Why The Gospel Of Jesus Makes No Sense

The Gospel makes no sense from a human point of view, but from God's point of view, it comes together.

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27. NIV.

WHO ARE THE WISE?
The "wise" in this verse are the worldly-wise who define salvation based on human insights and with elaborate religious philosophies. They seek a kind of salvation they can boast about, such a salvation needs to be easy to explain, pretty and poetic.

But we cannot resist the wisdom of God. God is always right: he is the Supreme Lord and Ruler so He has the power to choose as He will. With purpose, God chose the "foolish" things to "shame the wise."

WHO ARE THE FOOLISH?
One of those "foolish" things is the Gospel of Jesus.

     * We want salvation by our own efforts- God gives it freely.
     * We ignore sin- God pays for our sin Himself on the cross.
     * We want to come to God through steps of discipline- God came to us, born in a manger.
     * We want exclusive revelation- God gives the Spirit to all who come.
     * We want to show off our spirituality- God wants to show Jesus in us.
      * We hide our sins- God wants us to confess our sins.
     * We want to earn forgiveness -God wants to give it freely through Jesus’ death.
     * We want to merit God's love- but God says we love him because He first loved us.

WHAT IS THE WISDOM OF GOD?
If the gospel were easy to understand, it would be only the result of human thought, but since it comes from the infinite God, it is above our understanding—since God is.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Do not reject the things of God because they sound "foolish." The Gospel says salvation is by trusting God’s promise that He will credit the death of Jesus on your behalf as payment for your sins and give you eternal life- this sounds foolish to many. Still, the "foolishness" of the gospel makes it available to everybody, not just the "wise" few. God asks us to accept salvation as a gift; it is not foolish to do so but wisdom for those who have.

To learn more about the gospel see my other blog.

(c) Adron 5/10/14

How Can I learn about God?

There are so many systems of thought and beliefs how do I know which will lead to God?

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go: I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8 

I WILL
God wants to instruct and teach us. He does not want us to go about in the dark not knowing the way. He says, "I will..." this expresses His intent and design; His purpose to teach and guide us.

The spiritual nature of His instruction is not something we could come to on our own because God's ways are holy. We need him to instruct us in his ways and to teach us how His ways fit in the world.

THE WAY
The way to God is the way to live life. Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)  There is a right way to live life and a way to have eternal life. God wants us to find that right way.

COUNSEL
Counsel is what you give an equal. God has given us free will and he guides us to use it wisely. He does not force His instructions on us but wants us to take it and make the good choice so we become partners with Him in doing good works.

LOVING EYE
He watches with love and care. His eye is always on us because He loves us; and because He loves us He teaches, instructs, and counsels us.

PROGRESS
There is a purpose in His steps.
     * Instruct is like a father to a child where He lays foundations in our lives.
     * Teaching is like a mentor to an apprentice where He builds on the foundation.
     * Counsel is like two adults sitting at a table as friends and one gives the other advice.

OUR PART
Psalm 32:9 says, "Do not be like the horse or the mule; which have no understanding but must be controlled with bit and bridle." Our Heavenly Father wants to teach, lead, and counsel us but we have to respond. We must not be stubborn but yield to His teaching. When we hear a Bible truth and don't like it we must not reject it for that is rejecting God's teaching guidance and counsel. This leaves The Lord no alternative but to guide us by bit and bridle, which is with circumstances we cannot control.

Be open to God. He gave us his Word, the Bible, read it. He gave us prayer, so talk to Him, He gave us community so find a church that loves God and his Word. He wants to be found -keep looking.

To learn more about finding the way to God see my other blog click here.

(c) Adron Dozat

Can We Trust The Words of Jesus?

Are the words of Jesus special?

Everybody likes to quote a favorite quip from the teaching of Jesus, usually when it justifies our actions or to humble someone else. Are the words of Jesus different from teachers of other faiths, can we trust his words more?

"Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away."Matthew 24:35, NIV.

JESUS' WORDS
For Jesus to make a claim that his words will never pass away and even outlast heaven and earth is to claim something that only God can say. It would be arrogance or insanity if someone said this sort of thing, but Jesus went around doing what only God could do, like raising the dead, stopping storms, commanding demons, healing the incurable with a word or touch, etc. so the evidence of his life makes his words trustworthy. Because he did the things only God could do, he had the authority to say what only God could say.

COMFORTING WORDS.
It is comforting that Jesus said, "My words will never pass away." Salvation is based on the words of Jesus where he promised that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Therefore, we trust in the words of Jesus' promise of salvation. Since salvation is a promise God gives to us, and His word will never pass away, so also salvation will never pass away.

