By Faith...

 By Faith...

Faith Matters

 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”—Heb. 11:1

Translation: Faith is made up of hope for things we do not see and have never seen, but have evidence for.

If we rightly divide this verse we first need to understand what “Hope” is.

Hope is not a “Gee I sure hope so.”

No, it’s “more like “My only hope”. It’s like a life preserver or like a harness that a steel worker wears when he is on a high rise and needs a safety line to prevent falling.

We hope for things we have never seen, but have been given evidence of.

We have never seen God. We have never seen heaven or hell.

But, things have happened in our lives that have given us evidence of the reality of these things.

We have seen God move in our lives and answer prayer. We have seen people get healed of disease. We have seen blessings come to us and to others. We have seen the beauty of nature and the signs it holds. We have felt God in our spirit, comforting us.

This evidence is our lifeline to God. God provides this evidence so that our lifeline will be stronger and cause us to reach out to Him more and trust Him more. God Himself is our lifeline and He provides faith for it.

He gives us faith at birth, and He builds our faith to believe in Jesus Christ and put our faith and trust in Him. Then, He continues throughout our life to build our faith. If we know Him.

Hebrews chapter 11 is called the faith chapter of the Bible. This is where we can get a definition of what faith is.

The very first thing it mentions is having faith in God’s creation. Belief that God created all things out of nothing, simply by speaking it into existence.

We believe in creation because God told us in His Word that this is what happened. So, by faith we believe His Word. Our belief in His Word makes us righteous. Abraham believed God and it was counted to Him for righteousness. When we are told of Jesus Christ, we have the chance to believe or not. If we believe, then we are believing the Word of God, and we put our faith in Jesus Christ and we are declared righteous. Jesus is the living Word of God. (Romans 4:3 Rom. 3:22)

God washes us and places us in Christ. This is what happened to all the Old Testament saints. They believed God and God declared them righteous and placed them in Christ. Just like us.

Remember God is not bound by time or place. God is not filled with doubt. He knows for a fact that His plans will succeed. So, when an Old Testament saint died, having never known Jesus, God places them in Christ because they believed God’s Word.

So, if that saint was alive to today, and heard a sermon on Jesus. This saint would have accepted Him. I know this might not be liked by some believers, but every person who has ever been saved has been saved by grace, through faith. Not by works. They did the works because they believed the Word God gave them.

Grace comes from God and we see evidence, then choose to put our faith in Him at His Word.

Obedience or works are nothing without faith.

They are just rule keeping or going through the motions.

There are some things we cannot do without faith first. Like Confessing Jesus is the Lord, or believing He came in the flesh. (1 Cor. 12:3, 1 John 4:1-3 )

Like Abel sacrificing the first of his flock, as a picture of the future sacrifice of Christ. That’s what ALL sacrifices are. (Heb 11)

He did this because He received a Word from God, or believed the Word of God given to Him from Adam.

He then became a picture of Jesus, when he was killed by His brother because of envy. Like Christ was killed by His brethren for envy. (Gen. chapter 4, Matt. 27:18)

And they were sent to wander the earth.

We see that Enoch walked with God. He had a relationship with him, just like we are called to have a relationship. But, it started by first seeing evidence of God from God, or it came from a Word given from God by someone else. Perhaps from Seth, or from Adam himself. (Gen. 5:22-24)

Remember Adam often walked with God in the cool of the day.

Do you see that our faith leads us to know God and walk with Him. it leads us to seek Him and turn to Him and let Him direct our paths.

It’s a relationship not rule keeping. No one is saved by keeping the law. We are saved by knowing Him. By confessing Jesus is the Lord and having a relationship with Him by faith. (Rom. 3:20-31)

Noah built an Ark. Because He believed the Word given to Him and he acted upon it. Who in their right mind would build an ark in the front yard?

Our faith might lead us to do crazy things. It might lead us to look strange or be persecuted. But, it might also lead to the saving of our family, friends and world.

We see that Abraham believed the Word God gave Him, and he was made righteous. He went unto a land that was not his own and trusted God. He trusted God even though Abraham never saw the promise fulfilled.

There are things we are trusting God for. And we might never see it fulfilled, until we stand with him on that day in glory. When we cross into Paradise to be with Him, and we see the new heaven and new Earth to come.

We seek a city, a country, a future place with God called Home. For this place is not our home.

Sara believed that God would give her a child in her old age. Even through her doubt, God provided. Despite her laughter the promise came and she was written in this book. Because God’s promises are not based upon our faith, and obedience. But, on His might, grace, and goodness. He does it. Not us. (Gen. 18)

Our faith often leads us to reject things in this life, knowing God has a better plan.

