The Truth of the Gospel

 The Truth of the Gospel

A Word on How God Works in Our Salvation.

 

In order to understand the Gospel. We must accept God's power and authority. God has awesome power and can save whoever He wants. However He wants.

1. God calls us. No one is saved without first being called by Him. If you are saved. Then you are called. God calls everyone. If you are reading this, then you are being called. God uses many methods to call us and draw us to Himself. He might call us many times in life. He calls everyone. 

 

God speaks into our mind and hearts. When He calls we hear it and we know it's Him. We can either accept or reject.

We might not understand. We might not want to hear Him. We might put it off, or reject, but we cannot say He didn't call, and we didn't hear. He is God. He knows. Be real.

But what about the guy in the jungle somewhere?  Yes. God has called him somehow, and he has heard. Perhaps he looked at a starry night and thought someone made this, and God spoke to him and said "I made it" and the man believed and wanted to know more.  

 

Whether he accepted or not is between him and God. Not all saved people will look like you.

God is working. Trust Him.

2. Belief!  A person hears the call and believes it's from God ( Full understanding is not required) and the person turns to God (repent) God knows, God sees, God understands. Whether we do or not is irrelevant. 

The picture in the scriptures is Jesus calling His disciples. He said, "come follow me" and they knew they should listen and they followed. They did not know the cost. They just heard and followed. Jesus did not require anything else.

Another picture is the prodigal son. He "comes to himself" and goes home in humility to the father, and the father comes running. The father demanded nothing. When the son woke up, that is what happens when we hear the call. We realize the Truth.

Another picture is the thief on the cross. He was guilty. He knew it. He was one step above death. And he realized who Jesus really was. He heard the call in his heart and woke up. He called Jesus "Lord" and put his faith in him. Nothing else.

Just turn to God and trust in Him. Be real with Him. Just ask.

3. God will bring you to Jesus Christ. It might happen immediately or it might happen later. But, God will show you that Jesus Christ is the Lord. When we see it, we confess Jesus is the Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead. ( Roman's 10:9-10)

When you hear the call, then turn to God and confess Jesus is the Lord, putting your faith in Him for salvation you are saved. You cannot lose it or give it away. God holds it. He owns you. Your salvation is totally on God. Not you.

4 What about works?  Faith without works is dead?  Well, confessing Jesus is Lord with your mouth is a work. And that's all God requires. Your faith and confession of Christ.

When you get saved The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you and He teaches you. He grows you. He helps you in your relationship with Jesus.

He leads you into works. He leads you into Baptism which is a work..  He leads you into Communion which is a work. He leads you into Fellowship with other believers . He gives you a hunger to read God's Word.. The Holy Spirit helps you to Love God and others. He gives you a ministry to serve God and others

 

5. Sin and sanctification. Notice I said nothing about sin so far. Because before we are saved we do not really know how fallen We are. We do not know how wicked we are. Sure we might realize something is wrong. Or that we do things wrong. But we do not fully know.

And we are not required to. God knows. He calls us, and loves us anyway. He wants us to turn to Him and confess Jesus is the Lord, so He can save us and cleanse us.

But we are not required to understand all that. We might know we sin. We might know we fail. We might know we need Him. But, we might not understand. We just know He called us. And we need Him.

After we get saved. God washes us in the Blood of Christ. This cleanses us of all sin. Forever.

 

It is finished.

Then as we walk through our lives, the Holy Spirit teaches us and grows us. He molds us and shapes us and we become different people. We sin less and less as He sanctifies us. But, we were already forgiven the day we were saved.

When we sin we confess our sins to God. This is a work. This brings it up between you and Him. And as you keep confessing over time, the Lord changes your mind and heart and you find that you no longer do those things. Confessing sin to God and growing and abiding in Him is a work. But you were saved the minute you turned to Him.

It's all totally God. Not you. We are to turn, believe, confess and abide.  All of which He helps us to do.

Praise Jesus. God does it. He has made it as simple as possible. We have no excuse.

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 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 by the writer.

Using God's Promises

 Using God's Promises

We can trust Him in our lives.

 

 

This world is a terrible place. We all face difficult things that cause us trouble or hurt. Sometimes, it’s our own fault. But, many times it’s not.

