Living in Christ

If you are a Christian, you are a priest, chosen by God. As members of the royal priesthood we have constant access to the King. If there is ever a need in our life, we don't have to find an intermediary or enlist another priest in order to gain a hearing from the King. Our position as royal priests allows us direct access. This privilege describes our position as a priest. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9. We need to also understand that priests also have a function. It is the responsibility of a priest to work within a priesthood. Scripture does not promote the practice of individual priests, each with a separate ministry. Priests are supposed to function together. (Lev. 9:1). An unbiblical sense of individualism can isolate us from functioning within God's royal priesthood as He intend...

Problems Into Possibilities. 1st in a series of three. Scripture: Nehemiah 1 thru 2. Introduction: Do you have any problems? You do? Well, congratulations! Because, for the child of God, problems are really possibilities in disguise. Today, I want to help you learn how you can turn every problem into a possibility. As Christians, we have a relationship with God that gives us insight, wisdom, and power to see an opportunity in every difficulty. And I’m not just talking about wishful thinking because we’re going to see that no matter what your problem is, God can turn it into a possibility. There are three steps we need to take in order to maximize God’s plan in our lives. I want to consider these steps as we look at the life of Nehemiah, a towering man of faith despite towering problems that could have overwhelmed most people. Nehemiah had difficulties you and I cannot even imagine, but he saw God’s potential in each one. Let’s open our Bible to Nehemiah chapter 1 starting at verse 1. ...

There is a verse in the Bible that should startle us and cause us to tremble. It is a verse that we should not read quickly or pass over. As Christians, we should be grateful to be forgiven our sins, we should be thankful that we have been adopted as God's children. But I do not think that we will ever comprehend the awesome price that Jesus paid to cleanse us of our sin and to give us His righteousness. How abhorrent was it for the sinless Son of God to have every sin of all humanity placed upon Him? What love was required for the Father to watch His only Son bear the excruciating pain and humiliation of our sin upon the cross? "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. The prophet Isaiah summarized the human condition: "We are all like an unclean thing,/ And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." (Isa. 64:6). Even the high priest, Joshua, in his exhalted posi...

If you know me, and many of you do, you know how much I love history! As I was studying the Roman Empire I found something interesting. Whenever the Romans won a major military victory, they would celebrate with a spectacular parade. The commanding general would lead the procession in a magnificent chariot, followed by his soldiers, musicians, and other officials. Then, soldiers would lead the defeated enemies through the city in bondage. As a part of the celebration, the Romans would burn fragrances on altars, filling the city with a pleasant aroma. Even those who could not witness the triumphal procession could hear the victory music and smell the pleasing incense. Everyone would know that their army had been victorious. The special fragrance came to symbolize victory to anyone who smelled it. "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ ...

Did you know that repentance is one of the most positive of all words? John the Baptist centered his preaching on repentance. Jesus also preached repentance, commanding His disciples to do likewise. The angel predicted that the Messiah would save His people from their sins. The requirement for this salvation would be repentance. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 To repent means to stop going one direction, to turn around completely, and to go the opposite way. Repentance involves a dramatic and decisive change of course. God urges us to repent when the path we are taking leads to destruction. Repentance will save us from disastrous consequences. What a wonderful word! How comforting it is to know that the Creator loves us enough to warn us of impending danger! But I think that our problem is that we think of repentance a...

“Do You Want To Succeed?” Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9 NKJV Introduction: In today’s world, how do we measure success? Is it by the education we have? Maybe the things we own? How about in how much money we have? There are a lot of things that measure the success of individuals. We succeed at our careers, our hobbies, our relationships, many, many things. But, what is success? The dictionary says that success is the achievement of intention, or the attainment of wealth, fame or power. With that being said, how would you measure your success? Have you been successful? Do you want to succeed? I know I am throwing many questions out at you today, but they deal with a very important topic for all of us---success. Most of us would agree that we have plans. Maybe you are thinking about a new house, job, relationship, city, ministry….the list goes on and on. Well, today, we are going to talk about success. You see, there was a man named Joshua that also wanted to succeed. He wanted his nation to s...

What is the condition of our heart? That is the question Jesus addresses in Luke 8. At any time the receptiveness of our heart will determine our response to God's Word. If out heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, we will be unable to accept a message from God. Though we hear the words of the message, we will remain unchanged. If out heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, we will accept God's Word in our minds, but the truth will not penetrate our heart to make a difference in our actions. A heart like the thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God's Word from taking hold and producing righteousness. Then there is the heart that is like the good soil. This heart receives a word from God, applies it, and then brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in all of us, for the fruit will be a Christlike life. I wonder, do y...