Like Moses who chose to reject the high living of Pharaoh and suffer with His own people. Because He knew that he would be the Deliverer and knew that Christ would deliver us all. (the book of Exodus, Acts Chapter 7, Hebrews 11:26)

All of the Old Testament saints teach us that God gives us a Word, and by faith we believe that Word and follow Him.

Jesus is that Word. And when we turn to Him by Faith, He saves us and directs our paths through His Holy Spirit and the relationship we have with Him.

Even through persecutions and a tough life we keep turning to Him and calling out to Him in faith trusting His Word.

And even if we do not see the promises fulfilled in this life, we know that there is a better day.

So, since we are surrounded by the great saints of old and the lives they lived we can turn to Jesus and trust Him through faith like they did. Setting down our burdens and letting Him wash away our sin. So, we can be free to live the life with him that he called us to live. (Heb. 12:1)

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He wrote it, and will bring it to pass in our lives. Not by our works but His.

And it was a joy to Him to endure the suffering and shame of the cross for us. Then sit down at the right hand of God in power. (Heb. 12:2)

Through faith we are saved and our faith grows as God builds it through our relationship. And every bad thing we face, and every good thing we receive, all works together to build our faith as we turn to Him and trust Him.

And His promises will come.

They come today. They come in the future. And they come forever.

Trust Him.

-----

 Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“  a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisbunton

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

---

Serving God

 Serving God

We were created to serve God

 

 

“Seek ye first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”–Matt. 6:33

When we read scripture we need to “Rightly divide” it. (2 Timothy 2:15)

What does that mean?

Well, every word in scripture has meaning. They can often be linked to other parts of scripture. When we want to understand or define something, we need to use scripture to do it.

So, what does it mean to “Seek ye first my kingdom”? It means to put the building of God’s kingdom first in your life. So, how does that look? Well, it means that spreading the Gospel is the most important thing to you. (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18)

You tell people about Jesus personally on a one to one basis. You tell people about Him publicly; and you support ministries and missionaries that actively spread the Gospel. You have a desire for people to get saved, and you step out in faith, to let the Spirit work through you in doing that work.

On top of that, we support and participate in Kingdom building activities, such as loving people, healing people, helping people, protecting people, growing people, serving people and feeding people. All of this is done in His name, and with an eye toward Kingdom building. Not being fake, or having an ulterior motive; but being real in our purposes. We want people to realize that there is a God who loves them and wants them saved, and that process starts now in this world.

Now when I say this, it makes it seem like I’m saying that you need to become a preacher, or go door to door, or become a missionary. I’m not saying that. God has given each of us different personalities, different gifts, and different callings on our lives. Build your relationship with God, and step out to do the small things and you’ll be shown by Him what directions to take. But, be real. You don’t have to take mission trips, or go to seminary. But, when a friend or neighbor falls on tough times are you there? Do you tell them about Jesus? Do you exercise your gifts at work? Not being preachy or holier than thou, but someone that is approachable, helpful, and keeps a confidence? 

 We do this out of our salvation. We do not do it to be saved, but because we want to tell people the great things God has done for us.

What is “My Righteousness”? We are made righteous, because we believe God. We believe what He has told us in His Word. We believe what He has spoken to us in our hearts; and we believe He has called us. We believe what He tells us about Jesus Christ, being the Lord, and we confess Him as our Lord. We agree with God that we are sinners and need Him.

We believe our personal relationship with Him; and the great things He has done in our lives. This causes us to live rightly as He grows us. We study and live by His Word. We seek to grow our faith and our relationship with Him. Not obeying rules, but growth through faith and relationship. Seeking His righteousness, is to seek the relationship with Him, and we grow in faith and spirit through it and Him. We cannot be righteous without Him, and faith in His Word. (Rom. 4:3, Rom. 10:9-10)

“And all these things shall be added unto you.” What things? The things we need, and even in many ways the true desires of our hearts. God knows what all humans really need and want. He also knows us personally. He is more than happy to provide these things. But, always remember that our spiritual condition, our relationship with Him, and His kingdom are paramount. Sometimes that will lead to great hardship.

God is not shocked when you desire success or abundance or any of “these things”. But, as we seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness; our desire for, and our definition of “These Things” starts to change. We become humble. We become meek, like a wild horse broken and trained for battle. We become less needy, because we have all in Him. We succeed, but our success is not apart from Him. He is always at the forefront of our minds and what we do.

Now when I say that, I’m not saying we don’t sin. I’m not saying we don’t forget God. I’m saying that He is a constant fixture in our lives, and grows in it. It’s a growth in Him. If you’re not experiencing this, ask God to give you more of Himself and He will.

