by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Hero of All Times
Hero’s Are Eternal
When you hear the word hero what comes to your mind. Perhaps it is a favorite movie star, a sports star, or an admired influence in your life. There are actual people who can be your hero or you may have a fantasy hero like Superman, Spider-Man or Thor.
I would propose to you, that there is a common denominator between all heroes. They appear safe, undefeatable, and eternal. They achieve our dreams, meet our expectations and build our faith. These attractions capture our attention, set our focus in life, and encourage us to never give up.
Heroes are a real influence in the lives of everyone in one way or another. If you listen to a person long enough, you can tell who his or her heroes are. Who is the hero of all time? Who is your hero? Who do the observers of our lives see as the hero of all time?
The New Testament tells us that Jesus is the hero of all time. He is the hero Who is eternal. Revelation 1: 8 gives a powerful truth about Christ, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… That Christ might display His immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:15-17)
Everyone is attracted to that story of the hero who defeats evil, gets the girl and they live happily forever and ever. At the close of the movie Thor, everyone is excitingly awaiting for the return of Thor to get the girl who awaits for Him.
According to the whole of Scripture, Christians are the bride of Christ’s, (Song of Songs 1-8; Luke 5; John 3:29) and the bride excitingly waits for the return of Jesus to take His church to be with Him into heaven. Jesus is the church’s hero who will come and rapture His church to meet Him the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 19:7; 21:2;9)
It does not matter if our heroes are fantasy or real people. Fantasy heroes do not really exist and they make no real difference in the reality of our living. Sport heroes, movie stars and people of influence are heroes we can admire from a distance, however, we can not have a meaningful relationship with them.
I admire Peyton Manning, if I was at one of his football games and shout from a distance, “hey lets hang out after the game today”, realistically that won’t happen, because we do not have a real connection in our lives. Jesus is the hero of all time, He is the one we can connect with on a daily basis. He knows the deepest thoughts in our hearts. He is the one who paid the ultimate price for our redemption and salvation. He promises to keep us safe and care for us, He won’t be defeated and He has defeated our enemy. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His oversight for our soul is eternal.
Jesus is the only character who has the nature of a realistic hero who will never let us down, He will meet all our expectations.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
We live in times were people are looking for answers. Now is the time for the people of God to be fully equipped to share God’s Word in a way that intrigues’ people to Biblical truths. Truths to live by in a sin cursed world growing in conflict, confusion and controversy.
God wants to use His children to provide answers, truths from the Lord that are exhilarating, intimate, unforgettable and ongoing. Truths that motivate and inspire the hungry to listen to God while receiving practical help and hearing from Him. Truths that help Christians to understand that the voice of God is not to be feared, but welcomed, like that of close friend, a loving husband, or honorable wife.
Just what are Biblical steps that enable Christians to discern the voice of God in a world demanding your attention and allegiance?
“Back in the day of telephone booths, a man stepped into the booth, dialed a number of a friend. When the connection was made, the friend on the other end of the line kept saying, ‘I can not hear you!” All the traffic in the back ground caused such a roar, it drowned out the man’s voice in the phone booth. In order for communication between the two friends to be effective, that man in the booth had to shut the door, shut out background noise. The world view has such a roar, you need to shut it out for a short season so you can hear the voice of God” (AMG Bible Illustrations. (2000). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers)
Christians shut the door on the interrupting roar of the world by making time to prayerfully read the Bible, prayerfully study the Word of God, listening to Christian music, watching Christian movies, and exercising their Spiritual gifts to sacrificially serve others, those in the world and fellow Christians.
Christians who shut out the world for a short season find themselves like the Psalmist who wrote, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees: I will not neglect Your Word.” (Psalm 119: 11-16)
Shut out the world so you can have effective communication with God, the Lord and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit! You will welcome the Lord voice for companionship, comfort, rebuke and guidance.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
Hearing from the Lord requires, seeking the Lord with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Diligent search is necessary if one is going to hear from the Lord, especially in these busy days. The true seeker of the Lord will see and enjoy His faithfulness. To seek (בָּקַשׁ bāqaš) here means to be seeking someone’s presence. Usually it is seeking the Lord’s will through prayer. (Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. E. (2003). The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament (p. 160). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers)
It is amazing, when your going through tough trials or testings, how many well meaning Christians have a word from the Lord for you.
“‘You just need more faith, believe God for a miracle, just trust God.’ Christians, who mean well have told people, ‘God’s going to use this trial to show His miraculous ability to heal the sick, change your circumstance to show His ability to move mountains, if, if you have enough faith.'” Many a child of God going through trials and testing have found themselves questioning their faith because of religious sounding clichés. People afflicted by illness, overcome by addictions, locked in unpleasant circumstances need council from Godly people who seek God for genuine truths.
