The Things That Entangle Us

 As we live out our everyday lives, as Christians, we are bombarded with external and internal influences that can disrupt our influence on the world around us. 

We all represent Jesus on the Earth, and God uses us, by the Holy Spirit within us, to draw people to Himself so they can believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. 

Therefore, it is so important to "examine ourselves daily" to make sure these things in life do not influence and change us. Things in society, things on the internet or social media, things in our character or personality, things from the past that we drag into the present, influences from other people, burdens that we carry with us everyday, or sins in our lives can disrupt what the Holy Spirit is trying to do through us. The writer of Hebrews says it this way:

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 

As Christians, we are all running the "race marked out for us." God has a specific purpose for each one of us to further His kingdom while we are here. Each person in the Church has a race to run unique to them. That is why everyone is important and needed. You cannot influence people like I do, and I cannot influence people like you do. Each race is unique to the person. Each race includes "good works that God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

[10] For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

So we have to get rid of "the weights and sins that so easily entangle us," some translations say in Hebrews 12:1. There are a million examples of things we need to get rid of in our lives that drag us down, hold us back, or disrupt our lives everyday. I am sure you can think of a few things right now. I know I can.

We recognize them for what they are, surrender them to God in prayer, confess those things in prayer, and move forward in life, knowing what we are here for, which is representing Jesus and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ through our love and good deeds.

Let's forget all the influences that are bad or sinful and move forward in our lives in our race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV

[2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

Let's fix our eyes on Jesus and on all that He endured, so we will not "grow weary and lose heart." 

Stay focused on who we are. We represent Jesus Christ to the world around us, so that they can be saved too. God makes His appeal to the world through us by our love and good deeds. So let's roll!!

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Evil for Good, And Good for Evil

In today's world climate, the lines of good and evil, right and wrong have become so blurred that this generation is having trouble defining them. That's the world we live in today. Isaiah talks about this:

Isaiah 5:20-21 NIV

[20] Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. [21] Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

He gives the reason for this development in the world when he says, "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."

People who are bold, arrogant, clever in their own minds come up with vague notions such as "live your own truth." How does the world find real truth with such an erroneous notion? This is from a selfish point of view. See the problem? Your "truth" might infringe upon my "truth."

People insert ideas like this in a matter of seconds over the internet, and influence billions of people all over the world. Someone can say something is good when it's evil, or something is evil when it's good, and can cause all kinds of trouble. A lot of the confusion we see in the world today can be attributed to this kind of thinking. 

Where can we find the real truth about all things?

Jesus said, " You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

If we want to be "set free," where do we find real truth? God's Word is truth. The Holy Bible.

Jesus said this when He was praying to the Father before His crucifixion:

John 17:17 NIV

[17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 

So in a very practical way, we read the Holy Bible to find out what real truth is. We learn what is true. We learn what is good. We learn what is evil. We learn what is right. We learn what is wrong. We learn what is sin. The Bible, the Word of God is where we find all answers.

Whether Christians or not, God gives us the framework in which to live our lives. This is found in the Word of God. So grab a Bible and start finding truth today!!

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

When Storms Come...

When storms come in our lives, when waves crash over our boat, threatening to sink us, how do you respond? Are you overcome with fear? Do you doubt God's sovereignty, Him being in control? Do you cry out to God? Do you keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith? Do you freak out? Do you run and hide? How do you respond when anything unexpected pops up in your life? 

Look at the apostles in the boat with Jesus:

Matthew 8:23-26 NIV

[23] Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. [24] Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. [25] The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” [26] He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

This is a normal human reaction to a boat sinking whether Jesus was in the boat with them or not. So, right off the bat, it is perfectly normal to initially freak out a little bit. 

But as Christians, as God's children, the Church, the initial shock and fear of it is a place that God does not want us to stay. Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" He was giving us the key to facing fear and storms in our lives. He was telling us to have faith, to trust in God, and not to be worried or afraid. We are to be solely dependent on God and trust that He is sovereign, He is in control. When we do that, we are placing everything in His hands and rely on Him to save us from whatever life throws at us. That is faith. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV

[7] For we live by faith, not by sight. 

Just as we were solely dependent upon our physical parents when we were children, now, God wants us to be solely dependent upon Him because He is our Heavenly Father or Heavenly Parent. We are His adopted children now, so we have to "become like little children," which is solely dependent on Him. 

