Fair weather fan or disciple?

Those who are fair weather fans of Jesus teach tolerance and acceptance of all. Those who are disciples of Christ teach repentance, grace and forgiveness is available to all.

Tolerance is not a biblical value, or even a trait of God.

Grace is.

What is the difference between Tolerance and Grace?

Tolerance means that although I don’t see things the way you do, I still allow you to continue on doing what you are doing without objecting to it in order to be fair.

Grace is showing love, mercy, and kindness,to others regardless of their circumstances as a reflection of what God does for us.

Jesus said to many your sins are forgiven , go and sin no more. He did not give them a pass, but showed them a better way. How about us, do we tolerate sin in our lives? In our children, friends?

How about showing Grace instead, show them and ourselves a better way by truly becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Read the gospel of John and see what all Jesus has done and said for His grace is greater than our sins.

“Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.  In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say? ” They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,”  said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”John 8:4-11

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word,    you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.  A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever.  Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. John 8:31-32, 34-36

Whose strength are you relying on?

Most people have heard the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was strong but had many weaknesses, his biggest weakness was his pride and vanity, He believed to much in himself and not the Lord.

He believed all he did was of his own doing and that he was invincible his heart had strayed away from God.

Mankind today has this same problem our hearts have strayed far from God, we believe to much in ourselves and our accomplishments and have forgotten that it is only by God's grace, goodness and provision that we have anything.

In the end Samson came back and ask God to help him and recognized his need for a Savior. Mankind also will recognize this need one day, for every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

My prayer is that mankind will realize this before it is to late for them.

Are you trusting in yourself today as your own lord and savior? If so ask God to reveal to you His truth, and let you see what He has done for you already.

Read the entire story of Samson in the book of Judges in the Bible and see what happens when we we rely on ourselves, we will let ourselves and others down every time.

Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out,  he told her the whole truth and said to her, “My hair has never been cut, because I am a Nazirite to God from birth. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any other man.” When Delilah realized that he had told her the whole truth, she sent this message to the Philistine leaders: “Come one more time, for he has told me the whole truth.” The Philistine leaders came to her and brought the money with them. Then she let him fall asleep on her lap and called a man to shave off the seven braids on his head. In this way, she made him helpless, and his strength left him. Then she cried, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison. He called out to the Lord : “Lord God , please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more. With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple and leaned against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left. Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And the dead he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.

Judges 16:16-21, 28-30

Do you trust in God's providence?

The providence of God is written on the pages of time, and is displayed ever second of everyday in our lives.

Just as God provided everything for Is real as He led them through the wilderness He does us, our faith may be stretched but do not lose heart, God is faithful always.

Trust in Him and His providence.

God's providence is shaping our lives, and shaping history. We are not at the mercy of a cyclical, happenstance repetition of events or ideologies, moving aimlessly through time and space. Our destiny is not controlled by powerful nations, great men or circumstances. It rests securely and comfortably in the hands of God.

For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you this past 40 years, and you have lacked nothing.’ Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take possession of it.’ The Lord our God handed him over to us, and we defeated him, his sons, and his whole army. There was no city that was inaccessible to  us, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead. The Lord our God gave everything to us.

Deuteronomy 2:7, 25-25, 31, 33-33, 36

My way

Frank Sinatra sang it so did Elvis Presley and many others have recorded this song, and every person ever born except one has lived this out.

The song, the life choice is My Way.

The chorus goes

I've lived a life that's full

I've traveled each and every highway

And more, much more than this

I did it my way

So many live this way and in the end they reflect over life and see where and how they missed it.

Jesus said we don't need to do life alone, that He would take our yoke and we can take His. For His easy.

Let me ask are you tired, weary, broken, hopeless?

Are you missing joy, peace, comfort, security?

How is that working out for you?

Are you ready yet to surrender, or do you need to continue on your path?

Come rest in the Lord and see what He has planned for you today.

At that time Jesus said,  “I praise   You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.  Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.   All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows   the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires   to reveal Him.  “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:25-30

There is a better way

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is here in John 21, the disciples return to their lives before they met Jesus, they had given up on themselves they failed and had deserted Jesus when He was arrested and crucified.

But Jesus had not given up on them, this is the 3rd time He comes to them after His resurrection, and He wants them to know how much He loves them.

He sees them fishing and says to them , did you catch anything?

For they had not caught anything all night. (Jesus was asking a rhetorical question, He knew the answer)

Then Jesus says cast your net to the other side, what He is saying is hey there guys there is a better way, My way.

They then recognize it is Jesus and come to Him.

Jesus is saying stop doing what your doing it is okay, I can't rely just on you, but you can always rely on me.

How about you, are you still doing things your way?

If so read John 21:1-17 and see that Jesus way is the only way.

When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Men,”  Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you? ” “No,” they answered. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.John 21:4-6 

At that time Jesus said,  “I praise   You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.  Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.   All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows   the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires   to reveal Him.  “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:25-30

Holiness it's what I long for.

Israel was in captivity in Egypt for over 400 years when God set them free with Moses leading the way.

They had adapted Egypt's ways and rituals into their own, God led them out but had to teach them His holiness.

Like Israel when God set's us free from captivity we need to unlearn our old ways and learn His holiness, this means we must let Him lead us and work in our lives. We must learn to seek Him. We must submit to His ways for they are perfect.

Do not harden your hearts to what God is doing in your life, He is teaching you and I holiness.

Read the stories of the wilderness journey today see how God moved and directed Israel, then reflect over your journey and see how God is directing your life and teaching you His holiness. And thank Him for rescuing you from captivity.

Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart. “You are to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.  And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am Yahweh your God who set you apart from the peoples.

Leviticus 20:7-8, 22, 24

Surrender or Search on , you choose.

Jesus says, if you’re looking for friendship, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for acceptance, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for meaning in life, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for healing, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for significance, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for security, I know where that is. 

Jesus says, if you’re looking for satisfaction, I know where that is. 

If these are all things your searching for , maybe you stop searching and start surrendering.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me   anything in My name, I will do it.   “If you love Me, you will keep   My commands.   And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be   in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. “In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

John 14:6, 12-21

Are we living as priests of God?

God set Israel aside to be His priests to the world, to be set apart to show the world His power, love and grace. He set the entire nation apart not just the Levite's.

But they became spiritually proud and failed even though time and time again God warned them and they swore they would listen.

God set Israel to the side because of their disobedience and hard stubborn hearts, He has blinded them to His truths but has kept a remnant for Himself for the end of days.

God called the Church to be His priest to the world through the complete work of Christ through His life, death and burial and resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven. He has called us to be set apart to obey His word and to take the gospel to the world.

We can see what happened to Israel for their spiritual pride, and disobedience but we do not see that we the Church are following the same path.

It is time that the Church get back to repentance and obedience, that we stand on the word of God, out of love not throwing down the law as a weapon but using it in our lives and to others to show that there is a  need for forgiveness and God has taken care of how we may be reconciled to Him and made to be with Him through Christ.

Take God at His word, trust Him and obey Him not in word alone but in every aspect of your life.

God will not be mocked, if we live outside of His ways and will, we are taking His name in vain, and that will not go unpunished.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Exodus 19:5-6

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.  As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”  So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”  and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:1-11 ESV

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Exodus 20:7 ESV