Last Days Desperation!

By Justin Edwards

For those of you who have been following my pastor's messages lately, you have witnessed and been a part of the urgency in his preaching. The hour is late, the day draws near - Jesus is coming for His Bride! But as Pastor Livingston has been proclaiming, Christ is only coming for those who are walking with Him in righteousness. Those who are eagerly awaiting His return, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who love the Word of God and obey it, and who are watching and praying as Jesus commanded will be the ones who will escape the wrath to come.

Last Sunday evening, Pastor Livingston preached another must-hear message and then he called the church to pray together for those who are still dead in their sins and loving unrighteousness. As straightforward as possible, pastor preached from Galatians 5:24 and several Scriptures from John and 1 John:

Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Scripture cannot be more clear - those who do not practice righteousness, who are living a worldly lifestyle and who love not the truth and obey it, are not born again. There is so much deception in the church today in that people believe they can do everything that sinners do, acting like the world, engaging in activities and social events like the world, and if you ask them if they are going to heaven, they say yes because they are a good person. They might even say they believe in Jesus, but Scripture says they are not saved because they do not practice righteousness. They live in sin and they love their sin, and the Bible says they are of the devil.

As Pastor Livingston says, we must start operating in a last days desperation! While there are countless false converts going to hell, there are many believers who give lost loved ones passes and excuses and pretend they are saved when their life shows otherwise. If they once said a prayer and "got saved" yet live as though they never knew God, some of us point back to that prayer as if it actually converted them. No it didn't, and we must stop pretending like it did. These loved ones need our urgent prayer and they need it now. They desperately need the mercy and grace of God to draw them to repentant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I invite you, no, I call upon you with great angst to watch this message so your soul will be stirred with an urgency of prayer and a zealousness to proclaim the name of Christ! This is a call to anguish! These are the last days, and we must fight like good soldiers and endure to the end, proclaiming the Gospel without shame until our King comes.  Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you watch the sermon, and if moved to join the congregation and pastor, intercede with them on behalf of your family and cry out to God to spark revival in the hearts of those nearest and dearest to you. As I drove home today from work listening to the message, it was one of the most powerful communions I've ever shared with God. I hope it stirs you in the same way.

Last Days Desperation mp3

 

No Fruit, No Conversion

"Let it be a settled principle in our religion that when a man brings forth no fruits of the Spirit, he has not the Holy Spirit within him. Let us resist as a deadly error the common idea, that all baptized people are born again, and that all members of the Church, as a matter of course, have the Holy Spirit. One simple question must be our rule: What fruit does a man bring forth? Does he repent? Does he believe with the heart on Jesus? Does he live a holy life? Does he overcome the world? Habits like these are what Scripture calls 'fruit.' When these "fruits" are lacking, it is profane to talk of a man having the Spirit of God within him." (J.C. Ryle)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."(Gal 5:22-25)

(HT: Sola Sisters)

Obama - Muslim or Christian?

By Ron Graham

A recent article circulating various news sites proclaimed 24% of American’s have made it known that they believe Barack Obama to be Muslim, not Christian, so the media is on a frenzy to prove his Christianity. The fact that everything he does is contrary to God and the fact that he promotes the Muslim faith every chance he gets couldn’t have anything to do with folks believing him to be Muslim, or could it? Perhaps the fact that he was born into a Muslim family with a Muslim father has something to do with what faith he embraces. Muslims claim that all children born into Muslim families are indoctrinated into the Islamic faith. So where would that leave Barack Obama?

The truth is Obama has never publically denounced his Muslim faith, and the fact that he enjoys an especially close association with those who adhere to the religion of Islam could be part of the reason many consider him a Muslim trying to hide himself in sheep’s clothing (pun intended). As we take a look at the people standing alongside Obama claiming he is a Christian, we can readily see they have no concept of just what constitutes the Christian faith.

Consider the following; these Obamaites say he prays every day, so do Muslims. They say he has Christian advisors (debatable), but he’s also saddled himself with Muslim advisors. They say he has his own special way of looking at the resurrection, yeah, as do all Muslims, (in their minds it didn’t happen). And those talking heads that speak for Obama regarding his religious faith, as well as the mainstream media, feel these things prove he’s a Christian.

