Salvation Requires Trust in God

John 3 : 14 - 16, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. NKJV

Do all Christians fully understand what it means to be "saved?" Jesus, Himself tells us that in order to receive everlasting life, we must place our faith in Him. To have faith in someone means that you trust them with something that is personally precious or valuable. When we say that we trust in Jesus for our soul's salvation, it is with the understanding that He is the only hope of having eternal life. 

The result of completely trusting in God or knowing God beyond all doubt, fear, or unbelief is to have peace in our heart. Therefore, we must question whether we possess the trust and peace that are necessary to be sure about our eternal destination? If we do, then we understand salvation and have arrived at a place of peace in our relationship with Christ where we can now rest. However, if you still struggle over your eternal security in Christ, then you haven't yet learned to trust God completely. Consequently, God has me writing this word of encouragement to you so that you might learn how to both develop trust in God for salvation and have peace in your soul.

Let me give you a couple of natural examples that can help bring clarity to the subject of eternal salvation: Someone is swimming in a pool or a body of water. Something happens, and they begin to drown; if someone rescues them, we call this, "saving his or her life." Someone is involved in a car accident, and their lives are placed in danger because of injuries sustained in the crash; if the first responders are able to keep them alive until they can get proper medical assistance, we can also call this "saving his or her life." 

Even so, Jesus came to deliver or save us from being a prisoner of sin. When He died on the cross and descended into hell, He took back the keys of death and hell and stripped Satan of his authority over mankind. Remember, Jesus didn't die just for Christians; He gave His life for the entire world.

Have you encountered some trials since you believed in Jesus as your personal Savior? If so, then, please don't consider it a strange thing that your faith has been tried. Now that you have placed faith in Jesus to save your soul, it is His responsibility to save you from the storms of life and the attacks of Satan that are launched against you. It is through the fiery trials and storms of life that we learn how to trust in the faithfulness of God to deliver us out of all our afflictions. The trials that you and I face as believers in Christ prepare us to trust in the Lord with full assurance concerning our eternal salvation from death, hell, and the grave.

You may think what I am teaching today seems foreign or strange, but can I tell you it is scripture? Romans 8:28 reads, "God will work all things together for good to them who love God and are the called according to His purpose." Since God is with you during the storms and trials of life, He can transform the situations we face into builders of faith. Consequently, He is teaching us to trust in His wisdom and grace, and not in ourselves. 

The lesson we must learn when we find ourselves in "a situation" is to be still and keep our eyes on Jesus. We have to turn to the Lord for wisdom, direction, and His timing on the decisions that need to be made that will lead us through and out of the trials. Relying fully on the Lord's help will teach us to trust Him; and the trust we gain will cause us to know Him at a deeper level. As a result of trusting in the Lord during the storms, instead of running in fear or unbelief, we will be much stronger spiritually. You can do all things through Christ, who gives you the strength.

My Help Comes From the Lord,

Pastor Asa

The Day I Was Thrown Into the Furnace

Daniel 3: 16 - 18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He ill deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." NKJV

Let me introduce myself; my name is Hananiah. However, you may already know me as Shadrach. The other day, while I was serving the king in my province in Babylon, I was summoned to the king's palace. Every official and every leader of the Babylonian empire was, likewise, made to appear before the king to hear a new declaration about an image that the King had built. 

As we stood around waiting for the appearance of King Nebuchadnezzar, I wondered what the purpose of this vast conclave of leaders was. Almost immediately, I saw the king and his herald enter the court yard. Everyone was gathered with considerable anticipation awaiting the news that brought them there that day. Then, the king made a decree that as the music was played, everyone, including us leaders, had to bow down before the great image and pay homage to it. You can probably imagine the thoughts and feelings that began to rush through my mind and heart as I heard this blasphemous announcement. 

The herald declared to the enormous crowd that if anyone should decide not to give honor to the golden image when the music sounded, they would be taken immediately and thrown into the furnace. At that moment, I made a life-changing decision, "I will not bow to that image." You see; I am a Jew, and our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has commanded us to place no other god before Him. Consequently, I must obey my God's command.
Later, that very same day, the music began to play throughout Babylon. Nevertheless, I didn't bow down and worship this false god. Even though I was seen by some Chaldeans, no one said anything to me about my defiance of the king's decree. Perhaps I would be excused since I had already found favor with the king when he made me a leader in his empire? 

When I heard the music sound throughout the region, I didn't think twice about my decision not to worship a dead idol. However, I knew that such a controversial determination could very well cost me my life; nonetheless, I didn't flinch. A few days later, as I was busy fulfilling my duties, I was, once again called into the presence of the king. When I arrived at the palace, I saw the same men from Chaldea, who knew that I didn't bow down in worship. As I was being brought before the king, I noticed the men pointing at me as they spoke to the king.