TRUSTWORTHY WORDS
The circumstances of life may change, but Jesus' word and God's promises in the Bible will never change. What Jesus promised to us yesterday is true today. We cling to the promise of God's love and need never worry that His promise will change. We hope in his promise of forgiveness through Jesus blood, and we know that promise will never pass away. We call upon his promise to abide with us, and never fear He has departed, because his word will not change.

OUR WORDS
We should make the words of Jesus our own words. Our lives and the world are temporary; our achievements are passing, our monuments do not endure, and our possessions decay. Jesus's words are eternal and righteous, and good for us- wouldn't it be wise to invest in it?

We need to spend time learning his words and teaching. We must stop spending so much time on things that don't last even a few years and completely ignore something that will last forever- God's Word. We spend too much time watching TV, playing games, window shopping, and generally amusing ourselves for a little while. Instead, we need to study God's word and build a life that will have eternity in it.

(c)Adron Dozat 5/25/13

Where Can You Go To Meet With God? Psalm 42:1-2

Where can you go to meet with God? If he is all-present then He should be here right now, but somehow we do not sense He is with us.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2. NIV.

THIRST
We all have a thirst for something. We keep trying to satisfy our thirst for meaning in our lives; we try with material possessions, relationships status, or something else. It may be we are looking at the wrong thing.

PASSION
The word picture of the deer panting for the streams of water expresses passion and desire to the point of death since water is essential for life. The deer is a picture of desperation, and in the same way, we should be desperate for God. We need to seek God with longing and thirst.

• Do we have such passion?
• Do we thirst for God?
• Are we willing to know the living and true God?
• Do we desire to meet with God?

BARRIER
There is a barrier between us and God. It is an ugly barrier and it is known by an ugly word, sin. But God sent his son to break down the barrier and make it possible to encounter God. When Jesus died on the cross he paid the price for our sins and satisfied the judgment of holy God. The resurrection makes clear the judgment is complete and eternal life is available in Christ.

WHERE
God makes the way to us and invites us to come to him. The where is not a place but a person, Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me." John 14:6. The Gospel of John says, "To as many as received him who believe on his name he gave the right to become the sons of God." John 1:12.

Jesus invites us to come to him; in him, we find the fulfillment of all our thirst.

To learn more about coming to God follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/28/13

How Does The Bible Help My Fear? Psalm 27:1

We are often beset with worry and fear. Sometimes it is about our future, our loved ones, our personal well-being or just chronic worry. Fear can overshadow everything in our life. It can cripple us and keep us from living the kind of life we want to live. What can we do about it?

"The Lord is my Light and my salvation. Of whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1, NIV.

THE LORD
First, consider the Lord. He is the all-powerful creator of the universe. He rules creation and has the ability to command events from the greatest storm to the smallest insect. The Lord is our creator who loves and knows us. He is the one who sent his son to die to pay for our sins- this is a loving God and a powerful father.

LIGHT AND SALVATION
That God is our light should be comforting to us because He is all-seeing and all-knowing, not only that, it is the fact that the one who is all-seeing and all-knowing is on our side. Light reveals the phantoms of darkness to be nothing. Evil seeks shelter in darkness for the Bible says "men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil,*" but light robs evil of its support, light even chases away evil.

He is our salvation, not we ourselves. We may be helpless to fix many of the problems that come into our lives; and the biggest one, our sin, is beyond repair. But God is salvation, and not us. We need not rely on our weak efforts and lack of ability. He is able, He is willing, He is our salvation.

STRONGHOLD
A stronghold by definition is a safe and secure place. It is the highest quality of fortress, not a tent but a bombproof ironclad citadel. It is the place no enemy can ever get into, it withstands all the efforts of the foe.

OF WHOM
Of whom is a question without an answer since God has no equal. If The All-powerful Ruler is your indestructible fortress there is no one who you need to fear.

FOCUS
We spend much time thinking about the little things that will cause pain and problems. Let us turn our focus on God not these lesser things

To say God is our salvation is a faith statement. We do not have salvation by osmosis, it is a gift God gives to those willing to receive it. To learn more about finding salvation read my other blog,  follow this link: Click Here.

*John 3:19

(c) Adron 3/24/13

What Is The Point Of Your Life? 2 Corinthians 4:5

If your life had a message what would it be? If your life told a story what would be the moral of it all?

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Christ's sake." 2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV*

These words from the Apostle come from a section of his writing where he shows that his motivation and actions were pure and without hidden agenda.

Paul the Apostle had a message but it was not about himself, he had no place in the message except to be the speaker of the message. He could have talked a lot about himself, his education, revelations, experiences, and more, but he had a message much greater than himself.

