“While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said unto Him, ‘Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee.’ But He answered and said unto him that told him, ‘Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?’ And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, ‘Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” ~Jesus (Matthew 12:46-50)
Life Issues
Jesus is The Going, The Knowing, and The Living
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.” ~Jesus (John 14:5-7)
Warning of Eternal Damnation
“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils.’ And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:’ because they said, ‘He hath an unclean spirit.'” Mark 3:22-30
Healing a Withered Hand
“And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, ‘Stand forth.’ And He saith unto them, ‘Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?’, but they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, ‘Stretch forth thine hand.’ And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” Mark 3:1-5
Jesus, The Unprecedented
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death. …If I honour Myself, My honour is nothing: it is My Father that honoureth Me; of whom ye say, that He is your God: yet ye have not known Him; but I know Him: and if I should say, I know Him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know Him, and keep His saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad. …Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am….” ~Jesus (John 8:51-59)
Knowing GOD is Knowing Jesus
“I speak that which I have seen with My Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. …If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill Me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. …If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do ye not understand My speech? Even because ye cannot hear My word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not.” ~Jesus (John 8:38-45)
Do Not Be Found Out
Has anyone ever stopped to think about the foolishness of idolatry. That is the desire for things, the greed for wealth, the lust for power, and/or the opposite sex; and in some cases of this day the perversion of the same sex. That is, afterall, what idolatry is all about.
We live in an era not dissimilar from Jeremiah’s. The people were living in basic comfort, secure in their wealth, and easy lives. Though, ours is plagued somewhat with fear of terrorism we still go about doing whatever we please; paying the exhorbitant prices for gasoline, and everything going up due to that; yet we purchase, or at least those who can do. Power for more of the things desired.
Hear the word of the LORD through the prophet Jeremiah:
“As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, saying to a stock, ‘Thou art my father;’ and to a stone, ‘Thou hast brought me forth:’ for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise, and save us.’ But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.” Jeremiah 2:26-28 (KJV)
It seems quite clear that the people of Judah have been caught in the practice of idolatry, worshipping other gods, which are not gods at all, but more burdens for the people to carry. Have you ever noticed the junk that we in our society build up and keep in closets, garages, security vaults, magazine racks, and how valuless they really are?
In the prophet Jeremiah’s day they were here being accused of having wood idols, and giving it praise for being their father. Also of telling one made of stone that was their mother. In the worship of other gods, they turned their back on God, denying Him as their birthparent as a nation. By turning their back and not their faces we find a great hypocrisy.
The hypocrisy is that while everything is going good, life is easy and comfortable, they really have no care to remember God, His holy days, nor His Law or His Word. However, when they start hearing about an enemy, or having some other troubles they begin to cry out to the true God for help. God, the LORD, says to that, “Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble;” It is like He is saying to them you have plenty of gods you love and adore more than Me, “Let them help you”. The prophet continues by saying, “For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.” You would think that the more gods the better. Right? Wrong.
The one true God is sufficient to meet our every need. In fact there is no other god but the LORD God. The one who loves us enough to send His Son to die in our place.
We continue now to the next two verses:
“Wherefore will ye plead with Me? Ye all have transgressed against Me, saith the LORD. In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.” Jeremiah 2:29-30 (KJV)
At times when people face catastrophe they tend to recognize that God does exist. When things ease off, and start getting back to normal it is back to the worship of things,getting those desires met, achieving those personal goals at the cost of life, limb, or friendships, or spouses and family. When this happens, some of it is genuine, and some is not. The one’s who are genuine will continue being faithful when the things start being good again. They will hear the voice of the LORD and will obey Him. They do not turn away.
These are the ones whom the LORD will bless. These are the ones whom the LORD has genuinely saved.
These “two faced” people are about as dependable as a flat tire, and no rim with it. The correction of the LORD does no good, accomplishes nothing, and they hate the prophets who tell them the truth for the saving of their souls.
Do not turn your back on God. Do not be a two faced individual who worships God on Sunday, then, through the rest of the week no one will ever know any difference from watching your life, hearing your dirty words, and dirty jokes. Turn your face toward Jesus Christ, and you will be made just before holy GOD. When you have given your life to the LORD through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ your life changes, for His glory and your good. You will love the Law, the History of His people, the Wisdom of the sages, and the prophets; both the Major and Minor prophets. You will love God’s Word. You will desire to please the LORD. It is not a burden but a pleasure to love the LORD, His Word and the life He gives us.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
Like The Animals???
