Understanding the Role of the Pastor: Called to Proclaim the Word

Ezekiel 2:1-5 says,

“And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

The previous verses cover the calling of Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel. God is giving Ezekiel a task, setting him apart, to go to Israel and proclaim His (i.e. God’s) message to Israel.

Now, first and foremost, we need to understand what a prophet is. I think a common misunderstanding is that a prophet is one who solely “tells the future.” While we certainly see that happening in the Old Testament, a much better description of a prophet is simply one who is sent to proclaim a message, a message on behalf of God. God is consistently in the business of calling people to proclaim His Word, His message. Moses was called to bring a message to Egypt. Jonah was called to proclaim a message to Nineveh. Isaiah was called too and so forth, etc… you get the picture.

As we think about this in today’s context, what about here and now? Does God still speak through prophets in today’s context? Yes he does, however, not in the way that you probably think.

As we look to the New Testament we see that the scriptures speak of churches, groups of Christians, calling/appointing and ordaining pastors for the local church. Furthermore, we see in the scriptures the duties of the Pastor laid forth. As a result the church has called and ordained pastors to serve in the local church for the past two thousand years. Thus we can say that the office or role of the pastor is a divinely instituted office prescribed by scripture. The office is laid forth for the church to have and for men to fulfill.

But what makes a pastor a pastor? Very simply, I am a pastor not because of some intrinsic worth in myself. In other words, Pastor Matt Richard doesn't have a special DNA or special divine powers that make me a pastor. I am no closer to God than you are and I am just as much as a sinner as you are, if not more. So what then makes a pastor?            The answer is that a pastor is a pastor due to his calling from the local church.   Churches call pastors and churches are made up of  parishioners.                                 The church is not a building but the gathering of believers around the Word and Sacraments.  Thus, a pastor is only a pastor when they have been called by a local church to be a shepherd. Therefore my friends, there is no such thing as a self-appointed pastor.                                                                                                                              When I was starting seminary, someone asked me why I was going to seminary and I responded to them saying, “I was called.” Responding they said, “You are not called for you haven’t been called by a church.” This offended me greatly, but do you know what? They were right! Just as God called the people directly in the Old Testament to be a messenger of the Word, God works through His church, to call pastors to proclaim the Word to the flock & beyond.                                                                                                So, now that we understand that prophets of the Old and Pastors today need to be ‘called,’ what are they called to?                                                                                                In my humble opinion, the expectations of a pastor are some of the most misunderstood things in the church today. Just what does a pastor do and what is he called to? I came across a very funny job description for the ideal pastor. Here is what it says,

The ideal pastor preaches exactly twenty minutes with an hour’s content. He condemns sin, but never offends anyone. He works from 8 am to midnight, and also serves as the church janitor. He makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years of experience. He is a strong leader, yet also follows everyone’s advice. He can effectively relate to all teenagers and spends all of his time with the elderly. He is tall and short, thin and heavyset, and has one brown eye and one blue eye. He makes 15 house calls a day, regularly visits the hospital, and is always in his office.

Now, we can all get a good chuckle out of the previous job description. I am sure many of you can relate to similar expectations in your own field of work. However, in all seriousness though, what is the pastor called to? If we could summarize the office of pastor into a simple idea, theme and job description, what would it look like? What was the primary thrust of the prophet of the Old Testament? Simply put, the pastor is to be the shepherd of the sheep.                                                                                                           

He shepherds, protects and feeds them not by his own strength or wisdom but feeds the sheep and directs the sheep by the Word. A pastor’s main job is to be a servant of the Words of God, God’s Word as printed in the Bible.

You are a servant of the Word. Follow Jesus. The Way of the Cross is a lonely, narrow path but it leads to heaven. Be more afraid of God than you are of the people. It is not the one who signs the check who provides daily bread. Do the right thing. Tell the Truth. Suffer the consequences. That is what a servant of Christ does.

It is the Preaching Office. Don’t forget that. Your relationship to the congregation is the same as the prophets to Israel. Work on teaching and converting your own people– which includes scores of folks not on the books. Preach the Gospel to them — from the pulpit, the podium, the bedside, and behind the desk. They come looking for marital advice? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. They come looking for sympathy and a listening ear? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. They have a new baby, lost their job, are afraid of retirement? Tell them about Jesus dying for them. No matter what the circumstances, what the situation, you preach Christ crucified. Never compromise the simple Truth that has saved you.

