"In the Name of Religion"

Maybe it's me...I find too many people who profess a relationship with God and Christ, using and doing things in the name of God which has to be a great disappointment to Him. In the days of Isaiah, God people were doing things they professed in the name of God, but God called their hand (Isa. 58:13-14). On the "holy day" of God, they sought their own pleasures in the name of God, speaking their own religious words and God found it abhorring! Today, we find too much of this among the church. Everyone claims to do things in the name of God when in reality, they are doing things in the name of religion. There is a huge difference.

I was speaking to a Christian mother. She was proud of her children (which I know any mother would be) who had grown up. As she went into detail about where they attend the assemblies, her son in particular, led singing, waited on the Lord's table, led prayers and read Scriptures. She was speaking how great it was to see him doing all these things. Over and over she stated how proud she was of her son. I would be too and I don't blame her. However, the revealing of how the lack of discernment and the knowing the name of God came to the forefront and the mother could not even see it nor her son. Her son walks in, she introduces me and I stood in disgust...he was wearing a shirt from "Hooters" with a revealing woman on the shirt. I never heard one more word that mother said to me. It struck me, "Here you are speaking of the things your son is doing and how proud you are yet doing the things she thinks are from God are nothing more than religion!" Sometimes we are more proud of our children and glory in them rather than see the God who called us into fellowship with His holy name and glory in Him!

God is holy and pure. He does not look upon evil and fellowship sin. Our relationship to Him should reflect His holiness in all our behavior (I Pet. 1:14-16). We were called into Christ, under His cleansing blood to free us from the power of sin. We were cleansed, made holy and blameless before Him. We need to walk in a manner that is worthy of that calling and take it seriously! Do you think our Lord takes His life seriously? We need to reflect on the wonderful blessing and seriousness of being set free. If the blood of Christ, His cleansing power have so little effect on us, we aren't doing things in the name of God. It has been watered down in the name of religion...exactly what the Pharisees were doing! The name of religion will never save anyone. We need discernment to know the difference between good and evil. It's the name of God and the name of His Son that saves. What name are you doing things in? Take a serious look and open your eyes to your practices and it might shock you!

"Individualism"

I know the future! Yep! You heard it right here but I am not prophet and claim nothing to do with prophecy. I do know the future. I am headed to glory, to heaven, in the presence of God and God promised me that in His Son. I do not know what turns and twists will be on the way, but I know where I am headed. I know where people without the Lord are headed too! The Lord is not part of the self righteous, the prideful or arrogant, those involved in sin. Their fate will be horrible in the end.

What I am seeing today is an increase in "individualism"! Go to the book store and look at all the hundreds of hundreds of religious books written. The majority are about "individualism." "You can be this..." or "The Lord's personal plan for you...". The books seem endless. People write how to develop this within or that within. We are going overboard on "individualism" and it is having drastic effects on the body of Christ. Personal development is a big hit! Preachers preach, teachers teach, people hold meetings, seminars all speaking of himself or herself and how they individually overcame. Our airwaves are filled with "Let me tell you what God has done in my life..." Instead of asking, "What is God's plan for me?" we should be looking at a bigger picture. I know God's plan and His plan was revealed in Jesus! The question should be, "Who is the God we have been called into fellowship with?" We have turned the Scriptures into such a personal agenda, we have missed the Almighty that spoke the Scripture! We need to be studying, reading to see the God and His involvement in human affairs not our "individualism". Jesus came to explain God (John 1:18)!

To walk after the Spirit means to live your life where He takes you. Our prayers need to be surrendered to the will of God that our lives will be molded and shaped by the God of creation. Our lives need to be changed into the glory of Christ and that comes by understanding Him and His ways, not our personal wants or needs. We need to really see ourselves as the Lord sees us. Paul spoke of having the attitude of Christ and the mind of Christ. That takes away us from "individualism." This "individualism" is having a drastic affect on the church. No more are people concerned about one another as Christ's body, but about being "individuals" and splitting up so we can be "individuals." That's where the "contemporary" and "traditional" ideas have taken us. God did not take us there!

Those in Christ, with a true and honest heart, are headed to the glory of God. We have had revealed to us our outcome. We need to grasp the big picture! Eternal life is knowing God! (John 17:3) The Scriptures weren't written to tell us each and every detail of what to do when this happens or that happens! They are written to show us God and His purpose in dealing with mankind. The Scriptures are not written for us to know a "gazillion" responses individually each time something happens or does not happen. They show us God! They reveal the glory of Christ and His message to a lost, sinful world. The Scriptures give us understanding and insight to our heavenly Father, why He does what He does. When "individualism" takes over, we forget our purpose and our God. The end result is each and every one forgets the goal that is already promised and wants "me" time!!! Just look around and see the fragmentation in the church and how people are moving to a more "community friendly" environment. We have lost our way and the power of God to change us into His image. If one is in Christ, they have eternal life in their possession. We know the end result. The in between from here to there, that's where we come to know and see God, which takes us away from "individualism" so we can be conformed into the image of His Son. It's hard to be conformed when all we are looking at is the great and grand things God can do for us!

