J Mike Wills

A Little History!

I’m kind of a nostalgic sort of person, and I was thinking just the other day about how I got interested in music. I’d like to share it with you as my next project is based on how I got my start into playing guitar. It goes way back in time, but I’ll make it as concise as I can for ya.

In the late summer of 1972, my brother got a guitar for his birthday. He almost never took it out of the box to play nor did I see him open the “Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method” book that came with it. Well I was intrigued by the guitar and my brother said I could learn on it. So there I was a 12 year old kid sitting in his basement bedroom teaching himself how to play! Over the next 6 months I learned all the basic chords and how to read guitar tabs. I was really getting into it back then, and I learned to enjoy the instrument and what a pleasure it was for me to play.

As I became a teenager, I became interested in getting with other players and learning new stuff. It was the early 70’s and rock-n-roll was getting huge and for a young guy like me, pretty interesting. I did try and learn some of those songs and played with some of my school buddies. We thought we could start our own little band, but there was no way my dad would let me be in one!

It turns out, I really got into playing some of the songs that the youth group at my church was playing. So I started to learn and play the “modern” folk music that over the years grew into what we know of today as “Praise and Worship” music. The more I played it the more I really enjoyed it! I started paying attention to the lyrics and what they were saying rather than just the cool licks and riffs that were a part of it.

I remember joining the youth group at my church and the older kids let me play guitar some in their band. They gave me my first songbook that we would play out of titled: “Sing ‘N’ Celebrate Vol 1”! I thought it was pretty cool that I could play some of those songs in front of people, and I loved it! Then one Sunday evening at Trinity Baptist Church in Schenectady NY, I got to play one of those songs with our youth group, and the name of that song was “Pass It On”. Well, we went on to play other songs at other church’s and I was hooked. From that point on I was always looking to play in a P&W music team everywhere I went.

So in memory of those days, I thought I’d record a few of those songs. Even if you’re a younger person, my guess is that maybe you have heard one or two of em! I hope to have the first couple out by the end of the summer.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with me as I traveled down that old memory lane!

A Christmas “Selah” (See-Luh)

Psalm 89:1-4

As we prepare for the Christmas season, let’s take our own Selah and reflect on Christ.

As we come to this Christmas season and think on the reason for it, we often times read the story of Christ’s coming to man out of Luke or Matthew. Today, I’d like to actually look at the Christmas story from the “Book of Songs”, specifically Psalm 89. As we read through the first 4 verses, we see the promise of a new King. Although it initially points to King David, we can read into it and see that it is pointing to an even greater King, and that is Jesus – The Messiah. But notice the break at the end of those 4 verses. The word Selah (Pronounced See-Luh) is put in between the next set – or stanza – of verses! I’d like to take a moment or two (if you will) and think about what that word means and how it is so applicable today in this season.

The Hebrew word “Selah” is thought to be a musical notation and has no exact meaning. It was used 74 times in the Old Testament by different authors of the songs. (71 times within 39 Psalms and 3 times in the book of Habakkuk) Scholars think that the word actually has 3 meanings.

One definition is that it could mean a musical crescendo. As all 5 books and 150 chapters are all songs, emphasis for an increase or decrease in volume would make sense.

Another meaning could be that it indicates a musical interlude. As a musician, I enjoy playing and listening to musical interludes in a song. It gives the listener a chance to rest momentarily while the interlude or instrumental is played. It also gives the musician the opportunity to express themselves as to see their interpretation of the song. I’ll bet King David was excellent at it too!!

The third meaning though could mean “Pause”. I liken it to a phrase that a pastor friend of mine once said: “Stop, Look and Listen”!

If we look back at those first 4 verses and most notably 3-4, we see a breaking point in the song.

Psalm 89:1-4

1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

3 You have said, “I have made my covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:

4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ”

Selah

Selah at this point could mean to the singers: “Think about what you just sang or spoke. Take this moment to reflect about how God is going to be faithful to His word! Think about the promise of the Messiah to come! Listen to what You are singing (reading) for the scriptures say that the Messiah is coming. Be alert for Him, because God’s word will always be fulfilled “

Here we are in 2020, it’s been a long hard year in many ways to many people. We have been scarred and affected by Covid-19 and all the associated issues with it. However, if we take our own “Selah” we can reflect and remember that:

• Jesus, the little baby from Bethlehem, is the Messiah promised as the one who would come from God to save sinful man.

