The second thing is that these days my life doesn’t provide a lot of time for blog writing. For those of you who may not know, I serve as the full-time Care and Counseling Pastor at my church. That keeps me busy. Then, there’s leading the One Step Ministry. That places a big demand on my time as well.

On top of that, because I’m a Christian pastor who at one time was an alcoholic who was saved by Jesus Christ and who has come to be blessed in unimaginable ways, I feel the need to join the approximately one billion other Christian pastors who have written books about this very same journey. It’s on my “To Do” list for sure.

And another thing has entered my life that requires as much time as I can possibly commit to it. My daughter and her husband have blessed me and my wife with a grandson! But not just any grandson…the most handsome and best grandson ever.

There’s just a lot going on…

Which is why, a couple of weeks ago when I read the now famous – or infamous – tweet Pastor John Piper put out rebuking those who sip coffee in the sanctuary while the pastor’s preaching on Sunday I knew that if I ever wrote another blog, it would be about this.

So…John Piper. Brilliant theologian, pastor, and author. Sometimes comes across as a little grouchy but overall, he’s someone I both respect and admire. I love his writings and I’m on the same page with him on most issues. But sadly, he lost me on this one. 

Here’s what he tweeted for those who may have missed it…

Can we reassess whether Sunday coffee sipping in the sanctuary fits?

He followed that with this snippet of verse 28 found in chapter 12 of Hebrews:

…let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…

So, the first thing that came to mind when I heard about this was, don’t we have bigger things to worry about in the Church? The second thing that came to mind was that on many Sundays as I’m sitting in worship listening to my pastor – who is also my boss – preach, my trusty Yeti is by my side filled to the brim with some Paul Newman Organic Special Blend fresh from the Keurig in the breakroom. 

To me, instead of fretting about enjoying a cup of joe during the sermon, how about celebrating the fact that human beings have shown up to hear God’s Word? We have a café at my church, and I can all but guarantee you that as nice as it is and as good as the coffee is, it’s probably not what’s bringing people in. I’m hanging my hat on the sound Bible teaching that’s provided to folks once they get here. 

I live in a community where statistics indicate that three-quarters of the local populace don’t know Jesus. Call me crazy, but if the promise of a cup of coffee provides the impetus for even one person to come to hear the Gospel, I say, “Would you like some cream and sugar with that?”

I am by no means the Bible scholar that John Piper is, but as I examine the teachings of Jesus, the environments that He taught in, and the people who came to listen, I somehow have a hard time picturing Him getting riled up by someone nursing a coffee during the teaching. Unless you have a bunch of people slurping so loud that the message is being drowned out. We’re familiar with the account of Jesus driving the money changers from the temple. To me, that’s Jesus showing us where His bar is set and to me, that kind of blatant disrespect for God’s House isn’t in the same neighborhood as coffee in the worship center.

For we who know Jesus as Savior, let’s focus on inviting those who don’t know to come hear His Word and be blessed. If a decent cup of java opens that door, hallelujah!

The post Coffee in the Sanctuary appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

August 28, 2023

Psalm 51 is a psalm I turn to often. David wrote it after the prophet Nathan was sent to him by God to confront him over his adulterous and ultimately murderous relationship with Bathsheba. The psalm finds David crying out to God for mercy, confessing his sin, and acknowledging that only God can take the stain of this sin away.

Here are some verses from Psalm 51 that bless me big time. Look at verses 10-13.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you.

There’s comfort to be found in David’s unwavering faith in God. I’m reminded of a saying relating to sin that I use in my ministry work: There’s no such thing as too far gone. Not in God’s economy at least. Let’s face it, David’s owning up to some heavy transgressions. He destroyed a marriage. He betrayed one of his most loyal soldiers, Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. He gets Bathsheba pregnant and to avoid scandal arranges for Uriah to die in battle so that he can take Bathsheba as his wife, appearing almost heroic. And the big one…he did all these things believing that God wouldn’t notice.

As if.

