FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 6, 2003

THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF LIFE!

There must be some kind of motivation if we expect people to do certain things and not do other things. We are told to obey the speed limit or there will be a fine if we disobey. God also gives us motivations for being obedient. In Proverbs 3:1, we are given a command, “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.”

He tells us to learn what He has said and obey it from the heart. In the next verse, He gives a motivation for learning and obeying His word, “For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.” Obedience to God will result in a longer, joyful, fulfilled, and peaceful life. Those are good reasons and motivations for being obedient. Many people go to a premature grave because they fail to disobey Scripture. If parents want their children to have long, productive, and happy lives, they must be taught the word and the benefits of living obediently. It is the Word, learned and obeyed, that protects us from the evil in this world.

Verse 3 says, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” Mercy is the actions of compassion. When we show others mercy and fill our minds with God’s truth, we are promised something in verse 4, “So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” We will gain favor with other people and with God Himself as well as good understanding of the things which are important to living a successful life. That is a good reward for showing mercy and learning and obeying God’s truth!

Verse 5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Why should we trust the Lord? A good reason is that He has all knowledge and wisdom. He is love incarnate. He is all powerful. He spoke this world into existence and He want to be our God. It is foolishness not to trust the one who sees the future as well as He sees the past. To fail to trust the Lord with all our hearts is an insult to our Almighty God.

God desires that we trust Him in the dark times a Job did. Job was a man who was in the depths of heartache. His children had all been killed, his possessions stolen, his wife and friends turned on him, and his communion with God seemed to be silenced. Will Job trust God in the darkest of times? He said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). This is what God wants from all of us. He wants us to trust Him rather than leaning on our own understanding.

Verse 6 adds, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” If we will trust the Lord, not rely on ourselves, and acknowledge God in everything, He promises to direct our paths. This is one of our greatest needs. We don’t know the consequences of our decisions or what a day will bring forth. The smartest thing we can do is to rely on the Lord to guide us. His leadership is the very best we can have.

The Lord guides the animals by instinct. One way He guides us is by our conscience. If we will learn and obey His word, our conscience will prove to be a reliable guide. It will warn us when we are about to do something wrong. The Lord will guide us by teachers and pastors as they expound God’s word to us. Scripture says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.”

All of us want to be as healthy as possible. God promises us bodily healthy if we will do obey verse 7, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Since we don’t know anything by our own ability and since the Lord knows everything and controls everything, we should fear Him. The fear of God is evidenced in people who obey Him. If we truly fear him, we will depart from all that we know is evil. If we will do that, He promises us in physical health in verse 8, “It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” The best physical health we can have comes by fearing the Lord and departing from evil.

All of us would like to have the material prosperity. God tells us how in verses 9-10, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” We are told to honor the Lord, not only with our increase, but with all we have. We are to honor the Lord with all we have. How? Scripture tells us to lay aside on the first day of the week offerings. We fulfill this when we go to church and give of the increase we have gained that week, but we must not forget the other property God has given us.

Scripture gives us some rules of giving. We are told to give: as we purpose in our hearts, as God has blessed us, not out of compulsion, cheerfully, and not grudgingly. It is God who gives us all we have. One day we must give an account of how we used what He has trusted to us.

Since none of us are perfect yet, we will mess up sometimes. When that happens, God as a loving father will correct us. Verses 11-12 tells us, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” The worst thing that could happen would be to sin and not have our heavenly father correct us. That would prove he is not a child of God and is one step away from spending an eternity in a place called hell.

When chastening comes, there is a danger of despising it or becoming weary in it. We must know that when bad things do come our way, it comes from the hands of a loving heavenly father who is in complete control and has designed it for our good. To have the best life, best health, and most prosperity possible, memorize and obey God’s Word. This is living by faith!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold W. Martin)
 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 11, 2003

A CRUMBLING NATION

This is from the Kentucky Family Foundation- “You have heard about a frog dropped into hot water and immediately jumped out, but if the same frog is placed in cool water that is gradually brought to a boil, it gets accustomed to the water and it will be boiled alive. By the same token, if the principles on which this country was founded is slowly eroded and our rights are very slowly removed in a manner we don't notice, pretty soon we will be "boiled alive!"

There is a move to re-write history. Things are being omitted from the text books and others are added in to control the minds of our young people. Those who graduated from school after the early 60's were probably never taught this because of social engineering. Now our courts are in on the deal.

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of "The Declaration of Independence" were orthodox, deeply committed, Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

It is the same Congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of Scripture for the people of this nation. Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death"; but in current textbooks, the context of these words is omitted.