• He grew up sinless, was tempted in every way and never sinned

• He was crucified for our sins then raised up on the 3rd day!

• He is coming again

• Surely He is greater than all our problems!

• Surely He can be trusted

• Surely He will lead us through it all.

But it starts with our believing and trusting in Him. (Rom 10:9-13)

For me, my “Selah” starts with “stopping, looking and listening”; Stopping the hustle and bustle of life, looking for what He is saying in His word, and thanking Him. Listening to Him, trusting Him, believing and waiting for Him to deliver me for His sake and praise. To Him be all the praise and glory and honor forever! Amen

Blessed Assurance! (The Conclusion)

What a wonderful experience it has been for me to be able to share with you some thoughts and encouraging words that came to me regarding “Assurance of Salvation!” I have included below all 10 of the “clues” that we discussed in this series. I have also included the main thought as well as the central verse(s) that I used in creating the devotion.

Quick Links to each lesson: Week 1 (Items 1-2), Week 2 (Items 3-4), Week 3 (Items 5-6), Week 4 ( Items 7-8), Week 5 (Items 9-10)

1: Spiritual Warfare (Ephesians 6:10-17) Because we know that the forces of evil are constantly at war with us in the heavenly realms. You see, the devil has no reason to make non-believers question if they are saved, because he already has them. But he does not have you my fellow believer, so he uses every trick and lie he knows to keep you from obeying God and growing in Him. If the devil is making you truly question your salvation, that’s a sign you are saved.

2: Scripture Assures Us! (2 Timothy 3:16-17) As spiritual attacks challenge us in our lives, we need to remember that God’s Word is our source and we can count on it to be true! We have an inheritance which is imperishable, we know “nothing can separate us“, we are “safe in God’s hands“, and as believers we are “born of God“.

3: The Holy Spirit’s Ministry (1 John 4:13) As a believer, you know who the Holy Spirit is and many things about Him. As we look together into how He works in our lives, we will see 5 evidences of how His ministry assures us of our salvation.

4: Answered Prayer (James 5:16) It has been answered by evangelists and pastors for years when asked if God answered prayers, that He answers either “yes”, “no”, or “not now”. Whatever the answer to your prayer is, you got an answer to your prayer! So as we ponder answers to our prayers, let’s start with where our heart is when first approaching God with our request. Remembering at all times that God is faithful to His word.

5: Obeying and Loving God’s Word (Psalm 119) In both the old and new testaments, we see how Obeying God’s Word is our source for instruction and guidance. We need only to make a stop in Psalm 119 to find wonderful references to Loving God’s Word and the benefits it gives us in our lives. As we study these passages, we begin to understand how it correlates to knowing that we are saved. (Ref: Psalm 119:1-11, 14-16, 24, 35, 47-48, 70, 72, 77, 92, 103, 167, 143, 174)

6: Knowing the Truth (John 14:6) A strong desire to love and obey God’s word, knowing the truth of His words, and being able to apply them to your life are clear indications that God has saved you and you can be secure in your relationship with Him!

7: Hating sin and doing it less (Psalm 97:10) If we are growing in our faith we will begin to hate the sin that we commit and will abhor doing it. ¹“A believer should see a decreasing pattern of sin in their lives, it means that his faith is genuine”. We will immediately confess our sins and He will forgive us!
¹Dr John MacArthur, Strength for Today Devotional

8: Loving other Christians (1 Peter 1:22) Our lives should be the very example of love for each other as Christ loved us. The world sees our desire to love God and each other and they know whose we are. We are always being watched by unbelievers and they are looking for ways to discredit us. But if they see us caring for each other by the kindnesses we show each other and how we are unified in Christ, some may be persuaded to want to come and join us.

9: Conviction and Punishment for sin (John 16:3a, Revelation 3:19) We are convicted of sin through the Holy Spirit who lives within all believers. One of the many roles that He has is showing us right from wrong, and if we do wrong (sin) we are guided to the right way. There are plentiful scriptures about how and why God punishes those whom are His children, but Christ clearly tells us that He chastises those He loves and that we are to “enthusiastically” repent.

10: Looking forward to Christ’s return and spending eternity with Him (Philipians 3:20) We are reminded that our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly wait for the savior, Jesus Christ and His return to take His people home! My pastor once said: “As Christians on this earth, this is the closest to hell that we will ever be as our eternal home is in Heaven with Jesus.”

