FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
January 2, 2004

WHY CAN’T WE DO IT?

Scripture tells us many things that we should and should not do. Jesus said in John 14:12, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Why then are there so many Christians struggling with things they should have gotten victory over a long time ago? The answer is, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph 1:17)

Nothing transforms a Christian’s life any more than having the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. This spirit is not the Holy Spirit, we receive Him at salvation. Romans 8:9 says, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is none of his.” It can’t be the human spirit, every human being has that. The word “spirit” here means an attitude, disposition or an influence. We use “spirit” like that when we say, “They sure are low in spirit.” The Apostle Paul is praying that we have an attitude of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

It is the Holy Spirit who produces this “attitude” or “desire” in obedient believers and enables them to understand God’s revelation. Scripture says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor 2:10-12).

People do not eat food if they are not hungry. Christians will not desire spiritual food unless there is an appetite produced in them for spiritual things. This desire to know God more deeply is produced by God’s Spirit. The Apostle Paul knew God better than anyone, but he prayed, “That I may know Him.” We can learn facts from Scripture, but there’s a difference in knowledge of spiritual things and spiritual knowledge. An unsaved person can learn facts from the Bible, but only the Holy Spirit can give spiritual knowledge and wisdom.

If we are to do what God wants us to do, we must know His plan, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Eph 1:18). The mind must be enlightened. It has nothing to do with natural intelligence, but everything to do with God’s Spirit opening our mind to spiritual truth. Luke 24:44-45 says that Jesus “opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.” Acts 16:14 tells us about Lydia “whose heart the Lord opened.”

Before salvation, our minds were darkened, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Cor 4:4). We are then told what God did in verse 6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

To understand God’s plan, we need to know the “hope of His calling.” This extends from eternity past when we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world all the way to eternity future when we will see Jesus and be like Him. To be able to do what God’s wants, we must know who we are and what our resources are.

Most Christians have a poor self image. When we know and meditate on the facts that Jesus chose us before this world was every created, died on a cross to pay for our sins so we could be forgiven, and then adopted us into His family, and then put His Spirit in us so that we could know, love, and communicate with Him, we should not have a poor self image. We are royalty!

We must know what our resources are! Ephesians 1:7 talks about the “riches of His Grace.” In 2:4, we are told that God is “rich in mercy.” In 3:16, we are told of the “riches of His glory.” These are our resources for now, but how do we tap into them? Colossians 3:16 tells us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” A mind filled with the word of God is one that can know, understand, and appropriate the resources God has given. As we get deep into the things of God, we learn that we are not just “in” God’s plan, but that we “are” His plan!

What kind of power does God have available for us? Ephesians 1:19-20 tells us, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set Him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” There is power in us to do all God wants us to do. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil 4:13). This means that God gives us the power and ability to do all God wants us to do. There is never a lack of power or resources for the obedient child of God.

The resources is available to those who hunger and thirst after God. These are those who “have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” There is nothing this is not under the authority of Jesus. Ephesians 1:23 tells us about the church, “Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

If you are saved, you are part of His body. He is the head from whom all life and knowledge come. When we get “low in spirit” or have fears or doubts, do what Paul told Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ.” No one can worry, doubt, or feel inferior when they have their eyes of the Lord Jesus.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
January 8, 2004

WHY WE NEED GOD’S POWER!

The Christian experience is a matter of daily applying God’s power to everyday living, but many Christians are frustrated because they either do not know God’s will or how to perform it. Ephesians 3:14-21 tells how to get the power of God and why! These are essential truths for Christian living!

In verse 16 Paul prays, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The first step of God’s power being unleashed in our lives is to have a strong inner man. If not strong in our inner man, we will not be able to resist sinful temptations nor have the ability to do right.

When we are tempted to sin and give into that temptation, we are weak spiritually. The reason is that the inner man is weak. To be able to resist the bad and do the good, there must be strength in the inner man. This strength comes to the believer as he continually yields himself to God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a will in ever decision. If we yield to Him, we will make the right decisions. As we continually yield, we continually do right and are continually being strengthened. Every time we fail to yield to Him, we will do wrong which produces weakness.

There is a self life and a spiritual life. The self life does what self wants to do. The spiritual life is one which yields to God’s Spirit and does what the Lord wants done. When a Christian dies to self, he can yield to the Spirit. It is then that the Spirit strengthens, leads, guides, and provides for the obedient believer. This produces strength to refuse to do wrong and ability to do right.

Why is that so important? Because it is only then the Jesus can settle down and be at home in the believer. Paul prayed for this in verse 17, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Jesus comes in at salvation, but in many lives, He is not at home. There is so much garbage, filth, errors, and wrong desires that He is continually cleaning. When that person yields to the Spirit of God, the Spirit strengthens to the point that there is less and less sin so that there is less need to be cleaning. It is then that Jesus can “settle” down and be at home.

The next thing Paul prays for is, “...that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” It is God’s desire that we understand His love, but there is no human being who will ever be able to until they are strengthened in the inner man and Christ has settled down there.

A child cannot understand the love a parent has for a child until that child one day becomes a parent. There is no Christian who can understand the love of God until He is willing to live a life of practicing the presence of Jesus in his life and continually yields himself to the Holy Spirit so that He can be strengthened in the inner man so that he can have the strength and power to resist the temptation to do wrong and the power to do that which is right and good.

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another” (John 13:35). When the world fails to recognize a person as a Christian, it is because there is a lack of love shown in that life. Peter echos that same thought in First Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently.”

