It is easy to think "If I could just get a new car, a bigger house, a better job, or more money, then I'll be happy." We tend to view happiness as a commodity attainable by wealth. However, as the old saying goes, "money cannot buy happiness."
Indeed, no amount of money or things will ever give you lasting joy or contentment; that's because joy and contentment are not based on circumstances. Therefore, if you're not content with what you have, you won't be content with what you want.
Although at first it may seem difficult, it is very possible to be content even during harsh circumstances. Paul said, in Philippians 4:11-12, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
In those two verses, Paul is saying that he could be content—that is, have joy—regardless of his circumstances. Joy should not be dependent on circumstances; it should be present regardless of them.
When Paul said that he could be content "in any and every situation," he truly meant everything—even the tough times of testing. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, he lists some of the tough times that he has endured: "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."
Even in all these things, Paul had "learned to be content." Clearly, it's not our circumstances that steal our joy. You, too, can learn "to be content whatever the circumstances."
Stop thinking that you will have joy after you buy a new house, after you get married, after you buy a better car, after your in-laws treat you right. Don't put off joy until after everything goes your way; decide to have joy now! For you can have joy whatever the circumstances!
Life transformation is rooted in mind transformation.
Where your mind goes, your actions follow. Whatever you think about will dictate your behavior, your attitude, and (ultimately) your direction in life. Your thoughts are sort of like a rudder—they steer the rest of your body.
Considering the influence of your mind on your life, it's no surprise Paul emphasizes that in order for our lives to be changed by Christ our thoughts must first be changed by Him: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). How are we to be transformed? By renewing (changing, refocusing) our minds so that they reflect the mind of Christ.
If our minds are so important, then it's quite understandable that the devil would fight to gain a foothold in our thoughts. Paul writes, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
What better place for the devil to attack people than in their minds? As thunder follows lighting, so actions follow thoughts. And if Satan can turn your thoughts against God, your actions will assuredly follow.
Therefore, it's imperative that you set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). And when you focus your mind on God, it's only a matter of time before your actions, your passions, your attitudes—your whole life—become focused on God.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.
What are you praying for? Are you asking God to give you more stuff--a bigger house, a new car, a bigger salary? What you pray for indicates what is important to you.
It is a great lesson to examine what the people in the Bible prayed for.
King David, in Psalm 27:4, prayed, One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. He asked God for just one thing: that he would dwell in God's presence. David clearly knew that in God's presence he would receive everything he needed (see Matthew 6:33).
Paul also didn't pray for worldly things. Instead, in Philippians 1:9, Paul prayed that the church would walk in love: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. Paul knew the importance of love, and so he made it a point to pray that the church would grow more and more in love.
Furthermore, he prayed that believers would be strengthened spiritually: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16).
In short, your prayers can tell what you consider to be important. If you are only praying for worldly stuff, then you are neglecting what is of lasting value: knowing God, dwelling in His presence, walking in His love, and being strong spiritually.
Therefore, decide to adjust what you're praying for. Learn to listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.
Pain is God's megaphone.
When life is going well, it can be easy to forget God. So, sometimes God will use painful circumstances -- difficulties, trials, and troubles -- to get our attention and remind us of our need for Him.
In James 1:2-4, we are instructed to rejoice in trials: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Why are trials good for us? Because they make us more mature -- that is, closer to God. So, when you feel the pain of life know that God is with you.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
It is a great lesson to examine what the people in the Bible prayed for.
King David, in Psalm 27:4, prayed, One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. He asked God for just one thing: that he would dwell in God's presence. David clearly knew that in God's presence he would receive everything he needed (see Matthew 6:33).
Paul also didn't pray for worldly things. Instead, in Philippians 1:9, Paul prayed that the church would walk in love: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. Paul knew the importance of love, and so he made it a point to pray that the church would grow more and more in love.
Furthermore, he prayed that believers would be strengthened spiritually: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16).
