Fight The Good Fight

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

What does it mean to fight the good fight? The good fight is God’s fight in us, it how God uses His faithful children in keeping the truth of His word alive. There are so many, those of old, and many more today that will simply dismiss the truth of God as fiction. Beloved, God has no fiction. God’s word is truth, and the only truth in the world. It is non debatable, it is unchangeable, it is only truth if it is unaltered by any other being. As far as the church is concerned she is a carrier of God’s word in this world. The gospel is in the hands of the local New Testament church. As churches and Pastors, we are the ones commanded to care for and preach the truths of the scriptures. The fight for us is to keep it in truth. The fight is to defy the world and the temptations thereof, even those that falsely calling themselves Christians, who would change the truth into a lie. And beloved, please believe it is a fight, and one that we cannot lose even if it cost us everything. The preacher wrote in Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” The word “buy” means to purchase the truth with whatever cost there may be, and once you have it never, ever turn it loose. The true value of the truth is eternal life because it is God’s tool of saving souls. It is true that God will without question save every elect soul, but He chose to use the foolishness of preaching to accomplish it. However, the fight goes beyond salvation, it also includes the very meat of the word. Like sovereignty, election, the church, and so many other truths. None of these truths are little enough of importance that we can turn a blind eye and allow to escape its truthfulness. It is our job as Christians, Pastors, and churches to make sure the truth is not sold for worldly profit. There is no earthy profit worth selling the truth. If you do not believe me, then ask those who have sold it for worldly profit when they are in eternity. The losses to them will be more than they can bare. The preacher went on to tell us in Proverbs 4:4-5 “He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live…Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.” We are told to “ Let thine heart retain my words… Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not”  but not only that the Preacher went on to say “neither decline from the words of my mouth” Buy the truth and sell it not, keep it in your heart and don’t let it decline from the speech of thy mouth. This is the fight, and in the times we live where everything is acceptable as good, we must keep fighting for the truth no matter what it cost us. As Pastors let us always remember what Paul told this young preacher and as churches let us always remember to lift-up our Pastors and stand with him in his fight. There are so few anymore to battle, but beloved always remember, our General is God Himself. Paul also told young Timothy that best way to fight the good fight is to flee from evil. 1 Timothy 6:11 “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” Following the righteousness of God will always benefit us, even if it means dying for. See beloved, the only fight worth winning, is the good fight of truth, God’s truth. Keep the fight going and never, ever give-up no matter how good the other side looks. God will always win the battle, and this is our strength. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10 

We live in a world of sinful excuses.

 “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” Psalms 51:2-4

We that are saved but the grace of God and thru the precious actions of Jesus Christ are so blessed, but we sometimes forget it. The Psalmist wrote by the gift of wisdom of the Holy Spirit “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Oh beloved, if you are saved then God has forgiven your sins, every single one of them. They have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We as Christians have been give the eternal gift of redemption. God has blessed us with a gift that so many will never experience. The vast majority of people on the earth will die and go to hell never knowing God as their Father and Jesus Christ as their Saviour and friend. But to us that know Jesus Christ as our Saviour will be the children of God for all eternity. However, with this being said, some real Christians simply refuse to follow their Saviour. Jesus said if you love Me than keep my commandments. John 14:15 But as so many believers in Jesus Christ apparently do not know these words or they simply ignore them. Folks, we need to understand the Satan works hard on us to keep us in sin. If we are not alert, if we are not watering feeding the spiritual person inside of us, then it will grow weak and sin will overtake us. We will become like the Israelites who simply could not do what God commanded over and over again. Fellow believer, following Christ Jesus is not an option but a command. I know we are all sinners and we will sin until we are with the Lord, but it is our responsibility to the God who saved us and the Saviour that died for us to obey and follow the scriptures, even though we will at times fail. But this is no excuse to defile the scriptures. I hear Christians all the time making excuses for their sins. I hear them make their excuses for not attending church. We now live in a world of excuses, please stop the excuses. People who disobey the scriptures and commandments of God are without excuse. If you do not attend church then you are disobeying God, if you do not attempt to serve God and our risen Saviour then that is your fault, and not one else’s. Please give this some thought, God gave His Beloved Son as a sacrifice to save your unworthy soul, and now you have a world of excuses not to serve the Lord, STOP IT! Beloved, Satan baits you in your life, he doesn’t want you to serve God, just stop and give it a little thought. Please just stop the world of excuses and serve the God that has blessed you with salvation. If you are not properly serving the Lord, then you might give this scripture some thought. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39 Has the Holy Spirit visited with you? Has He led you to Jesus Christ for Salvation? “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” John 15:26 and if He has led you to salvation in Jesus Christ then why the excuses? Why are you not in church, and living your life for the Lord? Please remember these words of much wisdom, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16 This is not a few Christians; this is all Christians. Now, what was your excuse for not serving the Lord?