No person can love fervently until he is established and rooted in love. Before anyone can have this love and understand it, he must have a pure heart. No one will have a pure heart until Jesus has settled down in that heart. Jesus won’t be settled down until that person is yielding himself continually to the Holy Spirit who will then strengthen him in his inner man so that he will have the strength to overcome the temptations in his life.

God has a great desire that we understand His love for us, but very few people do. Jesus loved us so much that He left heaven to come and die in our place on a cross. When you explain that to people, they want to change the subject and talk about a ball game. How it must grieve God’s heart to love so much and deeply and sacrificially to have His love sneered at. Only a pure, obedient child of God will ever have any idea of the great love God has for us.

The result of knowing God’s love is given in verse 19, “...that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” God makes us an awesome promise. If we will be obedient to Him so that we can be strengthened by Him in our inner man, so that we can overcome temptations in our life, so that Christ can settle down in our heart, so that we can understand the love of God, the result will be that we can enjoy the fullness of God!

This means that we can be God-like. Since God is loving, kind, merciful, generous, forgiving, gracious, and holy, so can we be. When we submit to the Holy Spirit, he strengthens our inner man so that we can resist temptations to sin with the result that Jesus can settle down in our lives. Then we begin to understand the love of God that passes knowledge which brings God’s fullness to us. This means that we can demonstrate the attributes of God Himself.

The reason he gives us His fullness is so that we can utilize His power. Verse 20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” God’s power is not available to the lazy nor the disobedient. Why does God want us to do great things in our lives? The answer is given in verse 21, “Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” We are to live like this because it brings glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
January 15, 2004

WHEN LOVE GROWS COLD!

A sad condition develops when the Lord Jesus ceases to have top priority in our life. The best days of our lives will be when we are obeying Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Failure to seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness first leads to bad thinking which leads to bad behavior and great trouble.
When we see someone “fall,” we say, “I wonder who will be next!” Some will say, “It sure won’t be me!” If we get the idea that we will not fall, we need to be reminded, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). Our first in backsliding is when we think we cannot fall. If we know the strength of the flesh and the power of Satan, we will be on guard.

Anyone who “looks down on” a person who has gone into sin, reveals pride in his heart. Pride and humility cannot dwell in the same vessel. The Bible says, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Any Christian is capable of backsliding, or turning from the things of God. When someone falls, it should cause us sorrow and grief, but it should produce in us a desire to help.
Backsliding begins the moment a child of God stops walking in the Spirit. It can be defined as turning away from God. It is not losing salvation. The Bible says, “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice” (1 Kings 11:9). Solomon allowed things to creep into his life that began to steal his love for God. When the love of God lessen, sins will increase!

Solomon allowed his relationship with God to grow cold. This was the sin charged to the church at Ephesus. “They left their first love.” As we leave our love for God, we allow other loves to come in. Backsliding happens when we allow the things of God to lessen in importance in our lives. As we turn from God, we turn to sin. This destroys our relationship with Christ. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.”

The first indication of backsliding is when holy things do not matters as they once did. The backslider loses interest in Bible reading, church attendance, giving, and witnessing. At the same time, he increases his activity in the things of the world. As the heart for God grows cold, the love for the things of the world increases. Backsliding is a process. It does not happen over night. When it is found out about a person going into some great sin, we are shocked. It looks like it happened suddenly, but in reality, it was a process that began long ago.

Backsliding begins in the mind with a thought long before sinful deeds are committed. We are told about King David before his great sin, “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon” (2 Sam 11:1-2).

David should have been with his troops in battle, but he let someone else perform his duty. He stayed at home, stayed up late, and got out of bed in the evening. He was in the wrong place because he was not doing his duty. It was here that he saw what he would have never seen. Because he failed to do right, when temptation came, he fell like a ton of bricks. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and had her husband killed in an effort to cover his sin.

When David failed to do his duty, be ended up committing terrible sins. This happened to a man after God’s own heart, and it will happen to you and me if we fail to learn and obey the word of God and do our duty.

God has given His will in His Word to prevent this from happening, but if we forsake the instrument God has given to make us strong, we will set ourselves up for backsliding. We can’t obey what we don’t know. Many people are willingly ignorant of God’s will, word, and resources He has providee.

In Genesis 13, Lot was so taken up by the worldly things that he made a bad decision. It was a small decision. He only “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” He never intended to live in Sodom or have his family adopt the beliefs and customs of Sodom. He just leaned toward Sodom, but the way a person leans is the way he will eventually fall. Later on, Lot found himself as a ruler in Sodom.

When God destroyed that city, Lot had to be dragged out, but without his family. He had lost all influence with them. His family was destroyed. His wife was turned into a pillar of salt and his daughters got him drunk and committed incest. All this because of one small decision of “pitching his tent toward Sodom.” Any decision that leads from God’s will has great consequences.

It is not only bad to backslide, but it is criminal wickedness. Lot lost his whole family because he did not love God enough to remain separate from the world and its wicked influences. If we allow “things” to steals our love for God, we lose the ability to influence others to live a righteous life.

There is an attraction to sin in all of us. Only the Holy Spirit can restrain the desires of the flesh. That is why, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). Failure to live by God’s word results in backsliding, lost influence, and lost blessing!

God’s desire for us is given in Ephesians 4:14, “...to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” We can be strong enough to resist sin, but it is only as we are strengthened by God’s Holy Spirit which comes as we yield ourselves to Him!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
January 21, 2004

FAITH THAT OBEYS!