The fact is, those of us who are actually born again know there is only one way to become a Christian. And it isn’t through the occasional lip service the media deems sufficient proof of one’s Christian faith. To be a “Christian” takes commitment to Christ, and many times we are faced with sacrificing family ties, friendships, even jobs for our faith. Believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a full, lifetime pursuit. There’s really no difficulty in accepting the truth of the Gospel of Christ, the difficulty comes in embracing that truth for life.

How can I be saved? “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29. The people came to Jesus while He was at Capernaum and inquired of Him what they must do to do the work of God. In other words, what must they do to be saved? And what was Jesus’ answer? “… that ye believe on him whom he (God the Father) hath sent.” John 6:29b. How do we believe? By placing our faith, our trust, our very lives in Jesus’ hands. At the moment we’ve done that we are instantly born again (justified in the Father’s eyes) saved for eternity.

This is not just a causal belief system Jesus is referring to. No, our lives will go through a supernatural change. Even our own family members may ask “What happened to you?” Some may even disown us. When we become born again, born from above, born of God we begin a whole new life with a whole different family. Our faith now resides in God; we who are born again trust God and believe His inerrant word.

People listen to Obama as he claims to be a Christian and they believe him. Why? Because those folks have no concept of what it means to be born again. I’ve listened to Obama many times, but I’ve never heard him say he was born again, or when and where his conversion took place. I have heard him say, though, that he believes there are many paths that lead to Heaven, which in turn tells me he believes our Lord Jesus Christ, the one he claims to follow, is a liar (John 14:6).

“You seem to be somewhat judgmental Ron.” Do I? Over and over again, when I write about Obama, predictably I’m sent the scripture verse that reads “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1. Excuse me, but Jesus also gives the following admonition: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24. Again, predictably, that one they conveniently omit.

The Greek word for judge is “krino” and it means “to call into question”. This is what Jesus means when He says “judge with righteous judgment”. We are to call into question the unbiblical actions of individuals and discern for ourselves whether or not to follow such a person. This is something that is sorely lacking in the Christian community today. It seems everyone is afraid of being accused of judging others. Mostly this misrepresentation of scriptures comes from those who are not following Jesus at all, let alone being biblically knowledgeable. When that verse is used it is always in relationship to someone condemning someone else’s seemingly judgmental attitude. Christians aren’t to condemn, but we are to judge/call into question the actions of others and use biblical discernment to do so.

Obama displays no devotion to Jesus Christ; actually quite the opposite is true. No one can be a follower of Jesus Christ while standing so firmly against Him. No born again believer in Christ is going to promote and advance the Islamic religion. Obama, besides following Satan’s agenda by promoting and declaring Islam to be a religion of peace, is fully following Satan in other arenas as well. Obama is the most abortion happy president in the history of the United States. If he knew his Bible and believed it to be the inerrant word of God that it is, he could never condone the murder of the innocent.

Obama, as sitting president, is the most open and visible supporter of the homosexual agenda in our history. How can a born again believer in Christ stand so opposed to God and His word? How can any follower of Jesus Christ call evil good and good evil? “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:20-21. Old Testament or New, standing against God in any sense is not following Jesus’ admonition “If ye love me keep my commandments” John 14:15.

Here’s another fact that must not be overlooked. Anyone who supports Obama is also a supporter of the same satanic agendas. Whether or not you agree with my above statement is inconsequential, it’s God’s stance on these issues that concerns me and that is where I take my stand using biblical discernment.

Not everyone worships the God of the Bible; but multitudes worship the god of this world. Yet they believe they are worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. True Christians know that Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe, and the One and only God worthy of our worship.

Why doesn’t anyone ask Obama if he believes Jesus Christ is everything the Bible says He is? I’ll tell you why. In a YouTube video Obama has admitted no confidence in the Bible. In this same video he makes statements to the fact that he believes Jesus to be a great teacher, a great humanitarian, but never in that video or in any of his speeches does he refer to Jesus Christ as God Almighty. Obama disparages the Bible; but question him on what he thinks about the Koran, and you’ll quickly see where his allegiance stands.

Perhaps someday Obama will follow his own mantra and make a “change”. He may one day see the truth and actually become a true follower of Jesus Christ. Every one of us should be praying for that day to come soon. But as of this writing that day has yet to materialize and nothing I see coming from this man indicates that a conversion experience is even on the horizon.

I’ll be the first to admit that we are all sinners, but all born again believers in Christ believe the Bible is God’s inerrant word and that those words are not to be taken lightly. Obama claims the Bible contains numerous obscure verses. No, there’s nothing vague, unclear, ambiguous, or doubtful about God’s word.