Believe your own preaching. Jesus died also for you. He called you to this Ministry. He knows what he is doing. As good or as bad as it gets, it will not last forever. He is coming back to claim His own.

The main job of a pastor is to proclaim the Word of God to his flock.                                     He is to proclaim the Word, not his opinion.                                                                       The pulpit is tied to the Word of God and the pastor is called to preach the Word.           The pastor only has authority when he is preaching the Word of God and not the opinion of man. Furthermore the pastor has no jurisdiction apart from the Word.

So, pastors are called to proclaim the Word to their flocks, however, what is so special about this Word? Why the importance of proclaiming, teaching, sharing, applying God’s Word?

There is a temptation in the church these days to excuse the spoken Word in exchange for deeds. 

The cry is, “We don’t want creeds/words, but deeds.” My friends, while it is important for us to serve our neighbor, we can never forsake the Word of God.                                         As human beings we are prone to wander and prone to leave the God that we love. Therefore, we need to hear daily and especially in the midst of the church, God’s Word. We need the Word to stand from the outside—in, speaking to us about our human condition of sin and also God’s solution, the forgiveness of sins found and purchased in Christ for us.                                                                                                                           We need someone to give us a report from the Word, we need the authoritative Word to stand outside of us and above us to tell us how things actually are.

We don’t need good advice, good techniques and good ideas to make us better parents, better spouses and better friends. No, we need God’s Word of Law announced to us to reveal sin, show us where we have been deceived, and indicate to us where we have injured our neighbors. We also need God’s Word of Forgiveness declared to us so that we might hear that we are forgiven, that we are declared righteous for Christ’s sake, that the guilt has been removed, that there is no condemnation for us in Christ.

The reason why the church calls pastors to proclaim the Word is that the message of the Cross is the power of God. In Genesis chapter 1 we read and see that God is speaking the World into existence out of nothing. God speaks, “Let there be….” And there was. Out of nothing God makes something and He does so by simply speaking, His Word. Through God’s Word He makes all things out of nothing. There is power in the Word of God! The same word that created the world is the same Word that creates and grants faith to you and me. (Rom. 10:17) The same Word that created the world is the same Word that creates and sustains the church. Through the Word of God miracles happen! You were/are saved. You are granted assurance. You are brought from death to life.

Pastors are called to proclaim the Word because in the Word of God everything hinges. My friends hear this today,

“Christ died for your and my sins and He was buried and He was raised on the third day. In Christ there is forgiveness and righteousness for you; in Christ, you are accepted, you are accepted, you are accepted.

WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY WE CALL ‘DISCERNMENT’ REALLY ALL ABOUT

What is discernment?

Even as I mention that word, a multitude of Bible passages leaps into our minds: Ezekiel the watchman (Ezek. 3; 33); Jesus warning of the ‘false christs and false prophets’ that will arise (Matt. 24); the Jews at Berea who ‘searched the Scriptures daily’ to find out whether Paul was teaching them the truth (Acts 17); Paul telling the Thessalonians to ‘test all things; hold fast what is good’ (1 Thess. 5) and instructing Titus to ‘reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition’ (Titus 3); Peter warning about false teachers ‘who will secretly bring in destructive heresies’ (2 Peter 2). And many, many more – all helpful to us in various ways.

Paul tells the Philippians that he prays this for them:

…that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:9–11)

The immediate context there gives us a very good idea of what Paul means by ‘discernment’. Notice that he couples discernment with knowledge. The two are clearly related in some way.

Paul prays that the Philippians will abound ever increasingly in both these things, with the result that they ‘may approve the things that are excellent’ and ‘be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God’.

How we need this kind of knowledge and discernment! May the Lord grant it also to us in abundance, that we might too be found sincere and without offense until He comes again, being filled with the fruits of righteousness by Christ.

But we still haven’t answered our question: what is discernment?

Let us reach for a passage that is perhaps not always forefront in our minds when we think about discernment and what it means to be discerning. You know it well:

‘God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’ (Hebrews 1:1–4)

I wish to juxtapose that with a few verses from a little further on in the same text. The ‘Therefore’ with which this next passage starts follows directly on from the premise stated in the verses above:

‘Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?’ (Hebrews 2:1–4)

God has spoken to us by the prophets and, in these last days, by His glorious Son. The same Son who has purged our sins and who now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. ‘Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard’, as the ESV puts it.

Why?

