Posted by: missionventureministries | April 25, 2019

FRUITFUL GROWTH IN THE FAITH – 2 Peter 1:3-11

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

It’s interesting that Peter, a man who had been known for his impulsiveness, in these verses shows us a disciplined approach to spiritual growth. So as we see, if Peter who once was the impulsive fisherman could become a disciplined, godly man, then anyone can do the same.  

Peter is saying, because God has imparted new life and spiritual riches to us in Christ, we should be diligent to grow in godliness. 

As we look back to the two previous verses we read where Peter told us that when we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness (1:3). And that through the glory and moral perfection of Christ, He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (1:4). 

We need to understand that before God imparted new life to us, we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). When we trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord, was not due to our own achievement was not due to our own achievement, it was because God mercifully opened our blind eyes to see through His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7). 

The point is we cannot begin to grow as a Christian until we have received new life from God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the life of Christ in us that gives us the motivation and power to change and grow spiritually. The instant we trust in Christ, God graciously gives us the key to the unfathomable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8), which supplies us with everything we need to live a godly life. 

Peter writes that faith is the foundation on which the other virtues rest and from which they grow. We receive faith in Christ as God’s gift (1:1), but then we supply the other qualities, which are the fruit of faith (1:8). So, to grow in godliness, we need to make sure that we have trusted in Jesus Christ and His gracious promises; because faith is the essential foundation for growing in godliness. 

Now to grow in godliness, we must have the right motivation and add to it diligence (1:5). Peter is basically saying that God has given us His life and all of His promises; now, we need to apply diligence so that we may grow. 

Think about this; are we applying “all diligence” to grow in Christ? Do we make time to grow spiritually? Do we read accurate commentaries, theological books and important doctrinal matters that broaden our mind to think about the hard questions in the Bible? If we don’t, we will not grow spiritually the way God wants us to. 

So, what does growth entail? Where should we focus? This brings us to the topic of our text. To grow in godliness you must make progress in the areas Peter states. 

Faith is the foundation; to that we must supply virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  

Why did Peter choose these qualities? Probably, because they are the opposite of the evil characteristics of the false teachers that he exposes further on in his letter. They claimed to have knowledge, but they didn’t know God, who is holy. They lacked self-control and continued in immorality (2:2, 10, 14, 18). They were not persevering in godliness, but had gone astray. Rather than demonstrating true brotherly kindness and love, they were simply exploiting people for their own gain; and lacked Christ likeness. 

“Faith” is the bedrock foundation. Without faith we are not Christians. “Moral excellence” (virtue) is necessary next, because without that, we cannot have a clear conscience. If we live in known disobedience to God, He will not reveal spiritual truth to us. Thus, virtue precedes “knowledge.” “Knowledge” follows, because we must know the Word of God to inform our conscience and guide us in all our thinking and behavior. 

But knowing the truth does not help if we do not practice “self-control” and “perseverance” to help us when trials and temptations come. As we persevere, we develop “godliness,” which refers to living in reverence to God in every situation. But true godliness is not just a private matter between the individual and God; it manifests itself in godly relationships. Consequently we need “brotherly kindness” and self-sacrificing “love.” 

The result of growing in these godly character qualities is that we will be useful and fruitful in knowing Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8). Because He gave Himself on the cross to save us from God’s judgment, we should desire to be useful and fruitful as His blood-bought servant. But to be useful and fruitful, we must be growing in godliness, which requires diligent effort. 

Spiritual growth is a long process and it only shows results when we practice it consistently. If we are not making much spiritual progress, then we should examine ourselves because he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:9-11).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 21, 2019

Wishing you a blessed Resurrection Day – 1 Peter 1:3

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 18, 2019

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT ON JESUS’ WARNINGS – Luke 13:34-35

“Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:37-38)

There is a similar verse to this one in Psalm 118:26, which is one of the great Messianic psalms. It was fulfilled, at least in a preliminary way, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a small donkey just one week before His resurrection, thereby acknowledging that He was fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy: “. . . behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly, and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

As Jesus rode into the city, many “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” (John 12:13). Many Christians still commemorate that occasion, which they call Palm Sunday, one week before Easter.

