Christians, after much study, prayer, and a long delay, I bring to you the last article in the three-part Regeneration series, and I pray that from all of my learning, studying, and prayer, God will use me to glorify Him, and to encourage all of you to crucify yourselves everyday and to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " (Matthew 6:20-21) I don't want any of you to read this without your Bibles in hand, and your minds prepared for action. Be as the Bereans and examine the Scriptures to see if what I say is true.
Regeneration is, in essence, the redemptive purpose of Christ in the life of a believer. An angel of the Lord came to Joseph and said of the virgin Mary, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."(Matt. 1:21) Regeneration and its processes(conviction, repentance, and holiness) are all worked in us by God for the same reason: that, by the blood of Christ, we may be saved from our sins. You have read in the first two parts how God's law was purposed to work in our hearts, breaking down our pride, humbling us into a sorrow for our rebellion and idolatry, until we cry out, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"(Romans 7:24) Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! We can be free from our sins when we repent and turn towards Christ, placing our trust in Him for salvation. It is at that moment that we are justified by His grace, that we may become heirs having the hope of eternal life.(Titus 3:7)
However, it should be known that this initial act of repentance is not the only step one must take in his Christian life; it is but the first step of a steep upward climb towards the "prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus."(Phil. 3:14) In Romans 6, Paul explains that all who were baptized into Christ, were baptized into his death, and "we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." We have been called to die to ourselves, and to our sins, that we may live a new life in Christ. Throughout the Epistles, we are told to "put off the old self" and all of it's deceitful desires and practices, because we have been made new creatures in Christ, and therefore must "not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires."
This change does not take place overnight. We are not instantly made holy and sinless, and anyone who expects this from us is foolish. In my note concerning repentance, I used the example of a man stuck in a pool of mud to symbolize a man in his sin. I wrote, "When you make up your mind to get out of the pool, and make your way out(repentance), are you instantly clean? Of course not! If you've lived your whole life in sin, you can't hope to be instantly free from sin." You all know that when you are covered in dirt and mud, it takes more than just getting out of the mud to be clean. You must spend time washing away the mud, searching and scrubbing in all the "nooks and crannies," and even then you may find a spot you missed behind your ear or on your elbow. Sanctification is a similar process. There may be many sins which a Christian hasn't yet turned from, whether it is because he does not know it is sin(ignorance), or he has interpreted Scripture incorrectly and the result has been sin(error), or he has a sin(such as an addiction) which he has not had the strength to fight(infirmity), or he has faced temptation and been overcome by it.
So, if all these sins exist in a Christian, what makes the "sheep" different from the "goats?" God knows every part of every person He created. He knows their strengths, their weaknesses, their infirmities, their innermost thoughts and their most secret sins. Through Christ, God gives us the grace to turn from sin, and He gives us a way out of every temptation. Imagine that there is a great mountain, and God, in all of His matchless wisdom and beauty, stands at the top of it. We, as Christians, are forever making our way to the top of that mountain. We slip, and stumble, and fall, but our purpose and aim is upward. We do not make excuses because we are too weak or too ignorant. We learn from every mistake, and endure every obstacle, while the lost, unrepentant world stands at the bottom of the mountain, having neither the desire nor the power to save themselves, because they are without Christ.
John Wesley, in his sermon on Christian Perfection, said, "But it should be premised, that there are several stages in Christian life, as in natural; some of the children of God being but new-born babes; others having attained to more maturity." Wesley goes on to provide Scripture detailing the different audiences Paul was addressing; namely, the "little children" whose "sins were forgiven," the "young men, who have overcome the wicked one," and "mature" men, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. In this article, I have mentioned those first two stages: First, the moment of repentance in which you are covered in the mire of sin, yet cleansed from it's guilt; and second, the progressive life of repentance in which, by the Spirit, we continually put to death the misdeeds of the body. However, I have not yet mentioned that last stage which Wesley labels as "perfect men." Is it true? Can a Christian be perfect?
The answer is yes and no. There are three things you must understand about "perfection." First, as Christians, even "babes" in Christ, we are all made perfect, because through His grace we are justified, cleansed from the guilt of sin. Second, we can never be completely perfect, because we will always face those sins I mentioned earlier of ignorance, error, infirmity, or temptation. We can never be "absolutely perfect," and we will always have the need to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) Third, perfection in the Christian sense is not perfection in the material sense. It does not mean devoid of mistake or error, flawless in appearance or demeanor. It simply means that a person is in complete surrender to Christ; His thoughts, desires and motives are wholly devoted to God, and therefore his every willful action is one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When this happens in a person, he is "entirely sanctified,"(1 Thess. 5:23) not in the sense that there is no more room for sanctification, but that his whole being is focused towards God. It is not that his actions are perfect, but his love is perfect.
I hope that this has helped you understand more about holiness, and sanctification in the life of a believer, and I hope that this series on regeneration has given you greater understanding. I pray that all of you will daily offer yourselves up as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, and that you would no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
In Christ,
Levi Gray
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Wise Neighbor and the Foolish Neighbor
Once, there were two neighbors: one was wise, and the other was foolish. These two neighbors worked for the same company, and made the same salary. One day, their employer was so pleased with the work they had done, that he gave them each an extra years wages and vacation for a week. The two neighbors were ecstatic! They had worked hard for the past 10 years, and were crucial to the company's success. All the hard work they had done paid off.
Both of them decided to go to the market to spend all of their money on something. The wise neighbor went and bought corn, potatoes, and tomatoes to plant. He planted them all in his week of vacation, and within 5 months, he sold all his produce and bought more. Within 5 years, he had his own business, and retired early, and lived happily.
The foolish neighbor went and bought enough milk, cheese, and meat to feast for a year. He went home and pigged out. However, by the end of the week, he had only eaten a fraction of the food before it all went bad. He had to go back to his job the next day, and worked there for the rest of his life. 5 years later, he came to his neighbor and said, "How is it that you are so wealthy and happy and I am so poor and lonely, when we have both worked just as hard for our money?"
The wise neighbor said, "When a man spends all he has on something that passes away, he will be happy until that thing passes away; But when a man spends all he has on something that lasts forever, he will be happy forever."
Many people in this world trust in money, family, friends, cars, etc. When their lives are over, those things will pass away. There is only one thing on earth which does not pass away, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. When we die, and stand before God on Judgment Day, it is the only thing we can carry with us. Will you appear before God empty-handed, or with His blood, the key to the gates of heaven?
Both of them decided to go to the market to spend all of their money on something. The wise neighbor went and bought corn, potatoes, and tomatoes to plant. He planted them all in his week of vacation, and within 5 months, he sold all his produce and bought more. Within 5 years, he had his own business, and retired early, and lived happily.
The foolish neighbor went and bought enough milk, cheese, and meat to feast for a year. He went home and pigged out. However, by the end of the week, he had only eaten a fraction of the food before it all went bad. He had to go back to his job the next day, and worked there for the rest of his life. 5 years later, he came to his neighbor and said, "How is it that you are so wealthy and happy and I am so poor and lonely, when we have both worked just as hard for our money?"
The wise neighbor said, "When a man spends all he has on something that passes away, he will be happy until that thing passes away; But when a man spends all he has on something that lasts forever, he will be happy forever."
Many people in this world trust in money, family, friends, cars, etc. When their lives are over, those things will pass away. There is only one thing on earth which does not pass away, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. When we die, and stand before God on Judgment Day, it is the only thing we can carry with us. Will you appear before God empty-handed, or with His blood, the key to the gates of heaven?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Who Is Your Neighbor (Luke 10:25-37)
There was once a man named Unborn. He was traveling down the road, and was attacked by a band of robbers called Choice. They stripped off all of his clothes, beat him nearly to death, and left him on the side of the road, bloody and naked.
It just so happened that soon after, a man named Christian walked by and saw Unborn. At first, he thought, "I must save this man! What a horrible thing!"Then he calmed himself down and thought, "Wait a second, I don't know this man's situation, how can I say that he's really deserving of life? I don't want to intervene, I'll just pass on by." Unborn lay there, crying out for someone to save him, but it seemed as if no one could hear his voice.
Some time later, another man, Pro-Life, came by. "What is this? What horrible person would attack a man and leave him naked and dying on the side of the road?" He said. However, he came to his senses and said to himself, "I've got so many duties to attend to today. There are homeless people waiting at the shelter, and I've got an Evangelism meeting to attend. It's just not my ministry to help this man, surely God will send someone else to help him."
Then a man named Compassion walked by, and seeing the man, cried out in shock and ran to him. Compassion treated his wounds as best as he could and took him to the hospital and said, "Do anything you can to take care of him, I'll pay whatever you need."
Now, which one of these men was a neighbor to Unborn?
It just so happened that soon after, a man named Christian walked by and saw Unborn. At first, he thought, "I must save this man! What a horrible thing!"Then he calmed himself down and thought, "Wait a second, I don't know this man's situation, how can I say that he's really deserving of life? I don't want to intervene, I'll just pass on by." Unborn lay there, crying out for someone to save him, but it seemed as if no one could hear his voice.
Some time later, another man, Pro-Life, came by. "What is this? What horrible person would attack a man and leave him naked and dying on the side of the road?" He said. However, he came to his senses and said to himself, "I've got so many duties to attend to today. There are homeless people waiting at the shelter, and I've got an Evangelism meeting to attend. It's just not my ministry to help this man, surely God will send someone else to help him."
Then a man named Compassion walked by, and seeing the man, cried out in shock and ran to him. Compassion treated his wounds as best as he could and took him to the hospital and said, "Do anything you can to take care of him, I'll pay whatever you need."
Now, which one of these men was a neighbor to Unborn?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Abortion: A Woman’s Right to Choose, or a Child’s Right to Live?
Abortion is a gut-wrenching subject for most people. I know that just by reading the title, many people will wince, as if they are being threatened by some unseen force. It’s a natural reaction in this modern age, because the battle between the Life and Choice movements has steadily grown more hostile in every area it affects. On May 31, 2009, George Tiller, the famed late-term abortionist(providing abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy), was murdered at his church in Wichita, Kansas by Scott Roeder.(1) On September 11 of the same year Jim Pouillon, a 63 year old pro-life activist, was shot to death while holding graphic signs outside of a high school in Owosso, Michigan.(2) No matter where we are, we have all come face to face with this issue, and have been forced either to take a side in the battle, or to ignore it and hope it subsides. The sad truth is that it will never subside, and chances are slim that this battle will ever end until this world has passed away. The question is, which side is the right side? In this argument, I will show you how fundamentally immoral “Choice” is, how essentially honorable and good “Life” is, and what we must do to defend it.
The most basic struggle between the two movements is the definition of the term Life and, more specifically, when Life begins. The pro-choice opinion repetitively assures us that until birth, it is merely a mass of flesh and tissue inside of the womb. If such a thing were true, we would have no choice but to admit that abortion is not murder at all. However, observing the activities of gestation tell a different story. Within three weeks of conception, the fertilized egg becomes a zygote, and the sex of the child is determined. At five weeks, the heart begins to beat, and can be seen on an ultrasound. In the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetus begins to form fingers and toes. After twelve weeks, the second trimester begins. In the next sixteen weeks, all of the organs move into place, and the baby begins to form senses, and can move, touch and taste. In the third and final eleven weeks, the third trimester, the child begins to gain weight and important preparations for life outside the womb begin, as he (or she) receives antibodies to protect him from disease, and grows more fat cells to keep him warm after birth.(3) This is but a fraction of the many changes that take place inside the womb, and it gives us a clearer picture of what truly lies within a pregnant woman’s belly: not a mass of tissue, but a child, who is just as much a person as any of us.
The next argument the pro-choice activists will use is, “My body, my choice.” In Genesis 3:15, God tells Satan, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (4) The seed of Satan are those who proclaim his message, “My body, my will, my choice,” (Isaiah 14:13-14) and make themselves gods, while the seed of the woman, Christ and his Church, declare “not my will, but God’s will be done.” Margaret Sanger, taught by our schools as the “mother of the women’s rights movement” made plain her intentions in creating the American Birth Control League(now known as Planned Parenthood, the “most trusted” provider of surgical abortions(5)) in her 1918 article called Morality and Birth Control: “We now know that there never can be a free humanity until woman is freed from ignorance, and we know, too, that woman can never call herself free until she is mistress of her own body…Birth control is the first important step woman must take toward the goal of her freedom. It is the first step she must take to be man’s equal. It is the first step they must both take toward human emancipation.”(6) The purpose of birth control, and in this age, abortion, is to no longer allow God to be in control of her reproductive rights, but to let woman take control! Isaiah 40:1 answers this statement perfectly: “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.”(7)
I could write for days about all the reasoning and logic the pro-choice movement has used to justify it’s child-killing(and, observing the facts, it is murder). However, the two principles I have mentioned are always the first words that come from the mouth of someone who is planning to have an abortion. There are many excuses, but they all boil down to two questions: Knowing the facts, are you willing to murder a child, or help murder a child? If your answer is no, then you are just like fifty-five percent of Americans.(8) Wait a second, why is abortion legal if fifty-five percent of Americans oppose it? Because out of the fifty-five percent, an infinitesimal amount of Christians actually do something about it. If you truly believe abortion is murder, then what we are facing is a holocaust! According to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute, approximately 1.3 million abortions occur each year in America, and the worldwide total is 36 to 53 million abortions!(9) That’s three to five times the amount of people who died during the holocaust. If abortion is murder, then we have a serious problem on our hands, because most of us are saying “It is murder,” and doing nothing about it. That leads to our second question, are you willing to do something about it?
