Chris' posts from Holy Devoted

May 26, 2015

Good morning Everyone, and Happy Monday! Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but I also know that for many of us following a holiday weekend, it is a Monday.

Stella is commuting to Dallas this week so I will fill in for her when she doesn't have the chance to make a post.

A couple things that God takes seriously: His Word, and You. I intended to cover both today but it would have run very long, so I'll cover His Word today, and You tomorrow. In the Sermon on the Mount, at Matthew 5:18 we glimpse some of seriousness about His word. "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." -NKJV

The phrase jot and tittle refers to the Hebrew alphabet. A jot or "Yote" is the 10th letter and is the smallest by far, it is merely the slightest touch of pen to paper. It equates to the letter "Y", is the first letter of God's Holy Name, YHWH, and carries the idea of God's forever-presence. Finally, the greek equivalent is "iota".

A tittle is the decorative little swish or crown that sometimes occurs on Hebrew letters. They also carry great meaning, can change the tone of a word, and can change the emphasis entirely.

That Christ tells us not a jot or tittle will pass away till all is fulfilled, is a message of hope for us that God is not done with this world yet, He's not done with us yet.

The Sermon on the Mount is quite beautiful and great hope and assurance can be found there.

Matthew 5:14-16New King James Version (NKJV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Have a Wonderful Day!

Chris Carsten

May 27, 2015

My apologies for such a late post today.
Yesterday we saw a few things regarding how important God's Word is to Him. Today let's look at how important You and I are to Him.

First of all, we know that Christ is named the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world" - 1Peter 1:20. The only reason for our Savior to die was to pay the redemption price for you, me and all of creation. God knew sin would taint our race, and we are important enough to Him that He paid the price... BEFORE the debt ever occured!

Because God is in the business of restoring our relationship with Himself we are blest to find that Christ's resurrection not only set us free from the DEBT of sin, not only secured for us ETERNAL LIFE with our Heavenly Father, but ALSO made available to us the power to overcome temptation and avoid sin as we walk through this life! Billy Graham once wrote this:

"No longer do men and women need to stumble in the fog and the darkness of hopelessness. A Light shines brighter than the noonday sun, offering hope to everyone who has been born again. Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26)." 

The Spirit of Christ within us gives us the power to do good works that point people to God. His power at work within us, is the same power God used to raise Christ from the dead:

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. -Romans 8:11 NKJV

Have a blest day !

May 28, 2015 

Good morning everyone,

I'd like us to see today what is probably the one thing that God is MOST serious about. His Name. The story has come down through generations that the scribes of old held God's Name in such high esteem that when they were diligently making copies of the Torah, when they came to God's most personal name, YHWH, no one man would put His whole name down on parchment. Furthermore, and still today, they would avoid speaking His Name and in common writings would write something like "G*d". They considered that God's holiness extended to His personal name.

To us that might sound a little weird, but remember we're talking about the Creator of Everything ever created - and actually they would be right.

Pastor Kris Segrest, in his book "Spreading His Fame" ( I highly recommend this) starts with the idea that not only is God worthy of all praise, He actually does things in order to gain glory! If we saw another human doing this, then we'd say they were prideful or conceited, as the saying goes, "It ain't bragging if it's true", and with God it's true!

God gains glory by His act of creation, by every act of mercy, by every act of judgment. His name is glorified when we repent of sin and turn to Him. His name is glorified when people act upon the truth of His word. His name is glorified when we do the good works that He has prepared for us to do, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." NKJV

Finally, we are commanded at least twice, to boast in Him.

But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken! - Jeremiah 9:24 NLT

31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. - 1Cor. 1:31 AMP

When you pause to pray today, think on something God has done in your life that you can use to brag on Him about. Have a blest day!

Chris Carsten

May 29, 2015

Good morning everyone,

I was saved in Lubbock, Tx back in December of 1982, at University Baptist Church. I'd been working Third Shift at the Texas Instruments plant out there, and we were so busy that you could have almost all the overtime you could stand. That weekend Stella went to visit her Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Rose several hours away in Clyde, near Abilene.

I decided we needed to get plugged in somewhere, make friends and get active in our new home. Since Stella was Baptist I chose the closest Baptist church to the house and went to check it out.

Long story short - I met The Lord in Lubbock that morning. But then when I went to work that night and shared what had happened to me, I was shocked and dismayed at some of the reactions. Most of the guys were like "That's cool, good for you". But there were two, well-meaning guys from different denominations who proceeded to tell me how I'd gone about it all wrong / Can't be saved until you've been dunked / It has to be done with THESE specific words or it won't stick, etc, etc.

I fully believe these guys meant the best for me, they obviously had strong beliefs and a heart for people, otherwise they'd have just blown it off - "The Baptists got another one", and gone about their business.

As I grew in Christ and began to learn more of God's character, what He loves, what He hates, how He has watched over the integrity of His word, and then experienced answers to prayer, I became convinced of what is called the Assurance of Salvation. Basically it's the understanding that once you've accepted Christ, fully given your heart to Him in faith (Belief so complete that it compels you to action), God transfers you from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light! You no longer belong to satan, you've been bought, once and for all-time, by the Blood of the Lamb.

This doctrine says that nothing you can do - no sin, no running away like Jonah, NOTHING - can ever separate you from His love. You are secure in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13-14New King James Version (NKJV)

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

1 John 5:13New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This Is Written That You May Know
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

If you're going through a rough spot in your walk of faith, remember the words of the Christian singer, Carman: "It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday's on the way!"