In short, your prayers can tell what you consider to be important. If you are only praying for worldly stuff, then you are neglecting what is of lasting value: knowing God, dwelling in His presence, walking in His love, and being strong spiritually.
Therefore, decide to adjust what you're praying for. Learn to listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.
Pain is God's megaphone.
When life is going well, it can be easy to forget God. So, sometimes God will use painful circumstances -- difficulties, trials, and troubles -- to get our attention and remind us of our need for Him.
In James 1:2-4, we are instructed to rejoice in trials: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Why are trials good for us? Because they make us more mature -- that is, closer to God. So, when you feel the pain of life know that God is with you.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Love unexpressed is not love at all.
In John 13:34-35, Jesus instructed us—His followers—to love others: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." As Christians, learning to walk in love should be a very high priority.
Unfortunately, we often love others only superficially—that is, we talk love, but don't live love. James 2:15-16 addresses this problem: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"
If you say that you love someone, but don't express it by what you do, then that "love" is worthless. Indeed, it isn't even real love.
Likewise, 1 John 3:17-18 asks, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Here again, we are instructed to love with actions—not just with our mouth.
Follow the instructions of Jesus: love one another. However, remember that real love must be accompanied by actions, because love unexpressed is not love at all.
Everyday things become of little meaning in the face of death.
In Western culture, many people place great value on possessions and on what one owns. This greedy mentality is embodied in the phrase: "He who dies with the most toys wins."
Yet when you die, you can't take anything with you: Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs (Ecclesiastes 5:15). It's no wonder that, when faced with the immediacy of death, one most easily realizes that everyday things are meaningless in the scope of eternity.
In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul lists many reasons why he could boast about himself. Yet, he recognizes that they pale in comparison to eternity, which is why he considers them rubbish in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:9).
All this "stuff" we chase after will be gone. Therefore, make it your aim to live with eternal purpose and invest in eternal things; to spend all you have on what lasts forever.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Unfortunately, we often love others only superficially—that is, we talk love, but don't live love. James 2:15-16 addresses this problem: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"
If you say that you love someone, but don't express it by what you do, then that "love" is worthless. Indeed, it isn't even real love.
Likewise, 1 John 3:17-18 asks, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Here again, we are instructed to love with actions—not just with our mouth.
Follow the instructions of Jesus: love one another. However, remember that real love must be accompanied by actions, because love unexpressed is not love at all.
Everyday things become of little meaning in the face of death.
In Western culture, many people place great value on possessions and on what one owns. This greedy mentality is embodied in the phrase: "He who dies with the most toys wins."
Yet when you die, you can't take anything with you: Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs (Ecclesiastes 5:15). It's no wonder that, when faced with the immediacy of death, one most easily realizes that everyday things are meaningless in the scope of eternity.
In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul lists many reasons why he could boast about himself. Yet, he recognizes that they pale in comparison to eternity, which is why he considers them rubbish in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:9).
All this "stuff" we chase after will be gone. Therefore, make it your aim to live with eternal purpose and invest in eternal things; to spend all you have on what lasts forever.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
If you're too busy to spend time with God, then you're simply too busy.
In the world we live in today, it is very easy to get so incredibly caught up in all of the demands that culture places on us that we don't have any time to spend with God.
However, the fact that so many things compete for every person's time isn't new to the world. Indeed, in Luke 10:38-42, we see the story of how two people responded to this same problem in two very different ways: As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. ...
We see that after Jesus entered the home, He evidently started teaching, and Mary, Martha's sister, stopped what she was doing and listened to Jesus. It's important to realize that Mary didn't know Jesus was coming, and so it certainly wasn't her plan to stop what she was doing and sit at His feet, listening to Him. However, Mary considered hearing from God so important that she altered her schedule to spend time with God.
... But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Here, we see that Martha responded very differently than her sister: she became really busy and caught up in what she was doing -- probably preparing a meal, cleaning the house, or something similar.
