God's Gift of Righteousness

My post this morning is the lyrics to an old song that comes to my mind quite often. It is a great help to me in times when I am tempted to doubt the gift of righteousness that God my Father has given me. I hope you find the same peace in it's words as I do.


Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Words and Music by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook

All I can add to this is.....
Amen!

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Accentuating our Differences

As I have stated before, I don't like religion. I am a Christian, but I'm not religious. Religion is man's way to get right with God and it doesn't work. There is only one way to be right with God and that is to follow his plan of righteousness through Jesus. The Bible says that if we try any other way we are "thieves and robbers". Religion has caused more wars, more deaths, more trouble to the human race than just about any other thing I can think of. It is outrageous what things people have done to other people "in the name of God"! I can promise you this; God had absolutely nothing to do with it!
It seems that if you want to get people to agree with you and do some hideous thing to other people (that no man in his right mind would normally consent to do!) all you have to do is put it into a religious context and declare that you are doing it "in the name of God" or "for God's glory"! Good people will do horrible things, thinking they are doing God's will, because they are ignorant of God's true will and believe the teachings of "Men of God" who lead them astray. In the Dark Ages people weren't allowed to read the Bible and see God for themselves. They had to listen to "religious leaders" who told them what God wanted. We are blessed these days to be able to read and study the scriptures and find out for ourselves the will of God. There is no excuse to be fooled anymore!
Religion divides people. Religion accentuates our differences. Our differences shouldn't matter. Jesus has commanded us to love each other. We are to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"! We are to "love our enemies". These aren't religious statements, they are Jesus' commands. In the Christian faith alone there are so many "affiliations" that it's become ridiculous. We accentuate our differences by the name on the sign over our door! There is only one church!; the Church of the LORD Jesus Christ! I'm not talking about a "denomination", I'm talking about the body of Christ! Everyone who believes that Jesus is the son of God and confesses him as their Saviour and abides in his words is a member of the body of Christ. It's that simple! Any division of that body is man's idea, not God's!
When most people think of religion, they think of God. When I think of religion, I think of satan. Religion is his most productive tool and religious people are his easiest targets. Religion is the epitome of the "divide and conquer" strategy! The reason the Church isn't getting things done these days isn't because we lack money, or resources, or satellites, or cable stations, or missionaries. We have allowed religion to divide us! We can't seem to do anything as a body! The people we are trying to influence for God are looking at our arguing and infighting and they want nothing to do with it. Who could blame them!?
I don't believe in a national religion. I don't believe Christianity should be legislated as our national religion! No one should be forced to worship God in any particular way. I believe Jesus is the only way, but I don't have the right to force you to agree! God doesn't force people, he gave them free will so that when they do choose him, it means something! I won't be bullied into a religion and I won't have anything to do with bullying anyone else!
We need to put an end to religion and worship God in Spirit and in Truth. We need to come together as the family of God that we are and get his work done! The Kingdom of God is at hand.

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Better to Rule in Hell...

I heard a man say on TV that he didn't want to go to Heaven when he died, he wanted to go to Hell because all his friends would be there. He went on to say that Heaven would be dull, just floating around on little clouds and playing harps all day long. He figured that he and his friends would party together in Hell and satan would lead them in all the debauchery they could stand.At first I thought he was joking around, but the longer I watched, the more I saw that he was serious!
About one millisecond after too late, this man is going to get the surprise of his life (or afterlife, actually). I would never make light of someone going to Hell, it's just that it seems so ludicrous that someone, anyone, could think like that! It breaks my heart that people actually think Hell is going to be fun! It is a place of eternal judgment and wanting to go there is absurd!
It's one thing to not believe in Heaven and Hell, but to believe that they exist and be so misinformed is a whole other kind of foolish. Who goes around telling people things like that? And why would anyone believe them?! The Bible clearly teaches that Heaven is a place of rest and reward and that Hell is a place of judgment and punishment.
I can understand people not believing in Hell. I can understand their rationale that God is too loving to send people to burn forever and ever. They are terribly mistaken, but I can see where their coming from. The Bible is plain when it tells us that God does not send people to Hell, they choose Hell when they reject God. It is not God's desire that any human go to Hell, but that everyone would turn to him and allow him to save them.
It is satan's lie that he will rule Hell. I know the old saying that is attributed to him, "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven". I don't think that even he believes that. satan will be tormented in Hell more than anyone there. He won't be ruling, partying or enjoying the warm climate. He will be burning forever and ever with no hope of escape. I don't think he will even be aware that anyone else is there. As a matter of fact, I think suffering all alone is one of Hell's worst attributes!
Please!... if you know anyone who believes that they will party in Hell with their friends, tell them the truth! If you've already told them, tell them again! I know they don't want to hear the truth and they'll probably laugh at you and maybe even get angry, but do it anyway.They're worth the effort.

