Crucified?

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." John 10:10a

Many know that in coming to faith in Christ, we must acknowledge who we are: sinners.  Yet, I wonder if that admission really brings home the severity of who we are without God.  Even in that admission, we may tend to subconsciously believe our sins are not as bad as the sins of others, that we still had some "good" qualities.  In this way, being a sinner can almost become whitewashed in our minds because, after all, everyone is a sinner.  It becomes no sweat off of our backs to admit because the word can gloss over the reality of what we truly were.

This morning as I pondered God's word, I began to think about how God sees the matter; and it is not in such generalities.  It is an image which is crystal clear via the Scriptures, but it may be hard to reconcile if you have not considered it before.

God didn't just see us as sinners.  He saw us as a reflection of the very nature of Satan himself.  In God's eyes, fallen man had become just like his "Daddy" (John 8:44).  Man had become a thief, a murderer, & a destroyer.

What Do You Mean There's No Santa??!!

Gifts Lying Under a Tree

Today, many children - even children of Christian families - will be getting up to see what gifts "Santa" has brought them.  We never misled our children about the myths of Santa.  It didn't have anything to do with whether it was right or wrong to celebrate Christmas; we just couldn't justify lying to our children.

I can remember finding out that Santa was not real at around age 6.  I had gone to my mother's room and was sitting on her bed watching the typical Christmas shows (i.e. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, etc.).  Also on the bed - unbeknownst to me - were some of the things "Santa" was going to give me in the morning.  I had seen the Toys R'Us bag and the items in them, but just didn't think much of it.  Mom was wrapping presents for the family and maybe those were just some of them.  My focus was on my shows.

However, when my Mom came in and saw me, she became quite excited and quickly pulled the things off of the bed.  Again, I paid no attention as my focus was on the TV.  Then, the next morning, I saw all of those items under the tree marked as things that "Santa" had given.

As the realization hit me, I looked at my Mom and shouted, "These aren't from Santa!  I saw these in the Toys R'Us bag on your bed!" "No you didn't.", my Mom insisted, "Those are from Santa."

Put on Garments of Vengeance

A Shaking Should Lead to a Waking

"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. 

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. 

And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. 

Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people." Deuteronomy 32:38-43

In the wake of the recent tragedies such as the shootings at Sandy Hook, many ask why this is happening and where is God.  Yet, amazing as it may be to think, this too will soon become a distant memory and life will resume as "normal" for many.  Some might call this return to normalcy God's mercy as He enables us to cope with what has happened.  However, is it?  What if our "normal" was a life devoid of God and with no thought to His will and His way?  What if "normal" was a life filled with lots of religious activity, but with the majority of hearts being far away from God?  What if God lets such things happen in order to shake us from "normal" and wake us from a spiritual stupor?

Controlling Our Tongues

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen called, "Controlling Our Tongues".

I appreciate Pastor Poonen because God has anointed him to teach the Scriptures plainly, but with great spiritual conviction.  I know that this is an area God still works with me on; to resist the temptation to respond "in kind" to others or to give folks a "piece of my mind" because of how they interact with me.  Sometimes people say to me, "Oh, you are so patient in how you respond to others."  Yet they don't know the inner battle which can sometimes occur between what "I" really want to say and what the Holy Spirit will not let me say.  LOL

If it were not for the Holy Spirit, surely a different "me" would be seen.  And while I am so grateful for the work of the Spirit in this way, I also know that this inner struggle is merely evidence that the old man is not as dead as he should be.  There is still a little too much life left in the flesh, which must be further crucified.  I look to the day when the Holy Spirit no longer has to muzzle me in such instances because even the urge to justify or defend "self" is gone.  That is my prayer.

Anyway, I hope this message is a blessing to you!

• We must to glory in the small things while ignoring the weightier things of God.
• The way you know that you are walking in the light is that you get personal light or revelation on your own spiritual condition.
• The word being a two-edged sword means it cuts me (applies to me) before it cuts others (before it can be applied by me to others).
• Many professing Christians still do not have control over their tongue.

The Right Attitude To Money

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen on, "The Right Attitude to Money."

• People used to think that all wholehearted Christians must be poor.  Now there is the teaching that wholehearted Christians must be rich.  Both are unscriptural extremes.
• The two masters Jesus tells us we cannot serve (we must hate one and love the other) are God and mammon (which is money).
• If money rules over you, you cannot serve God.
• If you are not faithful in unrighteous mammon, how will God trust you with the true riches of Heaven: revelation from God's word, transformation into Christ's character, and anointing for the ministry.
• To be devoted to God is to despise money.  You must come to the place where if you gain money it doesn't excite you, and if you lose money it doesn't depress you.

The Right Attitude To Correction

In a recent conversation with fellow believers, we spoke of how many are unable to take Godly correction.  I am not speaking of the type of soulish control that others may try to wield over you as so-called "correction", but that discipline which through conviction, the Holy Spirit confirms is from the Lord.

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen on "The Right Attitude to Correction."  The wrong attitude can make the difference between those who are sons of God and those who are not.

• There was no good thing Jesus could say about the Church at Laodecia.  Yet Jesus says that He still loved them (Revelation 3:19).
• Rebuke & discipline from the Lord is a sign of His love so that we zealously repent.  It is the proof that we are not bastards, but one of His children (Hebrews 12:6-8).
• God gives you little warnings to save you from head on collisions (spiritually) later in life; do not be offended by them.
• The Lord is so interested in making us perfect that He is not happy with just 99.9%.
• You have to be very high-minded to tell God that He must correct you directly and not through any of His servants.