As I have reviewed these clues that I believe are based upon scripture and much prayer, I have determined that they point to our HOPE in Jesus. Without Him, we have no hope, no future, and no reason to look for what is to come. It is no wonder that we see so much despair in the world these days. They have no hope, and their focus is on the world and all that it can bring, and not on the one who MADE the world and can give them eternal life!

As you review this devotion, take time and ask God how you can share His Love and the bright hope for the future! Thank you for sharing part of your life with me in this study! I look forward to what lies ahead, and I know that what lies ahead in Christ is better than I can even imagine.

Agape’ Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Blessed Assurance! (Pt 5)

In today’s devotion, let’s take a look at a couple of very distinct clues that show how we can know that we are saved forever! We will start by looking again at how sin can creep into our lives, but as He always does, Christ shows us that we are His by revealing the “Conviction of Sin” and the consequences (punishment) that result from sin. The final clue that we will look at today is how the saved are always “Looking for Christ’s Return & Spending Eternity with Him!”.

Conviction of Sin

I am writing to true believers in Jesus Christ, those who have accepted Him as their savior. There are several key verses that will describe specifically how we know we are saved regarding the conviction of sin in our lives. I want to first start out by reminding us that in Romans 8:1, if we are saved there is now no more condemnation of sin. What that means is that if we have accepted Him as our savior, all our past, present and future sins have been forgiven. But we still have a sin nature in our lives and until perfected when we die and enter heaven, will be battling on a daily basis. So if I know that I will sin but have been forgiven, why do I need to confess it? I believe that when we sin, we lose fellowship with Christ, but retain our salvation. For us to draw close to Christ again we must “confess our sins as He [Christ] is faithful to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 . We are convicted of sin through the Holy Spirit who lives within all believers. One of the many roles that He has is showing us right from wrong, and if we do wrong (sin) we are guided to the right way (John 16:3a). If you sin, you have an advocate with the Father and that is Jesus, His Son (1 John 2:1), and this itself proves that you are His child!

Punishment for sin

When I was a young boy growing up, I knew that my parents loved me dearly. Because they loved me dearly, they didn’t hesitate to correct me when I was doing wrong. Many people call that punishment, and they would be correct! In the same way, we as children of God need to be corrected when we mess things up (sin) and disobey God. There are plentiful scriptures about how and why God punishes those whom are His children. In Revelation 3:19, Christ clearly tells us that He chastises those He loves and that we are to “enthusiastically” repent. When I was punished as a boy, I remember my dad telling me that he loved me and that I should remember the punishment and not do wrong again. He told me one day I’d thank him for it – and he was right! In the same way we should thank God for showing us where we sinned and not do it again. If He punishes us, we should thank Him. You see, this is yet another way that we can know that we are His. Hebrews 12:5-8 elaborates further on this same message. At the end of verse 8, He says “8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons (NASB)“. If God is not punishing you, you probably are not one of His children.

Looking for Christ’s return
& Spending eternity with him

Together we have studied many ways to have assuredness of faith. In our last discussion, we look at one of the most exciting ways to know we are saved: “Looking For Christ’s Return & Spending Eternity with Him”.

It is so encouraging to read in scriptures how other believers reacted about Christ’s return. In 1 Corinthians 1:7, it says we are lacking in no gift and are “eagerly awaiting” the revelation of Christ. In Philippians 3:20 we are reminded that our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly wait for the savior, Jesus Christ and His return to take His people home! My ¹pastor once said: “As Christians on this earth, this is the closest to hell that we will ever be as our eternal home is in Heaven with Jesus.”

Lastly, we have a home created for us personally by Jesus where we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. In John 14:1-3, Jesus says the following:
14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. NASB”

That last verse says it all for me! I look forward to joining Him one day. I know that I’ll be with Him forever, along with the millions who have gone before me. I know that He has a special place He has made just for me! He will come again to receive us to Himself! Oh Come Lord Jesus, Come!

If you have that strong desire to be with Jesus and yearn for that time ahead, and you are excited about His second coming and the eternity with Him in eternity future, you are most definitely saved! If it seems far fetched and not that big a deal to you, please consider this your invitation to join Him today!

The last installment in this series will discuss as a summary all the ways we can have assuredness of our salvation in Jesus Christ. I will share one more clue to knowing we are saved as well!