Many folks claim to be a Christian, just like Obama, but the proof is in the pudding. “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:16-21.

The fruit America and the rest of the world sees coming from Obama is far from anything that might even minutely resemble a good tree bringing forth good fruit. All we see is corruption and lies “neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” Jesus says every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit must be hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Obama says this nation is not a Christian nation, a claim he seems to be proud of. I agree this nation is currently far from being a “Christian nation”, but it was established on Christian principles a mere two centuries ago. Yet I’ve never heard that fact brought out in any of Obama’s speeches.

He claims that Muslims are responsible for the majority of the innovations that have occurred over the last few centuries. To say that, one would need to exclude the mass of innovations made by the Jews. Of course we know the Muslims hate the Jews so there’s nothing eye opening about Obama’s statement when one actually understands who and what Obama really is.

Barack Obama believes that all Muslims are worshipping the one true God. He believes this falsehood because he is a Muslim and stands alongside his own. No true follower of Jesus Christ will ever make the statement “Muslims worship the one true God.” It is impossible to make that statement if God’s Holy Spirit dwells within you. Why? Because allah, the Babylonian moon god, is the antithesis of God Almighty.

As stated earlier, there is more to being a Christian than the US news media, or even many citizens of the US comprehend. By and large, most folks have no understanding of God’s word; in the minds of these two groups, the media and many US citizens, anyone who says they’re a Christian must be Christian. Otherwise why would anyone make such an outlandish claim? Why would anyone want to be something many Americans, as well as much of the news media, deplore? In Obama’s case, claiming to be Christian influences people; better stated, he gained the votes of the uninformed Christians through his false assertion that he is one.

Friends, Obama is not a Christian, and those 24% of American’s who were surveyed recently saying he’s Muslim are 100% correct. Will we in this country be forced to live under the regime of this socialist, Marxist, Muslim president for two full terms? God forbid it. After all America may not survive one term under Obama. If you are a Christian, a true born again believer in Christ, and you don’t see the truth about this man yet, hold onto your hats, you soon will.

There is a curse on this Nation, my friends, and its name is Barack Hussein Obama. Pray for God’s intervention in this matter, and soon.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

Exposing Dead Faith

"What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:14- 17).

Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Your righteous deeds illuminate the path to God by reflecting His power and grace to others. That brings Him glory and proves your faith is genuine.

Your deeds also serve as the basis of divine judgment. If you practice righteousness, you will receive eternal life; if you practice unrighteousness, you will receive "wrath and indignation" (Rom. 2:6-8). God will judge you on the basis of your deeds because what you do reveals who you really are and what you really believe. That's why any so- called faith that doesn't produce good works is dead and utterly useless!

James illustrates that point in a practical way. If someone lacks the basic necessities of life and comes to you for help, what good does it do if you simply wish him well and send him away without meeting any of his needs? It does no good at all! Your pious words are hypocritical and without substance. If you really wished him well, you would do what you can to give him what he needs! Your unwillingness to do so betrays your true feelings. Similarly, dead faith is hypocritical, shallow, and useless because it doesn't put its claims into action--indeed, it has no divine capacity to do so.

I pray that your life will always manifest true faith and that others will glorify God because of your good works. - John MacArthur

From Drawing Near at gty

My Desire

By Justin Edwards

What is our purpose? What are we here for? I believe when one comes to understand this fundamental truth, they will be ready to fulfill all the good things God has intended for them according to His will. Ephesians 2:10 says,

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

"That we should walk in them." That is our purpose - that we should perform the good works He has prepared for us from the beginning. How do we do this? How does one know what God's will is and how does one know the works prepared for him to do?

The answer is simple, quite frankly. There are many who struggle with this perceived mysterious work God has planned for them. They often ask, "What is God's will in my life?" I know, because I used to ask that question myself. Understanding God's will for you begins with the foundational, fundamental, and essential surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Without complete and utter surrender to God, you will forever be searching and never come to the knowledge of His perfect plan and will. Jesus says in Luke 9:23-25,

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

This is the heart of the Gospel. This is repentance. To totally deny and give up on yourself and turn toward God for salvation. To realize you are a lost sinner in desperate need of a Savior. To deny your own will and relinquish control over to God. Steve Lawson says it like this,

"You must transfer ownership of all that you are and all that you have to all that He is...your life is no longer your life, it is His life. Your time is no longer your time, it is now His time. Your possessions are no longer your possessions, they are His possessions. Your future is no longer your future, it is His future. Your treasure is no longer your treasure, it is His treasure. And you have transferred all that you are and all that you have to all that He is. That's what it means to meet His terms of peace."