John tells us that we will sin and fail, but we turn to God and ask Him to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. (Unbelief) and He will. Then, when we are washed we are as though we never sinned. god remembers it no more. (1 John 1:8-10, 1 John 3:9)

Terrible things happen in this life and in this world. But, even in the midst of these situations or places. “Seek ye first my Kingdom, and my righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” is a promise. It might not manifest the same in everybody or in every situation. You might even be miserable for a while as He works things out in your life. To be honest, there are believers who died serving Him, and being in Him, long before any of “these things” manifested in their lives. But, I can promise you they have “these things” today with Him. I can also bet that the families they left behind were blessed. God is just. He pays His workers.

But, like most of God’s promises it requires faith to get started. Do you trust Him? Step out and start doing the little things and begin to grow. He will lead you and guide you; just go. He will move. It doesn’t matter where you are. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness. Do it from a pure heart, wholeheartedly. If you can’t, then ask Him to give you a clean heart, and help you to be pure in your motivations toward Him and others.

Then watch your views of what “these things” are change and turn to what He wants you to view them as. Your relationship is with Him; no one else. We answer to Him. Build His kingdom, and He will build yours.

---

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“  a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisbunton

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

 Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

God Will Come Running

 

 God Will Come Running

 When we turn to Him

 

 

 

 Jesus tells us a story about a young man who left home and went to make a name for himself. (Luke 15:11-32)

It could be a kid going to college with his parents credit card.

Or a kid chasing a dream with his fathers support and blessing.

We know this guy. We have seen him or her in our families or neighbors. We have seen them in ourselves.

We are free. We don’t have to answer to anyone.

We are trying to make it. We are chasing a dream or forced to take care of ourselves.

But we get pulled off the path.

Like the man in Jesus’ story.

He started riotous living. He started making friends in low places. He was meeting all the best guys or best girls. He was getting drunk and using drugs of all kinds. He was down at the club, or local bar. He woke up next to all kinds of people.

And all the dreams died.

We’ve been there, or seen people there. We can smell the smells, taste the tastes and hear the sound of the music thumping. We’ve done the beer runs, and smoked the things that make us wanna go get some more.

They are living for the party. Living for friends. Maybe living the dream. But, it’s not the real dream. It’s not real hopes and dreams.

Jesus says that trouble comes. A famine in the land.

 And trouble always comes. The party always ends.

It could be an accident that causes it. Maybe a divorce or break up. The loss of income and friends. Illness.

But, the party ends.

This causes us to get desperate. These times of trouble can lead us to draw more into the party life, trying to hold on. Drinking and drugging more to try to numb the fear and pain. Chasing things that is not good for us. Trusting people we should not trust. Waking up in places we do not want to wake up in. As our friends abandon us.

And we break. We have no choice. We are ruined.

Jesus said, the man went and got the worst job possible. The lowest of the low, just to keep himself from starving.

But, even that wasn’t working. He wanted to eat the pigs food.

We might end up homeless, digging in the dumpsters. We might even consider a life of crime. Stealing, selling drugs, stripping and prostitution to survive.

We hit rock bottom. We are as low as we think we can go.

Do not be deceived. There are always worst things that can happen. Rock bottom has a basement.

Jesus said, that the man woke up. He was willing to be a slave in His fathers house.

How desperate are you? Are you desperate enough to turn to God and say “I can’t do it! I don’t know what to do! But, I need you! Do whatever you want but please save me and help me.”

Are you so desperate to be free from your troubles and addictions and life, that you just give it all to God, and even if He kills you or throws you in prison or cripples you, it’s ok.

How desperate are you?

Jesus said the man went to see his father. He was desperate. He had ruined his life and was not worthy for anything good.

But, the father saw his child a long way off, and ran to him. And hugged him and held him.

That’s God.

 He sees our broken and desperate heart, long before we even get to Him. And He comes running. He comes running to save us and help us.

He wraps His arms around us and makes us His child. He brings us a robe and a ring and we are with the father forever.

And our life changes. We see things happening. Good or bad, but it’s ok because the Father is with us. He shakes it out and gives us hope. He grows our faith as we draw closer to Him. And we see him move. And more faith grows.

The dreams come back to life and we see them growing in Him. We see good things coming into our life, and it comes even more abundantly.

God himself is working in our life and everything is fine.

He blesses us where we are because we are His. We are His child and we turn to Him and know Him.

And He always comes running when we turn to Him. He always moves to help us, even when we can’t see it. He is working and it will work out. He is with us.

And we will be with Him

Forever.

-----

 Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisbunton

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

The Power Of The Devil

 The Power Of The Devil

What does the Bible say?

 

I often run into Christians who speak of the devil as though he is powerless and weak. That he is a defeated foe and not a real enemy.

It’s almost like they haven’t actually read the Bible.

Yes, Christ defeated Satan on the cross.

Yes, God is in complete control.

But, no where in the scriptures have I found instructions for us to ignore the enemy. or act like he has no power.

As a matter of fact the Apostle Peter says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

A lion will roar, and it will cause the herd to flee. This gives the lion a chance to devour the young, weak and infirm. We have the power through faith to resist. But, it is an obvious affliction on those who are attacked.