Easter

 “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Acts 12:4

Most believers and church members may not know this word “Easter” is actually a bible word. I wonder why this is not the passage of scripture that Pastors preach about on “Easter Morning”? Here we have a holiday, a celebration about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Mythical “Easter Bunny” and no one seems to want to use this passage of scripture for their text. Well please let me inform you, no one uses it because it has nothing to do with either the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the Mythical “Easter Bunny” at all. If you look-up the Greek word in the Greek lexicon you will find the Greek word – pascha – which means -  the Passover – you will find 29 total uses of this Greek word in 27 different verses, but it is translated “Easter” only one single time and that is in our text verse Acts 12:4. Easter is as phony as the Easter Bunny as Christmas is as phony as Santa Claus. I am a Christian, and believe me that the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ means so much and both are mocked by these two holidays. The entire theory behind Easter is phony. Jesus did not die on Friday, therefore there is no such thing as “Good Friday” unless you are off of work over the weekend and then every Friday is a Good Friday. Jesus Christ rose from the grave either on Saturday pm or Sunday morning and that depends on exactly how one counts the Jewish day with our day. However, we absolutely know that on early Sunday Morning the Lord had risen. And please understand the resurrection is just as important as any other part of the life and death of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul told us the if Jesus Christ had not risen from the grave then “…we are of all men most miserable.” 1 Corinthians 15:19 I do not know why Christmas or Easter either one exist, except they were both created for profit. We go through this every year, trying to express to people the phoniness of these two holidays and people think we are bad because we do not like and adhere to them. But please understand our thinking, Jesus Christ, His birth, death, burial, and His resurrection is simply too important to Mythicize. But with the help of so many pastors and churches, both are counted as real holidays as though God ordained both. The truth is, every Sunday morning should be resurrection morning. Sunday is the “Christian Sabbath” because it is the morning celebration of the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. As Christians, as believers in a True Saviour, as faithful servants to The God of Truth, why celebrate a holiday filled with lies. Lies are not of God, they are of Satan. John 8:44 “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.” Please give this some thought, if a Pastor pushes these two phony holidays, for what reason would he push a holiday about lies? Look what God says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light…Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 These two holidays are nothing more than turning two glorious events of our Saviour Jesus Christ into lies and deceitfulness. Think about it folks, what is truth and what is a lie? God is Truth and Satan is a liar. It is true that some Pastors may not know the truth, maybe they grew-up with these two holidays, but I must ask, if they are going to Pastor a church, then shouldn’t they find out the truth? Pastors are responsible for the learning of truth to the flock, and will account to God for not seeking the truth.     

The Amazing Grace Of God.