Ref: ¹Travis Agnew, Sr Pastor; Rocky Creek Baptist Church; Greenville, SC

Blessed Assurance! (Pt 4)

So far in our series we have seen many ways to help us know that we are saved if we are true believers in Jesus Christ! We have studied the following clues given to us: “Spiritual Warfare, Scriptural Assurance, The Holy Spirit’s Ministry, Answered Prayer, Obeying and Loving God’s Word, and Knowing the Truth”. Today, we look at two more ways to know that we are saved: “Hating sin and doing it less, and Loving other Christians”.

Hating sin and doing it less

As believers, we know that sin separates us from God and on our own we have no way to be with God. We know that Jesus’ sacrifice for us paid the penalty for our sins so that we may be saved, just by believing and asking Him to save us. But we still have a “sin nature” in us that is constantly at war with our saved spirit. Occasionally, we stumble and fall, committing sin against others and God. We know that God hates sin and it has a condemning result (Romans 6:23). We know we are to hate evil (Psalm 97:10) and love the Lord. Our hating sin is an indication of our salvation.

As a believer we relate in a new way! “ ¹Because we abide in Him (Romans 6:6), we are no longer slaves to sin, but have an option to do good (Romans 6:14, 17-18). We will always be acutely sensitive to sin (John 1:7).” If we are growing in our faith we will begin to hate the sin that we commit and will abhor doing it. ¹“A believer should see a decreasing pattern of sin in their lives, it means that his faith is genuine”. We will immediately confess our sins and He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). We have not lost our salvation, but our fellowship with Christ is broken. Confession restores our fellowship with Him and we learn from that not to do it again.

“A decreasing pattern of sin in a believers’ life, means that his faith is genuine“ Dr. John MacArthur

If you are not seeing a decrease in sin or don’t think it’s that bad, reconsider if you have genuinely given your life to Christ. However, if we sin less and less, we know that our faith is real and that shows as a further indication of our assuredness of salvation.

Loving other Christians

As I have grown in my relationship with Jesus, I have seen a deeper love for my fellow believers. In 1 Peter 1:22, Peter says as we obey the truth that we have a “sincere love of the brethren and that we are to fervently love one another from the heart..” As we continue on in this passage we see that we are born again not of the seed which is perishable but imperishable through the living and enduring word of God. He gives us our strong desire to love, fellowship and care for each other.

“He gives us the strong desire to love, fellowship, and care for each other”

We also learn through scripture that the world will know we are Jesus’ disciples if we love one another ( John 13:35 ). Our lives should be the very example of love for each other as Christ loved us. The world sees our desire to love God and each other and they know whose we are. We are always being watched by unbelievers and they are looking for ways to discredit us. But if they see us caring for each other by the kindnesses we show each other and how we are unified in Christ, some may be persuaded to want to come and join us.

So ask yourself several ¹questions to see if some of these describe you in any way.

Do you care about other believers, or are you cold towards them?
Do you respond positively to opportunities to give yourself to ministries?
Do you look forward to having fellowship with other Christians?
Do you look forward to times when you can study God’s word and spend time in prayer with other believers?
When you see a need in another believer at your church, are you willing to provide money, time, prayer, resources, service, or even just to listen to them?

If you can honestly say YES to these questions, you can know you are His child and are saved. You see HE put those desires in your heart, not the world! Know that you are blessed beyond measure and thank Him for revealing to you that you are His. If you can’t say yes to any of these, perhaps you are not saved yet, but don’t be discouraged, you now can see that He is calling you to Himself even as you read this post. Why not ask Him to save you right now today?

Ref: ¹Dr John MacArthur, “Strength for today – Assuredness of Faith”.

Blessed Assurance! (Pt 3)

Blessed Assurance Part 3: Obeying & Loving God’s Word, Knowing the Truth

Through the first two devotions, we have revealed several ways to know we are saved. Just to review; Satanic Attacks, Scriptural Assurance, and The Holy Spirit’s Ministry, and Answered Prayer, helped us to understand that signs of these in our lives should be clues of our salvation. In this devotion we will discover two more unique ways to know that we are saved. They are “Obeying and Loving God’s Word”, and “Knowing the Truth”.

Obeying and Loving God’s Word

There are many scriptural references on obeying and loving God’s word. In both the old and new testaments, we see how Obeying God’s Word is our source for instruction and guidance. We need only to make a stop in Psalm 119 to find wonderful references to Loving God’s Word and the benefits it gives us in our lives. As we study these passages, we begin to understand how it correlates to knowing that we are saved.