Unfortunately at that time most people, as well as nowadays, doubted, and soon rejected Him completely, crying out for Him to be put to death. He knew, of course, that this is what would happen, and He had already said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13:34-35).

When Jesus declares; “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” These solemn words were literally fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Roman general Titus destroyed the city and slaughtered thousands of Jews and the nation was dispersed until 1948. As we see, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31); therefore, when God abandons a nation or an individual, that nation or person is truly left isolated!

Jesus not only issues a warning, but also a promise, that the nation would see Him again and that next time they will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”, which is a quote from the messianic (Psalm 118:26).

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, this rejection by the Jews had a purpose from God’s view: As Paul writes in Romans 11:11-32, which in summary states that the Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so they are God’s enemies. This has happened to help the non-Jews. But the Jews are still God’s chosen people, and God loves them very much; He loves them because of the promises He made to their ancestors as we read in Isaiah 59:20-21 – “The Redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord.  “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

God never changes His mind about the people He calls and the things He gives them. At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because those people refused to obey. And now the Jews refuse to obey, because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they also can receive mercy from God. All people have refused to obey God. God has given them all over to their stubborn ways, so that God can show mercy to all.

We need to remember, that “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14), and that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for all are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28), that have made Him Savior and Lord of their life.

As we see, although God has set Israel aside in judgment during the present time of the Gentiles, when this period is fulfilled, Israel will experience a great turning back to God just before the second coming of Jesus the Messiah. And at that time the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 will be fulfilled, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

We need to understand though, that the warning and the promise of Luke 13:35 are not only for the nation Israel, they also apply to every individual. If anyone continue in rebellion against God and rejects the Savior whom He sent, God will leave them desolate, not only in this world, but for all eternity. But if anyone will repent of their sins and trust in the Savior who willingly went to the cross in obedience to the Father to save His people from their sins, then they will know the joy of saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

If you will humbly turn from your evil ways, repent and ask Jesus to be your Savior and the Lord of your life, He will hear you and you will be reconciled to God for time and eternity; and you will reign with Jesus when He comes in His glory with His holy angels.

Jesus told us: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). So let’s be ready for our Lord’s soon return and look forward to hear Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant…” (Matthew 25:23).

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son!

(Ephesians 1:6)

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 11, 2019

WARNING TO THE NATIONS – Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. (Jeremiah 11:11)

This verse gives the reader a very stern warning telling us that those that will not submit to God’s command will not be able to escape His wrath. There is no fleeing from His justice, or avoiding His presence. Evil pursues sinners and entangles them in traps from which they cannot free themselves; unless they turn from their wicked ways and seek Him with all their heart.

Jeremiah is called the “Weeping Prophet”, and his heart is distressed because of what his people are doing. The Jewish nation has gone astray because they have willfully and purposefully rejected God and his job is to call them back to Him.

Israel had broken covenant with God, and Jeremiah had the unpleasant task of warning them of the coming judgment.

Today, we see history repeating itself; we see the same things happening again. So let’s see what we mean by this statement. First, they were guilty of innocent blood.

“For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind” (Jeremiah 19:4-5).

It is hard to believe that these people could become so hard of heart that they would burn their children up as a sacrifice to a god – but that is what they did. They took the innocent, defenseless little newborn babies and killed them in such a horribly painful way.

Today it is no different as we read increasing accounts of child sacrifice to Satan, the god of this world; along with the horrific practices of abortion which kills millions of babies each year.

Heartless and uninformed people call babies a lump of flesh, when the Bible tells us that God created our inmost being; and knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Judgment definitely is coming to any disobedient nation. Jeremiah writes, “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it, declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 12:17).

Jeremiah also warns of judgment coming because of sexual practices. He knew what Leviticus and many other scriptures taught: “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).

Notice that this sin was called an “abomination”. All sin is rebellion and all sin is appalling, however, this sin was singled out as an “abomination” to God. Those that support this sin are quick to attack the Word of God, but if they carefully read what happen in Sodom and Gomorrah and realize that they where annihilated because of this great abomination, there may be hope for people who decide to study the word of God and make a radical lifestyle change. 

The Bible is filled with warnings as we read in another passage in the New Testament. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11); so as we see, there is hope.

