My Lord and My God

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” NKJV

The confession of faith is defined in one way as a document that spells out the belief system of a given church (especially the Reformation churches of the 16th century). Since the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the visible Christian Church has gone through many changes. Splits have occurred because of disputes over doctrinal differences and we find today that there are reported to be approximately 41,000 different denominations of Christianity all claiming to know, love, and believe in Jesus Christ. How could this be the will of the Father and what in the world has caused such a wide spread division?

Before the Church ever began and there were just the disciples huddled together in a house somewhere because they feared the Jews would come and get them to crucify them just as they had done our Lord, there also was a brief dispute among the majority of the disciples and the one disciple named Thomas as to the reality of our Lord’s resurrection. The Lord Jesus manifested Himself to the disciples by entering the house supernaturally and they were glad when they saw the Lord.  However, Thomas was not present at that first time our Lord appeared to them and rebuked them for even saying such a thing to him. Well, many of us are aware of what Thomas said to the other disciples, but for those reading who do not know what he said here it is, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Though Thomas had heard our Lord say to him and the others on numerous occasions (during the 3 years prior to the cross) that he would be turned over to sinners to be beaten, spat upon, and then killed and he walked with these other men and women for over three years and could trust that they would not willfully lie to him he still wanted visible proof of the Lord Jesus Christ being alive from the dead. Well, the Lord Jesus hearing Thomas’s un-belief came again (after 8 days) and went directly to Thomas and showed Himself to him and Thomas made what should be the confession of every individual believer and every Christian Church by saying, “My Lord and My God”. If this were the genuine confession of every Christian Church (from the heart), there would not be all of these thousands of different denominations.

Wonderfully however, this is The Confession of faith of every person that has been baptized into the Body of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Those of us who genuinely know Christ Jesus as Lord and God are part of the invisible Church that does make this confession from the heart. We unlike the Apostle Thomas have never seen our Lord in the flesh, but we have received the testimony of the Spirit and are assured that our Lord has received us, washed us, and loves’ us forever. Thomas believed with his sight but for all of us we believe in our hearts that God raised Christ from the dead and we are saved. Though we have not seen Him in the flesh we have seen Him through the eyes of faith given to us upon regeneration (new birth). This saving faith given to each of His elect children brings Christ into our hearts and we begin to love what He loves (the souls of men and women) and hate what He hates (sin, satan, and all darkness). What the Apostle Peter says below sums up every one of God’s elect children and His true invisible Church body.

1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith --- the salvation of your souls. NKJV

“There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.” Billy Sunday

“The question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are submissive to His lordship.” John MacArthur

“When God becomes a Man and lives as a creature among His own creatures in Palestine, then indeed His life is one of supreme self-sacrifice and leads to Calvary.” C. S. Lewis

“The name Emmanuel takes in the whole mystery. Jesus is "God with us." He had a nature like our own in all things, sin only excepted. But though Jesus was "with us" in human flesh and blood, He was at the same time very God.” J. C. Ryle

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

It is Finished!

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. NKJV

The ability to begin an assignment, task, or project and see it brought to completion is very gratifying. I have begun things in the past and not finished them. It is the common testimony of every person to have ever lived to know the frustration of starting something that seemed so certain and all-consuming but ended being left in ruins. Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble or turmoil as said by Job in the Bible. Not so with our Lord Jesus Christ, His meat was to do the will of God the Father and He finished His work completely. Although He healed many people from diseases and fed hungry people, He did not come with social programs to better man’s existence on earth. He was born of woman with the singular purpose and goal to die a horrific and brutal death not for a life lived as a malefactor, but instead a life lived perfectly and lain down for all the rest of humanity. He was born very unceremoniously to the world He came into, but the angels sang a chorus of praise in announcing His birth into the world to lowly Jewish shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. The angels and the chosen few were made to know that the King of Kings was being born that day. He would not be like other earthly kings who ruled with force or brutality keeping their subjects in fear of punishment or even death. His Kingdom would be an internal Kingdom of the hearts/minds of men and women wrought by regeneration and a new birth (see article entitled “The King of Hearts” www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=85059).

Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” NKJV

This King said when asked if He even were a King, “You say rightly that I am a King, but My Kingdom is not of this world.”  Here was a man being jeered by thousands screaming for Him to be put to death, and yet He called Himself a King. He had only a hand full of men and women following Him and even most of them were nowhere to be found as He was about to be killed (see article entitled “Are we Bearing Our Cross-for Him Today?” www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=91234). What King willingly allows Himself to be mocked, scourged, and nailed to a cross when all He ever did was go about doing good? Jesus Christ the perfect King that came into the world to bear the sins of the world in order to redeem all who would look to Him alone for salvation. When He said, “It is finished”, He meant He had satisfied the justice of God the Father against man by taking the Father’s wrath against man’s sin. Through faith in this man this King is the only way any person can be in a right relationship with The True God and there are no other paths, trails, or roads that will remove the wrath of God that is upon every person born than what Jesus Christ finished by His death on that cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NKJV

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. NKJV

Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NKJV

“Look to the cross, and hate your sin, for sin nailed your Well Beloved to the tree. Look up to the cross, and you will kill sin, for the strength of Jesus' love will make you strong to put down your tendencies to sin.” “Sin to a believer is horrible, because it crucified the Saviour; he sees in every iniquity the nails and spear.” Charles Spurgeon

“A man who covers up the cross though he may be an intellectual man, and draw large crowds will have no ilk there, and his church will be but a gilded sepulcher.” D. L. Moody

“Only in the Cross of Christ will we receive power when we are powerless. We will find strength when we are weak. We will experience hope when our situation is hopeless. Only in the Cross is there peace for our troubled hearts.” Dr. Michael Youssef

“It was not the volume of sin that sent Christ to the cross; it was the fact of sin.” “The single most important thread in working through your disappointments is that your heart and mind ponder and grasp what the cross of Jesus Christ is all about. There is no pattern without the cross. There is no Good News without it. That is what the gospel is all about.” Ravi Zacharias

“It's as if you could see Jesus Christ going along the road to the cross, the Via Dolorosa moving to His own execution, bearing on His back the cross upon which He will bear the sins of all the world. And in His train, millions of people, all with their cross, willing to take His reproach. Glorious scene.” John MacArthur

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

Listening to the Voice of Truth

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” NKJV

The world today is filled with talk radio programs such as Rush Limbaugh’s and a great volume of others. Now we have satellite radio and its prime time advocates like Howard Stern. The internet has given us even more men and women with online radio talk shows vying for listeners. The range of the subject matter discussed goes from A to Z and from G rating to explicit, vulgar and profane, violent, racist, religious, etc. Television also has its share of talk shows with the now retired Oprah Winfrey being its biggest star ever.

For some reason people tend to think that there is wisdom that can be found in regularly listening to these people and their programs. I understand many just tune in to be entertained for an hour or so, but what you allow yourself to be continually exposed to will shape your world view and your perspective of this life and the life coming after death. On many of these programs truth is not important at all mainly sensationalism wins the day because it will continue to draw men and women back to consume more and more building up ratings and filling up wallets.

However, our Lord Jesus Christ says clearly, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” We have heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” This is true in the animal or natural world because you will never see ducks flying with pelicans. So it is true in the spiritual world and this is why people like to listen to many of the voices mentioned above because it satisfies their spiritual appetites of fleshly indulgence.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. NKJV

Only those that are begotten by God through a supernatural birth will listen to the voice of Jesus Christ. We find His voice not in some mystical manner (although He speaks to the hearts of His children periodically) but His voice is contained from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Our Lord made some very hard rough statements throughout His journey to the cross. There are some Scripture passages where His voice is strong, stern, and sharp. Only a man or women made to love Him and all of His word would listen to and heed those words. The heart of a man or woman still attached to their sin would not want to hear the words of Christ on a daily basis. However, every person that desires to know the truth will be brought by God the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to Jesus Christ for cleansing from sin. Sin is the great barrier that keeps the heart from listening to Jesus Christ because some of His words were so hard. He left no door open to mere intellectual belief, but rather directly put forth the cost, the course, and the cause in coming to Him for salvation.