Lest we drift away, because we shall not escape if we neglect so great a salvation. A salvation that ‘at the first began to be spoken by the Lord’ and was confirmed by those who heard Him, with God Himself bearing witness with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Is not true discernment this very activity of paying close attention to what we have heard about a Great Salvation?

A salvation proclaimed by Christ, undertaken for Christ, accomplished by Christ on the cross. A salvation we hear spoken of in the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit through the prophets and Apostles – and, yes, even Christ Himself.

If not by paying close attention to what we have heard about this Great Salvation, what other method is there by which we may discern, or truly be called discerning?

It now becomes clear why knowledge is an essential prerequisite for discernment: we have to know about the Great Salvation that is to be found only in Christ if we are to pay close attention to it.

Having received that Great Salvation, the love of Christ poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit now compels us to study it, proclaim it – even to contend for it. We do this in the hope that the Spirit may yet work in others faith and repentance by their hearing the Word of Christ, even granting to them the same joy that Grace has purchased at great price and freely bestowed upon us.

Discernment thus begins and ends with Christ. It is always about Christ, His person, His work.

Discernment abides in Christ. It feasts richly on His Word, for in the Scriptures alone do we find authoritative revelation of the person and work of Christ. All the Scriptures speak of Him, and in them we encounter God in human flesh, crucified for our sin and raised for our being declared righteous.

Discernment that is not centered upon Christ and His Gospel is thus utterly devoid of worth. It is fit for nothing but the dung heap.

Discernment thus rallies every believer with this cry: ‘Christ crucified for sinners and raised from the dead! To the Scriptures, which speak of Him! Contend for this faith once delivered! Shine forth this Good News – the power and wisdom of God to those who are called!’

If we were always about that business, if our every engagement were to further the cause of that Gospel? Truly, then would we be discerning discerners.

Frail as we are, may our heavenly Father, the almighty and everlasting God, grant for the sake of His Son by His Spirit that we cling to our great God and Savior with simple childlike trust, confident of all He has promised. May He give us wisdom and true discernment through His Word, keeping us from every sin and danger, governing all our doings that they may be righteous in His sight. May He cause us to hold fast to the author and finisher of our faith, even Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

Discernment and Christian Maturity

12 Οὐχ ὅτι ἤδη ἔλαβον ἢ ἤδη τετελείωμαι, διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφʼ ᾧ καὶ κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ [Ἰησοῦ]. (Philippians 3:12-13 NA28)

12 Not that I have already received or have been completed I press on that, if possible, to apprehend it because Christ Jesus has apprehended me. (Philippians 3:12 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:12 ESV)

Biblical scholars consider Philippians 3:12 to be a very challenging verse. Here is a word-for-word translation, “Not that already I received or already I have been completed, I pursue but if also I might apprehend on which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus.” What is Paul talking about?

I have been a Christian since 1986, but I grew up going to church and before God saved me I was faithful attending church nearly every Sunday so I have been around Christian evangelicals all my life. What I am about to say comes from my observations and experiences both before and after God saved me. Christians can easily become satisfied and content with the spiritual level they have attained. Before God saved me, I didn't notice anyone around me that had any particular spiritual gifts or abilities that they exhibited that I really wanted other than that thing about understanding God’s Word and praying. Those things eluded me. Then God intervened. Everything changed. I found that I could not get enough of God’s Word. I wanted to read it, devour it. I attended every Bible study I could. I took classes on how to study it. I learned how to conjugate Greek verbs, et cetera. That has never changed. I have been teaching myself Koine Greek for nearly 15 years with a lot of online help from some very good Greek Scholars. In any case, that part of my Christian walk has never diminished

However, on April 19, 1995 God allowed me to be a survivor of the Oklahoma City Federal Center bombing. I was a block south of the Federal complex when the bomb went off. I had been in the Federal Employees credit union just the day before. I knew some of those in the V.A. office. I knew some in the social security office Well, after the explosion I and one of my coworkers made our way up to what was left of the front of the Federal Building. Cars were still exploding. People were laying in the street covered in blood. Smoke was everywhere. Other than the approaching sirens, there was…silence…I had nightmares about that for months. I descended into a pit of depression and anger that lasted from that day until August 2004 when God drew me out of it for healing and I have never been the same. I look back on that period as a very dry spiritual time for me. Oh, I went to church. I taught classes. I prayed. I read my Bible. I was angry all the time. I wanted to get my hands around the throat of Timothy McVie and wring his neck.. You see, that anger was consuming me.