Matthew 18:3 NIV

[3] And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Also, we have the Holy Spirit inside each one of us and God "did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind" (II. Tim. 1:7).

So being fearful is not where He wants us to stay. He says "perfect love drives out fear," and His love is perfect towards us, so there is no need to live in fear.

1 John 4:18 NIV

[18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

His love is "unfailing and never ending." So we can put our very lives in His hands. Trusting in God, trusting that He is in control, depending on Him like a little child dispells the fear in our lives. See? Faith is the key. 

Just like Abraham did, we can trust God at His word.

Look here:

Joshua 1:9b.NIV

[9]... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalms 121:7-8 NIV

[7] The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; [8] the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalms 91:9-16 NIV

[9] If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, [10] no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. [11] For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; [12] they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. [13] You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. [14] “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. [15] He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. [16] With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalms 27:1 NIV

[1] The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

We don't have to let fear or worry or uncertainty in life consume us. We can face the world bravely as God is the constant in our lives, the stronghold in our lives. He loves us and always will. We can trust in Him, and depend on Him everyday as life happens. 

So don't be afraid. Be brave. God won't let our boats sink.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Chase After Jesus!!

In my study of Luke I find Him saying this:

Luke 9:23 NIV

[23] Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 

Denying self means don't live a selfish, self-centered life and follow Jesus. Following Jesus, we look at His life, teachings, and example in the Gospels and learn how to live like Jesus did. Then we do that in our lives. We are in God, in Christ, so we should live like Jesus did:

1 John 2:3-6 NIV

[3] We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. [4] Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. [5] But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: [6] Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

That's the whole point, we represent Jesus on the Earth as His Church. So, we should reflect Him through our lives, by living like Jesus did.

How did He live? Read and study the Gospels and the Holy Spirit will reveal it to you. I can't begin to get started on specifics. So many things too numerous to count.

I can say He did His ministry loving all people, doing good, and being a servant to all mankind.

We should "deny ourselves" and run after Jesus, chase after Jesus, follow Him because we belong to Him now, having been born again into the family of God:

Romans 14:8 NIV

[8] If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

[28]  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Dear readers look at His life, His teachings, follow His example. Run to Him through the Gospels. Chase after Him through the Gospels. Learn from Him. Follow Him. Be like Him. So others will be saved too.

Be like John the Baptist when he said this about Jesus, "He must become more. I must become less."

Please share with others.

Love you all,

 Jeffrey Post

How To Handle Difficult People

How do you handle difficult people? In the real time, hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, a lot of things are coming at us. I hear a lot of sermons about this topic, so how we handle difficult people is truly a concern that affects the Church today.

Simply? Be ready. Be proactive in "peacetime" for the "war" that comes through difficult people. Predetermine NOW how you will respond and interact with those who are difficult. We, the Church, represent Jesus to the rest of the world, so this is a very serious subject.

Treat all people like Jesus did with love and compassion. Love them even when it is not received or they don't want you to. Be consistent with how you treat everyone and then when difficult people come around, you will be treating them like you do everyone else. 

You might say, "Ok Jeffrey, how do I do that?"

Here you go:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

This is how love acts. So write this down, memorize it, and then go out and treat everyone just like this. That's how we decide how to treat everyone. No matter what. Act this way and it will never fail because "love never fails." 

Romans 13:10 simplifies these specifics:

[10] Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 

Love does no harm to anyone at any given time. No matter how they treat you. Even when they are difficult, we do no harm to people with our words or actions ever. No matter what. 

Look at Jesus. That's exactly the way He lived His life. We are "in Christ," so we can live the same way He did. Plus, the Holy Spirit living inside us enables us to do this.

So, how do we handle difficult people? With "love," which is those actions listed above. We treat everyone the same with the same mercy, grace, empathy, and love that God gives us everyday.

Grace is the biggest one for handling difficult people. Show them undeserved or unearned favor because they haven't done anything to earn or deserve your good treatment of them. Give it to them anyway because God gives us His grace. Then do so by showing them the attributes of love written above in I. Corinthians. Be all those things to all people no matter what and never do harm to anyone. 

That's how we handle difficult people or anyone for that matter. Just like Jesus did.

Please share with others.