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Too Good To Be True

There's a popular saying that goes "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Those are wise words to live by when dealing with human beings. Unfortunately, we tend to apply that philosophy to the things of God. I would venture that everything about God sounds too good to be true, but we can't judge the things of God by human standards. God is not a man.The reason we say "if it sounds too good to be true....." is that people can be unscrupulous. You can't trust everyone. There are people who seem to have no conscience and will do anything to anyone for their own gain! But God is not a man that he should lie! We can trust him!
We naturally think that if it's cheap, it must not be worth much and if it's free, it's probably not worth anything (or there's a catch to it!). And then we hear that God is offering free grace, free salvation, free mercy and we can't make ourselves believe it! Many people are literally working themselves to death trying to earn from God what he is giving away for free! They won't take "charity" from anyone, even God, and they insist upon earning righteousness for themselves. The problem with that is if you choose to earn righteousness on your own you will have to obey every commandment, all the time, in thought and deed, all your life! It can't be done! One of the reasons the commandments were given was to show us that we can't do it by ourselves, we need God's help!
I am saved by grace (which is free), through faith (which is also free), and have received the Spirit of God (also free!) to help me live my life. I receive it with humility, gratitude and praise, but I receive it! As a matter of fact, everything I get from God is free. God is a giver, not a seller! And it's a good thing for us that he is because, who could afford God's prices!? It cost the life-blood of his own Son to pay for our sins!
We need to learn how to receive and just be thankful! If God is willing to pick up the check, just say thank you and take it!

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Our Father Which Art In Heaven

Why is it so hard for Christians to see God as their father? The Bible teaches very plainly that it has always been God's plan to have father-son and father-daughter relationships with people. That is what we were created for! Jesus was the firstborn of many brethren!
I guess some may see calling God their father as becoming too familiar with Almighty God. Maybe they think it will seem that they are making themselves somewhat equal with Him. I never want to forget the fact that He is omnipotent, omniscient and holy, but I don't want to see Him as a distant and harsh overseer that I can't approach either!
It was God's idea to be our father! He initiated the contact! He made it possible! He (through Jesus) said that we should pray "Our father, which art in heaven"! God doesn't rule through fear and intimidation; He rules by love! He didn't create us (and then redeem us) just to have someone to order around, someone to toy with. We are not His pets, we are His children!
I am not God and I will never be God. I don't want to be God! But I am God's! I am His son! Jesus is my big brother! I am His by creation, His by redemption, His by being born of His Spirit and His by my own free-will offering! If God wants me to call Him father and He wants to call me son, I am willing and honored beyond words.