Our decisions affect our daily life and also our eternity later. Every decision made leads either to or away from God’s will. Whatever the degree that our decisions line up with the will of God is the degree of our love for Him. We have been given commands to obey as a means to reveal our love or the lack of it. John 14:21 says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” The life of Moses reveals things which ought to be in our lives if we are going to make decisions that please God and develop our love for Him.

People try all kinds of things to be pleasing to God, but the Bible tells us that it only takes one thing, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6). God wants us to live by faith; therefore, we must know some things that faith accepts and rejects.

Before anyone is saved, they must come to God in faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” A simple definition of Bible faith is to “believe and obey the word of God.” When you know God has said something in His word and you believe and obey it, you have pleased God. If this is a pattern in your life, you are living and walking by faith.

We are not only saved by faith, but we grow and please God by faith. The story of Moses reveals several things about faith, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned” (Heb.11:24-29).

Moses heard God’s word through his parents. This led to that gave him strength to reject the world’s pleasure. There is pleasure in sin, but it is only for a season. When that season is over, there is a mighty high price tag to pay. If we learn, believe, and obey Scripture, we will have the shield of faith by which we can deflect the darts of Satan. Living by faith says, “Here is what God says and that is what I’m going to do.” Every sin is caused by a failure to lift up the shield of faith. This shield is obedience to truth. Without this shield, we will sin and then suffer the consequences of it.

Sinful pleasures in this world appeal to our old nature, but if a person has faith in God’s word, he will reject the sinful tendencies in order to prove his love to God by obedience. Moses sacrificed pleasures of the world for afflictions with the people of God. How could he do this? He believed the promises of God more than the deceitful promises of the world. Moses said, “I would rather suffer with God’s people for a while and gain eternal rewards than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” He lived by faith!

Many people say they believe what God says, but they do not believe it strongly enough to obey. True Bible faith is believing what God says so strongly that there is obedience even if it means sacrificing to do so. Moses illustrated that kind of faith.

True faith will not only reject the world’s pleasure, but it will reject the world’s prestige. Moses refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter. He left the highest position in the land in order to be in the will of God. He knew there would be pleasure and prestige in pharaoh’s court, but he chose affliction with God’s people rather than to enjoy all Egypt had to offer. Moses counted the cost of his decision. He came to the conclusion that what God said and promised was worth more than what the world promised.

Moses knew when he turned his back on the world, he invited its wrath on him. Second Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Moses counted the cost. He decided there would be greater riches for him in Christ than staying in pharaoh’s house.

Many today are like the Pharisees. They choose the world and its riches. Jesus said of them, “They have their reward.” They sought the reward of man and that is all they got. Moses esteemed the riches of Christ greater than anything the world could offer him. Those who live by faith can testify that the rewards God gives in this life are much greater than anything the world could possible give. In addition to that, we can lay up treasures in heaven which will await us.

True faith will reject the world’s pressure. When efforts are made to live for the Lord, there will be pressure to quit. There was the pressure of giving up luxury for living with God’s people who were slaves. There was the pressure of giving up pleasures and riches of Egypt. There was the pressure of fear. The Bible says, “The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Pro. 29:25).

Faith in what God says will destroy fears. The reason Moses did not fear pharaoh was because “he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” When you trust in God, you will not fear man. Faith accepts the Lord’s plans. When Moses knew what God said, he accepted the plan and saw it through. Bible faith is putting all your eggs in one basket. That basket is believing and obeying God’s word. Faith accepts God’s plan and God’s provision. He has never failed!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
January 29, 2004

THE RIGHT KIND OF FEAR!

There are many fears which torment people in this life such as fear of sickness, death, crime, etc. But, there is one fear which will bring an abundant and long life. It is the fear of God.

God said to Israel, “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged” (Deut 6:2).

By learning and obeying God’s word, Israel was promised that their days would be prolonged. God has given us many wonderful promises in the Bible such as , “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised” (Pro 31:30). Any woman who fears God will have people praise her in this life.

We use to be known as “God fearing people.” That is not the case anymore. We are now a nation who does not fear God. As a result, we do not have the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we need. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Since we do not fear God, we are no longer a “wise” nation.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Our nation is becoming a nation of fools because of the lack of the fear of God. We are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7). We know many facts, but we cannot come to a wise use of those facts.

Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge, but without the fear of God, that knowledge will not be used with wisdom. That is why two people can become medical doctors with the same talents and ability. If one has the fear of God and recognizes that he is a steward of what God has given to him, he will seek to use his skill and knowledge in the best way for man and God.

If there is no fear of God, the same qualified doctor can become an abortionist. Why? Because he lacks wisdom. He will do whatever he can to make more money even if it means killing a baby in the womb. He will use his skill for personal gain without consideration of what God says. The fear of God is the foundation on which all true knowledge is built. The fear of God will result in the right outlook on life.

An example of this is given in Proverbs 11:1 where God says, “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.” The world picks up on this and comes up with the slogan, “Honesty is the best policy.” We all agree with that, but those who fear the Lord have a different outlook on this than the rest of the people.

The average person says, “If you are honest, people will trust you. You can do better in your business because of your good reputation.” We know that is true, but the person who fears the Lord will say, “Honesty is the best policy because God delights in it. God says to be honest; therefore, I will be.” This attitude recognizes God instead of the customer or financial gain.

