My People Perish

        
"My people are destroyed (perish) for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

          I know that the scripture above is speaking of more than just our physical bodies perishing. It is our souls that God is most concerned about, but I believe that God is able to give us the knowledge to make our lives better in many ways if we will only listen to Him. He is able to give us knowledge and wisdom that will help us not only spiritually, but also physically, economically, and every other way you can imagine.      
          As you know, if you have been reading my blog, I am experiencing some health problems. I feel fine, and would never know anything was wrong with me if I had not had a scan of my chest a couple of months ago. How did I get to this point? What happened? I thought I was taking care of myself. After all, the scriptures address those of us who are believers with this admonition, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." I Cor. 6:19-20 So, it is my responsibility as a believer in Christ to take care of the body He has given me. That is what I have tried to do. I walk a mile each day, try to eat right, and try to get enough rest. I was feeling fine until all of this hit me like a ton of bricks. How did I get sick?
          Now that I have been doing The Gerson Therapy for about three weeks, I have been noticing my body responding to the nutrients I am pouring into it! It is amazing! I didn't know that my body was starving for some good food. Only time will tell what the results of all this effort will be, but I feel great most of the time.
          Now that I have learned a lot more about the foods we eat and have had time to reflect back on what I was feeding my body, I realize that I was not treating it very well after all. Most of the foods we eat today are so far from natural that they can hardly be called food. They have been so processed, and they have so many preservatives and other chemicals added to them that they are poisoning us, and we don't even realize it. At the very least, they are not giving us the nutrients we need to stay healthy. The cancer statistics alone will bear out this fact, not to mention the diabetes and heart disease epidemics. I watched a video on NetFlix called "Food Matters." What an eye-opener! Also, all the material I have read in order to do the Gerson Therapy has opened my eyes to how we are poisoning ourselves, not just with the food we eat, but also with the water we drink and bathe in, the air we breathe, and the chemicals we come in contact with every day. I realize we have no control over a lot of this, but some things we do have control over, and we need to start taking control where we can.
          Satan is the god of this world, and he is doing all he can to pollute and poison it. We have a responsibility to inform ourselves for our own sake as well as for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Let's all do our best to get healthy and stay that way. As Christians, I believe this will glorify God. The world is watching us to see if we are different. I want the world to see that my life is not only different spiritually, but physically as well.

Does God Test Us?

          No one likes to go through trials and tribulations! Some of them we bring on ourselves, others come through no fault of our own, but regardless of the source, trials have a way of bringing out who we really are and show us a lot about ourselves. The mask comes off!
          God has used trials to test most, if not all, of the people we read about in the bible. For example, Abraham was tested when asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus, God's only Son. (Heb.11:17) Job was sorely tested and came through with quite a testimony! Joseph was tested when he was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. (Ps. 105:17-19) The children of Israel were tested in the wilderness for forty years. (Deut. 8:2) By the way, the number of testing in the bible is forty. After Jesus was baptized by John, he went into the wilderness for forty days where He was tested and tempted. Even though He was the perfect Son of God, He, too, had to be tested. (Isaiah 28:16) In fact, His whole life here on this Earth was a test. Thankfully, He passed the test so that He could become our great High Priest. "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation..." Hebrews 5:7-9 If even our Lord Jesus had to be tested, should we think that we should not have to be?
          Does God test us to see what we will do in the test? I seriously doubt that, since He already knows exactly what we will do in the test. He knows the end from the beginning! (Isaiah 46:9-10) He is omniscient God! No, I believe He tests us so that we will know where we stand with our faith, and it also serves as a witness to the world when and if we stand up under trials.
          James says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James1:2-4
         I am going through a test right now, as you know if you read my previous post. It is not the first time God has tested me, and it probably won't be the last, but it is in the times of testing that we learn the most about God and about ourselves and our relationship to Him. I look forward to every day that I have here on this earth in which I can get to know Him better and be more prepared for the day when I will see Him face to face. I am determined to come through the testings, more like Christ each time I am tested. I realize, too, that it is only by His grace and mercy that this is possible. God is so good!

