Category: thankfulness

A Father’s Gift #3

Saturday, August 17, 2024

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 KJV).

Let us learn about Father’s gift….

There are some 4,200 religions worldwide. In “Christianity” alone, anywhere from 33,000 to 38,000 denominations exist. These conflicting groups surfaced for a variety of reasons—following the theological speculations of a single man or woman, holding to a specific rite or ritual or ceremony, emphasizing one obscure or misapplied Bible verse or another, blending this system with that system (repeat, repeat, and repeat). Even though “scholarship” and amusement abound, there is very little spiritual knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and spiritual understanding. Instead of victory over sin, maturity and light have been defeated!

It is really an unfortunate fact that some genuine Christian people in ministry will keep polluting the Church the Body of Christ with false doctrine until their physical death. They know their traditions of men are not the pure Word of God, but they will not forsake them because that means becoming an outcast of the denominational system (social club!) and being subsequently labeled “divisive,” “troublemaker,” or “church-splitter” (see John 9:20-23). They fully recognize they are doing the Devil’s work, but, for fear of losing the praise of men, they have elected not to stop (John 12:42,43). Since the flesh reigns supreme in their minds and hearts, they have quenched or hindered the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Their conscience is seared with a hot iron, so their doctrines of devils do not bother them in even the slightest way (1 Timothy 4:1,2).

However, as soon as physical death relocates these saints to Heaven, God with great force straightens them out and their denominational confusion and secularism (worldliness) disappear. For the first time ever, they finally understand and enjoy the Bible—the very understanding and enjoyment they could have had on Earth going back decades, if only they had swallowed their pride and did more Bible study than theology study! In today’s Scripture, Father God in our behalf has wrought a mighty work at Calvary, but, unless we take the time to see it, we will not truly appreciate Father’s gift as we should….

A Father’s Gift #2

Friday, August 16, 2024

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 KJV).

Let us learn about Father’s gift….

There is an extremely, extremely high risk that we believers in Christ will not build into our souls and lives useful, beneficial information. In fact, the warning was issued 2,000 years ago in the following verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 3: “[9] For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. [10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. [11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. [14] If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

Notice the six building materials in verse 12: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. The first three are valuable in the physical world because they are so rare; the same is true in the spiritual realm. Comparatively, the second three are worth nothing because they are so abundant; that is also true in the spiritual world. It is more probable that we will use spiritual wood, spiritual hay, and spiritual stubble than spiritual gold, spiritual silver, and spiritual precious stones. To wit, the possibility is quite high that we will not think and act in accordance with today’s Scripture, Father’s gift: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

We now consider the quality of what we are building….

A Father’s Gift #1

Thursday, August 15, 2024

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 KJV).

Let us learn about Father’s gift….

The son of a wealthy businessman was preparing to graduate college. He told his father how he loved a certain sports car, and, since he always got what he wanted, he expected his father to buy it for him. When graduation day came, the father invited his son into his study and handed him a beautifully wrapped box, exclaiming, “Son, I am so proud of you!” The son eagerly opened the box. Instead of the keys to the sports car, however, only a book was inside. In utter disappointment, he threw the book down and cried out, “Considering the large fortune you have, this is all you have bought me?!” In a great rage, the son stormed out of the room and left the house, deciding to never speak to his father again.

Many decades pass. The son is now a successful, rich businessman like his father. He receives a phone call. His father has died and willed his entire estate to him, so now he must go back home and sort the possessions. Driving through his hometown, he begins to grow sad. Unlocking the front door of his father’s mansion, and eventually getting into his study where they last spoke, he is filled with sorrow and regret. He sits down at his father’s desk to process the belongings. Opening a drawer, he finds the book his father offered him all those years ago. Turning the book’s cover and flipping the pages, he sees a handwritten note, “With love for my precious son, who made me so proud!” He lifts the note and sees a hole cut out of the middle of the book. There was the key… the key to the sports car!

Several lessons could be learned from this tragic story. For example, forgiveness is important. Or, jumping to conclusions is unwise. Yet, as Bible believers, we can see in this the most valuable moral of all. We should more closely examine and appreciate Father God’s gift to us….