When there is fear of God, there will be wisdom. Wisdom recognizes that God sends poverty as well as riches, and God exalts some and brings others low. God’s word says, “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” (1 Sam 2:7).

Only by the fear of God will there be wisdom and only by wisdom will there be joyful living. We have been sold a bill of goods by the world, flesh, and the devil. We have been led to believe that we must have all kinds of material things in order to be happy and content, but If we have the wisdom which comes by the fear of God, we will know Proverbs 15:16 which says, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.”

Where the fear of God is, there will be learning and obeying of Scripture. This will control our thought life and our attitudes. We know by Scripture and by practice that the amount of things we have will not produce happiness. Luke 12:15 tells us, “...Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Material things never has nor never will bring happiness.

One of the greatest things about having the fear of God is that God has a trust fund for those who fear Him, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men” (Psalm 31:19). God is pictured as a wealthy father who stores up wealth for his children when they reach maturity.
God stores up good things to be given at the appropriate time to those who fear Him. What this goodness is and how it will be given will be unique to each person. Things may be dark now, or you may see the dark clouds coming, but remember, “God has good things stored up for you if you fear Him.”

This fear of God is not the same as being afraid. It is a reverential awe of God who created and sustains this world and all that is in it. It is produced as we learn His attributes such as omniscience. When we know that God knows our every thought, sees our every deed, and knows our motives as to why we did those things, it will produce the right kind of fear. The lack of this fear is the basis for all sin. You do not offend those you have reverential fear for. The less fear we have of God, the more selfish will be our life. If you want to live a life of obedience, contentment, and happiness, then we must grow in your fear of God!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR: Arnold Martin)

From A PASTOR’S HEART
February 5, 2004

HOW DOES GOD KNOW?

Why can some people say of God as Job did, “Though He slay me, yet will trust Him?” How we can live without worrying about anything as Philippians 4:6 advices? How can some people go through great trouble with a smile on their face and contentment in their hearts? It is because they know God. To know God, is to love and trust Him, but to know Him, you must know His attributes.

One of God’s attributes is omniscience. This means He is everywhere. God inhabited the temple in Israel, but but that was only to be a symbol of His omnipresence. Today, the temple of God is the body of the believers. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own” (1 Cor 6:19)? He indwells each believer, but He is not limited to this location.

After Solomon built the temple, he said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded” (1 Kings 8:27)? Do you think you can hide from God? He said, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jer 23:24).
God is not measured by time nor limited by space. He is present throughout all things yet distinct from them. He created the universe, but the universe is not part of Him. Also, God cannot be divided into parts. The whole of His being is always everywhere!

This means that the liberal lawmakers and liberal Supreme Court cannot block God from being in the schools. God does not need their permission to be present in the schools or the churches. God is omnipresent! He is everywhere!

If God is holy, how can He interact with impure human beings as Jesus did and still retain His holiness? It is because God’s essence is like a beam of the sun’s rays shining on anything impure or dirty. The rays are not affected by the character of what it is shining on.
Some will say, “If God is everywhere all the time, what did Isaiah mean when he said, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). The answer is simple! God is near to some and far from others in terms of His relation to people, but as far as His essence, He is as close to the person who has committed the unpardonable sin as He is the young child who is asking for salvation. Acts 17:27 tells us, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”

Since God extends through all time, space, and eternity, and cannot be confined nor limited, we can commune with Him at all times and in all places! Jesus said in John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” God wants us to worship Him and has made it possible for us to worship Him continually.

After the resurrection, Scripture tells us that the veil that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. This was the place that only the high priest could go one time each year, but now, every Christian is a priest of God and can go into His presence in boldness at any time.

This means that we are the living, breathing, temple of the Holy Spirit where God dwells. There is no time that God is not present with us. There is no time we cannot call on His name and know that He hears us. This means that communion with God is not to be limited to a certain place and time like a church service. It means we can commune, pray, fellowship, and worship God any time and any place. This is why worship is not be only at a certain time, but it is to be a way of life. We must continually practice the presence of God in our lives!
It would be a great honor to be invited to stand in the presence of a great head of state of a great country, but think what an honor and privilege it is to a Christian to be able to stand in the presence of our Almighty God and have Him not only listen to us, but know it is His desire that we be there!

Practicing the presence of God in our lives has great benefits. All of us tend to desire things not good for us or that we should not have. Many people are discontented with their lives. Practicing the presence of God in their lives will remedy both conditions. Hebrews 13:5 says, “[Let your] conversation (manner of living) [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

If we know our God, the God who created the universe and all that is in it, is always at our side, that would take care of our covetousness or wrong desires and also of our discontentment. When you see people who want things they should not have or if they are discontent, it proves they are not practicing the presence of God in their life.

With His presence comes direction, provision, and power to provide all we need. If we practice His presence in our lives, we have His promise in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” God’s guidance come to those who acknowledge that He is continually present with them.

Remember, God reads our every thought and imagination. He sees our every deed, and He knows our every motive. When we sin, it is as if we walked into the throne room of God and committed that sin in His sight. God is present. Knowing and practicing His presence in our lives will empower us to think and act in a way that is pleasing to our wonderful and awesome God.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
February 11, 2004

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?

How would you answer the question, “What would it take to make you happy?” Most would answer, “I could be happy if I had a nice car, a good house, health insurance, a high paying secure job, retirement, and a lot of vacation time.”

