My husband and I were discussing why today is called "Black Friday". When we thought about the word, "black", it made us think of darkness. As Christians when we think of darkness, we think of sin or the Prince of Darkness - Satan.
So, let's take a minute today and think about Satan's description. He comes to "lie, steal and destroy." Satan's first assault on us is to get us to doubt God's Word. In Genesis 3:1, he approached Eve with the thought, "Did God indeed say?" So today, Black Friday, he comes to us and asks us "Did God indeed say - 'Thou shall not covet'?" Then he proceeds to put in front of our eyes all the things that the world goes after for their source of happiness in life. We fall for this lie by thinking that God does love us and He certainly wants "good things" for us, etc. Just like Eve, before you know it - we have rationalized away God's Word on our lives!
Satan's next characteristic is to steal. How many millions of Americans are out in the stores today spending money that they don't have by putting it on credit cards? I was taught when I was young that if I didn't have money to pay for something and I took it anyways - I was stealing it!! If you've got the money tucked away to pay off that credit card immediately, then I wouldn't call that stealing. But if you are getting something, KNOWING you don't have the money for it and probably don't have the money to pay off your credit card - that is called "stealing" and it is breaking another one of God's Ten Commandments!
Satan's ultimate purpose in life is to destroy YOU! So, he is lying to people today, he is stealing from people today, and when this is all over with - he will have destroyed many lives today because of the debt they have just added to the already heavy economic load they are trying to carry.
As Christians, God has called us "OUT of the darkness, into His marvelous light"! (I Peter 2:9)Hear what God has to say about "Black Friday" in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17: "What fellowship has light with darkness? .....What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For YOU are the temple of the living God. .....Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."
We are called by God to be the "light of the world" (Matt. 5:14) Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." (Matt. 5:16) Letting our lights shine in today's darkness, means being bold enough to take a stand and to be different from the world around us. Don't "turn off" your light by joining the darkness around you and living in disobedience to your God and His Word!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Covetousness and Black Friday - Part One
OK, Christian brothers and sisters. Where are you today, the day after Thanksgiving which is now being called "Black Friday? No doubt you just got done yesterday being very spiritual, thanking God for all the many blessings He has bestowed on you. No doubt the last thing you would think of doing yesterday or today would be to deliberately SIN against Him when He suffered and died for you. Right?
I'm going to review this one again, which I posted on June 8, 2010: What is Sin?? Sin is lawlessness. (See I John 3:4). Lawlessness means "without law". God's law is found in the Ten Commandments, and one of those commandments specifically says, "Thou shalt not covet"! But as in Genesis 3:1 when Satan came to Eve and asked her, "Did God indeed say?", so today many of God's people are listening to that same voice.
As Christians we need to recognize the voice of the enemy and CHOOSE to OBEY the voice of our God! In Colossians 3:5 God says we are to put to death "covetousness, which is idolatry." Hmmm, ever think you are practicing "idolatry" when you are practicing "covetousness"? That isn't the end of what God has to say about it in this passage. The next verse (verse 6) God says that because of our disobedience - His wrath is coming on us!! (And that is New Testament teaching, loved ones!)
Let's hear what God has to say on this subject in Ephesians 5:3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints." Ephesians 5:5 goes even further: "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
Jesus (Who is God) said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he posesses." Are you one of the many who are out today hoping to come home with an "abundance of things"?
Let me ask you, what is the opposite of covetousness? I believe the opposite of covetousness is contentment! So hear what God says about contentment on this Black Friday: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."
Focusing on "great gain" or an "abundance of things" is not part of God's calling on your life as a Christian. He has called us to "come out of the world and be separate" (or different!), to "be set apart" and to "be holy". God's idea of "great gain" is totally opposite of the world's view of it. What does God consider "great gain"? It is being a godly person who is content with his relationship with God and with all the good things God has already blessed him with. So regarding this Black Friday: "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves THIS DAY whom you will serve....But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
I'm going to review this one again, which I posted on June 8, 2010: What is Sin?? Sin is lawlessness. (See I John 3:4). Lawlessness means "without law". God's law is found in the Ten Commandments, and one of those commandments specifically says, "Thou shalt not covet"! But as in Genesis 3:1 when Satan came to Eve and asked her, "Did God indeed say?", so today many of God's people are listening to that same voice.