When Martha complained to Jesus about how Mary was using her time, Jesus responded: "Martha, Martha, ... you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
One sister was willing to drop everything in order to hear from God; the other was too busy with everyday life in order to spend time with God. Jesus makes it clear that the way Mary chose to use her time was better.
In your life, you need to be willing to use your time like Mary did. Don't let little things steal your time away from what's really important in life. You must realize that there is no lasting value to the "urgent" things many people often allow to interfere with what's truly important. It would not have mattered if Martha hadn't cleaned the house that day.
You need to be willing to let your schedule be altered if knowing God better requires it. Don't be like Martha and get so caught up in life's distractions that you miss Jesus.
You need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
People who live in affluence for all of life they can easily become so accustomed to wealth, blessings, and prosperity that they can easily forget what blessings they actually have. However, if those possessions are taken away, those people will certainly look at life with a new perspective, realizing how much they really had.
You don't realize how much you have until you don't have it anymore.
God knows the importance of balance; that is, the importance of having both blessings and difficulties. There are several scriptures that speak about this balance. For example in 1 Peter 4:13, we are told: Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Notice how we participate both in suffering and in joy.
Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:7, Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. They experienced both suffering and comfort.
Don't become too comfortable with what you have, because when you forget that the things you have are a blessing from God and when you start to assume that they are guaranteed possessions, it is quite possible that God will take them away from you in order to teach you that you need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
However, the fact that so many things compete for every person's time isn't new to the world. Indeed, in Luke 10:38-42, we see the story of how two people responded to this same problem in two very different ways: As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. ...
We see that after Jesus entered the home, He evidently started teaching, and Mary, Martha's sister, stopped what she was doing and listened to Jesus. It's important to realize that Mary didn't know Jesus was coming, and so it certainly wasn't her plan to stop what she was doing and sit at His feet, listening to Him. However, Mary considered hearing from God so important that she altered her schedule to spend time with God.
... But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Here, we see that Martha responded very differently than her sister: she became really busy and caught up in what she was doing -- probably preparing a meal, cleaning the house, or something similar.
When Martha complained to Jesus about how Mary was using her time, Jesus responded: "Martha, Martha, ... you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
One sister was willing to drop everything in order to hear from God; the other was too busy with everyday life in order to spend time with God. Jesus makes it clear that the way Mary chose to use her time was better.
In your life, you need to be willing to use your time like Mary did. Don't let little things steal your time away from what's really important in life. You must realize that there is no lasting value to the "urgent" things many people often allow to interfere with what's truly important. It would not have mattered if Martha hadn't cleaned the house that day.
You need to be willing to let your schedule be altered if knowing God better requires it. Don't be like Martha and get so caught up in life's distractions that you miss Jesus.
You need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
People who live in affluence for all of life they can easily become so accustomed to wealth, blessings, and prosperity that they can easily forget what blessings they actually have. However, if those possessions are taken away, those people will certainly look at life with a new perspective, realizing how much they really had.
You don't realize how much you have until you don't have it anymore.
God knows the importance of balance; that is, the importance of having both blessings and difficulties. There are several scriptures that speak about this balance. For example in 1 Peter 4:13, we are told: Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Notice how we participate both in suffering and in joy.
Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:7, Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. They experienced both suffering and comfort.
Don't become too comfortable with what you have, because when you forget that the things you have are a blessing from God and when you start to assume that they are guaranteed possessions, it is quite possible that God will take them away from you in order to teach you that you need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Private obedience leads to public blessings.
The Bible promises that if we obey God, then He will bless us. In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Moses told the Israelites, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God." The next fifteen verses list all sorts of blessings that God will give His people.
It sounds really good to be radically blessed, but notice that there is a condition: you must "fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands."
Obedience can be difficult, but if you consistently obey God in secret, then "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:4).
You may freely choose between obedience and disobedience, but know that "a man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7).
