William DeVaugn: "Be Thankful For What You've Got"

I found several versions of this song on YouTube but I believe this is the original version. Not only is this a great song but it's excellent advice. Check it out here.

 What a great motto this is. If only everybody on earth would learn this lesson. But advertisers cause us to covet things we didn't know we needed or even wanted.

Luke 3:14 (Bible in Basic English) is one instance of how we should be thankful for what we're paid. "And men of the army put questions to him, saying, 'And what have we to do?' And he said to them, 'Do no violent acts to any man, and do not take anything without right, and let your payment be enough for you.'"

Furthermore, we're happiest when we aren't concerned with future successes or failures. As Paul learned in Philippians 4:11 (BBE), "But I will not say anything about my needs, for I am able, wherever I am, to be dependent on myself".

Here's another verse advertisers would hate people to take to heart. Hebrews 13:5 (BBE) reminds us, "Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, I will be with you at all times."

And because our heavenly Father is taking constant care of us, we need not worry about the future. As Christ said in Matthew 6:26 (BBE), "See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they?"

So if he in whom we yearn for hasn't returned for us by

Saturday Song: King Crimson, "Epitaph"

 This song is about the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust or devastating war. In the scenario King Crimson presents in this song, people are coming to grips with the grim reality they face.

Listen to this song here.

We Christians have the hope that God is with us no matter what happens. This promise is in Hebrews 13:5 (Bible in Basic English) which reads, "Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, 'I will be with you at all times.'"

And since we gentiles are grafted into the vine, meaning the people of Israel, we can trust in the promise given in Deuteronomy 31:8 (BBE). "It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not take away his help from you or give you up: so have no fear."

Furthermore, our Good Shepherd won't let us go. John 10:27 and 28 (BBE) reassures us of that. "My sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me: And I give them eternal life; they will never come to destruction, and no one will ever take them out of my hand."

I know that some Christians believe we'll go through the great tribulation mentioned in Scripture. Others believe we'll be snatched out of the world before all hell literally breaks forth upon the earth. Whatever happens in the future, we trust in our Lord and Master to preserve us.

Since God gave Jesus his disciples, we can also claim this protection. John 17:6 (BBE) reads, "I have given knowledge of your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world: yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your words."

If our Good Shepherd hasn't come for us by Monday, I plan on publishing about our common salvation and what it means.

Saturday Song: James Taylor, "You've Got a Friend"

James Taylor is a British singer who was helped by The Beatles' Apple Records label to be heard by the world. Though this 1971 hit is a love song, it also applies to our Master and how he lovingly cares for us.

Listen to this song here:

We know that our Lord and Master will never forsake us, even if we forsake him. Hebrews 13:5 (BBE) reminds us to, "Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, 'I will be with you at all times'".

Though Christ isn't physically present with us, we're linked to him through the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said to his disciples in John 14:16 and 17 (BBE), "And I will make prayer to the Father and he will give you another Helper to be with you for ever, Even the Spirit of true knowledge. That Spirit the world is not able to take to its heart because it sees him not and has no knowledge of him: but you have knowledge of him, because he is ever with you and will be in you."

We who haven't seen Christ can rejoice in the blessing Jesus declared to Thomas when he met the risen Lord. John 20:29 (BBE) says, "Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen me you have belief: a blessing will be on those who have belief though they have not seen me!'"

Likewise, we read in 1 Peter 1:8 (BBE), "To whom your love is given, though you have not seen him; and the faith which you have in him, though you do not see him now, gives you joy greater than words and full of glory:"

Our faithfulness will be rewarded when our Master returns. As Revelation 22:12 (BBE) says, "See, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man the outcome of his works."

If Christ doesn't return before Monday, I hope to post about how our heavenly Father watches over us.

Saturday Song: Cat Stevens, "Moon Shadow"

When I first heard this song in 1971, I thought it was horrible. How could anybody be happy losing legs, vision, and teeth? Only decades later did I understand what Cat Stevens was singing about.