It’s not something to be ignored, or belittled.

We are told in the book of Jude to not be foolish in how we speak of Satan, the fallen angels and spiritual forces. They have power and authority. (Jude)

Paul says That we are not to be ignorant of the enemy. (2 Corinthians 2:11)

So, we need to know what we are facing. Not to treat the enemy as if he is nothing or ignore him, but to face the enemy properly.

We are called to resist. But, how can you resist if you do not know anything about the enemy? (1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7)

 So, let’s do a quick overview of the enemy.

It is believed that Satan fell through pride because he wants to be God. (Isa. 14:12-15)

At some point after his fall, he used a Serpent to deceive Eve, and get Adam to fall. (Gen.3)

Adam had dominion of the Earth. But, when he fell Satan took that dominion. That is how he became the god of this world. (2 Cor. 4:4)

There’s a lot more to this story, but it could lead to an entire book.

So, Satan has authority in this world.

Paul plainly states it. All the Apostles state it.

When a person is born into the world they are born in a right standing with God. They are subject to death, but not hell. Until they commit the first sin, knowing it’s a sin. Then, they are subject to hell, just like all humans.

It is also at this time that the person becomes a slave to Satan. They are his children. They are his slaves to various degrees. (Ephesians 2:2)

Here’s where some Christians will jump up and say “Yeah but he is defeated! God is in control!”

Yes, Jesus defeated the enemy on the cross. And there will be a future victory as well. (Gen. 3, Luke 10:18, Revelation)

This means that when Jesus died and rose, He defeated Satan. He set the prisoners free. ALL the prisoners or slaves under Satan’s control are free. But, only a few will hear the call and turn to Jesus to obtain it.

Saints are free from the control of Satan. We are saved and cannot lose it. But, as the Bible warns we can open doors and let the enemy back into our lives again. We can fall under that power. Take addictions as an example. (Matt. 12:43-45)

We can also still be impacted by Satan working through other people or nature.

All of this is plainly taught by the scriptures.

But, there will still be those who say “Yeah but God is in control!”

He certainly is.

Nothing can happen to us that God has not allowed.

We see this both in the book of Job, and when Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked to sift him as wheat. (Luke 22:31-33)

Why? Why does God allow the devil access to us?

It seems that Satan has some kind of legal authority to ask, and expect an answer. We can speculate on why this is. But, we do not fully understand how things work in the spirit realms.

What we can say is that we have faith and power in Jesus Christ to resist the enemy. We have access to the King in prayer. We have God’s Word and promises we can stand on. We also have a relationship with God. We know Him. We know His character, and the Holy spirit dwells in us.

So, we know that God is always good. He seeks good always. He loves us and wants us with Him. So, no matter what happens, He is on our side, and we can use it to grow closer to God, and grow in faith. We can turn evil around for good.

 But, how can you do that if you do not recognize evil? If you ignore the fact that we have an enemy, how can you stand against him or turn his attacks around for good? (Rom. 12:21, 2 Cor. 10:1-6)

If you feel that everything comes from God, then how can you call anything “Evil”?

Does God do evil?

Of course not, but He does allow things to happen. It’s our job to have faith in Him and turn to Him. Then turn the evil for good. We use it to save people or help people.

The scriptures tell us that the enemy possesses power. So, let’s do a list of what this power is. And I am in know way stating that this is everything. But, starting from the beginning of the Bible and going through we see that the enemy has the power to…

Deceive people who are walking with God and know Him, if they are not careful. If they doubt God’s Word, and Goodness. He can use our loved ones to get us to turn from God. He can use nature as a cover for his activities. We see this in Adam and Eve.

We can see in the book of Job, that Satan and his angels go about the Earth. We see that He has the power to cause a tornado to kill people. He can get humans to rob and kill others. He has the power to cause disease. He has the power to get our loved ones to turn against us. He also has the power to kill. (God would not let Him kill Job.)

The book of Job shows us that no matter what happens God is with us and we are to stay with Him. Trusting Him and His Goodness.

But, we see here that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. He apparently has power to control the weather. Which explains why we see ancient people all over the world making human sacrifices of babies to gods, so they can have good weather for crops, and fertility. We see the destruction weather and climate can cause.

He uses humans to kill, steal and destroy, obviously. How does this control occur? It’s possible that it starts with a whisper into the mind of a leader who then gets men to follow him. A leader whom Satan worked to put into a position of power.

We see that he gave Job a disease. We do not know what disease. It doesn’t matter.

All of this, the destructive weather, violence of men and disease, came upon Job and led Him into despair. So, Satan can also cause despair. (Except for God. Job continued to trust God and lean toward Him, and that’s what saved him.)