Jeremiah also tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

When we look at many nations in this world, we see that those countries are rapidly coming under judgment because, as a society, we have voted to toss God out of our land. We have voted to clearly do that which we know God abhors. However, “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?’ then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying Me” (Jeremiah 16:10-12).

God’s judgment was coming on the Israelites because of many sins including child sacrifice and homosexuality; and because these people had rejected God; they rejected His rules and commandments; they rejected His covenant with them. The United States and many other countries in the world have done the same. What the Bible proclaims through Jeremiah over Israel – it proclaims over all disobedient nations.

From beginning to end of the book of Jeremiah, we see God pleading, begging, and inviting His beloved people to come back to Him. Again and again He pleads with them to return so He can bless them. But they stubbornly go on their sinful way.

God is pleading with our country, too. But, like, Israel, we are not listening. Abortion is a law of the land. Many states have legalized same sex marriage. Many states are requiring these sinful practices be taught in school to our kids. God has been removed from our legislative halls and from our courtrooms. We are raising a country of selfish, rebellious, hedonistic people who tolerate everything but God and Christianity.

So what are we going to do about it? Here are a few suggestions:

We need to humble ourselves and realize that we are far from God and very close to His ultimate judgment. We need desperately to get rid of all pride and humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

We have a merciful and forgiving God that wants us to come to Him; not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

We need to make an assessment of our life, admit our sin and turn from it; remembering that sin hinders our prayer life and robs us of spiritual power.

We need to speak the truth in love and need to pray daily for our nation.

God wants to forgive and restore, He does not want to destroy us. He does not want to bring judgment on us. He says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

God has wonderful plans for us. He wants to prosper us. He wants to give us hope. He yearns for a loving relationship with us; but, we need to turn to Him and seek Him while He can still be found.

How can you escape the horrors of hell? The plan is as simple as A.B.C.

  1. Admit that you are lost, sinful person and cannot save yourself from sin and hell.
  2. Believe that Jesus Christ suffered on the cross to pay for all of your sins.
  3. Confess that God raised Jesus from the grave – confess that you want Jesus Christ to be the absolute Lord of your live.

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 6, 2019

INSTEAD OF GUILT WE HAVE FREEDOM IN CHRIST – 2 Corinthians 3:17

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17) 

True Christians radiate Gods Holiness; we live in His presence and the Holy Spirit lives in our body.  

We are endowed with His attributes and His personality; we live in and with God’s dignity, purity, wisdom, humility, integrity, love and compassion. We are children of our great Father, Creator and King; we are priests unto our Holy God and Savior. 

If you are a True Christian – live like it every moment of your life – live like a child of The King.     

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

“Those who look to God are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame” (Psalm 34:5). 

Satan likes to try to condemn true Christians with false guilt about the past sins that they have committed; but we can counter those assaults from our arch enemy with the truth of God’s Word.  

Romans 8:1-2, Life Through the Spirit – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you a free from the law of sin and death.”  

“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). 

Every true born again Christian has a grave in their past; the old person is dead and buried. You are a new person in Christ; so don’t let Satan pretend to resurrect a dead person who does not exist anymore.  

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Romans 6:22) 

 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 4, 2019

THE GRANDEUR OF GOD’S CREATION – Psalm 8:1, 3-4

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens…When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:1, 3-4). 

In the beginning, God laid the earth’s foundations . . . and marked off its dimensions . . . while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:4-7). Everything He created was a work of art, a masterpiece. He designed a breathtaking beautiful world and pronounced it “very good” (Genesis 1:31); and all this to nurture our soul with His loving presence.  

All creation testifies to God’s goodness. The earth, the skies, the oceans, the trees and mountains, the sun, moon, and stars, all speak of the beauty and perfection of God. In the Genesis account we read how after each day of creation God looked on His works and called them good.  

Nature reveals to us God’s beauty, glory, power, wisdom, presence, creativity, and, most of all, His loving care. This is why we should spend time in the beauty of nature and enjoy His creation. Jesus makes continual use of nature in His parables that welcome us to find life with Him in the Kingdom of God. The revelation of God in nature is so prevailing that the Apostle Paul cautions if we don’t notice and honor our Creator we are without excuse (Romans 1:20); because through nature, God is able to teach us, speak to us, and provide for us. 