The false teachers of his day and ours want to be the center of attention and the recipients of the benefits of the philosophies they bring; but not the Apostle, his focus was on Christ and serving.

PREACHING
The message of the Gospel, which Paul the Apostle taught, was that Jesus Christ is Lord. Which means Jesus is God come down taking on human flesh to walk among us as a sinless example of righteousness and he offered his life, body, and soul as a sacrifice on the cross to pay for the sins of humanity, a sacrifice that was acceptable to God the Judge and evidenced in the resurrection of Jesus and his accession to the throne in heaven. We participate in the gospel by faith where we receive the blessings and benefits of salvation as a gift paid for by Christ. This is a humble gospel and leaves no place for pride and self-promotion. This Gospel was Paul's focus and purpose.

JESUS
Jesus is Lord, elsewhere in the Bible, it teaches that "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." Philippians 2:10-11

SERVANT
Paul could have said, "I am an apostle and I have rank conferred on me by The Lord. So, serve me, do this and do that."  Nowhere does the Bible or outside sources attribute such words or actions to the Apostles. Instead, he says here, "We are your servants for Christ's sake." He was in the place of leadership of the church and acted like the lowest servant.

PAUL'S MOTIVATION
What drove Paul? What was his message and the point of his life? It was the last three words of the verse, "For Christ's sake." He did what he did to advance the Gospel. You might say all he did he did for Christ.

What would our lives be like if we followed Paul's example and made Christ all? What if our motto was, "I'm all for Jesus or I am nothing at all?"

To read this verse in other translations then follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat 12/30/12

Why Do We Have To Wait For God? Lamentations 3:26

We don't like to wait. We want God to answer our prayers right now and help us out right away. Why do we have to wait?

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:26, NIV*.

WAIT
Waiting is not something many of us do easily in our fast-paced world, we want results now.  The Bible is full of encouragement to wait and gives many examples of those who did. We need to leave the culture of hurry up for the culture of God's time. God has a purpose for the time of waiting that we have to go through. It may seem hard at the time but it is good in the end because we learn things, we grow as people, and we experience God afresh, just to name a few.

QUIETLY
Quietly is an attitude that some of us do not know. We are noisy and we complain, or get full of business, and feel a need to do something about our problems with panic. The quiet the Bible speaks of here is to be able to wait in silence.

To wait quietly for God to rescue us is a tremendous act of faith. It is a living statement of belief that God is good and in his goodness he has control, therefore the best outcome is assured.

Many times we may abstain from speaking our complaint out loud but inwardly simmer with worry and anxiously review scenarios of doom. This causes us to miss out on the blessing of God working on our behalf, we miss knowing God in the hour of our distress.

SALVATION
Our salvation comes from the Lord. Salvation is something we cannot do for ourselves. In our lives, we are at God's mercy and receive his grace day by day and hour by hour, but we do not recognize God working in all the little things. Then the big crisis comes and we are not in the habit of looking to God since we have not practiced it in the little ways.

We already experience deliverance in our daily lives from his hand as much as the eternal salvation we receive by faith in the death of Christ on the cross in payment for our sins. When we think about how he has delivered us in the past and in little ways today it is easy to wait quietly for the deliverance in the big crisis we face.

Truly it is good to wait because then we will be blessed and we will see the salvation the Lord has for us.

To learn more about the salvation of the Lord follow this link: Click Here.
*To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Lamentations 3:26

(c) Adron Dozat 12/15/12

Who Does God Delight In? Psalm 149:4

Is there a kind of person that God takes delight in? If there is such a person shouldn't we find out how to be that person?

"For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation." Psalm 149:4 NIV*.

DELIGHT
What the Bible speaks of as delight here has the idea of satisfaction, pleasure, and restful contentment.  To delight in something is a reaction, God considers us and His reaction is positive.  Some people think of God as a bitter cosmic killjoy who wants to take all the fun out of life and burden people with a bunch of dos and don'ts rules.  The verse says the opposite, he doesn't look at us and become angry, instead, he wants to bless and do good for his people.

GOD WHO CROWNS
A crown is a finishing touch, like an exclamation mark.  It is worn on the head as an unmistakable token of rank and status.  To crown someone is to exalt them, give them honor, and status, these are the things God does for us.  God wants to give blessings beyond imagining to His people.  That God crowns His people suggest that He honors them.

HUMBLE
Pride and arrogance have no standing before the Holy Lord of the Universe.  The humble here may not be the humble in society, which would exclude some people through no fault of their own, but the humble here is the humility of the heart.  To be humble of the heart is something that anyone can be.  It is a sense of our sinfulness that brings us to God with a humility that he honors with salvation.