• Obeying God’s Word

As children of God, that is those of us who proclaim Him as Lord, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is our savior and Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9-13), we are given a strong desire to obey His commands.

God’s word is essential in understanding the value in keeping His word. We see this in Psalm 19:9-11: “Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed]; In keeping them there is great reward.” If you have a strong desire to obey His commands (John 14:15), that is another indication you are saved. The strong desire to obey, understanding its value and keeping His commands are more ways for us to have assurance of our salvation.

Here are some scripture references that you can look up in your study to help you understand how important it is for believers to obey God’s word.
Refs: Hebrews 4:12, Deuteronomy 11:1, 2 John 1:6, Luke 11:28, James 1:25

• Loving God’s Word

Do you love to read God’s word? Do you feel a sense of loss if you miss that opportunity on days that you couldn’t get to reading / studying it? Does your heart long for the opportunity to allow God to speak to you when you miss your quiet time? As we read parts of Psalm 119, I’m going to quote several passages that are specific to our study today. When you read it, ask yourself if you have those same desires that the author (King David) had.
Do you delight, love and meditate? (vs 47-48)
Do you seek Him with all your heart? (vs 10)
Are His words more important that money or possessions? (vs 72)
Are His words “sweet to your taste”? (vs 103)
There are multiple verses (see below) that talk about the “delight in obeying God’s Laws”. (Psalm 119: 14-16, 24, 35, 70, 77, 92, 167, 143, 174)

If you can answer YES to the questions above and you see yourself proclaiming the same delight as the Psalmist does, you are saved! This is a wonderful gift that God has given you; THANK HIM!

Knowing The Truth!

The scriptures show us that if we Know the Truth, we can know we are saved. The world (the unsaved), thinks as unsaved people would naturally, and we should not be surprised. But we are of God and He listens to us because we are His (1 John 4:5-6). When Thomas asked Jesus the way to heaven, Jesus replies that, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6 ). Later on in the book of John, Jesus prays for his disciples and all that are to follow in John 17:17 that God would sanctify them with truth as God’s word is truth! For those who believe in Christ, John 8:23 says “You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” As a Christian you should understand the word, and be able to handle it accurately (2 Timothy 4:2) So if you know the truth, you should KNOW that you are saved! Here is yet more proof of your relationship with Christ is firm.

A strong desire to love and obey God’s word, knowing the truth of His words, and being able to apply them to your life are clear indications that God has saved you and you can be secure in your relationship with Him!

In our next devotion we will add two more assurances that we are saved. We will see how “Hating Sin” and “Loving Other Christians” are indications of our salvation.

Blessed Assurance! (Pt 2)

In this series on assurance we have seen how the bible defines salvation. We found the first of several ways to understand how insecurity can creep into our relationship with Christ and attack our security. We’ve learned that “Spiritual Warfare” and “Scriptural Assurance” are two ways that we can know we are in fact God’s children. We have seen, using many scriptures, how those interact and again point to the sovereignty of God and His great love for us. Today, I’d like to dig into the next couple of ways that we can know that we are saved. “The Holy Spirit’s Ministry” and “Answered Prayer”, are distinct and clear ways of knowing without a doubt whose we are!

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry

As a believer, you know who the Holy Spirit is and many things about Him. You know that He was given to us as believers (1 John 4:13). As we look together into how He works in our lives, we will see how evidences of His ministry assures us of our salvation.