We struggle with our own thoughts and behaviors. We get hurt by what others do and what the system does to us. Meanwhile we all face disease, disaster and death. This includes any generational curses or spiritual attacks we face.

Standing on God’s promises can help us overcome these things. Speaking God’s promises out loud to ourselves and others and believing them can help us get through this world and into Paradise in the next.

Reading through the Bible, you see that faith, and trusting God is the most important thing. Believing what God tells us matters. We are made righteous by believing God. We can see mountains move by believing God instead of trusting our flesh and our fears.

In the beginning the first couple listened to lies and did not trust God. They didn’t believe what God told them, and all the trouble in the world came upon us because of it.

Through out the Bible there are choices given to trust God or not. But, our flesh, our fear and the enemy leads us to not trust Him. Even in our own lives we have terrible problems and choices which arise where we can choose which way to go. To trust God or trust our own flesh.

It’s a battle. We can turn to God or not, in every situation.

So, what does it look like to use God’s promises?

Let’s say we are facing a problem. It doesn’t matter what it is, because the solution is to always turn to God.

So, we pray. 

Then, immediately after the prayer, we might start doubting God. Our thoughts come to attack us, our fear rises up, and people close to us keep sowing doubt.

Stand on the promises of God.

Jesus said, “whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”–(John 14:13-14)

Believe this. Say, “Jesus said that whatsoever I ask in His name He will do.”

Speak this to yourself and others. You are not demanding. You are reminding yourself, and encouraging yourself. You are driving away the enemy, of fear, doubt, flesh and devils.

Paul said “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”–(Rom 10:17)

That means our faith grows when we hear God’s promises. So, speak them out loud and let your faith be strengthened against whatever is against you. Speak the promises to your family and friends.

Jesus said “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”–(Matt. 17:20)

If faith comes by hearing, then faith increases through speaking the Word of God. And if that faith can grow to the size of a mustard seed we can speak to mountains and remove them. Faith can remove mountains in your life. But, you gotta speak the promises and Word of God out loud. Do you believe?

Demonic forces whisper into our mind and lives, causing us to doubt. They turn our flesh against us and we forget God.

Speaking the Word out loud reminds us. Hearing the promises grows our faith. Speak them to yourself and others. Are you ashamed of Jesus? Are you ashamed of the Word? Then, speak it loud and proud.

Let’s say we fear failure. We speak “No! God is faithful. He will establish me and keep me from evil. In Jesus name.” Say it. Believe it. (2 Thess. 3:3)

Get away from people who sow doubt. Get away from faithless people who tell you the facts. God doesn’t care about your facts, He is a miracle making God. He will use all the facts to prove we can trust Him.

Stand on His promises.

When in doubt say, “No! I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus name.” (Phil. 4:13)

When we are facing real terror, we can say the Psalms soldiers have used for centuries.

“Terror, and destruction will not harm me. I trust God and have made Him my refuge. No evil shall befall me. In Jesus name.” (Psalm 91)

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, In Jesus name” (Psalm 23)

“He will protect me from the pestilence. I am healed in Jesus name.” (Psalm 91)

Stand on the promises. Trust the Lord. Cast out demons. Speak faith in your life and others.

Does this mean we can jump out of an airplane without a parachute and just trust God’s promises? 

Jesus said “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matt. 4:6-7)

This is the sort of faith destroying question the devil asks.

Whether it’s your mind, other people or the devil. There will be folks who will try to crush your faith. Whether intentionally or not. Get away from it.

Do not throw your pearls to the swine. They cant see past their own nose and flesh.

God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to use His Word to stand against the problems we face. Speak it out loud in Jesus name. Remind yourself of His promises. Trust Him.

This not only applies to our lives, but it is the foundation of our Salvation.

We believe and trust that Jesus is The Lord. We believe and trust that He is the Son of God, and came in the Flesh. We believe and trust that he died for us and rose from the dead for our justification.

It’s a promise. It’s the Word. He’s the Word made flesh.

Ask Him to save you. Confess Jesus is the Lord. Trust and believe the Word. Speak the promises into your life. But you gotta know the Word to speak the Word. Do you know it? Do you know 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 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 by pexels/edited by author

Love One Another

 Love One Another

Do You Back Up The Saints?