It is so very sad to look around at society and see things going to the dogs. A few years ago an NFL star was sentenced to prison time for killing dogs. Even though, he was unjustly and illegally fighting them is a sign of worse things to come.
We are human beings created in the image of God. We have been given, by God, the rule and dominion of this earth. The man I speak of may have deserved a fine, maybe some loss of time from playing on the team he was on, and maybe even a fine from the NFL for the bad name against them.
It is so unhuman to give greater power and authority; and better treatment to the animal kingdom than to the human being. It is when we begin acting like animals that we begin treating humanity more like animals.
Hear the word of the Lord spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
“How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? See thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, ‘There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'” Jeremiah 2:23-25 (KJV)
Many reading this will probably think, “Well how is this relative or practical for our society today?” I personally think that is an easy answer. When we have parents wanting to do things to protect their daughters from sexually immoral living by having them take a shot to protect them from a form of cancer that can be gotten only by pre-marital sex at too young of an age, then we are telling our children, “Your urges are uncontrollable, just follow your ‘heart'”. In other words your sexual drive is stronger than your mind and will. Just go with how you feel and this vaccine will protect you. People we are more than animals. We have a will. We can make moral choices. Animals do not.
This was the problem with the people in Jeremiah’s day. They were giving themselves to Baal worship and this involved all sorts of immoral conduct. Then, they would say on the Sabbath day as they pretended to worship the Lord GOD, “We have not gone after the Baals”.
I do not mean to sound brash in what I am about to write here, but there are many of our young ladies and young men who go around acting like animals in heat. No control; just doing what may seem like the natural thing to do. This is not pleasing to our Lord. Even sadder to say is that many of these doing this profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When you walk in the Spirit of God, you do the will of God.
What is the answer for our society today? We need to quit giving our young people the okay for sexual immorality. When birth control pills are given them, and a vaccine is provided to them to protect them from pregnancy and disease; we are in fact giving our okay to them. Let’s stop doing that. Let’s teach them the law of God’s Word. Let’s teach them by our own personal examples. The youth of America appreciate honesty, straight forward truth, and they will respect you for it. They will not respect “Hemming and Hawing around” about matters to get to the point. As the people of God we who are adult Christians need to practice what we preach and teach. We should always be seeking the Lord to lead in our lives, and to give us the mind of Christ.
There is a lot of loose living in society. We as Christians should live a tight knit life in Christ, love our spouses, and be always faithful, and worship God and God alone through His Son Jesus Christ.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
Leaky gods Vs. Living Water
The men who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of Judah had forsaken the LORD. They did not even realize their spiritual condition. That is a horrible thing for the “man of God” not to even notice that God is not present. The false prophets were prophesying by Baal, a false god, of pleasure. He was the god that took the place of the LORD in the hearts of Jerusalem.
Are things any different in the day in which we live (2013)? With Oprah’s “Secret”, a god that is not “Jealous”, and television commercials which make gods and godesses out of men and women with their products, we are becoming more and more of a pagan people. We are a vain people. In my mind there does not seem to be any difference; with the exception of clothing, and location.
In the text we look at today we see the LORD is bringing charges against the children of Jacob (v. 4).
HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD –
“Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:9-13 (KJV)
The charge brought against them is forsaking Him. What does it take to forsake the Living God? The answer to that is: Just by diliberately turning to another source of encouragement, and strength one forsakes the Living God.
Notice this charge. What other nation has forsaken their gods? None. Earlier in the Nation’s life they wanted to be like other nations by wanting a king. Read First Samuel, and you will see their request for a king. How is it that now they could not be like these other nations, and trust only in their God. The God of gods, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.
When a follower of Christ Jesus follows someone or anything else they lose the Glory that was theirs in Christ. The Psalmist wrote –
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, ‘Where is now their God?’ But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” Psalm 115:1-8 (KJV)
Why would someone want to drink water from a cistern, when you can have flowing fresh clean water? That is what had happened to the people of God. They had left the glory of the LORD to pattern their lives after that of death and darkness. Any time God’s people follow the world, the flesh and the devil we get out of His glory, ie., the Glory of God.
These cisterns God tells us of, are even leaky cisterns. They cannot even hold water. These cisterns would catch the water from what little rainfall they might receive, and dew falling from the roof of the mornings, then go out of the morning and find only a wet well, but no water to drink.
