Seeking Glory

And the Father Himself, which hath sent Me,

 hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither 

heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. 

And ye have not His word abiding in you:

 for whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not. 

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think 

ye have eternal life: and they are they which 

testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, 

that ye might have life. I receive not honor 

from men. But I know you, that ye have not 

the love of God in you. I am come in My Father's 

name, and ye receive Me not: if another 

shall come in his own name ye will receive. 

How can ye believe, which receive honor 

one of another, and seek not the honor that 

cometh from God only? 

John 5:37-44

     The words of Jesus ring out clear and in truth; people will listen to others, especially those who speak eloquently. It is easier to hear what you want to hear than to hear words that just might make you think about your relationship with Jesus Christ. People find all sorts of things to do that seem godly, even pious, but will often, if ever, speak about the Gospel, how to live according to Scripture. Men love to be honored. People seek celebrity status, to have men honor them, and in some sense that is not bad, but, if this desire to be honored by men overrides your seeking the honor of God, then you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior. Yes, the words of Jesus are harsh, hard to accept, hard to apply in our lives and due to this seemingly hardness people turn to an easier form of worship. 

     A hallmark of Authentic Christian Faith is that one who claims that faith wants to know God and will want to know as much as he/she can of what is in the Bible. To not follow the Bible, its commands, its precepts, is to be defiant, not against man, but against God. The written word of God does not lead to acceptance of this worlds culture, to cause one to become a cultural, or even a liberal Christian. The Bible leads to a living Savior and changes our attitudes to Him and aids us in effectively choosing our destiny. To read and attend to the Bible and to learn from the Bible shows the way to serve Him and to receive Him, allowing Jesus to be our Master and in this, when a person finds Jesus Christ, they find life. 

     The best this world can offer is only "good." This worldly "good" is flawed and the fundamental problems still exist so the world's "good" cannot fix the problem. This is true because  the motivation for life is man-centered instead of God-centered. Here is an important point: Goodness is no substitute for devotion. Somehow we miss the point: Goodness culturally in its defined forms, can exist where the love of God and passion for Him does not exist. The world speaks of "ying and yang," a way to balance the scales as though God has a set of scales to measure our efforts in the areas of "good." Here is how this works in the world: if the "good" out weighs the "bad" then the former actions are assumed to righteous. This is not the Gospel, and this is not found in Scripture. To have this worldly, or cultural belief will lead to a false sense of confidence, a by product of faulty thinking and shows a lack of understanding of what the Bible teaches. 

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God,

     that I will send a famine in the land, not

a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,

     but of hearing the words of the Lord.

And they shall run from sea to sea, and from

    the north even to the east; they shall run

to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,

    and not find it.

                     Amos 8:11-12

Seek the glory of God: not man

Richard L. Crumb

What Food Are You Eating?

Be not carried about with divers and 

strange doctrines. For it is a good thing 

that the heart be established, with grace; 

not with meats, which have not profited 

them that have been occupied therein. 

We have an altar, whereof they have no right 

to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the 

bodies of those beasts, whose blood is

 brought into the sanctuary by the high priest 

for sin, are burned without the camp. 

Wherefore Jesus also, that He might 

sanctify the people with His own blood, 

suffered without the gate. Let us go forth 

therefore unto Him without the camp, 

bearing His reproach. 

Hebrews 13:9-13

     Eternal destiny, your coming to believe in eternal destiny, is to live now that has been revealed through Scripture. This then means that you must be studying Scripture, and yet, incredible as it might seem, many people claiming to be Christian do not read their Bible, oh, maybe on Sunday at Church. This is true even of Authentic Christians at times when this world begins to encroach upon their belief in Jesus Christ. You cannot maintain your belief and your exercise of belief if you do not daily read your Bible. It is plain in the New Testament that this life will wear out and death is the end result here on this earth. While we are on earth, as Authentic Christians we must spend time in communication with God and this is possible by prayer, and importantly reading His inspired word. The world and its culture is always chipping away at our faith and we lose sight that we will come before the judgment seat of God and give an answer about our life. We lose the fact of divine judgment. It is easy to get absorbed as to the trials, the needs of this life and strive for survival and this comes at a cost. 

     We are warned about false teachings, false doctrines and to be carried away looking for an easy self-aggrandizement, that is to feel pious, to feel godly and this due to hearing and accepting the "meat" (The Greek word used here means those things unacceptable to God's law), those things that Authentic Christians, in fact no one, should eat. Emotional worship, not just emotion, but over emotional exercise that is not of God but of one's self, to feel emotional and this not due to a person' remembering what Authentic Christians should be doing in our worship. This means to not be looking for some experiential worship, some doing, but to be seeking the truth found in God's word. Authentic Christians will discount this over zealous emotional outbursts and reactionary experiential Christianity and hold fast to the fact that we worship God, and we do so with respect, with solemnity, not as some monk, rather to give to God true heart-felt worship. 