 

 

The early church had three things that helped them grow and take over the Roman Empire.

First, they had the Holy Spirit. They were saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, who led them and guided them in their work.

If your church never speaks of or teaches the Holy Spirit. If they do not listen to or operate through the Holy Spirit. That should be a big red flag. Especially in these last days.

Second, the saints of old were willing to die for what they believed. They faced terrible persecution. They were fed to lions, crucified and burned. They faced it with joy. This led the people of Rome to see that they really believed, and therefore the Gospel might be true. The early church put their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

Now, many have faced death for what they believe. But, the difference is that the early church saw death as a door to going home to be with the Lord. Their belief was real. Our attitude towards death is to be different than the world’s. We see death as an escape from this world, and being with Christ. (Phil. 1:21-30)

We get saved, and the Holy Spirit works in our life. We see that God is real and we trust Him. This leads us to see death as a gateway to new life. We are going home.

The third thing is love. The Holy Spirit works in our life and develops love in us. It is a love that defies our fleshly reason. Love that speaks against our corrupted nature.

The early church grew because of this love.

The ancient world was harsh. It is said that over 90% of Rome were slaves. We could say the same about modern America. These slaves were totally controlled by their masters. They had to ask permission for everything. They could be fired (Killed) for no real reason. Every aspect of their lives was controlled by the master. They were considered a reflection of the master (business)

 I say this, to make the connection between conditions then and now. They were very similar in spirit. The same Demon or Spirit that ruled behind the scenes in Rome, still rules today around us.

These slaves had nothing of their own. It was all owned by their master. (Bank/State)

So here comes the early Christians. They acted weird. They had faith which made them willing to die spiritually and physically to this world. They showed crazy love, not abuse. It was so much different than the world around them. Not because they stopped sinning, but because they loved and had faith.

They had church gatherings where they shared food and money to help each other succeed. They sold everything for this cause. They jumped in with both feet, loving each other and the cause of Christ.

The other slaves were drawn by the Holy Spirit to be a part of this. They wanted to know what this was. Of course some wanted to take advantage, but many were for real. And even those who wanted to take advantage were loved and got saved because of how they were treated in comparison to how the world and the system treated them. They saw the Holy Spirit working, they saw the faith, they saw the love. Real love.

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”—(John 13:35)

Our success as believers comes through the Holy Spirit, Faith and Love. It comes from God. We cannot do any of these things without Him. We cannot love the way we should without Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit growing and molding us.

Our success in this life as believers comes through the love and support we give each other by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith.

We see someone hurting and we help. We see someone fallen, and we help them rise back up because the Holy Spirit leads us to show love to them. We do this to everyone.

But, how much more should we help other saints?

Our love for our fellow saints shows whether we are even saved or not.

When we see someone who goes to our church hurting, suffering, fallen or in need; do we help them or ignore them? Do we cast them aside because they fell or do we go to them? Do we support them in ministry, business and life? Or do we ignore them because they don’t measure up to traditions of men? I shouldn’t even need to post bible verses to prove it.

Shouldn’t the leaders of the church be leading the church in love? To help others? to support the saints in life and in their ministry work for Christ? Not to be seen of men or to look good because you’re supporting the latest fad. But, to help those people Jesus speaks of in Mathew 25. It’s easy to love children in need. But, our love is supposed to be big enough to love the prisoner. To love the enemy.

This love can only come by the Holy Spirit. Course, if your church doesn’t really believe in the Holy Spirit, that could be a problem.

All saints are gifted for service. Our service comes by the Holy Spirit working through us and developing the fruit in us. Is that happening in you or in your church? Does all your church love terminate on a few “obedient” people?

Do you have little cliques in your church? Groups of people who control everything and no one else can get inside or be a real part of? Are you a respecter of persons? Like James spoke about; embracing the rich while destroying and ignoring the poor or lower class? (James 2:1-9)

Is that love?

 Real love is shown in Christ, when he died for those who hate Him, and forgave them.

Love is explained in First Corinthians chapter 13.

Love is shown throughout the Word.

Love is shown in how God has loved you.