Here is what he actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death." but, these sentences have been erased from our textbooks.
Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this:   "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

Consider the words Thomas Jefferson wrote in the front of his Bible, "I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our creator." He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role. Today, Patrick Henry nor Thomas Jefferson could get elected to Congress.

On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: "It connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President wrote, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the "Schoolmaster of the Nation." Mr. McGuffey said: "The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our nation, on the character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free Institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible, I make no apology."

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook, rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the Scriptures: "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies, is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, (John 17:3 " And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. ; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation for our children to follow the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: "We have staked the whole future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

Today, we are asking God to bless America. But, how can He bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him? Prior to September 11, He was not welcome in America. Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots.

Please share these truths of our nation's history with others, but most importantly, share, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16). This information is only one drop of cement to help secure a foundation that is crumbling daily in a losing war that most of the country doesn't even know is raging on, in, and around them...” It has been said that for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. God’s people are to be salt and light in this world.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)
 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
November 27, 2003

BE THANKFUL

It is a dangerous thing to be unthankful. Romans 1:21 says, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” One step in becoming foolish and inviting the wrath of God is to be unthankful. We are known by the attitudes we have. A thankful attitude is the most important one we can have and develop.

Many believe that what happens is a result of luck; therefore, they try to manipulate the “lucky” factors of life. If good things happen, they don’t thank luck! Some people are fatalistic. They believe what happens is going to happen and not much can do done about it, so they don’t give thanks. Some people are positive thinkers and rely on their skills or abilities. When good things happen to them, they credit their own selves.

When a person gets saved, God gives instructions on how to live life to its fullest. The umbrella of life is, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). This means that God is in complete control and all that happens in the life of a person who loves God will be ultimately for his good and God’s glory. The individual incidents may not be good, but when taken as a whole, God will work them for our good.

This is the reason we can obey the command of God which says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thess 5:18). God’s will for every believer is that they give thanks “IN” everything. How can we do that? It can because we know and believe Romans 8:28! God is in complete and total control of all that happens and even thought bad things do happen to good people, God will see to it that when it is all finished that it will work to their good.

We live in a time where most are not thankful. People have much, but they realize there is much more that they could have; therefore, they are not thankful and content with what they do have. There are many reasons why people who are not saved are not thankful, but why is it that God’s people are not as thankful as they should be?

Our Lord commands us in Ephesians 5:18, “...be filled with the Spirit.” If we are filled with the Spirit, the results are given in verse 19-20, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” A person who is filled with the Spirit will be joyful, praying, and giving thanks.

We are commanded to, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess 5:16-18). We are to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks for everything. This is normal Christian living, but why is it that so many times we see the opposite?

Why is it that some Christians are grumpy and complaining? The answer is simple, they are flesh controlled people. Complaining people reveal that they are not thankful. You cannot be thankful and be complaining at the same time. You cannot be grumpy and rejoicing at the same time. The problem is that people see the things they would like to have or be. Then they become dissatisfied with where they are; therefore, they complain instead of being satisfied, contented, and thankful.

Being grumpy, complaining, bitter, unforgiving, and unloving are acts of the flesh. Scripture tells us, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). We know this it is God’s will for our lives that we be thankful, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess 5:18).

Is this something we must work up in our selves? No, it is God who will work it in you, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). God wills it and God works it in us as we allow the Spirit of God to fill us with His presence and control.

We must realize that the flesh is still present with us. It is a strong force we will have to deal with as long as we live. We cannot control the old flesh ourselves. Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom 7:18). There is a throne in our lives. When we get saved, the Spirit of God comes to the throne and begins to control our thinking, desires, and behavior. Things go well, but almost without notice, the old flesh slips in and tries to get control.

When we realize we are thinking and doing things we should not, it is because of the flesh. We have allowed the old nature to influence us more than the Spirit of God. That is when we must confess and forsake the sin and yield anew our self to God’s Spirit. Remember, “Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

It is easy to allow doubt, worldliness, selfishness, and a critical spirit to lure us away from God’s will for us to rejoice about all things, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 11, 2003

WHY GROWTH IS STUNTED!

Many Christians fail to grow and mature. They live with doubts, failures, discontentment, and do not enjoy the peace of God. The reason is given in 2 Peter 1:2, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” If we do not have the knowledge of God, we will not have the grace and peace we desperately desire and need. Verse three says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”

We have been given all we need for a life of godliness, but it comes through the knowledge of Him. The knowledge of God which brings grace, peace, and all we need for godliness comes to us through His Word. With this knowledge comes power, “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” (Eph. 3:20). God has placed the power in us to do all He wants us to do and be.

