Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

Colossians 2:6-7 – ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Do we live for Him, or do we live for us?

It’s a question that we really need to ask ourselves.  Because when we live for ourselves we have a tendency to completely choke out our relationship with God.  It’s a spiritual issue.  Test it and see.  The more you listen to Christian music, read Christian books, watch Christian TV, attend church a couple of times a week, you’ll constantly be praising the Lord in between.  You’ll be thinking of the things you have been filling your spirit with.

3Ephesians 5:8-10 – ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.

On the flip side if all you’re thinking about is worldly things which pass away.  Jesus isn’t in that.  If you’re doing things like this:

Galatians 5:19-21 –  ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

You might be in more trouble when you take your last breath than you wanted to believe or anticipated.

The scripture right before it tells us to live by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 – ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Habits.  Habits, Habits, Habits.  What we fail to sometimes realize is that habits are formed by the conditioning of the flesh, or the conditioning of the Spirit.  We can also put in there the lack of conditioning the Spirit.  Having a drink almost every night is a habit.  Smoking or having a chew on a regular basis is a habit.  Thinking thoughts of worldly or fleshly things all the time is a habit.  Reading the Word everyday is a habit.  Turning that radio to a good Christian station instead of one that’s not is a habit.

We need to live for Jesus, because without Him we are not living a life with purpose of which our Creator had in mind.

I leave you concerning this post today with this:

John 15:1-8 – ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

   ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I am doing a nine part mini-series on the following scripture passage.  I will start out with the full passage each time, because we really need to get it in our hearts.

Romans 8:31-39 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today I want to hit on the second verse of the passage.

Romans 8:32 – 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

What a great reminder of how much God loves us.  God didn’t have to come back and make a way for mankind to get back into His presence, He chose to do so.  He could have looked at the whole situation and been done with it.  Just a simple “poof” and life doesn’t exist on this planet no more. 

However, we know that’s not God.  Why?  Because while we were still sinners He sent His Son,  part of Himself, to pay the price for our transgressions.

Romans 5:8 –  8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Also in verse 32 it reads along with Him.  Along with who?  Along with Jesus, God the Son.  God is three persons, but God is one. 

The verse ends with how will He not graciously give us all things? 

What things?  Everything thing you need and everything He wants to share!  If He is willing to die for us, you can bet that He wants to share with us, who want to worship Him as our awesome God. 

We don’t have it under control.  God has it under control.  That’s why we need to listen to His voice, die to our own selfish ambitions, and follow His way.

We are more than conquerors.  Why?  Because of Him and no other reason!

Romans 8:31-39 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am going to do a series starting with those verses towards the top every time. 

Why, because they are verses that need to be in our hearts at all times. 

Let’s start with the first verse and talk about each one.

Romans 8:31 – 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Nothing, nobody, or anything can stand against God and have victory.

Someone might say, well, Satan and others are running around free and doing as they please.  That’s not victory.  Satan apparently was the most beautiful angel created and his pride made him fall.  That’s not victory.  He managed to trick Adam and Eve and took temporary possession of the earth.  However, that’s not victory anymore than someone out long jumping someone else and ends up jumping off a cliff. 

Victory comes at the end of the war.  No one can stand against the Creator’s God and Jesus.

Genesis 1:26 –   ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

John 1:1-3 –   ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Don’t stand on the losing side regarding this one.  It’s a choice that most people are making without even thinking about it.

With God in your corner, not only are you completely in the only Hands that matter, you will have the ultimate victory.

Galatians 4:7 – ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

I’m not going to lie to you.  I am so grateful that the Lord loved me enough to have His Son die for my sins, that being an heir is mind blowing. 

You’ve probably seen movies in which someone is saved by someone else or spared death.  That individual then lives for that person, because if it weren’t for them there would be no life to live anyway.  The Count of Monte Cristo was one of those movies.  I understand the concept and I am now (took me awhile) wanting to live for the One that died for me.

He’s God and could take His giant thumb and press down on us at any time.  Yet He is so loving He doesn’t want anyone to perish.

2 Peter 3:9 – ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Unfortunately since we were born into sin many choose to remain in darkness.

John 3:19 – ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Now He didn’t have to save us.  This was a choice that our loving God and Father made.  He didn’t have to do a lot of things.  He certainly doesn’t have to make us heirs, but according to scripture, He has reserved that right for those who are children of His.

Romans 8:17 –  ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So how should an heir act?  Well a good start would be for one to live for God instead of the short term desires concerning this world.

We may sinners, but we have a choice of rather to live for ourselves or to live for God and Jesus right now.  Does that matter?  If you’re saved by the Lord, inside your heart you know it does.