Love is shown by doing unto others what you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)

We are to overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:21)

Loving others, is good and is a form of spiritual warfare. When we see evil such as poverty, or oppression or disease, we respond with love. We don’t victim blame. or make unrighteous judgements. We help. When evil is done to us we turn it around for good, by faith and love with the Holy Spirit.

We are saved by Grace,through faith. Not by works. (Eph 2:8-10)

We are not saved by Love. We are saved by God’s love and grace, but not our own. However, our love for the saints and others is a reflection of what God has done for us. It is a reflection of Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

We win the fight of faith through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in us. Our love is through Him. All our failures work to lead us and grow us in Him if we turn to Him. These failures and hurts teach us to love, and have faith in Him. (Rom 8:28)

We succeed in Him.

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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

The Lesson of Job

 The Lesson of Job

When we face trouble, we have one focus

 

We all face trouble in life. It is something we can all agree upon. No matter who you are, something bad will eventually come to cause you trouble. Something will break your heart. Something will break you down. Something will make you crazy, concerned or confused.

When we look at the story of Job in the Bible. We see a lot of spiritual truth that we can apply to our lives.

Now, understand that trouble is relative to you. Just because someone on the other side of the Earth is in extreme poverty with nothing. Doesn’t make your problems any less concerning. Just because someone else is dying of some terrible disease, doesn’t make your troubles any less destructive to your life.

Evil is evil, in whatever form it manifests. We need to stop belittling peoples troubles and start solving problems. It’s very possible that if we solved the petty problems, they would not become the huge problems. If we cared about the person who can’t afford simple things, we might also care about the person in total poverty and solve the problem. If we care about the person with a flu bug, we might also care about the dying man, or even prevent disease from growing.

I say this because Job, faced terrible tribulation. He lost everything he owned, His children were all killed, and his health was attacked. On top of that, his wife was against him.

Just because Job’s troubles were really bad, doesn’t mean yours are not concerning to you. The Bible often gives us the most extreme vision of things so that we will see that our troubles are also able to be overcome. The same faith can overcome all of it. The same God is with us in all of it, no matter how big or small.

In the book of Job, Satan comes to God and asks to test Job. He claims that if Job is mistreated he will turn from God.

That is the focus of the story and that is our focus. Nothing else matters.

 It doesn’t matter how bad the trouble was. It doesn’t matter if God allowed it. It doesn’t matter if Satan did it, or God did it. None of it matters.

Because Job had no clue. He just knows he is having trouble. His whole life has been upended. We even see toward the end of the book that Job is confused and has questions. It’s ok to have questions, doubts and confusion. But, Job turned to God. Job stayed with God. That’s the point.

When we face trouble, we often have no clue what’s going on. We might think it’s nature. Or God is punishing us or the devil is attacking us. We might know exactly what we did or didn’t do. We might be suffering because of something done to us by people who claim to love us.

None of it matters.

The answer for all of it is the same. Turn to God.

Pray to Him, ask Him to save you and help you. Listen to His guidance.

Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15)

He turned to God and trusted Him. Even if God chose to kill him, Job knew God was good and had good reasons. He trusted God, and continued walking in the way that he was walking in his life, because he did not see that he had done anything wrong. And he hadn’t. God will let you know.

The whole point of the story is that Job turned to God and stayed with Him. No matter how bad. No matter what philosophies, or good intentions from friends. No matter how much a friend called him a sinner. No matter how much pain and humiliation. Even when his wife, was led by Satan to say, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”

Job stayed with God. He trusted God and turned to God.

Now understand that I am not talking about going to church. You can go to church all you want and still not know God. You can be the greatest member of your church and still be lost.

Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? Turn to Him.

This can be seen in the Garden when Satan through the Serpent, tempted Eve. He caused her to doubt God’s promises and His goodness. (Gen. 3)

That is the the devil’s favorite tactic. To get us to stop trusting God and to not reach out to Him. Once that’s done, we have no real hope or real help. We are defenseless and powerless.

This is why God brought the curse. It is designed to cause us to turn to God.

When Adam ate of the fruit all humanity gained a corrupted nature through him. The only solution is to turn to God for salvation and help. The Curse causes us to seek that help, if we are willing.

Always turn to God. Turn to Him in everything, and He will save you, lead you, grow you and know you.