Obey the Lord in all things—private and public. Then you will see "all these blessings ... come upon you."
If you want true life, you must have the Word of Life.
To many people, physical life is deemed to be the measure of whether or not one has life. However, true life—spiritual life—requires more than a beating heart. That's because we are spiritually hungry and thirsty people constantly looking for answers to life's persistent problems. Often, we look to idols like education, money, and success for those answers. However, real solutions for real life come only from the Author of Life—God, himself.
True life—the type so many people hunger and thirst for—can only be found in Christ. In John 6:35, Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Obviously, Jesus isn't talking about physical hunger; instead, He is talking about spiritual hunger.
Not only will Jesus satisfy your spiritual hunger, but He will also quench your spiritual thirst: "To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Revelation 21:6).
That verse refers back to Isaiah 55:1-2, where God says, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."
Therefore, stop trying to seek worldly things for satisfaction, because worldly pleasures are temporary. Instead, heed the advice of Isaiah 55:6: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."
God is the source of all life, and if you want true life, you must have God's Word of Life.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
It sounds really good to be radically blessed, but notice that there is a condition: you must "fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands."
Obedience can be difficult, but if you consistently obey God in secret, then "your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:4).
You may freely choose between obedience and disobedience, but know that "a man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7).
Obey the Lord in all things—private and public. Then you will see "all these blessings ... come upon you."
If you want true life, you must have the Word of Life.
To many people, physical life is deemed to be the measure of whether or not one has life. However, true life—spiritual life—requires more than a beating heart. That's because we are spiritually hungry and thirsty people constantly looking for answers to life's persistent problems. Often, we look to idols like education, money, and success for those answers. However, real solutions for real life come only from the Author of Life—God, himself.
True life—the type so many people hunger and thirst for—can only be found in Christ. In John 6:35, Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Obviously, Jesus isn't talking about physical hunger; instead, He is talking about spiritual hunger.
Not only will Jesus satisfy your spiritual hunger, but He will also quench your spiritual thirst: "To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Revelation 21:6).
That verse refers back to Isaiah 55:1-2, where God says, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."
Therefore, stop trying to seek worldly things for satisfaction, because worldly pleasures are temporary. Instead, heed the advice of Isaiah 55:6: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."
God is the source of all life, and if you want true life, you must have God's Word of Life.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
People listen to people who listen.
Far too often, many Christians view evangelism as a game involving "me," the Christian, vs. "you," the non-Christian. However, reaching unbelievers effectively usually requires working with them in order to develop a relationship based on trust, and any relationship requires listening to the other person in order to find out where they are spiritually and emotionally. When you authentically listen to others, they will genuinely listen to you.
In Romans 12:10, Paul writes, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. To honor other people means respecting them, which includes listening to them. In fact, simply by listening attentively to someone you show that you care about that person: you place value on them.
Remember, people listen to people who listen. The power of sin's promises is broken by the power of God's promise.
Sin's power is rooted in its promise of satisfaction. You're compelled to a one night stand because it promises quick joy without the hard work of a committed relationship. You're drawn to gossip about your ex-spouse because it promises the instant gratification of revenge. You're tempted to be greedy and not give to the poor because it affords you the comfort of buying more for yourself.
We sin not out of duty but out of hope for happiness. (We wouldn't sin if we didn't think we stood to gain something by sinning.) In other words, sin's power is in its promise of happiness.
Sin, which leads to death (Romans 6:16), will continue to enslave us as long as we believe that sin provides greater joy than righteousness, which leads to life.
The breakthrough over sin comes when we realize who God promises to make us if we trust in him.
In contrast to sin, God promises us much greater joy and satisfaction in him than in sin. When we receive Christ and are born again, our eyes are opened and our desires transformed. God makes immense promises to those who are born again. Specifically, in Christ we are made righteous (Romans 5:19), dead to sin (Romans 6:11), given eternal life (Romans 6:23 and John 3:15), not condemned (Romans 8:1), sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2), made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22), made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19), clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27), immeasurably blessed (Ephesians 1:3), forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), and made the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). What an awesome set of promises given by God! All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands against what sin promises to be for us without him.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
In Romans 12:10, Paul writes, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. To honor other people means respecting them, which includes listening to them. In fact, simply by listening attentively to someone you show that you care about that person: you place value on them.
