Category: Faith Talk

Watch the video introduction to my message here:

1 John 2:3-6

The Believer’s Assurance

And hereby, we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God (being) perfected: hereby know we are in him.

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (God’s peace, unlike the world’s peace, which is circumstantial, is different because God’s peace is relational. In other words, even in your worst days, you can have peace because He has promised never to leave us, and He’s promised even to make the hard things, the wrong things, to work them out to our good. A promise that only an Omnipotent God can make and to the degree we believe Him will be our peace).

1 John 2:15-17

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (a desire to attain and hold to the world’s values as opposed to God’s keeps us separate from Him and calls one’s faith into question).

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

What is lust, and why is it so strong? And I’m not just talking about the opposite sex, but as the verse states, the lust of the flesh, which is the body’s carnal appetites, the lust of the eyes, that which comes into our eye gates and the pride of life, that which strokes our ego. The scriptures break lust down into these three separate categories, and within each category are many examples. If I sought to list them all, this would become the longest Vida yet (I will not, so don’t worry). 

Simply put, and regardless of which category the lust is in, lust is a form of worship. Lust wants to compete and replace our relationship with God. If it succeeds, for that period of time, we have dethroned the Lord Almighty and enthroned our new ruler, and from being a son or daughter of the Most High God, I have now become a slave to a thought or a passion. I don’t know how many of us realize this is what happens. It first affects our relationship with the Lord, and then the repercussions happen in our work, the family, and life in general; it all becomes affected. It is super important to understand this is not maybe what happens; no, this is absolutely what happens. 

As a side note, it’s interesting that if you passionately seek after the Lord, you become more and more free; however, if you seek after anything else, you become more and more a slave. This is proof that we were made by God, for God. Our ideal life is to abide and dwell with God continually. Simply put, He is Our Life, nothing else. Though our flesh continually draws us away, the Fear (Reverence) of God keeps us close to Him . Another way to understand the fear or reverence of God is that my greatest fear is to be without Him.

I am just scratching the surface of all the things we lust after, except I am being more honest. We don’t call it lust because that gives our wants a negative connotation. Instead, we say, “ I desire this, or I want this,” but make no mistake, it’s lust. The only exception is if we say I would like to have that, it would be nice, but …. don’t want to spend that much money, or it would be nice, but what I have will do, or I need to save more money first. This level of desire is not lust; we are still in control. It’s just a want, but I don’t have to have it to feel good about myself or impress others. That’s the difference. We don’t go into debt to buy something we can’t afford because we want it. Bad financial decisions are usually caused by lust. 

What empowers lust? I bet we would get all kinds of answers, but truthfully, we are worshippers. We want what we worship. Our emptiness causes us to be beholden to the object of our affection, and it can be an endless pursuit as each “god” fails us. Why do we do what we do, or why do we want what we want? Do we think it will make us happy or feel wanted or important? I wrestle with this as much as anybody. Running a landscape business, having people call me saying I’ve seen your work and read your articles, could you see me? What a great compliment. I want to find a phone booth and change into my Superman outfit (which is tricky now because there are no phone booths :). 

However, before the vanity train goes any farther down the tracks, I remember that I am the adopted son of the Most High God. What more importance could I want? What greater title could I have? Every other compliment, title, or invitation pales in comparison. If being the adopted son/daughter of the Most High God doesn’t suffice every single need to be significant, meaningful, and loved, then nothing else will. To be filled, no want of any kind, to have peace, and to feel that you have finally arrived, what more could a human soul want? And to have all this answered in the person of Jesus Christ, you have arrived; now keep growing. 

2 Peter 1:4-8

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, — giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (this is the reason for our trials, for without them how would patience, temperance, kindness grow. We lift weights to develop muscle and strength; the same is true with trials and hardship; it forces us to go deeper into God’s Word. 

We were created in His Image (Gen. 1:27), meaning He in-dwelt us before sin entered, but once sin entered, He left, and in an instant, everything changed. I’ve shared this before, but imagine the void that Adan and Eve must have felt. We feel this when we do not seek Him or spend enough time in His Word. From Adan and Eve till now, man has always searched for his significance. Yet, in not acknowledging the God of the Bible as His Maker, significance has alluded him. 

Psalms 32:3-5

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my roaring all day long.