SALVATION
God gives salvation as a gift, it is not earned or merited by our efforts, works, or personal achievements.  Salvation is given freely to those who admit their need and receive it.  Jesus died to pay for our sins, their judgment is paid for and God asks only that we believe in Christ and his death on our behalf.

HIS PEOPLE
All of us are of God's creation and all can call him Father, but He bestows salvation only on those who accept the gift of His son.  This verse connects humility with God's people; one might conclude that if you are not humble you can't be one of God's people.  Those who are humbled by their sin and call on his name in faith are crowned with salvation and become by new birth truly are his people.

If you want to learn about trusting Jesus as Savior and how to become one of God's people follow this link: Click Here.

*To read this verse in other translations click this link: Psalms 149:4

© Adron 12/10/12

Can I Lose Salvation? John 10:28

Is eternal life really eternal, or is it only good so long as I hold on?

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand," John 10:28, NIV*.

WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE?
The idea of eternal life is the hope of all mankind. Eternal life is more than eternal existence. A living thing is moving, growing, interacting, experiencing, and in the case of eternal life, it is aware. Eternal existence may imply eternal darkness or eternal sleep or something worse.

Eternal life must be a life of thrilling fulfillment and abundance that is completely gratifying. In this world, we can only conceive of it in vague generalities.

JESUS SAID
Jesus said I give them eternal life. Eternal life is not earned or merited by good deeds but is clearly a gift, and the surprise is that it comes from Jesus, not our efforts. A gift must be received; we must take the gift, or else it is just an offer.

Only God can give eternal life. Since God is the Eternal One and the Author of life, the logic of Jesus's statement is that he is claiming to do something only God can do—therefore, he is making another claim to be God.

NEVER
It is not only eternal life but also that those who have it will never perish; this double statement is very reinforcing. There is no doubt that Jesus is talking about life unending without the fear of annihilation or death. The possibility of death is removed for those who have eternal life.

NO ONE
When Jesus says, "No one shall snatch them..." he claims superiority over all powers, human and demonic. He says no one- no leader of any religion, devil, or even our own actions can remove us from salvation.

SNATCH
Some translations say snatch; others say pluck, take or seize. The idea is the same; neither speed, power, subterfuge, nor barter can overpower the grasp Jesus has on us.

THE HAND
Hands hold, and it is Jesus' hand that holds us, not our own. We have eternal life secured by Jesus, not by us; he holds us; we don't hold him. He says, "My hand..." We are not held by the hand of a religion, a church, or a creed but by the hand of a person: Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

There is no doubt that eternal life in Jesus is eternal!

To learn more about how to have eternal life in Jesus, follow this link. Salvation.
To read this verse in other translations, use this link: John 10:28.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/26/12

What Does Heaven Cost? 1 Peter 1:15-16

If you could sum up the death of Jesus in one word what would it be? Many would have different ideas, martyr, tragic, loss.

"Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:19. NIV.

REDEMPTION
Redemption is a word that describes Jesus' death.  Not his redemption but ours, for Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.

To redeem something is to pay the debt, if you gave a valuable to a creditor as security against a loan you redeem it when you pay off the loan and therefore you get the valued idem back.  Jesus gave his life on our behalf to pay the debt to justice.

OUR NEED
We need redemption because of sin. St. James says, "He who knows what is right to do and fails to do it for him it is sin." By that standard we all have sin.  God loves us and doesn't want to condemn us but being holy he must judge sin.

JESUS THE REDEEMER
The redemption provided by Jesus is not a gesture of good-will; it is payment against the requirement demanded by justice for our sin.  It was payment unto death and it was doled out in the blood of Jesus.  The death of Jesus bought us back from judgment; it should have been us who hung on the cross for our sins but Jesus took our place and he died the death we should have died. The full wrath of God's judgment went on him instead of us.

The blood of Jesus is precious to angels and saints not just because it is the blood by which we are given salvation as a free gift, but because it is the blood of God's own dear son.  Heaven had no greater treasure; Jesus is the Prince of Peace who bought peace between God and man with his blood.  It should be precious to every one of us for whom it was shed; because it was shed it cost me nothing to go to heaven but it cost Jesus everything for me to go to heaven.

OUR PART
This redemption is very unusual in that if you give something as a security that you will pay off a debt the idem doesn't refuse to come with you when you pay off the debt, but God gives us a choice, we may reject Jesus we may say no to salvation and remain unredeemed.

To learn more about what the Bible teaches about how to go to heaven follow this link: Click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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Why Did Jesus Come? 1 Timothy 1:15

Why did Jesus come? Everybody has their own answers, but the Bible makes it plain.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:14, NIV.