If just one quarter of that fifty-five percent would go at least once a week to the local abortion clinics and plead with women to choose life for their children, I know for a fact that at least half of all those clinics will be shut down. I go to church with two wonderful women who have been going to the clinic every day since last October. Our pastor, who happens to be a son and a brother to these women, promised them that if they go everyday, and keep count of the babies that are saved through their efforts, then the results would not disappoint them. He was right! Since last October, almost 400 babies have been saved, and counting! So don’t be discouraged, and don’t think to yourselves, “I can’t do this, I’m just one person.” Those two people did so much for the cause of unborn children, and you can too!
I hope that this essay will not only sober the minds of Americans everywhere to the horrible thing abortion truly is, but that it will awaken them all into action, so that we can stop this heinous crime that is infecting the heart of America, and destroying the lives of 4300 babies everyday. It is not my wish to see abortionists killed, or for women who have had abortions to be struck down with lightning, but that the hearts of every man and woman in the world will be changed, and that the unborn children who once knew no hope find it.
Works Cited
1. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/01/nation/na-tiller1
2. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53931
3. http://similac.com/pregnancy/
4. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:15&version=KJV
5. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
6. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/documents/speech_morality_and_bc.html
7. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2030:1&version=KJV
8. http://www.abortiontv.com/Misc/AbortionStatistics.htm#Pro-Life%20vs.%20Pro-Abortion
9. http://www.guttmacher.org/media/presskits/2005/06/28/abortionoverview.html
The most basic struggle between the two movements is the definition of the term Life and, more specifically, when Life begins. The pro-choice opinion repetitively assures us that until birth, it is merely a mass of flesh and tissue inside of the womb. If such a thing were true, we would have no choice but to admit that abortion is not murder at all. However, observing the activities of gestation tell a different story. Within three weeks of conception, the fertilized egg becomes a zygote, and the sex of the child is determined. At five weeks, the heart begins to beat, and can be seen on an ultrasound. In the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetus begins to form fingers and toes. After twelve weeks, the second trimester begins. In the next sixteen weeks, all of the organs move into place, and the baby begins to form senses, and can move, touch and taste. In the third and final eleven weeks, the third trimester, the child begins to gain weight and important preparations for life outside the womb begin, as he (or she) receives antibodies to protect him from disease, and grows more fat cells to keep him warm after birth.(3) This is but a fraction of the many changes that take place inside the womb, and it gives us a clearer picture of what truly lies within a pregnant woman’s belly: not a mass of tissue, but a child, who is just as much a person as any of us.
The next argument the pro-choice activists will use is, “My body, my choice.” In Genesis 3:15, God tells Satan, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (4) The seed of Satan are those who proclaim his message, “My body, my will, my choice,” (Isaiah 14:13-14) and make themselves gods, while the seed of the woman, Christ and his Church, declare “not my will, but God’s will be done.” Margaret Sanger, taught by our schools as the “mother of the women’s rights movement” made plain her intentions in creating the American Birth Control League(now known as Planned Parenthood, the “most trusted” provider of surgical abortions(5)) in her 1918 article called Morality and Birth Control: “We now know that there never can be a free humanity until woman is freed from ignorance, and we know, too, that woman can never call herself free until she is mistress of her own body…Birth control is the first important step woman must take toward the goal of her freedom. It is the first step she must take to be man’s equal. It is the first step they must both take toward human emancipation.”(6) The purpose of birth control, and in this age, abortion, is to no longer allow God to be in control of her reproductive rights, but to let woman take control! Isaiah 40:1 answers this statement perfectly: “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.”(7)
I could write for days about all the reasoning and logic the pro-choice movement has used to justify it’s child-killing(and, observing the facts, it is murder). However, the two principles I have mentioned are always the first words that come from the mouth of someone who is planning to have an abortion. There are many excuses, but they all boil down to two questions: Knowing the facts, are you willing to murder a child, or help murder a child? If your answer is no, then you are just like fifty-five percent of Americans.(8) Wait a second, why is abortion legal if fifty-five percent of Americans oppose it? Because out of the fifty-five percent, an infinitesimal amount of Christians actually do something about it. If you truly believe abortion is murder, then what we are facing is a holocaust! According to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute, approximately 1.3 million abortions occur each year in America, and the worldwide total is 36 to 53 million abortions!(9) That’s three to five times the amount of people who died during the holocaust. If abortion is murder, then we have a serious problem on our hands, because most of us are saying “It is murder,” and doing nothing about it. That leads to our second question, are you willing to do something about it?
If just one quarter of that fifty-five percent would go at least once a week to the local abortion clinics and plead with women to choose life for their children, I know for a fact that at least half of all those clinics will be shut down. I go to church with two wonderful women who have been going to the clinic every day since last October. Our pastor, who happens to be a son and a brother to these women, promised them that if they go everyday, and keep count of the babies that are saved through their efforts, then the results would not disappoint them. He was right! Since last October, almost 400 babies have been saved, and counting! So don’t be discouraged, and don’t think to yourselves, “I can’t do this, I’m just one person.” Those two people did so much for the cause of unborn children, and you can too!
I hope that this essay will not only sober the minds of Americans everywhere to the horrible thing abortion truly is, but that it will awaken them all into action, so that we can stop this heinous crime that is infecting the heart of America, and destroying the lives of 4300 babies everyday. It is not my wish to see abortionists killed, or for women who have had abortions to be struck down with lightning, but that the hearts of every man and woman in the world will be changed, and that the unborn children who once knew no hope find it.
Works Cited
1. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/01/nation/na-tiller1
2. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53931
3. http://similac.com/pregnancy/
4. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:15&version=KJV
5. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
6. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/documents/speech_morality_and_bc.html
7. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2030:1&version=KJV
8. http://www.abortiontv.com/Misc/AbortionStatistics.htm#Pro-Life%20vs.%20Pro-Abortion
9. http://www.guttmacher.org/media/presskits/2005/06/28/abortionoverview.html
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Repentance: The Act of Regeneration
Forgive me, Christians, for not writing this note sooner. This is one of the most extensive topics I've had the honor to study, and so I am taking extreme caution to include every necessary piece, and to do so effectively, in a way that the reader can understand and apply to their lives. There are many who misconstrue the concept of repentance on opposite extremes,(there are some who say that repentance is simply "believing," and others who say that repentance is made manifest through a perfect, sinless life) and it is my goal to answer each plainly through Scripture.
As we move from conviction to repentance, we see regeneration taking on a new form: it is moving from a mental, emotional process to an active, practical one. The humbling of a man by the Law of God will(should) stir up a desire to fully understand Grace and apply it. Contrary to the myths conjured up by the selfishness and laziness of our modern American church, regeneration does not come by simply "believing in God." As if such a thing could save us! James warns against such hypocrisy:
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"
Without some physical manifestation of regeneration, it can only be said of a man that his faith is dead. Does this mean that we are saved by works? Of course not! Take a look at Romans 8:13-14: "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." We are sons of God, and the sons of God are led by the Spirit, and the Spirit will lead us to put to death the flesh. It is not as if turning from sin is a step one must take in order to achieve salvation, but it is a natural product of the true and godly sorrow of a man, just as the product of good seeds and quality soil is a tree which produces good fruits.
New Testament repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια(metanoia), which means a change of mind, and as the 19th century scholar Joseph Thayer puts it, "especially the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the token and effects of which are good deeds."
Repentance is a mental transformation that directly produces a physical transformation. Due to your anguish over sin and your desire to achieve the righteousness of God which "comes through faith in Jesus Christ," (Romans 3:22) your perspective slowly begins to change, until you become like Paul, and all things are "a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus." You must understand that this is not just an emotional urge or a spiritual tug in God's direction. It is a lifestyle change, a person shifting 180 degrees, away from sin and towards Christ.
Some people assert that when we repent, we stop sinning completely. However, the New Testament paints a different picture. Paul tells the Corinthians, "those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,"(1 Cor. 1:2) that he "could not address [them] as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ." He writes to the churches in Galatia, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel"(Gal. 1:6), and in this epistle we read of an account in which Paul rebukes Peter publicly for "not acting in line with the truth of the gospel." There are countless times in which the apostles admonished believers because of lackadaisical moral or spiritual attitudes, and immoral practices within the church, and even Christ himself had to correct the apostles many times!
It becomes clear through Scripture that Christians are not perfect, and repentance is not perfection. In his sermon on Christian Perfection, John Wesley says, "Nay, with regard to the Holy Scriptures themselves, as careful as they are to avoid it, the best of men are liable to mistake, and do mistake day by day; especially with respect to those parts thereof which less immediately relate to practice. Hence even the children of God are not agreed as to the interpretation of many places in holy writ: Nor is their difference of opinion any proof that they are not the children of God on either side; but it is a proof that we are no more to expect any living man to be infallible than to be omniscient."
Imagine being born in a pool of dirty, mucky mud(sin). Everyone around you is just as dirty as you are, so you pay no heed to it, and have no desire to get out of the mud. That is, until you see God's holy law and realize how dirty you really are. Then you long to be made clean and pure and free from the filthiness of the mud(conviction). When you make up your mind to get out of the pool, and make your way out(repentance), are you instantly clean? Of course not! If you've lived your whole life in sin, you can't hope to be instantly free from sin.
While we are not perfect ourselves, in repentance we are MADE perfect. Thank God that we have a mediator, Christ Jesus, who cleansed us from the guilt of sin, and made us into new creatures! However, justification did not take away our sinful desires, but instead gave us the opportunity to "serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom. 7:6)
In other words, redemption that comes from repentance will not make you perfect, holy, and blameless in your deeds, but it "cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"(Hebrews 9:14; 10:22) I pray that after reading the Scriptures, you will understand true repentance, and you will be able to "live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."(Col. 1:10)
My next article will be Holiness: A Response to Regeneration. Holiness is intertwined with repentance, because it is a daily process of dying to yourself everyday. As we repent, we turn from the sins we have committed, but furthermore, we strive to die to new sins everyday. This growth in repentance is known as holiness. There are many misconceptions and criticisms about the doctrines and claims in Scripture concerning holiness, and I will make it my duty to study and answer as many of those misconceptions as possible.
In Christ's Service,
Levi Gray
As we move from conviction to repentance, we see regeneration taking on a new form: it is moving from a mental, emotional process to an active, practical one. The humbling of a man by the Law of God will(should) stir up a desire to fully understand Grace and apply it. Contrary to the myths conjured up by the selfishness and laziness of our modern American church, regeneration does not come by simply "believing in God." As if such a thing could save us! James warns against such hypocrisy:
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"
Without some physical manifestation of regeneration, it can only be said of a man that his faith is dead. Does this mean that we are saved by works? Of course not! Take a look at Romans 8:13-14: "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." We are sons of God, and the sons of God are led by the Spirit, and the Spirit will lead us to put to death the flesh. It is not as if turning from sin is a step one must take in order to achieve salvation, but it is a natural product of the true and godly sorrow of a man, just as the product of good seeds and quality soil is a tree which produces good fruits.
New Testament repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια(metanoia), which means a change of mind, and as the 19th century scholar Joseph Thayer puts it, "especially the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the token and effects of which are good deeds."
Repentance is a mental transformation that directly produces a physical transformation. Due to your anguish over sin and your desire to achieve the righteousness of God which "comes through faith in Jesus Christ," (Romans 3:22) your perspective slowly begins to change, until you become like Paul, and all things are "a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus." You must understand that this is not just an emotional urge or a spiritual tug in God's direction. It is a lifestyle change, a person shifting 180 degrees, away from sin and towards Christ.
Some people assert that when we repent, we stop sinning completely. However, the New Testament paints a different picture. Paul tells the Corinthians, "those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,"(1 Cor. 1:2) that he "could not address [them] as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ." He writes to the churches in Galatia, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel"(Gal. 1:6), and in this epistle we read of an account in which Paul rebukes Peter publicly for "not acting in line with the truth of the gospel." There are countless times in which the apostles admonished believers because of lackadaisical moral or spiritual attitudes, and immoral practices within the church, and even Christ himself had to correct the apostles many times!
It becomes clear through Scripture that Christians are not perfect, and repentance is not perfection. In his sermon on Christian Perfection, John Wesley says, "Nay, with regard to the Holy Scriptures themselves, as careful as they are to avoid it, the best of men are liable to mistake, and do mistake day by day; especially with respect to those parts thereof which less immediately relate to practice. Hence even the children of God are not agreed as to the interpretation of many places in holy writ: Nor is their difference of opinion any proof that they are not the children of God on either side; but it is a proof that we are no more to expect any living man to be infallible than to be omniscient."
Imagine being born in a pool of dirty, mucky mud(sin). Everyone around you is just as dirty as you are, so you pay no heed to it, and have no desire to get out of the mud. That is, until you see God's holy law and realize how dirty you really are. Then you long to be made clean and pure and free from the filthiness of the mud(conviction). When you make up your mind to get out of the pool, and make your way out(repentance), are you instantly clean? Of course not! If you've lived your whole life in sin, you can't hope to be instantly free from sin.
While we are not perfect ourselves, in repentance we are MADE perfect. Thank God that we have a mediator, Christ Jesus, who cleansed us from the guilt of sin, and made us into new creatures! However, justification did not take away our sinful desires, but instead gave us the opportunity to "serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom. 7:6)
In other words, redemption that comes from repentance will not make you perfect, holy, and blameless in your deeds, but it "cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"(Hebrews 9:14; 10:22) I pray that after reading the Scriptures, you will understand true repentance, and you will be able to "live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."(Col. 1:10)
My next article will be Holiness: A Response to Regeneration. Holiness is intertwined with repentance, because it is a daily process of dying to yourself everyday. As we repent, we turn from the sins we have committed, but furthermore, we strive to die to new sins everyday. This growth in repentance is known as holiness. There are many misconceptions and criticisms about the doctrines and claims in Scripture concerning holiness, and I will make it my duty to study and answer as many of those misconceptions as possible.
