The best life is a God First life

Category: Scripture (Page 1 of 4)

No Excuses Before the Eternal Judge

We will all stand before God, and when we do, is there any excuse we can give to justify our rejection of God’s Grace and His Son’s Sacrifice? Is there any acceptable reason we can offer our eternal Judge as to why we followed our own ideas and desires rather than His intent for us?

—NOT, from anything I’ve read.

I once thought I could claim ignorance; however, God knows our hearts and would know if my actions were willful or truly ignorant. He knows if I study or just accept what I’ve been told. How stupid to think I could claim ignorance at judgment?

Knowing our Hearts means God knows the real reason behind every decision we make. Nothing is hidden from God! We will be judged according to God’s Word, so shouldn’t we get to know God through His Word? (John 12:48)

Every moment in this world, we choose to follow God or evil; there is no in-between. God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and others as Christ loved us. (Mark 12:30, John 13:34-35) Why? Because this is not only our pathway to eternal life, it’s also how we obtain peace in our hearts that surpasses understanding in this life. Yes, God has extended His Grace to all who will take up the cross and follow Jesus. This means keeping His commandments, not our ideas, but what does His word say. (John 14:15, 1 John 2:3-5)

This is the Greatest Opportunity ever offered to mankind—“Eternal Life in Heaven.” Forever in God’s presence.

What an honor!

It’s hard to understand why so many of us trample on rather than respond with gratitude to all of God’s Love by giving God all of ours, but at one time, I was guilty of this very response. 🙁

God Breathed Scripture tells us exactly how to accept God’s Grace, how to follow Jesus and keep His commandments; it gives us our pathway to heaven, but none of it happens by osmosis; we must hear God’s Word, Believe, Repent (turn away), from our sins, Confess Jesus as God’s Son, and be Baptized (immersed in water), for the purpose of having our sins forgiven as stated in Scripture. (I provide these Scriptures in the hope that you will not just take my word but rather study for yourselves. Open your Bible and read the scriptures God gave us).

References

  • John 14:1-31 (the way, keep commands)
  • Philippians 4:7 (peace)
  • Revelation 3:16–17 (lukewarm)
  • Hebrews 4:13; 1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10, Matthew 6:24; Revelation 3:15-16

Hear the Gospel: Romans 10:17, John 8:32

Belief/Faith: Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19

Repentance: 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30

Confess Christ as God’s Son: Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9

Baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sin: Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matt 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God’s Word has the answers!

God First!

Life’s Pencil Dot: Our Choice to Follow Christ into Eternity

  • God is real
  • Jesus is real
  • The Holy Spirit is real
  • – Heaven is real
  • Our souls are real
  • Eternity is real
  • Satan is real
  • Hell is real
  • Your Soul’s place for eternity is real.

Our lives are but a pencil dot on the timeline of eternity, yet a pencil dot so essential that God gave His only Son so that each of us might have eternal life in heaven. Many things are unseen by our eyes, yet real. The evidence surrounds us; hundreds of fulfilled prophecies over centuries appeal to our logical minds as proof. God-breathed Scripture shares all God wants us to know. It is written with God’s inspiration through the Holy Spirit by many authors and is uncontradictory because it is all from God.

Psalm 39:4-5, Psalm 90:4-10, John 3:16

  • Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.John 3:36
  • “So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41
  • …the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10
  • “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15
  • “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.

God First!

God’s Word Is 100% Truth — Feelings Don’t Get a Vote

The truth should never be offensive. Why would it be? It’s the truth!

God’s Word is 100% Truth, and knowing this, we should all agree that the Bible is our ultimate authority. It’s the words God gave us; it’s the message of Christ, our salvation, our promise. It tells us what’s expected of us by our Creator.

If we agree that the Bible is our ultimate authority, then we have unity. Although feelings have their place, God’s truth is not subject to our feelings but rather to the words of God. So, if we want to keep the precepts, examples, and commands of God, we go to God’s Word to find Biblical Authority for our actions.