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” NKJV

Matthew 10:34-36 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' NKJV

Matthew 15:13-14 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” NKJV

Matthew 18:6-9 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” NKJV

The truth is hard when it is rationalized or made to be relative to today’s philosophy or pop culture. A sinful wicked heart can only be exposed by the truth. Our Lord knowing the hearts of the religious Jews and the heart of every man or woman reading this right now knew exactly what needed to be said. The powerful thing is those same words are still piercing hearts with the truth nearly 2000 years later because every word our Lord speaks has spiritual life eternal life. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and all of the Word of God is the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to men and women. The writer of the Book of Hebrews tells every person that would be brought to read the Bible, “If you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” Instead of hardening your heart you should do what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. NKJV

“It is the voice of Christ that wakens the dead soul. Jesus speaks through the Bible, through ministers, through providences. His voice can reach the dead. He quickeneth whom He will. They that hear, live. When the voice of Christ speaks through the Word, then you will arise, and leave all, and follow Him.” Robert Murray McCheyne

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that by the power of Your Spirit and Word that You would prick the hearts of every curious on looker or on reader with the truth and they would hear the voice of Jesus Christ my Lord and turn from their sin to Him for salvation and receive the mind of Jesus Christ. Amen!!!

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

Set Apart by the Truth

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

People often take things they own and set them apart in a special place so that they may not be damaged and will be readily available when needed. I think of many married women who have set apart their more expensive plates, spoons, knives, forks, cups, and saucers to be used on special occasions. To set something apart means to us human beings to place a higher value or worth to it. The greatest separation took place when Jesus Christ shed His blood for man’s sin and by so doing opened the way for sinful men to be reconciled to a Holy God and recreated into new creatures. For as the writer of Hebrews affirms by saying, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission (absolution, forgiveness, pardon, deliverance, or liberty) from sin.”

1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. KJV

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. NKJV

In our Lord’s Prayer as recorded by the Apostle John for us in John Chapter 17, there were so many glorious words He used as He spoke with His Father. Our Lord first prayed for Himself and then His disciples (present with Him then) and also for all of His disciples in the future. As I stated earlier, all of His words were glorious, but I want to zero in on His prayer for all of us that we would be sanctified by the Father’s truth. As we know, the world has its own definition of truth and in reality none of it is true at all. Our Lord prayed for us to be set apart by the Word of God. Our Lord also talked to the Father about what He gave to those that the Father had given to Him and it is not gold, silver, precious stone, houses, lands, etc. but our Lord gave us the words given to Him by the Father.

John 17:8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. NKJV

Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. NKJV

Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. NKJV

As I have stated before in other writings, that to know Jesus Christ is to love Him and to love His Word. It is so sad that the multiplied billions living on earth right now think the Bible was written by men and that the words in the Bible came from the mind of man. They think this way because they are alienated from the life of God and darkened in their understanding because of the blindness of their hearts and need our Lord to grant them repentance so then they will know the truth. The Bible does not contain the mind of any man but it is the mind, wisdom, and authority of God revealed to sinful finite man that reveals first the way of eternal life as our Lord prayed.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. NKJV

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. NKJV

1Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. KJV

When our Lord gave us the Word from the Father, we were not celebrated but instead the world hates us because of the Word of God that sets us apart. When once we received the Lord Jesus Christ, at that very moment we received from Him a love for His Words that turned us in a new direction away from the world’s philosophies, pleasures, and practices and in so doing made us like the salmon who swims upstream against the current having to avoid hungry bears seeking to capture and devour him.