For day and night, thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer (if you are experiencing this, God is after you to bring you home to Him). Selah.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah (we were born in sin and our sinners by nature, but by humbling ourselves before Him, seeking forgiveness for our actions and our pride, we are now working with the Spirit instead of against Him).

If you have never thought about what makes you tick, what I’m saying may sound foreign or too complicated to you, but it is true. If you have to have something or become someone other than who God has made you to be, that’s worship. That thought or object has become your answer to the emptiness inside. However, it will fade. True and right worship is the Adoration of the Lord (submission is a form of worship). To worship Him, who alone is worthy, is to bring healing and wholeness to our very being: our spirit, soul, and body. It completes us. It is that powerful, and it’s that important that we ensure that God and God alone receive our adoration. 

Corrupted worship is, as I just mentioned when we assign our need or want to a thing, person, or thought over and above the Lord, even if it’s ourselves. Are you doing this? We all do it unless we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, for He is the only one who can make us sensitive. We probably never considered worship in these terms—the Tenth Commandment of the Ten deals with this. 

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” 

To covet is the carnal equivalent of Worship. It is to desire or to passionately want something selfishly. If allowed, it can and will take the place of worshipping God. However, only God is worthy of such a desire, for only He can fulfill our desire correctly and make us better for it. We become blessed, and I can prove it. This is how we were intended to function and live life.

Genesis 2:7

And the LORD God formed — man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (A living soul first. The Bible does not emphasize the body or the mind but our soul or being, for it is with our soul that we have fellowship with the Lord—a heart-to-heart connection. Via God’s breath, life came. They were spirit beings first. They were fully formed, but it was His breath that brought Life to them as us. He is the Breath of Life, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. When the BREATHE of LIFE leaves, what do you have? Your soul becomes empty without life, and a desperate search to find meaning begins. Without Christ, we have existence but not life. However, fulfillment is possible with God, who is the essence and creator of life. Zoe is the Greek word for life, which involves the Spirit. 

John 6:33-35

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life (Zoe) unto the world.

Then said they (the disciples) unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Have you ever eaten and come away from the table not satisfied? The apostles understood hunger and sought Christ for bread that would allow them never to hunger again. Yet the hunger Jesus was talking about was another hunger. The food they ate was for the body’s hunger, but it did nothing for their soul, the hunger Jesus came to satisfy. He was teaching them to discern between the two hungers. To see spiritually is to understand one’s need for Christ but also why we do what we do. Our need stems from this inner hunger; without wisdom, we believe temporary things, cars, money, jobs, and each other can satisfy us. It does for a time, but Christ is for Eternity. Amen

So how do we become full? 

James 4:8

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you….” 

Eleven words, that’s all. This is the answer to the whole human experience. However, it is essential, in fact, critical, that we understand what this impactful verse says. Let’s start with this question: Who draws nigh first, us or God? We do, so then it IS UP TO ME. I determine how close to God I want to be or how close I want Him to be to me. If we ask where’s God, why doesn’t He answer my prayers? Who left? Now, because we are called to walk in faith, there may be times that we don’t feel Him. We are doing all our disciplines, not “backsliding,” but He’s still quiet. We are now purified in the Refiner’s fire; continue seeking Him. This is what the rest of the verse says. 

James 4:8

“…. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

So our Father is not just a Father, but a King with requirements for coming into His presence. If human Kings have these requirements, how much more the King of all Kings? America’s idea of God is this kind, older, grandfather type sitting back on a lounge chair and sipping his favorite heavenly drink, enjoying the waves he’s created. How about adding to that that He is a Consuming Fire? He hates all sin, why, for sin/lust deceives, steals, and destroys lives that He loves, and it distracts His creation (us) from falling in love with just Him. How would seeing God as a Consuming Fire change your approach to Him? Would it engender a Holy Fear and a Holy obedience? Would He change from a God sitting in a lounge chair to a God whose Glory and Throne fill the Heavens, and His approach to us and us to Him is only tempered by The Cross? 

Hebrews 12:28-29

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved (it cannot be overthrown), let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

For — our God is a consuming fire.

