🏳️‍🌈✝️ Our Heavenly Father made the way permanent to enter the Kingdom of God, it's your decision to follow that way.

— Richard T. Ritenbaugh

02/10/2018 

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(10) Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, (11) and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11

 

For those who believe in the doctrine of eternal security, II Peter 1:10-11 is a particularly difficult passage to dispute because it exposes the lie in this infernal teaching. It does this by stating a simple command that God asks us to carry out.

 

The inverse is also true; if we fail to do what Peter advises, then our calling and election are not sure. Beyond that, if we stumble, an entrance will not be supplied to us into the Kingdom of God.

 

God has done His part. He called or elected us out of all the billions on this planet. He forgave us, granted us repentance, and gave us His Holy Spirit. He opened up the truth to us and revealed Himself and His way of life to us. He made the New Covenant with us, supplying us with spiritual gifts, love, and faith. There is no end to what He has done for us.

 

Nevertheless, if we do not reciprocate, the relationship He has begun will fall apart. Our calling and election are not certain without us doing our part. We can fall away and not make it into the Kingdom of God.

 

Why did Peter write this to the whole church (verse 1)? He wrote it because the church at the time was experiencing various apostasies (II Peter 2:3). False teachers were bringing into the church destructive doctrines to turn the people away.

 

Why would Satan put false teachers in the church if there was no chance for the people to fall away? If church members have eternal security, why waste his time on them? However, Satan himself knows that Christians do not have eternal security, and he tries his best to turn us into apostates. We can fall away!

 

Peter was writing in this atmosphere. The people in the first-century church were living in a time of false teachings, false teachers, and apostasy, and he needed to warn them. "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth" (II Peter 1:12).

 

This, too, begs the question: Why did Peter command them to make their calling and election sure? If they had the truth, and he admitted that they were established in it, why did they have to make it "sure"? In making their calling and election sure, they would be doing the one thing that would keep them on the right path to the Kingdom. Christians keep themselves from falling into deception, error, and sin - keep themselves from apostatizing and losing their salvation - by validating their conversion.

 

When a thing is validated, it is objectively determined to be genuine, true, real, authentic, or legitimate. How do Christians validate their calling and election? The answer is simple. Jesus describes it in Matthew 7:16-20: We validate our calling and election by producing fruit. Jesus expounds on this in His Passover message in John 15:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. . . . As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. . . . By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (verses 1-2, 4-6, 8)

This blows the eternal security doctrine to smithereens. Our Savior, Jesus Christ - our Judge - says that if we do not bear fruit, God will take us away and throw us into the fire! If we bear fruit, however, we will glorify the Father and truly be disciples of Christ, that is, true Christians!

 

We validate our calling by growing in grace and knowledge (II Peter 3:18). If we are showing love to the brethren, if we are serving as opportunity permits, if we are deepening our relationship with God, we can be certain that our calling and election are still firmly in force.

 

— Richard T. Ritenbaugh

🏳️‍🌈✝️ God Doesn’t Play with Your Heart

Jazmin N Frank 02/10/2018     __________________________________________________________________________ “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5b (ESV)

It’s okay, God. Just admit it. This is all a big joke. I was standing in the cafeteria line, a sophomore in college, surrounded by hungry post-practice athletes. Loud conversations swirled around me, but the silent cry of my heart was louder. Earlier that year, the Lord had given me a crazy promise. And dreamer that I was, with a bent toward faith in the impossible, I watched and waited for God to do His miraculous work. I waited. And waited. And waited. Until that evening in the cafeteria when my heart was weary of all the waiting. I was convinced that because I hadn’t seen the fruit of the promise, God was just waiting for the right moment to tell me it was all a joke, and my faith had been in vain. The line moved forward, and as I slid a slice of steaming pizza onto my plate, I heard a gentle whisper: “I don’t play with your heart.” The weight of those words settled over me, echoing off the concave angles of my heart, as I nonchalantly fought back tears. In that moment God reminded me that no matter how things appear, He is trustworthy. He’s as worthy of my trust in this season of waiting as He was when Israel was waiting to enter the Promised Land. After centuries of slavery and months in the desert, Israel was free; yet, they were convinced God had led them out of Egypt to die. Then, when they were right on the edge of receiving the promise, Israel turned back in fear and spent the next four decades wandering the desert. As that generation died out, a new one rose up, and God again promised them that land, saying, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:3, ESV). Despite the fact that Israel rejected God’s plan the first time, God’s Word still came about. There are times when waiting on the Lord’s promises feels impossibly hard. And sometimes, like Israel, we give in to fear and turn a different direction. But even then, God’s promises still stand true. God can do all things, and no purpose of His can be thwarted. (Job 42:2) To this day, I’m still waiting on that promise. I’m still clinging to God through it with all that I am, trusting that He is good, and He keeps His Word. And when those days of doubt whisper that this is all some practical joke, I remember those words: He doesn’t play with our hearts. If He’s promised something, you can rest assured He will fulfill that promise. It might not happen how or when we expect, but God is faithful. And His Word stands forever. Dear Lord, You know my heart. You know sometimes it’s really hard to believe what You’ve said when I don’t yet see it. Help me trust You. Help me trust what You’ve said is Truth, and it will come about just like You’ve said. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Truth For Today