"Easy To Quit"

When life wears on you, especially sin, it is easy to find yourself thinking that there is no hope. An endless stream of disappointments, failures and struggles. Sin seems to rear its head at every opportunity. We look at what we have produced and sometimes it is pathetic at best. Doubts begin to hit our thinking, "God really doesn't care for me anyway!" In the worst moments it seems to run us into the ground and we find ourselves ready to give up and quit. We try, only to fail and wonder why we are God rejected when we seem so sincere. The doubts hit us if God is unwilling to put up with us anymore, so the thoughts of quiting come easy.

We need to understand two things: (1) God is for us! The cross speaks volumes and says I am willing to die your death, to take your place of death so you can live. The depth and care from the heart of God become vivid and plain when one examines the cross in light of what was given up for us. You can doubt your doubts and wallow in your pain, but the cross says God is for us! (Rom. 8:31-29) Just ask our Lord when He was facing "our" death but knowing God would bring Him back into His fellowship and the life that was being given. (2) Our hearts need to come before the God who loves us. What happens too many times is when we doubt us and begin feeling like we can never reach God, our hearts begin to embrace "us", not God. God will not share your heart with anyone else. Our heart must be willing and open to embrace Him at all cost. Does that mean we will not fail? Sure we will but before our eyes is a cross full of love and help. We fail, and sometimes miserably, but God does not fail! He draws near to us only when we draw near to Him through Jesus. He picks us up when we are down, but only when the heart is willing to embrace Him. One cannot walk in filth and evil willingly and find help from God. God is holy and pure and will not be in the presence of sin. One can be caught in their filth and evil, desiring out of its repulsive grip crying out to God for a clean and new heart, with a willingness to walk in His presence with all their heart and He will take you into His presence, His life. When one's heart turns completely, 100%, they will find relief and freedom from their sins. The life they long for is found in Jesus. It is a matter if our hearts want Him!

Too many speak with their mouths and knowing in the conscience they need God but their heart is in another place. Their heart desires wrong and evil abounds within but they know in their mind they need help. As they lose time and time again, they find themselves ready to quit. It's hard to quit when you never have started! But if one wants freedom and come into the blessings of God, it takes one thing: and honest, open and broken heart fleeing to Jesus and God will reach out and help. David found this in Psa. 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Yes, the worst of worst, the most vile on the earth can have hope provided their heart wants out of their sinfulness. Isn't that who Jesus died for? He didn't offer Himself for the self righteous and those who think they are good. He gave Himself for the sinful, hurting, sickest ones on this earth and speaks, "Don't quit now...I haven't quit on you!" What does your heart desire?

"Understanding God and His Grace"

The great, awesome Almighty God wants us to be washed completely clean. He desires a relationship with us lowly, failing people. Just think, we are in a relationship with the Creator and sustainer of 6 billion plus people on this earth. Us poor, pathetic people and yet He offers us Himself! That is grace extended.

But there is another side we need to be aware of. This great and powerful God will not allow anyone to abuse His love or grace. Too many have the idea they can sin, repent and all will be well. God is too wise to allow us to try to think we can manipulate His grace. God will not allow anyone to abuse His grace. The grace of God is to help us overcome our weaknesses and sinfulness. When the grace of God is properly understood and applied to our heart, it should lead us to denying ungodliness and worldly desires while living righteously, sensibly and godly (Tit. 2:12). The grace of God brings a spiritual awakening within the person who is baptized into His Son for the forgiveness of their sins. It brings a serious of the relationship to practice the holiness and righteousness of God. Too many are teaching and believing they can never fall from grace, so their lives become a carefree way of life because God will never cut them off. Paul warned the Galatian brethren they can fall from grace (Gal. 5:4).

Let the grace of God be applied to your heart. Believe in Him and His grace toward you. He wants us to overcome and be saved in the end. But remember, by no means will anyone manipulate Him or abuse His grace! His grace reaches us and our lives will reflect that!!!

Questions?

I get personal e-mails from this one and that one, which I always enjoy. If anyone has a question or something they would like to see addressed, please write me or write it in this blog. I will do my best to give Biblical insight to what is asked. My personal e-mail is: kevinbnewton@yahoo.com

One thing people who have known me for many years is that I try to stay away from my personal opinion when teaching/preaching. When my opinion is given, I will state it as my opinion, not the word of the Lord. That seems to be so difficult for many. Too many, especially preachers/teachers, give out their personal opinions thinking if one does not heed or take it, they are sinning. I have watched many a preacher become offended because someone did not listen to their opinion. The more one studies, the better at discernment and wisdom they become. Advice becomes wise and can help many people. We need people with godly, spiritual, sound advice. But ultimately, each person is expected to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13).

This forum is yours....ask away....I'll try...

"Bible Study: Where Does One Begin?"