Job also shows that Satan can get our loved ones to betray us, or at least add to our torment.

I tell you this so we can recognize what is going on around us and pray properly or respond correctly. We respond with spiritual warfare. We respond with love and prayer and praise and trust in God, and His promises. We overcome evil with good. We take the bad that happens to us and turn it around to serve God and help and save people.

So, let’s fast forward to the New Testament.

Immediately after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. (Matt. 4:1-11)

This is a lesson for us. Have you ever considered that the moment you got saved and was baptized Satan was allowed to tempt you, and sift you as wheat?

I’m not saying he is. I’m not saying it happens to everyone, all the time.

But, the question must be asked. If you’ve never been tempted by the enemy, or faced spiritual warfare, then whose child are you?

 The temptations Jesus faced are temptations we all face, except for Christ, they were far more extreme.

We learn that we can overcome these things by faith in God and His goodness, as well as using His Word.

So, we see that the enemy has the power to tempt us, and try to get us to fall. But, we can resist and if we fail we can turn to God and confess it to Him. (1 John 1:8-10)

We also see that Satan has power over the nations of the Earth. This is confirmed in the book of Daniel. (Dan. 10)

Paul also speaks of how the enemy has power in high places. (Eph. 6:12)

When we look at the ministry of Jesus we see that there are unclean spirits and demons that work in peoples lives. and we are called to wage war against them.

We also see that his greatest earthly rival was the religious leaders.

Jesus plainly said they were the children of the devil. (John 8:44-47)

So, we can say that Satan used religious leaders to kill Jesus and persecute the Church. He got these religious leaders, to use the governmental powers, to kill people, and impose laws upon them to destroy their freedom.

The Bible also says that there are false brethren, false teachers, and false prophets. (2 Cor. 11:26, 2 Pet. 2:1)

All of whom are probably listening to Satan.

Since he is the god of this world, and has power over the disobedient children. and he has power over nations, governments and religious leaders.

Then, we can say that the empires seeking to conquer the world, are doing it by his authority. That when they oppress people and persecute saints, it is by Satan’s authority, throughout history and even today.

Ok?

We see from Jesus’s ministry that the enemy can cause a friend to betray us and deny us. Even in the face of death. Even to betray us to people who will kill us.

Friends and family.

The Bible teaches that saints will be betrayed unto death by those closest to us. (Luke 21:16)

History teaches it.

We see saints dying the most horrific deaths for Christ, caused by the devil.

The enemy will attack and tempt our family in order to get them into terrible situations simply to hurt us. But, we turn this for good and tell them about Christ.

All of the apostles and saints around the world have faced persecution. And there is more to come. That is the reality, even though we might not face it in our current time.

So, as you can see the enemy has power. We are not called to belittle it, but to stand against it. We are not called to fear it, but to turn it around for good.

It is a tactic of the enemy to get believers to not wage war, by making us think he has no power.

Now, understand that through Christ we have power and authority over the enemy. Through faith we can stand on His Word. We are overcomers through Him who is in us. 

 But, if you think there is no enemy you won’t exercise that power.

People crack jokes and say “The devil made me do it.”

Well, maybe he did. Maybe instead of joking about it, we need to wage war and make sure of what is going on.

Maybe there is a devil behind every bush. Maybe it’s a roaring lion.

God is with us, but we are called to wage war. If we are saved we are free from Satan but we are still in a war.

God is with us. He protects us. Nothing can touch us unless it is allowed, and we can overcome it.

This life is just a moment. Every terrible thing only lasts for a second compared to eternity.

And when we die we go to be with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1-8)

There’s no need for fear. There is no need to be focused on the enemy.

But, we are called to wage war.

We are called to turn to God and focus on Him, and we shall overcome.

---

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisbunton

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

The Sign Of Christ In You

 The Sign Of Christ In You

Are you sure you know Him?

 

The sign of Christ in you is not that you work to quit sinning.

It’s not that you pretend to be sinless, and go to your church every time the doors are open.

The sign is that you confess that Jesus came in the flesh, and confess Him as Lord. (1 John 4:1-3, 1 Cor. 12:1-3, Rom. 10:9-10)

The sign is that you love God and love others. (Matthew 22:36-40)

The sign is that you believe the Word. And you believe it so much that you become a fool for Christ. You believe things that this world rejects, and that makes us fools. (Rom.4:3, 1 Cor. 3:18-23)

The sign is that you believe so much that you do not want people to suffer or perish. If you really believed you would be telling people about the great things God has done for you and them. You would be getting the Gospel out. (2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 8:38-39)

The sign is that you want to help people because you love them. You want to go feed the poor, and clothe the naked. You want to visit the prisoner and comfort the sick. You want to set the slaves free. (Matt. 25:31-46)

The sign is that you desire a relationship with Him, and things are removed in your life that distract you from that relationship. You watch for Him and grow in Him and will bear fruit. (John 15)