A Bump in the Road on My Journey

Hello Everyone,
          This is going to be a more personal post than I usually do. I am experiencing a challenge in my life, and would love it if you would pray for me. I do believe that God tests our faith. I'll share some scriptures with you at another time on that subject, but for now, I just want to let you know about the situation I find myself in.
          Before Christmas I was running a low-grade fever, so I went to my family doctor. He diagnosed a urinary tract infection with blood in the urine. I know! TMI! ...but that is part of the story. He put me on antibiotics and told me to come back in a week. At the end of one week I had another test. It still showed infection and blood, so he put me on another type of antibiotic and suggested I have a CT scan of pelvis and abdomen to rule out a tumor. At the time I thought that was overkill, but I went ahead and had the scan done. The results were fine as far as the bladder, etc., but at the top of the scan it picked up the lower part of my lungs. They saw a spot on my lower left lung, so they called for another CT scan of my chest. This scan showed not only the spot on the lung, but also some enlarged lymph nodes.
          My doctor sent me to a lung doctor. He did a bronchoscopy and a PET scan. The bronchoscopy did not produce a diagnosis, but the PET scan looked suspicious, so the lung doctor sent me to a surgeon. To make a long story short, all this time I have been praying for God to guide me to do what is best. I was supposed to have the surgery this past Monday, but I called and cancelled it last week. I have decided to do an alternative therapy.
          Now, I know what that sounds like to many of you. Quackery!! However, I feel that God is leading me in this direction. The name of the therapy is The Gerson Therapy. If you care to check it out, there is a video on NetFlix called "The Gerson Miracle" that tells a lot about it. There are also two other videos, "Dying to Have Known" and "The Beautiful Truth," that are both about the Gerson Therapy. Please watch them. This is not just about cancer, and it is not just about me. It is about all of us killing ourselves with the food that we eat and the poisons we are constantly being bombarded with.
          I have done a lot of research and praying in the past few weeks. So far, the biggest miracle in all of this is that my doctor ordered the first CT scan. Without that I would have never even known that I was having a problem. I was having no symptoms of any lung problems, and still am not. I have never smoked and have always tried to exercise and take care of myself, but I will admit that I have not been very good at eating the right foods, and I like sweets too much! I think God has given me a wake-up call. Now I am trusting Him to lead me in a path that will be best for me. If it is successful, I will certainly be an advocate of it and tell others about it.
          As I have said before, my favorite verse in the Bible is John 8:32  "and you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free." I am counting on the Lord to lead and guide me into the truth about my own body and what it needs in order to get well. If you know anything about the Gerson Therapy or someone who has used it, please let me know. I would love to hear from you.

What is Apostasy, and is it Possible?

          Regarding salvation, there are some important questions we need to ask ourselves, since salvation is a topic of eternal consequence. Why do the scriptures admonish us to test or examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith? (II Corinthians 13:5) Why are we told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? (Philippians 2:12) Why do the scriptures speak of an apostasy? What does that word mean? Why is it even in the Bible if there is no such thing? In fact, II Thess. 2:3 says that there will be an apostasy before the Day of the Lord comes. The original Greek word used in this verse is apostasia, which means defection or revolt. My bible tells me that apostasy means a falling away from the faith. If the OSAS doctrine is correct, then apostasy is impossible.

          Some people who believe the OSAS doctrine say that people who walk away from the Lord were never saved in the first place. This may be true in some cases, but that does not explain the situation that is described in Hebrews 6:4-8. “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” This sounds like a person who has definitely shown signs of being saved. They have obviously, at one time, repented since it says it is impossible to renew them to repentance again. They have also been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, which can only happen when a person has been born again. Read I Corinthians, chapter 10, where the Gentiles to whom Peter was preaching received the Holy Spirit, so Peter knew that these people had believed and been saved.

          There are a couple of other scriptures that are very hard to reconcile with the OSAS doctrine.  In Hebrews 10:26-31 we have a very stern warning, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” This is speaking of someone who has known the truth, has been sanctified by the blood of Christ, and received the grace of God, but has chosen to go on sinning willfully.

          Another scripture that speaks very clearly of someone who has turned away from God is II Peter 2:20-22, “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” These people spoken of here have known the Lord and have turned away from Him. Once one has the knowledge of Jesus Christ and chooses to turn away from Him, what more can He do that will ever bring that person back again. Jesus has already done it all. He has paid the price. If someone decides that this is not sufficient, then there is nothing more that God can do for them. It is as Hebrews 6:6 says; it is impossible to bring such a person to repentance again, since they have crucified Jesus all over again. They have put him back up on the cross.

 

         These are some of the scriptures that convince me that it is possible for someone to walk away from God and lose their salvation. In my next post, I will share some other scriptures that teach that salvation is conditionally based on our continuing in the faith.

What Role do Works Play in Salvation?

