We Are All Witnesses

“We are all witnesses” is a slogan applied to the fans of Lebron James during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.   This slogan became so popular that a huge banner was hung in downtown Cleveland declaring Cleveland’s affinity with Lebron.  To many basketball fans, this slogan was a unique way of showcasing the talent of Lebron, the city of Cleveland and the Nike shoes that he was endorsing.

Although this slogan was unique in the world of sports and marketing, it has existed for millennium in the word of God.  For at least 2000 years, the phrase has been used to describe the followers of Jesus Christ.  Let’s take a look at the Biblical phrase “Witness” and what being a witness for Jesus Christ involves.



THE SCRIPTURES:

 Acts 5:29-32 (KJV) Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.  Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

THE STUDY:

29) Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

 In the context of our study, the subject at hand is the subject of obedience.  Peter and the other apostles were in agreement that they owed the Lord their uncompromising obedience.  They were to put their Lord’s desires ahead of the desires and pleasure of men.

They begin to explain why they have dedicated their lives to fulfilling their Lord’s desires…

 30) The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

31) Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

 They clearly explain God’s work that He performed to bring salvation to His people:

1.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus – God was willing to deliver His Son into a wicked, sinful world.


2. whom ye slew and hanged on a tree – When Christ entered this world, He was abused, mistreated and eventually, murdered on a cross.  The Father knew beforehand that this would be the fate of His Son, but He still chose to send Him into this world.


3. Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour – Because Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father, coming to the earth, suffering mankind’s abuse and dying on the cross;  Christ was then exalted      to His rightful position as Lord and Deliverer of all.


4. for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. – Jesus, as Lord and Deliverer, turned Israel from their sin to the service of Christ; as well as, granting forgiveness, through His death on the cross for the sins of those who come to Him.

These reasons are why both Peter, and the other apostles, had dedicated their lives to the service of their God.  After all God has done for them, how could they do anything else for Him?

Also, please notice the basic principle of being a witness simply involves telling others what our Lord has done on our behalf.  That is all there is to it.  Simply, tell others about what He has done for you.

Tell them about your Lord and how He willingly gave His life on the cross to pay the price for your sins.

Give them examples of His workings in your personal life: how He has comforted you in times of distress; how He has granted you faith in the most trying of times; or perhaps, how you received peace in the midst of the storms of life.

For the Christian this is the essence of living a life of witness for the Lord.

32) And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Not only did Peter and the other apostles owe their obedience to Him, they also were called to be witnesses of His workings of salvation among men.

It is important to note that this word “witness” comes from the Greek word “martus” which carries with it the idea of being a “martyr”.  In other words, being a witness for Christ implies being willing to give our all, even to the point of death, for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So not only was Peter and the apostles called to obey their God but they knew their responsibility included a willingness to testify of His works, even to the point of death.  This is being a true “witness” for Him.

We can be living witnesses for Him through the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers.  What we cannot do because of our sinful flesh, the Lord allows us to do through the empowering of the Holy Spirit within us.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

As Christians, the willingness to give our all in service to Him is the principle found in Roms 12:1-2…

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.   And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

To be a living sacrifice revealing His works to others involves being willing to give our all for Him.  Just as these verses teach us… after all He has done for us… isn’t giving our all for Him simply a reasonable response on our behalf?

To those who have never received Christ as your Lord and Savior…

If you have any questions about salvation, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved.  Please click on his link for more information about salvation.

If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area.  The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you.   If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.

May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.

From Gold to Brass: The Effects of Sin

Devaluing of the US dollar is a significant issue in today’s time. A devalued dollar has both good and bad results. Increased exports and a lower balance of payments deficit are the two most referenced positive results to devaluing the dollar. The greatest downfall of a devalued dollar is increased inflation and a higher interest payment, for government borrowing.

As you can see from the the chart in the link below, the dollar has been greatly devalued, beginñng in the 1970s and it continues to retain its lower value even unto today. You can read much more about the devalued dollar at: ‘
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historv of the United States dollar.