For sure, most everyone would like to have these things, but people who lived 100 years ago did not have any of these things, yet they had the same opportunity to be happy as anyone today. We have been misguided into thinking that physical things will produce happiness. The fact is that physical things cannot produce happiness. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

We want to blame our lack of happiness, joy, peace, and contentment on the government, family, the church, or circumstances, but we are pointing to the wrong source of our problems. The thing which steal our joy, contentment, peace, and happiness from us is that we are not living in God’s will for our lives.

God’s plan for our lives is given in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” To be like Jesus is God’s will for our life. For the Christian, this is a future reality, but until then, God is working in our lives by providing situations and circumstances to help mold us into that image right now.

No person can be happy and content if he is not what his Creator has designed for him to be. No fish could be happy in a tree, nor could any bird be happy under the water. It would make no difference how luxurious a tree house you had for a fish, it simply could not be satisfied. The same is true for us. We get all the “stuff” the world has to offer, but we are still not content nor satisfied. We come to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with us, so we go see some doctor for some kind of medication, or we go see some therapist.

God has given us principles in His word to help us to be happy, content, satisfied, and fulfilled in this life. One principle is that we must have a trusting confidence in our God. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Each of us must choose if we will trust in our understanding or in God’s.

When we allow problems, circumstances, or people to steal our joy, peace, contentment, and sense of fulfilment, it is because we are not trusting in the Lord; therefore, failure to trust in the Lord is the real problem. The question we need to ask is, “Why is it that we do we not trust Him?” We know we can trust Him and we know we should. We know He is worthy to be trusted. The answer is simple. It is because we do not know Him! To know God is to love and trust Him!

You cannot trust someone you do not know. Why is it that God’s people do not know the Lord as they ought to? People do not know the Lord for the same reason that some parents do not know their children. Parents do not know their children because they do not spend time with them. We will not know the Lord if we do not spend time with Him; therefore, we cannot trust Him as we should.
When Christians do not trust the Lord, they end up leaning on their own understanding. This will lead to a selfish way of life. When a person spends time with the Lord learning His attributes, His will, His plans, His provision and protection, he will gradually turn from leaning on his understanding to trusting the Lord. God wants us to understand, but not to lean on our understanding.

One reason we are not to lean on our understanding is given in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Because of man’s wicked and deceitful heart, he will devise plans which produce death. This is where legalized abortion came from, wicked people leaning on their own understanding!

Another reason to not lean on our own understanding is in Jeremiah 10:23, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” God did not put in man the ability to direct himself. God has reserved that for Himself. When we fail to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, we depend on our own wicked and corrupt hearts for guidance.
Another principle for successful living is, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Pro 3:6). This means there must be a total commitment to the Lord. We are to acknowledge God in all our ways, not just some of them.

When Dr. Stephen Olford was a young man, his parents were missionaries. He decided to get an engineering degree, make a lot of money, and then he could help missionaries. He was leaning on his own understanding. He got sick and received the news that in two weeks, he would be dead. His whole world came tumbling down on him.

During this time, he received a letter from his father who did not know of his condition. In the letter was this phrase, “Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last.” Stephen got on his knees and prayed a short prayer. He said, “Anywhere, anytime, at any cost. Amen.” He began to acknowledge God in everything and God directed his paths. He has become a mighty man of God.
Why can’t trust in the Lord with all our hearts and acknowledge him in all our ways? It is because we do not know Him. We don’t know Him because we do not spend time with Him. To know the Lord is to love Him. To love him is to obey Him. To obey Him means to be super blessed by Him. It’s your choice!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
February 19, 2004

THE DISGRACE OF DOUBT!

There is a bondage many Christians have which is as enslaving to them as drugs are to an addict. It is a bad habit that makes lives miserable, destroys usefulness, and breaks communion with God. It is the sin of doubt!

Doubt will cause a Christian to complain, gripe, and be miserable much of the time. It is what caused Peter to begin to sink when he was permitted to walk on the water. Jesus said to him in Matt. 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Should Peter have doubted? No, he had the Lord’s word! Why would anyone doubt something if they have the word of the Lord on it? Yet, we do the same thing as Peter. Do we every worry about where the necessities of life are going to come from? If we do, we are doing the same thing Peter did. We have the word of Jesus that He would provide! He said, “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith” (Matt. 6:30).

Christians are called believers. Our name indicates that believing God is our chief characteristic. Why then are we so plagued by doubts? Many have settled down to a life of doubting thinking that it is the way things will be. We must realize that doubting God is a sin and must never be accepted as a way of life.

Doubting God must be handled as any other sin. It must be confessed, forsaken, and it will be cleansed from you as promised in 1 John 1:9. Many people get saved and doubt their salvation for long periods of time. They think they can never know that they are saved. Finally, after some struggle, they get the truth in their mind about what salvation is and learn the truth, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

When we learn “the things” written in God’s word, we can have assurance that we are eternally saved. Then, the doubt is settled, but there are so many other doubts which can torment us. How are these doubts to be dealt with? Simply by learning, believing, and obeying God’s Word. We are to fight the “fight of faith.” The moment we start doubting God, we stop fighting and start rebelling.

We are commanded to believe. Since it is a command, it comes with the power of God to obey it. When things happen which are hard to handle, it is very natural to begin to doubt that God loves us or is involved in our lives. We ask ourselves questions like, “Where is God in my time of trouble?”