How The Spirit Works In Us. Scripture: John 16:1-15 NKJV Introduction: Many of us have heard of the fruits of the Spirit. Those being love, patience, gentleness, kindness, comfort, compassion, etc. etc. We have heard great teachings on the fruit of the Spirit, but what of the work of the Spirit. How does the Spirit work in us? We know that He changes us. But, how does that come about? What actually takes place? Friends, these are questions that I have asked and you have asked. Many of us still do not understand the work of the Spirit. Today, we are going to try to answer some of those questions. The Spirit does work in mysterious ways, however, we can understand those ways if we are diligent and search the Scriptures. We are going to learn today that there are three ways the Holy Spirit works in us to bring about the changes we need in our lives to allow us to hear from God, be in relationship with God, and be sent out in service for God. Let’s begin by reading our passage today. If yo...

If our heart is loyal to God, we do not have to look for Him, He is already looking for us! God told King Asa that He continuously watches for those who are steadfast in their commitment to Him. When He finds them, He makes His presence powerfully evident to them. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9. King Asa had experienced God's awesome power when he faced a menacing army from Ethiopia. God gave Asa victory, despite the overwhelming odds he faced. In spite of this miracle, the next time Asa faced an enemy, he failed to trust God. Even though the army Asa faced was smaller than the one God had previously defeated, Asa's faith in God faltered. God encouraged Asa to take courage in knowing that God never rests or sleeps. He is never distracted, but diligently seeks individuals whose hearts are completely committed to Him. Life's challenges some...

Jeremiah was invited by God to be a weeping prophet. His call came during turbulent, agonizing times as his society suffered from pervasive moral and spiritual decay. The nation of Judah had turned so far from God that it was soon to face His fierce judgment. This was not a time for merrymaking but for weeping. God looked for someone He could mold into the kind of prophet needed for such a bleak time. He found Jeremiah. The cost to Jeremiah was intense; sacrificed much of the freedom of his youth in order to be God's messenger. He forfeited his family and his reputation. He endured misunderstanding, ridicule, and persecution. He was imprisoned and mocked by those to whom he had come to warn of God's impending judgment. "Oh that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" Jeremiah 9:1 One of the things that Satan will try to do is convince us that obedience carries much too high a pr...

I think that for many of us, our difficulty in not that we do not know God's will, it's that we do know His will, we just don't want to do it. Let's look at a familiar passage in Genesis: "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, " Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Genesis 22:1-2. When God first spoke to Abraham, His commands were pretty much straight forward. "Go to a land I will show you." Gen 12:1. Then, as time went on, God led Abraham through quiet a number of tests. Abraham learned patience as he waited on God's promise of giving him a son, which took 25 years to be fulfilled. Abraham learned to trust God as he went through battles with kings, through the destruction's of both Sodo...

Problems Into Possibilities. 1st in a series of three. Scripture: Nehemiah 1 thru 2. Intro: Do you have any problems? You do? Well, congratulations! Because, for the child of God, problems are really possibilities in disguise. Today, I want to help you learn how you can turn every problem into a possibility. As Christians, we have a relationship with God that gives us insight, wisdom, and power to see an opportunity in every difficulty. And I’m not just talking about wishful thinking because we’re going to see that no matter what your problem is, God can turn it into a possibility. There are three steps we need to take in order to maximize God’s plan in our lives. I want to consider these steps as we look at the life of Nehemiah, a towering man of faith despite towering problems that could have overwhelmed most people. Nehemiah had difficulties you and I cannot even imagine, but he saw God’s potential in each one. 1. The Need to Visualize The first step we discover from Nehemia...

I believe that an exalted view of God brings a clear view of sin and a realistic view of self. But I also believe that a diminished view of God brings a reduced concern for sin and an inflated view of self. Consider the prophet Isaiah. He may have been satisfied with his personal holiness, but then he saw the Lord in His unspeakable glory. Isaiah's encounter with holy God made him immediately and keenly aware of his own unholiness and the sinfulness of those around him. It is possible to worship God and remain unchanged. The best indication that we have truly worshiped, I believe, is a changed heart. "So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Isaiah 6:5 My question for all of us is this: Have we so conformed ourselves to a sinful world that we are satisfied with unholy living? I mean, have we sunk so far below God's standard ...