Remember, people listen to people who listen. The power of sin's promises is broken by the power of God's promise.
Sin's power is rooted in its promise of satisfaction. You're compelled to a one night stand because it promises quick joy without the hard work of a committed relationship. You're drawn to gossip about your ex-spouse because it promises the instant gratification of revenge. You're tempted to be greedy and not give to the poor because it affords you the comfort of buying more for yourself.
We sin not out of duty but out of hope for happiness. (We wouldn't sin if we didn't think we stood to gain something by sinning.) In other words, sin's power is in its promise of happiness.
Sin, which leads to death (Romans 6:16), will continue to enslave us as long as we believe that sin provides greater joy than righteousness, which leads to life.
The breakthrough over sin comes when we realize who God promises to make us if we trust in him.
In contrast to sin, God promises us much greater joy and satisfaction in him than in sin. When we receive Christ and are born again, our eyes are opened and our desires transformed. God makes immense promises to those who are born again. Specifically, in Christ we are made righteous (Romans 5:19), dead to sin (Romans 6:11), given eternal life (Romans 6:23 and John 3:15), not condemned (Romans 8:1), sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2), made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22), made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19), clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27), immeasurably blessed (Ephesians 1:3), forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), and made the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). What an awesome set of promises given by God! All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands against what sin promises to be for us without him.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Do you lack the unity in community?
All Christians share a common bond—a belief in Jesus. But unfortunately that bond is often overlooked or damaged by strife and discord.
However, the Bible instructs Christians to live in harmony with one another and to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another (Romans 12:16, Colossians 3:13). This need for love, harmony, and forgiveness is important because we, as Christians, cannot be an effective community without unity—and that means helping each other, forgiving each other, and walking in love with one another.
Galatians 6:2 says, Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. This means that if we help each other—in other words, walk in love—then we, as Christians, will fulfill Christ's law, which is to love one another (see John 13:34-35). Any Christian community must have unity.
Watering down God's wrath dilutes God's love.
In an effort to make the Gospel more seeker-friendly, some Christians avoid talking about God's wrath, anger, and hatred toward those who have sinned against him. By watering down the wrath of God such people cheapen and diminish the love of God.
Such a faith void of God's wrath was characterized in the early 1900s by a movement called Protestant Liberalism. In 1937, H. Richard Niebuhr, professor at Yale Divinity School, gave this description of Protestant Liberalism's theology: "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a Christ without a cross."
As Niebuhr pungently demonstrated, eliminating God's wrath minimizes the cross, which is the ultimate manifestation of God's love (see Romans 5:6-8).
Because God is holy, perfect, and sinless, he deserves all glory, honor, fame, praise, and exaltation. However, when we sin—and every one of us sins—we insult God's holiness. Sin is fundamentally an offense against God, and so he hates sin and punishes all who sin against him (see Psalm 78:19-21, John 3:36, Psalm 5:5, Isaiah 13:11, Psalm 7:11).
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:18-19, describes the ubiquity of God's wrath: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of human beings who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them" (see also Romans 1:18-31).
So, if we all are godless and wicked, deserving of God's wrath, how can he accept us? Does God say, "Well, at least you're making progress"? Does he grade on the curve: "You're better than average, so I guess I'll give you a passing grade"? No. God can't forgive like that because his holiness and justice demand that perfect satisfaction for sin be made.
Instead, what God does is this: He sends his son, Jesus Christ, to bear all our sins so that our sin is paid for by Christ. What an amazing act that the very one who you hated, scorned, reviled, and scoffed at is the same one who took upon himself the death penalty you deserved, and because all your sins are placed on him God declares you righteous. That's good news!