I can tell you where God is in the times of your trouble. He is in the same place He was when His son was being nailed to a cross and the sins of the world were laid on him. He is still sovereign, loving, and in complete and total control of all that happens in this world. We can not always understand what God does or why He allows certain things to happen, but we can always know that He loves us and cares and will always do what is best for those who put their trust in Him.

Anytime a doubt comes to our mind about the goodness of God, we need to say immediately, “Dear Lord, I know you love me. I know you work all things together for my good. I know you even transform the bad things into my benefit. I know that even though I do not understand, I can trust you with my life here just as I do trust you with my life for all eternity.” That kind of thinking will take care of the doubt.

The sin of doubting comes from wrong thinking. Sometimes a person will say to himself, “God must not like me. I’m too sinful. There is no reason why God would love someone like me.” That kind of thinking is common, but it is accuses God of being partial and unjust. It is like a little lost lamb who begins to think of his shepherd saying, “The shepherd does not like me. He doesn’t care for me because I’m lost. He only loves the sheep who are in the sheep fold.”

We know what the shepherd is doing. He is leaving the 99 and going to hunt for the one that is lost. That is exactly what God does for us. There is never a time God is any closer to us than when we are in trouble, heartache, or danger. Our responsibility is simply to call on Him and trust Him to do right!

When the disciples were in a storm and thought they would perish, they saw Jesus walking on the water. Mark 6:48 says, “And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, AND WOULD HAVE PASSED BY THEM.” Jesus was near, but if they had not called on Him, He would have passed them by. How many times do we endure trouble by ourselves when Jesus is near to help us if we would only call upon Him? The very reason Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost, and to provide and protect the saved!

We believe a shepherd would leave the whole flock to seek one lost sheep. We believe any parent would do all he could to help a child in trouble and we know the heartache he would feel for that child until he gets through that trouble. But, when it comes to God, we doubt that He has the love to us that a shepherd has for a lost sheep or a parent has for a child. Anytime we ever doubt God’s love for us, we need to think about the cross! How could God love us more than coming to this earth and taking our death and punishment for our sin? There is no greater love ever demonstrated than this. When doubts come, lift up the shield of faith to stop the darts of demonic doubt.

The great desire of God’s heart is that we trust Him. When we first trust Him, He gives us salvation. As we continue to trust Him, He brings peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
February 26, 2004

THE REAL YOU EXPOSED!

Wouldn’t it be great to have a test to reveal to us what our spiritual condition really is? There is and it is very simple. The way we use our money reveals what our relationship with God is. Where our money goes is where our heart will be! Money by itself is neither good nor bad, but out attitude towards money and our use of it will reveal our priorities and also what we love.

We have heard that money corrupts, but the fact is that when corrupt people have money, they have more ways of revealing their corruptness. There are corrupt people who have little money and there are godly people who have a lot of money. The money is not the issue. The issue is our attitude toward it.

If our relationship with God is right, we must have the right attitude toward money. To help get our attitude right, we need to know what Haggai 2:8 says, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.” We also must know where our ability to gain money comes from. We are told, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth” (Deut. 8:18). All the wealth of this world belongs to God. It is He who gives us ability to gain it. This means that He has made us stewards or managers of His property. One day, we must give an account of how we used it!

Everything has been given to be used for the good of man and the glory of God. First Timothy 6:17 says, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” God is very generous, but He does wants us to take some of what He gives to be used for the advancement of His kingdom. Tragically, most people take all that God gives them and use it for selfish reasons and forget about God who gives it to them.

We understand the unsaved wasting and misusing the money that God has put in their care, but you would think that God’s people would do better. The fact is that if most Christians were executives in some giant corporation and handled the corporation’s money like they handle God’s money, they would be in jail for embezzlement. There’s coming a day when we will stand before God and give Him an account of how we used His resources trusted to us.

We reveal what is important to us by the way we handle our money. Some people say, “If I had more, I would give more.” That is not true. What you do with the 100 dollars you have is a good indication of what you would do if you had a million. Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” If you do not support the work of God with what you have, you would not support it if you had more. Why? Because the way you use what you have is an indicator of whether or not you are faithful to God.

Many believe it takes money to satisfy them, so they hoard up all they can, but God tells us, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase” (Eccl. 5:10). Many people keep saving and hoarding thinking that if they had a little more, they would be satisfied, but the satisfaction never comes. It is never a matter of you having more. It is a matter of your attitude with what you have. A person who is not faithful to God in the little amount he has would not be faithful if God gave him a large amount.

The way we use our money is an indicator of what we love. First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Many who love money would never admit to it, yet they have much trouble in their lives because of it. They have erred from the faith because of loving it and have gained many sorrows. Anyone who has a sinful love of money will also have a life of unnecessary sorrows!

When a person loves money, he will pursue money instead of pursuing God. A person loves money when he is motivated more by money than of being motivated by a love for God. Money will become an idol in our lives when it becomes our source of security and satisfaction rather than God.

Scripture is plain about the fact that we cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:33 tells us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” If you love money, you will seek money first and put God and His righteousness in second place.

It was for the love of money that Judas sold Jesus. When you began to pursue money, you will forget God and become more and more ungodly. When Solomon began building his empire, he ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines. Why? It was not that he had a problem with lusting after women. It was that he loved money. Every time he married a foreign woman, she brought with her to Israel part of the riches of the nation from which she came.

In his greed, he brought in all the wives. They brought in all their treasures, but they also brought in all their gods. These ungodly women eventually turned the heart of Solomon away from God. He went into idolatry and caused the nation of Israel to follow him. First Kings 11:9 tells us, “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel.”