As Christians we need to recognize the voice of the enemy and CHOOSE to OBEY the voice of our God! In Colossians 3:5 God says we are to put to death "covetousness, which is idolatry." Hmmm, ever think you are practicing "idolatry" when you are practicing "covetousness"? That isn't the end of what God has to say about it in this passage. The next verse (verse 6) God says that because of our disobedience - His wrath is coming on us!! (And that is New Testament teaching, loved ones!)
Let's hear what God has to say on this subject in Ephesians 5:3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints." Ephesians 5:5 goes even further: "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
Jesus (Who is God) said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he posesses." Are you one of the many who are out today hoping to come home with an "abundance of things"?
Let me ask you, what is the opposite of covetousness? I believe the opposite of covetousness is contentment! So hear what God says about contentment on this Black Friday: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."
Focusing on "great gain" or an "abundance of things" is not part of God's calling on your life as a Christian. He has called us to "come out of the world and be separate" (or different!), to "be set apart" and to "be holy". God's idea of "great gain" is totally opposite of the world's view of it. What does God consider "great gain"? It is being a godly person who is content with his relationship with God and with all the good things God has already blessed him with. So regarding this Black Friday: "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves THIS DAY whom you will serve....But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Book of Life: Is Your Name Blotted Out of It?
Have you ever heard a message preached in your church about having your name "blotted out of the Book of Life"? Well, I am 58 years old and I never have. I guess if we are taught to believe in "lawless grace" - it is always "onced saved, always saved". Right? There's an old hymn that says, "My sins are blotted out, I know...." But it's very interesting that no one preaches that our names can also be blotted out as well!
In Exodus 32:32 & 33 Moses said to God, "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
I know that is Old Testament teaching, so for those of you who only believe in the New Testament, let's read Revelation 3:5 where it says, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;..." We need to remember that in both of these instances, God was talking to His people. These people had made a choice at one point in their lives to obey and follow Him as their God and Lord. At that point, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
If you use your minds to think this through, someone can't have their names "blotted out" of a book, if they are not first "recorded in" a book! In other words, you have to become a Christian to have your name written in the Book of Life. However, according to these verses, once your name is in this Book, it is possible to have your name blotted out of this Book. And, don't we say we believe that "With God all things are possible"?
When Jesus Christ comes again, He is coming again to judge the unrighteous and to set up His kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:11, there will be a great white throne and
Jesus Christ will be sitting on it. In verse 12, it says "And I (John) saw the dead small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Verse 15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
Those of us who are Christians can remember the day that we turned the control of our lives over to Jesus Christ, promising to live for Him because He had suffered and died for us. At that point in time, we passed from death to life - and our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, find someone you know who is and ask them how you can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
In conclusion, let us remember as Hebrews 10:26-31 says, it is possible to "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:30 and 31 says, "The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us make sure every day that we have turned the control of our lives over to God (Jesus Christ) and are living in obedience to Him and His Word revealed to us in the Bible.
In Exodus 32:32 & 33 Moses said to God, "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
I know that is Old Testament teaching, so for those of you who only believe in the New Testament, let's read Revelation 3:5 where it says, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;..." We need to remember that in both of these instances, God was talking to His people. These people had made a choice at one point in their lives to obey and follow Him as their God and Lord. At that point, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
If you use your minds to think this through, someone can't have their names "blotted out" of a book, if they are not first "recorded in" a book! In other words, you have to become a Christian to have your name written in the Book of Life. However, according to these verses, once your name is in this Book, it is possible to have your name blotted out of this Book. And, don't we say we believe that "With God all things are possible"?
When Jesus Christ comes again, He is coming again to judge the unrighteous and to set up His kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:11, there will be a great white throne and
Jesus Christ will be sitting on it. In verse 12, it says "And I (John) saw the dead small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Verse 15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
Those of us who are Christians can remember the day that we turned the control of our lives over to Jesus Christ, promising to live for Him because He had suffered and died for us. At that point in time, we passed from death to life - and our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, find someone you know who is and ask them how you can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
In conclusion, let us remember as Hebrews 10:26-31 says, it is possible to "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:30 and 31 says, "The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us make sure every day that we have turned the control of our lives over to God (Jesus Christ) and are living in obedience to Him and His Word revealed to us in the Bible.
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