The sign is that you take all the bad that has happened to you, and you turn it around for good. You use it to grow and to help others overcome. You don’t bury it in the soil. (Matt. 25:1-30)

You use the gift God has given you to save and help others. You don’t wrap it in a napkin and keep it in your pocket. (Matt. 25:1-30, Luke 19:12-27)

 The sign of Christ in you is a focus and an urgency to build the Kingdom. To seek His face. To let Him guide you and abide with Him. (Matt. 6:3, Proverbs 3:5-8)

You endure hardness. Your endure molding as a potter molds clay. You endure refining like a smith removing the dross from the silver and gold. ( 2 Timothy 2:3, Jeremiah 18:1-6, Malachi 3:1-4)

And because of this, you won’t have the desire or time to sin.

But, you will sin. We all sin. If you say you don’t sin, then you lie and Christ is not in you. When we sin we confess it to Him daily, and He washes our feet. He cleanses us of all unrighteousness and works to help us to overcome. And to Him, it is as though we never sinned. Period. (1 John 1:5-10, 1 John 3:9, Psalm 103:12)

We do not sin because He does not hold it against us. When God says something doesn’t exist. It is gone.

He overcame Sin. He overcame Satan. He overcame Death. (John 16:33)

It’s all gone. That’s a fact. We are over comers in Him. (1 John 4:4)

Our faith grows in Him. As we know Him. Our lamps are full of the oil of faith because we have seen Him moving in our lives. (Matt. 25:1-13)

If you spend your life focusing on not sinning, your focus is on yourself. Not Christ.

Just let it go. Let Him remove what He sees fit. Let Him break you and remold you. Trust Him. You will see yourself, sinning less. It will just happen, as you focus on Him and let Him work. Remember, it’s about you and Him. It’s not about what others think. (John 21:21-22)

What is written above is hard. But, its also easy because you cannot do it. You just turn to Him and let Him do it. It’s not a checklist of things you do. It’s a relationship that grows in you and you gradually see yourself doing more of these things. Remember, dead things do not grow. Are you growing in Christ, or are you dead?

This life is but a breath. This world passes away. Just turn your focus to Him.

He has overcome the world. He is eternal. And He is in you.

---

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisbunton

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

God Will Establish You

 God Will Establish You

It's a promise

 

This world is a tough place.

It’s supposed to get us to wake up and turn to God, so He can save us and help us.

We fall on tough times. We have a spouse who betrays us. We have kids who reject us. We have friends and family who throw us under the bus. We lose jobs and homes and friends. We are ruined, even by people who claim to be good Christians.

But, God will establish you. Just turn to Him.

He promises.

“the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”—2 Thess. 3:3 KJV

Speak this promise to yourself to build up faith. Faith comes by hearing the promises of God. Speak it to yourself and hear what it says, and believe it.

“The Lord is faithful. He will establish me and keep me from evil.”

Jesus prayed for you, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”—John Chapter 17 (verse 15) KJV

It’s going to happen.

Just turn to Him. Pray and ask Him to save you and help you. Trust Him. Follow Him.

We can look at Joseph. ( Genesis Chapter 30-Chapter 50 KJV)

His brothers betrayed him and threw him into a pit.

That’s just like how you’ve been betrayed or lied to or destroyed by people claiming to be family or friends or others.

They were going to kill him, but God used one of the brothers to speak mercy, because God had a plan.

He has a plan for you. He has made a way for you to escape. Trust Him.

They sold him into slavery.

They lied to his father, and anyone else who might need to know. They covered up their lies and betrayal.

When you do good you don’t have to hide it. When you do God’s will, it’s ok if you get found out.

But, God was with Joseph.

I’m sure there were some times, when it was scary, and Joseph didn’t know what was going to happen. There were probably times the devil whispered into his ear to get him to fear and doubt.

I’ve had the same. You probably have to.

But, God came through.

Joseph went to work for a decent man named Potiphar, who God used to lift Joseph up to the highest place in that man’s household.

God established Joseph. He set him in charge of everything. Simply because Joseph trusted God.

What the devil tried to destroy, God saved and established. What his brothers sought for evil, God turned around for good.

And He can do it for you. He’s done it for me, and will again.

But, the devil wasn’t done with trying to derail God’s plan.

Potiphar’s wife came tempting Joseph.

The type of temptation is irrelevant.

The devil can use all kinds of things to try to trip us up.

He tempts our flesh to see if we will bite. Then he destroys us. It could have been theft, or too much wine. It could have been an accident or misunderstanding. It could be a bad boss who the devil uses to get you to fail. If you fail, just turn to God, confess it and let Him grow you.

But Joseph did not fail. He resisted and resisted.

He wanted to be right with God. The God who had established Him. The God who had given him everything.