So many Christians say I am waiting for God to call me as if the first steps are up to God. As we read, they are not. He provided the way at a great price to Himself, so now walk in that way, go through the narrow gate (narrow as in constricted, can’t bring the world with you). As you start your journey, know that He seeks to purify you as gold is purified in the furnace… It’s going to hurt. The furnace will make all the selfishness, bad temper, pride, anger, and jealousy come to the surface. When we see that in us, we can say, “God, I hate this in me; I don’t want it. Take it away, and I repent of my carnality. Or, we can continue to blame others or circumstances and gain nothing from the trials. 

He always knew that carnality was in us, and he still loved us and died for us despite it. So, will we repent and ask Him to change us, seek humility, and stop justifying our sins? No sleeping with our girlfriend or boyfriend, drugs, parties, or alcohol. No lying or cheating to get ahead, though everybody else does it; will we be different? We come clean from our ways of promoting self and seek Him with all our heart, reading His Bible and talking to Him to have the strength for the day. 

Jeremiah 29:13

And ye shall seek — me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart (as the King, He has every right to expect a whole-hearted commitment).

Psalms 119:9-11

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse — his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

This is what the proper fear of God produces in our life. We become diligent and disciplined in seeking the Lord. The fear of God causes us to prioritize our time. We see and live differently. That which does not bring me closer to Him is limited or eliminated. The fear of God is a requirement for our growth. It causes us to seek, pray, and read. “He’s God, and I am not” is a good saying to remember. We leave the corrections and changes to Him. Know that His conviction is not pleasant initially but done in absolute love. There is no self-effort on our part that we can do to become right before God, none. 

We are not capable of making our hearts Holy. It’s a fool’s effort if we try. Nothing short of Holiness,

despite His love, is acceptable. God will change our hearts and minds via His Holy Spirit, and He will present an acceptable son or daughter to Himself. He’s the only one that can, and hence the importance of our faith in Christ, for he alone has paid for our sins, and He alone can sanctify

us and present unto Himself a Bride without spot or wrinkle. 

Ephesians 5:25-26

Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it;

That he (Christ) might sanctify (to make Holy 

and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

Father, 

Thank you for this study; let it go deep inside us and from it cause a fear/reverence that causes us to say no to those things that would hinder your work of Grace in our life. 

Thank you, and Amen.

Your Son by Grace,

Arthur

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Thanks!

Arthur Navarrette

The Battle (there is always a battle before a Victory, but the Victory for us starts and is won via our mindset).

Colossians 3:1-4 (our hope and His promise to us) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (why?).

For ye are dead  (no longer controlled by the carnal man), and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

“For ye are dead” spiritually, it is true; the Holy Spirit has come to indwell us. However, His strength in us must grow because the carnal man sometimes feels very much alive. Living this out is dependent upon who we spend the most time with. We will see change by spending time with the Lord and in His Word consistently. As we do, the Holy Spirit strengthens us, and the carnal man weakens. Another way to say it is the Bible talks in Truth; it has happened because the Cross makes it so. 

We are in the beloved, but for the application of it to become a reality, it takes time. This is where we can receive mixed messages. Indeed, it is a mindset: do I believe my emotions or God’s Word? Faith in God’s Word or what I feel, to whom will I give my attention? This is where the battle is. When we look at our reality and what we read in scripture, there is sometimes a massive chasm between the two. The enemy uses this to defame the Lord and the scriptures and discourage us.

Look at the Bible stories, Gideon 300 men to defeat an enemy army, or Moses having to cross the Red Sea. So many, if not all, stories are ridiculous from man’s perspective. The odds are so against them. And this is done on PURPOSE. God wants us to have no confidence in ourselves. Our faith must grow; as it does, we begin to live out the truth of what the scriptures say. Two examples, let’s say I’ve been given the most expensive race car. It has won the India 500 multiple times. It has all the power I need to win again and again. Only one problem, I do not know how to drive it. So I must learn, and as I do, I begin to win races until I am racing in the India 500 (remember, we will also lose races as we seek to win them; therefore, humility and repentance are essential). The power is there, but our faith must grow to appropriate His power.

The second example is the Redwood Tree. It grows quickly to a hundred feet but barely a foot. The potential is there, given by God, but it needs to dig deep into the earth in search of water and stretch for the sun, especially if other trees block some of the sun. Via the Holy Spirit, we, too, have the potential to grow to great heights in Christ, but we, too, must root out into His Word and apply His Word to everyday trials and problems and gain victory. Peter walked on water as long as he focused on Christ, the supernatural, but sank when he focused on the waves and wind, which is true with us.