So let’s look at a few of His ministries towards us.
• Intimate fellowship with God (Galatians 4:6): As believers, His Spirit draws us to Himself and comforts us as His dear children. Think of your dearest and closest friend here on this earth. That person who knows you best and cares for you no matter what happens. As close as that relationship is, a Christian’s relationship with God can be even deeper. Find comfort in knowing He has you and you are secure in Him.
• Compelled to praise! (Ephesians 5:19): Do you feel the need to just cry out in praise to the Father? The filling of the Spirit produces that praise in you. In my life I find that I can’t help but shout to the Lord and glorify Him! There’s a song by Chris Tomlin called “You and I were made to worship“. I’d suggest that you listen to that song and know that if everything cries out from you – that is another sign of your salvation. Those who don’t love Him, can’t do that, nor do they want to.
• Showing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) Are you seeing these in your life? If you look at the previous points here in this section, you can see other fruits as well. Do you feel compelled to pray and meditate on His words or sing out in praise? Those too are ways to draw nearer to Him in fellowship. These are more ways that He shows you that you are His!
• Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-13): A partial quote is here: “⁴Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. ⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” As a new or older Christian you may not yet have discovered your gift from the Spirit. If you don’t see the gifts above, remember that there are a “variety of gifts, but the same Spirit”. If you are saved, you have a desire to know what God has equipped you with and you can easily find it. I would suggest that you start out by asking God to reveal it to you. He WILL! There are several websites that will guide you through the process. Here is one suggestion: Spiritual Gifts Test (It is free and confidential. At the end they will give you a detailed report based upon your answers. They will also ask you to create a login; go ahead as I believe that it is well worth it.)
• Only through His Spirit you can say “Jesus is [my] Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3 AMP): If you believe in your heart – and have confessed Him as Lord of your life, you are saved. Trust in Him and trust in the decision you made to follow Him! You will never regret it if you are saved!

“Let the Holy Spirit’s work in your life dispel the dark shadows of doubt¹.”

Answered Prayer

It has been answered by evangelists and pastors for years when asked if God answered prayers, that He answers either “yes”, “no”, or “not now”. Whatever the answer to your prayer is, you got an answer to your prayer! So as we ponder answers to our prayers, let’s start with where our heart is when first approaching God with our request. Remembering at all times that God is faithful to His word. He says that if we are righteous before Him, our prayer to Him can accomplish much (James 5:16).

Inward or Outward?

When you begin to pray for a certain situation or event that is upcoming in your life, ask yourself what is the motivation? Are we asking things that are pleasing to Him (1 John 3:22), or are your motives driven by your own desires? I would encourage you to read 1 John 5:14-15. Here we are reminded that if we believe in the name of the Son of God, we are saved. Since we are saved we can come before Him confidently if we ask according to His will.

Let’s ask some more questions!

As we’ve now focused on what God’s will is in our prayer life, let’s look a little deeper and see where he has answered us! If we reflect on several questions, we can see just how God does answer prayer. ²For example: “Have you prayed for someones difficult situation and seen God turn it around to one of joy and blessing? Have you seen an unsaved person you’ve prayed for come to Christ? Has God filled a void in your life that you prayed that He would? Have you prayed for boldness in proclaiming the gospel and seen God working through you? Have you known forgiveness and a clear conscience after you’ve prayed to that end?”

How about other areas in your life? If you think on those things, you will see where God answered your prayers. Have you thanked Him for saying “no” when you came to realize what a horrible mistake it could have been if yes was the answer? Have you seen where only God could have accomplished something in your life? Have you ever stopped and said “Wow, that’s definitely a God Thing”? If you can truly answer “YES” to any of those questions, you most certainly are saved! Have confidence dear brother or sister.

In this section of our study, we have learned that the Holy Spirit’s Ministry and Answered Prayers in our lives will help us gain confidence in our salvation. We see again where the scriptures point us to security in Christ. The next attributes of assurance will be: “Obeying and Loving Gods Word” and “Knowing the Truth”!

References: ^1,2From “Strength For Today” by Dr John MacArthur

Blessed Assurance! (Pt 1)

As believers in Jesus Christ we should know that we are saved. Sometimes though, every one of us lets a little doubt creep into our thinking and makes us question our relationship with Christ. In this world that hates God and all the evil influences in our path everyday, doubt can sneak in on us when we least expect it.

Today’s devotion is the first in this series titled: “Blessed Assurance”. As I began to dig down and research, I found many things that could make us wonder about our security. Today we start with the first 2 of 12 characteristics of knowing we are saved: “Spiritual Warfare” and “Scriptural Assuredness”. There may be many other ways to be assured, but these came to me during my preparation! Our goal is to learn how we as believers can call on all the resources that God gives us to have the security we need in knowing that we are truly saved!

What is Salvation?