Did I grow spiritually during that time? I think not, but I was being prepared for what God did in 2004 to the present. There are tentacles of anger that try to pull me back to the pit sometimes. I fight depression sometimes. However, God is good. When I pull back from whatever it is that is driving me that way and seek God and His way that stuff just means nothing anymore. So, what am I saying? Have I apprehended the spiritual maturity Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:12? Not hardly, but I do know that I have been apprehended by Christ Jesus and I also know that He has given me this ministry of discernment and teaching. Neither of those things come cheap.

13 ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, 14 κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκω εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 15 Ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει· 16 πλὴν εἰς ὃ ἐφθάσαμεν, τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν. (Philippians 3:13-16 NA28)

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:13-16 ESV)

Here is my personal translation of v13, “Brothers, I myself not consider to have apprehended; but forgetting the past and stretching forward to what lies ahead.” This verse sets up what the mature Christian does do instead of focusing on the past, dwelling on failures, letting life’s unfairness and tragedies overwhelm him or her as the immature or the not so mature Christian can find themselves doing…”I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way” This is what the mature, or maturing Christian does do. What is this pressing on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? Obviously it is the way the mature Christian thinks! What is it?

The goal is, of course, Christ likeness here and now, but the prize is Christ likeness in Heaven. The upward call of God is the time when God calls each believer to heaven and into His presence which will be the moment of receiving the prize which has been an unattainable goal in this life. Maturing Christians are to approach this life with this attitude. What will be the result? They will keep walking in progressive sanctification by the same principles that have brought them to their current spiritual growth.

What has this to do with discernment? First, what is it?   Who can exercise it properly? Certainly not Christians who are not walking according to the example Paul gave us here for the maturing Christian. Those who attempt to do so may be gifted by God in certain areas that are useful in the battle for the Truth, but eventually they will become compromised and will become casualties and, sadly, we have seen this quite often. Our enemy hates the truth, but he can only attack us as God allows, but if we are not walking as maturing Christians then we become liabilities in the Truth War and so our Lord may allow the enemy to take us out or nullify us. On the other hand, even if we are doing it all just as Paul directs, we will never perfectly “apprehend” it all here in this life and God will allow us to be attacked and cause us to struggle and depend on Him alone in all parts of our lives because that is the nature of the Spirit filled walk.

All of that to say, God gives discernment to His servants in order for them to serve the Body of Christ to warn them of apostate teachers and heretics. They warn the sheep of wolves trying to attack the flock. They teach and preach the truth. They help the sheep learn to discern for themselves how to tell what is Biblical from what is not. They point to certain professing “Christian leaders” who are teaching or preaching things that are un-biblical and tell the Body of Christ to run from them. The real sheep hears these warnings and do run because that very voice is coming from the Lord Himself. Real discernment is not an attack to cause disunity. It is a ministry to remove pretenders from the flock who are causing harm to it, which is, of course, the real crime of causing disunity. We simply warn and tell the truth. It is God who opens hearts and speaks the truth to them.

By Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!

Follower's of Jesus Christ, this is a call to persevere............
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
20 This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us.
21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's people,
22 let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins.
27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
28 Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy.                               Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to his people.
30 For we know the one who said, "I will take vengeance. I will repay those who deserve it." He also said, "The Lord will judge his own people."
31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:19-31 
What a wonderful opportunity the Lord has given to us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, {His Love,His Grace,His Mercy,His Justice,His Judgement,His Love} 

Lets use an example:                                                                                                                     If you truly love your Children  will you"discipline them" with "Love and understanding",and Truth"  Why?  Because of your "Love for your children                                                                                your  Love is to help them, protect them, guard them, guide them,teach them the values and morals of what is "right"!                             What is right?                                                                              If your Child deliberately disobeys you---- is your response:  "ahhhhhh isn't that the cutest little thing ya ever did see?"!!!   NO---------------                                                                                           Because of your Love for your child---- you want  in Love, to teach your child  that                           "disobedience has a consequence" when we help our children understand that their decisions and choices will effect them good or bad------ this is the Love we have for them that we warn them--------RIGHT?                                                                                                                                                            