But look. When David finally turns back to God to deal with his mess, he has confidence in God’s willingness to create in him a new heart. For those of us who follow Jesus today, you might consider 2 Corinthians 5:17 as sort of a parallel to what David’s saying here. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Remember that when we mess up, Jesus’ hope is that we will turn to Him to be reminded of His ongoing, unwavering forgiveness. David asks for his spirit to be renewed. Thanks to Jesus’ work on the cross you and I are blessed by the ability to go confidently before His throne of grace and receive that grace and be transformed by it. And as often as we need His grace, Jesus covers us in it. As David points out, confession leads to restoration and an understanding that we are eternally saved. We’re reminded that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ. 

Once David receives this restoration, look what he commits to. This is applicable to us as well. David tells God that with this restoration, “…I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you.” 

It is essential that we get this. Once we stand in the light of Jesus’ forgiveness, we must share with others what He’s done for us. And we share what He’s done openly, honestly, and humbly. I know that most of the people taking the time to read this have more than likely experienced Jesus lifting them out of some dark, desperate situation. You need to tell others about that!

It doesn’t require you to be a Bible scholar, you’re simply sharing the Truth. The Truth is that without Jesus your life was governed by whatever it was that had a hold on you. For me, it was alcohol and pornography. For years, I wouldn’t talk about the pornography addiction. I let shame and pride get in the way. When I finally got over myself and worked it into my testimony, it was amazing the number of men who reached out to me – and still reach out to me – seeking Jesus as the way to overcome that sin struggle.

We live in a day and time where the Christian Church has been bullied into tolerating sins that I promise you Jesus is not okay with because Jesus doesn’t tolerate sin. He forgives sin. But He also requires two non-negotiable things from us. First, we seek to be in a relationship with Him. We study His Word and prioritize prayer and joining in Christian fellowship. Second, that we share the Good News of His Gospel. And again, that’s as simple as explaining to someone how Jesus impacted your life and changed it for the better. And we do that in a loving, gentle, and respectful way. Not everyone you share with is going to drop to their knees and receive Jesus in that moment. 

That’s okay! 

Our job as believers is to cast the seeds. Jesus will do the nurturing. Look at this from Matthew 5:14-16. This is Jesus speaking from the Sermon on the Mount, addressing us restored sinners.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Experience the restoration and salvation Jesus extends to you every moment of your life and then…be a light!

The post A Clean Heart appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

August 10, 2023

My last blog addressed what it means from a Christian perspective to be a man who seeks to live in a way that’s pleasing to God. This time, it’s the ladies’ turn…

When God created Eve and presented her to Adam, He referred to her as a helper comparable to Adam. Eve was never labeled a servant to Adam. The authority that Adam was granted over Eve came from the fact that He was created first and God had already assigned to him the responsibility of helping those who were to follow come to know and love God the way Adam knew and loved God. This is where the concept of men serving as spiritual leaders originated but with that, let’s make no mistakes. In the Bible, there are numerous accounts of women having to step into that role for the benefit of men who were failing to meet this obligation.

Many of the relational difficulties that spring up between men and women these days come from the misinterpretation of this one word: Submission. When some men hear this word, for some reason the first thing that comes to mind is “Woman, you shall obey my every command.” And that’s terrific if you’re talking to a genie from a lamp, but that isn’t even remotely close to what the Bible is talking about.

A Godly woman is expected to submit to a man when he demonstrates and walks out a desire to know, serve and obey Jesus Christ. A Godly woman submits to that effort. A Godly woman is not expected to surrender herself to a man who doesn’t know Jesus. Let’s look at a couple of good examples from the New Testament. First up, Paul wrote to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 21- 22.

“And further, submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” 

Notice two things here. First, we are to submit to one another, not one over another, and, the biggie, wives submit to husbands as to the Lord. Meaning that if that man isn’t the picture of a man striving to be Christ-like, you don’t submit to that. We, none of us, should be submitting to anything that lacks the light of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Peter places a perspective on this that I love. This is from 1 Peter 3:1-2.

“In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives.”

It’s a bit nuanced, but do you get what Peter’s saying here? If the man is called to be the spiritual leader in his home, then the woman is charged with being the one who brings him back in line should he fall short in that calling. That’s a bit more significant than asking “How high?” when hubby says, “Jump!” 

The Godly, submissive wife is charged with making sure that the power of the Holy Spirit is a constant, guiding force in their relationship. That’s one awesome, humbling responsibility and one that we men overlook at our own risk.