You become like what you worship. So beware. The “Secret” which Oprah promotes is no secret at all. It began with the lies of the devil in the garden of Eden, “You shall be like God…”. And they died. Follow the Word of the Lord, and you shall live.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
The Case Against God’s People
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. Known for that because of his mourning for the sins of the people of Judah, and Jerusalem. He sees the failings of the priesthood, of which he was part. The weaknesses, the hypocrisies, and often blatant lies and deceptions; not only among the priests but among those who called themselves prophets of God.
God could speak with Jeremiah. Jeremiah heard, and many times responded to what God said. Hear what God says to Jeremiah near the beginning of his ministry;
“Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of His increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.'” Jeremiah 2:1-3 (KJV)
God begins in the first message by confirming them in their first belief. They had followed, at least through Abraham, had been obedient in the wilderness, and had grown in love with the LORD. There was kindness, fondness, love in their hearts for the LORD, realizing that He alone was responsible for their having a land, a promise. They had been chosen from the place of God’s amazing grace and mercy. They were undeserving. They were unworthy. They were sinners among the other sinners of the earth. There was nothing special about them, thus in there early days they loved the LORD.
Despite the fact of their departure the LORD reminds them of His promise, “All that devour him will offend; disaster will come upon them,’ says the LORD”. No one can expect God’s blessing who lifts their hand against the people, the nation, whom God ordained to give us the Scriptures, ordinances, and laws. Yet there is room for His judgment. Pray for Jerusalem – Israel.
As Christians we must remember our “First love”. That love we had for Jesus when we first believed. The things of the world around us have a power which can lure us away from loving Him. God commended five of the early churches of the Revelation, but would only condemn two of them because they had departed from Him.
If you truly know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then, there was a time when you walked with Him, you loved Him, cherished Him, and it did not bother you that there were times He seemed distant, but you trusted His Word when He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
Something has happened in the past few days, weeks, months, or years that have caused you to get away from Him, His Word, from praying, and cherishing His abiding presence. You have become more consumed with sports, entertainment, comforts, leisure, conveniences, and even family activities, than with your walk with Him. It is time to return to Him, before the judgment of your sin comes on you.
He puts His protecting hand on all who have trusted Him. You can believe He will keep you, protect you, and anyone who raises an evil hand against you will suffer by His hand. Be assured God loves you with an everlasting love. Enjoy it, revel in it, rejoice in it, and He will be glorified.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
GOD is All-Knowledge
The prophet is sharing his call from God with us as we look at the rest of chapter one. Our verses today will just be verses four and five. I want to keep these articles relatively short. They are usually the ones which will be read, if most people are like me in that respect.
“Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5 (KJV)
While Jeremiah was serving as a priest with his family it surely grieved his heart to see the wickedness in the land. Many times this is the way God moves and works in calling men to serve as pastors, preachers, teachers, and other works. He places a burden upon the heart, and you go and grow in that as you hear the Lord and see Him work you just find yourself enjoying what He has called you to do.
The Lord had this planned for the prophet from the time the world was established. One of the things that the man of God needs to know and realize about God is that He is Omniscient, and that simply means that He is AllKnowing. There is nothing that God, the Creator of all that is, does not know. Someone has asked the question, “Is there anything God can learn?” Well the answer to that, if God is AllKnowing, is NO! Because He already knows everything there is to know.
That means He is never surprised by events, “accidents”, incidents, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, car wrecks, bombs exploding, or wars. You could put just about anything in there that you could think of.
God knew Jeremiah before he was conceived in the womb, and you could say, it was God who gave the seed that caused Jeremiah to be. There is a good thing we can see from this and that is that none of us are an accident. God made us to be.
These verses are often used by those who are pro-life, which I am, to show that there is human life in the womb of the mother, concerning the baby. It is not just a blob of tissue, a mass which has invaded the body of the woman. It is a special, ordained by God, individual for whom He has plans; whether the woman does or not. I guess her plans; the woman getting an abortion; are extinction.
The prophet is “Sanctified” which is set apart to be clean, appointed, prepared to do a task, and that task as we shall see is to proclaim the word of the LORD to God’s people of Judah, and to the nations.
He is “Ordained” by God to proclaim the message God puts in his mouth, and upon his lips. He is to speak what God tells him to speak, and not withhold one word. That is the work of the prophet of God. Speak the word of God and do it with all one’s strength, and then the strength of God.