     This world and its culture has its own standards of goodness. If, and it does, define its own morality and then applies that to itself, then society can justify its serious breaches of character and will lower standards that is injurious and detrimental. This redefining standards is what is seen in cultural and liberal Christianity and their justification as to their character, their way of worship that is not pleasing to God if one looks into the Bible for the answer. Cultural and liberal Christianity is man-centered, not God-centered. Cultural and liberal Christianity has no right to be called "Christian." They are not to be allowed to bring into the Church their false doctrines. This redefining of what God requires, no matter how good they exercise their beliefs, is not the Gospel, it the product of faulty thinking and a lack of understanding as to what the Bible teaches. 

     Do you want to be an Authentic Christian? If so, then, run from false teaching, return to the Gospel as it was given by those men inspired of God to record His will for His children. Scripture is the witness of God and it is infallible, God's authentic word, a record for us to have God reveal Himself. This revelation, this witness of God, this will of God for His children can only be as good as one reads His word, pray for guidance as you read His word. In a large sense we are learning now what we will be when we are in this new world, with a new body, living eternally. We may not, and will not do this training perfectly, how can it be when we are still fallen in our nature, but we can grow in grace, grow in sanctification. Is Jesus Christ real to you, or only a story about a man who lived really good? Is Jesus God? Is Jesus the Savior? Do you believe that He is coming again for His bride? Are you one of His bride? If you answered yes to those questions and have repented of your sins, accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, then you are an Authentic Christian growing in authenticity, changing from the inside/out, and are becoming the person you will be for eternity. The bottom line: is this true of you?

But the LORD shall endure forever: 

     He hath prepared His throne for judgment.

And He shall judge the world in righteousness, 

    He shall minister judgment to the people

in uprightness.

                   Psalm 9:7-8  

The food to eat: God's word

Richard L. Crumb

What Is True Enjoyment?

Now the God of hope fill you with all 

joy and peace in believing, that ye may 

abound in hope, through the power 

of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

     Joy is a hallmark of Authentic Christians, not some worldly joy, although there is much joy to be found in our world, not in a joy based on the culture of this world, but joy that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. This joy that God will fill His children comes to those who are believers in His Son Jesus Christ, that He is the Savior, their Savior, and they have come to know that they have sinned, done that which is wrong, to God who is Holy. Repentance in prayer is a prayer that God will always hear and will accept. 

     Authentic Christians have great joy, peace, a life of blessings that come by doing what God has revealed for His children to do and that first comes by a person denying themselves and cleaving to Jesus Christ, His words, His commands. Here are some examples that will bring joy: Driving the speed limit: no need to worry about getting a speeding ticket, will this not bring joy? Yes! Checking your car, the tires, the oil, the water, and doing maintenance to ensure a good working car. Will this bring joy? Yes! Allowing enough time to get to a place without rushing. Will this not bring joy? Yes! Keeping your yard clean, mowed, flowers, painted house, clean house, will this not bring joy? Yes! Giving aid to those in need. Will this not bring joy? Yes! There is so much joy in just the everyday things that need to be cared for and those things that we do to care for others. Think on this: we have great scenes, mountain, lakes, ocean, parks, trails, monuments to see, all bring joy in this life. Well, this joy can only be real, a lasting joy if the person is a believer and doing all for the right reason, the right motive. Life is tough, but not as tough as we make it to be, we sometimes will let our guard down and allow depression to come in when God by the power of the Holy Spirit will fill you with joy, and peace. You have to let Him! 

     Peter in 2Peter 1:5 says to add to our virtue.... it means that there is something that we must do. Remember: we cannot do what God can do. We cannot save ourselves or sanctify ourselves, albeit that we do the right things, it is God that does the sanctifying and this He will not do if we do not take the initiative. For instance: God will not give us habit, nor will He give us character, He will not make us walk upright. WE MUST DO IT! We have to work out the salvation that God has put in! Begin now! We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not. 

     Lets talk about joy. Joy is a noun, that is it is a state of great delight or happiness. Enjoy is a transitive verb: to take pleasure in, or to experience joy. Enjoyable is an adjective, that is giving or capable of giving enjoyment. Enjoyment is a noun, the act of enjoying, a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction, delight, or gratification. Enjoyment is a by-product: a contented, fulfilled state that comes from concentration on something other than yourself. There are conditions to enjoyment and if you are seeking enjoyment you will probably miss it for you are disregarding the conditions of it. We must acquire the grace to stop looking for enjoyment and giving our attention to persons and matters external to ourselves. Bible study will not necessarily bring enjoyment and this is true if the study is not leading us to conform to God, in belief and in our behavior; we must put our trust and obedience to God, then, and then only, will one find true enjoyment.

     Yesterday I wrote about the Bereans, those that believed would testify to the joy of their coming to knowledge of the Bible study. The Bereans did not undertake a Bible study to find that joy, no, they undertook the Bible study to find certainty about God's way of salvation, and by this their joy was found and abounded. So what brings us joy, enjoyment, to be enjoyable, is to fellowship with God by reading His words, the Bible, and here find God's way, even if what is revealed may knock us flat, that is, we find that we must make changes, to change from the inside/out. 

     Do you want joy? Do you want life to be enjoyable? Do you want people to see that joy that comes only by believing and comes by means of the Holy Spirit? Good! Now take the initiative and do it!

Come, and let us return unto the LORD:

     for He hath torn, and He will heal us;

He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.

                      Hosea 6:1

May joy fill your life

Richard L. Crumb