Living in Christ

There are a lot of misconceptions today about becoming a Christian. One of those is that when we ask Jesus to come into our heart, we become a Christian. I Would like to challenge that today by saying that the Bible does not say we become a Christian by asking Jesus into our heart, we become a Christian by being born again. Jesus told us that unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3). Saying a prayer or making a public commitment or signing a decision card will not save us. Only being born again will do that. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he s a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17. The apostle Paul says here that when you are "in Christ," the old things pass away. In the moment of our salvation, every sin we ever committed is forgiven. Healing for every hurt we have ever suffered is available. Love and acceptance are ours despite every failure we have experienced. Our p...

Let's ask ourselves a question today. Would we believe that God, who called us to Himself and equipped us with His Spirit, could work mightily through us? Many of us will say, yes, we believe that. Okay, have we made the connection between the time and place in which we live, and God's call upon us? Ah! There's a good question! You know, world events never catch God by surprise. And, you might not believe this, but He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose. Daniel is a very good example of someone who believed God, and allowed God to use him to make a difference. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies." Daniel 1:8. Daniel did not let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to God. He knew that to make his life useful to God, he needed to obedient, not in some things, but in all things. That is the problem with many Christians today. We like the good parts of God...

Things in our world are not always what they seem to be. The book of Proverbs is a book that can give us great wisdom in practical day to day activities. One of the things that Proverbs does warn us about is our paths. We can be deceived into believing we are going down a right path and yet be heading toward the opposite direction from God's will. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 As people, we do not naturally seek God or pursue righteousness (Romans 3:10-18). It is only as the Spirit awakens our hearts to the Person of Christ that we are able to desire God's will for our life. If we make decisions apart from the guidance of the Spirit of God, we will be like a ship trying to sail without a compass. Most of us will do what makes the most sense, based on our own wisdom, even if it is something God has called us to do. He tells us to do this or that, and we say ok, and then proceed in our own wisdom. This can be...

“Worshiping God” Scripture: Psalm 47 Intro: Sometimes I think that worshiping our Lord has been lost. It has been exchanged for singing a few songs, listening to a sermon, and then going about our business, most of the time forgetting why it was we came together in the first place. I am always intrigued when I study the Bible and find that in almost every situation mentioned in Scripture, even when the individual was faced with a problem, they still worshipped God. I would like to look at worshipping God today and help us to learn that God loves it when we worship Him, and not only that, but that worshipping Him also encourages us and empowers us when we know that we serve a mighty, loving, powerful God. If you have your Bible, please open to Psalm chapter 47, starting at verse one. 1. Clap Your Hands and Shout With Joy (v1). I see it all the time and I know you have also. It’s what we call a dead church. That is, a church that gathers together but is not alive in the worship of God....

Hello again everyone!!! I was wondering, did anybody miss me or the daily posts? Well, even if you did or did not, what a learning experience I have had these last few days! You see, I lost my Internet connection sometime early Thursday morning. Try as I might, my computer would not let me connect to the Internet. I began to become frustrated and agitated because I couldn't write or check my e-mail. However, a voice spoke to me during this frustration. It said, Be Still and Know I Am God!! I was shocked at first, but the more I listened, the more the voice spoke and the louder it got. You know what? I got on my knees and prayed. God told me that I needed a break from giving all my attention to work and ministry. I needed to focus on what was more important---my family!! Friends, there are times when we think we are doing a service to God when we are active in serving, work, paying our bills, etc. etc. But, one thing I learn over and over, God wants us to spend tim...

Have you ever taken anything for granted? If you are like the rest of us, your answer will be yes. There are a lot of things that we end up taking for granted, especially in our relationships. One of the things we can take for granted is God's presence in our lives. We might even assume that because Jesus said He would be with us always, He will follow us wherever we go. However, we need to realize that Jesus does not follow us; we are to follow Him. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24 We don't invite God to join us in our activity. He invites us to become involved in His activity. Jesus said: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you." (John 15:16). Following Jesus requires absolute obedience. He does not seek our counsel about which direction we think is best to go. God already knows what is best without ever having to consult ...

As a minister, one of the things that I have learned is that I can talk and preach ,and talk some more, but there comes a time when I can't talk about the Christian pilgrimage anymore. People must actually set out on the journey to see and know and understand what I am talking about. We can spend many hours debating and discussing issues related to the Christian life, but it means little if people do not actually step out and follow Christ! "They said to Him, "Rabbi...where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day." John 1:38b-39. For generations the coming of the Messiah had been foretold and anticipated by the nation of Israel. No topic started discussions more among Jews than the nature and work of the Messiah. Andrew had listened to John the Baptist and had heard of the coming Messiah. Now, he was suddenly face to face with the One he yearned to see! Andrew's mind ...