Because God is a -----God of Love He has clearly has shown us His Love,Compassion,Justice,Judgement grace,Mercy from the "beginning to the end of His word".                                                                                                                                                             There is clearly consequences to our disobedience, especially if we "willfully disobey"! because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Prov 3:12   Heb 12:6--Rev 3:19--Psalms 94:12 --------This is the Love of God                                                                                 God has shown us His Love and goodness,through His word---------
                                                                                                                                                "Everything that is tested, tried and true". God Has written it all in His Word the Bible                        As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.---Prov 18:30---Psalms 12:6--Psalms 19:7--Prov 30:5---11 Sam 22:31 Duet 32:4--Rev 15:13                    All of these scriptures says the same thing, scripture backing scripture,                                          this is the  "TESTIMONY OF MY LIVING GOD"
Jesus Christ is the Gospel------------If you are not In His word day and night,meditating on His Truth, "you may be that one will listen to everything that sounds good but is not absolute Truth"---------"another gospel"---------- which deceives you, and is considered False teaching.                                                                                                                                                                                   this is the enemy's game-------------He's a liar-------------                                                                His Job is to destroy you and take you down.                                                                                  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.                                                                      He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
 People's beliefs concerning Satan range from the silly to the abstract—from a little red guy with horns who sits on your shoulder urging you to sin, to an expression used to describe the personification of evil.                                                                                                                                             The Bible, however, gives us a clear portrait of who Satan is and how he affects our lives. Put simply,                                                                                                                                                the Bible defines Satan as an angelic being who fell from his position in heaven due to sin and is now completely opposed to God, doing all in his power to thwart God's purposes.
Satan was created as a holy angel. Isaiah 14:12 possibly gives Satan’s pre-fall name as Lucifer. Ezekiel 28:12-14 describes Satan as having been created a cherubim, apparently the highest created angel.                                                                                                                                                           He became arrogant in his beauty and status and decided he wanted to sit on a throne above that of God (Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:15; 1 Timothy 3:6).                                                                     Satan’s pride led to his fall. Notice the many “I will” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15.                    Because of his sin, God permanently removed Satan from his exalted position and role.
Satan became the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air (John 12:31; 2                Did you get this Believer?   You have an enemy--------------------                                                       Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). He is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and a deceiver (Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:3).                           His very name means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Another of his titles, the devil, means “slanderer.”
Even though he was cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above God.                         He counterfeits all that God does, hoping to gain the worship of the world and encourage opposition to God's kingdom.                                                                                                                             Satan is the ultimate source behind every false cult and world religion.                                               Satan will do anything and everything in his power to oppose God and those who follow God. However, Satan’s destiny is sealed—an eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

This is the great news-------You have an Advocate Jesus Christ.
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 1 John 2:1
but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;…Heb 7:25
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
The Bible’s message must be taken as a whole. It is not a mixture of doctrine that we are free to select from.                                                                                                                                         Many people like the verses that say God loves them,                                                                       but they dislike the verses that say God will judge sinners.                                                                 But we simply cannot pick and choose what we like about the Bible and throw the rest away.             If the Bible is "wrong about hell", for example, then who is to say it is "right about heaven"—or about anything else?                                                                                                                               If the Bible cannot get the details right about creation, then maybe the details about salvation cannot be trusted either.                                                                                                                              {If the story of Jonah is a myth, then perhaps so is the story of Jesus}.
                                                                                                                                                On the contrary, God has said what He has said, and the Bible presents us a full picture of who God is.                                   “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89).
Death is inevitable, "If" we do not Believe or take the Living God at His word then you have your own gospel which leads to death!                                                                                                           You turn things upside down as if the Potter {The Living God} were thought to be like clay! Can the Pot say to the Potter He knows nothing? Isaiah 29:16                                                               
God's desire for all who know Him is for us to become more like Christ.                                             We do this by first growing in our knowledge of Christ. It stands to reason that we cannot grow to be like someone we don’t know. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become.                                                                                Among other reasons, we are to know and understand Christ so that we will be secure in our faith in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-16: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.                                                                                                                          Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things "grow up" into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.                                                                                                                                         From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."                                                                                   This fact is repeated once more in 2 Peter 3:17-18: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your "guard" so that you may not be carried away by the "error" of lawless men and fall from your secure position.                                                                                                         But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.                                         To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."                                                                               These passages show us that growing in the knowledge of Christ will preserve us from faith-destroying error.
So Believer if you are reading  "every book"  But the Book that is your "bread of Life" The Infallible Word of God ------------Beware---your already deceived-----------                                             God's word is enough------For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discern er of the thoughts and intents of the heart.                                                                                   And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.                                                                                                         The word see's our Heart,It exposes our weakness,and unbelief,it demonstrates the inherent power, sharpness, and accuracy of the word of God.                                                                                   It bears constant reminding that as we submit ourselves to the word of God, we do it for, far more than intellectual knowledge of the learning of facts.                                                                       We do it for the ministry of the Word, because God meets us in His Word, and the Holy Spirit works powerfully through the word of God.  We should consider just what the Word of God says it will do in our lives:
 There are many resources out there--------many are Biblical and many are not!!!!-                              does what you read align with the word of God and Come into agreement with what God's word says???                                                                                                                                         How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:44
What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again. Ecclesiastes 3:15                                                                                                                                                                              Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday Today and Forever---Heb 13:8                                                      All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord.                           All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.  Jude1:25                                                                                                                               
Today IF you hear His Voice {Spirit of God}   "DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS"! This is repeated 3 times in Hebrews WHY?????                                                                                                       When the Lord God speaks He always warns---------then Judgement--------you will see this all through Scripture----------He repeats Himself-------------Listen up!------------                                              No One is without excuse----------For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,so men are without excuse, Romans 1                                                                                               "Follower  of Jesus Christ" we only get this short "DASH" were running to finish the race well------------"Who" and "what" are you running "to" and "for"?                                                                     Jesus the prize in all His Glory-----or you for you and your glory?                                                                                                                                                                                                   Are you in the word? Are you pressing into the Living God, who already knows the beginning and the end of your Life!                                                                                                                          Are you in a place of worship day in and day out abiding in the Vine---------in Spirit and truth--------Prayer, Prayer and Pray till you pray,earnestly,Humbly, seeking, asking the Lord to Be on the throne of your heart.                                                                                                                                   Who do you put all your expectations in?                                                                               MAN!!!!!!!!!! OR the LIVING GOD?                                 