 This is the essence of surrender, and without it, you cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ. You cannot be a disciple. You cannot be a Christian. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, 

"Repentance means that you realize you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world and its mind and outlook as well as its practice. You deny yourself, you take up the cross, you go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a fool, or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, it makes no difference. That is repentance. (From gty)

Once you have come under the grace and mercy of the almighty and sovereign Lord over all creation, a process of sanctification will begin in you.  In Philippians 1:6 we learn ^"...that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" and in Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Sanctification means to be made pure, to be made holy, to be renewed unto conformity in Christ. This work of God conforms you to the likeness of Christ for you to be used by Him for His glory.

How is it that God sanctifies us? He purifies us through discipline, trials, afflictions, service to others, prayer, and revealing Himself to us in His Word. We have the responsibility to diligently seek after Him through studying the Scriptures. Everything we must know about God's character and will for us is found there. The Holy Spirit reveals these truths as we carefully search for Him in Scripture. And by the leading of the Holy Spirit, God's will can then be applied to our lives and we will be changed from the inside out. The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:1-2,

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As born again believers, we will never be able to repay Christ for what He did on the cross. At least on this side of eternity, we will never understand the love He has for us in laying down His life, bearing the weight of sin of the entire world, and shedding His blood as the sacrificial Lamb to forgive those who receive His gift of salvation. We can, however, offer our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. As we draw closer to Him, shedding off our fleshy desires, we begin to set our minds on heavenly things and no longer on things of the world. We begin to store our treasures in heaven and come to loathe the deceitful attractions of the world whose only purpose is to distract us from an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. Our hatred and tolerance of sin increases as our love for God increases. We no longer love the world or the things of the world because there simply isn't any room left in our hearts as our love for Jesus consumes us. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul tells us,

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

We must put on the mind of Christ. That is our calling - to become more like Him in all that we do and in all that we are. And that is my desire.

My desire is to be used by God no matter where that takes me, no matter the hardships in getting there, no matter the sacrifices required, even if it means suffering for Him in death. The Apostle Paul counted it joy to suffer as Christ suffered, to suffer in His afflictions, and so should all we who profess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My desire is to be used by God. My heart cries out for His will to be fulfilled in my life and to perform the good works according to His purpose. My desire is to make His name known, to not be ashamed, and to proclaim His Good News to those closest to me and to the ends of the earth while there is still time. My desire is to look back at my life should I be given opportunity to live many days, and say as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

To hear the Lord tell me one day, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."

That is my desire, and I challenge you to examine the priorities in your life to see if your desire is to be used by God for His glory. Is there anything holding you back? Is there anything in the way? I pray you consider these things and are challenged to seek after God like never before. I believe the Midnight Hour is upon us and we must use our time wisely to fulfill His will for our lives - to love and to make His name known. It is not how you started the race that matters, it is how you finished. 

How will you finish?

I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain - Jesus in John 15:16

As the Life—So the Fruit

For if these thing be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8) 

If we desire to glorify our Lord by fruitfulness, we must have certain things within us; for nothing can come out of us which is not first of all within us. We must begin with faith, which is the groundwork of all the virtues; and then diligently add to it virtue, knowledge, temperance, and patience. With these we must have godliness and brotherly love. All these put together will most assuredly cause us to produce, as our life fruit, the clusters of usefulness, and we shall not be mere idle knowers but real doers of the Word. These holy things must not only be in us, but abound, or we shall be barren. Fruit is the overflow of life, and we must be full before we can flow over.

We have noticed men of considerable parts and opportunities who have never succeeded in doing real good in the conversion of souls; and after close observation we have concluded that they lacked certain graces which are absolutely essential to fruit bearing. For real usefulness, graces are better than gifts. As the man is, so is his work. If we would do better, we must be better. Let the text be a gentle hint to unfruitful professors and to myself also. - C.H. Spurgeon


(HT: The Spurgeon Archive)

Lives Changed! Share Your Testimony on airō

By Justin Edwards

Do you have a testimony to share? Every Christian has one without exception, so what's yours? 