If you don't realize that the bad news is that you, because of your sin, are an enemy of God who deserves the death penalty, then you won't realize the full magnificence of God's love for you expressed through Christ suffering the death you deserved. Because the bad news is worse than you think it is, the good news is better than you think it is.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
However, the Bible instructs Christians to live in harmony with one another and to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another (Romans 12:16, Colossians 3:13). This need for love, harmony, and forgiveness is important because we, as Christians, cannot be an effective community without unity—and that means helping each other, forgiving each other, and walking in love with one another.
Galatians 6:2 says, Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. This means that if we help each other—in other words, walk in love—then we, as Christians, will fulfill Christ's law, which is to love one another (see John 13:34-35). Any Christian community must have unity.
Watering down God's wrath dilutes God's love.
In an effort to make the Gospel more seeker-friendly, some Christians avoid talking about God's wrath, anger, and hatred toward those who have sinned against him. By watering down the wrath of God such people cheapen and diminish the love of God.
Such a faith void of God's wrath was characterized in the early 1900s by a movement called Protestant Liberalism. In 1937, H. Richard Niebuhr, professor at Yale Divinity School, gave this description of Protestant Liberalism's theology: "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a Christ without a cross."
As Niebuhr pungently demonstrated, eliminating God's wrath minimizes the cross, which is the ultimate manifestation of God's love (see Romans 5:6-8).
Because God is holy, perfect, and sinless, he deserves all glory, honor, fame, praise, and exaltation. However, when we sin—and every one of us sins—we insult God's holiness. Sin is fundamentally an offense against God, and so he hates sin and punishes all who sin against him (see Psalm 78:19-21, John 3:36, Psalm 5:5, Isaiah 13:11, Psalm 7:11).
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:18-19, describes the ubiquity of God's wrath: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of human beings who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them" (see also Romans 1:18-31).
So, if we all are godless and wicked, deserving of God's wrath, how can he accept us? Does God say, "Well, at least you're making progress"? Does he grade on the curve: "You're better than average, so I guess I'll give you a passing grade"? No. God can't forgive like that because his holiness and justice demand that perfect satisfaction for sin be made.
Instead, what God does is this: He sends his son, Jesus Christ, to bear all our sins so that our sin is paid for by Christ. What an amazing act that the very one who you hated, scorned, reviled, and scoffed at is the same one who took upon himself the death penalty you deserved, and because all your sins are placed on him God declares you righteous. That's good news!
If you don't realize that the bad news is that you, because of your sin, are an enemy of God who deserves the death penalty, then you won't realize the full magnificence of God's love for you expressed through Christ suffering the death you deserved. Because the bad news is worse than you think it is, the good news is better than you think it is.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Anything you have to hide to do is probably something you shouldn't be doing at all.
It can be difficult to find people of integrity, because so many people make mediocre compromises. At work, such people take every shortcut possible in order to finish the task as quickly as possible, even though they do a terrible job in the process. At school, mediocre people copy homework from friends and copy essays from the Internet just in order to avoid work while hoping to get a good grade, even though they're cheating and don't learn the material.
Unfortunately, many of the people who lack integrity are Christians. Yet, this is clearly not how God wants us to live. He desires that we be people of integrity.
Integrity means doing what is right when no one is looking, and it means going the extra mile, knowing that God sees everything and that what he sees in secret he will reward in the open (Matthew 6:4,6,18). Jesus told his disciples, "What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" (Luke 12:3).
Whatever you do now, even if it is hidden from others, will be brought out into the open and made public. If you are wondering whether or not to do something, consider whether or not you'd be willing to do it in front of your boss, your teacher, your parents, or your pastor. If you have to hide what you're doing to feel comfortable, then there's a good chance you shouldn't be doing it at all.
Wrath and love fuse on the Cross.
