, when there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more tears.
• Eternity is a healthy fixation!
So “healthy fixation” #3 is: FIX YOUR EYES NOT ON WHAT IS SEEN, BUT ON WHAT IS UNSEEN.
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We’ve looked today at three “fix”-es:
1) Fix your EYES on JESUS ... Consider HIM in your struggle to persevere and to throw off hindrances and sin.
2) Fix your THOUGHTS on JESUS, who is able to help you when you are suffering or being tempted.
3) Fix your eyes on what is UNSEEN, on what is ETERNAL, when you are troubled or tending to lose heart.
In sum, three healthy, biblical “fixations” that will bless your life and greatly help your walk with God are:
• EYES on JESUS
• THOUGHTS on JESUS
• EYES on ETERNITY
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I pray this message and the music this week have touched your heart. If it has and you're ready to take Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you need to do the following four things:
1. Admit you're a sinner.
2. Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you.
3. Believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
4. Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
Repeat the following prayer, which includes numbers 1-4 above. It's got to be from your heart and not just your head. You don't have to be in a church to say this prayer. You can say it right now, right where you are. But after you've said it I strongly urge you to find a local church and go to the very next service. Tell the pastor what great and wonderful thing has happened to you.
PRAYER
Lord God, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I come to you with all the sins I've committed. I admit I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. Please cleanse my body, soul and spirit from these sins with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all those who believe in His name. I also believe that He rose from the dead so that I, too, may have victory over the works of the devil. I confess and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into my heart and give me a new life that seeks after Your will and purposes. I want to serve You and obey all Your ways. I want to live for You every day of my life. Please lead and guide me into righteousness by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Lord, for the work of Your Son, Jesus, who shed His blood for me, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you that I am now considered Your child through the work of Jesus. Thank you that I have a new life. Thank you that I've been born anew, and by faith I believe it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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