This may be a great opportunity for you to write a testimony if you've never done it before. Our testimonies are so important in that they share the life-changing salvation given to us by Jesus Christ, and you never know how God might use your life to bring someone else to the cross or be an encouragement for another believer. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says,

 ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ⁶If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Writing a testimony is a great way to put your thoughts to paper and be able to confidently share it with someone in the future. I wrote my testimony last year and I can't tell you how much the Lord has blessed me by blessing others through it. You can find my testimony under the new page titled, Lives Changed! This is also where you will share your own testimony and you will see others have already done so. I previously requested testimonies on the inactivated facebook fan page of airō and have now transferred them to the blog. You can easily share yours by posting it in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Should you wish to keep up with testimonies as they are posted, you can subscribe by email under the comment box.

If you decide not to share your testimony on airō, I encourage you to write one anyway for personal use to help you discuss your faith and how God has changed you for His glory.

I believe with all of my heart that Jesus is coming for His church soon, so we must do everything in our power to get the Gospel out before it's too late. And what better way to share the Gospel than to show how the Gospel changed you!

I hope to be able to read many of your testimonies, and more importantly, I pray that God draws someone in a similar circumstance and reveals Himself to them through the work He has done in you.

If any man serve Me…John 12:26

By Justin Edwards

This is a must read by pastorboy to understand what it means to truly follow and serve Jesus. It is the essence of my own blog, airō. It is the essence of a disciple. It is the essence of Jesus Christ, who is head of the Body. After reading this, do you find yourself detached from the Body, or very much a part of it being the hands and feet? If you are not in a surrendered state to your Lord, now is the time to get on your knees, die to yourself, and become alive in Christ the King. Your very soul may be hanging in the balance. If you love Him, you will live for Him in all that you do.


If any man serve Me...John 12:26
by pastorboy


The conversation that Jesus began with the Greeks in John 12 is a very fascinating one for me. It was not hi, nice to meet you, how are you doing? No, it was get to the point- The hour has come, unless a grain of wheat falls and dies it cannot produce, If a man loves his life he will lose it… It is clear in this passage that the shadow of the cross is weighing heavily on Jesus. He knows it is coming, He knows the approaching agony of the weight of sin and God’s wrath being poured out on Him. It becomes the focus of His mind and thoughts and teaching over these next several chapters and verses. In reality, he is preparing his followers for the cross that he must bear, but also the one they must bear. It is what makes this passage and these individual verses so very important to understand, for it is a clarion call to each of us about our life in Jesus Christ.

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.

In this verse, Jesus is presenting a hypothetical situation. In this tense, the word If (Gr. ean) means perchance and indicates a hypothetical “any man” serving Jesus. Literally, this verse reads ean-if ego-I tis-any (person) diakoneo-serve/minister ego-I. So the call is to any man, to you and to I describing what it means (with the following words) to serve (diakoneo) or minister to Jesus. This Greek word indicates that the servant or the minister is in the presence of the one being served, in order for one to efficiently serve, they must be in close contact with the one being served. In this case, in order for us to serve Jesus, we must be a servant of Jesus.

To be a servant of Jesus, one must be born again to be in his effective service. Let me illustrate with another verse

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

The Puritans prayed:

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells. To Thee I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all Thy fullness.

This idea of service is foreign to many in the modern church. They come to Jesus, like some of these Greeks likely did, looking for something out of simple curiosity or selfishness. Jesus did go directly to the point, and finishes the thought here. If you want to serve- not test, not check out, kick the tires, give a little test drive, no, serve. Minister unto, submit to the wishes of the one being served. Many people approach Jesus as above as some sort of curiosity, a moral example, a method of bringing good things into their life. Some even believe that they are serving Him and calling Him Lord. He was saying to the Greeks and to us that it is not enough to see Him, they must serve Him. Matthew 7:21 above- we did all these good things in Your name, didn’t we?

Yet, Jesus recognizes they were serving themselves and their ideas of what he wanted rather than serving Him.