In Christ's Service,
Levi Gray
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Conviction: A Desire for Regeneration (Part 1)
Hello, Christians. I am yet again privileged with the opportunity to share God's word with you, that we may all learn it, do it, and teach it, giving glory to God our Father through growing repentance, and active faith. I have decided to do three articles, all linked together for the joint purpose of fully describing regeneration. Regeneration is not, in essence, a three part process, but I feel that in order to help all of you understand through Scripture what regeneration is, I should divide it into the three major expressions of regeneration.
But first, what is regeneration? It comes from the greek word παλιγγενεσία(paliggenesia), which comes from the root words πάλιν(palin), meaning again, and γένεσις(genesis), which means birth. Being regenerate is being born again! We get this concept of new birth from John 3:3-6, :
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
What Jesus said here is pretty extreme. You cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you are born again, of the Spirit. It is a matter of our salvation, whether we are regenerate or not. If you are not regenerate, then you CANNOT enter the kingdom of God. So, what does regeneration look like? Thus begins our study of regeneration. There are three dispositions, one that manifests itself in a person before he/she is regenerate, one that is seen in the act of becoming regenerate, and one that displays itself afterwards, as evidence of regeneration. If all three of these are not expressed in the person, they are not regenerate, and will NOT enter the kingdom of God. Please be very careful not to loosely label yourself or others as "born again," but first consider these truths from the word of God.
The first disposition of regeneration, conviction, has to do with how a person responds to the gospel message. Unless a person understands the gravity of his sin, and is truly grieved of his depravity, he can never be a new creature in Christ. Conviction is the breaking down of that great barrier which lies between man and God, which infects the heart of everyone: Pride. The reason that the way of Jesus Christ is the narrow way, is because man is so convinced that he is a good person, and that God owes him something, that it will send him straight to Hell.
The gospel in America is so self-centered! It's as if people think that it was Christ's duty to die on the cross! What kind of absurd notion is that? It is horrid! Yet you say it everyday, not with your lips, but with your actions. Every time you refuse to admit to God that you are a wretched, wicked sinner, you refuse Christ and his salvation. You spit in our Lord's face every time you say, "God loves me just the way I am." We need to eradicate the self-centered gospel which has infected the majority of pulpits today, and replace them with the truth.
What is the truth? That "there is no one who does good, not even one,"(Romans 3:12) and that all men have fallen short of the glory of God." Sin entered the world through Adam, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12) All men are guilty of breaking God's law, for "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."(Romans 3:20)
Some of you may say, "Well, God will forgive me." If someone had killed your mother, and he stood before a judge, and the judge said, "I forgive you," What would you say then? You would cry out "Injustice!" if you have any moral fiber in your soul. If a judge is just, he must punish the crime, and if God is just, He must punish you for your sin. It is when a man humbles himself and realizes his transgression against the Father that he can understand that he can be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
When a person truly comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they will move on to the next expression of regeneration, the act of regeneration itself, which I will cover in my next blog(Repentance: The Act of Regeneration)
I learned so much from this study, and I hope that you did as well. I will pray every day that the Scriptures will set your hearts aflame with the knowledge of God, and empower you in the Holy Spirit to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. "
In the name of Jesus Christ, our blessed savior,
Levi Gray
But first, what is regeneration? It comes from the greek word παλιγγενεσία(paliggenesia), which comes from the root words πάλιν(palin), meaning again, and γένεσις(genesis), which means birth. Being regenerate is being born again! We get this concept of new birth from John 3:3-6, :
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
What Jesus said here is pretty extreme. You cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you are born again, of the Spirit. It is a matter of our salvation, whether we are regenerate or not. If you are not regenerate, then you CANNOT enter the kingdom of God. So, what does regeneration look like? Thus begins our study of regeneration. There are three dispositions, one that manifests itself in a person before he/she is regenerate, one that is seen in the act of becoming regenerate, and one that displays itself afterwards, as evidence of regeneration. If all three of these are not expressed in the person, they are not regenerate, and will NOT enter the kingdom of God. Please be very careful not to loosely label yourself or others as "born again," but first consider these truths from the word of God.
The first disposition of regeneration, conviction, has to do with how a person responds to the gospel message. Unless a person understands the gravity of his sin, and is truly grieved of his depravity, he can never be a new creature in Christ. Conviction is the breaking down of that great barrier which lies between man and God, which infects the heart of everyone: Pride. The reason that the way of Jesus Christ is the narrow way, is because man is so convinced that he is a good person, and that God owes him something, that it will send him straight to Hell.
The gospel in America is so self-centered! It's as if people think that it was Christ's duty to die on the cross! What kind of absurd notion is that? It is horrid! Yet you say it everyday, not with your lips, but with your actions. Every time you refuse to admit to God that you are a wretched, wicked sinner, you refuse Christ and his salvation. You spit in our Lord's face every time you say, "God loves me just the way I am." We need to eradicate the self-centered gospel which has infected the majority of pulpits today, and replace them with the truth.
What is the truth? That "there is no one who does good, not even one,"(Romans 3:12) and that all men have fallen short of the glory of God." Sin entered the world through Adam, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12) All men are guilty of breaking God's law, for "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."(Romans 3:20)
Some of you may say, "Well, God will forgive me." If someone had killed your mother, and he stood before a judge, and the judge said, "I forgive you," What would you say then? You would cry out "Injustice!" if you have any moral fiber in your soul. If a judge is just, he must punish the crime, and if God is just, He must punish you for your sin. It is when a man humbles himself and realizes his transgression against the Father that he can understand that he can be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
When a person truly comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they will move on to the next expression of regeneration, the act of regeneration itself, which I will cover in my next blog(Repentance: The Act of Regeneration)
I learned so much from this study, and I hope that you did as well. I will pray every day that the Scriptures will set your hearts aflame with the knowledge of God, and empower you in the Holy Spirit to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. "
In the name of Jesus Christ, our blessed savior,
Levi Gray
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Second Great Depression
This is an amazing article by Rusty Thomas. This man of God is the founder of Elijah Ministries and the Kingdom Leadership Institute, and assistant director of Operation Save America. The article, in the link below, provides us with a practical, biblical perspective on what is happening to our country economically, morally, and spiritually. If you care for the things of God, and are concerned with the welfare of this nation, you need to read this.
The Second Great Depression
If you feel as moved by this article as I do, then I recommend you support Rusty by ordering his book, The Kingdom Leadership Manual.
The Second Great Depression
If you feel as moved by this article as I do, then I recommend you support Rusty by ordering his book, The Kingdom Leadership Manual.
Monday, August 10, 2009
So, Why Do We Practice Courtship?
One of the most misunderstood principles in the Church today is the practice of courtship. So many young people are practicing courtship without much knowledge of the biblical principles that give us conviction to choose to court, as opposed to the unbiblical practice of dating. As a result, they become open to deception and compromise in the area of their relationships with the opposite sex. I've seen many people step out of God's will for their relationships because of this, so I have made it a goal of mine to ensure that all of you who are teenagers(and parents of a teenager) know these principles in order to "be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position."
(2 Peter 3:17)
Most of you know what courtship is(and if you don't, please read this note by my good friend Adam Tennant:THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DATING AND COURTSHIP), but WHY do you court? There are two principles you must understand in order to guide your decisions in this area of life: Family and Faith. When you learn that God's will for your relationship is that it is family-focused and faith-driven, "our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."(2 Thessalonians 1:11)
So, what does family have to do with courtship? Contrary to popular belief, family is an integral part of the Christian's ministry. Family has two applications in our lives: Progressive and Prospective. In other words, when you make a decision, it should not only edify the family you have, but the family you will have. Abraham is a wonderful example of someone who saw his family prospectively: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' (Romans 4:18) When boys become men, and girls become women, they will have to fulfill those roles in the family which God has called them to. Everything you do or think today in your relationships with the opposite sex will affect how you can fulfill that role later in life. But there's more.
We also have an obligation to look at our family life progressively. Hebrews 11:7 says that by faith, Noah made such a decision for his family: "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family." He knew his family was in danger, and so made the necessary preparations to protect them. However, teenagers have different roles in their progressive family lives. They are children, so how do they make decisions in light of their present family? In what way is my family involved in courtship? In every way. You see, it is because fathers have been excluded from involvement in their child's relationships that has caused such a decline in biblical principles of love and sexuality. As young people, you are not responsible enough to handle such things on our own, and as the head of the home, your father must be involved with your relationships to keep you blameless and holy in that area. Read this excerpt from What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham, one of the best resources on biblical families:
"I believe fathers have a God-given responsibility to see to it that their daughters marry well and that their sons become worthy husbands. As such, I believe it is necessary for fathers to model biblical manhood, teach biblical manhood, and to hunt for biblical manhood on behalf of their daughters. Similarly, I believe fathers with sons have a responsibility to prepare their sons for marriage."
It is of the utmost importance that fathers are involved in his child's relationships. I am not advocating arranged marriages, all I am saying is that a father should have an active role in the courtship process. So, remember to think towards your family, present and future, in every aspect of your life, especially your social interactions.
The next principle, just as important as the first, is faith. Not only should your relationships be focused on family, but they should be driven by faith. Why? Because "He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation— IF you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. " If you look back to 2 Thessalonians 1:11, which I quoted earlier, you'll see that Paul prays for the believers, that every act can be prompted by faith, "so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."(v. 12) If you want to glorify Christ, you will act with your faith in mind. So "set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."(1 Peter 1:13)
The best way to understand the eternal impact of your actions(and thus how acting in faith is so important) is in 2 Timothy 2:20-22. The first two verses say this: "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things(the latter), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. " So, how do we act as vessels of honor? How can we act in faith? The next verse answers our question: "Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. "
There's no way anyone on earth can list how we should protect ourselves from each and every situation, or how to predict the thousands of ways the devil can deceive you, but if you hold fast to these biblical principles, I can assure you that all of your problems and temptations with the opposite sex can be dealt with appropriately. I hope this will help you in your daily living as it has helped me. So continue to fight the good fight of faith, and strive to have clean hands and a pure heart.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
(2 Peter 3:17)
Most of you know what courtship is(and if you don't, please read this note by my good friend Adam Tennant:THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DATING AND COURTSHIP), but WHY do you court? There are two principles you must understand in order to guide your decisions in this area of life: Family and Faith. When you learn that God's will for your relationship is that it is family-focused and faith-driven, "our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."(2 Thessalonians 1:11)
So, what does family have to do with courtship? Contrary to popular belief, family is an integral part of the Christian's ministry. Family has two applications in our lives: Progressive and Prospective. In other words, when you make a decision, it should not only edify the family you have, but the family you will have. Abraham is a wonderful example of someone who saw his family prospectively: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' (Romans 4:18) When boys become men, and girls become women, they will have to fulfill those roles in the family which God has called them to. Everything you do or think today in your relationships with the opposite sex will affect how you can fulfill that role later in life. But there's more.
We also have an obligation to look at our family life progressively. Hebrews 11:7 says that by faith, Noah made such a decision for his family: "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family." He knew his family was in danger, and so made the necessary preparations to protect them. However, teenagers have different roles in their progressive family lives. They are children, so how do they make decisions in light of their present family? In what way is my family involved in courtship? In every way. You see, it is because fathers have been excluded from involvement in their child's relationships that has caused such a decline in biblical principles of love and sexuality. As young people, you are not responsible enough to handle such things on our own, and as the head of the home, your father must be involved with your relationships to keep you blameless and holy in that area. Read this excerpt from What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham, one of the best resources on biblical families:
"I believe fathers have a God-given responsibility to see to it that their daughters marry well and that their sons become worthy husbands. As such, I believe it is necessary for fathers to model biblical manhood, teach biblical manhood, and to hunt for biblical manhood on behalf of their daughters. Similarly, I believe fathers with sons have a responsibility to prepare their sons for marriage."
It is of the utmost importance that fathers are involved in his child's relationships. I am not advocating arranged marriages, all I am saying is that a father should have an active role in the courtship process. So, remember to think towards your family, present and future, in every aspect of your life, especially your social interactions.
The next principle, just as important as the first, is faith. Not only should your relationships be focused on family, but they should be driven by faith. Why? Because "He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation— IF you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. " If you look back to 2 Thessalonians 1:11, which I quoted earlier, you'll see that Paul prays for the believers, that every act can be prompted by faith, "so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."(v. 12) If you want to glorify Christ, you will act with your faith in mind. So "set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."(1 Peter 1:13)
The best way to understand the eternal impact of your actions(and thus how acting in faith is so important) is in 2 Timothy 2:20-22. The first two verses say this: "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things(the latter), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. " So, how do we act as vessels of honor? How can we act in faith? The next verse answers our question: "Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. "
There's no way anyone on earth can list how we should protect ourselves from each and every situation, or how to predict the thousands of ways the devil can deceive you, but if you hold fast to these biblical principles, I can assure you that all of your problems and temptations with the opposite sex can be dealt with appropriately. I hope this will help you in your daily living as it has helped me. So continue to fight the good fight of faith, and strive to have clean hands and a pure heart.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Friday, July 31, 2009
Seek the Truth: Overcoming Sin in Your Life
Dear Christians,
It is my privilege and honor to come to you again with another proclamation of the Scriptures, and I pray that reading this will help you to become "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience." (Col. 1:11) This is inspired by a sermon by Tim Conway.
Romans 8 is one of the most beautiful and accurate descriptions(in my opinion) of the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit. It says in essence that we all have a choice to make, every second of our lives, and that choice boils down to this: Do I walk in the spirit, or do I walk in the flesh? Christians or not, every spirit inhabits a body. It is the inherent nature and desire of the body to do what pleases it, and what pleases the body is sin. "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." (Romans 7:5) We are born as slaves to sin and unrighteousness, but Christ demonstrated his love towards these slaves to sin in that he gave His life to save them from sin. It is the purpose of Christ's incarnation and atonement to deliver us from sin!