This chart speaks volumes about the decline of the US economic system. Prior to the seventies, the economy of the US was strong and a devaluing of the dollar was unnecessary to sustain international supremacy. Beginning with the 70s, and the decline in our economy and deficit balance of payments, the US has had to permanently devalue its dollar to remain competitive in the new “global” economy. As the dollar continues its decline, it will signal a continuing weakness of the US economy.

 

Gold and the US dollar are valuable assets for anyone to own, but; there are spiritual possessions that far outweigh the value of these. Our faith, and its resulting testimony to others around us, will retain eternal, spiritual value.

1 Pet 1:6-9 (KJV)
6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,  though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; 8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9) Receiving the end of your faith, (even] the salvation of [your] souls.

 
THE SCRIPTURES:
1 Kgs 10: 16-17 (KJV)
16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.  17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of theforest ofLebanon:

 1 Kgs 14:21-28 (KJV)
21) And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they, provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. . 23) For they also built them high places, and images, and groves. on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.  25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam,’ [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:  26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s. house even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solornon had made.  27) And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed [them) unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.   28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them,
and brought them back into the guard chamber.

 THE STUDY:  

1Kgs 10:16-17 (KJV)

16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.

“target” – large shield, you can hide your entire body behind it

“600 shekels of gold” – equals approximately 300 oz of gold with a value of $357,000.00 per target

17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

“shield” — smaller shield hooked to arm, hold it up to defend in hand to hand combat

3 Hebrew pounds = 3.75 American lbs = 6Ooz = $ 72,000.00 per shield

All of the targets and shields together totaled over $93 million dollars.

These were only for show and not for use in battle.  We know this because the targets were too heavy for a warrior to easily maneuver during battle, and the metal was too soft to supply protection for either the target or the shield.

This collection of targets and shields was symbolic of the nation’s wealth.  This collection was a testimony to the strength, presence and grace of Jehovah, as He brought prosperity to the Nation of Israel.  These symbols of God’s blessings, were meant to bring Him honor and praise throughout all generations.

Approximately 20 years after the making of the targets and shields that King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam took the throne of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
1 Kngs 14:21-28

21) And Rehoboam the son of Sotomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in - Jerusalem, the city[which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess

At the death of Solomon, Rehoboam his son, takes the throne of Judahthe southern
kingdom. During his reign Rehoboam did not follow the desires of God for his nation but allowed his nation to turn to the worship of false gods and sinful lifestyles....

 22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done 23) For they also built them high places and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and]  they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Israelhad turned their backs on being faithful to Jehovah! They began to worship the false Gods of the Gentiles. The high places, images, and groves were all instruments for their idol worship taken from the heathen nations that surroundedIsrael. Not only did they worship false gods; but they incorporated the sin of homosexuality with the idolatrous, worship services.

25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

Following the five year decline ofJudahinto idolatry, the Lord allowedEgyptto invadeJudahand pillage the land. Some of the riches that were taken  by the Egyptians were the contents of theTempleofSolomon.  The contents included the shields of gold that had been previously stored there by Solomon.  The times of blessings and superiority that Jehovah had given to the Israelites had come to an end.

 27) And king Rehoboam made in their, stead brasen shields,” and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the King’s house  28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them and brought them back into the guard chamber.

King Rehoboam now replaces the golden shields with those made of brass.  What a poor replacement for those that were previously displays of Jehovah’s blessings and prosperity uponJudah.  These new shields were now a stunning admission of the loss of Jehovah’s favor upon this adulterous nation, who had turned their affections from the true God Jehovah to the idols and practices of the ungodly world around them.  These replacement shields were a public declaration of sin and its devastating effects upon the public testimony of God’s chosen nation.

Please remember, gold throughout the Bible is a picture of high value and Divine presence; brass, on the other hand, is a picture of minimal temporal value and Divine displeasure.

Israeltraded their worship of the True God, His presence and His favor and blessings; for the worship of man made gods, and the loss of spiritual fidelity, intimacy and displeasure of Almighty God.

 
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are not saved…

Just as habitual sin ruinedIsrael’s testimony and communion with Jehovah; sin in the lives of Christians, can bring ruin to our testimony and relationship with the Lord, as well.  One of our greatest privileges is to possess communion with the Lord and a testimony which is unspotted from this world and results in eternal praise to Almighty God. Let’s strive for faithfulness, allowing the Lord to be shown through our lives to His eternal glory.