As we meditate on and obey the scriptures, we become cleansed and empowered by the Spirit. The old man/woman in us weakens, and as it does, God’s power grows in us. That victory comes through this process of getting the Word in me and the world and my carnal desires out of me (crowding out my flesh with God’s Truths). Whoever we feed the most wins; it’s as simple as that. This is all done with the help of the Holy Spirit. That’s why scripture says not to grieve the Holy Spirit, which we do when we disobey.

Col. 3:4

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Be alert and aware, walk circumspectly (like a lighthouse, always searching or exposing danger), and do not be swept away by the enemy’s lies. They may sound like truth, but within them is the lie that takes you a little farther from depending upon and trusting in the Lord. Be discerning; know the scriptures.

Ephesians 4:20-24

But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:30

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Our response….

Matthew 7:13-14 The Narrow Way (Luke 13:24),

Enter ye in at the strait (narrow as in tight, confining, unpopular, difficult) gate: for wide (easy, popular, it makes sense ) is the gate, and broad (easy, people agree with you, they applaud your

choices) is the way that leadeth to destruction (eternal ruin) and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait (confining) is the gate, and narrow is the way (only one way, only one belief, only one Savior) which leadeth unto life, and few (small amount, not many) there be that find it.

As unpopular and unwelcoming are these words, they are not my words but Christ’s words. So depending upon who you think Jesus is will determine whether you will listen to His words; however, know that you are being given an invitation to know Him this day. Either for the first time or to know Him more intimately.

Could it be that “many there be which go in thereat:” are those with a seared conscience? It’s a terrible travesty that most of the human race will not be in God’s Book of Life (Rev. 20:15-20) though Jesus gave His Life so we could all spend Eternity with Him irrespective of person. The thief on the Cross repented, and “Jesus said this day you will be with me in paradise,” talking about last minute.

Revelation 20:12

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their deeds (our “deed” is to believe in Christ’s Atonement).

Revelation 20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (this verse is so fearful and hard to quote). It involves people whom Christ loves and died for yet remained hardened against Him until it was too late).

The verses in Revelation that we just shared are challenging, yet my goal in sharing them is to cause us to stop saying, “oh it’s just a little compromise, or just a little lie, or I’m going to marry her so it’s okay that we sleep together or I’m good with God, I’m not a bad person, etc..” We say a million of these “little lies” to appease our conscious, and if we say them habitually, they are soon said without a sense of guilt. We are in the process of searing our consciousness. It is like a person with stage 3 cancer saying at least I’m not stage 4. That would be such the wrong answer. The correct answer would be to get medical help NOW so it doesn’t progress into stage 4 and treat it until it is in complete remission. Don’t you agree? 

All these deceptions and lies, all they do is build a fortress in us, walls of excuses and alibis, and they keep us from surrendering to the conviction of the Holy Spirit that only seeks our good. We must repent, stop justifying our actions today, and obey The Lord. Our ignorance and, at times, our arrogance is shameful. Pride and sin have one vowel in common: “I.” As long as “I” am in charge of my life, The Cross cannot save me.

**The Church, or The Body of Christ, comprises all walks of life. 

Different churches, economic structures, and cultures, but all with one single truth that binds us together: our confession of Faith and adherence to Christ as our Savior. The second person of the Trinity is equal to God and, as the Bible says, “very God.” In so believing, we become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, His Temple, and we are family. Christ has taken our judgment, so the Church is not in these verses, but via these verses, we get a glimpse of the Throne Room of God. This needs to motivate us to seek Christ more so that, in turn, we can be the best witness possible for Him.

On a more personal note, as you read this, are you sure of your Salvation? Eternity is not something to gamble with. To hope that you are right with God when you can be sure of your salvation is not wise at all.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Jesus said to the wealthy farmer who thought he did not need God, “ you fool, for this day I will require your soul from you (Luke 12:13-21).” Wealth, as then as it is now, is anesthesia to our need for Christ. We are unaware of our spiritual needs because we can buy whoever we want. This has a numbing effect, and like the proverbial donkey chasing the carrot, we think if we only get this next “thing,” be it a promotion, a job, a lovely house, or an object, etc., that we will have the peace and love that we are seeking. 