There are about 500 verses about prayer and another 500 about faith. This means these two subjects are very important, but there are over 2,000 verses on money. Why? Because it is by our attitude about it and the way we use it that determines if we love God or if we love money. Just look at your check book and you can tell where your priorities are. If you love money, you will not love God!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)
 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
March 4, 2004

TRUTH ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT!

Is it right or wrong for the government to put someone to death? Everyone wants to give their opinion about it, but the only source of truth comes from God’s Holy Word. What does God say about capital punishment? We cannot go by sentiment, logic, or others opinion on this matter. We must find out what God has told us in His word? Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

We are not to seek revenge nor try to get even in personal relationships. We are to overcome evil by doing good and pray for those who despitefully use us and never take revenge. God said revenge belongs to Him. The question is, “How does God punish sin and take His revenge?

One day, all sin of all unbelievers will be punished in a place of torment called hell, but right now, God has a different plan which is explained in Romans 13:1-4, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. (judgment) 3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4) For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

Rulers are ministers of God to execute wrath and take revenge upon all who do evil. Even if the rulers are evil, we are to still obey unless they ask us to do something contrary to the word of God. Nero, a very wicked man, was in power when these commands were written. Human government was given by God to give order. Godly people will have godly leaders. The less godly the people are, the less godly will the leaders be. Leaders are many times a reflection of the people. God’s commands to us are to obey and to pray for them. God is a God of order, and He has ordained human government to maintain order for Him.

Individuals are forbidden to take vengeance, but the government must take it. The Bibles says of government, “For he beareth not the sword in vain.” The sword is not for a spanking. It is an instrument of death just like the electric chair or lethal injections. The government is to execute wrath on the ones who rebel. Wrath is the strongest word for punishment God uses.

We know that God uses capital punishment. At one time he destroyed the whole civilization in the flood. Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” The Bible is plain that when a person kills someone, they are striking at God who made that person in His own image. He is to be put to death by man.

When God said, “Thou shalt not kill,” it was a command to the individual about murder, not to the government who is to enforce God’s laws. Exodus 21 gives some of the reasons why a person should be executed, “12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. 13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. (This is a condition where someone is killed by accident) 14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. 15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. 16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. 17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.”

The justice of God demands that sin is punished. If you ever think that God goes easy on sin just look at the cross! The Bible says in Romans 12:9, “Abhor that which is evil.” Parents who love their children will hate anything that will harm them such as drugs and wicked philosophy. Some think God is cruel when He commands capital punishment, but no one thinks a doctor is cruel when he cuts a cancerous mass out of a person. We know the operation was for their good.

When God commanded Saul to utterly destroy a complete tribe of people in I Samuel 15, he was cutting out a cancerous mass of humanity. This was the best thing for Israel and the world. Only God knows what is right in these matters. That is why we must live by what God says instead of how we feel.

The preceding verses tell us that rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil ones. We do have terror in this country, but it is in the wrong place. Because our government has failed to instill terror in the hearts of the criminals, there is terror in the hearts of law abiding citizens who fear the criminal element. When there is swift punishment of the criminal, it will put terror in them.

We commit acts of cruelty to our young people when we fail to obey what God says because it makes it easy for them to sin. We are told, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl 8:11). As individuals, we are to be forgiving, but forgiveness and mercy is not for the justice system. God designed it to be a place of terror for the evil doers.

Some say this kind of justice is inhumane, but anything God says is right regardless of what man says. If the Supreme Court could rule on hell, they would say it is cruel and unusual punishment and vote to banish it. God says hell is right for the unbelievers and capital punishment is right for those who knowingly take the life of a person. Some say it does not deter crime, but no person who was executed ever committed another crime. Proverbs 19:25 says, “Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware.” When the criminal is swiftly punished, those who think about walking in his steps will reconsider their behavior!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
March 18, 2004

WHEN IS SALVATION COMPLETED?

There are only two classes of people, the saved and the lost. The lost are those who have not yet obeyed the Lord’s command in Acts 17:30 which says, “...but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” What does God command us to repent of? Our sins? No, it is our sin! The only sin that will send a person to hell is the sin of not believing on the Lord Jesus. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” This kind of believing that results in salvation is not simply knowing the facts of who Jesus is.
This belief is the result of learning the facts of the gospel which results in obedience to those facts. When a person hears the gospel truth, and is willing to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior, salvation will result. John 1:12 describes what takes place, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

Many think that when they stand before God that they will be judged on the basis of their deeds. They think if their good deeds out weighs their bad that they will be saved, but this is not true. People do not suffer the wrath of a holy God because of what they do, but because of what they are! A person who is not saved has the nature he received from Adam. This nature is in total rebellion to God. Romans 8:7 tells us, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
Both the good moral person and the most wicked person will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment. Why? Because they died with a carnal mind which was in warfare with God. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). They may have done many good things in this life, but they died with the “Adam” nature which was in rebellion to God.

The problem is not so much what we do, but it is what we are. Very few people are as bad as they can be. Few people think that they could be a serial killer, child abuser, or a sex pervert, but the fact is that every person has a nature that could lead them in one of those directions under the right circumstances. If a dog gets rabies, it is “put to sleep.” Why? It was not because of what it had done, but because of what it had the capacity to do when the rabies were fully activated in that dog’s body.