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

Oh, how sweet is the thought of God’s Amazing grace. Brother John Newton wrote these words back in 1779 “Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” What a masterpiece! I believe our gracious God inspired Brother Newton to write these very words. I believe God gives people life happenings in order to make them appreciate Him more. John Newton found grace in Jesus Christ when he was saved, and after the life God had planned out for him, it caused him to write these words, and how sweet they truly are. When I think of God’s grace the single word “amazing” indeed comes to mind. When I look around at everyday people and see the ugliness in them and in their deeds, I truly understand the words “Amazing Grace…How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!” because without God’s amazing grace I would be just like the lost world and heading to the eternal fires of hell. But instead God’s grace brought Jesus Christ to this world, and God’s grace brought Jesus Christ to Calvary’s tree, and God’s grace caused Jesus Christ to give His blood to wash away my sins. It was God’s amazing grace that took this poor depraved soul from the power of Satan and delivered me to Jesus Christ to be washed in His blood. It is because of that, that makes me white as show, and now a pure child of the Living God, what Amazing Grace. I know as John Newton knew, that life here on this earth can deliver some most powerful, sinful, ugly, and God hated things. But by Grace God before the world began, He chose my life and this is the fulfillment of it, every day that I live. But this I also know, “Amazing Grace… Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come. T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.” And believe me, God will lead me home when this life is fulfilled, and God’s predestination has been fulfilled. Truth and grace came by Jesus Christ, for me and for all of God’s elect. This is what grace is beloved, it is deliverance from Satan, sin, and the penalty of the law that Moses delivered. The Psalmist wrote these unforgettable words, “"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land...Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other...Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven...Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase...Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps." Psalms 85:9-13 It is God and God’s grace that looked down on a sinful world, smiled on a limited number, delivered His Own Beloved Son and called us with a holy calling and saved our unworthy souls. When you have been saved, and say these words, then you will know what Amazing Grace truly is. If you have not had the calling of God’s Spirit, and been brought to Jesus Christ for the blood cleaning then you cannot know what Amazing Grace truly is.    

It Is Accomplished!

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

These three words are the most beautiful words in all the earth, IT IS FINISHED! When Jesus Christ said these word from the cross, He said salvation is complete. Any way you want to look at it Jesus Christ is the complete Saviour of mankind. It matters not what man may say, it matters not how much they debate and argue, salvation was complete at Calvary’s cross. As we look back to the cross that was used to crucify our Lord and Saviour we see Him completing God’s demand of sacrifice of His Beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. This is the glory of God in His Beloved Son, when the penalty of our sin was paid in full, which is what “It is finished” means. Man can run to and fro in the world attempting to work for their salvation, striving to satisfy God for their sins all they want but it will have a worthless end. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ and totally trust Him as your Saviour you are not saved. God has in His bible expressed this so many times and in so many ways, but man in his lost depraved ignorance will never accept the truth. They call God a liar, they call His word a liar, and the belittle the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” 1 John 5:10 That is everyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they have made God a liar. People would rather to believe a lie than the truth no matter what God says is truth. God said “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.” John 8:44 Jesus said in verse 43 that the reason they do not understand the truth of salvation is because “…ye not understand my speech? because ye cannot hear my word.” And the reason Jesus knew this is because of verse 45 “…because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” People who are lost do not hear the word of God, therefore it is impossible for them to understand God’s truth about salvation in His Son. “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” Verse 47 People can read the bible a hundred times over and never see the truth. We can put the truth in context in our commentaries and they still will not see the truth. Until a sinner is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their inner-person or “heart” as we call it and the Holy Spirit quickens the spirit, man cannot under any circumstances understand the scriptures. The bible is a letter from God to His children, it was never meant for the lost person. The bible is like one very large parable, meant to be misunderstood except for those that God allows to understand it. Jesus told Nicodemus two genuine facts in John chapter 3, (1) “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And (2.) “…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” If a person is not born naturally and spiritually they will never see nor enter the kingdom of God. Then in verse 7 Jesus said “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Then Jesus went on and told Nicodemus how to be saved, “...whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Him being Jesus Christ. Salvation has nothing to do with man’s rules, man’s inventions, or man’s thinking, it is only about God’s truth and Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross. Anything else makes Gods truth a lie, and that lie is from Satan himself.