            In my previous post I began to share with you the means of knowing whether we are saved or not. So far, the scriptures have shown us that we must believe in Jesus as the only way of salvation, and also be walking by faith. This brings me to my third point, and also the most complicated one. Not only must we understand salvation and receive it by faith, but the proof of that faith will be that we are striving to keep the Lord’s commandments. “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (I John 2:3-6) Now, we all know that none of us is able to do this perfectly. If we could, we wouldn’t need a Savior, but God looks on the heart. Do we desire to please our Lord? Jesus told His disciples, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

          What commandments was Jesus talking about? Jesus gave us only two commandments, which He enumerated in Matthew 22:37-40 when someone asked Him which is the greatest commandment in the Law. “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’” In other words, if we can keep these two commandments, we will have fulfilled all of the Law. Of course, there is no man who is able to do this other than Jesus Christ. That is why we need a Savior; however, Jesus does expect us to be striving to keep these commands.

          Yes, you can be sure of your salvation. It is by the blood of Jesus Christ, by faith in His sacrifice. No amount of works can ever save us; there is nothing we can ever do to earn or merit our salvation. "All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." Isaiah 64:6 In spite of this, the scriptures tell us that God, “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” (Jude 24) Jesus also promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), but can we promise Him the same?  He also says that no one can snatch us out of His hands (John 10:27-29), but are we capable of removing ourselves from His hands by way of the free will He gave us when He created us in His own image? As able as God is to keep us, do we not have the ability to remove ourselves from His hands if we so choose? When we get saved, do we suddenly become robots incapable of changing our minds or making our own choices? Do we lose our free will?

 

          I have heard some people explain salvation like this. I am saved; I am being saved; and one day I will be saved. Until we stand in His presence our salvation is not complete. As Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained it (the resurrection from the dead), or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching foward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Are You Saved?

           There are some definite signs by which we can determine our spiritual status, saved or unsaved. We must first understand the means by which one is saved. The scriptures teach that there is only one way to be saved, and that is through faith in the atoning power of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. A few of the scriptures that we base this belief on are:

  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

 Of course, the scriptures are full of verses that teach us these same principles. This is just a sampling of them.

          Secondly, the scriptures teach us that the proof of our faith is that we are walking by faith. Paul says in II Corinthians 5:7, “we walk by faith, not by sight.” It is by faith that we are saved, and it is by faith alone that we keep our salvation, by continuing to believe. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17). In I Corinthians 16:13 Paul admonishes us to, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

          In Romans 11:19-22 Paul gives a warning to the Gentile Christians when he speaks of his fellow countrymen, the Jews, who were “broken off” because of their unbelief. He tells them, “You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.”

          Paul also gives us a warning in Colossians 1:21-23, “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard…” We must continue in the faith!

            So far, the scriptures tell us that we must believe in Jesus as the only way of salvation and also be walking by faith. In my next post I will talk about the third test of our salvation, and that is whether or not we are striving to keep the Lord's commands, not that we are saved by our works, but that our works are a sign of our salvation.

Once Saved, Always Saved?

         There is a doctrine being taught to the body of Christ today that has been labeled the “once saved, always saved” doctrine, or OSAS for short. Basically, it states that once a person is saved (i.e., walks the aisle, makes a profession of faith,  is baptized and/or joins the church), they are eternally secure; their salvation cannot be lost no matter what else they may ever do or say in this life.  Even if they were to later deny the Lord, it makes no difference.  Once they are "saved," in the above referenced sense of the word, that is final, case closed forever. Some people go so far as to say that it is impossible for someone who has truly been saved to ever deny the Lord, even though Jesus warns us in Matt. 10:33, "Whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven."

          Some say that people who have turned away from the Lord were never truly saved in the first place. This could be so; however, this begs the question, “How then can you know that you have truly been saved?” Basically, there are three major things to look for in determining your status as a believer, and they are: your understanding of the basis for salvation through the blood of Christ and your acceptance of the same; your continuing belief or faith in Jesus alone as your Lord and Savior, and, finally, your efforts to keep the Lord’s commandments, not that you are saved by your works, but that your works are evidence of your salvation. I will share some scriptures regarding these three points in my next post.

          For now, I think it is important for me to emphasize that you can be sure of your salvation.  There is no need to live your life wondering, “Am I saved, or am I not?” We don’t lose our salvation just because we sin. Some have embraced the OSAS doctrine in reaction to the fear some preaching has instilled in them that every time they sin they lose their salvation. On the contrary, John tells us that we do sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8) Thank the Lord that He also promises us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) Even Paul knew that as long as he was in his fleshly body he would have to fight this battle with sin. Read Romans 7:14-25. So, the fact that we battle with sin does not mean that we are not saved; it just proves that we are human beings, born with a sin nature. In fact, if we were not saved or born again, we probably would not fight sin; we might just go along with it, so our struggle against sin is a healthy sign. In my next post I will write more about how we can have an assurance of our salvation.