As I stood before him, the king rose up and was filled with rage. He asked me if I was going to worship the image or choose to be thrown into the furnace. I have to admit that some feelings of doubt filled my heart. "Would my God deliver me from this fiery furnace, or would I perish in the flames for standing up for what I believe?" I didn't see God's presence; it seemed as if I was standing alone in my decision, but somehow I knew that He was right there with me because a calm assurance filled my heart. I replied to the king. "I won't bow to this image that you have commanded us to worship."

I went on to tell the mighty king that my God would deliver me from the fiery furnace; and nevertheless, even if He didn't, He would deliver me from the king's hand. In response to my answer to him, the king became enraged against me. He commanded the furnace to be heated seven times greater than before. The king's attendants took me and bound my hands and feet. As the doors to the furnace flung open, the men who were going to throw me into the flames were immediately incinerated. As I fell into the flames, I was amazed to see that my God was standing in the flames with me. God had allowed me to make the decision to trust Him. However, He didn't appear until I was thrown completely into the furnace. 

Today, you may be facing a situation that is similar to the one I had to confront. Consequently, you may be wondering whether God will deliver you out of it or walk with you through it. I can tell you first-hand that our God is faithful. He is in complete control of your life. Nevertheless, He wants you to trust Him with the outcome. When you give your life and care into His hands and take the first step into the "furnace," you will begin to sense His presence as He fills the place you are in today. 

I found it very perplexing that even though the flames didn't burn my flesh or clothes, they did burn off the bindings that had been placed on my hands and feet. When it was all over, Satan tried to tell me the flames didn't exist; however, I reminded him that they were real enough to consume the mighty men who threw me into the furnace and real enough to burn up the restraints that kept me bound. Consequently, the flames that were meant to destroy me were used by my God to destroy those things that had me bound. I found myself walking around and praising God in the midst of this furnace because He had shown Himself faithful to me in my greatest hour of need.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 16: 25 - 26, For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? NKJV

Trusting God in All Things,

Pastor Asa

The Value Of Patience

Hebrews 10 : 36, For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. KJV

When a woman conceives, typically she must wait forty weeks for the fetus to develop, and then she can deliver her child. The writer of Hebrews touches on this principle in his letter to the Jews. Every promise in the Word of God has conditions attached to them. We know this to be true because God told Israel, and Jesus told His disciples and all those who believed on His name that if they would obey, they would be blessed.

However, there's more to receiving promises than just obeying the requirements that come with a given promise. We must also have patience that we might wait for the manifestation of the promise(s) in our lives. Generally speaking, the fulfillment of a promise on our behalf is what we're seeking, but God desires us to be willing to wait. Have you ever wondered why God operates on a different time-table than us? Martha told Jesus that He was four days late; Jesus told her that according to God's clock, He was on-time.

Why is patience being perfected in our lives so important to God? Jesus tells us in Luke 21:19, By your patience possess your souls. We can become so consumed by our natural needs that we lose sight of the importance of maintaining a healthy soul. Remember the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle John, and the apostle wrote, "Beloved I would that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers." Since we're more concerned over our needs and God is more concerned about the condition of our souls, there is a struggle that comes as a consequence of this dichotomy.  

Since our soul is won or lost based on our patience, God esteems patience many times over the comfort of our flesh that wants everything "now." So how do you suppose God has chosen to produce patience in His people so that we're willing to endure by faith until the end? 

James 1 : 2 - 4, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. NKJV

Do you find it difficult to count it all joy when trials come against you and your family? When trials come into a Christian's life, they will require trust in God and humility before Him. When we are patient in our trials, it shows the Lord that we, indeed, trust Him. As we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and wait for His delivering hand to bring us out of the trial and restore us from the hurt and loss that occurred, our patience will mature our character.

The difference between a mature Christian and an immature one is patience. The trying of our faith produces patience, but patience matures us as the children of God. So the next time you lose your patience, remember this; "THERE'S A TRIAL FOR THAT."

Patiently Waiting on God,

Pastor Asa

We Will Believe Him

Matthew 27: 41 - 43, Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" NKJV

Don't you find it amazing and at the same time very perplexing how the spiritual leaders witnessed all that Jesus did in forty-two short months, yet refused to believe that He was the Christ? These supposed "men of God" were so filled with unbelief that it caused them to disregard the greatness and validity of Jesus' works. These "holy men" showed nothing but distain and contempt for Jesus, yet they were willing to say that if Jesus would come off of the cross in response to their demand, they would believe Him to be the Son of God.

We can see through both the hearts and words of the voices that mocked Jesus that day how unbelief negatively affects the human heart. Unbelief, if we allow it to rule our hearts, can cause us to become cynical toward God. The people that ridiculed Jesus that day weren't interested in coming to faith in Him as Christ, but simply used this moment of vulnerability to spiritually persecute and oppress Him.