A Trustworthy Saying
You can trust the teaching of the Bible.  Here is a statement that says, "Of all the statements of the Bible, pay special attention to this one," as if this one saying stands above all the others.

Full Acceptance
The saying is not only trustworthy but must have your full acceptance. If you believe anything in the Bible, you need to believe this one. You must completely accept the nine words; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. If you accept or believe only some of them, it is not full acceptance.

Who?
Christ is the God One who saves by sacrificing himself on our behalf.

He is the one who came; the quote does not say born but came as if he was somewhere else before. This verse is clear that he existed before his earthly incarnation.

Why?
Jesus did not come simply to teach, establish a new religion, modify an old one, or be a revolutionary- he came to save sinners. We need salvation; we need to be rescued from the bondage of sin in our lives and be delivered from the future judgment of sin. Sin offends God, and being holy, he must judge sin, but being loving, God sent his son Jesus to die in our stead and take the punishment for our sins. God accepts Jesus' death as payment in full for our sins and gives us Jesus' righteousness.

Could The Apostle Have Been A Sinner?
Paul the Apostle was once a Pharisee who observed the strictest sect of Judaism. His teaching and writings were central to the establishment and survival of the church. He penned portions of the New Testament, and his writings give context for the teaching of Jesus. How could he say he was a sinner? In one place, he wrote about his struggles with pride, and in another, he discusses covetousness, and in another, he recounts his former way of life when in the name of God, he persecuted the church, even voting for the death penalty against Christians. Despite his sinfulness, the Apostle found Salvation in Jesus.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/11/12

How Does the Bible Define Love? 1 John 4:10

Love is the thing everyone wants and everyone chases after it. Poets have written about it and singers have sung about it. It only adds to the confusion about what it is and how to find it.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10. NIV.

LOVE
The Bible does more to show what love is than tell what love is. One might find a few spectacular passages that are quoted by evangelist and read at weddings but the greater part of the subject is wrapped up in the accounts of God showing love to sinners through His actions.

UNLOVELY
To say that we did not love God is a supreme understatement for we were enemies of God.  We oppose God by virtue of our own rebellious nature and sinful bent against his love.  Even the best we could offer pales compared to the evidence of our lives making us forever unworthy of his love.

In spite of our animosity to God and our offense against his holiness, God still has an amazing love for mankind.  It is not like He came around after a while, or decided after our rebellion was spent and we were broken that then He would love us, or at least pity us; it is even while we are in the camp of the evil and wicked that He maintains love to us.

God did not wait for us to initiate a loving relationship with Him, nor did He wait for us to become worthy of His love. He loves us first.

LOVE IN ACTION
His love does not overlook our greatest need and that is the need for a savior.  Because of our sins we face the same judgment reserved for the devil and his followers.  In his great love, God takes our place in the person of His own incarnate son and dies in our stead on the cross where he takes the wrath of the Father's judgment against sin.  Here we see a statement that words could never form; the act of the sacrifice of the holy and beautiful for the vile and profane.

WHY
God's love is not based on beauty or merit status or charm.  God loves because He is the one who is good and merciful.  It is based on the character of the one giving the love and is not dependent on the nature of the one receiving the benefits of love.

No matter what kind of sinner you are God loves you and sent Jesus to die to pay for your sins. That is love.

To learn more about what the bible says about God plan of salvation follow this link: Jesus and Salvation.

(c) Adron Dozat 3/28/12

Can You Know if you have Eternal Life? 1 John 5:13

Can we know what eternity has in store for us?  The Bible says we can know for sure.

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."  1 John 5:13, NIV.

What happens to a Christian after he dies has been asked since the first century.  The Apostle John wrote to give reasons and assurance.

WHO
He speaks to those who believed in the name of the Son of God.  Not to those who just know about Jesus or even those who have joined a church,, or have done many, or wondrous great deeds in God's name- but to those who believe.

WHAT IS SALVATION
Salvation is a promise from God, and God never breaks a promise.  He promises that if we believe in Jesus we will be eternally saved.  We think it is too easy and we need to do something, some kind of penance or good works; yet who has confidence that their penance is adequate enough for a holy God, or if our good works are good enough to take away our many sins?

Salvation is a gift- all we have to do is receive God's promise, that Jesus death on the cross is sufficient for us and his resurrection is the ratification and proof of the sufficiency of work.

YES, YOU CAN KNOW
You can know that you have eternal life.  It is a question of do you believed on the name of the Son of God.  To believe is not just an intellectual assent to historical facts; but an act of trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  One can say they believe the chair will hold them, they can acknowledge the quality of the workmanship and affirm the strength of the material, but it is only when one sits in the chair that his belief that the chair is active.  To believe in Jesus is more than acknowledging in your head the facts of his life; it is when we trust him and what he has done on the cross that we truly believe.