The whole universe gives testimony to God as Creator. The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies show that His hands created them. Day after day they speak about it. Night after night they make it known. But they don’t speak or use words. No sound is heard from them; yet their voice goes out into the whole earth. Their words go out from one end of the world to the other. God has set up a tent in the heavens for the sun . . . and the sun is like a great runner who takes delight in running a race. It rises at one end of the heavens; then it moves across to the other end and everything enjoys its warmth (Psalm 19). 

The sun shining in the sky gives testimony to the existence and care of God for without it there would be no life on earth; and the truths about God handiwork are all around, for all of us to see.  

We have an awesome God that loves us. Next time you have an opportunity to stand at the foot of a waterfall, a rushing river, or on top of a mountain; take time to reflect on the power of the Creator. Another marvelous way to do this is to gaze into a star-filled sky on a moonless night.  

Have you ever taken the time to look at the intricate patterns of a flower? Do you taken time to reflect on God’s magnificent artwork He so beautifully paints in the sky at a sunrise or at a sunset?   

From the smallest to the largest God reveals Himself to us; whether it is from the smallest atom or the largest galaxy, from the simplest life form to the most complex, our living God is constantly making Himself known to humankind. 

The Bible testifies that creation gives clear testimony to God’s existence. Everyone, everywhere, has this testimony. Nature’s revelation is more than sufficient to make humanity responsible and to show them they are “without excuse.” Consequently humans should attempt to find out who their Creator is and what He requires of them. Unfortunately, many people have corrupted the revelation of God in nature and have chosen to worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator. Instead of worshiping God, they have turned creation into a god. For this, God has pronounced judgment upon them (Romans 1). 

The prophet Nehemiah writes, You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all.  The host of heaven worships You (Nehemiah 9:6); and so will all those who have trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior do, when He calls us to be with Him. 

God designed our world so that through it we would come to know Him, His beauty, His power and majesty, His attention to detail, His unending creativity, and so much more. And He did all this to draw us to Him so we could experience the incredible love He has for us. 

While it is the Holy Spirit that communicates such a testimony to us, we must prepare our hearts to receive it. We need to understand and believe that, “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Psalm 102:25).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 28, 2019

OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SEEK THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD OR REAP THE CONSEQUENCES – Romans 2:6

Romans 2 vs 6

There is a huge theme that is described through Scripture about the responsibility of man to seek the truth of God’s word “since God will repay each person according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6). 

God doesn’t force someone to be saved or to do the right thing; He also does not force us to love Him. He gives each and every person the chance to choose for themselves their own eternal destiny, just as Joshua stated when he lead the Israelites into the Promised Land: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15); so should we also choose to love and obey our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We need to understand that it would be impossible for the human heart to love God without God’s Holy Spirit empowering us. God initiates our love for Him, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44); God give us the desire to love Him, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). And God gives us the power to love Him since “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22).

Since the Bible teaches that man does not seek God on his own (Romans 3:11), God takes the initiative. He reveals Himself in creation, and though man knows this, he still refuses to honor God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21). So God, in His love, seeks us out for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) and John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

As Christ draws all men through His work on the cross, the Spirit exposes the truth that is taught in the Word. “And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…” (John 16:8-11)

The Holy Spirit uses divine persuasion to convince, reprove, agitate, draw, and love a person. But that does not guarantee that all who hear the truth will receive it. A person can hear and read about the truth, yet reject it. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). But whoever responds positively and seeks God will be rewarded, because “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

God also uses people as instruments. God has chosen to use people as agents for teaching the Word of God and the Holy Spirit guides us to convict the world. “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher… So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:14, 17).

Whatever the reasons is why people reject Jesus Christ, their rejection has disastrous eternal consequences because “there is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and those who reject Him, for whatever reason, face an eternity in the “outer darkness” of hell where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

God does not force salvation on anyone but He uses various means to draw people to respond with faith to Jesus Christ. We should therefore preach the gospel of God’s gracious gift of eternal life relying on the Holy Spirit to convince people of its truth and draw them to Christ.

While it is true that God does not force anyone to love Him or accept the salvation for which Jesus was tortured to death. He can bring some painful actions into your life to awaken you and warn you that you are on your way to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.

Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, experienced a very painful and embarrassing experience when Jesus made him fall to the ground on the way to Damascus and blinded him for a few days.