The Roller-Coaster of Life #8

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

When the disciples learned how they would desert Jesus, they disputed it and called Him a liar! “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all” (Mark 14:27-31). Of course, it came to pass exactly as Christ foretold: “And they all forsook him, and fled” (verse 50), including boastful Peter denying Him three times (verses 66-72)!

It contradicts humanism (“man is his final authority!”), is at variance with “feel-good” Christendom, and offends our ego. Yet, the fact remains that, because of sin, none (!) of us are faithful. Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul, was raised in Judaism (works-religion). Such “Judaizers” or denominationalists constantly promoted “the goodness of men” amongst his grace believers. Now, as a Christian, he composed these words: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:…” (Philippians 3:3,4). Indeed, Saul had “trusted in the flesh”—his religious performance—yet that was “but dung” (verses 5-8). “And be found in him [Christ], not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:…” (verse 9).

Never forget: Father God does not trust us, but He does trust Christ in us, so we may we trust Christ in us too! 🙂

The Roller-Coaster of Life #7

Monday, July 1, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

Chapter 10: “[1] Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; [2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; [3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat; [4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. [5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

“[6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. [7] Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. [8] Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. [9] Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. [10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

“[11] Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. [12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. [13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

As ancient Israel forsook Moses (God’s spokesman to them), so the Corinthians had abandoned Paul (God’s spokesman to them). Yet, again, “God is faithful” (verse 13), offering the Corinthians the spiritual power to overcome their apostasy and return to His words of grace to them by faith (Romans through Philemon). Even now, this holds true of us.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

The Roller-Coaster of Life #6

Sunday, June 30, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

A bygone preacher once observed: “the flesh wants to do something, be something, live something.” This claim can be easily proven by visiting a denominational church—or anywhere else the Message of God’s Grace is absent. In fact, the works of the flesh can be (and have been) frequently passed off as (supposedly) “the works of the Spirit of God.” Only a mature, discerning spiritual eye can differentiate them.

Man has to come to a very uncomfortable, unflattering conclusion: his works, no matter their quantity, are not perfect righteousness or sinlessness. In no way can he save (deliver) or reform (change) himself. Those who cannot (or will not) admit that then intensely refute the idea of “once saved, always saved.” To them, you can and should trust Christ as your personal Saviour, but then, say they, you must continue in holy living to maintain that salvation or you will lose it. This is extremely convoluted, for it assumes our works play some role in perpetuating a relationship with God that we could never (and will never) obtain by our works anyway!

The Corinthians actually started off right: “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). In that brief moment of clarity, they recognized their Greek philosophy was void of any eternal value. It could not give them a right standing before the one true God any more than the Law of Moses could justify Israel! There was no doubt whatsoever they became members of the Church the Body of Christ right here, believing in their heart how Christ died for their sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Alas, Satan’s evil world system (false teachers) later drew them away from that simple truth, which generated the innumerable problems/sins in the Corinthian assembly Paul is now addressing in 1 Corinthians.

In today’s Scripture, he thus did not emphasize their faithfulness (for, they were unfaithful!) but rather God’s faithfulness….

The Roller-Coaster of Life #5

Saturday, June 29, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

“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). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:1-7).

Once, I gave a Christian some Bible verses to navigate his perplexing (!) struggles. His answer to those Scriptures was, “But my human mind cannot fathom that.” My swift answer was, “We are not using the human mind but God’s mind.” See, he inadvertently declared his fundamental problem by echoing the Corinthians (or the ancient Greek philosophers, lovers of human wisdom). His primary difficulty was unbelief… and, yet, he was a member of the Body of Christ. The roller-coaster of life had driven him to trust in his own resources, his own intellect, instead of the renewed mind the Holy Spirit offers us….

The Roller-Coaster of Life #4

Friday, June 28, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

Addressing the heathen Gentiles in central Turkey, Paul referred to how they worshipped “vanities” (worthless idols) because the God of Israel had “in times past suffered [permitted, allowed] all nations to walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:11-17). In Athens, the intellectual capital of the Roman Empire, Paul pointed out their pagan idolatry was “ignorance” (Acts 17:16,22-31). This was the spiritual darkness and blindness to which God had handed over the nations back at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things” (Romans 1:20-23). Here was the origin of Greek philosophy—systems of thought founded on Satan worship.