I DON'T FEEL SAVED
Absent in this verse is any reference to feelings.  Our feelings may come and go but our faith must be in the solid promise of God that will not change.

We can know our future, not based on feelings or opinions or our efforts, but based on God's word.  If you are trusting in Jesus and what he did for you on the cross you will be eternally saved.

To learn more about how to have eternal life in Jesus see my other blog: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 2/1/12

How Can You Tell If Someone Is From God 3 John 11

Our world is full of wickedness. We want to do good but how do we get away from the evil around us to be a positive influence?

"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God, anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John: 11.

IS THIS A COMMAND FROM THE BIBLE?
It begins with the command, "Do not imitate..." A command is an imperative which must be followed. This command is simple, but we must still pay attention to it. Clearly, we can choose to "not do" evil and resolve to do "good;" we must not live reactionary lives where we act without weighing Gods opinion.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IMITATE?
To imitate is to reproduce the actions of another in yourself. A student learns how to play the piano by watching the teacher put their fingers here and there and moves them so; the student then repeats all those movements and creates the same sound. With practice, the teacher's actions become the students. It is the same when we imitate evil or imitate good, we become what we imitate. We must make doing good daily practice and avoid reproducing the actions that God does not approve of.

RESOLVE
There are thousands of opportunities to "imitate evil" every day, so there are thousands of opportunities to "do good." Opportunities like a saying a kind word, a smile, a gift, a donation, a minute spent in prayer, a hug, or a warm handshake, a little note, or a helping hand. We tend to slip into doing evil, but must resolve to do "good." It takes effort and concentration and awareness.

IS GOOD FROM GOD?
Only God is good, "Anyone who does what is good is from God." Evil is not true of God's people. We should pray for God to show us the good to do and look for it. We must not let our gaze rest on evil, but fill our vision with good- with God.

WARNING
The acid test is that "Anyone who does evil has not seen God." Do we make a habit of doing evil? If we do it maybe we have never come to God in faith in the saving work of his son on the cross, and our salvation is in doubt.

Resolved to take this verse to heart and really refuse to "do evil but what is good?"

To learn more about finding a personal relationship with God then follow this link to my other blog.\

(c)Adron Dozat 5/11/11

Is Everybody A Child Of God Or Only Some? John 1:12

What does it mean to be a child of God?

People talk about being a child of God. Is it just a statement of optimism, New Age pantheism, or are some of us possessing something different from the rest- something truly Divine?

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12, NIV.

Why are we not automatically children of God? The answer is unpopular, but if you get past the bad news the good news is truly Gospel. We are not automatically children of God because we have sinned, and our sins offend His holy nature and this separates us from God, but He has provided the answer to our need.

GOD'S OFFER

God offers something to us we can't have any other way; salvation and forgiveness; and not only that but adoption as sons and heirs. He did the hard part, He sent his son to die in our place on the cross; all he wants us to do is receive it. To receive something is to take it. If someone has a package in their hand and they hold it out to you have not yet received it; it has been offered and the giver is willing and maybe you are willing to have it, but until you take the gift from his hand into yours you have not received it. God is offering salvation through faith in His son's work and death on the cross for our sins. He is holding it out to us but we must take it.

ANYONE

Anyone can receive Jesus no matter what your background or history or education or status. The Bible says "Yet to all..." There is nothing that you are, or you have done that can make the offer of receiving Jesus void. "Yet to all" is God's word in the Bible to all. Whoever you are you can receive Jesus and become a child of God.

ALL
We can’t receive some of Jesus and reject some of Jesus, it is all or nothing. We must receive his divinity, his teaching, his sacrificial death for us, and his resurrection power. The hardest for many is to receive him as Lord of their lives.

NEED
According to this verse we need to become children of God, but not by good works, or giving, or membership in a faith community, it is by receiving Jesus. If you have not yet received Jesus won't you do it now?

To learn more about the plan of salvation follow this link: click here

(c) Adron Dozat

When Christians Are in The Rat Race Of Life, 1 Corinthians 9:24:25

God Loves You

The best of us can feel life is frustrating. Even those of us who live a life of faith still feel like we are in a rat race and wonder what is all the busyness is for.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training, they do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV.

Run for the prize. 1 Cor 9:24

LIFE FOR THE CHRISTIAN
The Christian life is like a race, but it does not need to be a frustrating rat race.  Yes, it is hard and to win a race you have to train with self-discipline.  You need to expend energy and effort to remain focused and keep the goal ahead of you. This is counter to our modern way of life where we have a do as you please attitude, and a live for the moment philosophy.