So, what shall we say? That when a person becomes born again, he immediately stops sinning? Of course not! Sin is not only mentioned in Scripture as an act of transgression, but there is a separate definition for sin. Sin is also mentioned as a force of Satan, which attempts to destroy what God has created. As new creatures, we are cleansed from the guilt of sin, but that does not mean we have defeated sin in our lives. So, how do we overcome this power of sin, how do we kill it, and remove it from our lives? We must first understand the source of the problem.
Romans 6:12 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." How does sin reign in our bodies? By making us obey it's evil desires. So how does sin attack us? Through our own desires! Any time you have ever fallen into sin, it is because you have desired something with your flesh, and you obeyed that desire. Satan is not your most formidable enemy as a Christian, you are. Your own flesh seeks to turn you over to the wiles of sin, because that is the nature of your flesh!
If the source of sin's power is our own desires, then it is clear what Romans 8:13 means when it says, "for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." If you want to defeat sin, you must defeat your flesh. If you want to kill sin, you must kill your flesh. It becomes so obvious when you realize that every time you sin, you are fulfilling some desire that you have in your body. Ephesians 4:22 says that we are to put off our former self, which is corrupted by what? Satan? No! By it's desires!
So we've identified the enemies: Sin and our Desires. So how do we defeat them? What is it that makes us obey our own desires? What characteristics do sin and our desires have that give them power over us? Look back at Ephesians 4:22. It says that our desires are deceitful. Hebrews 3:13 warns us not to be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. So what makes us obey our evil desires and sin? We are deceived! We sin when we choose to believe a lie!
No matter what your sin may be, whether it's greed, unrighteous anger, lust, pride, or any other sins, you obey your desires because you "exchanged the truth of God for a lie."(Romans 1:25) If sin and our desires overcome us through deceit, how can we defeat it? Romans 1:25 said it, the TRUTH! It is the truth of God that overcomes the lie.
I implore all of you to identify the lies that you have believed which cause you to obey the desires of your body, and I challenge you to attack those lies with the truth of God! Memorize all the Scriptures you can that oppose the lie you've believed, and meditate on them daily. I promise that if you do that, you will be victorious in your battle against sin.
I pray fervently that God would prick your hearts with these Scriptures as he did mine, and that we all would begin to defeat sin and overcome the lies in our lives, so that we may continue to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
In His Service,
Levi Gray
It is my privilege and honor to come to you again with another proclamation of the Scriptures, and I pray that reading this will help you to become "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience." (Col. 1:11) This is inspired by a sermon by Tim Conway.
Romans 8 is one of the most beautiful and accurate descriptions(in my opinion) of the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit. It says in essence that we all have a choice to make, every second of our lives, and that choice boils down to this: Do I walk in the spirit, or do I walk in the flesh? Christians or not, every spirit inhabits a body. It is the inherent nature and desire of the body to do what pleases it, and what pleases the body is sin. "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." (Romans 7:5) We are born as slaves to sin and unrighteousness, but Christ demonstrated his love towards these slaves to sin in that he gave His life to save them from sin. It is the purpose of Christ's incarnation and atonement to deliver us from sin!
So, what shall we say? That when a person becomes born again, he immediately stops sinning? Of course not! Sin is not only mentioned in Scripture as an act of transgression, but there is a separate definition for sin. Sin is also mentioned as a force of Satan, which attempts to destroy what God has created. As new creatures, we are cleansed from the guilt of sin, but that does not mean we have defeated sin in our lives. So, how do we overcome this power of sin, how do we kill it, and remove it from our lives? We must first understand the source of the problem.
Romans 6:12 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." How does sin reign in our bodies? By making us obey it's evil desires. So how does sin attack us? Through our own desires! Any time you have ever fallen into sin, it is because you have desired something with your flesh, and you obeyed that desire. Satan is not your most formidable enemy as a Christian, you are. Your own flesh seeks to turn you over to the wiles of sin, because that is the nature of your flesh!
If the source of sin's power is our own desires, then it is clear what Romans 8:13 means when it says, "for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." If you want to defeat sin, you must defeat your flesh. If you want to kill sin, you must kill your flesh. It becomes so obvious when you realize that every time you sin, you are fulfilling some desire that you have in your body. Ephesians 4:22 says that we are to put off our former self, which is corrupted by what? Satan? No! By it's desires!
So we've identified the enemies: Sin and our Desires. So how do we defeat them? What is it that makes us obey our own desires? What characteristics do sin and our desires have that give them power over us? Look back at Ephesians 4:22. It says that our desires are deceitful. Hebrews 3:13 warns us not to be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. So what makes us obey our evil desires and sin? We are deceived! We sin when we choose to believe a lie!
No matter what your sin may be, whether it's greed, unrighteous anger, lust, pride, or any other sins, you obey your desires because you "exchanged the truth of God for a lie."(Romans 1:25) If sin and our desires overcome us through deceit, how can we defeat it? Romans 1:25 said it, the TRUTH! It is the truth of God that overcomes the lie.
I implore all of you to identify the lies that you have believed which cause you to obey the desires of your body, and I challenge you to attack those lies with the truth of God! Memorize all the Scriptures you can that oppose the lie you've believed, and meditate on them daily. I promise that if you do that, you will be victorious in your battle against sin.
I pray fervently that God would prick your hearts with these Scriptures as he did mine, and that we all would begin to defeat sin and overcome the lies in our lives, so that we may continue to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Vessels of Honor:Keeping an Eternal Perspective
I would like all who read this to know that God has called me to author a book, which depicts concisely and clearly God's will towards the Christian life. There are countless books on this subject by more formidable authors than myself, but this is more of a guide through Scripture to clear all doubts and to strengthen faith. Most of my recent posts and notes, which some of you have read, will appear in some fashion in this book. There is a topic which I want to illuminate, one which nearly outlines the purpose of my book, and all of Christian thought in general. I pray that as I learn the Scriptures, I may adhere to them, and share them with others as God has called me to do. I also pray that as you read this, the Lord will open your eyes to His Word and it's meaning.
As most of you reading this know, the world has an entirely different perspective than the Church, and the perspectives on either side are founded upon the definition of success. How does the world define success? The world has a strong conviction that success is obtained through fame, fortune, hospitality, peace, kindness, and compassion. If someone has a wife, a home, two children, two cars, a pet, and a stock, then they can die as people who gained much in this world. Upon this principle, it should be no surprise to us that America has become a place where every man does what is right in his own eyes. As Christians, we must separate ourselves from such practices, for the Bible calls it "the way of a fool."(Prov. 12:15)
So, how would Christians define success? What definition would cause them to be separate from the world? I could probably tell you in one sentence what that is, but that would be unfruitful. I want you to read and study these Scriptures, so that you will know and believe in Christ, and see all things through a Christian perspective. The first Scripture is Philippians 3, when Paul begins to describe his own success by the world’s standards:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:5-12 (KJV)
In the world's eyes, Paul was once a successful man. He was chosen of God, an elite, blameless and holy, doing the work of the Jewish community with zeal and pride. However, since his encounter with the Lord, his perspective has changed, because his definition of success had been flipped around. What was once gain is now loss, and success could only come from one thing: Christ. He was the center of all things which prosper and enrich. All that Paul once treasured suddenly took on a dull, worthless nature which displeased Paul. From that moment on, only those things which glorify the King could please Paul, for it was only those things which Paul counted as gain.
After defining success, we see that all things are loss in comparison to Christ. The next step is to learn how to apply this to our lives. Are we to deny everything that the world has to offer? Are we to live like monks, and seclude ourselves? This leads us to our next Scripture, an example Paul gives Timothy to help him understand the importance of his ministry.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Tim 2:20-21 (KJV)
What is Paul saying here? Alone, this example sounds rather confusing, but when it is pieced together with the rest of Scripture, our understanding becomes complete. Throughout Scripture, Christ tells us that one day, he will come to judge us all. Some of us He will keep and rejoice in, others He will throw into everlasting fire. We see many examples of this; the wheat and the chaff(Luke 3:17), the sheep and the goats(Matt. 25:31-46), the tree of bad fruit and the tree of good fruit(Matt. 7:15-19), the man who built his house on the rock and the man who built his house on the sand, and several more. The point to all of these is, one day Christ will come and judge you. You can be among those who put their faith in Christ and live out that faith, or you can be among those who deny Him(in word or deed) and do "what is right in your own eyes."
The wood and earthen vessels Paul is referring to in 2 Timothy are those actions which will pass through the fire of the Lord's judgment, and will burn up in the fire. All those things which are not centered around Christ, will be destroyed. The gold and silver vessels pass through the fire, and come through as pure and holy vessels. Christ advises the church in Laodicea, " I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see(Rev 3:18)." Are your actions worthy of Christ, and will they pass through the fire of His judgment? Are you vessels of gold and silver, vessels of honor?
I thank you all for reading and studying God's word. I pray that it changes and strengthens you as it did me. I rejoice that we have the Word of God, a standard to live by in this world of foolish desires. I praise God for His grace, and I hope to write again soon.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
As most of you reading this know, the world has an entirely different perspective than the Church, and the perspectives on either side are founded upon the definition of success. How does the world define success? The world has a strong conviction that success is obtained through fame, fortune, hospitality, peace, kindness, and compassion. If someone has a wife, a home, two children, two cars, a pet, and a stock, then they can die as people who gained much in this world. Upon this principle, it should be no surprise to us that America has become a place where every man does what is right in his own eyes. As Christians, we must separate ourselves from such practices, for the Bible calls it "the way of a fool."(Prov. 12:15)
So, how would Christians define success? What definition would cause them to be separate from the world? I could probably tell you in one sentence what that is, but that would be unfruitful. I want you to read and study these Scriptures, so that you will know and believe in Christ, and see all things through a Christian perspective. The first Scripture is Philippians 3, when Paul begins to describe his own success by the world’s standards:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:5-12 (KJV)
In the world's eyes, Paul was once a successful man. He was chosen of God, an elite, blameless and holy, doing the work of the Jewish community with zeal and pride. However, since his encounter with the Lord, his perspective has changed, because his definition of success had been flipped around. What was once gain is now loss, and success could only come from one thing: Christ. He was the center of all things which prosper and enrich. All that Paul once treasured suddenly took on a dull, worthless nature which displeased Paul. From that moment on, only those things which glorify the King could please Paul, for it was only those things which Paul counted as gain.
After defining success, we see that all things are loss in comparison to Christ. The next step is to learn how to apply this to our lives. Are we to deny everything that the world has to offer? Are we to live like monks, and seclude ourselves? This leads us to our next Scripture, an example Paul gives Timothy to help him understand the importance of his ministry.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Tim 2:20-21 (KJV)
What is Paul saying here? Alone, this example sounds rather confusing, but when it is pieced together with the rest of Scripture, our understanding becomes complete. Throughout Scripture, Christ tells us that one day, he will come to judge us all. Some of us He will keep and rejoice in, others He will throw into everlasting fire. We see many examples of this; the wheat and the chaff(Luke 3:17), the sheep and the goats(Matt. 25:31-46), the tree of bad fruit and the tree of good fruit(Matt. 7:15-19), the man who built his house on the rock and the man who built his house on the sand, and several more. The point to all of these is, one day Christ will come and judge you. You can be among those who put their faith in Christ and live out that faith, or you can be among those who deny Him(in word or deed) and do "what is right in your own eyes."
The wood and earthen vessels Paul is referring to in 2 Timothy are those actions which will pass through the fire of the Lord's judgment, and will burn up in the fire. All those things which are not centered around Christ, will be destroyed. The gold and silver vessels pass through the fire, and come through as pure and holy vessels. Christ advises the church in Laodicea, " I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see(Rev 3:18)." Are your actions worthy of Christ, and will they pass through the fire of His judgment? Are you vessels of gold and silver, vessels of honor?
I thank you all for reading and studying God's word. I pray that it changes and strengthens you as it did me. I rejoice that we have the Word of God, a standard to live by in this world of foolish desires. I praise God for His grace, and I hope to write again soon.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Monday, June 15, 2009
Obedience and Sacrifice: Becoming a New Creature in Christ
Most of you are familiar with the phrase "obedience is better than sacrifice." You are also probably familiar with it's parent passage- 1 Sam. 15. How sure are you, however, of it's application to your lives? Allow me to share what God has pricked my heart with these past few months with this and several other Scriptures that teach us that the Christian life isn't just about living in God's name.
It's imperative that we observe what Saul did in 1 Sam. 15, and compare it to our own lives. Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites, every man, woman, child, cattle, sheep, and donkey. This was a rebellious nation which hated God, and God was commanding Saul to purge it from the land, to rid the infectious rebellion from the valley. However, rebellion had already infected the heart of Saul, for he did not utterly destroy Amalek, but only destroyed every thing that was "vile and refuse."
Samuel was made aware of this by the voice of God, and when he approached Saul, he said this(paraphrased): "Why do I hear the bleating of sheep in my ears? And why do I hear oxen?" Saul attempts to reconcile himself by assuring Samuel that what he did was in fact a good thing. "I didn't destroy the king or the chief goods, but I kept it so that I could sacrifice it to my God!" I can imagine Saul was quite proud of himself. Satan had worked his deception indeed through the heart of this king. As you read on, you see that God was not at all pleased with this, and in fact took Saul's anointing away and ripped the kingdom of Israel from his grasp.
Let me ask you this, church: When you gave your lives over to Christ, you were called to become new creatures, and to "put off the old man and his deeds." Why is it that you want to be so much like the old you? The sheep and oxen are bleating, and we can hear it and see it in your lives. Many of you repented from the darkness, only to follow a different shade of it. Satan has deceived you just as he did Saul. You have selfishly kept that which is to be utterly destroyed, and "sacrificed" it to God.