If you continually refuse the salvation offer of Jesus Christ, one day you will die and end up in hell. Please do not wait until you depart this life to discover that hell is real! Tomorrow may be too late! As the Bible tells us: “do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

And Proverbs 14:12 tells us that: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” And that means eternal death in the Lake of Fire

Many people die every second, every minute, every hour and they are going into eternity; either heaven or hell! Death can occur unexpectedly through an accident, a heart attack, a stroke, or whatever the reason might be. If you die without Jesus Christ, it will be the worst mistake you will have ever made!

If you want to avoid taking that risk, there may still hope while you are still breathing and we would love to tell you more about how you can be saved by clicking on this link. HOW TO BE SAVED

Please take this message seriously; because it comes straight from the word of God. Our great desire is for you to be saved and to meet you one day at the great marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9)!

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 21, 2019

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REVEAL ABOUT THE DANGER OF LYING? – Exodus 20:16

To lie means to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive, to create a false or misleading impression; it implicates dishonesty. The Bible is clear that lying is a sin and God hates sin. The first sin in this world involved Satan, the father of lies when he lied to Eve and deceived her into disobeying God.  

When the Ten Commandments were given to Moses we read that the ninth commandment says: “You shall not bear false witness (meaning lie to) against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

When we study the Bible we see that even lying in life-or-death situations is not allowed. No matter what happens to us we are not to fear “those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Our soul and salvation matter more than going to hell for telling a lie; Jesus said: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Sometimes people lie to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings. Did Jesus adhere to that practice? No, He did not. However many people lie and call it “a little white lie” and do not think of the consequences of their decision. They think its no big deal, everyone does it, and believe that it actually might spare someone pain.

But we need to realize that lying is wrong, in any shape or form. It is a transgression of the law of God. Lying can hurt other people. It can destroy your reputation, and it can hurt the church. Few things harm the Lord’s church more than someone who claims to be a Christian and then doesn’t live like one.

In Acts 5 the Lord showed His disdain for lying when a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about a piece of property they had sold. They claimed they were giving all of the profit to the church, but in reality they kept back part of the money for themselves. They may have thought, “It’s no big deal. We gave money to help the work of the Lord; we only lied about the percentage. It didn’t hurt anybody, right?” Is this not the way many think today? But God made a powerful statement about how He regards lying, and instantly both of them died.

Here is a very important point we must never forget. Lying can cost a man his soul. Proverbs 21:6 says that a lying tongue is a characteristic of them that seek death.

We need to understand that thinking that it is all right to lie is a very serious error for a Christian to believe. It shows a misunderstanding of God Himself. Lying is always wrong. Proverbs 6:17 says, “God hates the lying tongue.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” We also read in Leviticus 19:11, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” Proverbs 13:5 says, “A righteous man hates lying.” Colossians 3:9 says, “Do not lie to one another.” These verses and many others teach us that God hates lying.

Liars are Satan’s children and eventually will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire with him, because an evildoer listens to wicked lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue (Proverbs 17:4).

Lying is and always will be wrong in the eyes of God because it is a sin! To lie without repenting and asking God for forgiveness is so horrific that it leads to “the second death” described in Revelation, which says, “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

So you need to repent while there is still time. Please remember that when you lie you are out of fellowship with God, which causes unanswered prayers because your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness (Isaiah 59:2-3).

Just as you dislike when someone lies to you, so does the Lord, so be faithful to the Bible’s teachings and if you have lied, seek forgiveness from those to whom you have lied, obey the Gospel, and know that “He is faithful and forgiving us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; Matthew 5:23-24).

Psalm 24:3-5 asks the question – Who will stand in God’s holy place? Those who have clean hands and a pure heart. Those who have not lifted up their souls to falsehood and have not sworn deceitfully; this is the one who will be blessed by the Lord.

Lying is truly an abomination to the Lord. He hates a lying tongue. What about you and me? Do we have lying tongues such as God hates? Or will we be able to stand before our Holy God because we have decided not to accepted falsehood and deceit into our heart and life?