Many churches, many peoples, many nations today are in search of God's blessings. We hold prayer vigils, days of fasting, all sorts of things to try to get that blessing. I wonder though, if any of us have considered if some of us are still engaged in sinful activities that we keep hidden from the eyes of our Christian brothers and sisters? Consider this passage from Joshua: "But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things, Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel." Joshua 7:1. Joshua's army has just witnessed an awesome miracle of God. They followed God's commands and marched around Jericho for seven days according to the Word of the Lord. On the seventh day, God caused the walls to fall and Jericho was taken. Joshua's army devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it. All the gold, silv...

I believe that one of the hardest areas in which we must learn to trust God is in the area of justice. When we perceive an injustice, we want to see the guilty party punished. We want justice to prevail, even more so when we are the victim. And, we become extremely impatient if we are not avenged quickly. But, you know what? God warns us that vengeance is not out prerogative. We are to desire justice, but we are not to seek vengeance. When someone offends us, our responsibility is to respond to the offense with forgiveness. God takes the responsibility to see that justice is done. God loves people too much to allow sin to go unchecked. "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19. Peter wrote to us that God is not slow about His promises to us, but He is patient and long-suffering before He brings about judgment. Take a look at how patient He has been since Chri...

Whenever an army goes to battle, the first thing they do is "recon" the area. That means that they check out the enemy. They gather intelligence to identify and know the enemy. The same is true for us. In a battle, it is imperative to identify our enemy. If we are not aware of the point of our attack, we are vulnerable. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 The apostle Paul had many enemies. Some resented him, others hated him, and others wanted to kill him. Some, who were supposedly on his side, sought to harm him and his ministry. But in spite of the persecution he faced, Paul never lost sight of his real enemy. Paul was wary of Satan. Whenever people attacked Paul, he knew that they were not his real opponents. They were simply unwitting instruments of the spiritual forces of darkness. ...

Did you know that no greater confidence will ever come to you or to any other Christian than the confidence of knowing that you are doing God's will? Our Lord will not commission us to do anything without ensuring our success. God assured Joshua that there was no reason to fear as he prepared to battle the Canaanites. God would allow the Israelites to fight the battle, but the outcome was settled before they ever picked up their weapons. Can you imagine the confidence this gave them as they fought? Even though their enemies fought relentlessly, Joshua's army was certain of eventual victory ! "And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you." Joshua 10: 8 God does not promise us victory in every task we devise, but He does promise us that we will be successful whenever we follow His will! (Deut. 28:7,25 ). Let me ask us a question: Does it appear that people are keeping us from obey...

I love to read and re-read the Book of Joshua. There is so much contained in this book that is today still relevant! Take Caleb for instance, Caleb's faith in God never wavered even though everyone around him wavered. God convinced Caleb that the children of Israel should enter the Promised Land, but the people were intimidated by giants and fortified cities. Their disbelief forced Caleb to wait forty years in the wilderness before he finally entered the Promised Land. And, even after all those years, Caleb was as confident as ever in God's power. Take a look at what Caleb asked for: "Now, therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." Joshua 14:12 Wow!! Let's look at it for a moment, when God was dividing the land among the Israelites, most of the...

Good Morning Precious Children of God!! Here it is, Sunday already! Prsaise the Lord! Our sermon today, "The Principles of the Fire of God!" As always, May God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “The Principles for Recovering the Fire of God” Scripture: 1 Kings 18:20-39 Introduction: Good morning congregation. It’s a pleasure to be in front of you today on this glorious morning God has given to us. I want to direct your attention to a fire today. We can find the fire burning in the pages of our text here. In this passage today, we find the account of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal. For those who may not be familiar with our story, let me sum it up for you. King Ahab- King of Israel at the time. Did more to provoke the Lord to anger than any king before him. Had turned the people from worshiping God to worshiping Baal. Because of the wickedness of Israel, God closed up heaven for 3 ½ years. No water. Elijah- prophet of God at this time. Announced there would be no rain...

It is Satan's practice to convince all man that what God calls good is actually evil and what God declares evil is, in fact good. Look at it, Satan persuaded Adam and Eve that their disobedience, rather than their obedience, would guarantee them a full life. They believed him and immediately began to experience sin's consequences. Despite the absurdity of Satan's logic, he continues to deceive people into doubting what God has clearly said. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20 King Saul sought Samuel's affirmation for the sacrifice he had offered, even though he had acted in direct disobedience to God's command. Ananias and Sapphira expected praise from the early church for their offering, though they were blatantly lying. An Amalekite soldier sought David's gratitude for killing Saul, God's anointed king. We, too, will face t...