To serve someone you must know that person, and that person’s needs. Jesus does not have needs as such, but He does have a will. His will for us is discovered in the pages of the Bible that He has left for us, and discerned by a true Christian illuminated by the Holy Spirit. As we read the scripture, we obey it as we apply it to our lives. It is like my wife when we have guests over, she asks what it is they would like to drink, giving them choices of what is available. Now she knows me so well and loves me so much that (for example) in the morning, she brings me a cup of coffee. But what if I wanted juice? She loves me so much that if I asked, she would bring juice instead. She is serving me, knowing what I like in the morning. If I changed my regular order, she would serve that to me, without a question because she loves me. It is the same way with Jesus; as His servants and His followers we ought to know what it is that He wants. He wants us to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. He wants us to share our faith. He wants us to love one another. But as we grow in Him and in His Word, we may notice an area where we have fallen short of His standard. A true Christian will repent, and not continue to give Jesus what he does not want. That is why it is important to keep a soft heart. We do not want Jesus to say, I never knew you- you never served me- depart!

follow-akolotheo this term is used specifically for soldiers and servants, and it means to go after or to attend. It indicates that one has to be close to the one being followed in order to hear or to follow the orders specifically.

A Puritan Prayer:

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance. Support me by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that will disappear into nothing. As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men.

Following Jesus and serving him are part and parcel with one another. You cannot serve Jesus unless you are following Him, that is, you cannot serve Him unless you are step by step with Him where he is going. If you are apart from him, that is, in the spiritual, you cannot truly serve Him. Again, in order to know the direction He is going, you must be first and foremost a believer, in dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and follow the clear instructions He gives in His Word. Then you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in fact following Him. Remember, His sheep hear His voice, His sheep follow Him. A commentator said of this verse that it means that we are inseparable from Him. When we follow Him, we must walk the way that He walked. We must also go where he leads in the way that He leads. If you ever saw the movie “March of the Penguins” it is much like the baby penguins who spend months on the feet of their father inside the egg, so that they do not freeze instantly by touching the ground. When the baby penguins hatch, they walk as their father walks, because they have spent so much time walking with him in egg form. By reading the scripture, and seeking the face of Jesus We become so close to and so reliant upon Jesus that we walk where he walks and in the way that he walks.

Now to many this sounds very negative, that we ought to lay down our lives to serve and to follow Jesus. To many it sounds like a list of do’s and don’ts. And for those who do not love the Savior, it will be. Stop right there; hear the word. Love- we serve because we love. We follow because we love. This service is a response to the love of God- we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). These Greeks, we do not know their motive, but they wanted to see Jesus. Jesus explained to them clearly that it was not about seeing Him, indeed seeing Him is not enough. Knowing about Jesus is not enough. Remember, the very word believe mans more than just a head knowledge, it is an emotional response that leads to life change, and a volitional response that leads to a submission of the will. This means that we serve and follow Him because we believe. We believe because we love. We love because he first loved us.

Is Jesus Christ our first love? Is he higher and more significant than the love of our life, our spouse, our children, our job, our money? We are to love God first, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and out of that love, we are able to properly love people. It is out of love that we serve and we follow Christ, and it is out of that motivation alone that keeping his commands will not be a burden to us, rather, a labor of love. Jesus, as Matthew Henry puts it, because he is calling us to serve and to follow sets both the work and the wages. He calls us to serve Him, as stated earlier, meaning that we must attend him, follow Him, and as stated, we must be where he is. Where was Christ going? he was going to the cross. As we walk about on this earth, we are called to the cross, we are called to

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

In other words, we are to deny ourselves, our life, and hate it or deny it for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Ultimately, the road Jesus was on was the road to the cross. It is there we lay down our own lives so that we can be risen with Him. So, in order to follow Him now, we must be risen with Him, and we must set our minds on Him, seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness:

Colossians 3:1-2

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

If we have been born again, then we are no longer simply seeking Christ, we are serving and following Him. It follows that we are risen with Christ, therefore we need to seek and set our affection on the things that are above, and not of this world. We need Jesus Christ and his risen life to do a sanctified reset of our priorities. Our priorities become Kingdom Priorities, because we are serving the King!

When we read and apply the scripture as a result of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit after we have been Born Again, and we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ because He first loved us and we love Him in return to the glory of God the Father, doing the works that please Him and glorify Him, there is also a wage, but not in the traditional sense. We know that the wages or payment for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. When we serve God, ultimately, He gets the glory, and He is our reward. When I was courting Wendy, I wanted to spend every waking hour with her. I wanted to be where she was. I was in love, and I would do anything to please her. I did not want to do anything that displeased her. I changed the kind of movies I liked, who I hung around with, even some of my bad habits. The reward was her heart, and I have never stopped seeking that reward (though my desire has waxed and waned at times). Are we in love with God this way? The reward is great, but the motive must be love or the difficulty with the life of a Christian will overwhelm us. How do we put to death the works of our flesh that want to over come us? Fall in love with Christ and seek to serve Him and the things of this earth will dim in comparison. If your love has waxed and waned, return to your first love, seek Him with all your heart, return to the things you did at first.