Man is just a breath and His life is fleeting------Man can not save us-----Man can not control the universe, nor stop the storms,-----Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? Isaiah 2:22                                                                      

God Is Faithful----------do you "know Him" to know this?
To know Him is to take Him at His word---- He is Faithful,He is Trustworthy,He is always present. He cannot lie-  God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?    Numbers 23:19                                                                                                                                                       Oh My dear brother and sisters in Jesus we are in a spiritual battle and it's real-------                       We must clothe ourselves in Christ Jesus Daily through "His word and Prayer" surround your selves with those who love the word of God and His righteousness----------                                               Don't be a casualty to false teaching, because you have "not armed" yourself with the absolute Truth Of Almighty God's Infallible Word                                                                                               Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

We do have a Father God who is Love------------He is also a Just God------------
He knows all-----------sees all--- who is all power---------who is everywhere at the same time all the time-------we can not hide from Him-------------He knows our thoughts---------He know our hearts.     There will come a day we each individually will stand before Him-------And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, Heb 9:27
This is the Love of God :                                                                                                                Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.  2 Timothy 2:19
Without holy affections as God is holy, all human knowledge is worthless. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thess 4:7                                                                                   But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;   1 Peter 1:15                                       Holiness is not so much something we possess, as it is something that "possesses us".God is no respecter of Man-------He sees our heart-----He is Holy------so we approach Him with confidence and boldness in that He already knows what we need,this is our personal relationship with Jesus,

He's Loving,generous in His love,gentleness,tenderness,carefulness,patience---------remember---------His thoughts are not our thoughts His ways are high above------Isaiah 55:8                                         

He does not think like we do---------we have got to remember we have a lot of "worldly thinking" in us and until we get into His word and sit with Him we have a distorted way of how we see our Loving Jesus.

Beloveds we need to start seeing our Lives in the eternal perspective----------this life is but a mist compared to eternity------------this is the only chance we get to align our lives with God's word and live in the light of who He is in us so that all that are dying and going to Hell want to know Jesus---------we can't save the world that is what Jesus came to do----------we can be dressed for service and have our lamps burning........If we value the beauty of holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of life.            {We will not work to store up our treasures on this earth} Let us then examine whether we belong to this little flock. Is Christ is our Master?, and we are his servants?;                                                    share why People need Jesus........."Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.                                                              But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt 7:14

Love your Sister in Christ Jesus

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:3-8 ESV)

