When our LORD stands

Last weekend proved to be a challenge.On Sunday we heard on the persecuted church...that speaks for itself.

 Brother George, is a full time worker with Open Doors ministries ( founded by brother Andrew, author of the millions-selling book:God's smuggler ). He presented the sermon and some of what God is doing among the Body of Christ worldwide. 

He went through some chapters on the book of Acts (Acts 6,7,8,9). We read about Stephen and the early church. Stephen was a man full of faith, of the whole Ghost and power (Acts 6:5,8) .

 On Stephen he remarked that there we had the first martyr ( witness ) for the sake of Christ. The first of many that would die in HIS NAME, and FOR HIS GLORY.

That passage struck all of us : Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

We see our LORD standing. Please compare that to these verses:

I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left (1King 22:19)

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mat 14:62)

It amazed me to see that the LORD Jesus would stand.I never saw that passage in this way.

The Lord Jesus, the LORD of glory cared for His church, for that first martyr,  HE stands as one of His suffers and dies as a witness...

The will of God

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1Th 4:3). 

Are you low in the world? Perhaps it is not the will of God that you should be rich. But it is the will of God that you should be holy.
 “This is the will of God…your sanctification.”

The pure in heart  by Thomas Watson 

"As long as the gratification of any innocent taste does not absorb time that could and should be better spent; as long as you can return to religious duty or religion devotion, with unchecked delight, as long as Christ holds unmistakably His place as the King of your soul, that you count all your treasures but loss that you may keep Him there, - so long you are safe in your human pursuits and pleasures. 
But if these things, innocent in themselves have the boldness and impertinence to beguile you from duty, form prayer, from Christ, to you they cease to be innocent.They are thieves and robbers and murderers; they will steal your most priceless treasures and slay your soul.'

 Mrs.E Prentiss

What, Why, How, When? Part 2

In the last post we attempted to find what the given verses from the Bible had in common.( To go back to the Bible verses click here ).

I was thinking recently on how the Bible describes our Christian walk; out of pure curiosity I tried to find out what verses I knew from the Bible that talked about walking or walk. 
I knew one who reads " from that time they walked with him no more ( reference to  Joh 6:66).
For we walk by faith and not by sight,... let us walk diligently,... now there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ, who walk not according to the flesh..., and so forth...

I never thought there was so many reference about a walk with God ( I had 65 verses down, if you read it ).

When young I always thought interesting the thought that Abraham was GOD's friend ( Isaiah 41:8), that Enoch walked with GOD (  Gen 5:24 ), but since I (and most of us) were raised hearing a gospel that is based on a once in a lifetime decision, ( more specifically a repeated prayer) , many of our generation do not understand what the Christian life looks like in practical daily  living. As a Child in my young years, I was conformed with a life of  "accomplishments for God", an impeccable Sunday apparel but a weekly living that lacked the understanding of this other way: GOD's way.

We seem (I did at least) to see the Christian life more or less like something static, boring and purposeless.We keep a set of rules and that's it, nothing else to be done... We compare ourselves with others and when we look a bit better that's great, forget GOD's absolute standards and holiness.

Many of us are not even aware of how much sinful we truly are...well, we do understand that Christ died once and for all for the sins of those who believe, but do we really understand the implications of it? Do we understand why the Invisible God had to slay his only Begotten Son, simply because Holiness cannot tolerate sin?

Camp 2011

*Note: Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the kids. Please excuse the lack of creativity in some of them...:)

First day of Camp
(AAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhh yes, this year the kids still had to scream when they heard the word "CAMP"...):

Is Christ your Lord?

We do not ask: Is Christ your “Savior,”?—but is He, really and truly, your Lord? If He is not your Lord, then He is most certainly not your “Savior.” Those who have not received Christ Jesus as their “Lord” and yet suppose Him to be their “Savior,” are deluded, and their hope rests on a foundation of sand. Multitudes are deceived on this vital point, and therefore, if the reader values his or her soul, we implore you to give a most careful reading to this little tract.

When we ask, is Christ your Lord? we do not inquire, Do you believe in the Godhead of Jesus of Nazareth? The demons do that (Mat 8:28-29) and yet perish notwithstanding! You may be firmly convinced of the Deity of Christ,and yet be in your sins. You may speak of Him with the utmost reverence, accord Him, His divine titles in your prayersand yet be unsaved. You may abominate those who traduce His person and deny His divinity, and yet have no spiritual love for Him at all.

When we ask, Is Christ your Lord, we mean, does He in very deed occupy the throne of your heart, and does He actually rule over your life? “We have turned everyone to his own way” (Isa 53:6) describes the course which we all follow by nature. Before conversion every soul lives to please self. Of old it was written, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” and why? “In those days there was no King in Israel” (Jdg 21:25). Ah! that is the point we desire to make clear to the reader. Until Christ becomes your King (1Ti 1:17; Rev 15:3), until you bow to His scepter, until His will becomes the rule of your life, self dominates, and thus Christ is disowned.

Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ!

And knowing the time, that now is high time to awake out of sleep: for our salvation is now nearer than when we believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the ARMOUR of LIGHT. Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the LORD JESUS CHRIST and MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFIL ITS LUSTS THEREOF. Romans 13:11-14

I confess these verses are just "shouting" at my face. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ? make no provision for the flesh?  Let us put on the armour of light? How does all of that takes place...?
Does Christ's word has a say to the way we live? Does the Bible tells in detail how life is to be lived? I guess if there is a time to concern ourselves with finding answers to those questions this time is just now. How long will we sleep for? How long will we live as if Eternity is not a reality?