But, Potiphar’s wife lied and falsely accused Joseph. And he was thrown into jail.

You might have been lied on. They might have twisted things to destroy you because you would not submit to their evil ways or abuses. They might have listened to the rantings of a petty person who always wants to get their way.

Remember God sees. Revenge is His, He will repay.

And He will establish you. Which is probably the best revenge. Keep your heart pure, despite their evil.

God established Joseph again. He made him head trustee in the jail.

That’s God. He can bless you in the midst of terrible things.

When they seek to do you wrong, know that God will establish you and keep you from evil. He will bless you. He turns all things around for our good. Just turn to Him and love Him.

All that time in Potiphar’s house, and being trustee in the jail was preparing Joseph and training him. Not just in practical things, but preparing him in spirit. Joseph continued to abide in God and trust Him.

Till the time came for the blessing to break free.

And God raised him up and established him again, as the head of Egypt. It was an Egypt who needed a wise worker from the darkest pits.

God established him, and He will establish you.

“The Lord is faithful. He will establish me and keep me from evil’

It’s a promise.

Turn to Him. Trust Him. Abide in Him. Have a relationship with Him. Endure the attacks that come and stay with Him.

God will establish you.

Your faith in Him and His promises will move mountains.

And on that final day, you will be with Him in Paradise.

---

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“  a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

Photo from pexels

 

What Is Wrong With Complaining?

 What Is Wrong With Complaining?

It depends on the situation 

 

 

Is it complaining against God? Or complaining about life? or complaining all the time? Or is it actually speaking the truth against false things? Sometimes the Holy Spirit shows us things that are wrong, and we don’t know how to properly deal with it.

I have been involved in Christian Ministry for over 20 years. I’ve been to churches where the members are silent about the most ridiculous ungodly activities and projects, because they do not want to be accused of murmuring or complaining. 

In the book of Exodus Chapter 4 and Numbers 17, we see that the Israelites are murmuring and complaining against the Lord, and He expressly condemns it.

Some Leaders in churches use this verse and others as a tool to stop ALL dissent in a church.  According to these leaders, the flock are supposed to accept and silently go along with everything the leadership does. They are supposed to be silent in the face of abusive behaviors, and the latest fad that does nothing for the Kingdom.

That is false. Sin in leadership, is still sin. Does God support sin?

The scriptures speak of false teachers, false prophets, and false brethren. (2 Cor. 11:28, Gal 2:4, 2 Peter 2)

We are supposed to be wary of such things. That means we should rebuke and stand against it.

As the latter days get closer and closer things will get worse and worse. Believers need to stop being silent about the direction their churches are going in.

When the Holy Spirit reveals that something is not right. Your duty is to pray and ask the Lord, whats wrong. Pray for the people, and study the Word to make sure you are correct. Sometimes, it’s better to just pray, than to confront. Or speak out.

But, when the Lord leads you to speak out, do it in the right way, with love and respect.

 You will probably be rejected and ignored, or even attacked. You might be accused of causing division or murmuring and complaining. You might be treated as a troublemaker, and never asked to do anything in the church.

Yes…these are Christian people who do these sorts of things to other believers. There are people in churches who are about controlling things not building the Kingdom.

Understand that “Murmuring and Complaining” in the book of Exodus, was a specific thing. They were saying that they wanted to go back to Egypt. They spoke of all the good things of Egypt.

You have to understand what this really is.

It’s like if God delivers a man from alcohol abuse.(Egypt) and the man constantly says that his life was better as a drunk. He misses the parties, and fun. Even though God is moving him to a good place.

That’s what murmuring and complaining is. It is not speaking against false brethren or leaders, or opinions on how to spend money. If leadership must twist scripture to maintain control, then that should be a red flag. You need to know this because churches in these last days will be ran by false brethren and teachers. Look at China today. The legal above ground churches are all ran by pastors who are taught in government funded colleges and are government sanctioned, not God ordained. The churches from God are underground. In China, if you speak out against false doctrine they call the secret police and you find yourself beat. That is where we are headed globally.

Real murmuring and complaining is against the work God is doing in us. It is a tough work. It is a battle between spirit and flesh. The flesh wants to go back to Egypt, but the Lord is taking us to the Promised Land. The journey is hard. We might lose jobs and homes, and friends, and family, and reputation and everything that we hold dear. But, we are gaining the Lord. He is our promised land.

The minute He saves us we have Him. IF we really have Him. Then He works in our lives to change us.

The Israelites refused to confess Him as Lord and trust Him. It’s not about the Law. Joshua and Caleb were not saved because they obeyed rules. They were saved because they trusted in God alone for salvation. They did not trust in their own strength, but in His. They believed His promises. When we complain about the Lord, we are doubting Him. It destroys faith in us and others.

We are called to abide in Him. That is a relationship.

