Monday, October 28, 2019

Identified by Faith Kept by Grace



When I think about how hard I struggle with sin and giving glory to God, I have so much trouble accepting Paul’s statement from Romans 5:1a, “Therefore, having been justified by faith. . .”

 As you think about the definition of Justify, do you have trouble applying the definition to yourself? Justify means, "just as if I never sinned, or ever will sin again.” Does this definition define your life? For most believers and followers it surely doesn’t.

Yet, Paul writes about justification and applies it to your life. The only way you can gain favor with God comes from your spirit person being perfect. God doesn’t remember your sin(s). He has removed your sin, and he has put those sins into the middle of his great big nowhere. Doesn’t it amaze you that a sovereign God who knows everything can’t remember your sin? God isn’t a man who can lie. He’s God! He knows everything but he can’t remember your sin. He said he can’t. Accept his justification and be empowered to do ministry.

Peace with God

Another thing Paul tells you in verse 1, you have peace or favor with God. God is never out to get you. He plays on your team. He wants only good to happen. That’s why he sent Jesus. However, you live in a fallen world where Satan controls some of it. So things of the world may enter your life occasionally. Knowing that you are kept by grace gets you through the rough spots.

World peace may never happen, but your peaceful relationship with God can and does happen every minute. You can know that even in death you have peace. When your physical eyes close, your spiritual eyes open and you’re in the presence of greatness. You see yourself transformed into the image of the Trinity.

Guess what? That’s how God sees you NOW!

Gracefully Made

You chose to believe, had faith, that Jesus is who he says he is. He is your peace. It is in him you placed your faith. He. or his Spirit, becomes the one whom you follow without question. You give yourself completely to him, or do you? You know Jesus doesn’t want only weekend visits. He wants full custody. He’ll take your weekend visits, but full custody gets you all the benefits of his kingdom.
Your faith brings you into his grace. Here’s what most do not understand about grace.

GRACE GIVES YOU THE POWER AND DESIRE TO DO GOD’S WILL.

Your faith brings you to Christ by his wonderful grace, but it is by grace that you do your ministry. You are gracefully made. You have all the power you need to perform your ministry regardless of age—young or old. God, through his grace, gives you the desire to do ministry, too.

Paul says it this way, “the grace in which you stand.” That’s the power! You can stand firm planted in grace. Nothing can come close to you. You can only be defeated if you think you can. You have the power to stand.

However, and along with the power to stand, grace gives you the desire to serve. If you preach, you could preach for hours. You love it. But then, grace’s desire in you allows you to take the time to send text messages to a lonely teenager who has just lost a mate to suicide. That’s not a fun thing to do. However, grace gives you the desire to complete the task.

Grace goes with you as you visit a loved one in the hospital who is dying of cancer. That’s never fun or exciting. However, grace accompanies you, brings you through and lifts you beyond the pain and suffering caused.

You are gracefully made!

Kept by Grace

Not only does grace bring justification, right standing with God, grace keeps you justified. God’s grace keeps him from remembering your sin. God's grace allows him to cast your sin into the middle of his great big nowhere. It is because of his grace that you are able to stand in the hope of his glory.
Every second of your life as a follower of Christ, you are kept by his grace. The fiery darts of Satan bounce off you when you arm yourself with the knowledge of his grace. You are able to stand against any trial or temptation. Even when you cave in to sin, you still have grace on which to stand firm in your conviction that God has justified you.

If you are breathing, God has a purpose for you. His grace will give you the power and desire to carry out the mission he gives. His grace keeps you out of yet into. His grace can keep you out of temptation and sin. His grace keeps you into your ministry, his kingdom and ultimately into his heaven.

No matter what else happens in your life, you are kept by grace.

Rejoice in Glory

You walked into grace by your faith. Your grace causes you to rejoice in God’s glory. Grace brings you into a place of favor through your justification, and grace allows you to stand firm in belief and ministry. Further, knowing the power of grace allows much rejoicing in God’s glory.