The Lord has raised up people who have sought him with all their heart to minister to others in times of great trials. Men like Dr Spiro’s Zodiates to help those afflicted by cancer or other serious illnesses to grasp Scriptural understanding of their trial. In a book titled, Sickness Why? Healing, How and When? His work shows a great deal of long term prayerful seeking God’s Word, to gain His understanding of physical afflictions on people. Many, have found peace and understanding by reading Dr. Zodiates book. God has used Ruth Graham’s book, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, to bring comfort and hope to many a Christian parent who has seen their children walk away from the Lord’s perfect will for them. Her book shows a great deal of seeking the Lord as she prayed for her son, Franklin Graham. A book, entitled, A Chance to Die, is about the beloved Irish missionary to India, Amy Carmichael. The book is a portrayal of a women who sought God’s strength to be obedient and for courage to serve in her calling for fifty-three years as she eventually founded Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for underprivileged children. Amy was a women with desires and dreams, faults and fears, who through seeking God, found ennoblement to serve Jesus unconditionally.
Christians who seek the Lord with all their hearts find and understand His truths and they are used to lead others to the truths of God.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
The Pharisee, Nicodemus, was not able to perceive Jesus’ teaching on the most important truth for all mankind. Our Lord gave him the key truth to hearing from God and living for Him. Jesus said, “No one will see the kingdom of God unless they are born again…” You must be born again.” (John 3:3, 7b) Born again is the key truth:
“The birth of a baby is a wonderful thing! Doctors, nurses and parents regularly speak of the miracle of the birth of a child. News of a child’s birth is often reported by newspaper and radio, especially in rural areas.
Exciting as it is, however, no natural birth of a child can compare to the awesome supernatural birth of a child of God. Though the birth of Jesus Christ was announced by an angel of the Lord and though people were amazed at what the shepherds told them about Jesus, only a few gave glory to God as the angels did. In the same way today, few note the birth of a new child of God. It will probably not be announced in the newspaper or on the radio and few, even in the church will rejoice over this miracle of God. Nevertheless, Jesus said, ‘I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'” (Luke 15:7)
In the Greek, born “again” means born “from above.” Many Scriptures describe what God will do in the life of a person who, through true repentance, accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Ezekiel 36: 26, 27 is one of the clearest, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.”
A heart of stone is inflexible, unyielding and insensitive. It is not apt to receive from or have any devoted affection toward its Creator. A man with a heart of stone has no fellowship with the Lord. He does not do the will of God. He does only what seems right in his own eyes which will lead to his destruction.
When God supernaturally gives you a heart of flesh and puts His Spirit in you, you become sensitive and alive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Only then are you able to determine and do the will of God. Thus knowing the joy that comes from obedience to the Word of God. Once the Holy Spirit of God has entered your heart to implant the life of Christ within you, you will never be the same! Guaranteed!
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
In the Book of John, we read of a conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee, Nicodemus. They were talking about spiritual truths. Nicodemus is confused and has no understanding of what Jesus was saying. Jesus made a profound statement that should bring concern to all in ministry. Jesus said, “You are Israel’s teacher, and you do not understand these things? As they continued their conversation, Jesus points out, “…you do not believe.” (John 3:10, 12) The beloved John makes it clear that the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus was teaching. (John 10:6) A Pharisee (Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios) is a member of a Jewish religious sect. Pharisees were educated (Nelson’s New Testament Bible Manners and Customs) The Pharisees are described by two first century sources, the New Testament and Josephus, a Jewish Historian who wrote for non-Jews in the Greek language. The picture of the Pharisees in the Gospels often present’s them as legalistic, hypocrites and were blind to Jesus’ message.
To “believe (πιστεύω pisteúō) means to imply trust. (Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) This trust causes you to live out what you believe. Pisteuo belief is like: I can say I believe there is a game of golf. Golf is real, many play it and there are some that make a lot of money playing golf. My belief in golf does not move me to participate in it. As a matter of fact, when I played golf in high school, I got board. I started chasing ground squirrels with the golf cart and golf clubs. That is not the type of belief in golf one should have. Many have that type of belief in God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. They are reckless in there living for self, while claiming to believe in Jesus.
There is a Arabian Horse trainer, David Boggs. He has pisteuo belief in the Arabian Horse business. He does whatever it takes to make the business work by investing money, time, and strength. He studies and applies what he believes will work in getting Arabian Horses ready for the show ring, he understands the genetics for future generations and disciples others in the business.
Christians who believe in Jesus will do whatever it takes on their part to get done what He says to do. They invest money, time and strength. They study to show themselves approved to be teachers of the Word, they have tasted the Lord is good, they teach the Word to younger generations and they disciples other in the truths of Lord.
Hearing from the Lord requires that you have Biblical belief.
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