I want to encourage each and everyone to read and study their Bibles. A sincere lover of God will read to understand. Too many are reading the Bible like some Reader's Digest or demean it to mean as some "long, lost love letter." It is the holy words that came from the heart and passed the lips of our holy God to mankind. While it is true is expressing His love for us, it is a life changing message for people to take in sincerity.

In order to gain insight to the Almighty and His word, you will need to start with a good Bible. Just my personal view from my studies, I like the New American Standard Bible (NASB). It seems to hold to the accuracy of the Scriptures in both Hebrew and Greek while using more of our language today. The New International Version (NIV) is very popular today because it is easy to read. In my personal studies and in speaking with many who are steeped in the Greek and Hebrew language, the NIV does not seem to hold as true and at times tries to add things or change words in different contexts. I know some will not like hearing that who hold to the NIV but that's as honest as I can be about it. I make personal notes in the back of my Bible on some of the word changes the NIV does. I realize there are things about every version that could be picked on, but I am holding to what I have found the most accurate. The New King James Version (NKJV) is fairly good but still needs some work in my personal opinion. Just one thing, stay away from any version that is a paraphrase!

Get a notebook! Write down questions that arise in your mind and make notes of verses how they strike you. Writing them down will keep things fresh in your mind. You might even take some time and print by hand a short book of the Bible, word for word, and words will begin jumping out at you or statements.

To help in furthering your personal studies, you need a concordance. A concordance will help you locate verses from any part in the Bible. Young's or Strong's concordances are good. They are valuable tools. Get a good Bible dictionary. A Bible dictionary will give you basic information on almost any subject you read about in the Bible. Once again, personally speaking, I have found the New Bible Dictionary about one the best single-volume dictionaries available. A Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words is good.

Finally, you need to find someone you trust to give you some guidance. God's word can be difficult at times and we need guidance (Acts 8:30-31). I might say one thing here, there is always a danger in asking for help. The person who offers their help and insight or the person you might seek out may hold some really strange and different views. They may be views that are fundamentally bad. Here is some advice: if a person holds himself/herself aloof, speaking like they have the only insight to the real meaning of things or they are upset at others while thinking they are in good spiritual condition, look for guidance elsewhere! Sometimes I will hear brethren tell me they are studying with so and so and I cringe inside knowing that the one they are studying with has a self-righteous, high minded opinion of themselves and hold themselves above others. As you grow in your personal study, you will be come more and more discerning and will see the things I am speaking of.

On a final note, you cannot study the Bible with any sincerity if you wait for an "in the mood" time! It is a commitment you must make. It takes a serious commitment to invest the time and energy to do it rightly. The Lord looks at the heart and it will be up to Him to open up His storehouse in heaven to you or withhold it from you. Sometimes I wonder about those who teach our Bible classes how much commitment they put forth in preparing their lessons to teach. Many seem to just "throw" something together and their lives reflect that same mentality.

LISTEN! You need to listen to God speak through the different writers. Be attentive and pay attention to His word by applying it to your life. Let Him in to change your thought patterns. Let Him guide you into dropping some habits you have while drawing closer to His side from your study. You have to be humble and willing to change and that change comes about as you touch His life and love for your soul. Don't be afraid! Don't fret what you don't understand! You're coming into the presence of a holy, loving God that wants and desires a relationship with you. He will grow you! He will equip you! Just be committed to Him.

"Take Care"

The Hebrew writer warns: "Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." (Heb. 3:12) It is hard for some to believe they could have an evil, unbelieving heart, yet this was spoken from the mouth of God to His children because we are not immune!

When we speak of unbelievers, we think of the world, those separated from Christ and those not in Christ. It is easy to find them. But unbelievers can be found among the body of Christ, those for years who have slowly drifted and stopped heeding. An evil heart is a heart that does not work from pure motives and justifies their actions. An evil heart works to take advantage of others. Esau had an evil heart (Heb. 12:16-17) and sold his spiritual well being for food! An unbelieving heart is a heart that no longer responds to the will of God. They listen time after time, but because they have become dull of hearing, they no longer respond to God's word. For instance, God asks people to be forgiving. That's the will of God. When one will not forgive, are they believing? Are the obedient? Israel was strewn all over the wilderness with dead bodies because they were disobedient to God's word because of unbelief (Heb. 3:18-19).

We need to heed and take inventory. Are we just going through the motions of "religion" or do we respond by faith? Faith keeps one moving forward, reaching, desiring and making progress. Faith leads us to convictions and commitment to our Lord and His cause. Faith grows in a good and believing heart. How does one know if they have a good, believing heart? They do not back off of spiritual growth. They are not lazy in the spiritual life, but longing and wanting to let go of the things that corrupt them while taking in more and more of Christ. Jesus said a good and honest heart is seen when on takes the word, responds to that word and allows it to grow them (Matt. 13:23). The fruit is the seen result.

We need to be careful that we have not become dull in our senses. We need to watch over our motives and heart with every step. We need to encourage one another to move forward so sin will not deceive us or harden us (Heb. 3:13). We need to make certain that when God's word hits our heart, we respond. That's what a good, honest and believing heart will do. Above all...take care!