We are co-heirs with Jesus and an heir of God, because we are His children.  Jesus is my King.  Just the idea to be able to serve under Him and with Him is exciting.

We need to live our lives as servants for God and Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 –¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

There’s a lot of stuff in the world.

Millions of different philosophies exist.

Can God be two total different people at once?

Can God be love and then in another religion not even have the characteristic of love?

Can God promise one people that they will live in a land and be ruled by the Messiah one thousand years, be the same God as another religion says he tells them to kill all of those same people and drive them out into the Red Sea?

Can God say I am God and there is no other, I am God and there is none like Me, do not worship idols, be compared to a religion that thinks they are all Gods and everything is God?

Impossible!  God cannot be two opposite individuals at once.  Most humans aren’t even that messed up and yet they want to believe God is everything that every human can think up and all those roads lead to Him. 

Now it’s possible they can all be wrong, but it’s impossible that they can all be right.  So what are we supposed to believe?

You are incredibly made.  The universe is absolutely awesome and was created by the same God.  You don’t think there is a true way that God has communicated to us?  You bet He has.  The Bible has stood up to the tests and is only ridiculed by those who won’t serve any God.

Hold fast to the teachings.  It’s the Truth, the Word, the Living Word, and God’s Word to us all.  That’s A-L-L.  We choose to follow or we choose to reject. 

How do we please God?  By faith and obedience.  Obedience to…..what?  There has to be an absolute to be obedient to.  Obedience to His Word.

Paul knew the importance of having people understand what they missed.  He knew the Old Testament scriptures and how Jesus had fulfilled them.  The Holy Spirit worked through Him and the other Disciples, because God wanted His living Word passed on for the children of the future.

Many have obeyed, died, and sought God, so we would have it today.  Hold fast to the teachings. 

If you insist on making God whatever it is you want to make Him you might be about the 5 billionth person to do so.  God is more absolute than you and I will ever be.

WWJD?  Stands for What Would Jesus Do?  Not too many haven’t heard of this by now.

But I want to expound a little on this, because I think some people look at it and dismiss it easily for one reason.  They say to themselves, ”Wow, Jesus was perfect and the Son of God!  So whatever he did is unattainable by me and if I fall short of that, so be it.”

Fair enough.  Actually that is a true statement.  We can’t be perfect no matter how hard we try.  But we do need to do our best to be Jesus with skin on and try to do the best we can in following the Lord.

So I’m going to not ask you what would Jesus do?  I’m going to ask you to be honest with yourself and to ask yourself, “What does Jesus want me to do?”

Did He give me life to be anything I want to be?  Did He make me to do anything I want to do?

Why did He make man? 

It’s when we can answer this question, that we realize what we are supposed to be doing.  We are made to worship and have relationship with the Lord.

Now let’s get back to that question.  What does Jesus want me to do?  How about first and foremost seek Him and God.  That’s the first and most important thing we can do.

Matthew 6:33 – ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When you get “you” out of the way, it’s amazing what He can do in your life.  We are all created by the incredible glorious God, who created the whole universe.  Same Individual that created the Milky Way, created you.  I think He knows what’s best for us than we do. 

So is this earth a proving ground?  Well in one respect out of many it sure reads that way.  You’re not just showing the Lord that you love Him while being here, but rather or not you trust Him, seek Him, worship Him, try to bring others to Him, or that possibly you have no time for Him at all?

Of course I’m not referring to salvation in that paragraph, but everything else beyond that.  You’re saved by the Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.   To accept His death in the place of yours, we are to make Him Lord and Savior.

So what does Jesus want you to do?  Won’t you be happier when it’s time to stand before Him, if you at least attempt to do those things? 

Today is a new day.  Today is the day we all try to seek and serve Him more.

There are some neat scriptures that I think we tend to look over without noticing this.

 1 John 2:15 – ¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

Notice the last part of the scripture.  It doesn’t say the Father won’t love him, it states that if anyone loves the world, their love for the Father is not there.  God already loves us.  When we read through the scriptures, it’s about what are we doing when it comes to loving God.

 1 Corinthians 2:9 – ⁹ However, as it is written:

 “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
 and what no human mind has conceived”—
 the things God has prepared for those who love him—

Deuteronomy 7:9 – ⁹ Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Romans 8:28 – ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

James 1:12 – ¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 2:5 – ⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Not for those who God loved, but for those who love God.  The ball is in our court.  It’s in our court when it comes time to asking for forgiveness.  The ball is in our court when it comes to repenting and turning away from our own sinful ways.  It’s in our court in choosing to love God.