One of the signs of a heart that has shifted from God is the absence of spiritual power! If you are anything like Sampson at this particular time, you won't be immediately aware that God's power has left you. It was only after Sampson tried to defeat his enemies that he recognized something was not right. He went against the Philistines the same as before, expecting to easily defeat them, but this time the Philistines prevailed over him. He was left wondering what had happened. "And she said, " The Philistines are upon you Sampson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison." Judges 16:20-21. If we allow sin to creep into our life, if we refuse to obey our Lord, if we do not reconc...

Here it is!! That special time of the week when we gather together to praise and worship our Loving, Merciful, Heavenly Father!! What a joyous and beautiful day is!! God is Great, God is Good, God is All The Time, God is God!! As always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “How to Live While the End is Near” Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11 Introduction: The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. It also instructs us as to how we should be living our lives. In our text today, Peter is cautioning us that the end is near and are we living in the right way? You know, Christ could come at any moment. His return is inevitable. He could come before I finish this sentence. For this reason, it is urgent that we Christians practice our calling, displaying self-control, mutual love, and a diligent stewardship of the gifts God has given to us. This is the life that will bring Glory to God and Peter is going to sum up for us how to live near the end of all things. Please open your Bibles to 1 ...

Here's a statement that might shock some of us. Bible study will not give you eternal life! You could memorize the entire Bible and be able to discuss various issues of biblical scholarship, but fail to experience the truths found in its pages. It is a temptation to prefer the book to the Author. A book will not confront you about your sin, you can just turn the page if you don't like what the one you are reading says. However, the Author of the Bible will confront you about your sin. Books can be ignored, but its hard to ignore the Author when He is seeking a relationship with you. "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." John 5:39-40. I think the Pharisees in Jesus' day thought God would be pleased with their knowledge of His Word. They could quote long, complicated passages of Scripture. They loved to recite and st...

There may be times in life, as there has been in mine, when God seems far away. You might feel that your prayers are going unheard. There could be a couple of reasons we feel God is being silent. One reason is that He is testing our faithfulness and trust in Him. However, today we are going to look at another and more probable reason, James says there is a simple reason and solution. If we are far from God, it is because our sin has separated us from Him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8 One thing we must remember is that God is unchanging! His character stays absolutely holy. His faithfulness remains constant; it is we who change. We allow sin into our lives, we choose our own direction, and we are the ones who spend less time with Him in our Bible and in prayer. But, one day something will happen to us, we will realize that we have gradually grown distant from God. The sol...

How many of us are praying, but don't believe what we are praying for? If we were all to be truthful, we would all probably answer that all of us are. You can say prayers in your mind, but harbor doubt in your heart. Sometimes, God will answers such prayers as He did when Peter was in prison waiting to be executed. The other believers in Jerusalem were powerless to free him, so they gathered together to pray for him and for his release. When God released Peter, their reaction to his release revealed that they had doubted in their hearts. They argued that Peter could not possibly be free, even as he stood outside knocking on the door! "When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Acts 12:14-15. We come to a few questions that I have aske...

Many times I hear Christians complain that God hasn't answered their prayers. Is He listening to me? Maybe I am not praying correctly? I can't understand what is wrong. Such complaining I believe is saddening. The Bible tells us that God answers all prayers. The answer: Yes, no, or wait! "Now there was one, Anna...a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day." Luke 2:36-37. Faithfulness to God through prayer is important. Our faithfulness allows God to reveal greater insight to us than to the less faithful. If you have been following this week, a key note that keeps coming up is spending time with God in prayer. I'm talking about "real" time. Give God the opportunity to speak back to you! Did you know that faithfulness brings opportunities to us that are not given to the unfaithful? I believe that God takes pleasure in answering prayers that come from a faithful heart. Let...

Did you know that the greatest moments in a Christian's life come through prayer? Take our Lord for instance, when Jesus prayed, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Then there is the disciples, the Spirit came upon them as they gathered to pray on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14; 2:1). When the disciples prayed together after Pentecost, their gathering place was shaken, and they were emboldened to proclaim the Gospel throughout the city (Acts 4:31). "When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Luke 3:21-22. I believe that prayer is not a substitute for hard work. I believe that prayer is the work! God does things in and through our lives by prayer that He does in no other way. As we pray and as our attention is ...