Do not be like Saul, or God will rip your anointing from your hands quicker than he gave it to you. Give up the old man, he has nothing for you except vanity and selfishness. Do not believe the lie that God will meet you halfway. You come to Him on His terms, or not at all.
Before I was saved, I was in a dark place. I loved death, so it shouldn't surprise you that I loved death metal. However, when I became a new creature, I knew I would have to get rid of that! That's when Satan stepped in. "You don't have to give it up," he said. "Just listen to the Christian metal bands. God will be so pleased that you've sacrificed your music to Him." I deceived myself for three years. When sacrifice replaces obedience, it becomes compromise. That's what it came to be.
The bands I listened to had a big "We are Christian" label slapped on their albums and websites, but their lyrics would do about as much to spread the gospel as an ear of corn. And the few that did, were the worst bands of all! The sound they produced was only a way to keep my "metal" addiction satisfied, and still please the Lord. I later discovered that the Lord knew the secrets of my heart, and was far from pleased. Adam, who I consider to be my authority in all things spiritual, sat down and talked with me about my music while we were in D.C. He had mentioned it before, and I had shrugged it off, but I never got it out of my head. When Adam tells me something, I know it's not vain speech. It is always of the utmost importance. I had to finally ask myself: "Are you really listening to it to worship God, or is it because you can't give it up?"
Therefore, I made a decision to fast. I fasted from metal music, and eventually every other artist or band that didn't dedicate itself solely for the purpose of spreading the gospel, and glorifying God. I haven't listened to anything else since, and God has helped me prosper in many other areas of life! Looking from the outside, I can now see how hypocritical (Christian metal, and Christian contemporary music in general) has become! There are few golden eggs in that nest, among hundreds of rotten ones.
To conclude, I want to ask all of you reading this to examine yourselves. Is there something you should have utterly destroyed, but you kept it instead? If there is, you are in rebellion to God. It isn't just about music. It could be anything. Many Christians are refusing to get rid of their attachments to culture, fashion, friends, even things like food and diet. As Samuel said to Saul,"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."(1 Sam 15:23) Even if you aren't sure about it, just do as I did, and fast from it. You will know soon enough whether your actions have proven themselves as true worship or as idolatry. Repent, and become the new creature in Christ that you were called to be.
In Christ,
Levi Gray
It's imperative that we observe what Saul did in 1 Sam. 15, and compare it to our own lives. Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites, every man, woman, child, cattle, sheep, and donkey. This was a rebellious nation which hated God, and God was commanding Saul to purge it from the land, to rid the infectious rebellion from the valley. However, rebellion had already infected the heart of Saul, for he did not utterly destroy Amalek, but only destroyed every thing that was "vile and refuse."
Samuel was made aware of this by the voice of God, and when he approached Saul, he said this(paraphrased): "Why do I hear the bleating of sheep in my ears? And why do I hear oxen?" Saul attempts to reconcile himself by assuring Samuel that what he did was in fact a good thing. "I didn't destroy the king or the chief goods, but I kept it so that I could sacrifice it to my God!" I can imagine Saul was quite proud of himself. Satan had worked his deception indeed through the heart of this king. As you read on, you see that God was not at all pleased with this, and in fact took Saul's anointing away and ripped the kingdom of Israel from his grasp.
Let me ask you this, church: When you gave your lives over to Christ, you were called to become new creatures, and to "put off the old man and his deeds." Why is it that you want to be so much like the old you? The sheep and oxen are bleating, and we can hear it and see it in your lives. Many of you repented from the darkness, only to follow a different shade of it. Satan has deceived you just as he did Saul. You have selfishly kept that which is to be utterly destroyed, and "sacrificed" it to God.
Do not be like Saul, or God will rip your anointing from your hands quicker than he gave it to you. Give up the old man, he has nothing for you except vanity and selfishness. Do not believe the lie that God will meet you halfway. You come to Him on His terms, or not at all.
Before I was saved, I was in a dark place. I loved death, so it shouldn't surprise you that I loved death metal. However, when I became a new creature, I knew I would have to get rid of that! That's when Satan stepped in. "You don't have to give it up," he said. "Just listen to the Christian metal bands. God will be so pleased that you've sacrificed your music to Him." I deceived myself for three years. When sacrifice replaces obedience, it becomes compromise. That's what it came to be.
The bands I listened to had a big "We are Christian" label slapped on their albums and websites, but their lyrics would do about as much to spread the gospel as an ear of corn. And the few that did, were the worst bands of all! The sound they produced was only a way to keep my "metal" addiction satisfied, and still please the Lord. I later discovered that the Lord knew the secrets of my heart, and was far from pleased. Adam, who I consider to be my authority in all things spiritual, sat down and talked with me about my music while we were in D.C. He had mentioned it before, and I had shrugged it off, but I never got it out of my head. When Adam tells me something, I know it's not vain speech. It is always of the utmost importance. I had to finally ask myself: "Are you really listening to it to worship God, or is it because you can't give it up?"
Therefore, I made a decision to fast. I fasted from metal music, and eventually every other artist or band that didn't dedicate itself solely for the purpose of spreading the gospel, and glorifying God. I haven't listened to anything else since, and God has helped me prosper in many other areas of life! Looking from the outside, I can now see how hypocritical (Christian metal, and Christian contemporary music in general) has become! There are few golden eggs in that nest, among hundreds of rotten ones.
To conclude, I want to ask all of you reading this to examine yourselves. Is there something you should have utterly destroyed, but you kept it instead? If there is, you are in rebellion to God. It isn't just about music. It could be anything. Many Christians are refusing to get rid of their attachments to culture, fashion, friends, even things like food and diet. As Samuel said to Saul,"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."(1 Sam 15:23) Even if you aren't sure about it, just do as I did, and fast from it. You will know soon enough whether your actions have proven themselves as true worship or as idolatry. Repent, and become the new creature in Christ that you were called to be.
In Christ,
Levi Gray
Monday, April 13, 2009
Suffering and Death in Christian Life
After spending seven days in Nicaragua, a culture immersed in poverty, disease, death, and spiritual hunger, God has revealed to me a message that has gripped my heart for the past year. Slowly, He has put together a puzzle in my heart that has at last been completed. I feel that I should not only share this with you, but also invite you to hear the Word of God, and join me as I live it.
Most of you know that our church is in an almost irreparable state of damage. It has left its first love, Jesus Christ, and sold itself out to greed, idolatry, and the god called “self.” They have huge buildings, with air-conditioning and cushioned pews. Its leaders are ravenous wolves, and its congregations are lifeless corpses. The churches have become whitewashed tombs. They have forsaken the Gospel of Christ for a different, wicked gospel of compromise, laziness, and tolerance. In the meantime, God looks down from above at this adulterous bride and cries:
"I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations-
a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,
offering sacrifices in gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick;
who sit among the graves
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;
who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me,
for I am too sacred for you!'
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.” (Isaiah 65:1-5)
I fear for them, for I know that God is just. One day, He will return in all of His glory and separate the sheep and the goats. For the church, it will look a lot like this:
“I will destine you for the sword,
and you will all bend down for the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(Isaiah 65:12)
They are filling a cup of thick wrath which will be poured out at the end of times, and it is already trickling and ready to burst. Do you want to experience the fate that this “church” will meet? If not, then examine yourselves and hear the Word of God, and rediscover Jesus Christ. How? It’s easy. Die.
Paul says that if you live according to your sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, you will live. You must crucify your flesh, and allow Christ to take its place. Some of you reading this will say, “This doesn’t apply to me. I pray, fast, attend weekly prayer services and Bible study, I go to Sunday school. I am an elder in my church, I teach, I sing, I play music…” Paul said something similar:
“…Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” (Philippians 3:5-6)
Paul was chosen of God, an elite, blameless and holy, doing the work of God. However, he continues with this:
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”(Philippians 3:7-9)
Maybe you should read that again. Paul said that ALL THINGS are rubbish when compared to the Holy One of Israel. Food, drink, clothing, shelter, fame, fortune, family, friends, and love are all worthless, because we are not saved by such things that perish when we leave this earth, but by the “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:19) Oh how unworthy are we to receive such mercy from a man who, while we spit on Him, beat Him, nailed His hands to a cross, and mocked Him, faced the wrath of God on our behalf. He laid himself on an altar, with all of our sin upon His back, so that we could appear righteous before the throne of a just God. Our Almighty Father despised His son on that day, forsaking Him. His horrible and terrible wrath was brought in full on the brow of our blessed Savior. There was no amount of physical pain or torture we could have instilled upon Him that would compare to the pain of His Father’s wrath.
However, on the third day, Jesus rose from that place of death, and conquered it. He rose into the heavens to sit on that glorious throne and said, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” There He sits, interceding on our behalf to our Heavenly Father.
The Gospel is not a simple “God loves you” and a tract. It is a call to die to the world, and live a life of pain and suffering for the glory of God.
Jesus made some promises to those who wished to follow Him. Let’s take a look at them.
‘As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."’(Luke 9:57-62)
The first thing Jesus promised us is that we will have no physical rest. The Christian life is an ongoing battle with Satan and his armies, and there will be no end to it until Christ’s return. People will hate you, mock you, curse you, maybe even attack you. Jesus also promised us that we will have no time for friends and family ties. He is not commanding us to forsake our families and friends, but the Gospel comes first. Let the “dead bury their own dead.” The third promise from Jesus is that we will have no chance to look back. If any of you regret making your decision to follow Christ, turn away now, because it will only get worse. A rich young ruler, who followed all the commandments since childhood, asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus said, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." The life of a Christian is not a life of material attachments. Are you ready to throw it all away for Him? How important are they to you? I remember a story of three Indian missionaries who had been called to preach the gospel in a town 1500 miles away. They had no money for a train, or even food or rent. Everyone told them not to go, that they should stay home. They said this: “If we have no money for a train, we will walk. If one of us becomes sick and dies on the way, we will bury him on the roadside, and the rest of us will continue on. If only one of us survives the journey and reaches Rajasthan and places only one gospel tract on the hot desert sand of that state before he dies, we will have fulfilled our mission, and we will have obeyed our Lord.”
In Nicaragua, I saw people walking three or four miles just to get to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. In America, people won’t even drive two miles to get to church on Easter. Before you can truly obey Christ, you must learn the nature of suffering.
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
The Founder of Gospel for Asia, K.P. Yohannan says this: we should accept suffering as a normal part of Christian life is the same as a mother accepting labor as a part of having a baby. It must happen in order to bring us life.
I don’t want you all to quit Christianity because it seems like a death march. What I have described to you is the Christian walk as the world sees it, but beyond the world, there is a far greater experience in store for all of you.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
Romans 6:1-11 answers the question, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” However, a look at the answer gives us a look at what “sharing” with Christ really means.
“Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”(v. 3)
All those who wish to follow Christ must suffer as Christ suffered, and must die as Christ died. You must put to death all of your flesh. Let’s look at what happens after we are baptized into death.
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”(v. 4)
What a glorious message this is! Once we die to our flesh, we are baptized into a new life, a life of glory and power and resurrection that cannot be quenched by any worldly authority.
“If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”(vv. 5-11)
I will conclude my message with this: without death and suffering, you cannot live. However, when you do take on the baptism unto death, you will receive a life that you never imagined could fill you. Everything you dreamed of, everything you planned to do in life, will no longer matter because God made you a new creature, glorious and majestic in His eyes. Allow Him to fill you, and live the life of the Spirit.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Most of you know that our church is in an almost irreparable state of damage. It has left its first love, Jesus Christ, and sold itself out to greed, idolatry, and the god called “self.” They have huge buildings, with air-conditioning and cushioned pews. Its leaders are ravenous wolves, and its congregations are lifeless corpses. The churches have become whitewashed tombs. They have forsaken the Gospel of Christ for a different, wicked gospel of compromise, laziness, and tolerance. In the meantime, God looks down from above at this adulterous bride and cries:
"I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations-
a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,
offering sacrifices in gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick;
who sit among the graves
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;
who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me,
for I am too sacred for you!'
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.” (Isaiah 65:1-5)
I fear for them, for I know that God is just. One day, He will return in all of His glory and separate the sheep and the goats. For the church, it will look a lot like this:
“I will destine you for the sword,
and you will all bend down for the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(Isaiah 65:12)
They are filling a cup of thick wrath which will be poured out at the end of times, and it is already trickling and ready to burst. Do you want to experience the fate that this “church” will meet? If not, then examine yourselves and hear the Word of God, and rediscover Jesus Christ. How? It’s easy. Die.
Paul says that if you live according to your sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, you will live. You must crucify your flesh, and allow Christ to take its place. Some of you reading this will say, “This doesn’t apply to me. I pray, fast, attend weekly prayer services and Bible study, I go to Sunday school. I am an elder in my church, I teach, I sing, I play music…” Paul said something similar:
“…Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” (Philippians 3:5-6)
Paul was chosen of God, an elite, blameless and holy, doing the work of God. However, he continues with this:
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”(Philippians 3:7-9)
Maybe you should read that again. Paul said that ALL THINGS are rubbish when compared to the Holy One of Israel. Food, drink, clothing, shelter, fame, fortune, family, friends, and love are all worthless, because we are not saved by such things that perish when we leave this earth, but by the “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:19) Oh how unworthy are we to receive such mercy from a man who, while we spit on Him, beat Him, nailed His hands to a cross, and mocked Him, faced the wrath of God on our behalf. He laid himself on an altar, with all of our sin upon His back, so that we could appear righteous before the throne of a just God. Our Almighty Father despised His son on that day, forsaking Him. His horrible and terrible wrath was brought in full on the brow of our blessed Savior. There was no amount of physical pain or torture we could have instilled upon Him that would compare to the pain of His Father’s wrath.
