Abounding Love Podcast with Former ”Tex” Watson

The ancient Greek word translated "honest" is "Kalos," meaning honest, admirable, fair, honorably. It has to do with conduct. As Christians we need beautiful conduct to "make our truth attractive." We have a new, born-again nature. Our old lying nature has been done away with; and now the Spirit of Truth lives inside of us and needs to come out, "‭. . . providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (2 Corinthians 8:21, KJV). Christians must be honest, but even more than just truth telling; our truth needs to be attractive to God and to others. We must get deception out of all areas of our lives. The apostle Paul wrote: "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates [rejected]. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth" (2 Corinthians 13:7, 8, KJV). We must continue to do what is right, even though we appear as those who do wrong. Since honesty comes from God; where does lying come from?  Jesus told the Pharisees, "‭You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44, NKJV‬).  Satan, the devil, is the father of lies. He continues to try to deceive us. Paul exhorted to  "‭. . .be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:23-25, NKJV‬). We must understand the obligation we have to God and to each other, to speak truthfully; to have a reputation that is pleasant, honorable and attractive. Do you want this? This message could help. Selah!

Let me hear from you - Charles

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In recent episodes, I've taught things on Christian character and this one is on hospitality. In the Old Testament, there is no word translated "hospitality", but it is found in stories which illustrate the concept as a duty one is required to perform. In Genesis 18:1-8, we see Abraham being hospitable to the three angels. Again, in Genesis 19:1-11, we find Lot doing the same, plus there's numerous other such stories. In the New Testament, the Greek word "philoxenia" is found 4x for "hospitality." It's a composite of two words: "Philo" meaning "love" and "Xenia" meaning "a stranger." It literally means "to show love for a stranger." Therefore, in the New Testament hospitality is given, not due to social duty, but out of Christian love. And we find many examples in the Gospels: in Mark chapters 6 and 8, Jesus feeds large groups of people. He is showing hospitality to them. In Luke, Jesus taught to "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (6:38, NKJV). We also see an example in the story of the good Samaritan in Luke, chapter 10. And again in Luke 19:1-11, we find the story of Zacchaeus where he shows hospitality to Jesus. Can we show hospitality to Jesus today? Coming on judgment day, Jesus taught, "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did  to one of the least of these My brethren, you did  to Me'" (Matthew 25:40, NKJV). When we show hospitality, we will be blessed and often not in ways we'd expect: "Therefore, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:20-21, NKJV). I encourage you to listen to this podcast on hospitality, a subject which is often ignored in church teachings.

Let me hear from you - Charles

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This message is based on one particular verse, Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (NKJV). We are to be kind, act tenderly towards others, and be forgiving [See episode 352 - How To Forgive]. We are to be this way because God is this way. We have been given a new nature - a divine nature (2 Peter 1:4); born again of incorruptible seed, through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23). We are to renew our mind with God's Word (Ephesians 4:23, 24), which empowers us to be kind. Simply, we show kindness because God's loving-kindness is within us. The Israelites cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God, ". . . But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them" (Nehemiah 9:17c, NKJV). They stated emphatically the nature of God in these verses, and we are to manifest His nature. In 2 Corinthians 6, verses 4 through 10, we are told, how as ministers of God, we are to overcome the difficulties we face ". . . by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true . . ." (vv. 6-8). Kindness is one of the ways we prevail. It's an attribute of love, and as Christians, we are to be known by our love. I encourage you to listen to this message and see how important this understanding is to your walk as a Christian. May it help you to look for opportunities to be kind when the world is being harsh and unforgiving.

Let me hear from you - Charles

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In this episode, we're going to be talking about how to be set free. Isaiah prophesied, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?" (58:6, NKJV). The bonds have been loosed, the burdens removed. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8, NKJV). Once we allowed the Lord to rule our life, we defeated the works of the devil and were set free from every yolk of bondage by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Demons used to keep us involved with the wrong people, hanging out at the wrong places and doing the wrong things but, when we put our faith in Christ, we were released from the bondage of sin. You can also be in bondage to the traditions of men, ". . . making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do” (Mark 7:13, NKJV). We become tied up in religious traditions which often change with time, but God's Word [Truth] never changes. Many are caught up in doctrines which don't line up with the Word of God. John wrote that ". . . Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'" (John 8:31-32, NKJV). Free from the bondage of religious traditions, plus the current beliefs of society which seek to do away with sin, saying what is wrong is okay and what is right is to be dismissed. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). Also in Christ, we are set free even from death, ". . . that through death, He [Jesus] might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14, NKJV). Seek to be set free as the Lord intended!

Let me hear from you - Charles

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As we live our lives in Christ, the Holy Spirit compels us to please God, our Heavenly Father. We want to please Him more and more. The one person Who pleased the Father more than any other is Jesus. "Then Jesus said to them, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am and I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him'" (John 8:28, 29, NKJV). Jesus relied on pleasing the Father as a direction for His actions. He speaks those things that the Father taught Him. That's how we can please the Father, by sharing the Gospel, speaking those things the Father has taught us. When we become born again, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] lives inside us and through Him we come into agreement with God's Word and our actions follow. Our actions become pleasing to God. And, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7, NKJV). When we please God the Father, others are pleased by us as well. "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22, NKJV). When we obey God's Word, this pleases the Father and our prayers are more effective as well. Finally, there is this: "But 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. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5, 6, NKJV). Like Enoch, it should be our desire to please God the Father in every area of our life. Are you living a life pleasing to God? Would you like to? This message could help!