As we start this week, I thought it fitting that we learn a little about praying. I believe that there is not enough of it these days. We live in the world of the fast and the right now, but God doesn't operate that way, and He doesn't want His children to live that way either. God wants to spend quality, meaningful time with us, His beloved. "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:44 Prayer is not really difficult to understand. It is difficult to do. Let me ask you a question, when was the last time your heart so grieved for those you were interceding for that your entire body agonized along with your mind and heart? (Hebrews 5:7) Unfortunately, we are not only a generation that lives in the fast, we are also a generation that avoids pain at all costs! I think this is why there are so few intercessors. I believe that most Christians operate on the shallowest levels of prayer,...

Another week has come and gone and we praise the Lord for His goodness and His love. Whether you are in church in your heart, your home, or in a building, know that God loves you and wants the best for you throughout all your days. As always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent! "Fighting the Battle of Anger" Scripture: Numbers 20:2-13 Introduction: Today I would lie to take a look at an emotion that has a tendency to run away with us. I am going to talk about anger. Anger by itself is not a bad emotion. It's an emotional alarm system that says we are feeling hostility. However, when anger takes control of us, we can do some pretty nasty and terrible things. You have heard the saying of being blinded by anger? Even Christians, like anyone else, can experience times when tempers flare. Today we are going to look at a time when Moses experienced anger from the people of Israel, from himself, and from the Lord. I see four powerful lessons we can learn from this passage ...

You know, Jesus sees people far differently than we do. Throughout the Gospels we see a patten in the way Jesus taught His disciples. "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them." Matthew 5:1-2. Whenever Jesus saw the multitudes, He would reveal to His disciples what was on His heart for the people. The disciples did not always understand everything He was telling them, but Jesus assured them that later the Holy Spirit would reveal the significance of His words. (John 14:25-26) When the multitude would start pressing in on Him, Jesus would get alone with His disciples and teach them about God's love for the people. We can expect the same pattern as we walk with Jesus. When God places us in a crowd, we may sense the Holy Spirit impressing upon us the heart and mind of God for the people. Perhaps God will lead us to a solitary place where He shares with us His com...

As we come to the end of our week, it is fitting the we recognize that we have been learning how our attitude should be to others around us. We should have the same mind, the same heart, the same love for people around us, as our Lord Jesus Christ has. Although some will say, we are not Jesus, we are still endowed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit if we are the believers we say we are. It is through the Spirit that we forgive others, that we show brotherly love to others, and that we bear each others burdens. Consider: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fullfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 "But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one one of y...

If you haven't already noticed, we are spending our time this week examining how our walk looks. Today we are continuing on that journey to understand how we should appear in relationship to others. As Christians, we are obliged to view our actions in light of how they will affect other Christians. " Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being." 1 Corinthians 10:24. We will discover God's will for our life when we consider His activity in the lives of others. This goes contrary to worldly thinking. The world encourages us to live our own life, taking care of our own needs and wants first. Sin promotes independence. It isolates us from others and separates us from those we could help or who could encourage us. But, God designed us for interdependence! Here's an eye opening thought, did you know that whenever you meet another Christian, you come face to face with Christ? (John13:20). There ought to be a deep respect within us as we encounter oth...

In discussing the topics covered the last two posts, I think it fitting that we discuss an enemy that is not only relentless in its pursuit of non-Christians, but also of Christians. No one is safe from the ravages of pride. "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor." Proverbs 29:23. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." Proverbs 13:10 "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34 One of the greatest subjects covered in the Scriptures is the subject of pride. Pride is the great enemy of man, Christian and non-Christian alike. Pride is an overly high opinion of yourself. It motivates us to do things that we know are not Christ-like. It hinders us from doing things that bring glory to God. Think about Adam and Eve, pride influenced them to try to become like God...

You see it all the time on t.v., the news, new shows, everything that comes to us these days has an air of urgency about it. That urgency? Get what I can as quick as I can because life is all about me. There is so much competition these days for who is the best, and, unfortunately, this competition has found its way into our churches as well. It saddens me to see many of us trying to put ourselves into high places by our words and our actions. Many of us tell stories about ourselves, many to me that are, quiet frankly, hard for me to swallow. We long for the attention, we want people to say, "Look at him/her, aren't they great!?!" This should not be friends. If Jesus taught us anything, it was to love others more than ourselves and not to exalt ourselves, but to exalt God and others. "But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, "Friend, move up to a better place." Then you will be honored in the presenc...