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Representing Jesus in the World

 As Christians who make up the Church, the family of God, we represent Jesus Christ on the earth. We are his "ambassadors." God is making His appeal to the lost through us. His appeal is that He wishes that "none would perish but all would come to repentence." God wants everyone to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved, and He is using each one of us to make this happen. He is making His appeal through all of us.

2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV

[20] We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

Having said that, Paul gives some ways to represent Jesus in the book of Romans and Titus. Although I want to mainly focus on the book of Titus.

In Romans he gives a simple sentence that is the springboard for the rest of this blog entry: 

Romans 12:17b. NIV

[17b.]...Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 

This dictates how we will represent Jesus Christ in our lives. 

Now, let's get a little more specific in the book of Titus:

Titus 2:11-12 NIV

[11] For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

He says to do this while we wait for Jesus to come back in verses 13 and 14. He tells us to teach these things in verse 15. 

So, first off, say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. Next, to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives now in our everyday lives. Okay let's move on:

Titus 3:1-2 NIV

[1] Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, [2] to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

This says be law-abiding citizens, be obedient, always be ready to do whatever is good, don't be negative or "toxic" and don't talk bad to or about people. Always be peaceful, considerate, and gentle to everyone.

Next, he reminds us how we were saved. It says:

Titus 3:3-7 NIV

[3] At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. [4] But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, [6] whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 

Having said that, he says for us to be devoted to doing what is good, because these things are good for everybody in verses 8-9.

Lastly he says:

Titus 3:9 NIV

[9] But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 

So, representing Jesus Christ in our lives, let's focus on doing good and being good to all people, doing what is right in the eyes of everybody. Don't argue, fuss and fight with others, but live in peace and love with all people. All the aforementioned things are how we can represent Jesus well through our lives. There are other things in the New Testament, but this is a good place to start. 

Share with others please!!

Love you all dear readers,

Jeffrey Post

Putting Off The Old Self

 Hi everyone. A thought for you today. As you study the New Testament and make your way through the books that Paul wrote, you will often see all these things we are to "put off" or get rid of out of our lives and spirit. These things are so specific and so numerous that as we study them we can easily be overwhelmed trying to remember everything. If that's you, take a breathe, relax, not to worry. 

As we renew our minds everyday in the Word, (Romans 12:2) if we do what Jesus told us to do in Mt.22-36-40, that will take care of a lot of the specific sins and attitudes we are supposed to get rid of that Paul focused on in his books. Let's see what Jesus said:

Matthew 22:36-40 NIV

[36] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” [37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

These two things cover everything in the Bible. So, if you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love all mankind as you love yourself, this will take care of a lot, if not all those specific things we are supposed to "put off," or do away with in our lives. If we focus on those two commands then a lot of the specific stuff won't even be an issue anymore. We won't have to micromanage our lives to the point where all this becomes so overwhelming. 

Additionally, remember we all have the Holy Spirit living inside us, working with our spirit, helping us to live out the Christian life. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead resides in all Christians. He is our Power. He is our Helper. He is our Comforter. So, we never face anything alone. So let that encourage you. We always have help within us. 

Now, let me explain. For example, if you read this:

Colossians 3:5-8 NIV

[5] Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 

[7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 

Now if you "love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" then you will be focusing on your relationship with God, and not things from your "earthly nature" such as the specific things mentioned above: "sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed." This is called "walking in the Holy Spirit," or "being led by the Spirit." Paul says this:

Galatians 5:16 NIV

[16] So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

So loving God and being led by the Holy Spirit everyday will automatically take care of specific sins related to your "earthly, human nature." God will be our focus, not sinning.

Now, let's expand to the second set of specifics in the above passage and Jesus' second command:

[7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Now, "loving our neighbor as ourselves," we predetermine to love all people how we love ourselves. We predetermine to treat people how we would want to be treated. Loving people is a decision. We decide in advance how we will treat all people, no matter what.  How do we learn how to treat all people or love all people? Here it is:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Now if you memorize all this and decide to treat all people this way no matter what, then you will be loving them as you would want to be loved. So this will automatically take care of those specific things in verse 8. "Anger, rage" won't be an issue because "Love is not easily angered." "Malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips" won't be an issue because love "does not dishonor others."

So most specifics are taken care of if we love God with all we are and when we love all people how we would want to be loved. God makes all those specifics easy with those two commands.

So do those and you won't be doing all the other specific things we are to "put off."

Please share with others.

Love you all, 

Jeffrey Post