You know God has glory, but do you know that you too have glory that you can rejoice in. Grace gives you hope that you can obtain to the glory of Jesus. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Because your eyes are veiled, now, you can only see God’s glory by your faith. However, as you mature and stand in grace, you begin to look like Christ. Every time you do something Christ like, you show the glory of God to those around.

Putting It Together

Your faith identifies you as a believer of Jesus. Your faith allows you to enter the grace of your Lord. His grace gives you the power and desire to do the will of Christ, and his grace allows you to walk hand and hand with Christ’s Spirit.

It is by God’s grace that you stand victorious over the enemy. Regardless of what the enemy tells you, you have won! Death has no hold on you because you have peace with God.

You are fearfully, wonderfully and gracefully made. You can stand confident in your abilities to do ministry, and you know his grace keeps you forever with him.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. If you have questions or comments, please leave them below. Until the next time,

Blessings,


Howard

PS: two things I would love for you to check out:
1. My free study on REST. Go here and ask for my free study.
2. My new novel, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. Go here.

Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.




Sunday, October 27, 2019

Believer or Follower



In Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Is it important to you in your ministry that Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. . .?"

I think he is telling his disciples and us that we can go in his authority and make disciples. That's why it is called the "Great Commission." You are commissioned to go forth under the authority of another, in this case the authority of Jesus.

Another thing important from this command--this isn't a suggestion but a command--is that the Greek form of the three verbs are similar to our English version of the present participle form of the verb, the "ing" form,
  • ·         Going
  • ·         Baptizing 
  • ·        Teaching.

Therefore Jesus says, "As you are going about your daily life use opportunities to make disciples. Once you make them, you can do the baptizing of them in the spirit and in water. Baptizing isn’t just the job of the pastor. You are commissioned to baptize disciples, too. And then you teach them how to be followers of Jesus. You do this by using the word of God and by example as well.

Basically, Jesus isn't saying to you that you must go to another country to keep the Great Commission. His words are present tense. As you go about your daily life, be intentional! Make and train others to be disciples.

Making disciples is intentional on your part. The total goal of the church becomes making disciples and training each one how to be a follower of Jesus.

Believer Verses Follower

Is there a difference between being a believer in or a follower of Jesus? There definitely is a difference. You can be a believer without being a follower. I have observed many believers  in church on Sunday morning who only warm a pew. They have no ministry other than going to church. Yes, they believe in Jesus, but do they allow him to direct their lives any other time?

A follower of Jesus allows the Holy Spirit to work through his/her giftedness and personality while he/she rests (a free copy of B. C. Ministries, Inc. study on rest available email us fish4days@gmail.com).  Many believers have a problem with allowing anyone to give him/her directions. How can one who is free allow another to boss them around.

Actually, Paul puts it this way, “For Freedom he has set you free. . .” (Galatians 5:1a). You can never experience freedom more than when you allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of your life:
  • ·         no law
  • ·         no religion
  • ·         all authority in ministry
  • ·         no worries about money for ministry
  • ·         he provides everything you need
  • ·         only takes faith

That’s the whole concept of rest. Rest means complete. You give the Spirit the right to direct your life. He’s your consultant, and he is free. You don’t have to pay him. You simply use your faith believing that he tells you the right things to do. Of course, he can’t tell you anything wrong to do!

A follower trusts

Paul says that you walk by faith not be sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When the Holy Spirit tells you something is going to happen, get ready because it will happen. Every area of my ministry, he has provided. I’m the least qualified minister in the world; however, he doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

Every believer has a ministry, a gift of service to the world (1 Peter 4:10). Your ministry will be to use your gifts, personality and passions to serve. You may never preach a sermon using words, but you will preach loudly to everyone who sees you in your daily routine if the Holy Spirit is directing your life.

You simply trust him to make your decisions. Take a second before you decide and ask, “Which decision do I make?

You are to be going about his business as you go about yours. You are constantly teaching even when you say nothing, and you can be baptizing with the Spirit by telling others about Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:13).

When you are a follower of Jesus, you allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life—rest complete in him. Rest requires trust. You trust him to make all your decisions. You know that he keeps you. You have confidence that you are performing the ministry he has given you.
If you have questions or comments, give them below. I answer!


