Biblical Christianity

How To Live Like Jesus

By Michael Heilman | December 22, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Bible Verse: John 3:16 (NKJV)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Reflection and Challenge

For years I have wondered why millennials have been flocking away from the church. There could be several reasons but I want to cover one possibility. Purposefully or not many Christians are known for what we are opposed to. In so many words, we don’t love as Jesus loved.

A perfect contrast would be comparing the account of Jesus and the woman in adultery and how many Christians act today. Many Christians act like they would have allowed her to be stoned because she was an adulterer. Jesus did not do that though. He had compassion and loved her, in spite of her sin. Jesus saw her as a soul that needed saving, rather than a soul that needed punishing.

*Read here: What did Jesus really mean when He said, “Do not judge?”

It is true that God will punish all sinners that refuse to repent but that is God’s department. You were as guilty as they were. Where is your humility?

Jesus did not scare people into getting saved; He just loved them in spite of their sin. I realize that I am preaching to myself. Sometimes I have been known for being judgmental. In personal relationships that is not a good thing. Many Christians have a tendency to focus on other’s sin and forget to mention God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus did not forget.

In John 8:11, Jesus offered forgiveness while reminding the woman to turn away from sin; a perfect mixture of the need of repentance and loving her unconditionally. Are you known for harping on sin and personal standards, or showing God’s unconditional love? By the way, every Christian is hypocritical because we are not able to do this perfectly.

This mindset of loving unconditionally is also true for your relationships with other believers. Christians segregate from each other based on personal standards and assume the other is not saved. Romans 14 allows all Christians to have different practices. This is why unspoken church rules are so wrong because God has blessed us with liberty to serve God in every area of our life as God leads.

The personal standards of a larger group are beside the point. You are responsible for yourself. They can get over themselves. That attitude assumes either carnality or being unsaved if the list of rules is not followed. I have run into this problem all of my life.

I know of people that reject fundamentalism and Baptist churches over this very problem. It is a shame. These churches are filled with born again Christians that have never learned how to love other believers unconditionally.

Nobody can be glorified if they are still alive, including you. All Christians are to become more sanctified until we all get to heaven. This implies that you need to grow as well. Stop being offended by other’s choices. Why not worry about your own poor choices? Can you accept other Christian’s right where they are at in their spiritual walk? That is God’s love for us.

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Why is Satan winning?

By Michael Heilman | December 18, 2018 | Comments 9 comments

Bible Verse: John 8:32 (KJV)

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Reflection and Challenge

There is an old adage that essentially states that if you say a lie loud enough and long enough, eventually it will be believed. The problem is that it results in large populations being controlled by the liar. This is also called bondage of the mind. Satan has been spreading lies since the beginning as John 8:44 says.

This only reminds me of the numerous lies being spread in society today. Lies in public schools like evolution and socialism. Hollywood pushes hate toward Jesus and bad philosophies. The UN is pushing hate for Israel and global warming. The media pushes Amnesty for illegals and Abortion on demand.

Even churches promote lies like prosperity gospel and good works will get you to heaven. Satan is spewing lies everywhere. How do we stop these lies from corrupting us and others?

Jesus answered that question in John 8:32. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” What is the truth? Glad you asked. In John 14:6, Jesus said He is the truth. In John 17:17 Jesus also said the Bible is God’s truth. The Bible is Jesus’ words to humanity. So how will the Bible set us free from lies?

It’s simple. Know the truth. Think about this. Do YOU have biblical reasons why ALL those lies mentioned above are wrong? Don’t just say that you don’t believe them but don’t have a reason why. How do we push back the lies without knowing why? How do we push back relativity that permeates the minds of Americans? “I say so” does not cut it anymore.

How well do you know the truth? Can you see now why Satan is winning? How much are you equipped to defeat Satan?

What is truth?

Never Ever Doubt God’s Power

By Michael Heilman | December 8, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Bible Verse: Revelation 17:17 (KJV)

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”

Reflection and Challenge

God’s will is always done. Many Christians believe that people can thwart God’s will. That’s like saying we can lose our salvation because we sinned one time. We cannot thwart God’s power. He is in control.

It is true that Christians should be the preserving agent in the world today, but due to the fact that all people are sinners, our sinful nature will result in the destruction of humanity on earth. God must punish the world for rejecting Him.

Then the question is: “How will this come about?” Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus never changes. God’s methods are always the same. God’s will always happen even if the world thinks their actions benefit them. It is not possible that 10 godly kings would give their power to the Anti-Christ.

Revelation 17:17 definitely says, “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill HIS will, and to agree.” They won’t even do it hesitantly. They will agree that it’s in their best interest. They think giving their power to the Anti-Christ will only hasten the end of the Great Tribulation and their destruction.

There is no beneficial reason to resist God’s will. It only ever leads to pain and suffering for you. God only promises a good ending for those that love Him and keep His commandments. If He does not have your heart, you can’t keep His word.

We all have a choice because we are responsible to suffer the consequences, but that does not mean God’s hands are tied. God always reserves the right to respond. Shouldn’t we all just follow His revealed will found in the Bible rather than hurting ourselves with sin? The choice is yours. How do you respond to His word?

Condemning Immorality In The Church

By Michael Heilman | December 2, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 5:6 & 11 (NKJV)

“Your glorifying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner – not even to eat with such person.”