However, on the third day, Jesus rose from that place of death, and conquered it. He rose into the heavens to sit on that glorious throne and said, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” There He sits, interceding on our behalf to our Heavenly Father.
The Gospel is not a simple “God loves you” and a tract. It is a call to die to the world, and live a life of pain and suffering for the glory of God.
Jesus made some promises to those who wished to follow Him. Let’s take a look at them.
‘As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."’(Luke 9:57-62)
The first thing Jesus promised us is that we will have no physical rest. The Christian life is an ongoing battle with Satan and his armies, and there will be no end to it until Christ’s return. People will hate you, mock you, curse you, maybe even attack you. Jesus also promised us that we will have no time for friends and family ties. He is not commanding us to forsake our families and friends, but the Gospel comes first. Let the “dead bury their own dead.” The third promise from Jesus is that we will have no chance to look back. If any of you regret making your decision to follow Christ, turn away now, because it will only get worse. A rich young ruler, who followed all the commandments since childhood, asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus said, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." The life of a Christian is not a life of material attachments. Are you ready to throw it all away for Him? How important are they to you? I remember a story of three Indian missionaries who had been called to preach the gospel in a town 1500 miles away. They had no money for a train, or even food or rent. Everyone told them not to go, that they should stay home. They said this: “If we have no money for a train, we will walk. If one of us becomes sick and dies on the way, we will bury him on the roadside, and the rest of us will continue on. If only one of us survives the journey and reaches Rajasthan and places only one gospel tract on the hot desert sand of that state before he dies, we will have fulfilled our mission, and we will have obeyed our Lord.”
In Nicaragua, I saw people walking three or four miles just to get to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. In America, people won’t even drive two miles to get to church on Easter. Before you can truly obey Christ, you must learn the nature of suffering.
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
The Founder of Gospel for Asia, K.P. Yohannan says this: we should accept suffering as a normal part of Christian life is the same as a mother accepting labor as a part of having a baby. It must happen in order to bring us life.
I don’t want you all to quit Christianity because it seems like a death march. What I have described to you is the Christian walk as the world sees it, but beyond the world, there is a far greater experience in store for all of you.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
Romans 6:1-11 answers the question, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” However, a look at the answer gives us a look at what “sharing” with Christ really means.
“Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”(v. 3)
All those who wish to follow Christ must suffer as Christ suffered, and must die as Christ died. You must put to death all of your flesh. Let’s look at what happens after we are baptized into death.
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”(v. 4)
What a glorious message this is! Once we die to our flesh, we are baptized into a new life, a life of glory and power and resurrection that cannot be quenched by any worldly authority.
“If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”(vv. 5-11)
I will conclude my message with this: without death and suffering, you cannot live. However, when you do take on the baptism unto death, you will receive a life that you never imagined could fill you. Everything you dreamed of, everything you planned to do in life, will no longer matter because God made you a new creature, glorious and majestic in His eyes. Allow Him to fill you, and live the life of the Spirit.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Closet Christians: The Importance of Secrecy
The text I am using as a basis for this article is Matthew 6:1-18. Please read this and allow God to speak to your heart before carefully considering this article.
When I first repented and put my faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, my instinct was to show everyone around me how God changed me. I observed all the dedicated Christians around me, and for a long time, I practiced a "monkey see monkey do" philosophy, attempting to move from glory to glory through the acceptance of my spiritual authorities. I felt that by going through the motions I could gain God's approval, that he would be pleased with me. After a rude awakening one night, I realized that this is far from the truth.
As I was praying, God began to ask me, "Who are you?" He led me through a series of scriptures and showed me the true path to His pleasure and goodwill, and, several years later, after reading the aforementioned passage today, I feel the Holy Spirit pulling on my heart to share with you all God's Word on this subject.
The first concept we must learn is that works and salvation do not mix. We are all conceived in sin(Psalm 51:5) and cannot meet the level of expectation that God has for entrance into heaven. However, Jesus was delivered over for our sins, and raised for our justification. We have exchanged robes with Christ, putting on His righteousness as He bears our transgressions(Romans 4:25). As the wrath of God came upon our blessed Savior, it becomes clear that works cannot save us. If this were true, man would be doomed, for no one has kept the Law(John 7:19;Romans 3:23), but Christ died so that the Law may be fulfilled(Matt. 5:17). The way to salvation in Jesus is repentance from "dead" works and faith in Him(Heb. 6:1).
What does this mean? That before God, our works are "filthy rags."(Is. 64:6)The more we try to impress others with our good deeds and faithful practices, the more worthless our faith truly becomes. Does this mean that God doesn't want us to do His will? Of course not! But once we realize the importance of the above Scriptures, we have the basis to form the right motive for our actions: to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God(Rom. 12:1). Suddenly our actions take worth to God as seen several times in Matthew 6:1-18: "...and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you"
Therefore Jesus gives us specific warning to keep certain actions in the closet, or else our Father will not reward us. Alms giving, Prayer, and Fasting are important "closet" activities. The hypocrites will wish to show everyone that they fervently do these things, that you may label them a passionate servant, because they fear that you can see through them, into their home lives, where sin runs rampant. Does this mean we may never pray in public? No, because sometimes, prayer in public is just what the Holy Spirit use to reach out to hearts and convict of sin. However, you should be wary enough of your actions to practice humility in all manners of publicity.
With the right motive, and the right approach, our actions clearly have one purpose, to glorify God. It is when God gets glory that man is rewarded in heaven, which is exactly why Jesus leads us to the very next passage, which says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21
In His Service,
Levi Gray
When I first repented and put my faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, my instinct was to show everyone around me how God changed me. I observed all the dedicated Christians around me, and for a long time, I practiced a "monkey see monkey do" philosophy, attempting to move from glory to glory through the acceptance of my spiritual authorities. I felt that by going through the motions I could gain God's approval, that he would be pleased with me. After a rude awakening one night, I realized that this is far from the truth.
As I was praying, God began to ask me, "Who are you?" He led me through a series of scriptures and showed me the true path to His pleasure and goodwill, and, several years later, after reading the aforementioned passage today, I feel the Holy Spirit pulling on my heart to share with you all God's Word on this subject.
The first concept we must learn is that works and salvation do not mix. We are all conceived in sin(Psalm 51:5) and cannot meet the level of expectation that God has for entrance into heaven. However, Jesus was delivered over for our sins, and raised for our justification. We have exchanged robes with Christ, putting on His righteousness as He bears our transgressions(Romans 4:25). As the wrath of God came upon our blessed Savior, it becomes clear that works cannot save us. If this were true, man would be doomed, for no one has kept the Law(John 7:19;Romans 3:23), but Christ died so that the Law may be fulfilled(Matt. 5:17). The way to salvation in Jesus is repentance from "dead" works and faith in Him(Heb. 6:1).
What does this mean? That before God, our works are "filthy rags."(Is. 64:6)The more we try to impress others with our good deeds and faithful practices, the more worthless our faith truly becomes. Does this mean that God doesn't want us to do His will? Of course not! But once we realize the importance of the above Scriptures, we have the basis to form the right motive for our actions: to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God(Rom. 12:1). Suddenly our actions take worth to God as seen several times in Matthew 6:1-18: "...and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you"
Therefore Jesus gives us specific warning to keep certain actions in the closet, or else our Father will not reward us. Alms giving, Prayer, and Fasting are important "closet" activities. The hypocrites will wish to show everyone that they fervently do these things, that you may label them a passionate servant, because they fear that you can see through them, into their home lives, where sin runs rampant. Does this mean we may never pray in public? No, because sometimes, prayer in public is just what the Holy Spirit use to reach out to hearts and convict of sin. However, you should be wary enough of your actions to practice humility in all manners of publicity.
With the right motive, and the right approach, our actions clearly have one purpose, to glorify God. It is when God gets glory that man is rewarded in heaven, which is exactly why Jesus leads us to the very next passage, which says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Authority
God has laid it on my heart to write an article concerning Authority. After a deep period of study, I realized that no Christian can truly prosper without humility and submission to Authority in his/her life. Authority encompasses the believer's life, and the Bible mentions four different types of Authority that are relevant to the modern Christian. The first, and most important Authority, is the Authority(and Sufficiency) of Scripture.
The Authority of Scripture
It's so sad that the Church today has forgotten that there is a difference between what God deserves and what God is satisfied with. Because of this deadly ignorance, we handle the Holy things He has given us with irreverence and disorder. We proclaim dreams and visions that God has given us, and messages that He has spoken through us, when we can never be sure they are directly from Him. I recently fell prey to this error, completely ignoring my obligation to authority to do something I was sure the Holy Spirit had beckoned me to do. When I realized my error, my sorrow was great. Not just for what I had done to defy God's Word, but what we all have done, by putting our trust in ourselves, making the prideful assumption that we are holy enough to understand and interpret God's message. The solution to this problem of the wickedness and imperfection of man, is God’s holy word. Psalm 119:160 says of God, "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal." Since we cannot trust ourselves to say, hear, or do the right thing, we must rely on Scripture. The great thing is, Scripture is all we need. It is Sufficient; 2 Timothy 3:15-16 says, "...The holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." Every function of the Christian, and even of the entire body of Christ, must be held under the Authority of Scripture, so that it does not stray towards man’s agenda.
Recently, I have heard much about modern “prophets”, who are called to bring God’s message to the Church. However, the office of the prophet is much different today as it was in the founding of our Church. The early Christians did not have the complete Bible. In fact, some of them weren’t able to read any of the books of the New Testament. The New Testament prophets “filled the gap” by proclaiming God’s message to the people who would not have access to it otherwise. The last book of the New Testament (Revelation) was not completed until late in the first century. So, the Lord sent prophets to proclaimed God’s Word to His people. www.gotquestions.org, a wonderful online Bible resource, says this:
“If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need prophets if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible? If prophets were the “foundation” of the early church, are we still building the “foundation” today? Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver that message to others? Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy? No.”
About my earlier statement about dreams and visions, I am not saying that God does not give us dreams or visions. But the biblical way to handle dreams and visions is to keep quiet about them. Daniel is a wonderful example. After describing a dream he had, he mentioned, “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."(Daniel 7:28) Only when you cannot interpret them yourself, should you ask an authority to help you.
We must realize the importance of keeping the Word of God as Supreme Authority over our lives. Read Ephesians 6 and you will notice that the only weapon we have against Satan is the Word of God.
Authority of Parents
Many Christians fail to recognize that disobedience to parents is sin. If you disobey your parents, God will see you no differently than if you were a murderer. Many people use the excuse, “But my parents are so stupid! They don’t make sense!” Observe this Scripture carefully. This Scripture says all that is necessary for you to hear.
1 Peter 2:18-21
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Governing Authorities
Most of us are familiar with this Scripture:
1 Peter 2:13
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
I cannot urge you strongly enough to obey the laws that your governing authorities have set forth. Unless it impedes God’s will and law, you must submit yourself to them. This is God’s warning to those who do not obey;
Romans 13:1-3
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
If you break a law, even something as small as speeding, regardless of whether you are caught or not, you are rebelling against God Himself. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, "For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”
Pastoral or Leadership Authorities
1 Peter 2:25
For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Obviously, this Scripture is focused on the justification of Christ, who is described in the previous verse as bearing our sins so that we ma die to sin and live to righteousness. But I want you to look at the implications of God being our Shepherd; it is clear that the shepherd of the flock protects the sheep, keeping them from going astray and walking far from the path of righteousness. The same can be said of the shepherds called into the Church, the pastors and ministers that God has set over us. We are to obey them and to trust their guidance, as it is(should be) rooted in Scripture. To stray from the guidance of our pastors and ministry leaders is to stray from the path of righteousness. If you feel that your pastor is not guiding you according to Scripture, I suggest you find a new pastor.
Also, the pastor’s job is to equip and lead the body, not to feed the body. You must understand that man makes mistakes, and you must study Scriptures to help you better understand your Pastor’s sermons. You still have the obligation to daily study the Scriptures to show yourself approved to God, and to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. May God bless you all, and may you all live your lives in humility and submission, for the glory of God, and to esteem the cross of Christ above all else.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
The Authority of Scripture
It's so sad that the Church today has forgotten that there is a difference between what God deserves and what God is satisfied with. Because of this deadly ignorance, we handle the Holy things He has given us with irreverence and disorder. We proclaim dreams and visions that God has given us, and messages that He has spoken through us, when we can never be sure they are directly from Him. I recently fell prey to this error, completely ignoring my obligation to authority to do something I was sure the Holy Spirit had beckoned me to do. When I realized my error, my sorrow was great. Not just for what I had done to defy God's Word, but what we all have done, by putting our trust in ourselves, making the prideful assumption that we are holy enough to understand and interpret God's message. The solution to this problem of the wickedness and imperfection of man, is God’s holy word. Psalm 119:160 says of God, "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal." Since we cannot trust ourselves to say, hear, or do the right thing, we must rely on Scripture. The great thing is, Scripture is all we need. It is Sufficient; 2 Timothy 3:15-16 says, "...The holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." Every function of the Christian, and even of the entire body of Christ, must be held under the Authority of Scripture, so that it does not stray towards man’s agenda.
Recently, I have heard much about modern “prophets”, who are called to bring God’s message to the Church. However, the office of the prophet is much different today as it was in the founding of our Church. The early Christians did not have the complete Bible. In fact, some of them weren’t able to read any of the books of the New Testament. The New Testament prophets “filled the gap” by proclaiming God’s message to the people who would not have access to it otherwise. The last book of the New Testament (Revelation) was not completed until late in the first century. So, the Lord sent prophets to proclaimed God’s Word to His people. www.gotquestions.org, a wonderful online Bible resource, says this:
“If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need prophets if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible? If prophets were the “foundation” of the early church, are we still building the “foundation” today? Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver that message to others? Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy? No.”