Job 42:2, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (ESV)

Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (ESV)

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Give and Take

Written By Sue Braid   02/10/2018

__________________________________________________ “So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment . . . and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12:2-3

Enemies are trying to take His life. Jesus knows He will soon voluntarily give it to redeem us. In dire need of refuge, He walks two miles to his friends’ house. They welcome Him into their space and greet Him with a kiss. They wash His feet and show Him a comfortable place to sit. They release their plans and give Him their time and attention. They make dinner which takes hours to prepare. Later, everyone gathers around the table and lingers over the delightful smells, sights, and tastes of a filling meal. After dinner Mary slips silently from the room. She returns with some expensive ointment. Resolved to use more than words to express her inexpressible appreciation for Jesus, she opens the jar and spoons some out with her fingers. She massages it into His dry, cracked feet. Everyone is taken in by her actions. Not a person there is unaffected by her wholehearted giving and the remarkable, soothing fragrance which fills the entire house. Some become uncomfortable and critical. They say they’re thinking of the poor – the ointment could have been sold, given to the needy. But Jesus accepts, and even condones, her extravagant action. He says, “Leave her alone.” Why? It’s not about poverty or the money. It’s about knowing Him well enough to acknowledge what He’s given. It’s about pouring out love and thanks because He receives you just as you are. What can you give in this moment — because this moment is all you have? Lord Jesus Christ, open the locked up parts of ourselves so that we may be able to express our love and thanks to you in both our words and our actions. Amen. Go Deeper — Is there a specific way you can express love for Jesus today? More from the Life, here

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Waiting On God

The Apostolic Faith Church

02/10/2018

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord. – Psalm 27:14 It is not always easy to wait. The other day, I was scheduled to attend a 6:00 p.m. lecture at school and I estimated that thirty minutes would be enough time for me to make the commute to school. As I was driving on the highway, however, I encountered a build up of traffic halfway there. Time was definitely running out for me, and I decided I needed to find a way out of my dilemma. In an attempt to gain time, I started changing from one lane to another. Eventually, I was hit by another vehicle. I had to pull over to the side of the highway to exchange insurance information with the motorist who hit me, and by the time we finished and I finally arrived at school, the lecture was over and I had missed my class. I learned a good lesson that day: I should have exercised patience rather than endanger others and myself by weaving in and out of traffic.  In our spiritual lives, we may tend to be in a hurry when God wants us to slow down. When we ask God for anything, He gives us one of three answers: yes, no, or wait. We may find it easy to deal with the first two responses, but the third is sometimes more difficult. Many accounts are given in the Bible of those who waited for God’s timing. Abraham, the father of faith, waited twenty-five years to receive the promised heir, Isaac. The Children of Israel waited in Egypt for four hundred years before they were released from Egyptian bondage. David, a man after God's own heart, waited for ten years after he was anointed king before he was crowned. God knew that there was more than just one man or even one nation involved in these situations, and His timing was perfect. At the end of each of these waiting periods, there was a mighty blessing for those who waited on God.  Let us learn from these heroes of faith. Are we currently waiting on God for a promise to be fulfilled? If we wait patiently on Him, He will strengthen our hearts.

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Laughter through Tears

Written by Karen Tyner

02/10/2018

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We walked into the quiet room. Her shaky hand clutched my sweaty palm. Red-rimmed eyes briefly glanced up from the cheerfully colored chairs. Flower-covered tissue boxes dotted the landscape.

While my mother and I sat with joined hands, we wished we were anywhere else. But this meeting was important to us—we wanted to hear how others coped with the “C” word.
“Welcome to the cancer support group,” announced the bubbly group leader. Stiff smiles were carved on faces in response.

One woman had pancreatic cancer. Stomach cancer afflicted a 25-year-old man. Mom had recently been diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer. Other patients whispered their names but didn’t share much.

During the meeting, we all grieved at how cancer robs patients and caregivers of freedom and joy.

The young family facing pancreatic cancer wanted to visit Disney World but felt imprisoned by a morphine pump.

Mom and I wanted to travel to see family but we were concerned about being 200 miles from her doctor.