John 17:14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. NKJV

Psalms 119:9-12 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. NKJV

Psalms 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. NKJV

Psalms 119:151 You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth. NKJV

“Christ will be master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, then your heart is unchanged, and you are an unsaved person. The Savior will sanctify His people, renew them, give them a hatred of sin, and a love of holiness.” Charles Spurgeon

“That doctrine which is not drawn from the truth of God can never save souls. God blesses no word but his own; because none is truth, without mixture of error, but that which has proceeded from Himself.” Adam Clarke

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

The Holy Spirit Guides into Truth

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. NKJV

As I watched the documentary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, I was fascinated by the meticulous planning that went on for months prior to the actual raid of his compound. Warfare is not to ever be taken lightly because human lives are on the line every moment. This country has fought in numerous wars over its brief history and many men and women have lost their lives during the conflicts. The decisions made by the army, marine, navy, and air force commanders can work to save lives or cause more lives to be lost whether they are truly accurate or in error.

There is a far greater war being waged every single day than all of the earthly wars combined in the hearts and minds of human beings. The war being waged is for truth. God’s eternal enemy (the devil) is the father of lies and he hates the Father of light and love and since the beginning of his contact with man, he has lied and continues to put forth those same lies today. Throughout the history of man, he has found many prominent men and women willing to espouse his lies like James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, H. G. Wells, Albert Einstein, and Charlie Parker just to name a few.

Sadly all of these people (who have died) are still lifted up today as great men and women to be admired and revered and that is just what the devil wanted. Listen to these words from Albert Einstein, “The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this. These subtilized interpretations are highly manifold according to their nature and have almost nothing to do with the original text. For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions.”

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

The third member of the Trinity (God the Holy Spirit) was sent after the ascension of our Lord to continue the work our Lord did on the earth in His physical body. He is the Spirit of Truth. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring to this world in darkness under the control of the god of this age the conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was to be for the early believers their lamp or light to show them the way they were to walk in a hostile world as new creations. When the Holy Spirit was sent to the early Church, there was no New Testament written and He was going to be the author of the New Testament through the Apostles our Lord Jesus had called. He would guide them in their new freedom in Christ to keep them from falling or stumbling. He would be there to strengthen and comfort them during the times they would endure the most vicious persecution. He would enable them to recall all of the truth taught by our Lord and empower them to hide that truth in their hearts and apply it in their lives. The Spirit of Truth would give them discernment and enable them to turn away from false teaching and hypocrisy.

So He does today with believers in this generation and guides us into the truth He wrote through the men that penned the Bible. The Spirit of God of Truth dwells in the regenerate (the born ones) and leads us into all the revealed truth in the Word of God. Listen to this quote from my book entitled “Silent Assassins of the Soul”, “The Holy Spirit must convict us that our sin is not against man but against a holy and righteous God. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can convince us of our need for deliverance. In our own strength we can never come to true repentance. The lustful sins of pornography and masturbation bind us in spiritual chains of bondage that only the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can free us from.” It is the truth from the Word of God that God the Holy Spirits makes real to us and infuses that word into our spirits transforming our entire being and desires from filth to that which is holy and honoring to Holy God.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. NKJV

“A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit's aid than he can create a world.” Charles Spurgeon

“In general, He guides and directs His people, affording them, in answer to prayer, the light of His Holy Spirit, which enables them to understand and to love the Scriptures.” John Newton

“The truth of God may well be likened to a narrow path skirted on either side by a dangerous and destructive precipice: in other words, it lies between two gulfs of error.” A. W. Pink

“We corrupt the Word of God most dangerously, when we throw any doubt on the plenary inspiration of any part of Holy Scripture.” J. C. Ryle

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

Abide in Jesus’ Love

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” NKJV

John 15:9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” NKJV

One of the most treasured songs for Christians is the one with the lyrics that say, “Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so.” It is one of if not the first song parents sing to their children and teach it to them. I’m sure that I have sung that song hundreds if not thousands of times from my earthly birth to now many decades later. It is a simple and marvelous song. The Bible tells us clearly in these words, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” None of us are born loving God (the Lord Jesus Christ). In fact it is precisely 180 degrees opposite; we are born enemies of God and are running from Him from the womb.