Yet Peace and Love, which can only be found in union with God via faith in Christ, can’t be bought because it is not for sale. I can’t give you my peace or the love with which He loves me, though He loves you just as much. We each individually need to be in relation with Him. It is the same with security; there is no better way to feel secure than to know your right with God. PLEASE, PLEASE consider this if you are not sure.

God wrestled with me for months before I surrendered to Him. I had gone to church my whole life and believed I was saved. I didn’t disagree with any of the teachings. Even my mother believed I was saved. I sang in the choir, attended evening Bible studies, and even went to church camp, and I enjoyed them, but God knew the actual condition of my heart. Subconsciously I felt I was right with God because of my actions. I am so grateful that He continued to pursue me until finally, I acknowledged that if He was convicting me, then I must not be saved despite all the things I was doing.

In those days, the pastor would invite you to step out of the pews and walk up to the front of the church, as the pastor would then lead you in the sinner’s prayer. I carefully listened and said the pastor’s words and accepted Jesus into my heart. By far the best decision “I” ever made, marrying Lisa was the next best decision. I wish we still had altar calls, where we come forward to accept Christ in front of the whole church. 

When a pastor says, ” I don’t want to embarrass you by asking you to raise your hand or come forward to the altar, ” that gives the wrong impression. I’m coming forward because I’m tired of embarrassing myself, and I need Jesus, who was not embarrassed to hang naked on The Cross for me. A few weeks after I accepted Christ, I messed up, and the first thing the enemy s; looks, “ your not a Christian, look what you did.” I replied that I may not be a good Christian, but I am a Christian because I accepted Christ. That morning in church, I had put a stake in “ the ground” that would forever be my victory against the enemy’s condemnation. By doing away with altar calls, new believers do not have that, and now it’s way too easy to fall into condemnation, that I didn’t truly accept Christ. It all boils down to whom you spend the most time feeding (via activities done), the carnal or spirit man?

Enjoying Life, the title of this series is meant to make us take time and thought, a prayerful examination that we are right with God and not just going with the flow. Going to church and attending home Bible studies is excellent, but it’s not a sign that we are right with God. Having the indwelling Holy Spirit is proof of genuinely accepting Christ. Those of us who have spent many years with Christ can fall into a routine, losing our edge and passion for Christ, similar to the church of Thyatira, and entertaining other teachings.

Revelation 2:18-20

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Jesus always praises what we do right, but He wants it all. So we are to bring all of our struggles, the things that frustrate and defeat us, to be transparent before Him, and when we do, that pleases Him. Living transparently before Him is a sign of maturity. None of us have it all together, and we all have our journeys, and it is essential for us to be comfortable with the Lord seeing “our dirty laundry.” This is a sign of maturity and humility (there can be no maturity without humility). It means He and I know that I struggle or have struggles in these areas of my life, but His Holy Spirit is there to help me, and His love for me does not lessen because I struggle. 

If we try to hide our sins from Him, it means I’m not sure of His love, and this is a commonplace that many Christians find themselves in, but it’s not a good place. It’s like having one foot on the ice and the other on the ground. We are unstable and unsure of ourselves, and in this state, the enemy can lie to us, making us feel isolated, that God doesn’t love us and can’t forgive us. It is not our perfection that He wants, but our imperfections so that we can receive His perfection and forgiveness, learn of His love, and, in so doing, gain victory over our sins.

Mark 2:16-17

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole do not need the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

He knows our struggles and strengths, and He is always patient with us. God likens us to clay, and it takes time to knead the clay and get the air pockets out of it, for without that, and regardless of how beautiful the greenware work (un-fired clay) is, if the air pockets are not kneaded out of the clay before shaping it, then when it is fired in the oven the air pockets will explode blowing up the pot. He can’t work with us if our pride dominates. We will self-destruct and injure others in the process. He works with our imperfections and brings them to Him.

Many believers get stuck in a “nomad’s land of guilt and shame, or the land of justification, giving excuses for their sin, feeling that God does not love them. It can last for the whole of our Christian experience. We who have made it through this phase must help others through it. I have observed that those that grew up with a father that loved them pass through this phase easier, but those whose growing-up experience felt unloved struggle much. 

