Finding Rest in the Lord Jesus Christ

I Found Rest in Christ - John's Testimony from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Matthew 11:28-30

What's going on?

The side of Jesus Christ you don't want to see!!!!

In Jesus Christ Alone 2

Did you read the John 21:1-14 text? Here are my comments on part of that text. God bless.

Who's Your Hero?

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)

A young brother in the Lord challenged me by an article he wrote on “heroes”. He asked the question to himself (in the note on Facebook): “Who is your hero?” Jordan (the young man’s name) said some things that really blew my mind as he pointed out all the human heroes he could think of in his life, none could stand with him in all things like the Lord Jesus Christ.

That same question I ask to myself and to you: WHO IS YOUR HERO? There’s a thing in Christendom we Christians and even non-Chris alike hold to; we love to see a human we can look to. Listen, let’s be real about it, there is at least one person that you hold dear to your heart. He may faithfully teach the Word of God, or says many things that you just absolutely agree with, and because of this you only listen to them. You only take what they say as truth and anyone who says anything against them (biblical or not), is shot down. I confess this sin of myself. Certain guys that have spoken truth in my life, I hold high regard in my heart, because they have been there for me. But is that how the Lord feels about it? Is He my Hero?

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, [It is] truth. Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Isaiah 43:8-10)

Now who in this text wants to be believed? The Lord. Who wants to be the object of our affection? The Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty; our Great Hope should be our Hero!!! Many times looking at the messenger is what we do. We look at the messenger and other messengers as well and get confused. Why? We are not focused on our Hero. We are not looking at the One who is with the Christian. For the non-Christian, he looks not at Christ for salvation. Why, because we are focused on our earthly heroes. Some may say, “I have no heroes?” You’re lying; there is someone in your life that you’ve looked at and hold in high regard. I said this very thing, and each time the Lord has shown me where I have fallen. Here’s a working definition of what hero means:

1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

Think about it for a minute now in Christendom. Is there anyone you have as a hero? Yes there is somewhere and the Lord says to get rid of them as you’re hero. Turn your worship to them off.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; (Exodus 20:3-5)

How do you do that? Well, we take our focus off of the messengers and look to the one who sends the message! Look to the Sender, He’s your Hero, your Lord, and your Savior (Psalm 118:8-9).

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

God now speaks through Jesus Christ. We have the scriptures to help us understand what Jesus Christ is saying (2 Timothy 3:16-17). No one else can do this. Am I saying God doesn’t send pastors? No, I am saying God sends them, but God should be the focus, not the pastor. This goes for you who have claimed certain men to be your internet pastor. No, no, the bible alone speaks to the things of Jesus Christ; focus on the Word of God, not the one sending the Word.

It is not wrong in listening to a pastor on the internet. There’s no sin in having favorites that you go to. But why are you listening to them? Who is your hero? Is it Jesus Christ or is it the pastor? You know, last night my wife was speaking to me about her desire to be more firm of what God says in the bible. She basically said she doesn’t want her beliefs to come from our pastor nor our church, but what Christ Jesus says in His Word. That’s the correct focus, that’s the Hero we should be looking to.

It’s sometimes difficult not to make a hero out of someone. This sinful country, which is full of hypocrisy and wickedness, needs some righteous men to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ. There have been, and there will be until Christ Himself returns. But let’s not make man the truth, God is still on the throne. JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, He is our hero. AMEN!!!!

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. [Which] when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard [of], they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:8-15)

Sermon on trusting in possessions

HT to Independent Conservant who posted the clip:

God works: He is the Father

Gospel singer Tonex comes out of the box!

Our pastor spoke on apostates yesterday, I found this video interesting about the Gospel singer Tonex. This is the very kind of language and ambiguity these men speak with. Listen up, trust the Word of God alone and not men. HT to Ringo TV for the YouTube clips.

Getting Real: I am not right!