About my earlier statement about dreams and visions, I am not saying that God does not give us dreams or visions. But the biblical way to handle dreams and visions is to keep quiet about them. Daniel is a wonderful example. After describing a dream he had, he mentioned, “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."(Daniel 7:28) Only when you cannot interpret them yourself, should you ask an authority to help you.
We must realize the importance of keeping the Word of God as Supreme Authority over our lives. Read Ephesians 6 and you will notice that the only weapon we have against Satan is the Word of God.
Authority of Parents
Many Christians fail to recognize that disobedience to parents is sin. If you disobey your parents, God will see you no differently than if you were a murderer. Many people use the excuse, “But my parents are so stupid! They don’t make sense!” Observe this Scripture carefully. This Scripture says all that is necessary for you to hear.
1 Peter 2:18-21
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Governing Authorities
Most of us are familiar with this Scripture:
1 Peter 2:13
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
I cannot urge you strongly enough to obey the laws that your governing authorities have set forth. Unless it impedes God’s will and law, you must submit yourself to them. This is God’s warning to those who do not obey;
Romans 13:1-3
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
If you break a law, even something as small as speeding, regardless of whether you are caught or not, you are rebelling against God Himself. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, "For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”
Pastoral or Leadership Authorities
1 Peter 2:25
For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Obviously, this Scripture is focused on the justification of Christ, who is described in the previous verse as bearing our sins so that we ma die to sin and live to righteousness. But I want you to look at the implications of God being our Shepherd; it is clear that the shepherd of the flock protects the sheep, keeping them from going astray and walking far from the path of righteousness. The same can be said of the shepherds called into the Church, the pastors and ministers that God has set over us. We are to obey them and to trust their guidance, as it is(should be) rooted in Scripture. To stray from the guidance of our pastors and ministry leaders is to stray from the path of righteousness. If you feel that your pastor is not guiding you according to Scripture, I suggest you find a new pastor.
Also, the pastor’s job is to equip and lead the body, not to feed the body. You must understand that man makes mistakes, and you must study Scriptures to help you better understand your Pastor’s sermons. You still have the obligation to daily study the Scriptures to show yourself approved to God, and to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. May God bless you all, and may you all live your lives in humility and submission, for the glory of God, and to esteem the cross of Christ above all else.
In His Service,
Levi Gray
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Contraception:Satan's Hidden Agenda?
I've met, in these three wonderful years of being born again, several Christians who understand that abortion is wrong, but believe that using contraception is an acceptable practice. Such a belief couldn't be further from the truth, and if you believe that statement to be true, then you do not understand God's perspective on the sanctity of life. Why is abortion wrong? Because God cherishes and sustains life before conception. Jeremiah 1:5 says...
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations..."
God had a plan for that child to grow up and serve Him. Therefore contraception must also be wrong. Why? Because it attempts to halt or prevent the development of life in the womb, that God planned for. Do any of you know why we can use contraception legally in America? Because of a woman named Margaret Sanger, founder of the American Birth Control League, later known as Planned Parenthood, the United States' leading provider of surgical abortions. Sanger, who, according to popular opinion, is one of the most influential people in history, stood up against the pro-conception ideals of that era, and called for reform. She wrote the book, A Woman Rebel, to convince women that the choice to have a child is not God's but theirs. Isaiah 30:1 says:
"Woe to the obstinate children,"
declares the LORD,
"to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;"
Those plans encompass every aspect of your life, including having children. And another thing: Both abortion and contraception have the same objectives, to end life; They also justify themselves with the same reasons: A WOMAN'S CHOICE. Paul said in Galatians 1:6:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."
America is being thrown into confusion, and is turning to a different gospel--what TIME Magazine calls "the gospel of voluntary motherhood." We must all repent of this, and turn America back to the cross of Christ, because Paul warns us of what will happen if we continue in our wicked ways:
(Galatians 1:9)
"As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted(received), let him be eternally condemned.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations..."
God had a plan for that child to grow up and serve Him. Therefore contraception must also be wrong. Why? Because it attempts to halt or prevent the development of life in the womb, that God planned for. Do any of you know why we can use contraception legally in America? Because of a woman named Margaret Sanger, founder of the American Birth Control League, later known as Planned Parenthood, the United States' leading provider of surgical abortions. Sanger, who, according to popular opinion, is one of the most influential people in history, stood up against the pro-conception ideals of that era, and called for reform. She wrote the book, A Woman Rebel, to convince women that the choice to have a child is not God's but theirs. Isaiah 30:1 says:
"Woe to the obstinate children,"
declares the LORD,
"to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;"
Those plans encompass every aspect of your life, including having children. And another thing: Both abortion and contraception have the same objectives, to end life; They also justify themselves with the same reasons: A WOMAN'S CHOICE. Paul said in Galatians 1:6:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."
America is being thrown into confusion, and is turning to a different gospel--what TIME Magazine calls "the gospel of voluntary motherhood." We must all repent of this, and turn America back to the cross of Christ, because Paul warns us of what will happen if we continue in our wicked ways:
(Galatians 1:9)
"As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted(received), let him be eternally condemned.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Fall of Man
We live in a world deprived of justice, saturated in temptation, and void of life. We recognize it as common living, but I am filled with sorrow to say that the world is no longer at peace with God.
Though it may seem hateful, judgemental, I must speak, I must stand for what the world has lost.
Homosexuality, the mindset that denies existence, stands as a blatant insult to God's Word.
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."Lev. 18:22
Man was not created to "know" other men. They do not give birth, and have no purpose to mate.
"Be fruitful and multiply."Gen. 1:28
Abortion, the Goliath standing as an affront to life, is simply outrageous. Can you stand to murder a child? Do you view a frail fetus in a womb as a piece of trash? You who support this heinous crime, are denying the basic human right to life.
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."Deut. 30:19
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5
Evolution, the lie that persists after loss. For evolution to be possible, there must be thousands, even millions of transitional fossils to show a growth towards Man. Not one exists. Spontaneous generation is life from non-living matter. The foolish peasants of old thought mice came from grain bags, flies from rotting meat, frogs from ponds. Louis Pasteur proved this wrong. Will you beleive it still?
"Wisdom calls aloud in the street,
she raises her voice in the public squares;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
'How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge? ' " Prov. 1:20-22
You who deny the existence of God, you ignore the very essence of this world. When you see a building, do you think to yourself, There is no builder? Of course not! Do you have proof that the builder exists? Yes, it is the house that proves the builder's existence. The same theory applies with the world. In itself, there is proof of God.
"My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."
Levi Gray
Though it may seem hateful, judgemental, I must speak, I must stand for what the world has lost.
Homosexuality, the mindset that denies existence, stands as a blatant insult to God's Word.
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."Lev. 18:22
Man was not created to "know" other men. They do not give birth, and have no purpose to mate.
"Be fruitful and multiply."Gen. 1:28
Abortion, the Goliath standing as an affront to life, is simply outrageous. Can you stand to murder a child? Do you view a frail fetus in a womb as a piece of trash? You who support this heinous crime, are denying the basic human right to life.
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."Deut. 30:19
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5
Evolution, the lie that persists after loss. For evolution to be possible, there must be thousands, even millions of transitional fossils to show a growth towards Man. Not one exists. Spontaneous generation is life from non-living matter. The foolish peasants of old thought mice came from grain bags, flies from rotting meat, frogs from ponds. Louis Pasteur proved this wrong. Will you beleive it still?
"Wisdom calls aloud in the street,
she raises her voice in the public squares;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
'How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge? ' " Prov. 1:20-22
You who deny the existence of God, you ignore the very essence of this world. When you see a building, do you think to yourself, There is no builder? Of course not! Do you have proof that the builder exists? Yes, it is the house that proves the builder's existence. The same theory applies with the world. In itself, there is proof of God.
"My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."
Levi Gray
The Great Commission
Hello, Christians.
I want to bring forth to you another proclamation.
Romans 10:13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Most of you are familiar with this concept, but there’s a small problem. You see, many Christians stop there, without going any further. But that’s not the rest of the story…
Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? Even as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
This may be uncomfortable news, but you are commanded to preach the Gospel to all creatures, as it is said in Mark 16:15, and most of you don’t. When was the last time you went out to an abortion clinic, a gay pride event, or even a mall to share the Good News with others? Some of you have never gone. Has it never occurred to you that there are thousands, millions going to Hell and you never even attempted to save any of them? I’ve heard Christians say that preaching the Gospel is hateful, and that we should simply witness to them through our love. That is fool’s speech! True hatred is when you watch your friend descend into Hell and do nothing about it! I’ve realized that the Church today has always been fine with rebuking a liar, a thief, or a disobedient child. But what they’ve been silent about for so long is that abortions take place everyday, homosexuality runs rampant, and false religion is now accepted. But the irony is that the three things the Church has been silent about have become the biggest threat to Christians today!
Isaiah 30:1-3 Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, (2) that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! (3) Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
I know I probably over quote this Scripture, but this is very important. The very thing Israel rebelled against God for was the very thing that would become its downfall. The Church has attempted to befriend the world to avoid persecution and hardships, and in turn, God has allowed giants to rise up against the rebellious people.
Personally, I don’t believe that these three problems will ever atrophy, because God has set forth the events that foretell Christ’s coming.
Matthew 24:6-7 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
All these things have come to pass, and the end of our lives on Earth is soon. So, continuing my point, we probably won’t be able to quench Hell’s flames in the world anymore, but our job now is to stand up and fight. I believe that in Matthew 16, when Jesus told Peter “upon this rock I will build my Church” and that the “gates of Hell shall not prevail against it,” that He meant that the Church would be at the very gates of Hell, fighting the good fight. Sadly, Christ assumed we would take up our arms and fight. But, the Church turned tail and fled, and because of this, the gates of Hell have widened. Please, Christians, I plead with you, stand while you have the chance! Be laborers of the harvest! I will close with this Scripture. Meditate on it, and decide for yourself, will you watch the world die and do nothing about it?
John 9:4 We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Levi Gray
I want to bring forth to you another proclamation.
Romans 10:13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Most of you are familiar with this concept, but there’s a small problem. You see, many Christians stop there, without going any further. But that’s not the rest of the story…
Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? Even as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
This may be uncomfortable news, but you are commanded to preach the Gospel to all creatures, as it is said in Mark 16:15, and most of you don’t. When was the last time you went out to an abortion clinic, a gay pride event, or even a mall to share the Good News with others? Some of you have never gone. Has it never occurred to you that there are thousands, millions going to Hell and you never even attempted to save any of them? I’ve heard Christians say that preaching the Gospel is hateful, and that we should simply witness to them through our love. That is fool’s speech! True hatred is when you watch your friend descend into Hell and do nothing about it! I’ve realized that the Church today has always been fine with rebuking a liar, a thief, or a disobedient child. But what they’ve been silent about for so long is that abortions take place everyday, homosexuality runs rampant, and false religion is now accepted. But the irony is that the three things the Church has been silent about have become the biggest threat to Christians today!
Isaiah 30:1-3 Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, (2) that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! (3) Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
I know I probably over quote this Scripture, but this is very important. The very thing Israel rebelled against God for was the very thing that would become its downfall. The Church has attempted to befriend the world to avoid persecution and hardships, and in turn, God has allowed giants to rise up against the rebellious people.
Personally, I don’t believe that these three problems will ever atrophy, because God has set forth the events that foretell Christ’s coming.
Matthew 24:6-7 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
All these things have come to pass, and the end of our lives on Earth is soon. So, continuing my point, we probably won’t be able to quench Hell’s flames in the world anymore, but our job now is to stand up and fight. I believe that in Matthew 16, when Jesus told Peter “upon this rock I will build my Church” and that the “gates of Hell shall not prevail against it,” that He meant that the Church would be at the very gates of Hell, fighting the good fight. Sadly, Christ assumed we would take up our arms and fight. But, the Church turned tail and fled, and because of this, the gates of Hell have widened. Please, Christians, I plead with you, stand while you have the chance! Be laborers of the harvest! I will close with this Scripture. Meditate on it, and decide for yourself, will you watch the world die and do nothing about it?
John 9:4 We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Levi Gray
The "Hype" Ministry
I am posting this only for those who understand that this is not meant to condemn, but to correct, certain "ministries" that God has revealed to me are at fault.
I will not specifically point out these ministries for the purpose of encouraging and uplifting them, and hopefully those who read this will inform all they can about these truths that are evident not only in God's voice through me, but through Scripture as well. God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
These ministries that I am speaking of look radical, hip, and on fire for God, but they are only as effective as the hype they build theirselves up on. "Hype" is the keyword.
Before I go any further I want to share personal experience with you, without revealing too much about the ministry itself.
I've seen literally millions of teenagers come to see these ministries worship, preach, and pray. They are so upbeat, so sincere. The teenagers love it. And a lot of adults too. At the conferences, it's great to see such craziness and hyperactivity among Christians. I was ecstatic. Until we went back to our churches. What I saw was depressing.
A song is played, an older song, and the church begins to worship. It's beautiful to see God's people together worshipping. Then a song specifically designed by this ministry began playing. It was as if a switch was turned on in the children's mind, and they began dancing and shouting as if God had just showed up for this particular song. I couldn't believe my eyes. These kids are being almost brainwashed. Under normal conditions, they act nonchalant, as if nothing was happening. But when they hear a certain word or a certain song, they go nuts.
You're thinking, "no big deal", right? At least they're worshipping! Wrong! God wants all your worship all the time!
The worst part, though, is just the hype. These teenagers become blind to the will of God! The begin praying for miracles and signs and wonders, but they all forget the importance of God's word. Many who I have confronted say that the Word is just as important, but I can see by their fruits they are lying. The look in their eyes is much different when they hear this "hype" than when the Bible is being quoted.