Reflection and Challenge

Ouch! Sin infests everything. Like leaven, sin seeps into everything. The church is supposed to be without sin, but even one sin in one person has the tendency to grow throughout.

The same is true in a church. As one person excuses sin, more and more people will excuse it. It sounds to me like God hates sin in the church and wants us to get rid of that sin.

In those days the individuals whom you ate with was significant. Quite often church members ate together. Thus, if you were removed from fellowship and eating together, it resulted in a major barrier in the relationship.

1 Corinthians 5:11 stated several of the sins that God required a break in fellowship. Some people will not like this list at all but it does not matter what people say. It only matters what God’s word says. I have heard that 65% of people today believe cohabitation is acceptable.

That is scary because that 65% must include many Christians. That is, in spite of verses like this that say sex before marriage and cohabiting is a sin, which should not happen to anyone that claims to be a Christian. God commands they should be removed from fellowship. It is a shame that Christians accept any sin. Do you practice or accept this sin? You shouldn’t according to God.

This list also included being covetous. Actually, every person commits this sin sometime in their life. The root word implies lust for or a very strong desire for something anything other than God. If we seriously examine ourselves, we all have those things that we set as a priority over pursuing God. These things take our attention off of God. That is sin in God’s eyes. Have you repented for that sin?

Idolatry is the worship of other things. Those things take the place of God in our lives. And yes, it is true, Christians can worship God at church but worship other things the rest of the time. Is God your highest priority all of the time? Or do you focus on other things as well?

Remember, God said Christians that commit these sins should be removed from the fellowship. Do you have pet gods? This includes revilers, drunkards, and extortioners. God does not want sin at your church. It is true you can hide your sin from other believers, that does not mean you can hide it from God. As we examine ourselves is there anything in your life that has not been confessed?

Here is a clip from Paul Washer’s sermon on why Christians must abstain from sexual immorality. He goes on to say that true love for God and for others will lead to sexual purity.

Night And Day Fellowship

By Michael Heilman | November 24, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Bible Verse: Acts 20:31 (NKJV)

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears.”

Reflection and Challenge

Over the years I have come to the realization that as Christians, we are part of God’s family. Thus other believers are our brothers and sisters. In one way or another, we have a relationship with every other believer that we come in contact with.

Like any other relationship, it takes work. The Bible is described as spiritual food from God to help us grow into mature Christians. Doesn’t that imply we need a daily personal relationship with God? Do you spend time with God regularly?

But on top of that, since we all have a spiritual relationship with all other believers, how much work do you put into those relationships? God has given us a purpose or a ministry. Pastors are not the only ministers. You are too. Many people think that their ministry should only need to be one, two, or three times a week.

Acts 20:31 says otherwise. Paul was teaching these believers every day for three years. That is a real relationship. Spending time together fellowshipping and encouraging one another.

So many people desire to have a church like it was in the first century but then won’t put the effort required for it. These believers did not go to a church building every day. Paul was going to their homes every day to encourage them. Spending time together.

Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Actually, that is the biblical definition of church. Matthew 18:17 even uses the word church to describe a body of believers. Church can happen anywhere at any time.

It is true that God has given different ministries to different people, but I always wonder how many even know what their ministries are. Do you know what your ministries are?

Paul shed tears over these believers. He put a lot of effort to warn them against false doctrine and to teach them what is right. He was personally invested in the lives of these believers. It is completely shameful that pastors and the congregation put zero effort in their relationships from Monday to Saturday.

Why? Is it possible that we have a very SELF-centered materialistic life that we forget about the relationships that truly matter – our brothers and sisters in the Lord? Why don’t we love each other enough to care about the spiritual health of other Christians? Not just to browbeat them with a Bible over sin, but genuine concern for their spiritual well being.

Do you have a Night and Day relationship with other believers?

How to Live as Citizens of Heaven

By Michael Heilman | November 16, 2018 | Comments 2 comments

Bible Verse: Philippians 1:27 (KJV)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ; that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith if the gospel.”

Reflection & Challenge

This verse is not as straightforward as you might think. In this context, the word conversation has nothing to do with what you say. It actually means what you do or your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle speaks volumes about who you are. Since as a Christian, Jesus saved us and is changing who we actually are. It is called sanctification. Since we are progressively being changed by the Holy Spirit, our lifestyle should be changing as well.

As this verse is saying, does your lifestyle preach the gospel to the unsaved world? Do you act different from unsaved people or are you just like them? Throughout the Bible, God tells us ways how we can act differently from the world. We just need to go find those verses.

For instance, Philippians 2:3 mentions how Christians should esteem others over themselves. Do you do that? Philippians 2:7 reminds us of how Christ, the Creator of all, took the form of a servant. Do you serve others?

Unsaved people murmur or complain all the time. Philippians 2:17 reinforces that we can be different from the world by not complaining. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do needs to be done for the glory of God.

*Related Article: Bible Study – The Great Commission

If your life is a sacrifice to God, you will work hard at everything you do. Do you? Matthew 28:19-20 tells us we need to go into the world and give the gospel to as many people as possible and disciple new believers. Do you know how to give the gospel, nonetheless have you done it? The point is, our lifestyle should radiate the gospel, not just with our words, but our actions as well. Does yours?