You have a choice. Do not let trouble or the enemy drive you away from God. Turn to Him and let Him work.

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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

Photos by the pexels/edited by author.

 

Grace Cannot Exist With Works

 Grace Cannot Exist With Works

If you seek to save yourself you've destroyed Grace. 

 

 

 

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."---Romans 11: 5-6 KJV---all verses are KJV

In this verse in Romans, Paul makes a statement regarding grace that should settle all matters regarding salvation by faith, or works, or whether you can lose your salvation, or whether you must do works to maintain it.

He plainly states, that it cannot truly be grace if you have to do anything to obtain it, or keep it.

The whole idea of grace is negated by any notion of effort on our part.

The King of everything is offering us salvation, adoption, total forgiveness, mercy, joint ownership of the Kingdom, all for free, forever, if we just turn to Him, and ask. Confessing Him as our Lord, believing and trusting Him alone.

 

" For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."--- Eph. 2:8-10

We are saved by grace. THROUGH faith. 

Faith is a medium. It's like a telephone line that connects us to God's Grace. We are not saved by faith, we are saved THROUGH faith.

God does not want anyone boasting or acting like they did some great deed to be saved, or that they were obedient servants. We must accept our fallen state and inability to save ourselves, in order to receive God's Grace. That's part of it. You must acknowledge your need for him alone.

But, here's where we encounter a problem.

Some people want to use Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 as an excuse to try to save themselves. It will not work. We cannot save ourselves or even help God at all. The second you try or think you are, grace ends.

After Adam fell humans became corrupted with a sin nature. We are not able to do right or fix ourselves. This is why God gave us the law. The purpose of God's law is to show us we cannot obey it and need to turn to God for salvation. This is why Jesus came to save us. We are not saved by doing the works of the law. We are saved by Grace. We are saved through faith in Christ alone. We follow the law because it helps us avoid trouble in this life. But, it does not save us.

Let's rightly divide the Word, in verse 10.

"We are HIS workmanship"=  It is God's Work not ours.

"created in Christ Jesus unto good works"= We are "Born Again" or Created in Christ, to build the Kingdom, to Spread the Gospel. to love and help people. These are the works we do.

"which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."= God already had a plan for our lives in Him and wants to work through us.

This is not about our salvation. We cannot do the works God desires without first being saved and letting Him work through us, by His Spirit.

But, some continue to use this verse and other verses to attempt to prove that we must  pay for our salvation or do something to earn it.

The fact that they think they can earn it, is proof that they really do not understand how wicked we are. It proves God right, when He says "None seek God". We seek ourselves, when a person wants to save themselves. (Romans 3:11)

When you wonder if someone can lose Grace. The answer is no. But, many "Christians" have never received Grace. Because they have chosen to earn it themselves, And force others to do the same.

They don't lose it.  They never had it. They never fell on their face and said "Have mercy on me a sinner". They never really had any oil in their lamp because they never had faith in God. ( Luke 18:10-14)

Let God save you.

 

Just turn to Him and ask Him to save you. (Acts 2:21)

 

Confess that Jesus is your Lord and believe He rose from the dead. (Romans 10: 9-10)

Believe He has saved you and is working on you. Trust His promise. It's not a feeling.

God has saved you, if you asked him to. Now He will start working in your life to help you to have more faith and grow in Him. To help you serve Him. He will lead you to study his Word and find a place where you can be with other saved people.

 

 Trust Him.

Let me give you a little analogy.

Let's say there's a parent and a child.

Which is better?

The child that ignores the parent, and goes its own way and is hurt or has a ruined life?

 

or

The child who chooses to read about the parent and rules and laws, obeying them perfectly but never really knowing the parent?

 

or

The child who turns to the parent and says. "Please help me". The child who chooses to turn to the parent and ask them to help them and grow them. The child who wants a relationship?

 

Which is better?

 

It's kind of a no brainer.

 
Turn to the Lord and trust Him.

 

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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 by the writer, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Not As The World Gives

 Not As The World Gives

God Is Not Like This World

Jesus said. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."---John 14:27  (John 14:1-31--in context)

When God calls us, and we turn to Him, confessing Jesus is the Lord, asking Him to save us and putting our faith in Him.