Doesn't it almost sound "noble" of them to offer Jesus the chance for Him to "win" them over to faith if He would just come down off of the cross? Why do you suppose Jesus ignored the "cries" of those who said they would "believe" if He would do this one act of pleasing them? Let's think this offer through for a moment. If Jesus had submitted to the will of a few men who were taunting Him, He would not have fulfilled the Father's will and pleased the wrath of God against fallen man. In other words, you and I would have no case before God. After death, every person that has ever been born would spend eternity separated from their Creator in torment. Aren't you glad that Jesus ignored a few voices so that He could save countless souls from an eternity of torment, and so that He could give us eternal life? Let me leave you with this final thought for today.

Acts 1: 3, ...He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. NKJV

We can see that Jesus remained in Jerusalem for forty days after His passion. He showed His disciples and those who would believe that He was alive and that He was indeed the CHRIST, the Son of the living God. However, here's the point you must catch today.

Acts 2 : 22 - 25, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know -- Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. NKJV

The very same men that mocked Jesus on the cross and saw His mighty miracles, the very ones who said, "If you be the Christ come down from the cross and we will believe you," were now persecuting His disciples. In other words, they lied to Jesus while He was on the cross. We know this because Jesus not only came down from the cross, but He also came up from the grave after being dead for three days...and they "still" did not believe Him. Tell me, which would make a greater impact on you if you were a sinner seeking salvation? To see Jesus pull the nails out of the wood that held Him to the cross and come down or to see Jesus alive for forty days after you watched Him be placed dead in a tomb for three days?

Unbelief refuses to believe in Jesus as being the Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, we must make a choice to place faith in Jesus. We must not try to get Him to prove Himself to us. It's all about trust.

Trusting in the Lord,

Pastor Asa

Humility and Repentance

Psalms 103: 8 - 10, The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. NKJV

The mercies of God are new every day. This is a good thing because humans are known to be repeat offenders. Isn't it great to know that we have a heavenly Father, who understands our weaknesses and faults? It's always encouraging and uplifting to read or hear about the goodness and mercy of God, but sometimes it can be hard to hear the requirements that God has for those who love Him. Doesn't Jesus require those of us who love Him to demonstrate our love by keeping His commandments? The gift of salvation is free, but once we become born again (redeemed from our sin debt), God has a purpose for our lives.

Our God is a merciful God; He loves sinners and broken people, but He is also a holy God, who hates sin. A God is merciful and kind toward us as sinners, He still requires us to repent of our sins and faults so that He can forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  

There's a story in Genesis about a man who killed his brother and asked God to have mercy "after" God had pronounced his sentence. God granted him mercy, but we don't see anywhere in the story where the man repented.

Genesis 4: 10 - 15, And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth." And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me." And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. NKJV

While reading the above scripture, did you notice that Cain told God that his punishment was more than he could bear? Did you see the heart of God change toward Cain after he had pled his case? God granted him mercy because Cain asked for mercy. Why do you suppose God would grant an evil, murderous person mercy when he didn't repent of the sin that he had committed? Even though Cain had not repented of murdering his brother, he still had humbled himself (at least in this one area) by asking for God's mercy. God will not place more on us than we are able to bear. Therefore, Cain received the mercy he had asked God to give.

The accounts in the New Testament where Cain is mentioned show him as being evil. However, we must be careful not to jump too hastily and condemn Cain, lest we condemn ourselves. Didn't God look beyond our faults and send Jesus to die for our sins before we had an opportunity to repent? Even though God has granted us mercy instead of condemning all of mankind to eternal condemnation, we are still required to ask for forgiveness and to follow that request with a change of heart. (REPENTANCE)  

Cain did receive mercy that day because God is merciful, but Cain didn't seek nor did he receive forgiveness for his sins. When God addressed Cain about his evil deeds, Cain did exactly what his father Adam did, he denied his sin. God won't always strive with us should we choose to ignore His forgiveness by not admitting our wrong doing and repenting of it before Him. If you have wronged someone and have committed a sin, but you haven't repented for it, then make things right. Today is the day of salvation through God's forgiveness and restoration. Confess what you have done before Him and ask Him to forgive you, and He will give you a clean heart. Not only will God grant you mercy, but He will also forgive you and He will wipe away every guilty stain with the precious blood of His Son through repentance.  

Forgiven, 

Pastor Asa

The Lord Is Our Helper

Genesis 3: 9 - 10, Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." NKJV 

When the Lord God came to fellowship with Adam, He soon discovered that sin had entered the heart of man. Even though God knew that Adam and Eve had sinned, He still didn't jump to conclusions and pass judgment against them. Instead, the Lord began to question Adam as to how he knew that he was naked. God didn't bring up the word "SIN," but asked him if he had eaten of the tree of knowledge. You and I both know that God wasn't ignorant of the sin in Adam's heart. However, the Lord was giving Adam a chance to take responsibility for his own actions.