Another great example of a Godly woman compensating for her husband’s shortcomings can be found in 1 Samuel chapter 25, verses 2-35. It’s a bit too much to cover fully here so let me encourage everybody to go read it. The bottom line though is this. A woman named Abigail is married to a guy named Nabal. In Hebrew, Nabal translates to “fool” so you kind of see where this is going. Nabal, it seems has a mouth that runs 100 miles per hour faster than his brain, and as a result, he manages to not only insult King David but also provoke David and his military forces to consider swooping in and killing Nabal and his entire family.

Fortunately for Nabal, there’s Abigail, a wife who is clearly faithful to God and therefore able to rely on that faith to save her wayward husband. Abigail hears about the situation that Nabal has created with David and determines to do what must be done to save her family. She puts together a huge package of provisions for David and his men. She presents them to David pleading for mercy and letting David know in no uncertain terms that her husband “…is a fool, just as his name suggests.” Ouch.

Abigail more than once in this encounter with David praises the LORD and prays for His protection over David. David forgives Nabal through the pleas of Abigail and later, when Nabal dies from drunkenness, David takes Abigail as his wife.

The example Abigail sets for Godly women today is simple. When you find yourself yoked to a man who is not faithful to Jesus, you do what you have to do to protect yourself and your children. You set boundaries that keep yourself safe while at the same time communicating to that man what must happen before healing in the relationship can take place.

Jesus must become the top priority because, with the presence of Jesus, the relationship will fall victim to the ways of this crazy world we live in. In my ministry work, sadly I see this play out all too often. Men are rejecting Jesus at an alarming rate and the damage that’s causing has a wide-reaching ripple effect.

So, to all the Christian sisters out there I pray for you to be strong in your calling. Because we live in a world where the enemy has placed a target on the backs of men, weakening them in faith and stature, and commitment Jesus is using you as a primary implement to correct that terrible setback. Let your Godly life speak to those brothers who need it and then let Godly wisdom inform you that you’ve done all you can. Always be faithful, but always be safe!

The post The Godly Woman appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

July 31, 2023

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

We hear the term “toxic masculinity” a lot these days. It’s a label that implies that even at our most genteel and lucid men are nothing more than mindless, knuckle-dragging Rambo clones. I want to address the destructive lie attached to that generalization because it’s bringing great harm to the capital “C” church. 

In God’s economy, what exactly does it mean to act like a man? I think that the best standard to pursue is the one set by Jesus Himself. Jesus was fearless. He stood up to those who were intent on killing Him, never breaking a law while always maintaining a degree of respect and compassion. He was obedient, perfectly so. Guys, we’re not capable of Jesus-like obedience but we are more than capable to strive to be that obedient. Jesus was humble. He came to serve, not rule. He never pursued wealth or status.

Jesus prayed and He prayed often. He prayed fervently, diligently, and daily. Jesus knew and His life was guided by God’s Word. Jesus was meek, always in control. Meekness and weakness aren’t synonymous. Meekness implies that a sober, wise mind is at work. 

Paul also tells us to be strong. That fellas, has nothing to do with how much you can bench. Yes, in general men are physically stronger than women. But the strength Paul’s talking about here has more to do with spiritual strength, an ability to reject sin in all its forms. If you’re married it’s the strength required to guide your family in the faith. It’s the strength needed to work at your marriage, honoring your wife and remaining faithful to her. It’s the strength needed to stand against the lies of Satan and the ways of the world and do it in love as Paul says. It takes a certain kind of strength to share the Gospel in a way that’s gentle, loving, and respectful, but it’s the most vital kind of strength we as men can possess.

It’s the kind of strength that steers us away from tolerating or rationalizing sin. It’s the kind of strength that inspires us to love everyone, be forgiving and radiate the Holy Spirit to the world around us. There’s nothing toxic about being a man pursuing Jesus, all that’s required on our part is desire. Let that desire take hold of you and you’ll find that you’re living like the man God calls you to be. And that’s the only kind of man you want to be.

There’s absolutely nothing toxic about Christ-like masculinity so embrace it boldly and confidently. A big part of the reason why the world is in the state that it’s in spiritually has everything to do with how we as men have allowed ourselves to be marginalized. That must stop and the best way to stop it is to… Act like men, be strong. And let all that you do be done in love. Amen!