God knows you. He knew you before you were conceived. Yield your life to Him. When you are saved through the cross of Jesus Christ you are also sanctified, set apart, for God’s glory and praise. God has called you to do His will.
W4CL – Restore
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galations 6:1 (KJV)
How many times have you without any fault of your own found yourself dealing with a sin? You found yourself, deceived, believing wrongly, doing wrongly. You were “overtaken in a fault”. You have grieved over it. Then a “Spiritual” brother/sister who is bearing all those fruit of the Spirit comes and ministers to your need. By the love, compassion, and meekness you are restored to fellowship with God and the Body of Christ.
That is what it means to be a “Spiritual” Christian. The spiritual Christian does not condemn the fallen brethren, but seeks to restore the one who is grieving in their sin.
The next time you see a brother/sister in Christ overtaken in a fault seek his/her restoration. You could find yourself in that situation sometime later.
W4CL – Fruit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galations 5:22-26 (KJV)
Paul gave us examples of the works of the flesh in the verses preceding the above text. They are the evidence of ungodliness. Many of the works of the flesh have been seen in professing Christians; however they are the works of the flesh; and not of Christ.
The works of the flesh come from the heart and mind of unredeemed men and women. It can be the old left overs of one’s past life, and the Christian must put them to death. The Christian will produce the Fruit of the Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Notice the fruit – “Love, joy, peace” The three go together; you cannot separate peace from love or joy, nor joy from peace and love; nor love from joy and peace. The peace of God which passes all understanding (Romans 5:1-2; Philippians 4:7).
“Longsuffering” that is basically patience, enduring faith in God, forbearance with others.
“Gentleness” equals moral goodness, integrity. You are the same in your behavior when you are alone as you are when you are with people.
“Goodness” Upright in heart.
“Faith” having a conviction of the truth.
“Meekness” not too many people desire to be meek; however that is a fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said of the meek “They shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus is a good example of meekness. Knowing who He is, did not retaliate against those who hated Him; instead, He said, “Father, forgive them they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).
“Temperance” means self-control. This begins with have a clear mind, clean heart, and life. One cannot have self-control if they have the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh are in control.
Walking in the Spirit gives the Christian freedom to walk with Jesus; free from condemnation, guilt, and fear. The fruit of the Spirit is what comes from the Christian who is trusting the Lord.
In Christ Jesus you do bear the fruit of the Spirit.
W4CL – Crucified
As Christians we too often forget that the life we live in Christ is due to the crucifixion of Christ and His bodily resurrection. It is imperative that we also see that we are “Crucified with Christ” (v. 20); and because we are crucified with Him we will also, one day reign with Him (Romans 8:17), because we are also, “Risen with Christ” (Colossians 3:1).
As a Christian we do not enjoy sin; we are dead to it – “Crucified with Christ”, and have been raised again by His resurrection. Because of His resurrection we grow in love with Christ; closer to Him and His likeness, and grow further from sin and its destruction.
I am crucified with Christ.
Thirsty
“O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.” Psalm 63:1-2 (KJV)
Did the Psalmist know God? David knew God. Yet the more or better he knew Him the more he desired Him.
Jesus said,
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14
The Christian is full of the water that Jesus gives, but is continually in need to drink from the Source. The better we know Jesus the more we desire to know Him.
Words for Christian Living – Blessing the Poor
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. I said, ‘LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee.'” Psalm 41:1-4 (KJV)
In the United States of America we are richly blessed. We are blessed with the grace of God. We are blessed with riches. Yet in the midst of the blessing of riches we are cursed with some levels of poverty; and some of which cannot be avoided. People often find themselves without an income, due to loss of jobs; or sickness, and/or disease; which has robbed them of the strength to make a living. These are the poor that the Christian must not neglect.
It is the light of Christ Jesus that shines in our hearts that causes us to see others as being better than ourselves; and that includes the poor. Paul the apostle writing to the people of Philippi…
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3 (KJV)
As Christians the love of Christ will reign supremely in our hearts; and others will be blessed by our lives and our conduct: even though they may not always realize it. John the apostle wrote the following…
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17 (KJV)
Be a blessing today.
Words for Christian Living – Fear
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” Psalm 27:1-3 (KJV)
What place does fear have in the life of a Christian and/or Christian living? One place; Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Someone has said, “If we fear God we need fear nothing else”.
The Psalmist tells us that the LORD is his light and salvation. If that be so, then whom does the Psalmist need to fear; or who does any Child of God need fear; or what do we need to fear?