This week I decided to tackle an issue that plagues all of us. The willingness to carry out what God has called us to do, and the obstacles we will encounter. It is no secret that I am striving to go further in ministry. I have a call on my life that I am sure others have. It may not be the same call, but we are all called by God to do something. The first call that we have to answer is the call to come to Him, to get right with Him. We may encounter obstacles to this first call, such as ourselves when pride or stubbornness gets in the way, or in our families and friends in many different ways. The second call that we answer is our call to service from God. We need to guard ourselves with the understanding and recognition that open doors of service may also let in adversaries. "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." 1 Corinthians 16:9. Paul had many open doors and he also had many adversaries. As he wrote to the Corinthians from Ephe...

Well friends, here it is, Sunday again and all God's people said... AMEN!! Some of us will be in church and some of us won't, but most of us will be with God in our hearts. Here again is a sermon that I have preached and I post it to help further God's Word, and to help you further your relationship with Him. As always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “Do You Have Divisions in Your Life?” Scripture: Luke 11:14-22 Introduction: What a day to be alive!! We were all blessed to be born in America. The land of the free and the home of the brave!! Right? We are free here to share our opinions, our ideas, our talents. We are free to come and go as we please. We enjoy more freedoms here than in any other place in the world. But, with that freedom, there are also consequences. If you pay attention to any of our news, you would know that although America portrays a great face to the rest of the world, underneath the mask is a nation divided. We are divided over...

In continuing on from the last post, Paul had a lot to say about how those of us in the faith should be reacting to others. I personally like the Book of Ephesians. It is a short book, but is filled with God's love and direction for us to others. Ephesians describes the behavior that ought to characterize Christians as they relate to others. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:29-32. Our passage says that our actions ought to be permeated with kindness. Too many of us spend too much time praising and worshiping God in church, only to turn ar...

I overheard a conversation once. It was two people discussing the prospects of Christianity. They were both very adamant that if they continued to live like they were, they would be okay because they weren't very much different from Christians. One even mentioned that at one time they got asked to leave the church because they were not dressed " appropriately ." "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Luke 18:10 -13. The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Jesus' time. They also considered themselves better than others. They would go about ...

I have written a lot about getting into relationship with God, cleansing our hearts, and service for God. Today, as I studied, the thought came to me that I have been preaching and speaking to others about our identity in Christ. Well, what about me and you? Who am I and who are you? There is no such thing as second-hand spirituality. No one else can develop Christian maturity on our behalf. That is up to us. A strong Christian heritage is an asset, but it cannot take the place of your own vibrant, growing relationship with Christ. "And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Acts 19:15 Paul had a powerful walk with God. God used him so mightily that extraordinary miracles occurred through his life. Cloths and clothes that touched him were taken to the sick, and the sick were healed, evil spirits were even cast out, just from coming into contact with the articles. (Acts 19:10-12). Paul's teaching and preaching were instrum...

It's interesting to me when I see how some of us work so hard at trying to serve our churches in so many ways, and still retain a bitter attitude, or a closed heart. We even strive to serve God in various ways, hoping that our service to Him will somehow cause Him to overlook our other worldly or sinful activities. Scripture teaches us that no amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him. "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6 Throughout the ages, God's people have been deceived into thinking that they could please Him through their service and their offerings, regardless of their heart condition. Some examples from Scripture would be when King Saul offered generous sacrifices, hoping God would overlook his disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Maybe David assumed that after all he had done on God's behalf, God would overlook his sin (2 Samuel 12:7-15). A good one ...

Do you have any enemies? What a question to be asked, especially if we are God's children. We come to the assumption that everything is hunky-dory and that everyone will treat us kind and we won't experience the pain of opposition as others do. What makes me say this? I hear it all the time. A lot of Christians think that since we have given ourselves to God, things will go nicely for us. But, let's consider what the Bible says to us: "An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." Matthew 2:13 Whenever God clearly speaks to you, and you obey His will, you can expect to face opposition. This is not intended to scare you, but to prepare you for the assaults you will face by being obedient to God. Some of us become nervous about obeying God because of the opposition that they hear others go through,...

We live in a horribly wicked environment. Or so we think. We need to remember that although evil "appears" to be all around us, God is still on the throne, and He is still in control. No matter how ungodly the environment around us may be, God will always find us and walk with us: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord...Noah was just a man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God." Genesis 6:8-9 Noah lived in perhaps the most wicked age in history. No one worshiped God. All the people worshiped idols and pursued their own sinful desires and lusts. Even Noah's neighbors were evil. Every person he associated with in the marketplace, or along the street, or in public places, ridiculed the very thought of being faithful to God. Every temptation imaginable was abundantly available to Noah. Sounds a lot like the world we know today. How oppressive such an environment can be to a righteous person! The people of Noah's day were so wicked, in fact, G...