As true followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to put away the old self with its practices, which includes lying (Colossians 3:9), and keep in the forefront of our mind that a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who tells lies will perish (Proverbs 19:9).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 14, 2019

ARE YOU IN A CHURCH WHERE GOD IS TRULY BEING HONORED AND WORSHIPED? – Matthew 15:8-9

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Matthew 15:8-9  

There comes a time when it becomes necessary to leave a church out of duty to obey God rather than men, and for the sake of one’s own conscience. 

Please understand that just because a certain place is called a church does not mean that it justifies the name. We need to recognize that, while no church is perfect because they are all made up of imperfect people, however, churches that do not teach and lack biblical fundamentals aren’t healthy places to attend.  

We need to understand that a God honoring church should offer worship that’s centered on Christ, is a community that is marked by love, teaches the truth of Scripture, and its mission is to fulfill the Great Commission.  

So how do you know when God is calling you to go somewhere else? 

First, we need to pray for each other, for the church, the pastor and those who are leading the flock, especially when we see that the leadership is deviating from its spiritual duties. A very good prayer is found in Colossians 1:9-12. 

Second, after many months of prayer and bringing important biblical errors to your pastor’s attention and nothing changes, there comes a point where you no longer respect him or his leadership. Paul described how a true humble, honest pastor will conduct himself and how he will behave: “Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…” (1 Timothy 3:2). He must teach the deep truths of the Bible with a clear understanding of God’s word, which means that he adheres to sound biblical doctrine. 

So, you need to be careful about a pastor who confuses Biblical truth with his personal viewpoint; because, a godly pastor “must teach in accordance with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). 

Third, the pastor’s family is out of control. Paul taught that if a man can’t lead and oversee his own family then he has no business trying to pastor a church: “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect” (1 Timothy 3:4).

Therefore, if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?“ (1 Timothy 3:5). Any pastor or elder must prove that he can discipline his own family before he can guide and direct others. He needs to be able to resolve conflicts, build unity and maintain love both at home and in the church. If he cannot do those essential things and does not see the errors of his way, it is time to go somewhere else where fundamental biblical truths are being taught and upheld. 

Fourth, there are fights and dissension in the church which the pastor overlooks to keep “peace” or better so that he does not have to extend energy to bring the flock back to harmony and under the truth of God’s Word; when the biblical goal is always to bring the person who is wrong to the knowledge of the truth. 

Paul was deeply concerned that a pastor be able to teach the Bible well since, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Fifth, the church that refuses to discipline members who are blatantly sinning; tolerates unholy living and is characterized by a willful disregard for Scripture, when the word says: But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people (Ephesians 5:3).  

If we are truly in the faith, we must be careful not to keep company with those who despise the commandments of God because God will not be mocked: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2). 

Sixth, the church is marked by blatant hypocrisy, giving lip service to biblical Christianity but refusing to acknowledge its true power – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:5). 

Seventh, the churches’ worship time is a self absorbed prideful theatrical performance when it should lead the congregation into – the Throne Room of Heaven. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16).

When we look at the meaning of worship, there are numerous definitions of the word; yet, one in particular summarizes the priority we should give to worship as a spiritual discipline. True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness.

Ask yourself whether or not your church honors God by living a holy life, encouraging true worship, teaching the truth of His Holy Word, is building meaningful relationships with each other and reaching out to the lost. 

If this is not happening where you are attending, than pray about it and let the Holy Spirit lead you because God might be calling you to leave and go somewhere else.  

NOTE: Lack of humility and integrity in religious leaders is a universal problem in evangelical Christian churches and has lead a very large number of true Christians to leave organized churches and to begin home-fellowships so that they can have accurate and honest Bible studies.

This “out-of-church” movement has now grown very large, and we are hearing more and more about it every day. Please do not feel like you are alone, since throughout the world, there are thousands of Christians that are in the same situation. It does not matter if you live in a large of a small town; the gospel is being watered down everywhere and the emphasis is on pleasing the crowds instead of honoring the Lord.

We have personally come into contact with many that feel this way. These are Christians that once taught Sunday school, directed choirs, and even pastors that now have left the church. They are committed Christians, insightful and devoted to the Lord, that have grown weary of the games that are being played inside the church system; they are tired of the glitzy Hollywood atmosphere and of the internal bureaucracy, and have decided that they do not want to be a part of it any longer.