ENEMIES
The believer has at least three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. As we battle our enemies we should ask ourselves these questions.
     * How are we doing in our battle against the flesh with its appetites and lust?
     * Do we surrender the battle and give up the rewards that victory will bring?
     * For the sake of a few minutes of sleep forfeit morning devotional time with the Lord?
     * Or for the sake of an entertainment event skip fellowship with believers?
     * Do we choose relaxation over service?
Too many have exchanged the blessings of heaven for the wreath of fading leaves.

THE PRIZE
In a race, only one gets the prize- this reminds us that if we are not diligent we will miss out.  We still finish the race but second place does not win the crown.  The prize is not salvation since the Bible does not teach our works save us but only our faith, the prize is the reward for a life lived unto the Lord.  We who trust Jesus will finish and get a reward but it is how we run that race now that determines if our reward then will be gold and silver or wood, hay, and stubble.

TOTAL COMMITMENT
An athlete who faces competition does not let himself get fat and flabby; he gets exercise, rest and healthy food.  He brings lifestyle into the process and weighs his actions in the balance of his goals.  He dedicates his body and time to the goal- even though that goal is only a temporary reward of a few mentions in the news or a trophy that will collect dust and end up in a yard sale.  How much more should we who know and love God and have a hope in heaven bring our lives under control for the eternal rewards God has promised us?

To learn more about the plan of salvation follow this link: click here.

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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(c)Adron Dozat

What Will Last Forever? 1 Peter 1:23-24

Here is a beautiful passage of scripture and at first glance, it looks like pure poetry but when you start to think about it then you see that it is much more than pretty words.

"For you have been born again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God, For ‘all men are like grass and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.’" 1Peter 1:23-24, NIV.

NOT OF...BUT OF...
Eternal salvation cannot be based on our earthly efforts but on the "Living and enduring Word of God." Nothing that we can do will last eternally or is good enough to merit salvation because we are of that “perishable seed,” anything we do will reflect the limits of our perishable origins, but eternal salvation must be from imperishable seed or else it will not endure for eternity.

No human effort or good deed could ever equal God's standard so salvation could only be a gift of God based on His Word of promise. God’s word endures and the promise of salvation is based on His word so we can have confidence in an enduring salvation.

PERISHABLE
God gives us eternal life but we focus much of our lives on passing things such as TV, hobbies, job, housework, and driving the kids to places. If we had a life full of achievements, awards, success, possessing fame and fortune- what will it matter in eternity? Like the flowers of the field, and all the monuments of mankind, our trophies will crumble into dust but “the word of the Lord stands forever.”

THE WORD OF THE LORD
Our generation lives with constant change. Governments change, business policies change, laws get struck down and we feel uncertain of our place in the world, but God's Word never changes. We see things moving in cycles, but that is not how God’s Word is- it is always the same and true. Our lives may change, we may have failure and loss but God’s living Word is not affected by it. Every time we open His Word its timeless truths are still relevant to guide and comfort us.

A WORD FOR US
We must not neglect God’s Word. It is living and has an agenda to make us more like Christ. We must keep the Word of the Lord in our activities, our decisions, and base our actions on the Bible.  If our daily choices are founded on Scripture that day will have eternity in it and the good will last forever.

One of the most loving things God has done is to give us His Eternal Word. One of the wisest things we can do is to embrace it, learn its truths and make them our own.

To learn more about how to have eternal life in God read this other post. CLICK HERE.

(c) Adron 2/23/11

Forgiveness is not so simple. Psalm 103: 9, 10.

We say God’s ways are not our ways, but what are God’s ways, and what do they tell us about God?

“He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities.” Psalm 103:9, 10. NIV.

What hope these words offer! God is a God of forgiveness, not causal forgiveness but mercy on many levels; His accusations cease, His anger abates, His actions are amended, and our iniquities are voided out.

ANGER
We are shocked to read that God does have anger. We want God to be the wonderful mushy grandfather in the sky who gives gifts to the good and winks at the bad. Yet, God does have anger at the wrongs we do, the sins we commit, and the good we neglect to do. He would be cheap if it were otherwise.

ACCUSE
What good news that God “will not always accuse.”  God sees every wrong we do, and if He wished, God could call us into judgment whenever He wanted. He is our creator and father and has the right to require the fidelity of mankind, and as Lord of the universe, He is right to condemn our sin and us. To say God “will not always accuse” suggest there is a time when accusation and judgment will cease, and our guilt will be erased.

MERCY
God is not like us, we harbor anger or carry a grudge for decades until it taints every relationship and act, even to our own injury, but God does not bear a vindictive grudge forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or according to our iniquities. If he did, we would all be lost long ago. Each day we live, we do so as a testament to His mercy, forgiveness, and His Grace.