Doubtless, the Corinthians were not faithful, reliable, dependable, trustworthy. God could not—and did not—expect them to live the Christian life. He knows the flesh is weak, though it certainly exerts great effort to try to manage or overcome sin. The secular pressure from nearby Athens was so tempting. Supposedly, every “wise” man in Corinth boasted he had the solutions to the world’s problems. Of course, this was human wisdom, not the wisdom of the God of the Bible. Yet, the Corinthian Christians had even adopted these faulty ideas, discarding the Holy Scriptures in favor of something “more rational” (appealing to the intellect). As long as it was the resources they had in and of themselves, they were totally void of God’s power and life—and, hence, their Christian life was not functioning properly.

The Corinthians were building their Christian life on a foundation of shifting sand….

The Roller-Coaster of Life #3

Thursday, June 27, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

Paul expressed gratitude to God for giving the Corinthians grace (unmerited favor through Calvary’s finished crosswork). We read chapter 1, the context of today’s Scripture: “[4] I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; [5] That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; [6] Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: [7] So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: [8] Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Father God had already furnished them in Christ with everything they needed for victorious Christian living, but they had not made any use of those resources by faith. Like millions of Christians and hundreds of millions of church members now, they were depending on philosophy—love of human wisdom—to guide their thoughts and lives. God’s wisdom, however, was uninteresting to them. What an understatement it is to say there was spiritual catastrophe in Corinth!

Still, as awful as spiritual conditions were in Corinth, the promise of verse 8 held true—and, while it may be difficult to believe, was permanent. Father God would “confirm [them] unto the end,” keep them safe and secure, strengthening and pronouncing them “blameless” in Christ because they would always have God’s righteousness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was what God did that ultimately mattered—as opposed to what they did or were doing (thinking and acting like complete spiritual fools, frankly!).

Crosswinds (blowing from left and right) and headwinds (pushing from the front) were driving the Corinthians off course doctrinally. False teachers were swaying them in every which way but the right one, which rendered them “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). They were letting their situations and circumstances cause them to lose sight of their life and victory in Christ….















































@font-face
{font-family:”Cambria Math”;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face
{font-family:”Bookman Old Style”;
panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Humanist521BT-Light;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-alt:Cambria;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:auto;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;}.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-font-kerning:0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}

The Roller-Coaster of Life #2

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV).

In this roller coaster called “life,” who is truly “faithful?”

Using secular historical data, we can say Paul first arrived in Corinth circa A.D. 50–51. According to Roman records, that was Gallio’s brief term as deputy or governor of Achaia or southern Greece (see Acts 18:12). It was around this period of Acts chapter 18 that Paul wins the Corinthians to the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. He teaches them the Word of God for nearly two years (verses 11,18).

Eventually, he moves on to Ephesus (western Turkey) before concluding his second apostolic journey by returning to Antioch of Syria (verses 19-22). As he launches his third apostolic journey in verse 23, he re-visits Ephesus, wherein he resides for three years (all of chapter 19; see Acts 20:17,31). It would have been during the opening verse of Acts chapter 20, his final days in Ephesus, that he composed 1 Corinthians (see 1 Corinthians 16:8,9). In other words, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, as many as six years could have passed since he first preached the Gospel of Grace to them (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Stated another way, the Corinthians have been members of the Church the Body of Christ for at least five years. Alas, as we study 1 Corinthians, it is apparent they have not grown and developed into mature Bible believers. Such prolonged exposure to sound doctrine should have brought their thoughts and lives much further than where they are currently situated. Observe chapter 3, verses 1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual [led by the Spirit of God], but as unto carnal [fleshly], even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” The Corinthians have not continued in the edification process, so they are malnourished, spiritual babies who still cannot tolerate solid spiritual food….















































@font-face
{font-family:”Cambria Math”;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face
{font-family:”Bookman Old Style”;
panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Humanist521BT-Light;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-alt:Cambria;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:auto;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;}.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Cambria”,serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-font-kerning:0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}