The post Act Like Men appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

Ever since churches began, there have been churches that have been rocked by scandal and there probably is no greater hurt that a Christian can experience than when a church leader or a segment of the congregation experiences a moral failing so great that the church in many cases ends up closing its doors. Several years ago, I left my position in a church that was deeply divided by the sins of one man in leadership. For those of us who left that situation, there are scars. It’s a different kind of pain.

In situations like that, it’s important that we never lose sight of the fact that the church is Jesus. It’s not a building, it’s not a denomination, if for sure isn’t any pastor. Any church that fails to recognize Jesus and His Gospel as its foundation is destined to fail. If you look at the Book Revelation, Jesus writes letters of warning to seven different churches. He clearly calls each of them to correct course or fall out of existence. If you take the time to look, not a one of those churches is still around today. If Jesus isn’t the cornerstone, the church cannot stand.

In chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians Paul is writing forcefully to a church that is having a tough time getting its act together. Corinth is a pagan city, home to a temple built to the goddess Aphrodite. It’s a temple that houses thousands of prostitutes. Within the city of Corinth Paul planted a church with a small but solid core of believers but a majority of the congregation seems to spend as much time in the world as in the Word. In this chapter, Paul rebukes the church for their tolerance of a blatant sexual sin taking place among them. A young man is having relations with his stepmother and the church seems to be congratulating itself for tolerating it. They mistake tolerance for grace – something many, many churches are doing today, but Paul sets them straight.

First, he calls for a meeting of the whole church. He tells them he will be present with them in Spirit but that they need to understand that God has already passed judgment. This man needs to be removed from the church and handed over to Satan “…so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”

Scripture tells us that when we live surrendered to sin, God will give us over to that sin not to condemn us, but so that in time, prayerfully, we’ll come to see that sin only brings misery and that as miserable as we may get, that’s how joyful Jesus will be if we ask for His grace to lead us back to Him. Paul isn’t about putting this man in exile; he just wants him to live alone in his sin and recall how much better things were in the light of Jesus’ righteousness.

If we skip ahead to Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2, he shares with us how the church was directed to love the man and encourage him. Comfort and forgive him. Paul has. Jesus has. And with that, despite the ugliness of the sin, the forgiven man is welcomed back into fellowship. This is a perfect depiction of a church being led by Jesus.

I’m going to close with this beautiful, encouraging insight from Paul. This is also from his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 4-5.

He – Jesus – comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Amen!

The post Forgiveness and Reconciliation appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

Here are a couple of verses that may be the most controversial of any that Paul writes in the New Testament. This is from 1 Corinthians 1:18-19.

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.”

We live in a day and age where we – mankind – sees ourselves as so inherently brilliant that Jesus in many ways has become little more than an afterthought to many. Paul’s pointing out here that we live with that attitude at our own risk. The message of the cross of course is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Good News of how, form that cross, from that place of pain, suffering and humiliation all people can come to the forgiveness of sins. And from there, everyone can live with the hopeful expectation that when their sorrow filled lives are done on this earth, we will know eternal joy with Jesus.

We will know Heaven and glorified bodies. We will know a kind of worship that words can’t describe. We will never again know pain or death or sin or hate.

Like the song says, I can only imagine.

One day, Jesus will come back for us and when He does, those who wrote Him off as a myth because He didn’t fit into some algorithm, will sadly come to know judgement. And on the one hand, yes, that’s sad. And I know some people use it to denigrate the Church. But here’s the thing. You can be wise and brilliant and all the things and still retain enough intelligence to know Jesus. Because knowing Him simply requires an open heart, and open mind.

Rejecting Him because the thought of eternal salvation feels foolish is, well, kind of foolish. The only investment Jesus asks from any of us is to love Him as He loves us. All of us. You don’t even need to log off your computer to invite Him into your heart! 

Just close your eyes for a second and speak to Him. Let Him know that as smart as you see yourself, the idea of a Savior who will carry me into eternity challenges my intelligence in such a way that I need to know more. I need to grow in that knowledge. I need this Holy Spirit to guide me.