We have been given the faith it takes to be saved, the divine power to live a life of godliness, and a book with all the instructions in it. After God has done all that for us, He puts the ball in our court and tells us how we are suppose to grow and mature. The first two steps are, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5).
We can’t just sit and do nothing after we are saved. The Bible commands us to grow, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Peter 3:18). We grow when we add virtue to the faith that God gave us at salvation. Virtue means excellence or the proper fulfilment of something.

If a person is virtuous, he would be doing what he was designed to do. Every person was saved to become like Jesus Christ. The more we exercise ourselves unto godliness and develop the traits and character of Jesus, the more virtuous we will become.

Next, we must add knowledge to that virtue. This is the knowledge of God which comes through the learning, believing, and obeying of His word. If any one of these three elements is left out, there will be no knowledge. There is no virtue nor knowledge in simply knowing facts. The facts and truths must be lived out.

Verse 6 says, “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness.” Temperance means self control. We must control our passions rather than being controlled by them. Many Christians have fallen by failing to add temperance, or self control, to the faith God had given them.

We must add patience to our temperance. Patience means to persevere against all odds. It means endurance. It is sad that after trouble comes, many are no longer standing for the things they use to. The world, flesh, and Satan will attack, but we must be able to stand and to persevere. We will if we add patience to our temperance, but there can be little endurance if little knowledge of God’s Word.

We must add godliness to our faith. If we have the life of God on the inside, the most natural thing is a godly life on the outside. Godliness describes what our attitude is to be. If we are godly, we will have an attitude of worship like David when he said, “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8).

Verse 7 gives some more things we must add to our faith, “And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” Brotherly kindness means to be a friend with a spiritual perspective. This is pouring your life into someone else by teaching them about God. Proverbs 18:24 tells us how to make friends, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” A true Christian friend will be concerned about others and will teach them about God.

We must add to brotherly kindness charity. Charity has been translated as love, but it means more than what we think love is. Charity has nothing to do with feelings or emotion. It means self sacrificing for the benefit of someone else. When we add charity to our faith, we can obey Romans 12:10, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” When we start living like that, people will be more willing to believe what we say about the gospel of our Lord Jesus. John 13:36 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” When Christians fail to live in charity, the unsaved has a right to not believe we are sincere.

Some Christians wonder why their life seems to be less than fulfilling. The fault is not on God’s side. He put in us the life of God and the power of God to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. The problems come if we get saved and then sit down and do nothing failing to realize that God has given us things to do. There is a responsibility given to us at salvation. We must add these things to the faith God has given us.

The result of adding these things is given in verse 8, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we fail to add these things, verse 9 gives the results, “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

We have God’s promise in verse 10 that we will never stumble if we strive to obey these Scriptures and add these things to the precious faith God has given us, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)
 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 18, 2003

HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!

People say, “Have a Merry Christmas and happy new year,” but you can’t find anyone who can tell you how to do it. What is a “Merry Christmas” anyway? Many say it’s getting gifts, being with family, going to parties, and lots of eating. If that is true, can a person have a merry Christmas who is alone or has little money to buy gifts or food?

The sad fact is that Christmas is the saddest time of the year!  More people are depressed and more suicides occur during this season than at any other time. The reason is that we have been deceived into the wrong thinking about what will constitute a merry Christmas. The only way to know how to celebrate Christmas correctly is to go back to the original Christmas and see how people reacted then.

If we celebrate Christmas correctly, it will influence our whole year. Let’s look at some of the right responses at the first Christmas. Luke 1:41-45 tells about the reaction of John the Baptist, “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” When Mary told her cousin Elizabeth about the birth of our Lord, John jumped for joy at the news of the birth of Jesus.

Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth responded to the news by saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.” The angels response was, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13-14).

The shepherds response was, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20). It was revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. He responded in Luke 2:28-31, “Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.”

A devout widow named Anna responded in verse 38, “And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” These people had the correct response at Christmas. It was praising, glorifying, blessing, and thanking God for sending the one who would deliver people from their sins. Their response then should be our response now! If we do not have a spirit of adoration and worship to God for sending Jesus as our Savior, we are not correctly celebrating Christmas.

The wise men responded in Matthew 2:10-11, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Every person at the first Christmas responded with worship to God for sending the Savior.

Even wicked Herod knew what the first Christmas meant. He knew what the right response should have been. He told the wise men to find where the King would be born and let him know so that he could “worship” him. The only way you can have a merry Christmas is to respond in the right way to it, which is worship to God for sending the Redeemer.