It is a difficult journey to get to the belief that the Lord does love me, especially when my father, whose supposed to have loved me, didn’t. In other words, my dad did not find my life of enough worth or value to spend time with me, teaching me, or just being my dad. So if he didn’t find value in me, how can I know that a God who I cannot see, who died for me 2,000 years ago, does? It’s a big jump that we ask of those who find themselves in this situation. Though my dad was not Christian, he loved me, so when it came time for me to accept Christ, I could believe that God loved me because my dad loved me. This is the purpose of family, to love them so when it comes time and they feel God’s call, they can believe that God loves them and answer His call.

Deuteronomy 6:6 &7

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Therefore, helping our brothers and sisters get to the spiritual maturity that they know that God loves them (irrespective of age) is the honor and duty of those of us who know His love. We are the Lord’s ambassadors to them, showing them patience, loving-kindness, and forgiveness, and through our actions, they will begin to have the confidence to approach the Lord. As they do, they will find His Grace, that they are loved and have worth before Him. This is such a critical step, and a good upbringing is critical. It makes it so that as adults, we know He loves us, and we can give HIS love to our kids, spouse, and others. Those of us that are parents and grandparents are to love and teach our children. Doing it right feels good.

Father God,

Thank you for this study. This one is more practical and down to earth. Help us to learn and grow, but most importantly, be fully convinced that You Love Us.

If you’ve come this far, please consider taking a look at my book on Amazon.

Thanks!

Arthur Navarrette

Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

Please watch the video introduction to my message here:

There can be many roadblocks in our lives and many reasons for them. One roadblock that is not emphasized enough is our disobedience to the scriptures. Some of these actions are purposeful, we choose to ignore God’s commands, and some are because of Biblical ignorance. I believe one that the church has under-emphasized is the teaching of water baptism and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Both were heavily taught and practiced in the early church and were taught for a reason. The next step after one accepts Christ, and one must accept Christ to be saved (attending church or ascribing to religious beliefs is not sufficient), is water baptism. The best example of this is the Ethiopian eunuch. 

Acts 8:35-37

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him, Jesus.

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Baptism is a public statement that you want to follow Christ. It gets you out of being a closet Christian. I was not baptized immediately upon my conversion; it was a couple of years later. During the first two years of my conversion, I wandered, being 14, when I came to Christ. My close friend at the time was not Christian and became an obstacle to my Christian growth. I was double-minded or, as the Bible calls it, “lukewarm.” Toward the end of this period, I heard a message from my pastor about being lukewarm. Revelations 3 is the verse, and it scared the lukewarm-ness right out of me. I recommitted my life back to Christ.

Revelation 3:15-16

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot.

So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew (spit) thee out of my mouth.

I did not want to be “spit” in God’s mouth, let alone spit out. I started attending my church’s youth group more and really started listening to Sunday morning messages more intently. Peter and I broke up as friends. He told me I was no longer fun to hang around with. It hurt because we had been good friends for a while, but I could feel the drag on my soul. I had been praying about breaking up with Peter, but his salvation was a concern to me, and I did not know what to do. I was really hoping that he would come to my youth group. However, when he decided to leave, I took that as answered prayer. Without Peter, I began growing in my faith. I was unaware of how much of an influence he was on me, like my non-Christian dad was on my mom. I could now see why the scriptures teach not to be unequally yoked. Not only was I living the effects of that in my home, but also with Peter. From this point on, all relationships close to me were going to be believers.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

As I became more involved in my church’s youth group, I volunteered to be a church camp counselor. It was the summer of my junior year. I was 16. At camp, I had ten boys between 10 and 12, and I was serious about teaching the scriptures to them. We had church Bible studies taught by my friend’s dad, the camp pastor. After the message, we would break up into our groups and discuss the message. I also had a female partner who had ten girls. The idea was to represent a family structure. This was tough. I was way over my head, especially with the girls. I had no sisters. 

The boys pushed my buttons one time too many. It was Wednesday night, and they kept messing around, so at 11:00 pm, I made them get out of their sleeping bags, go outside and do push-ups till they couldn’t do them anymore. My partner, with some of her girls, overheard my voice and came out to see what was happening. I was mad, and she being several years older, helped me to calm down, but the boys learned that night that I was not to be messed with. The last two days of camp went very well. I still felt way over my head and prayed hard not to blow it. The last message from Mr. Bixby was about accepting Christ and getting baptized. After the week, I was now ready. I was all in and wanted to obey the Lord and get baptized. He talked about the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He was a Baptist minister who knew the scriptures on baptism. All I knew was I wanted it all. 