With what seems as the demise of the Biblical/Christian Worldview, those of us who belong to the Lamb of God must stop assuming that our culture, our environment knows or grasps what we mean when we talk about sin and God being Holy, Righteous, and Just. In Romans 1, we see that the natural Man knows the truth in his or her heart of hearts, but they suppress it. In turn, God gives them over or gives them up to a debased or reprobate mind. This is spiritual blindness. These given over to their lusts and desires are no longer convicted of the evil of their sin. They see what they desire as good even though God says it is evil and what God says is good as evil. They lose their fear of God’s judgment. Over time, they become resentful and full of hate towards any who teach or preach the Gospel to them.                                                                                                                                                                         This is why so many flock to seeker-sensitive “churches.” There they are stroked and made to feel good without having to deal with the real Jesus. Their religion, Christ-less Christianity, is friends of the world and eager to welcome those of other ‘religions’ except for those troublesome orthodox Christians who preach the Law and Gospel, which includes the truth about sin and total separation from God for the un-redeemed along with the only way to be reconciled to Him.

Therefore, we must become prepared for this time. We must become very familiar with the truth; therefore, we must become immersed in God’s Word. We must know what we really believe and why we believe it. I cannot think of better place to start than a study of our redemption through the blood of Christ.

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV)

In Hebrews 9:1-10 we learn of the Temple and the work of the Priests as they served the Lord in their day-by-day service. Then the writer of Hebrews begins in v11 to contrast the work of Christ in our redemption with the animal sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. Christ is the high priest of the good things that have and are to come. What good things? His single sacrifice is superior in a superior heavenly tabernacle (the very presence of God). It is superior to all of the sacrifices done under the Old Covenant because it brings complete forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, purified consciences, and direct access to God as we will see as we unpack the rest of this passage.

Why is it important that the conscience of the believer is purified from dead works to serve the living God? The Mosaic sacrifices did not affect the conscience, but Christ’s sacrifice purifies believers to their innermost being. The conscience is a vital part of our hearts. The Holy Spirit uses it to convict us of sin. He also uses it to give us an inner justification as we rest in Christ. Genuine believers receive a purified conscience at salvation. However, it must learn what behaviors are right and wrong. This is why it is so critical for Christians to become immersed in the Word of God. Blessed is the man or woman whose conscience is not seared and yet does not condemn them. This is only possible with a purified conscience.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:15-22 ESV)

The New Covenant in Christ is mediated by Him revealing it and then by serving as its priest who offers himself in sacrifice (Hebrews 1:2; Hebrews 9:11-14). Who partakes of this New Covenant with Christ? This is referring to those who are called. This is God’s electing call to salvation.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV)

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, (2 Timothy 1:8-9 ESV)

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10 ESV)

What do the “called” receive? They receive an eternal inheritance. What is that? This is everlasting salvation.

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, (Hebrews 5:7-9 ESV)

From this we see that those who are called receive eternal salvation and the result of this call is that they obey Christ. This eternal salvation comes because of Christ’s death. It redeems them from the sins committed under the Old Covenant. Yes, that is right. The Law will judge all who are not believers. They are liable to it. The New Covenant is for believers alone. The promises of this New Covenant were instituted at the time of Christ’s death. His blood sealed it. Sin necessitates an atoning blood sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11) and Christ, being perfect, paid that redemption price for all those called by God.

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him
(Hebrews 9:23-28 ESV)

The structure of the Old Covenant was of earthly things, which were patterned as copies after greater heavenly realities. The Heavenly realties always represent the presence of God. The earthly copies were purified with animal sacrifices, but the heavenly realties required a greater purification sacrifice, which was, of course, the blood of Christ. Jesus Christ walked this earth as the God-Man. He entered the earthly Temple during that time, but after His sacrifice on the Cross He entered into the heavenly realities. He is in the presence of God right now on our behalf. Think of that my brethren. He is interceding for us right now.

His sacrifice on the Cross was completely sufficient. It was once for all unlike the sacrificial system in the Old Covenant, which required daily sacrifices. Christ’s redeeming work on the Cross has put away sin. Of course, this is referring to all in the New Covenant, not those outside of it. Every one of us has but a single life before eternal judgment. There are no second chances. There is no Purgatory. What is this judgment? When Christ returns the final judgment will take place. His death was to atone for the sins of many. When He returns He will save His followers who eagerly await His return.

What are we to do who are His in this trying time in light of what Christ has done for us?

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:19-25 ESV)

Even so, come soon Lord Jesus!

By Mike Ratliff    Soli Deo Gloria!