And then, you can get back to your earthly labors with a new, joyful outlook on life both this one and the one to come!

The post The Message of the Cross appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

A lot of what I deal with as a counseling pastor is helping people whose lives have been so negatively impacted by the sins of a loved one that they’re at their wit’s end. They’re fed up. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than to hear someone say, “I love this person with all my heart and always have. But I can’t have them in my life anymore. Not like this.”

And what then makes that heartbreak exasperating is this. The person who’s causing all this pain couldn’t care less. They drink. They drug. They cheat. And very often, along with all that aberrant behavior, they claim to be saved. They claim to know Jesus and they cover themselves with a disturbing misperception that Jesus is okay with their behavior because their life is hard…unfair…overflowing with challenges that other people don’t understand.

The big mistake there is that Jesus doesn’t understand, tolerate, ignore, or give free passes to us when it comes to sin. Now, He does empathize with the fact that we will face persistent temptations all day, every day but…that’s why He hung on a cross, absorbing all the sins of all of mankind. Because of that amazing moment of sacrifice, we all now have a place – His throne of grace – where we can confess those sins and be set free from the condemnation that we would otherwise be subject to.

This is from 2 Thessalonians 3:6…

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.”

Thessalonica was a Greek city where the Apostle Paul started a church. It was a church that began on fire for Jesus, full of faith. However, over time false teachers moved in and took to persecuting Jesus’ followers. Paul writes this letter to encourage the Thessalonians to remain steadfast in their faith and not be discouraged or afraid of those seeking to divide them.

There are a couple of things about this verse that are important. The first is that Paul is passing along a command, not a request but a command from Jesus Christ. That gives the message a little more weight than Paul simply expressing a thought. Second, the command is followed by a straightforward directive. We are to keep away from people who, on the one hand, proclaim to know Jesus but who are idle – lazy – in their pursuit of that relationship and in fact intentionally ignore the things of Jesus that should be guiding their lives.

When you have a sinner in your life causing you to sacrifice your emotional well-being to maintain a relationship with them, the world would call you an enabler. Maybe a codependent. Jesus would see you as someone suffering because of disobedience.

At no time in His ministry did Jesus’ Gospel call for anyone to sacrifice themselves on the altar of someone else’s sin. If your life is tied inexorably to someone committed to ongoing sin, Jesus expects you to forgive that person for the pain that they’re subjecting you to. He then expects you to protect yourself from further harm.

It’s a given that we would want to steer clear of non-believers who hurt us through deviant behavior but it’s equally important to put space between yourself and the idle believer. An ongoing commitment to that kind of relationship can only lead to you becoming so discouraged that your own faith will begin to waver.

And understand that Jesus isn’t calling on you to have a hard heart toward the person with whom you are fed up. A little further on in this letter Paul writes, “Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.”

Show them Jesus and do it by offering them grace and forgiveness but underscore that with this non-negotiable point. That a relationship that doesn’t have Jesus at its center isn’t a relationship you want to be in. Paul writes this in his letter to the Galatians…

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person onto the right path.”

He then very wisely adds this. “And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”

We are called to share the warning with both idle believers and non-believers that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. But with that, we need to also be smart enough and trust in Him enough to get out of Jesus’ way and let Him do the saving!

The post Idle appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

The account of Jesus’ interaction with the thieves crucified on either side of Him is provided in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you read all three, you’ll notice some interesting consistencies between Matthew and Mark, while Luke provides a more detailed insight that happens to be the one referred to most often.

Various translations of scripture refer to these men as robbers, thieves, or rebels. Their crimes had to have been extremely serious for them to be crucified. Mark’s Gospel was the first one written and is more than likely a transcript of what Peter witnessed that day. We know that all the apostles witnessed Jesus’ death from a distance. Matthew, being an apostle – Mark was not – almost assuredly witnessed the crucifixion but he clearly relies on Mark’s Gospel as his source for what took place that day.

Mark and Matthew tell us that these thieves joined onlookers in taunting and insulting Jesus. Luke however goes a somewhat different way.

Luke has been called by God to provide a detailed account of Jesus’ life. He sought out eyewitnesses and interviewed them at length to paint as clear and objective a picture of Jesus’ ministry as possible. Here’s how he describes this profound moment between Jesus and one of the two thieves.