..where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. John 12:26b

..The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Romans 6:23

So, in technical terms, there is judgment for works, and grace as a gift from God. If we stand before God on the merit of our works that we do to please God, our wages will be eternal punishment. Ultimately, when we do religious acts in order to please God outside of what he prescribes (that is a broken and contrite heart, PS. 51) we are in fact bribing the judge, and the scene reverts back to Matthew 7 ‘we did these works…and Jesus says ‘but I never knew you’.

1 Corinthians 3:13-14

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

The opposite is true, if we serve Jesus, remembering that outside of faith in Him alone, we cannot truly serve Him. So we must, as 1 Corinthians 3 teaches, be building on the foundation of Christ. (God will be the judge). This scripture seems to teach that Christians can do good works that are not of faith, not focused on Christ, receiving an earthly reward. These will be burned, and will not receive reward from God (Matthew 6). When we do work to the glory of God, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, building upon the foundation of faith that He has given us, and we do the good works that God has prepared us in advance to do (Ephesians 2:10) our reward, our wage, is Christ. We get to be where He is, and we will be made like Him, for we shall see him as he is. We do not get the temporary reward of man, we get the honor (GR: timao) of God, that is, God values us and deems us and holds us worthy (in Christ). As we serve, follow, and honor the Son, the Father honors us. And the ultimate honor, the ultimate reward for us is to be able to dwell forever with Him.

I think that as we fall more in love with Christ, as we get beyond wanting just to see, and move beyond to service and following Him, then the walk becomes more challenging, yet the burden is light. The rewards and accolades of men become less important when the reward is Christ. When the reward is Christ, our joy is made abundant and full despite the circumstances we face daily. We need to serve and follow, looking to Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith.

Fragrance Makes the Perfect Gift

By Justin Edwards


I'd like to introduce my friend and sister in Christ, Andrea. She has a wonderful way of sharing the truth of God's Word in a very applicable manner to our daily walks. I pray the Lord uses her contributions to touch someone's heart and I look forward to sharing her stories with you.

Fragrance Makes the Perfect Gift

Cy Andrea

Ever walk by someone and catch a sweet, pleasing aroma under your nose? I know I have and immediately I ask them what it is they are wearing that smells so wonderful! Let’s look on the flip side of that….ever walk by someone that doesn’t smell so great? What do you do in that circumstance? I find I slowly start backing away and typically avoid being around whatever it is causing the stench.


I had to make a last minute stop at my local drugstore the other day and as I was passing through the isles my eyes caught a big red sign (in honor of the Valentine’s Day holiday approaching) that read, “Fragrance Makes the Perfect Gift”. Of course the stores motive for placing the sign there was to sell perfume for the “Love Month” we were going into…but God spoke to me through that little red sign and asked me what kind of smell I had been putting off lately? Was I putting off a smell that was pleasant and sweet or was I putting off a stinky stench?


The more pleasant scents would probably be called something like, Love, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Compassion, Mercy, Grace, Honor, Integrity, Purity, I could go on forever. These scents draw others closer, curious about what it is that smells so sweet. The Maker of those perfumes is Jesus. You see, when I wear HIS cologne, those people around me inquire about it and want to know where they can get it and how much it costs. Oh, then I get to tell them it was a FREE GIFT, even better!!!!


On the contrary, when I put on something stinky, people tend to avoid me at all costs! Some of those stinky smells include Bitterness, Rage, Anger, Greed, Selfishness, Impurity, Hate, Unforgiveness, and Ungratefulness. Do I sit in a room with the countenance of someone who is miserable or someone who is joyful? I can tell you that I find the joyful person approachable. I want to know MORE about that fragrance they are wearing!!! I pray the Hoy Spirit continues working in me and putting off the fragrance of LIFE so that I can spread the fragrance of the knowledge of HIM, which is LIFE!!!

2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him”.

Ephesians 4:29-5:4 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 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. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”


1 John 4:21 “And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”