Blessings,

Howard

***PS: I’d love for you to have a copy of my latest novel, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. Rufus, the main character’s life is controlled by rest. You can get your copy รจ click here.

Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Review: The Red-Haired Master Shepherd









Review: Novel The Red-Haired Master Shepherd




"A slight wisp of dust alerted Rufus of movement off in the distance. Most shepherds wouldn't have noticed. However, Rufus had trained himself to be alert to the slightest shifts and variances on the desert floor. Missing the smallest detail could spell disaster for the flock."


The above comes from The Red-Haired Master Shepherd, my latest novel. The novel takes a little known character from the Bible and weaves an intriguing story from it.

Rufus, the main character from the novel, can be found in Jerusalem on Friday, 30 AD. Jesus carries his cross up Golgotha Hill. As he struggles up the hill, he stumbles and falls under the load. A Roman Soldier forces a nearby observer to carry the cross. "They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (The father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross" (Mark 15:21).

Rufus once again is mentioned in the Bible by Paul in Romans, "Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine" (16:13).

From these two relative insignificant mentions of the man, Rufus, the author has woven an interesting story about how Rufus meets Jesus and then becomes a disciple of his during perilous times for one to be called a Christian. His chance meeting changed his life forever.

Not too unusual, since meeting Jesus should be a life-changing experience for each of us. However, for Rufus, it not only changed his life, it changed his occupation. He was a master shepherd of sheep before he meets Jesus. Afterwards, he becomes a master shepherd of people.

Later in the book, Rufus falls in love with a Roman girl, Priscilla. Of course, Jews are never to intermarry with another race. Rufus is torn. He loves Priscilla very much. He has to decide between his ministry and his life love.

I highly recommend The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. The book contains glimpses of truth, history and personal beliefs and idiosyncrasies. I believe you will fall in love with the character as surely as Priscilla did.


Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

My First Novel


I published my first novel today, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. The novel finds Rufus, a character mentioned in the Bible first as his dad, Simon of Cyrene, carries Jesus' cross up Golgotha hill. Until this Rufus has been a shepherd for his father in Cyrene. As a lad of 16 he becomes so proficient at his job that he earns the distinction of "Master Shepherd."

He meets Jesus as Jesus is chasing the sellers and buyers out of the Temple. Rufus is drawn to Jesus, and he meets Christ later at Bethany. From that point on, Rufus is sold out to the cause of this New Way.

He begins to establish churches near Jerusalem since his father and mother have a small inheritance near the city. He can use their home as a headquarters for his operation. He and Matthias soon have such a large circuit of churches that all their time is spent in developing house churches and spreading the good news.

The writer of Hebrews address these very churches in his letter. The churches were located near Jerusalem, but were not in Jerusalem. We know this because the author writes, "You have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood," (Hebrews 12:4). The Jerusalem church had already lost James and Stephen by the time the book of Hebrews is written.

The author of Hebrews encourages the churches near Jerusalem to continue to assemble. Don't quit and return to the Levitical System of Worship because there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin under this way of worship.

The book of Hebrews along with Jesus' statement in Luke 21:20, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize her desolation is near." Convinced the members of these churches not to return to Jerusalem. When Jerusalem burned in 70 AD, historians of the time reported that no believing Jews were among the 1.2 million people killed in the event.

Although my novel is fictional, it does contain some historical and religious truths. I follow a timeline that suggests that Christ was crucified in 30 AD. From my viewpoint, the 30 AD crucifixion fits best.

If you are interested in reading the novel, you can get a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1694084043 I believe you will enjoy the book. Rufus goes from a shepherd of flocks to a shepherd of believers. He faces trials and tribulations along the way, but he remains firm in his beliefs.

When the heat from Jerusalem's plight becomes too great, Rufus and his family go to Rome. He is in Rome while Paul is imprisoned for the last time. Rufus meets a young Priscilla, a Roman girl, and he falls in love.

Now he is faced with a dilemma, Marry and return to Cyrene and the farm, or continue in ministry and face possible death. Only he can make the decision.

Blessings,


Howard


Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.