 
He saves us, and fills us with His Holy Spirit, washing us clean.

This brings us peace. Not our peace. But HIS peace. This must be understood. Because we do not nor cannot maintain this Peace ourselves. He does it as we continue to turn to Him and grow in Him, and know Him. The Word He gives us is Jesus. The Word He gives us are His Promises.

The second part of the verse is what I want to focus on.

"Not as the world giveth, give I unto you"

Because God doesn't give as the world gives. (You've lived in this world long enough to know how this world and the people of it give.)

When God gives, it's free to you. He paid for it.

It's a gift not a loan. There is no interest and it doesn't have to be repaid.

He doesn't take it away from us if we fail.

He doesn't use it against us.

He doesn't use it to guilt trip us.

He doesn't hold it over our head.

He doesn't give us something cheap and shoddy.

He doesn't give us a hand me down.

He loves us. He understands us. He works with us. He knows us, if we choose to know Him.

 

He fixes us and helps to grow us. He doesn't cast us aside.

He is with us always even till the end of the world.

And that's why we have the peace that defies all understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7)

Praise Jesus.

So what do we do?  We remind ourselves of his promises. We speak them aloud to hear them and drive the enemy away. We remind our selves of the great things God has done for us. We thank and praise Him for it. This brings peace as the Holy Spirit works in us.

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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

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Meat vs. Milk

 Meat Vs. Milk

Are you ready?

 

 

“Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”— Heb. 5:11-14

God’s Word teaches us that there is a difference between milk and meat when it comes to our growth in Christ.

There comes a point when we have read the Word, over and over. When we have sat in all the bible studies and read commentary books. When we have heard all the sermons for years. There comes a point when we are supposed to be ready to serve Christ.

There comes a point where we step into our gift and start using it for the Kingdom. When Church is no longer about sitting in the same pew, listening to the same music, and the same sermon series, from the same guy who gives only milk to drink.

The burden is on both the leader and the church member to grow.

If all a church member ever gets from the pastor or preacher is milk, then how are they supposed to be ready to consume meat?

If the pastor never hears from the Holy Spirit, or even talks about the Holy Spirit, then who is guiding this man? Who is giving him his sermon notes? Does he get his ideas from other preachers in books who never spoke of the Holy Spirit? Men who never spoke as unto the Oracles of God themselves?

The preacher is to tell the flock what the Holy Spirit tells him to preach. It’s not about what the preacher thinks. It’s not a scholarly task. If he says “I was thinking about this”, he is glorifying himself. He should be teaching what the Spirit has told him. If he can’t “Speak as the Oracle of God” meaning that he is speaking what God has told him to say, then he needs to go sit down. He is too afraid to acknowledge that he heard from God, because certain members of his congregation would label him as crazy or false. The congregation should never think that hearing from God is crazy. We are supposed to converse with God, and we are supposed to be crazy for Jesus. (1 Peter 4:11)

That doesn’t mean that a preacher cannot express his own opinion or tell what his own understanding of the Word is. There are lots of places where that’s needed. But, his view point must really be from the Word and the Holy Spirit.

The congregation gets the preacher they deserve. If they are not ready for meat, then they get a preacher who never preaches meat, and the congregation will not grow in Christ. If the congregation doesn’t read the Word, or spend time in prayer or service, fighting the fight of faith how can they be ready for meat?

If all they know is from Bible classes and sermon series, then they are babes. They have never been broken or know Christ. They have never really learned from Him. They are like baby birds sitting in a nest eating regurgitated food from their parents.

Have you ever read the Word? Have you ever really studied it? Not cherry picked sermon series, but actually read and studied the Word? If your pastor started teaching false things, would you really know?

If you get enlightened things from your pastor, and you have never read or studied the Word for yourself, how do you know you are not just getting really good milk? How do you know that it’s not just a good speech? Good speeches can elicit emotions as well. It doesn’t mean the sermon is from God.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to speak of what Milk is.

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.”—Heb. 6:1-3

If you do not know the basic doctrines of Christ well enough to go out and teach others and preach the Gospel, then you are still a babe.

Have you asked the Holy Spirit to teach you? Do you realize your teaching comes through getting up and serving? Do you read the Word? Do you have real faith in God? Do you only get your doctrines from one man teaching milk?