So to begin with, I wanted to share what I believe the Bible – God’s Word – says about salvation. Simply put, Salvation comes from knowing you need a savior because you are a sinner. Below is an excerpt from my website page “The Gospel”:

1) Man is sinful and needs a savior to be with God in Heaven one day (Rom 3:23)
2) Our sin separates us from God (Rom 6:23a), and without salvation man is destined to eternity in hell separated from God. (2 Thes 1:9) (Rev 20:15)
3) God gave us His Son (John 3:16). He lived a perfect life and gave His life for us. He paid the price for our sins. (Rom 6:23b) (Rom 5:8)
4) Each person must know that he needs and Savior and individually receive Christ as Savior.
5) He must confess his sins and ask Christ to save him. (Rom 10:9-13)
6) Once a man has received Christ he is born again into the family of God. (Rom 8:1 & 5:1)

If you have not made that decision, I invite you to consider today to give your life over to Him. You can see the plan of salvation fully by clicking on this link.

Spiritual Warfare!

Certainly our adversary the devil would attack and accuse us to create doubts. We know that he “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour”. (1 Peter 5:8) We know that his desire is to destroy our testimony, ruin and harm our walk with God causing us to doubt who we are in Christ. He knows that he can’t snatch us out of the hand of God (John 10:28-30), so he does what he can to disrupt our lives in Jesus. Because we know that the forces of evil are constantly at war with us in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:10-17), we are given tools to use and those tools create not just a defensive shield but an assuredness that we are saved and standing firm. You see, the devil has no reason to make non-believers question if they are saved, because he already has them. The same thing goes for people who think they are saved and actually are not. He already has them too! But he does not have you my fellow believer, so he uses every trick and lie he knows to keep you from obeying God and growing in Him. He’s the accuser, the father of all lies and he hates you so much that he will never relent in making you question everything in your life regarding your relationship with Christ.

I thought I’d share a few of the lies he has put in my mind over the years:

1: “There is no assurance, you can lose your salvation.”
2: “Your sin makes you unworthy of God.”
3:“You’re so evil that God will not hear you. Your past sins are disgusting to Him and now He’s turned His back on you leaving you all alone.”
4: “You’ve probably committed the ‘unpardonable sin’ and have no hope.”
5: “If you were really saved, you would be evangelizing everyone. But you know you’re not even close.”
6: “Where’s your ‘fruit’? There’s nothing in your life that even suggests you believe.”

Do those sound familiar? They do to me too! When you hear these lies, remember Satan is the father of all lies. (John 8:44) Rebuke him and he will flee. (James 4:7) When doubt creeps in, immediately submit to Christ and let Jesus know you love Him and that you know you are His! Quoting scripture is what Jesus did in refuting the devil, and that’s what we should do too. Start learning more scripture today! If the devil is making you truly question your salvation, that’s a sign you are saved.

Scripture Assures Us!

As spiritual attacks challenge us in our lives, we need to remember that God’s Word is our source and we can count on it to be true! (2 Tim 3:16) Lets examine several scripture references that assures us of our salvation!

1) “An Inheritance which is Imperishable !” 1 Peter 1:3-5 The entire passage is listed here: ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Re-read this passage again, the answers are right there in front of us. We need to commit this to memory and say it out loud in rebuke of satanic attack on our assuredness in Him. What could possibly take our salvation away that is in heaven and is “shielded” (guarded in the Greek) by the power of God? The answer Nothing! See our next reference…

2) “Nothing can separate us!” Romans 8:38-39 Paul here writes to the Christians residing in Rome that salvation is so secure that nothing NOTHING, can separate us from the love of God. Not Life or Death, Not angels, Not principalities, Not things present or things to come, Not powers, Not height or depth, Not any other created thing! You can count on it!

3) “Safe in God’s Hands” John 10:28-30 Jesus says “..No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Once we understand this principle, all our worries about eternal security will be calmed. Another awesome way God lovingly reassures us that we are safe in Him.

4) “Born of God” 1 John 5:1 Many claim to be children of God in today’s confused society. But we know through these scriptures that only people who are born of God are God’s children. He further illustrates this a bit further on in this passage.

As Christians, we can take comfort that if God says we are saved through His word, then we KNOW that we are. His word is true and you can count on it 100% of the time! Here are some other scriptures that you can reference in your self study. Ephesians 1:13, 1 John 5:11-12, John 10:27-28, John 5:24, 2 Corinthians 1:22

We have covered a great deal in this first installment of our series on assuredness of salvation. We’ve defined what the Bible says salvation is, we’ve seen how the devil will attack us and we’ve seen how the scriptures remind us of whose we are in Christ. The next devotion will be on how “The Holy Spirit’s Leading” and “Answered Prayer”, are clear indications of our security in Christ!