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

One thief derides Jesus right up to his last breath. The other seems to have undergone a change of heart. So, what exactly happened here?

Theories abound, but the one that would seem to make the most sense is that over the course of the six hours these men struggled on the cross, it occurs to this one thief that Jesus has done nothing wrong.

He confesses that he and his cohort deserve to be where they are, but that Jesus, whether He had the power to rescue them from the cross or not had clearly done nothing wrong. And at that moment, with what had to be near to his dying breath, his heart softens. He decides that it would be better to die in the light of this innocent man than is in the bitterness brought about by a lifetime of sin. At that last possible moment, he surrenders Himself to Jesus and looks at the response he gets.

Jesus assures him that on that very day, they will enter the gates of Heaven together. This common thief was to be the very first person whose sin would be washed away by the precious blood. This may be the most beautiful depiction of Jesus’ grace and mercy that we find in the entire Bible. And it should serve as a reminder to all of us that there’s never a moment when Jesus isn’t ready and able to deliver us from death resulting from sin.

With that though comes a word of caution. Some folks read this passage from Luke and become more emboldened in their sin, believing that they can continue to sin it up until that very last moment. Then, with their dying breath they’ll tell Jesus how sorry they are, and just like this thief, they’ll stroll into Heaven. The only problem with that is that death can come without notice and if that moment comes before you’ve established Jesus as your Lord and Savior, well, you can’t know His grace if you don’t know Him. Here’s a great quote from a commentary I came across.

This – the thief on the cross – is a rare case of last-minute salvation. There is only this one “deathbed” conversion in the Bible, and it’s there so that no one would despair, but there is only one such conversion so that no one would presume.

Don’t presume that you’re going to have the ability to surrender to Jesus on your deathbed. Do it now. Today. In doing that, you save yourself from having to hang a cross created by your ongoing rebellion and disobedience. Get right with Jesus today while you’re upright and healthy. Then you can experience the joy of knowing how in His perfect timing Jesus will without hesitation welcome you into paradise too.

The post The Thief appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

Faith. It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? It’s easy for us to have faith that the plane we’re about to board is going to get us where we’re going. It’s easy for us to have faith that the sun’s going to rise in the morning and set at night. Here in North Carolina, we have faith that in the springtime it’ll be 30 degrees outside when we wake up and pushing 80 by lunch.

With all the mundane things in life that we invest our faith in, why is it so hard to keep an abiding faith in Jesus Christ? Some days that can be a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day battle at times, can’t it. The author of the Book of Hebrews has this to say about Christian faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

As believers, we have faith that there’s a Heaven. We have faith that Jesus really did forgive us from the cross. But then there’s earthy truth. The demands of our flesh. We doubt. Heaven doesn’t have a website we can check out. And yes, many people have made the claim through books and movies that they’ve been to Heaven. And if you’re ready to plunk down some money they will happily give you detailed descriptions of what it’s like, even though there is zero consistency between those accounts. Scripture tells how the apostle Paul, who God did let have a look at Heaven, took in all that he saw and wrote that there are no words to describe what’s there. Real Truth.

The key to growing hope-based faith is God’s Word. It’s understanding that Jesus is alive and that He loves you and wants the best for you and that even when life gets hard, He’s with you, and one way or another He will see you through the trials that, by the way, happen because of sin. Not because Jesus delights in your suffering.

Chapter 17 of Matthew’s Gospel is interesting. Jesus challenges His apostles and you and me over our inability to maintain faith in Him. Jesus takes 3 of His friends, Peter, James, and John high on a mountain. There, He’s transfigured, shining brighter that anything the three men have ever seen. And, oh yeah, they also see Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. And then – the cherry on top – God Himself gives an audible shout-down that this is His Son who He loves. And that we should listen to Him.

Jesus, Peter, John, and James then come down the mountain and meet a huge crowd. And in that crowd is a father with a young son possessed by a demon that afflicts him with violent seizures. The dad had already taken the boy to some of the other disciples, and they were unable to send the demon packing. Hearing this, Jesus is frustrated.