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Illegal Alien

The country seems to be split these days over the issue of illegal aliens. The extremes on one side think we should open our borders and let everyone in and the extremes on the other side think we should close our borders and keep everyone out. The rest of us are somewhere in the middle, I suppose. But those particular illegal aliens are not who I'm thinking about this morning.
Instead, I'm thinking about the greatest illegal alien ever, namely, satan. Maybe you don't think of him as being an illegal alien, but you should! Think about it; he was tossed out of his home country for trying to take control of the government and when that failed, he stole the governing authority over Earth by half-truths, outright lies and deception! He is the original illegal alien!
Now I am in no way saying that people from other countries who sneak into the USA are devils. I am just drawing on the headlines to make a point. People are not our enemies. We have an enemy, the enemy of our souls. We tend to either give him too much credit or refuse to believe he exists, both of which allow him to rule over us. And that is exactly how he can rule, we let him! Because he stole authority by deceptive means, his authority is illegal. Because the Earth was created for us, not him, he is an alien here. He is the epitome of the illegal alien ,and yet we put up with his shenanigans! Where are all the crowds protesting his illegal presence? He is a thief, a liar, and a murderer; he is stealing our health, enslaving our children in drug use and pornography, causing strife in our homes and destroying marriages every day! Where is the public outcry!?
Maybe we don't think there's anything we can do about him. Or maybe we really don't believe he exists. Disbelief in evil has never made evil go away! And there certainly is something we can do!
We have authority over satan; his authority over us has been nullified by the cross of Jesus Christ! But we must exercise our authority over him and that is what we have failed to do.There is an old saying that goes "you deserve anything you allow"! We have allowed his illegal authority long enough, it is time to act.

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Fig Leaves and Mirrors

Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree and it dried up from the roots and died? There are many lessons for us in that story, but the most significant for me personally is the stern warning to be what we confess to be. Jesus saw that the fig tree had leaves and so he knew that it would have fruit (the fruit appearing along with the leaves). If the tree had leaves, it should also have had fruit.
How often we see people who confess to be Christians, but you can't tell by looking at their lives. They have all the outward signs (Bibles, bumper stickers, church attendance, t-shirts, etc.), but no real fruit. They live their lives no different than unbelievers, all the while professing to be Christ-like! The only reason anyone would think they were saved is because they say they are!
I believe Jesus is telling us that if we are going to confess to be Christians, there had better be a change. If we are saying we are "Christ-like" but we are no different than anyone else, we are profaning his name and soiling his reputation. We were created to reflect God's glory here on Earth. We are supposed to be like mirrors that reflect perfectly the image of God. People are supposed to be able to see in us the God we profess! When we say we are Christians and then act badly, we are saying to the world that God acts that way! People tend to judge leaders by their followers! We are the only Jesus people can see!
The day is coming when professing to be a Christian won't be "cool" or "in" or even easy. The day is fast approaching when it will be a matter of life and death. When that day arrives, only those willing to give their lives for the Gospel will confess Christ Jesus. But, as for today, we had all better take heed of Jesus' story of the fig tree; if you put forth leaves, make sure you have fruit! I don't know about you, but "dried up by the roots" is not how I want to end up!

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Sheep and Wolves

Jesus often refers to himself in the Bible as a shepherd. The Bible says that he is the "good shepherd". Jesus said that the good shepherd will even lay down his life for his sheep. The good shepherd protects his sheep from wolves and any other thing that might harm them. Why then does Jesus say to his disciples "behold I send you out as sheep among the wolves"? Doesn't that seem like the last thing a shepherd would do? What kind of chance does a sheep have against a wolf? I believe the answer is a simple one.... Jesus loves the wolves too!
Jesus doesn't just love those who love him. He even loves those who hate him, despise him and even those who deny his existence. Jesus prayed that God would forgive those who crucified him! Yes, Jesus doesn't only love his sheep, he loves the wolves as well.
It is his hope that the wolves would desire to become his sheep. That is why he sends his sheep out among them. It is to show the wolves how wonderful, peaceful and safe it is to be a sheep. I believe it is Jesus' desire that the wolves see how well he protects and provides for the sheep that the wolves would want what the sheep have.
The life of a sheep is sheltered. The shepherd feeds them, protects them, goes in front of them to ensure a safe environment, takes care of them when they are sick and pretty much sees to every one of their needs all their lives long! Contrast that to the wandering, dangerous, lonely life of a wolf. The wolf must care for and hunt for itself. It must protect itself and it's offspring. There is no one to feed it when the winters are long and cold and no one to watch over it as it sleeps.
And just like sheep and wolves, Jesus loves all people too, not just those who love him in return. It is his desire that we tire of our self-sufficient lifestyle and turn to him. He even gave his life for us just to give us the opportunity to do that. He longs to do everything for us because he loves us. It doesn't mean we become robots who have no mind of their own or are ordered about all day long with no choice but to obey. To know him is to love him. Jesus is kind and generous and merciful. His "yoke is easy and his burden is light".
Let Jesus be the Lord of your life and find out what it really means to rest.