HOW?
How is it that “God will not Harbor His anger forever?” God’s anger is vented somewhere on someone or something. The Bible reveals that God spent His wrath on His Son Jesus on the cross. He placed our sin on His Holy Son and vented His just anger against those sins there. Not only was the fury of the wrath of God against our sin exhausted on Jesus, but He also offers eternal life to any who accept His Son’s sacrifice on their behalf. He did this for us, and we can say, “Indeed He does not treat us as our sins deserve.”

To learn how to find eternal forgiveness in Christ, click here to see my other post about the Gospel.

(c)Adron Dozat 10/11/10

I Have Engraved You in The Palms of My Hands. Isaiah 49:18

We question God's love and we ask, "Where is the evidence of Divine Love?"

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." Isaiah 49:18.

NOT ACCIDENTAL
The great love God demonstrated for us through his Son is eternally written in the scars on his hands. We can see in our mind's eye Jesus holding out his hands saying, "See, I have engraved you..." We normally get scars by accident but God says, "I have..." this was not by accident. The scars that Our Lord bears on His hands were predetermined. He knew He would endure the cross and bear its memory the moment He created the first man- and still He made Adam. He did this engraving Himself. I have..." It didn't just happen, like the poor martyr, but He received those scars on purpose. The events of the Crucifixion of His Son were carefully designed before all creation by our Loving Father.

DESIGN
The word "Engraved" sounds like there was skillful craft involved; skillful craftwork demonstrated in the love the Savior has for us. Most people's scars are the result of some painful event, usually an accident; and seeing them are reminders of what each event was. Jesus chose to bear the reminders of His love for us through all eternity and we will see the engraving in His hands.

DEVOTED
He is devoted to our care and protection. The city walls were its protection, status, and strength. For God to say, "Your walls are ever before me." is to say He is standing guard on the walls. He is our protection, status, and strength.

"Ever" not just sometimes or only at a certain time but ever, always, and not ending. Perhaps here we see a hint of eternity, we need not fear some destruction in this life or next. For those of us who have taken Jesus' hand by faith and accepted his death on our behalf are assured of His protection and guard for the "Ever," of eternity.

SEE
The first word of this verse may be the most important, "See,"God invites me to look upon Him, to see Him, and know Him. We must set our eyes on Jesus; we must look at Him and see who He really is and what He has done for us.

When we get to heaven and Jesus holds out His hand for us to take, we will see ourselves engraved there and will think just two words. "For ME!"

To learn more about the God's eternal love and how you can have a personal relationship with him follow THIS LINK

(c) Adron 8/19/10

A Reason Why God Allows Suffering in my Life. Hosea 6:1

God Loves You

Many of us feel torn to pieces as if every part of our life is coming apart at the seams. No matter what we do there is no relief. Illness, loss, betrayal, loneliness, and more surround us like attacking dogs. We say to God, “Why did you do this to me?” One answer is offered by an ancient prophet.

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” Hosea 6:1

COME
The most beautiful word in this promise verse is “Come,” God is calling us to come to Him. Sometimes He uses blessings to draw us to Him but sometimes He must allow anguish to enter our lives so we will look to Him. God is a loving God and does not rejoice in our suffering, indeed, the Bible says He grieves over our hurt; but there are times when we have gone our own way for too long and are in danger of greater loss if we don’t “come” to God.

LET US
These two words suggest a choice. Do not put obstacles in the way of coming to the Lord. “Let us,” humble ourselves, and admit that God is right and we should repent; God is just and wants us to confess our wrongdoing and sin.

RETURN TO THE LORD
Our trials are meant to cause us to "Return to the Lord." Return is hopeful. Mankind in innocence once had a dear friendship with his Creator but in rebellion went his own way. Now God offers not only forgiveness, friendship, and salvation in Christ but also son-ship and all the privileges that come with it. He did everything for our salvation by sending his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and pay for our sin and satisfy the judgment our sins deserve. He asks that we receive salvation by trusting Him to save us.

HEAL
God does not do evil but He has given us free will and this allows us to hurt ourselves and others. Though it is mankind who causes pain God takes ownership and promises to heal us and bind our wounds. He is the loving physician who longs to give us full recovery. He is calling for us to come to experience this healing of our deepest hurts. He will “heal,” and “bind up our wounds;” He will not overlook any- no matter how many they are.

Come back to the Lord through his Son, Jesus, and He will heal you and bind up the wounds you bear.

If you want to learn more about coming to God click here to read my other post on the Gospel

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this to your social networks. 

(c) Adron