Listen to his song here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c49aDWrzeA

Contrary to the views of charismatic Christians, God wants us to make do with what we have. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) admonishes, "Let your conversation (lifestyle) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Furthermore, Paul was familiar with hardships. Even so, he wrote in Philippians 4:11 (KJV) that, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

But, As some might ask, shouldn't we pray without ceasing? Shouldn't we storm the gates of heaven with our prayers? Jesus told a parable about an unjust judge whom a woman harassed with her continual complaining for justice. Luke 18:6 and 7 (BBE) reads, "And the Lord said, 'Give ear to the words of the evil judge. And will not God do right in the cause of his saints, whose cries come day and night to his ears, though he is long in doing it?'"

That's true insomuch as it relates to trusting in the Lord for help. But some folks ask for what they covet. James 4:3 (KJV) notes, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

In the past, people have quoted James 5:15 (KJV) to me which reads, "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

But if we are supposed to have enough faith, as the charismatic's claim, why couldn't Paul heal his friend? ((He wrote in  2 Timothy 4:20 (KJV) that, "Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick."

Clearly, this topic is one I feel passionate about. We don't always get what we want because the Lord is teaching us to rely upon him for what we need. I'm glad we don't always get what we want. God knows what's best for us, just like a loving parent gives only good things to their children.

On Monday, I'll post about what God has given us. We forget just how blessed we are.

Saturday Song: Lenny Kravitz, "Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now"

As I promised, here's a great song by Lenny Kravitz. We who know Christ and follow him usually don't have a good life in this world. Even so, we can praise the Lord for what we have. Salvation is a wonderful treasure and it won't suffer from the uncertainties of life in this world.

Hear Lenny Kravitz' praise song here.

Many Christians around the world suffer persecution, yet they have the Lord whom persecutors can't remove from them. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) reminds us to, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'"

Neither should we become fixated on obtaining more and more material blessings. Jesus said in John 12:25 (KJV)that,  "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Even so, we must be thankful for what we have, no matter how little it might seem. As Jesus also reminds us in Luke 12:23 (KJV), "The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment."

Let's therefore give thanks for what we have, like Lenny sang in this song. May you all have a good weekend too.

My next post will deal with the error of allegorizing the Bible. Watch this space.

What if We Sin After Being Saved?

A question which comes up in the lives of many new Christians is if they're really saved. When they fall into a habitual sin, Satan whispers in the ears of their minds that they wouldn't have done what they did if they were truly born again. This cunning strategy to derail our faith can be easily avoided by reading God's promises in the Bible.

Jesus promised this in John 10:28 (KJV). "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) also assures us that, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'"

And look at the great comfort John gives us. As he wrote in 1 John 2:1 (KJV), "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

Moreover, he wrote in 1 John 1:9 (KJV), "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Paul also admonishes us in Ephesians 4:30 (KJV), "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

We also see evidence of our new life through the good fruit automatically produced in our conduct. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) reminds us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

There are so many more scriptures I could cite but I'll save them for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Only those who genuinely surrendered themselves to Christ's rule in their lives will be with him eternally. Truly good works are the fruit produced by being a new creature in Christ.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Works

One mark of a cult is the use of fear to keep members in line. In the case of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, they use the fear of members losing their salvation and being annihilated during Armageddon.

But we can easily find in the Bible that we need not worry about God abandoning us if we don't work hard enough to please him or some human institution. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) reminds us to, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'"

But some folks will mention Hebrews 6:4 to 6 which says, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."?

The writer of Hebrews referred in that passage to those who weren't serious about their faith in Christ. These are those who were mentioned in 1 John 2:19 (KJV) which says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

We need not worry about losing our salvation if we truly repented and yielded our lives to Jesus. Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)reminds us that Christ, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

I could list many more verses which show that we can't be snatched out of Christ's hand but I'll save them for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Along with those who have a false assurance of eternal life, some live under the burden of fear that they won't be in paradise. I want people to be sure of their place in heaven.