People do not have a merry Christmas for the same reason they will not have a happy new year. Their thinking is wrong. Wrong thinking always leads to wrong behavior and wrong behavior cannot produce the right feelings and emotions. This year, there will be parties, eating, and exchanging of gifts without the mention of the name of Jesus. When the activities are over, people will go home with the same empty feelings they have had all year long. They have celebrations for the Savior, but the Savior was not invited!
The only right response at Christmas is one of worship to God. Worship is defined as “The attitude of the heart so filled with wonder and thanksgiving at the person and work of God that it responds in praise and adoration!” If there was ever a time of the year we ought to praise and worship God, it is now.

People today do not worship, they shop! They frantically shop, decorate, cook, and do all kinds of things not even remotely related to praise and worship of God. According to our standards, if you do not “receive” this time of year, you will not have a merry Christmas, but if we live by God’s standards, we can have a glorious Christmas and maintain that spirit all year long. The reason is that a merry Christmas and a happy new year has nothing to do with receiving. It has everything to do with giving! Everyone can give praise, honor, thanks, and worship to God regardless of their physical, financial, or social condition.

Notice Mary’s response in Luke 1:46-47 says, “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” If anyone had the right spirit, it was Mary. She magnified the Lord, she did it continually, and she did it for the right reason. She knew that Jesus would be her Savior!

To have a merry Christmas, we must have knowledge of what Christmas is. This knowledge can lead to a right spirit. This spirit, or attitude, can be maintained so that we will have a happy new year. These people in the Christmas story reveal to us what that spirit and attitude should be. It was an internal attitude of the spirit, soul, will, and mind to give thanks, praise, blessing, and worship to the Lord. If our thinking is right about Christmas, it will be right about how we are to live in the coming year. To have a happy new year, we must live in such a way that our souls magnify our God because he has sent Jesus to be our redeemer!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)
 

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
December 26, 2003

BEING A FRIEND OF JESUS IN 2004!

Most people will make new year’s resolutions they believe will make them more productive, happier, and healthier in 2004. There is one resolution which will do more for a person than all the rest put together. It is the resolution that, “I will be a friend to the Lord Jesus Christ.” Some are now enemies of God. James 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Jesus said in Luke 11:23, “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” An unsaved person is under the wrath of God because of his sin and rebellion to his Creator. When Jesus comes back, it will be, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes 1:8).

A Christian is a person who is saved from the wrath of God to come, has his sins forgiven, and is a child of God. 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.” It is great that we can be saved and become the servants of our Creator, but the most awesome thing a human mind could imagine is that we can be friends with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told His disciples, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). All Christians obey to some degree. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” We can know we are His sheep when we know His voice and follow Him. If we are saved, we will continue following Him. John 8:31 describes the person who starts out but later quits following, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” They believed, but many were false disciples. They would follow Jesus until He said or did something they didn’t like, but true disciples will continue following Him.

You can’t obey what you don’t know; therefore, to be a good friend of the Lord, we must learn what are our Lord desires and commands. Jesus wants people to be saved; therefore, those who love the Lord will want to see others saved. There is no greater act of love to someone than to give them the gospel. “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1 Thess 4:9). If you are a child of God, you will love those who are God’s children and desire that the unsaved be saved. This is not a human love we receive at salvation. Romans 5:5 tells us “...because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” The reason our Lord commanded us to love our enemies is because He gave us the ability to do it.

God puts His kind of love in us at salvation. It is not natural nor is it human love. It is the love Jesus Himself possesses. This is how others will know that we are the people of God, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

How much does God love us? Just look at the cross for the answer! “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Since Jesus laid down His life for us, we should be willing to lay down our lives for others. That is what Jesus wants from us. People have many needs. Some need to be rebuked, restored, loved, prayed for, or taught. When we use our lives to meet these needs, we are laying down our lives for others.
As we learn and obey our Lord’s commands and desires, not only will we be friends of Jesus, but as His friends we will learn divine truth. Jesus said in John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” When we are His friends, we learn His plans, motives, and purposes.

If we are the friends of the Lord Jesus, it should be our desire to have Jesus receive glory because of us. This is one purpose of Him allowing us to be His friends, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be GLORIFIED in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes 1:11-12). Imagine! Our Lord receiving glory through us.

One of the greatest things about being a friend of Jesus is given in John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Our lives are to be purposeful. Many people spend their lives with no purpose, hope, or excitement. They just try to make it through the day. Life apart from Jesus dwindles with no effect on time or eternity, but the believer can bear fruit which affects both time and eternity.

Those who are Friends of the Lord will get their prayers answered. Jesus does not answer prayers of rebellious children. God promised us in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Rebellion and disobedience bring chastening, not the blessing of God. The choice is ours. Heaven is God’s gift for believing. The blessings here and the glory we receive there is a result of faithful living. We become a child of God by believing the Gospel. We become a friend of Jesus by obedience to His commands.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)