Does your pastor feed you milk, because he wants to keep the flock in the pen so he can fleece them of tithes? Perhaps, you’re not growing in Christ because the leader you keep following doesn’t really know Him? Is he too afraid to preach the meat of the Word because he doesn’t want to upset the rich people of the church who pay his salary?

We are called to be soldiers in Christ. We are supposed to be serving God. That means that our pastors, preachers and teachers are supposed to be letting the Holy Spirit, speak through them for the purpose of getting people saved and preparing them to go forth and fight the true fight of faith. They should be leading and providing means for them to really serve. Not just waiting on tables or doing tasks, but exercising their gifts for real out in the world. Not just sitting on committees and doing bible studies.

We are supposed to be telling people about Jesus. Not bringing them to church so that someone else can tell them about Jesus. The time we waste between inviting a person to church and them showing up, is the time Satan draws them away. We are supposed to be prepared to give the Gospel at the moment Jesus brings someone to us. Not force them to wait a week to come to church and hope the preacher happens to give the Gospel that week. Are you really ready to serve? Can you not present the Gospel? If not, then are you really saved? Do you understand it enough to really know it? (1 Peter 3:15)

We are supposed to be taught by the Holy Spirit, and listen to his guidance as He leads us to serve and learn from teachers who really speak the Word. ( 1 John 2:27, John 16:13)

But, are we “dull of hearing” because we are lazy and sitting in that same old pew? We have been lulled into a stupor and need woken up? Like the writer of Hebrews says “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again “

They had fallen into false doctrine. They had never grown. They did not really know Christ because they were never taught by Him. They had left the basic doctrines.

This is why the writer goes on to say some of the most terrifying words in the scriptures.

“ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”—Heb. 6:4-8

He is warning them. They had heard the Gospel. They had woken up with joy. They had been partakers of the Holy Spirit’s work, and seen Him move. But, they were still babes. They still consumed milk. They never grew. This should be a red flag, that they never really got saved.

Since they never grew, they turned away into false things. They turned from God and his salvation unto their own self-righteousness. You must understand these are people who are sitting in the church reading this letter.

They had turned away from the basic teachings of Christ. They had turned to thinking they were saved by obeying the Law, and by doing good works, instead of grace by faith. This is why the writer speaks of relearning the basic doctrines, when they should be teachers of it. Because they never really got it.

These people did not lose their salvation, they never really had it. They never really knew Christ. They just saw the truth, but never really moved to accept it and become a part of it. They just sat in their pews and ate the food, clapped to the music and enjoyed the story telling from the pulpit. But, it never changed them. It never led them to be saved. It never led them to grow in Christ.

These people are like the folks in the parable of the sower. The tares among the wheat. They are birds in the tree, stealing the seed. (Matthew 13)

They never really knew Him. The devil snatched the Word from their heart. Persecutions and tribulations kept them from trusting God. The flesh, the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches kept them from really turning to God. They were never saved.

These folks are the foolish virgins. They are the ones who say “have we not done marvelous works in thy name?“. They are the ones at the wedding feast in the wrong clothes, because they never really put faith in God for salvation through Jesus Christ. They trusted in their own works and their own name to save them. They thought that living a life resisting temptation and not sinning was knowing Christ. Ignoring the fact that Christ died for those sins, and giving it all to Him and following Him. (Matthew 22, Matt 25)

They “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” because they never really accepted the salvation from Jesus the first time. They did not accept the salvation Jesus gave them. They are like Moses who hit the Rock twice, because his flesh did not allow him to realize that all he needed to do was speak to the Rock, and get water. It was his work, he thought, that brought out salvation, not the finished work of Christ. ( Exodus 17:1-7 ,Numbers 20:1-12, 1 Cor. 10:4 )

We confess our sins and He cleanses us and changes us. That’s the relationship. We don’t change ourselves. Sinners cannot change their own sinful ways, for all they do breeds more sin.

Do you know Him? Are you ready for meat? Are you following the Holy Spirit? Are you serving in your gift from God? Are you fighting the enemy, helping and serving others?

Or are you sitting in a pew for years, getting milk from someone who probably should not have been a preacher?

Ask God to save you and grow you.

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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 by pexels