And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, [and see] how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. (Acts 15:36-41)………. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)

I have seen it all over the blogs, including with myself, something happens in Christendom or with a church in America, and we go wild! Everybody begins to write about the wrongs in the Body of Christ and how the church in America is going south. I see Christians on Facebook, joining together attacking the clergy expressing “their” problems with the church. They make little smart remarks about how the leadership is doing this and not doing that. Everybody is deceived and the convictions they have are what’s right. I definitely have done this. I have done this several times with this blog because of my frustration at the evils with what false teachers have done to people I care about and love. In that process, I have bashed good hardworking pastors, and great Christian loving, bible believing church facilities, all for the sake of speaking what truth I have found to be right. I think I am right and that is the standard to which the Body of Jesus Christ should live by. Oh no, I am wrong. Here’s why:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ said He was the way. He didn’t say John Calvin was the way, or New Covenant theology was the right way, nor dispensationalism was the way, Jesus Christ said out of His own lips: HE IS THE WAY, HE IS THE TRUTH, HE IS THE LIFE. He’s right, not me. What I think about the church is not right. What I believe or my opinion is nothing when compared to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church. My doctrinal views just don’t match up no matter how right I think I am. Oh what pride it is to think you know something but looking at the Lord Jesus Christ, we know nothing.

I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Who is right, me or Jesus Christ? Do I think that because I say something, that I have the correct answer? Oh I can display all the scripture texts, transliterations, or contexts all I want, does that make me right or God’s Word correct, true, and infallible. See, I don’t see I’m wrong because I am right about everything. I argue because I believe my position is right. I think I know, I think got the answer when truthfully, I am wrong and the Lord Jesus Christ is King. Look, let’s be real, when you are firing off or venting your frustrations, don’t you think in your brain how right you are? Yes, I do. I use this incident that happened to me to illustrate what is being said here:

I had gotten upset at my mother-in-law’s house at my wife. I was so angry at my wife Shannon, I didn’t speak to my wife, although I spoke to my children and those in the room, just not my wife. Later on that evening, I received an e-mail from my mother-in-law saying that during my anger, my niece had tried to get my attention, and I shrugged her off not realizing it. My mother law was asking to I happen to see that when I was upset.

I didn’t notice my niece at all, though I thought I was speaking to others in the room out of respect. See, I thought I was right. Be very wise in the words you use before you speak against something that ticks you off. Before you go insulting the churches in America, saying all the ones in your town have fallen off, wait a minute! You are wrong. There are good churches out there, you just don’t see it, so you are not right! Before I go speaking against Christians in America, I better clarify which group I am really addressing: real Christians or false professors! This post is to me, I write this to me and the pride I have held up thinking I am right about every issue, on everything in God’s Word. Let us look to Christ, let us look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see how He responded.

But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, [yet] found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what [is it which] these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:60-64)

Why didn’t He just argue that He was the Son of God? Why didn’t He just bash their evil ways? Why didn’t Jesus Christ make a smart snickering comment against them? Nope, He held His peace and then responded. Yet somebody says one thing we don’t agree with and we go flipping mad. We get the writing and producing YouTube clips, making comments to our friends, laughing at and mocking the Body of Christ. Wow! Am I right in such behavior? Or should I be telling of my Lord an Savior, saying to men to repent, and letting the Lord Jesus Christ receive all glory?

I pray all of us bloggers, YouTubers, Facebook lovers and friends would really consider our words and actions before we go spewing our venom across the Internet.If it is truth, then speak it, or if one is erring, then correct it. If you are spitting angry venom, and trying to justify it through asking a mocking question, hey consider your ways please.You don’t know which Christian you may have just murdered.I am not saying we shouldn’t explain our beliefs, but we must watch that we don’t make our convictions biblical truth, let Christ alone do that. Contend for the faith, not for your beliefs.I am not right, you are not right, the Lord Jesus Christ is right, that’s it hands down.

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Romans 3:4)

Is your theology your idol?

Put the Lord Jesus Christ 1st

Enjoy;