He says, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

Why was Jesus annoyed? People weren’t listening. Many of the people gathered there were there because they heard Jesus healed folks. But they had no faith in Him as Messiah. Then you have these disciples, who’ve heard every teaching and been present for every miracle. Peter, John, and James have just witnessed Jesus chatting with Moses and Elijah! They heard the audible voice of God speak to them! And still…their faith wavers.

The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn’t cure the boy and Jesus tells them point blank. Because of your little faith. He goes on to explain in parable-like fashion that if they had faith in Him the size of a mustard seed, it would be all they would need to move mountains. Meaning that abiding faith in Him empowers us to accomplish things that we could not without that faith in Him. And we either take that to heart or…we wrestle with it. Every day.

But the good news that comes to us amid that battle is the Good News that comes to us through scripture and the realization that the death Jesus endured on the cross and the resurrection that followed three days later should be, needs to be enough.His Word will nurture your faith and your faith will be the thing that not only allows you to navigate the challenges of this life but to also know that no matter what Heaven is yours too. But… We need that mustard seed faith, and we need to listen to Him…

The post Transfigured appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.

A question that I get asked quite a bit as it relates to Bible study is, “If Jesus has made a New Covenant with us in the New Testament, why do I have to study the Old Testament?” My fast answer is because Jesus resides on every page of the Old Testament, and we need to meet Him there to appreciate and the easiest way to think about that is this.

In the Garden of Eden, God presented Adam and Eve with a perfect life. They were going to live eternally in God’s presence, enjoying a close, personal relationship with Him. They were never going to go hungry. They were never going to get sick. They were never going to know destructive emotions like anger, shame, hate, and guilt. With that, God also gave to Adam and Eve free will. His love wasn’t imposed on them, but to ensure the purity of that love, God presents Adam and Eve with a downside to rejecting Him that exists through the placement of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the center of the garden.

The upside of being in a relationship with God was made clear. The other side of that coin was equally clear. Eat fruit off that tree and all bets are off. God tells them, “You will surely die.”

Now. God doesn’t put a barbed wire fence around the tree, He’s given Adam and Eve an understanding of the consequences. And yet they eat from the tree, sin is ushered into existence, and mankind has been sinning it up ever since. God will make a way for mankind to prosper but under different circumstances. Now there will be physical pain and death. Now there will be sickness and sorrow and jealousy and you name it. From the Garden onward – thru Cain and Abel to Abraham and Moses and David and all the prophets, through every sort of trial, God’s greatest creation chooses time and time again to rebel against Him.

And so, it’s in the Old Testament that we see God begin a generational preparation of the hearts of His people. God makes man aware that in His perfect timing, a Savior will come, and mankind will be saved from the prospect of eternal condemnation from sin.

From the moment Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden until that fateful moment in a manger in Bethlehem, God is preparing His people for the greatest gift He could ever give them. Salvation.

Along comes the Ten Commandments, the law. The expectations God has for His people. It fast becomes apparent that we’re inherently unable to obey the law. Because of that, God, once again overflowing in grace and mercy made a way for mankind to receive a temporary covering for their sins. Forgiveness was obtained through the annual blood sacrifices of livestock.

Every year, thousands of people would gather to slaughter thousands of animals as a form of repentance. Repentance was needed because people were too weak in spirit to obey the God who met their every need. 

What we learn in Hebrews chapter 10 is that God wasn’t pleased with these sacrifices because they failed to provide a perfect cleansing from sin. Fortunately, we worship a God who loves to teach us stuff. What He teaches in the Old Testament is the depth of His love. Unconditional. Abiding. Patient.

The author of the Book of Hebrews tells us this…

“…our High Priest (Jesus) offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”

And as if that isn’t wonderful enough, it’s followed by this…

“And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he says,

“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”

And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.”

If you live with the misperception that Jesus is running some kind of celestial ledger sheet on you, counting, and ranking your sins, let it go. At the moment you receive Him as your Lord and Savior not only does He wash all that mess away and set you free from the burden of your sin, but He will also never again remember those sins.

Jesus will set you free from whatever you need to be set free from, you just give it over to Him. Seeking forgiveness through any other means is as useless as slaughtering bulls. Don’t do it. Surrender today to the Lordship of Jesus and begin to experience the new life He has for you!

The post Same Goal, New Rule appeared first on One Step Healing Ministries.