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When bad things happen

Why do bad things happen to good people? That is a question you hear quite often. Sometimes it is a legitimate question asked by someone going through a tough time or watching a loved one go through a tough time. But, many times it is just a veiled complaint against God or even an atheist's attempt to prove that God doesn't exist.
There could be many reasons why bad things happen to good people. First of all, we live in a world of free will and some people choose to be bad people and do bad things. When bad people do bad things, they usually do those bad things to good people. No man is an island, everything we do has an impact of some kind on other people. Besides that, there is a supernatural enemy loose in the world, satan. His job is to tempt people to act on their fallen natures, to live according to their emotions and wrong way of thinking. He does his job very well and, unfortunately, we don't often resist him.
But I believe there is another reason and we don't see it because we haven't completely renewed our minds. Bad things sometimes happen to good people because God isn't interested in making good people, He is interested in making perfect people. His will is to bring us to perfection because He is perfect. "He who has begun a good work in you shall finish it..." lets us know that God will not leave us the way He found us. He will take us on to perfection because He loves us. We get to a point in our Christian lives where we feel like we're pretty good folks and we get complacent. We decide we are good enough. God doesn't accept good enough. If he has to force us out of our comfortable place with some uncomfortable things, then He will! God doesn't force people to do anything, but He sure can make things uncomfortable for his children until they decide to get in line. I am thankful that my God loves me enough to nudge me on, because I, for one, get lazy. I want to be perfect because I want to be like Him and I know that I need His help every day!

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Restoration

Did you ever wonder why God didn't just scrap the whole deal when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden? Ever wonder why He didn't destroy satan and all the angels who fell and start fresh from square one? I've often wondered these things and thought that if I were God, I would have considered it much easier to get rid of the old and start again. But, then, I'm not in the habit of trying to second-guess God.
I think the answer to those question may be very simple; God is not a quitter! God created the Earth and all that is in it, therefore, it is His. I know from the Bible that God is a jealous God (not jealous the way we tend to think of). It's just that God wants what is rightfully his! He will not allow what is his to be stolen. In the story of the shepherd whose one sheep had gone astray, the shepherd left the ninety-nine and went after the one. Why?, because he owned one hundred sheep and one hundred sheep was what he was determined to keep! I believe that is a picture of God. He wants what is his; not ninety-nine percent of what is his, but one hundred percent of what is his! And He is not willing to give in or give up on anything!
Adam and Eve were his, the Earth was his, all the animals were his, and I believe He intends them to ultimately be what He first planned for them to be. Now as for me, I think it's kind of like the "should I build a house or remodel a house?" question. Everyone knows that it is easier to start from scratch than it is to repair someone's mistakes! But that is the human way of thinking. God had a plan of restoration before one was ever needed! And in order for it to be a true restoration, everything has to be put back into it's original condition. Hence, a new Heaven and a new Earth as well as new creatures in Christ Jesus!
As for satan, God is not into strong-arm tactics, that is satan's thing. God is not a power-monger. God triumphs by love and truth, these never fail. God could bring us all to our knees, along with satan and all his angels, but what would that prove - the strong always win over the weak? That's not a God, that's a bully!
Anyway, those are just some things to ponder on.

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