We felt trapped—straying too far from the medical team wasn’t an option.

The group leader disagreed. She asked about the desires of each patient and gently pointed out that life continues beyond the doctor’s door. After the meeting, the leader scheduled a doctor’s appointment in Orlando so the young family could enjoy a trip to Disney. A physician in North Carolina received Mom’s records so that we could travel there without worry.

The 25-year-old man’s attitude proved the most positive and contagious. Cancer had not been kind to his family—his stomach cancer had returned after months of silence and his mother had passed away from cancer years earlier. Despite this sad news, he smiled and laughed during the meeting. His outlook echoed the words of King Solomon: “A time to cry and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4, NLT). Cancer is hard on the family and the patient. But he challenged our little group to laugh daily and enjoy life by living today without worrying about the future.
God opened my eyes that night. I realized that while cancer was robbing my mother of energy and her hair, I was the one stealing her laughter and freedom by clinging tightly to a rigid schedule and worrying about the future. I wanted her to stay home all day and sleep. Having fun was off limits.

But Mom had other plans. After our first meeting, she decided to follow Jesus’ declaration: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34, NLT). She met two wonderful ladies through church. They drank coffee and ate lunch together, and laughed at silly jokes many afternoons. Mom stopped worrying about the future and started to enjoy each day God gave her. She turned the heavy-lifting over to God.

The next month when we returned to the support group, smiles had replaced tears. The pancreatic cancer patient had gone to Disney with her family and beautiful memories were made.

Mom and I had traveled to see family—we laughed and told old stories. Driving home we attracted stares from many drivers as Mom frequently stuck her bald head out of the window. Our worry-free laughter sounded better than any music.

God wants us to enjoy our families and our lives this side of heaven. He used that 25-year-old cancer patient to show me that true joy is found when we appreciate each day with family as a gift from Him and we leave our burdens at His feet.

Maybe you’ve recently received devastating health or financial news, or a tragedy has struck your family. It’s hard to not worry about the future when life is spinning fast. But my prayer is that you will find freedom and joy when you release your worries to Jesus.

Copyright © 2017 Karen Tyner, used with permission.

More from CBN, here

 

🏳️‍🌈✝️ BELOVED, WHEN A CHILD OF MINE CALLS OUT TO ME, I never fail to respond

Rainbow Pastor David

02/10/2018

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BELOVED, WHEN A CHILD OF MINE CALLS OUT TO ME, I never fail to respond.  I may not provide instant relief, as if I were just a genie, but I go to work immediately, setting in motion the conditions you need.  I help you gain awareness of what you have been doing seeking fulfillment in worldly ways.  In response to your neediness, I offer you My glorious riches.  When you have settled down enough to see clearly, I proffer Myself to you.  I invite you to come near Me, where you can find completeness.

As you center your attention on Me, I draw closer to you.  While you rest in the rarified air of My Presence, I bless you with My Peace.  Though you are just a jar of clay, I fill you with My treasure:  the Light of the knowledge of My Glory.  This divine Light fills you to the brim - making you complete.  It also transforms you, bit by bit, into the masterpiece I designed you to be. 

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  2 Corinthians 4:6-7 

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Light in the Darkness

Written By Rand Kreycik 

 

02/09/2018 

 

 

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 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1, 4-5

A grave is the darkest place I can imagine. Six feet deep, under a mound of earth, not even a hint of light - or life.

 

How astounding it is to me that the Word of Life came down into our darkness to surrender to that darkness through His death, to be placed into a grave. But He didn’t stay there. He conquered death so that we who knew nothing but death and darkness could know love and light.

 

I love the song by David Crowder called Forgiven. These lines from the song grab me by the heart every time I hear them, especially when he sings about being a dead man walking until he realizes God's people are not doomed to a dark grave forever. When he asks if it is believable, my heart responds yes.

 

Yes, I could – and should – have been lost forever. The Bible makes it clear that I earned death when I’d chosen darkness (sin) over the light of Christ (Romans 6:23). But because His light and life have overcome death, the amazing truth of the second half of this verse brought me out of darkness: "...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

Do you feel, as I once did, the weight of sin today? Does it seem like your darkness will never be broken? Jesus Christ came to bring light into that darkness. Receive the free gift of eternal life today and walk forth in his light, one that will never be overcome!

 

Lord Jesus, you came to experience darkness and death for me! And then you destroyed them both so that my sins could be forgiven and I could live forever with you. Who could believe you would love this broken sinful man that much? Thank you for your amazing love. Amen.

 

Go Deeper — sit in a very dark room or closet. Now shine a very small light and watch how it begins to make the place brighter and brighter. Ask God to do the same thing in your life.

 

More from The Life, here