Let me hear from you - Charles

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The first half of this message was episode #239A - "The Call of God." I now continue by presenting eight  things we are to practice in order to be used by God. They are summarized as follows.

1. We must be willing to be used by God. "Then He [Jesus] said to His disciples, 'The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" (Matthew 9:37,38, NKJV). In other words, we must be willing to let God work through us as He wills in order to bring in the harvest.

Let me hear from you - Charles

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In Isaiah 6:8, we read: "Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me'" (NKJV).  Isaiah was called to give the people a choice: to hear the Word of God and live; or reject the Word of God and face His wrath. We are called to deliver a similar message: Receive God's Word [Jesus] and accept His salvation; or reject it and be left to God's wrath. God gave His Word to Prophets, to Kings and leaders, and now He has given it to us, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We become equipped to share it with others. Matthew wrote: "But when He [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is truly  plentiful, but the laborers  few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" (Matthew 9:36-38, NKJV). Are you willing to answer the call of Jesus? The apostle Paul wrote: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 NKJV).  Because of Christ's love, we are "compelled" to live for Him, sharing His grace with others. The number one commission for us as believers is to win souls. We are joined in union with Jesus Christ in this mission. We no longer live for ourselves, which brings us to the main point: To answer the call of God, we must be willing. Are you willing?

Let me hear from you - Charles  

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In the first part of the message, I taught on two ways to grow Spiritually: READ GOD'S WORD and PRAY. I begin this second part with the third way: FELLOWSHIP. This,  by definition, means we are to share things in common, to have communion with and to be partners with those possessing eternal life -- salvation. The apostle John wrote: " . . .that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3, NKJV).  Fellowship is not just for Sunday, but for everyday. We declare what we have seen and heard. Fellowship helps us to be an effective witness, which is the fourth way we grow Spiritually through our WITNESS. As Jesus commanded the disciples [and us]: " . . .But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1: 8, NKJV). We receive "power" Spiritually in order to make us effective witnesses for Christ even in the face of persecution. The fourth way we grow Spiritually is through PRAISING GOD. Throughout this second part of the message, I quote numerous Scriptures which need little explanation. That we are to fellowship and witness are repeated themes. But there are so many verses about the need for and the benefits of praising God, I couldn't possibly use them all. For example, the last two verses in Luke: "And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen" (Luke 24:52, 53, NKJV). This was the pattern for the early church, to praise God continually. And Psalm 113:3, "From the rising of the sun to its going down the LORD’s name is to be praised" (NKJV). All these five ways outlined in the messages serve to increase our Spiritual growth and make us able to be used effectively.

Let me hear from you - Charles  

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This episode is the first of two parts in a series on 5 ways we can grow Spiritually: 1) Read God's Word; 2) Pray, talk to God; 3) Fellowship; 4) Witness; and 5) Praise God. Remember, our spirit is born again when we receive Christ. We needed to be born again because our spirit was corrupted by the original sin of Adam and Eve. Although our spirit has been made anew, we need to grow in spiritual understanding in the soul. Man is made up of spirit, soul [mind, will and emotions] and body. A fleshly mindset causes worldly actions, but a Spiritual mindset brings forth Spiritual actions. As believers, we are allowed by the Word and the Spirit to know and understand the thoughts of the Lord (Luke 24:45). As we change through renewing the mind, we take on the actions of Jesus. READ GOD'S WORD: It builds our faith, and then, we begin to act as God wants us to act. When tempted by the devil,  Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4, NKJV). We need a constant relationship with the Word of God; meditating on it, being a ". . .doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22, NKJV). If you hear the Word of God and don't do it, you are defeating yourself. PRAY: We grow spiritually by praying. We must pray using our knowledge of God's Word. We pray the Word with thanksgiving. We pray by faith in the Word of God and the faith it brings. We pray in confidence because we are children of God who enters the throne room boldly (Hebrews 4:16). In prayer, we acknowledge all we received through Christ. Jesus found the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41, NKJV). Jesus is talking about our willing spirit and prayer. We are to pray in the Spirit for each other. This message is about the ways we can do this. Selah!

Let me hear from you - Charles  

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Our flesh opposes our spiritual, born-again nature and vice versa. "The fruit of the Spirit is love." Only as we walk in love can we fulfill the will of God in our lives, and it is manifested in joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This message is based upon the following verses: "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts [sets its desire] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16-25, NKJV). We have power over the flesh, through the Holy Spirit filling our heart with God's love. Verses 19-21 lists 17 evil works of the flesh or temptations we have to deal with, which work against the Spirit. But in verses 22-23, we are given the fruit of the Spirit to overcome the flesh. Not only are we to live in the Spirit, but we must also walk in the Spirit. They are not the same. Walking in the Spirit is a way of life. We are to walk in the attributes described in the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22, 23). Join me in this message as I teach on what this means for us to walk in the Spirit.

Let me hear from you - Charles  

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