If one person has been dead for 2 hours and another for 2 months, both are dead. The only difference is that the bodies are in different stages of corruption. If a good moral person is not saved, he is spiritually dead just like the worst of criminal is spiritually dead. They have the same problem. Both are living in the nature they received from Adam and will come under the judgment of God for their sin of failing to believe on Jesus and receive Him as their Lord.

Since we are born with a carnal nature that is not subject to the law of God, God does not attempt to fix up the old nature. He tells us in His word that the solution to the problem is death to the old nature and being born with a new one from God. This is why salvation is referred to as “being born again.” We were born the first time with a nature that is in rebellion to God. This is one reason Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

When a person is “born again,” it means that he has denied his own self and is willing to take death to the old nature and will follow the Lord. To follow the Lord means to be in obedience to Him. No one is saved by obedience, but obedience is the sign that a person is saved. First John 2:3 tells us, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” Obedience is the sign that we are denying self and following the Lord.

When a person hears the gospel, the bad news he gets should cause him to tremble. The bad news is that we have a nature that will make us a target for the wrath of God. God is a God of justice. He must punish sin. He has told us what that punishment is, “the wages of sin is death.” The gospel teaches that we are born with a rebellious nature with no ability to do anything about it. Our condition is compounded by the fact that God’s requirement is given in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

When a person sees the perfect standard which must be met to enter the kingdom of God, there is only one response that is appropriate. That response is to come before God almighty asking for mercy because there is no humanly way possible to gain or merit eternal life. How foolish is the person who thinks that by their good works they can gain entrance to the kingdom of God. It is not by good works, but it is by “being born again” that produces salvation.

When a person realizes his sinfulness and his inability to do anything that will make him acceptable in God’s sight, it is then that the good news of the gospel is the best news he will ever hear in this life. The good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for his sin while He was on the cross. Jesus received the wrath of God meant for the sinner. The good news is that all he has to do is to come before God and ask for forgiveness and eternal life. This is a gift that God has made available to every person.

This gift comes by asking for it, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Salvation comes when the Holy Spirit of God gives a new nature to the one who ask God for it. With the new nature, you can live a life pleasing to God. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Ye must be born again.” Have you been born again? Scripture tells us that if we have, we are a new creature in Christ.

If there is any doubt about your spiritual condition, we would be glad to help you. Please call (606) 573-6839. Remember, salvation is a gift of God, but a gift does no good until it is received.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
March 25, 2004

WHAT DOES “BORN AGAIN” MEAN?

Jesus said in John 3:3, “... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We know that Satan is “...the god of this world.” All who are not “born again” are in his kingdom. Jesus has a kingdom consisting of all who are “born again.” Jesus will physically rule on this earth for 1,000 years after which will be the Great White Throne Judgment of God. Revelation 20:15 describes what will happen at the end of this judgment of the unsaved dead, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The only way to escape the lake of fire is to be in God’s kingdom which means to be “born again”. We were born with a nature that produces a sinful life. Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” This is the reason you do not have to teach a child to lie, cheat, steal or be lazy. These things are natural to all of us.

Romans 5:12 tells us how this sinful nature came into being, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” When Adam sinned, something happened to him. His nature was corrupted and it has been passed to every human being. That is why we must be born again. We must have a nature that loves God and will be submitted to Him.

We live in a nation that reveals what this sinful nature will produce. We now believe it is right to kill a baby in the mother’s womb and call it freedom of choice. We cannot get our lawmakers to come up with a bill to protect marriage because it might cost them some votes. Our Supreme Court is trying to decide if “one nation under God” is fit to be in our pledge of allegiance.

Romans 3:23 describes all of us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Sin is the transgression of God’s law. Romans 3:10-12 describe our nature, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Verse 18 says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” A person without God is in a pitiful condition. He is a sinner who doesn’t seek God, but desperately needs to. Jeremiah 10:23 tells us, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” Man has no ability to do those things pleasing to God.

We are sinners by nature, by choice, and by practice. Romans 6:23 tells us God’s penalty for our sin, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Every sin earns a reward or payment. It is death! Death to man means separation. When we experience physical death, there is the separation of the body from the soul. This is the first death.

There is another death or another separation at the White Throne Judgment of God. The unsaved dead will be brought before Jesus, judged, and cast into the lake of fire. This is the separation of the person from God for eternity. Revelation 21:8 puts it like this, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

The only way to escape the second death is to be born again, but before we can be born again, there must be the payment of our sin. We know the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. The problem is that before God can give us eternal life, the penalty for sin must be paid. There must be death for sin. There must be someone who dies in our place as our substitute. Roman 5:8 tells us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Isaiah 53:6 tells us what God did, “...and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” When Jesus was on the cross, God placed all the sin of all the world on Jesus. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The bad news is that we are sinners deserving of the penalty of our sin, but there is nothing we can do about it. The good news is that Jesus paid the penalty we owe so that our sins can no longer prevent us from receiving eternal life. We now can receive God’s gift. When I receive this gift, I become a Christian. I receive the nature of God. That is why it is called being “born again.”

How does a person receive that gift? We know that salvation is a gift that God has offered to every person based on what Jesus did for them on the cross. This gift is received by faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” That gift of eternal life is wrapped up in receiving Jesus.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Since eternal life is a gift, it does no good until it is received. Romans 10:13 tells how to receive this gift, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you are already saved, please give this article to someone who is not. Then pray that the Holy Spirit of God will use it to bring conviction and salvation to that person! May God richly bless you!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)