Romans 5:8-10 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NKJV

However, the glorious truth is our Lord loves His enemies and came to the earth to seek them out because of His great love (see the article entitled “His Love” www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=74630 ). People run from Him but He is faster and catches them because of love and gives them grace and faith in Him which none of us are born with and none of us deserve. Once we were the Lord Jesus’ enemy but He makes us His friend by making us a new creation a new race of human beings and places us into a new eternal family of recreated people. To know Jesus Christ is to love Him and no one can have an encounter with Him and not love Him. This is why the Apostle Paul said these very stern words, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!”

Now we must work, not to earn salvation or favor with the Lord, we have that already by what our Lord has done, but we must work to abide in His love. We abide is His love by abiding in His Word. There is no way possible to separate the Word of God from the Love of God in my humble opinion they are twins in the life of Christ disciples. They that love the Lord Jesus are they that burn with love for His Word and for the Holy Spirit and that Word to continually change us day by day.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV

The word abide is not a common one that we use in our everyday language and communication, but it is a most powerful word. It is a primary verb and verbs always require action. That is why we have responsibility to act. Of course we always need the Helper (God the Holy Spirit) to energize our actions but He will not act for us it is our job to begin all action. The English word abide comes from the Greek word meno, which means to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy); to continue, dwell, endure, remain.

Our Lord wants us to strive to stay in His love by loving all of those who belong to Him in the truth. We are to love our fellow brothers and sisters in His mystical body in truth and not by feelings or emotions but the instruction given by the Word of God. This is hard for me I must confess because my old man desires to abdicate when there are differences, deviations, or disputes over doctrine, direction, discipline, and discipleship matters that I believe or think is dishonoring to our Lord and His Word (see the article entitled “Give Me Your Heart” www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=77423). How do we love each other in the truth? The Apostle Peter, Paul, and John all wrote about our loving in the truth or speaking the truth to each other in love. The Apostle Paul (I believe) gives the best explanation of loving one another as our Lord Gives commandment.

Romans 13:8-14 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. NKJV

Finally, when we act to abide in His love, we will purify each other and help each other grow up to maturity in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also abiding in His love will continually give us the desire (as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit) to live godly in Christ Jesus our Lord. The world of natural men and women will not understand the desire of living godly to Glorify Jesus Christ and will hate the lovers of the Lord Jesus. If the world hated our Lord who always went about doing good, then the same world will hate those who abide in His love because our desire is to please Christ and not subscribe to the false love the natural man or woman of the world believes love to be. Why did the world hate the Lord Jesus Christ? He told us with these words, “It hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” The life in Christ that we live (because of the Holy Spirit and our obedience to the Word of God) will continue to testify to the world that their works are evil. We must stand firmly in Christ love for us and our love to Him abiding in it to guard fervently against the temperature of our love to Him reducing, evaporating, or cooling off as it is so prone to do as we are fighting daily spiritual battles and dealing with the sometimes hard circumstances of life such as death to loved ones and praying for the salvation of those we love. For it is never His love to us that will dimmer, but it is crucial for us to abide in His love (just lay down in it like a sun bather in the Sun and rest in it) so that our love to Him will be ignited so we can live in fullness of joy.

“He that loveth little prayeth little, he that loveth much prayeth much.” Augustine

“The great thing in prayer is to feel that we are putting our supplications into the bosom of omnipotent love.” Andrew Murray

“He loved us not because we are lovable, but because He is love.” “Love is the great conqueror of lust.” “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.” C. S. Lewis

“Love and truth must be maintained in perfect balance. Truth is never to be abandoned in the name of love. But love is not to be deposed in the name of truth... Truth without love has no decency; it's just brutality. On the other hand, love without truth has no character; it's just hypocrisy.” John MacArthur

“To love God does not mean to meet His needs, but rather to delight in Him and to be captivated by His glorious power and grace, and to value Him above all other things on earth. All the rest of the commandments are the kinds of things that we will do from our hearts, if our hearts are truly delighted with and resting in the glory of God's grace.” John Piper

“Love is a command, not just a feeling. Somehow, in the romantic world of music and theater we have made love to be what it is not. We have so mixed it with beauty and charm and sensuality and contact that we have robbed it of its higher call of cherishing and nurturing.” Ravi Zacharias

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

Why is Jesus the only way to God?