Jas 1:27 (KJV) - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Job 23:10 (KJV) - But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

For those who are not saved…

Living a spiritually prosperous and blessed life of communion with God begins by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  By trusting in His person and work on the cross, you can receive the forgiveness of sins and an assurance of communion with Him.

John 1:10-13 (KJV)

10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Heb 13:5-6 (KJV)

5) [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.

6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

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Golden Bears Are Everywheres! (Waynedale Golden Bears, That Is!)

In the mid 70s, I attended and graduated from Waynedale High School in Apple Creek, Ohio.  Waynedale had great students and fantastic teachers.  I credit the Lord with using Waynedale to give me the tools I needed to further my education and succeed in life.  I was blessed to have the privilege of attending Waynedale.  Sorry to say, in my younger days, I did not appreciate Waynedale as I should.

 For a closer look at Waynedale HS visit their websites:

http://www.southeast.k12.oh.us/school_home.aspx?schoolid=13         http://whsgoldenbears.olinesports.com/

 Waynedale’s mascot was a golden bear.   Like any high school, you could see golden bears all over the walls of the school building.  Why? Because the golden bear represented who we were.   The minute anyone stepped into our building they knew they were in Golden Bear Country!

 This is also why our school jackets had a golden bear on them… in the neighboring communities, at the sight of the bear on our coat the people immediately knew that we attended Waynedale. By simply wearing a golden bear on our clothing we were making a statement about ourselves. 

 Did you know that the Lord has given us the equivalent of a golden bear coat that we are to use to declare our relationship with Him?   Lets look at what the Bible has to say about our public announcement that we are Christ’s.

 THE SCRIPTURE:

 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:26-27)

 THE STUDY:

 In Galatians 3:26-27 – gives us a clear teaching on the role of faith and baptism in our salvation.  If you notice, in verse 26 we can clearly see that faith is the entry way to adoption into the family of God.  In other words, we must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven of our sins and to become a part of God’s family.  

 Our Galatians text does not stop there.  It goes on in verse 27 to explain the role of baptism in our salvation.  Baptism is the “putting on” of Christ. By the way, the term “put on” in Greek means “to put on a suit of clothes”.  In other words, baptism is like putting on clothing that publicly declares that the work of Christ has been applied to our account and we are now dead to sin and alive to Christ. 

 Baptism is the equivalent to my Waynedale coat.  I was a student of Waynedale whether I wore my coat or not.  But, if I wanted others to know I was a Waynedale student, I would put my coat on.  The same principle applies to our baptism.  If we have God-given faith in Christ, we are saved.  Baptism has no effect on that.  However, if we want others to know of our salvation experience, we are to be immersed in water (baptized).   By being baptized, we are associating ourselves with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and, we are stating that we have died to sins and are raised to live a new life of submission to Him. (Roms 6:3-9)  Once we are baptized, everyone knows we are a follower of Jesus Christ.

 THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

 For those who are saved, the most important next step in obedience to the Lord is to be immersed in water (baptism).  This, in turn, pictures the work of Christ, our changed life, and our association with Him.  By being baptized, we are saying to the world… “My Lord has saved me, I now commit myself to living my life for Him and I am so very grateful to be able to be called a child of the living God!”

 Once we make this public declaration of our faith in Christ, we should strive to obey Him with our whole heart.  For we know that our association with Him is known and we are being watched by others to see if our commitment to His service is genuine.

 For those who have never been saved, first, it is vital to grasp the most important need of your life.  Above all else, you are in need of the Lord’s intervention in your life and the faith He so graciously gives to those who seek His face. 

 By understanding the true nature of baptism, you will not be misled by those who will tell you that baptism is a necessary part of your receiving God’s salvation and adoption.  Please allow me to repeat once again for clarity… faith alone is necessary for salvation.  By trusting in Christ, your salvation is complete.

 Baptism follows salvation and is necessary for a public declaration of your faith in Him.  For a closer look at salvation and the need for faith please read my blog page on “forgiveness”.

 “The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth….neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Act 4:10-12)

 If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike”  http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”