This is very scattered and possibly illogical to you, but I need to get this down in writing so I will remember it. I don't know how to word what God is telling me. This is as close as I can get so far. With more fasting and prayer, I hope I can make you understand more.
I will not specifically point out these ministries for the purpose of encouraging and uplifting them, and hopefully those who read this will inform all they can about these truths that are evident not only in God's voice through me, but through Scripture as well. God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
These ministries that I am speaking of look radical, hip, and on fire for God, but they are only as effective as the hype they build theirselves up on. "Hype" is the keyword.
Before I go any further I want to share personal experience with you, without revealing too much about the ministry itself.
I've seen literally millions of teenagers come to see these ministries worship, preach, and pray. They are so upbeat, so sincere. The teenagers love it. And a lot of adults too. At the conferences, it's great to see such craziness and hyperactivity among Christians. I was ecstatic. Until we went back to our churches. What I saw was depressing.
A song is played, an older song, and the church begins to worship. It's beautiful to see God's people together worshipping. Then a song specifically designed by this ministry began playing. It was as if a switch was turned on in the children's mind, and they began dancing and shouting as if God had just showed up for this particular song. I couldn't believe my eyes. These kids are being almost brainwashed. Under normal conditions, they act nonchalant, as if nothing was happening. But when they hear a certain word or a certain song, they go nuts.
You're thinking, "no big deal", right? At least they're worshipping! Wrong! God wants all your worship all the time!
The worst part, though, is just the hype. These teenagers become blind to the will of God! The begin praying for miracles and signs and wonders, but they all forget the importance of God's word. Many who I have confronted say that the Word is just as important, but I can see by their fruits they are lying. The look in their eyes is much different when they hear this "hype" than when the Bible is being quoted.
This is very scattered and possibly illogical to you, but I need to get this down in writing so I will remember it. I don't know how to word what God is telling me. This is as close as I can get so far. With more fasting and prayer, I hope I can make you understand more.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
God's Plan For Teens
During worship last Sunday and I was praying, and Jesus appeared to me. It wasn't a vision, or a dream, just an image in my head. I had just repented of thinking too much of myself, mind you. Christ Himself sat in front of me at a desk, and I told Him, "Lord, Take my thoughts, take it all, just throw it away. What is on your agenda for me?" He pulled out a Bible, mine in fact, and said, "Preach that," tapping on it repeatedly.
I was amazed at this. It was such a simple concept, but the fact that God had to tell me left me dumbfounded. I was powerfully inspired. But then I realized that it is a commandment for all people.
But I've challenged myself to find out God's plan for my generation, because with the impurity of the media today, Christian teens are getting confused.
God's Plan For Teens
1. Study and Preach The Word
This was what God initially showed me to begin my meditations. It is also the most important one. What better way to know God's plan than to see how His people followed(and strayed from) His commandments? The most important thing in the Bible to preach is what the world needs most: The Gospel. The rest of His Holy Word is also important, but the first thing in God's agenda for the streets of America is the Gospel. Let our voices resound!
2. Protect Your Birthright
Flip Benham introduced this to me in February of last year, but it wasn't until recently that God showed me this was important. You see, Satan is comforting America, seducing it into laziness, so that he can take our birthrights, God's Word, right from under our noses. How do you protect your birthright? By standing against the demonic principalities in this nation, and clench the Word tightly in our palms. We are in a spiritual tug of war with Satan, but with God on our side, we will always prevail. God hated Esau, because Esau despised his birthright for a simple temporal pleasure. Hold on until the end.
3. Discipline
One of the reasons that teens fail in the battle against the world is the lack of discipline. But there are two types of discipline that are needed to maintain purity, which is the "titanium alloy" in the Armor of God. The first type of discipline is outer discipline. You need to challenge your spiritual authorities and your physical authorities(your parents) to discipline you and to do what they can to keep you away from temptation to do evil. I was addicted to pornography since the 7th grade, and I was battling well until I bought a computer with Internet on it. Was it the Internet that caused me to sin again? No, I fell back into the darkness of pornography because I didn't tell my father that I had a problem with it. But, with the help of a friend, I confronted my father and told him that unless he put restrictions on my Internet use(He put a password on my computer) I would not be able to efficiently maintain my relationship with God. Something I learned about being saved is that you have to FORCE YOURSELF OUT OF SIN. You are human and you will sin every now and then. That's why you should NEVER TRUST YOURSELF. God says in Isaiah 30:1:
Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
4.Arm Yourselves
While the previous tasks in God's agenda for teens help us to arm ourselves, I want to emphasize this concept. Ephesians 6 speaks of the Armor of God, which is what I will describe to you to conclude this declaration. First I want you to notice that before Paul tells about the armor, he commands us to both be obedient to our parents and to obey our masters. These are both required to maintain your armor. Without humility and obedience, your armor will rust and decay.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This is important for you to identify the enemy. We don't want to destroy the abortionists, the homosexuals, or the Islamic nation. We wish to save the abortionists and destroy abortion, save the homosexuals and destroy homosexuality, save Muslims and destroy Islam. Remember this when you declare the Word. Focus on the demons in the person, not the person themselves.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth...
Truth is what holds us together as Christians. Without your belt of truth, you may be embarrassed when declaring God's Word, if you catch my pun. Remain truthful.
....having put on the breastplate of righteousness,...
When you stand for righteousness, put it on display against the demonic principalities this world, God will use that to protect the most vital part of your spiritual body: your heart. Keep it pure, keep it strong.
....and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;...
Why is it, when speaking about the gospel, would Paul use feet as an example? Because, to prepare to spread the gospel, you must first, as Christ said, go out into the world. This means that your witnessing should not be exclusive to the computer in your room.
...above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one...
Faith is your ally. When you truly believe in your heart that Christ defeated death and can defeat anything else, Satan will never be able to defeat you. He might as well pack his bags.
...And take the helmet of salvation...
The mind is the path which Satan usually takes to deceive Christians today. But when you are saved, you can allow Christ to crown you with this helmet. When Satan deploys his arrows, there is no promise you will not fear it's descent towards your head, or that you won't feel the pain as it rattles against the helmet, but your mind will be protected from fatal wound. But that doesn't mean you don't have the responsibility to protect your mind.
...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The same sword which pierces your heart in times can and should be used to destroy the principalities. Not only must we be protected, but we must put ourselves on the offensive for God.
Will you obey God's plan for you, teens?
Will you share God's plan for your teens, parents?
I was amazed at this. It was such a simple concept, but the fact that God had to tell me left me dumbfounded. I was powerfully inspired. But then I realized that it is a commandment for all people.
But I've challenged myself to find out God's plan for my generation, because with the impurity of the media today, Christian teens are getting confused.
God's Plan For Teens
1. Study and Preach The Word
This was what God initially showed me to begin my meditations. It is also the most important one. What better way to know God's plan than to see how His people followed(and strayed from) His commandments? The most important thing in the Bible to preach is what the world needs most: The Gospel. The rest of His Holy Word is also important, but the first thing in God's agenda for the streets of America is the Gospel. Let our voices resound!
2. Protect Your Birthright
Flip Benham introduced this to me in February of last year, but it wasn't until recently that God showed me this was important. You see, Satan is comforting America, seducing it into laziness, so that he can take our birthrights, God's Word, right from under our noses. How do you protect your birthright? By standing against the demonic principalities in this nation, and clench the Word tightly in our palms. We are in a spiritual tug of war with Satan, but with God on our side, we will always prevail. God hated Esau, because Esau despised his birthright for a simple temporal pleasure. Hold on until the end.
3. Discipline
One of the reasons that teens fail in the battle against the world is the lack of discipline. But there are two types of discipline that are needed to maintain purity, which is the "titanium alloy" in the Armor of God. The first type of discipline is outer discipline. You need to challenge your spiritual authorities and your physical authorities(your parents) to discipline you and to do what they can to keep you away from temptation to do evil. I was addicted to pornography since the 7th grade, and I was battling well until I bought a computer with Internet on it. Was it the Internet that caused me to sin again? No, I fell back into the darkness of pornography because I didn't tell my father that I had a problem with it. But, with the help of a friend, I confronted my father and told him that unless he put restrictions on my Internet use(He put a password on my computer) I would not be able to efficiently maintain my relationship with God. Something I learned about being saved is that you have to FORCE YOURSELF OUT OF SIN. You are human and you will sin every now and then. That's why you should NEVER TRUST YOURSELF. God says in Isaiah 30:1:
Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
4.Arm Yourselves
While the previous tasks in God's agenda for teens help us to arm ourselves, I want to emphasize this concept. Ephesians 6 speaks of the Armor of God, which is what I will describe to you to conclude this declaration. First I want you to notice that before Paul tells about the armor, he commands us to both be obedient to our parents and to obey our masters. These are both required to maintain your armor. Without humility and obedience, your armor will rust and decay.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This is important for you to identify the enemy. We don't want to destroy the abortionists, the homosexuals, or the Islamic nation. We wish to save the abortionists and destroy abortion, save the homosexuals and destroy homosexuality, save Muslims and destroy Islam. Remember this when you declare the Word. Focus on the demons in the person, not the person themselves.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth...
Truth is what holds us together as Christians. Without your belt of truth, you may be embarrassed when declaring God's Word, if you catch my pun. Remain truthful.
....having put on the breastplate of righteousness,...
When you stand for righteousness, put it on display against the demonic principalities this world, God will use that to protect the most vital part of your spiritual body: your heart. Keep it pure, keep it strong.
....and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;...
Why is it, when speaking about the gospel, would Paul use feet as an example? Because, to prepare to spread the gospel, you must first, as Christ said, go out into the world. This means that your witnessing should not be exclusive to the computer in your room.
...above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one...
Faith is your ally. When you truly believe in your heart that Christ defeated death and can defeat anything else, Satan will never be able to defeat you. He might as well pack his bags.
...And take the helmet of salvation...
The mind is the path which Satan usually takes to deceive Christians today. But when you are saved, you can allow Christ to crown you with this helmet. When Satan deploys his arrows, there is no promise you will not fear it's descent towards your head, or that you won't feel the pain as it rattles against the helmet, but your mind will be protected from fatal wound. But that doesn't mean you don't have the responsibility to protect your mind.
...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The same sword which pierces your heart in times can and should be used to destroy the principalities. Not only must we be protected, but we must put ourselves on the offensive for God.
Will you obey God's plan for you, teens?
Will you share God's plan for your teens, parents?
Monday, August 20, 2007
God's Trust
Recently I was asking the Lord how I could rise up another level spiritually, and become closer to Him. Then He told me something that changed my way of thinking.
He told me that "levels" are silly. There are no measures to the closeness we have to the Father. In fact, we each have a personal relationship with Him that cannot be compared to another's relationship, only the Word of God.
So how could the apostles do signs and wonders when we can't? The things you are spiritually capable of aren't measured by your closeness to God, but how much God trusts you to do His Will. It's almost like getting a job at McDonald's. You can't just become CEO of a corporation by applying for it. You have to start at the low-end, entry-level jobs, until the company trusts you enough to work in a more sophisticated, higher-paying job. The process continues until the company trust you to be the head. God feels the same. He won't give you the power to heal people in wheelchairs if you aren't even willing to witness to others.
So you must find out what God wants you to do through three things:
1. Reading the Word. God has intimately breathed the Word into existence through His followers. It's purpose is to convey His Will to you, and to inform you of the things that God loves, and hates. He has a purpose for each letter of the Bible in your life. Just taking that and studying it is sure to bringing you to a deeper understanding of His Will.
2.Prayer. True and humble communication with God is the only way to maintain a personal relationship with Him. How can you truly love and serve God if you can't talk to Him constantly? Also, God doesn't want you to think of
Him as your overseer, but as your Father. My next email will be a description of His opinion in that matter.
3.Opportunity. It is so easy to find God's Will if you pay attention each and everyday to what's happening around you. Through conversation, inspiration, or just actions, you can show people the authenticity of a true relationship with Christ.
So, just do these things, and God will begin to show you the things of His heart, and he will reveal to you blessings and glory.
In Christ,
Levi Gray
Levi Gray
The Unnatural Masterpiece
He told me that "levels" are silly. There are no measures to the closeness we have to the Father. In fact, we each have a personal relationship with Him that cannot be compared to another's relationship, only the Word of God.
So how could the apostles do signs and wonders when we can't? The things you are spiritually capable of aren't measured by your closeness to God, but how much God trusts you to do His Will. It's almost like getting a job at McDonald's. You can't just become CEO of a corporation by applying for it. You have to start at the low-end, entry-level jobs, until the company trusts you enough to work in a more sophisticated, higher-paying job. The process continues until the company trust you to be the head. God feels the same. He won't give you the power to heal people in wheelchairs if you aren't even willing to witness to others.
So you must find out what God wants you to do through three things:
1. Reading the Word. God has intimately breathed the Word into existence through His followers. It's purpose is to convey His Will to you, and to inform you of the things that God loves, and hates. He has a purpose for each letter of the Bible in your life. Just taking that and studying it is sure to bringing you to a deeper understanding of His Will.
2.Prayer. True and humble communication with God is the only way to maintain a personal relationship with Him. How can you truly love and serve God if you can't talk to Him constantly? Also, God doesn't want you to think of
Him as your overseer, but as your Father. My next email will be a description of His opinion in that matter.
3.Opportunity. It is so easy to find God's Will if you pay attention each and everyday to what's happening around you. Through conversation, inspiration, or just actions, you can show people the authenticity of a true relationship with Christ.
So, just do these things, and God will begin to show you the things of His heart, and he will reveal to you blessings and glory.
In Christ,
Levi Gray
Levi Gray
The Unnatural Masterpiece
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