When Pastor Bixby baptized me, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit come over me, and I could not stand. Fortunately we were in the pool and Pastor Bixby could hold me up until I got my feet under me. As I got out of the pool, my partner asked me to baptize her. We asked Pastor Bixby and he okayed it because I had just gotten baptized by the Holy Spirit. He felt I was now qualified. This was all so new to me. Karen, my partner, had never seen a young man so committed to Christ (if she only knew my struggles), and it moved her to become more committed. 

My last surprise was equally amazing. There was a very rebellious young man in my group who I ended up spanking. I told him that his behavior would hurt him in the future and that I was spanking him because I cared about him. He said his dad never spanked him, and it showed. Before I sent him to the cabin, he said he would tell his dad. This happened on Wednesday, so I had a couple of days to be stressed about meeting his dad, but I spent extra time with Rick on Thursday, showing him that I did care. Friday came, and all the parents came. Some I met, and after Rick greeted his dad, he returned and hugged me and thanked me for caring. I was so overwhelmed with everything that had happened I just cried. Karen saw me and came up and asked if I was okay. I told her what had just happened, and she understood and hugged me. That hug felt so good. I saw her a few times after that in church, but then no more. She was 21 and was going to college in another state. 

That is my experience with water baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Others teach that unless you speak in tongues, which I don’t (unless you count Spanish), you are not baptized in the Holy Spirit. I disagree, but at the same time, I know the scriptures that give examples of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit and afterward speaking in tongues. I have no dispute with those that teach that. Typically what is taught is you first get baptized in water as an outward confession of your commitment to Christ, and then sometime later as you are maturing in your faith, you feel as though you need more. That becomes the internal indicator that God wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Jesus put it this way…

Luke 24:46-49

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (the baptism of the Holy Spirit).

The word endued means to put on, like a cloak or jacket and power is “ achieving power.” Dunamis is the Greek word. It is used throughout the New Testament. It means strength, capable, able, so combining the two words is to put on power ( that God clothes you in) that enables you to accomplish what He is calling you to. Yet we cannot put Jesus in a box and say it must be done in this order. There is an account of a Greek man named Cornelius, and his group received the Holy Spirit even before getting baptized. 

Acts 10:44-47

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid — water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

There is no “formula,” but generally, this is the order. One becomes a Christian, gets water baptized, and then gets filled with the Holy Spirit. There was no question in the early church of the need and the practice of water and Spirit baptism. Disobedience to this is a significant roadblock and the first way the enemy siphons off immature believers. Obedience is always critical, especially in the early years of being a believer. I hold the church at fault for not emphasizing this teaching and practice. 

This is when you now want to be 100% His. This enables you to witness for Christ more effectively. Peter, through the Holy Spirit, said our faith was precious, as gold tried in the fire. 

1 Peter 1:6-7

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (trials). That the testing (refining) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (the present hardships are preparing us for future glory). 

Another roadblock is becoming offended at trials or not taking Christ’s words seriously.

These roadblocks or trials can be severe. Many years ago, my youngest daughter was dating a policeman, and they were considering marriage. Unfortunately, on a traffic stop, Matt got struck by a car and died. The father told me that God had no right to take him. “Matt was mine,” he told me. I was not able to help him. To tell God He had no right (assuming that it was God that took him and not just the risk of the job he was in) was to put yourself in the place of God. However, I was able to help my daughter, praise the Lord. Having gone through a death with my brother, I could relate to her, and slowly, as a family, we got back to normal. I was so grateful that God had prepared me to help my daughter. It made all the pain, guilt, and self-hatred worth it. I blamed myself for my brother’s drowning, though I was only eight. 

This is often the case when a family member dies, and the family member that is present blames themselves. You always feel you could have done more. It’s an awful burden to carry. Even now, as I write this, strong emotions come back. I make myself remember that Bobby is with Jesus, and my emotions calm down. If I didn’t have Jesus and His hope, I would drink. It’s just simply too much.