When we cry out to God, He comes running. But if we are not willing to really give ourselves to Him, then we are not saved. The Israelites refused to trust that God was good and doing good things. This is the same lie Satan told Eve in the Garden. He got her to doubt God’s goodness, and promises.

So, understand that murmuring and complaining is about a specific thing in the scriptures. It is not a blanket term to be used to silence people. In the book of Acts, murmuring led to the creation of the deacons. (Acts 6:1-8) So, as I said the Holy Spirit could have stirred some of the people to notice something was wrong, and used it to help the early church, and the deacons were formed. In today’s churches if someone said that the widows were being neglected, they would be called a complainer. They would have to speak to 5 different committees and then go before a business meeting, and then just maybe they might get something fixed. At least until the next committee takes over. Unless of course, they are a member with money. (James 2:1-9)

In Phillipians, it says “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” (Phil. 2:14)

In context, this is referring to two things. God’s working in our lives, and our appearance before the unbeliever. 

 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12-13)

God’s work in our lives can be hard. If we are not careful it can open doors for a spirit of bitterness. Where we become snarky and talking trash about the hardness of the battle between the flesh and spirit, or the changes in our lives.

This phrase “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” often leads people to wrongly assume it refers to a works based salvation doctrine. but it’s actually referring to dealing with the work God is doing in our lives. Like a child whose parents have decided to move to another city for work. The child has to work out how to deal with this, while not becoming angry and bitter. They have to work out how to deal with the loss of a school, and friends and a life they had. Major changes happen when we really turn to God, and we need to work out how to deal with it and not become bitter.

This bitterness can lead to murmurings and disputing with others in the church. So Paul goes on to explain, that we should be of one mind and not murmuring and disputing in front of those who we are trying to help, and lead to Christ. Again, it is not a blanket verse to silence people from speaking out when something is wrong. It is an admonition to do it properly, at the right time, and in the right way, when possible. Course, understand that control freaks and oppressors, also control all the means of speaking out.

We can see in the next verses that Paul’s admonition for us to not murmur and dispute is to avoid driving people from Christ.

“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” (Phil. 2:12-16)

Our murmuring and complaining doesn’t hurt God. But, it can drive others away from knowing Christ. Because who would want to join a group that is so un-happy? And again, it comes back to false leadership. Leadership should solve things properly. Not just silence dissent. Leaders who do not treat people rightly, are actually engaging in the thing they seek to stop. Hiding it, doesn’t fix it. It is fixed through love, and a proper answer that heals.

Not only does complaining drive people away in church situations, but also in your own life. Nobody wants to be around that. If every time you come around it is always negative or complaining. No one will want to be around you. Drive that demon out.

A final word on murmuring and complaining is that when you do it, you are driving away your blessings. The tongue has power. You can speak the promises of God and believe them and watch Him work. or you can speak negative, complaining words, and watch it work. Both will reap a harvest. If you constantly speak negative things about yourself or others, do not be surprised if it doesn’t become true in your life. 

We reap what we sow.

As we get more and more into the latter days we need to get rid of the false beliefs and teachings we have clung to. God will do it if we don’t. Scripture says that we are to judge ourselves lest we be judged with the world. In these last days, the things we have done or not done can come back to haunt us if we refuse to see it and confess it to the Lord to change it. This goes for entire churches, not just individuals; as it shows in Revelation.  So, when we see wrong things in the church we need to speak out about it. This is judging ourselves as a body. It is not complaining. (1 Cor. 11:31-32, 1 John 1:9-10, Rev. Chapters 1-3)

As we move into these latter days we are going to face tough times. We will see that the things we complained about and disputed over, really do not matter. When you can barely afford heat, new carpet won’t matter. When you have to quietly meet in a hidden basement because of persecution, having the latest sound systems and praise music, won’t matter any more. There are believers all over the world, who have nothing. While we bicker and destroy peoples faith because of opinions on a building or types of paint, or views on doctrines.

Only God will matter, as He leads us through the dark dry desert in those days.

Don’t be like Lot’s wife, who desired the fine things and life of Sodom.(Gen. 19)

Understand that the Bible is full of these warnings for a reason. It is not about murmuring and complaining. God can handle your complaints.

It’s about looking back after putting your hand to the plow. (Luke 9;62)

It’s about never confessing Him as Lord, and never having a relationship, and never knowing Him. It’s about not trusting Him. The Israelites in the wilderness did not trust Him.

 If we do not know Him. We cannot trust Him. We cannot abide in Him. (John 15:4)

Our complaining is a reflection of our feelings toward God and His promises. It drives people away from Christ and us. It drives blessings away.

Turn to Him and trust Him.

—–

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“  a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Read His Bible Studies on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

Support the work for the cost of a Coffee

Support the work through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public

Photo from Pexels