Truth

  • Galatians 4:16 – “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
  • John 8:32 – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  • John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
  • Psalm 119:160 – “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
  • Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Feelings

  • Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
  • Proverbs 28:26 – “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:7 –For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Unity

  • Ephesians 4:3-5 –…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
  • 1 Corinthians 1:10“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

God First!

Do not be confused, be wise instead

With God’s help, today’s challenges are tomorrow’s victories!

Do not be confused, be wise instead; study and pursue the will of God as if your soul’s future depends on it because it does. You cannot follow Jesus if you don’t understand the conditions. “Then Jesus told his disciples, 

You cannot do God’s will if you don’t know His will.

Satan wants us to believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Through the study of God’s Word, we gain understanding, and with understanding, faith, and discernment and how to obtain eternal salvation and help our loved ones to do the same.

  • Matthew 16:24-26
  • Romans 12:2 
  • Ephesians 5:17
  • Psalm 119:105
  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Isaiah 5:20
  • Proverbs 13:20
  • Proverbs 15:21
  • Philippians 1:9–10
  • Hosea 14:9
  • Romans 10:17

God First!

Be closed-minded to Mankind, not God

Are we willing to unlearn to learn more? Sometimes, this is precisely what we need to do because sometimes, we derive conclusions without realizing we don’t have all the facts. Those very conclusions can keep us from accepting and recognizing that there is more to consider. We may think of ourselves as open-minded, but are we really?

When it comes to God’s Word, we owe it to ourselves and those we influence to always seek the truth in our studies and be willing to unlearn and let go when we find evidence in scripture (not our feelings) that shows us there’s more.

Are we able to embrace and replace incomplete thinking at the expense of admitting we were wrong? We need to be.

Is it not crucial that we stand firm on the evidence of scripture, not be swayed by our own wisdom or the ideas of others, but instead rely on God’s Word as our standard for discernment? (Philip 1:9-11, Matt 10:22) God and” God’s Word” are unchanging. The destiny of souls is at stake, not to mention the power of our influence, which can lead others to truth or misinformed, dangerous ideas.

  • Romans 16:17-20
  • Isaiah 40:8
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • James 1
  • Psalms 119:89
  • Malachi 3:15
  • Genesis 13:15
  • Hebrews 12:7-8

God First!

SEE TO IT

Colossians 2:8 seems to stress we have a personal responsibility to study and know God’s Word so that we are not swayed.

It reads… “SEE TO IT that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8 ESV (Emphasis added)

In short, IT’S ON US! The only way to “SEE TO IT” is to read and study so we can know the words and intent of our Creator for ourselves, God’s Holy Word.

God gave us what He wanted us to know and follow in writing for a reason, didn’t He?

  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • Philippians 2:12-30
  • Hebrews 5:14

God First!

Life can be tough; it’s why we need Christ as our foundation.

Sometimes life can be very tough, yet in Christ we will find ways to trudge forward. In Christ, we learn to lean on Christ by leaning on God’s Holy Word; to do so, we study and pray to know God’s Word, to know God.

In Christ, we pray with thanksgiving and hope, knowing God will provide. We cling to unwavering faith, knowing that tough times, like storms, eventually fade into sunshine and calm skies.

During seemingly long storms, our roots may be strained, but if we cling to the foundation of Christ, as the storm lifts, our roots will heal, and we will become stronger than ever. Our faith and foundation deepened, adding to our wisdom. Eventually, Good times will bless us again, and what we’ve gained will help us bless others, so that when we look back on our lives, we will find beauty growing along our paths and count it all Joy.

Remember, with God, all things are possible, and the storms will lift.

  • James 1:2-4
  • Matthew 7:24-25
  • Psalm 1:1-3
  • Jeremiah 17:7-8
  • Philippians 4:6
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God First!

Judgment Day

Hope Ends – Faith Ends – Belief Ends – All False teachings End

Our Eternal Reality Begins

Are you ready?

On Judgment Day, in a twinkling of an eye, all our Hope, faith, and belief disappear as we face the reality of the choices we face today.