John 14:9-11 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” NKJV

This is THE question for most of the world and people have pondered this question for 2 millenniums now. The problem with humanity is they want to search out God and find Him as the scientist in the laboratory conducts his experiments and draws his conclusions. But most of humanity is bent on creating their own version of god and they do not want their lives under the Lordship of their god but they want him to be their supplier but they want to reign over their own lives. However, the true God has said emphatically that there is no one place where He resides and that He is so far above man in intelligence, power, purity, and holiness that no man could ever see Him and live.

Exodus 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” NKJV

Sadly many people even in Churches, Catholic or Protestant have bitten from the poisonous fruit of satan’s deception from first hoping, to now believing that God will spare those who reject or resist (see the article “Will you Reject, Resist, or Receive Jesus Christ? www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=130955) the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin upon their hearts and come to Christ Jesus for restoration and continue to pursue the other spiritual roads that they think surely must lead to God.  How could God (who is Love) stand back and watch millions/billions of Hindus, Buddhist, Muslims, Wizards, Witches, Mediums, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, etc. who are sincere in their beliefs and many live good lives doing great amounts of good in this world go into a place like the Lake of Fire?

Well, even Christ disciples had not fully comprehended the magnitude of His first coming (despite seeing His mighty power, many miracles, and compassionate unconditional love for any person) and did not see the glorious truth He wanted them to grasp and cling to forever. The disciple’s early relationship with our Lord was face to face as He was manifested in His earthly body and like any good teacher today knows that some will get the lessons easy and early but some will require more time. He would so often call Peter, James, and John to go with Him to witness some of His more spectacular miracles knowing that He would give them the hardest task initially after His ascension. Our Lord knew that they would not have the capacity or ability to retain and apply all of His teaching except they had a constant and ever present helper with them always to teach them, guide them, comfort them, and strengthen them. Unlike the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, etc., Jesus Christ never once spoke and said the word of the Lord came to me but in sharp contrast He said, “"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” because no other man ever spoke like Him (see the article “No man ever spoke like the Lord Jesus Christ www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=94629 ).

Later on after Christ resurrection from the dead and sending God the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. NKJV) the disciples from that very moment and day understood what the Lord said and meant by these words, John 14:19-20 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” NKJV Footnote: Only 120 true disciples were waiting for His promise, even after the many thousands were healed, fed, and delivered by His miracles. Remember the 10 lepers, only one came to Him out of love and gratitude. Luke 17:12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. NKJV

Immediately the faithful 120 knew that the Lord had come back to them as He promised and He did not leave them as orphans down here on the earth and they were ready to tell the whole world about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that all men everywhere must repent (change their minds about God and turn away from their sins) and receive God’s free gift of salvation. You see Jesus Christ is the only way to God because He is the One true God that humbled Himself, left Heaven, came to earth and became a man (His own creation) in order to reverse what Adam did by his sin. Therefore, you must come to God the only way possible for reconciliation and whosoever does will be forgiven, healed from sins dominion, loved unconditionally, and protected for the rest of their sojourn on earth, and then live in the presence of Jesus Christ in Heaven forever.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. NKJV

“Christianity is a love relationship between a child of God and his Maker through the Son Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Dr. Adrian Rogers

“The Christian life is not about all the things we do for God--it's about being loved by Him, loving Him in return, and walking in intimate union and communion with Him.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“Christianity means a lot more than church membership.” Billy Sunday

“Enemy-occupied territory-that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign in sabotage.” C. S. Lewis

“The use or abuse of Christianity in contradiction to the very message of the gospel reveals not the gospel for what it is, but the heart of man. That is why atheism is so bankrupt as a view of life, for it miserably fails to deal with the human condition as it really is.” Ravi Zacharias

“There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.” G. K. Chesterton

“The one true Church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus. It is made up of all God's elect - of all converted men and women - of all true Christians. In whomever we can discern the election of God the Father, the sprinkling of the blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work of God the Spirit, in that person we see a member of Christ's true church.” J. C. Ryle

“If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.” Kay Arthur

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…