If God is for us…

Since God is for me, the victory has already been won!

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Rom 8:31 (NASB)

Because of His Preserving Grace, nothing can stand against those of us that love and follow Him!

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we find ourselves often in challenging predicaments. This year alone we have seen devastating sickness, rioting and attacks on our freedoms as Americans and believers in Christ. The encouraging news is that we know we have complete confidence that God will prevail.

The struggles we have in life can come in many ways. Sometimes we put ourselves into them, other times God is testing us and our faithfulness to Him. Always, we have to be wary of our adversary, the devil, who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8)

Through all of these times we have to remember that we have been given the most powerful resource that has ever existed and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have to remember several key and crucial promises He has given to us and claim them in our effort to follow His will for our lives as we battle the struggles that we’re up against.

Let’s take a quick look at what His promises are to those who love and obey Him. We’ll see that with Christ for us, nothing can stand against us.

1) God has called us His Children. (Romans 8:16). If we are believers in Jesus by faith (Romans 10:9-13), we are His children. In Romans 8:16, He says that “The Spirit Himself testifies that we are children of God”. There, He is again talking to people who are saved, and not all mankind. God cares for His children and will not leave one behind. We are not alone in our struggles.

2) Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:37-39). We read in the last part of this chapter that nothing can separate us from the love of God. “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That means that in spite of my sinful nature and failings in life, as a believer I am forgiven and nothing can take away His love for me. I can’t earn His love, mercy or grace. It is freely given through His Son Jesus. Once we are saved, we are always saved, nothing can take us away.

3) His Spirit intercedes on our behalf praying perfectly for us. (Romans 8:26-27, 34) So many times in my life I’ve been up against situations and frustrations where I didn’t know how or what to pray. Praise be to God, He always has a perfect solution for me and that is His Spirit praying for me. God has given us the “Spirit Himself who intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”(v26-27) What a comforting fact knowing that despite ourselves Christ is interceding on our behalf.

4) He is Sovereign God and in control! (Romans 8:28) “and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 This is a promise that we can rely upon Him in our struggles if we are following His will. Our God is “Large and In Charge” as a preacher once said to me. He prevails above all things. Nothing can stand against Him. Since God is for me, I can rest assured that the victory has already been won and all the glory will be His. That means that your problem is His problem and He WILL prevail.

5) We can trust Him completely! (Prob 3:5-6). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” As believers in Christ, we must trust fully what He teaches us in His word. In my life, when I’ve trusted Him completely, He has never let me down, never failed me and never left me alone.

Yes my friends, I will close with this thought:

Since God is for me, the victory has already been won. I have NO reason to fear, NO reason to worry and I’m full of His confidence if my ways are submitted to Him. He will make my path strait, He will win the victory and He will receive the glory. Thank You Jesus, Amen.

Reference Scripture: Romans 8:16, Romans 8:29-31, Proverbs 3:5-6

New Music Published!

After I had started this project, it became evident that the direction for the album was going to go in a new way. I Love To Tell The Story became something even more special to me… I hope our journey together through this music will accomplish the goal most important to Christians, and that is to worship almighty God..

When I first started this project, it was with the hope that I could share my heart and love for Christ with people through my music forum. As time went on and we had many different delays, it became evident that the direction for the album was going to go in a new way. I Love To Tell The Story became something even more special to me. Although I’m still sharing my heart for Christ with you, it has turned more into a personal worship experience for me, and not just from singing the songs. Instead, during the creation of the songs, my mind was trained on glorifying Christ and worshiping Him and who He is in my life. That meant every aspect through creating, recording, editing, mixing and compiling all the songs, the artwork and how I was going to share it needed to point towards worshiping Him.

Along the way, I was struggling with one of the songs: “The Old Rugged Cross”. I couldn’t understand why such a simple song with such a powerful message, was giving me production fits!? So I stopped, prayed, studied and pondered and came to realize that it needed to be slowed waaay down so that each verse, chorus and the bridge would allow reflection. In the book of Psalms, the word for that is “Selah”. It also can mean “An Instrumental” which I added too! THINK about what the story is that is being told! I believe that was the whole point of my album.

So I hope our journey together through this music will accomplish the goal most important to Christians, and that is to worship almighty God and with every lyric, note and tone, lift up Him and Him alone with the praise that He deserves. I look forward to worshiping the Lord together through this music!