These devoted Christians have been faithful to attend church; however they are tired of not getting fed and having to hear from ten to twenty minutes of jokes and stories. Where is the time allocated to those that are hurting and needing to hear about their wonderful Savior, they ask? Often times there are only fifteen minutes allotted to the sermon and the message is not even biblically accurate. The church is full of glitz but devoid of the Holy Spirit.

There are so many new trendy programs that come and go, and they do not teach the truth of God’s Word. There is no interaction in Bible studies. Many times the DVD is set up and you listen to a taped lesson just to fill the time, since those that are supposed to be teaching find it easier to sit and listen, instead of preparing a meaningful study to those that are participating. The one thing true Christians are realizing is that the church is getting farther and farther away from the teachings of the early church.

Not only are these devout Christians hungry for the word and are not being fed; but what happens to those that are babies in Christ? They need to hear the truth of God’s word and to learn how to build on a solid base; and not groundwork built on shifting sand. If the church won’t do its job, then we need to teach people how to build a foundation on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

Many have left their church and have looked for another place to worship. However, after visiting other churches, they sadly found out that they were not “better” than the place they had left.

Several of these people have gotten together with other truth searching Christians and have started home-fellowships. Others have opted to stay home and hope to find a message through radio or television that is true to the Word.

If you have experienced this, do not feel alone, there are many thousands of people like you in the world. We welcome your comments relating to this topic, or any other question that you might have.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;  

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 7, 2019

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS – John 5:39-40

“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).

In the beginning of this chapter John narrates the time when Jesus was in Jerusalem attending one of the annual Jewish feasts. During this occasion, He encountered a disabled man who had been a paralytic for thirty-eight years.

The Lord asked the man: “Do you want to get well?” After a brief conversation, Christ told the man “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” And at once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. (John 5:1-9).

This occurred on a Saturday, therefore, the Jewish leaders attempted to accuse the Lord of violating the Law of Moses and began to persecute Him (John 5:10-18).

On this same day, after an extended discourse during which Jesus affirmed His divine relationship with the Father, Christ said to the Jews: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).

As we know from Scripture, many of the Jewish leaders, particularly the scribes, were proud of their rich knowledge of the sacred writings. Why, then, were they unable to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, since the Old Testament narratives were filled with prophecies that centered in Him?

Well, the reason they failed to see the Christ of the Old Testament was, their preconceived notions of what the Messiah ought to be like and what they expected Him to do. This is what blinded them to do an objective evaluation of His character, words, and miracles.

We face this same situation today. There are many religious scholars, who have spent a lifetime mastering Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; who have studied biblical lands and cultures; who have become experts in exegesis; and yet, do not know the Son of God.

Some know of Him, but are unwilling to come to Jesus because they are averse to pay the price He requires; because, if you follow Christ, you must be willing to forsake all that is in conflict with Heaven’s requirements. A person must be willing to deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).

The Savior urged men to count the cost before assuming the role of discipleship, because, he who is not willing to renounce worldliness cannot be a follower of Christ (Luke 14:25-35).

A tragic example is that of the rich, young ruler. He was consumed with materialism. When, therefore, the Lord said: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me,” the young man sorrowfully departed from Christ (Matthew 19:16-22). He was unwilling to pay the price!

Sadly he spent a few moments with Jesus on earth instead of an eternity with Him in heaven.

The spiritually blind are simply unable to understand God’s Word; as Jesus said: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:19-21).

This is a description of the blindness of all human beings in the world who refuse to come to the light. The reason people don’t come to the light, is that they love darkness. They are not kept from light against their will. It’s precisely their strong-willed preferences for the darkness that keeps them away from the light.

The Pharisees knew the Scripture; they had an understanding of God and His Word, but they could not come to accept Jesus as God and Savior. So Jesus gives them a warning, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind” (John 9:39).

Therefore we need to realize that the spiritually blind cannot understand Scripture. They can read it and even make some sense of it, but they cannot understand it. Why? Because the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).  

The spiritually blind love the sinful world and are heavily drawn to it. We need to remember that the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, and their only hope is that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:4).

If you are spiritually blind and want to see, there is hope, because, if anyone turns to the Lord, their blindness is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16).

Please understand that no one loves Christ till they believe that Christ loves them. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It is the love of God awakened in our heart by the Holy Spirit that takes our blindness away and makes us see.

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