This account of the fall of man into sin gives us a glimpse into our own hearts and carnal nature. Take notice that once man had sinned, he became afraid of God. Adam and Eve were so fearful of their actions that they tried to hide it from God. Here is the contrast between God and us: On one hand, God is patiently working with Adam and Eve trying to get them to confess their sins and repent. On the other hand, sin had so filled their hearts with fear that they were too WEAK to face the truth about what they had done.

God never stopped loving and reaching out to man, but the fear that sin produced in their hearts (and ours) causes us to become blind to God's goodness and grace.  Sometimes when we're forced to face the truth about our own faults and sins, it may seem easier for us to run. When the opportunity to sin arises in our hearts, the Lord will convict His children about hidden sin as He did with Adam. If you find yourself struggling with being faced with the truth about sin in your heart and life today, but out of fear you're hiding it from God, let me share some good news with you.

Remember, the Lord didn't force the truth on Adam. Instead, He asked him some questions? He wants us to trust Him and not fear Him when we have unconfessed sin in our life. Our trust will enable the Holy Spirit to begin the reconciliation process in our heart. Fear that is left unchecked can cause us to resist the goodness of the Lord, which leads us to repentance. The decision to trust God is the first step toward humility and becoming broken over our sin. At this point, you are submitting God and resisting the Devil. Therefore, the stronghold of sin will begin to crumble from your heart. Now you are in a position to receive strength from the Lord, our help in times of trouble, to confess your faults and receive the forgiveness of God. It's a great comfort to know that God loves us, even when we miss the mark. He shows us His goodness instead of judgment. It is even greater to experience His forgiveness once we confess our faults and turn from our wicked ways.

Jesus teaches us in John 15 that apart from Him, we can do nothing. When Paul realized that he had sin in his heart in Romans 7, he also realized that apart from Christ, he was just a hopeless wretch. I share those two references with you to encourage you with this final point. You and I have no strength to face the truth of who we are and what we have done apart from the strength of Christ. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit reveals sin that is residing in our heart, if we will simply humble ourselves, then He (JESUS our Helper) will give us the strength to walk in the truth. Furthermore, we will have the courage through our obedience to face it. This is called God's amazing GRACE. His strength is made complete in our weakness. To access God's grace, we must humble ourselves and agree with His will. The Lord is your Helper today. You can lean on Him.  

Standing Still, 

Pastor Asa

Victory Is Sweet

Hebrews 2 : 14 - 16, Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. NKJV

It has been said by someone that sin doesn't die; nevertheless, we are to die to sin. Long before God made man, sin entered creation through the prideful heart of Lucifer, who became Satan after his fall. Satan is the originator of sin.

When God placed man in the garden, He warned Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge, lest he die. However, Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter the hearts of men; because of their disobedient actions, sin was now "living" in them. Even though Adam refused to confess his sin to God, he was conscious of the shame and guilt of it. We know this because Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God when He approached them.

When God asked Adam if he had sinned, it was the deceitfulness of sin that kept Adam silent and in denial. If we don't confess our sin to God, it will keep us in bondage as well. We are commanded in the Word of God to confess our sins before the Lord first, and then we are to turn away from them.   

However, many people fall into the trap of condemnation over the sin that is living in their hearts and manifesting in their lives. As a result of the condemnation, they try to stop sinning in their own power. You must remember that sin doesn't die; it is us who's flesh nature has to die in order to overcome sin's strangling hold. It was for this reason that God sent Jesus into the world to die for our sin. Since Jesus had no sin in His heart, nor was any deceit in His mouth, He didn't have to die TO SIN; instead, He had the power to die FOR OUR SIN.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples that if they desired to be His disciples, they would first have to deny self, take up their cross, and follow His example. Jesus knew that each disciple had to come to a place in their walk of faith where they would have to choose to die to the old life of sin. We, too, as Christ's disciples have to make the same decision to die to sin that we might live unto God. Until believers choose to die so that they can live, they won't have the power to quit sinning. If we could stop ourselves from sinning without the power of Christ in us and working through us, then He died in vain. We are to submit to God, resist the Devil, and then he will depart from us.

In other words, we must first honor God in our hearts. It is through our honor of the Lord and His authority in our hearts, that He can give us the victory over the sin in our lives.

In God's kingdom, if you desire to receive, you must first give. If you desire to be exalted, you must first become humble. If you long to live apart from sin, you must first die to the sin nature by the Spirit of God. Victorious living in the kingdom of God will cause us to suffer for a little while, but the liberty we experience afterwards will be well worth the pain.

Dying to Live,
Pastor Asa Dockery