This is just one of many roadblocks and offenses that could cause us to turn our backs on Christ. From family to work to massive personal insecurities and temptations. I had a vision during one of the most challenging times; I was on a tightrope. The chasm below me was enormous, sure death if I fell off, and there were miles of tightrope to travel. I was no good at walking on a tightrope, so confronted with such a huge challenge, I told Jesus that this was so beyond me that He needed to do it through me. Instantly I felt courage and hope. These were the words the Lord was waiting for to surrender to Him fully. I was still a little scared, but now I had hope, sensing His presence with me. I was learning a valuable principle of the school of faith: apart from Him, I can do nothing. Said in another way, God wants to do everything with us. He is so relational that every big and little thing in our life He wants to be part of. I was learning about how relational and loving my (our) Dad was (and is). 

John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can — do nothing.

The word picture here is fabulous. If you have ever driven through Napa county in late summer or any other regions where grapes are grown, you see the grapes hanging from the vine. The grapes would not exist except for the vine. Jesus wants us to be fruitful, but the fruit He wants is righteous fruit, something in our sinful nature we cannot produce. 

Galatians 5:19-25

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

What kind of fruit is found on you or me, especially when things are not going our way? Now there is no condemnation in this. The Holy Spirit often puts us in difficult situations to expose these hidden weaknesses in us so we can acknowledge them, repent, and find His forgiveness and Grace to get past them. So please do not hide from the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but agree with Him and repent. 

Hebrews 12:5-7

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Proverbs 3:11-13

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

For — whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father — the son in whom he delighteth.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding (and how is wisdom and understanding gotten, through submitting to His loving hand of chastisement). And did not Christ our Savior not have to do the same?

Luke 22:41-44

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

The tension is so great in Him that His sweat was blood from ruptured vessels in His face. He bore the worst so we could benefit from His obedience. We only have to deny ourselves, but the weight and condemnation of our disobedience and sin rested and was fully satisfied by His death. The Spotless Lamb of God.

John 1:29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Our greatest need is fulfilled in Him if we deny ourselves and follow Him. “Not my will Lord but Yours be done in me.” This needs to be the response of our heart. Many of us get so busy attending Bible studies and volunteering at church or with life, the kid’s sports, business meetings, and family functions that we neglect our time with the Lord. If your schedule is so tight that you do not have 30 to 45 minutes each day to spend with Him, then you are too busy. My suggestion is to lose some activities. He did not save us from doing ministry or from keeping us so busy that we neglected Him. That may sound strange, and “ busy” is like a drug to many of us. It makes us feel important and needed, but we are worshipping a false idol. There is NO GREATER sense of worth than sitting at His feet (figuratively speaking) and sensing His love and presence. If we would do just that, we would lose the need to go here or do that because our sense of worth would be rightly satisfied. 

That may sound strange to you “ Martha’s out there, but to you, Mary, it’s a joy.

Luke 10:38-42

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was encumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But only one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

From where The Lord is, He only sees one critical thing, our relationship with Him. Nothing will outlast that or exceed it in importance. And learning to prioritize and live the Truth is the secret to feeling secure and victorious. The farther away we get from the Truth, the fewer victories we will have and the greater our struggles with insecurity, inferiority, stress, worry, etc.

He saved us because He loves us and wants us to know Him. For ministry to be effective and impactful, it must come as an outflow of knowing Him, never through education or learning how to work the crowd. I’ve known several pastors that have gone down this road only to have big churches with no depth. These churches are great for people who feel they can earn their salvation by doing good deeds, much like the Pharisees in Christ’s day. Burnout and broken families, and children that want nothing to do with Christianity come from that scenario. It is so sad, for they blame Christ for the breakup of their family, and Christ had nothing to do with it. He made marriage, but when a man seeks his good, his ego above being In love with Christ, this is one of the many scenarios that can happen. Christ said He would build to build the church to increase the donations etc. The Lord said the Church was His body and will care for it, but He is looking for faithful, self-giving pastors to entrust her to. Will that be us?

***

Father, 

Help us to heed thy Word knowing that it is for our good to bring radical obedience to us, not from works that illusion of the flesh but firm, solid obedience from a heart that just loves and adorns You, I pray. It is all for our good despite the difficulty we may find it to obey. It will always be for our good from a Father who loves us so. 

Since you’ve come this far, consider my book collection of essays.

Arthur NavarretteVida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.