Every Truth we shared that brought someone to Christ or every false teaching we adopted, repeated, or promoted leading us and others away from Christ will become part of our fate, part of our judgment. It is so important that we don’t accept others’ words but rather question and study God’s word. God gave us Truth, Example, Inferences, and References to follow in His Word. If we find a contradiction, it shows our understanding is wrong – seek the truth in God’s word, believing false teaching has serious consequences.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

  • John 5:39
  • 1 Corinthians 15:52
  • 2 Corinthians 6:2
  • Acts 17:11
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21
  • 1 John 4:1
  • Hebrews 5:14
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • 2 Peter 2:1-3
  • Galatians 1:8-9
  • Matthew 7:15-20
  • Jude 1:3-4
  • James 3:1
  • Matthew 18:6
  • Matthew 5:19
  • Revelation 20:12-13
  • Romans 2:6
  • Ecclesiastes 12:14
  • 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
  • 1 Corinthians 13:12
  • Hebrews 4:12-13

God First!

Carried by the Angels

During COVID, I saw several posts and news stories of people separated from loved ones in care facilities because of quarantines; they were not allowed to be with loved ones during their final moments on earth. This saddened me, and I empathized with the pain in their hearts, knowing they wanted to be with their loved ones. So, I leave you this thought, which helped me when we lost my father.

Our family was not physically with Dad when his soul departed his failing mind and body for Paradise. Although we were not with him physically the morning of his passing, I’m confident Dad was not alone.

I believe that, just as in Jesus’s illustration of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, the angels of God were with Dad and carried him to paradise. How awesome will that be?

I believe this because Dad was a Christian, a man who lived as a true disciple of Christ, diligently following Jesus and striving to keep His commandments in accordance with scripture. I also expect we will see each other again in new heavenly bodies as we spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.

God is good; God is Love!

  • Luke 16:19-31 (Rich Man and Lazarus)
  • Philippians 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 15:44-49 (new body)
  • 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
  • Revelation 21:1-27

God First!

Understanding God’s Word

There are many misrepresentations of God’s word in the world today, and yes, scripture needs to be studied to be interpreted properly, not just read. If any scripture seems to contradict itself at any point, we are misinterpreting it and should study it more deeply to identify what we are missing.

Who it was written to, when it was written, and for what purpose can help us gain more insight than what we might get from scripture’s face value alone.  Sort of like the milk vs. solid-food scripture.

God, through His infinite wisdom and in His Word, has given us what we need for our understanding so that we can know what we must do to be saved. The whole Bible is from God, and no matter our educational level, if we have access to God’s word, we have access to God’s intent for us, without needing to know the background and history of every word we read.

Today, there are many translations of Scripture, written in multiple languages, some created with little scrutiny and sometimes with an agenda rather than strict interpretation. In contrast, others, such as the KJV, were completed using “rules of language” with strict interpretation and incredible scrutiny. Most later versions use the KJV as their base.

I have complete trust in God and don’t believe God would allow the translations from the languages of old to be included in the King James Bible if they did not convey His Words and intent properly, so I believe the correct interpretations from those old languages have been preserved. We don’t need to be Greek Scholars to understand God’s intent.

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

Proverbs 30:5

Consider 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

While understanding the meat behind this scripture, such as who the letter was written to, Timothy’s history, and all the interesting additional information one can derive with deep study to gain deeper insight, the milk of this passage of Scripture stands on its own, pointing out that we need to study, to show ourselves, workmen, not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God’s Word is the whole of Scripture. God only needs to say something once for it to be true. That said, to understand what God says once correctly, one may also need to know more of Scripture; however, some attempt to change the face-value meaning of Scripture by using other possible Greek interpretations to claim the interpretation of all those past Scholars is wrong, in order to convey a message that tickles their ears and, sadly, misleads others.

As stated in Scripture, God did not give us a book of confusion, and no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation and provides understanding even to the simple. We all gain at different levels, but we all gain by studying scripture.

  • 2 Peter 1:20
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33
  • Psalm 119:30
  • 2 Timothy 3:16
  • 1 Corinthians 3:21
  • 1 Peter 2:2
  • Hebrews 5:12-13

God First!

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