We can be troubled on every side. Health, wealth (or lack of wealth worry about paying the rent, house payment, bills), personal attacks from others, even looming death may be one of the things that strike fear into our hearts. There is no benefit from this worry. Worry is nothing more or less than fear. God is our strength.
We need to hear the words of Jesus and trust Him…
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or, ‘What shall we drink? or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:30-34 (KJV)
Words for Christian Living – Commendation
“But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (KJV)
Most people are searching for commendation. Some are satisfied with self-commendation; others desire the commendation of others. Self-commendation is worthless; but then, so is the commendation of others for the purposes of eternity.
The word “Commendation” means… “Approval; Praise”. It speaks well of a person when others approve her/him. However, if someone with an evil heart speaks well of you… What does that say?
The commendation from God, our Lord, is the better commendation. Do not rest in peace with what others say of you. You can rest, and be in peace with what God says of you, commending you. You will not be commended by God with unrepented sin in your life. He will commend you when sin is dealt with, and you are in fellowship with Him through the cross of His Son Jesus Christ.
Words for Christian Living – All One Body
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (KJV)
In our physical body we have had no choice about how we are made. We may have been made with a weak heart, weak muscles, and even diseased in some way. We all have body parts that are failing us in one way or another; especially as we age. It is still our body, and it is one.
Just as we often have no choice with the parts of our physical body we have no choice with who makes up the Body of Christ – Christians. Only God has made that choice by His grace. In Jesus Christ we are all the Body of Christ on earth. Each of us have a part in His Body. Each is important. Any one of us who hurts or causes hurt, hurts the whole Body. Think of that the next time you are tempted to sin.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living – Our Examples
“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:6-12 (KJV)
The Christian has many examples in Scripture to follow. When there are so many who want to follow the example of our society or culture; let the Christian be the one who says, “I will follow Christ, and live my life for Him, and His glory. No matter what this culture does I will live for Christ; be pure, clean, and glorify His name.”
Some of you need to repent of the life you have been living; make that turn around today, and make that decision today.
Join with me in making that your declaration, and life today.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living – Resurrection
“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: so man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thine hands.” Job 14:7-15 (KJV)
Suffering Job was expectant of a resurrection. He saw it in trees which might be cut down, and they sprouting back to life. He saw in the oceans never drying up; nor the major rivers of the Middle Eastern areas. The above is where the question is asked; yet he already knows the answer – “If a man die, shall he live again?” and his answer is “All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”
And all those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ says, “AMEN!” Amen! (See 1 Corinthians 15).
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living – Known of Him
“Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.” 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (KJV)
Knowledge is a wonderful thing. It is a blessing we have received from our Creator. Paul was speaking to a Church living in a profligate society; and the sad thing is they were also participating in that society; living as where no one could tell the difference from Christian and non-Christian.
To love God is more important than “Knowledge”; and the one who loves God is “Known of Him”. One can be “Known of Him” only by way of God’s way. That is the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ Jesus is the only way to God; to love God, and to be “Known of Him”.
There will be some who will say, “Well, I thought God knew everyone.” He knows who you are; He knows your name; He knows every detail about your life. However, to be “Known of Him” is an intimate, personal relationship where both God and you walk together. It is God’s salvation.
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living – Better than Burning
“Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (KJV)
In a day when marriage has been weakened and mocked Christians must learn to love as Christ loved, cherish one another; and enjoy one another in Biblical marriage.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living – Deal With It
“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (KJV)
We hear much about love. “God is love” we hear; and we forget that there are things God hates. Yes! God is love. We are not to love “Love” but God. The Corinthian Christians above loved the fact that they were loving a man who was in an adulterous life with his “Father’s wife”; and doing nothing about it.
Paul says they are to separate from him, “Not to keep company” and this is with one who calls themselves a “Brother”. “With such an one no not to eat.” How are folks who are wrapped up by sin going to get back into fellowship with God if they are not confronted about their sin.
Yes! We all have sin we must deal with. The case above is one that was not dealing with it. Sin in the Church will bring God’s judgment upon it. Deal with it.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Words for Christian Living 061513
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” Colossians 3:4-7 (KJV)
The Christian life is a changed life. The grace of God changes the heart of the one receiving grace. Love for God, His Son, His cross; the death, burial and resurrection. God loves you just the way you are. By His grace He will not leave you the way you are.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 