God is a just and righteous God -- perfect (see Deuteronomy 32:4). God, therefore, can not let imperfect, sinful humans into his presence. In his justice, God gives every person the fair penalty for his or her sin -- eternal separation from the holy God.
God is also a God of wrath -- holy wrath against sin. As Romans 1:18 says, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. That wrath is against all who have sinned.
However, God is also a loving God (1 John 4:8). Indeed, God demonstrated his self-giving love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8).
These two key attributes of God -- holy wrath and love -- fuse on the Cross. For that's where God shows his love by satisfying his holy wrath in order to provide a path for sinful humans to know the holy God.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Unfortunately, many of the people who lack integrity are Christians. Yet, this is clearly not how God wants us to live. He desires that we be people of integrity.
Integrity means doing what is right when no one is looking, and it means going the extra mile, knowing that God sees everything and that what he sees in secret he will reward in the open (Matthew 6:4,6,18). Jesus told his disciples, "What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" (Luke 12:3).
Whatever you do now, even if it is hidden from others, will be brought out into the open and made public. If you are wondering whether or not to do something, consider whether or not you'd be willing to do it in front of your boss, your teacher, your parents, or your pastor. If you have to hide what you're doing to feel comfortable, then there's a good chance you shouldn't be doing it at all.
Wrath and love fuse on the Cross.
God is a just and righteous God -- perfect (see Deuteronomy 32:4). God, therefore, can not let imperfect, sinful humans into his presence. In his justice, God gives every person the fair penalty for his or her sin -- eternal separation from the holy God.
God is also a God of wrath -- holy wrath against sin. As Romans 1:18 says, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. That wrath is against all who have sinned.
However, God is also a loving God (1 John 4:8). Indeed, God demonstrated his self-giving love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8).
These two key attributes of God -- holy wrath and love -- fuse on the Cross. For that's where God shows his love by satisfying his holy wrath in order to provide a path for sinful humans to know the holy God.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Proud people are so proud about their supposed humility that they won't seek any help.
Pride can be blinding. It is possible to become so prideful and haughty that a person doesn't even recognize his or her own pride.
Such pride leads to disgrace: When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).
Likewise, someone who is prideful thinks that he or she knows everything; such a person refuses to receive correction or instruction. Proverbs 13:10 says, Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Furthermore, pride leads to and causes destruction: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). This is because proud people are blinded to reality -- the reality of their sins.
Therefore, admit that you have a problem with pride, because otherwise God will be obligated to show you that you have a pride problem. God may have to humble you by humiliating you.
With all these verses in the Bible warning us not to be prideful, it is no surprise that a man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor (Proverbs 29:23).
The more you doubt, the more you'll have to live without.
Complaining is one of the worst traps that many Christians fall into. A complainer thinks, "I can't stand my boss. If she would only treat me better, I'd be happy. I hate this traffic. Why can the government improve traffic flow with all the tax money I pay?" This is a deceptive trap because it leads one to believe that life would be better if something would be different. However, it is far more productive for to believe that God can change the situation than to doubt him.
This trap of complaining is the same trap that the Israelites fell into. They were not satisfied with what God had given them and they continually wanted more. Psalm 106:12-15 is a great example of what happens to people who are unthankful and always want more: Then they [Israel] believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
That passage refers the Israelites' persistent request for food, water, and other basic resources. They didn't trust God; they doubted his ability to provide and tested him. So, because of their doubt, God sent a wasting disease upon them. Furthermore, for forty years God withheld the promised land from them. Their doubt caused them to live without.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Such pride leads to disgrace: When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).
Likewise, someone who is prideful thinks that he or she knows everything; such a person refuses to receive correction or instruction. Proverbs 13:10 says, Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Furthermore, pride leads to and causes destruction: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). This is because proud people are blinded to reality -- the reality of their sins.
Therefore, admit that you have a problem with pride, because otherwise God will be obligated to show you that you have a pride problem. God may have to humble you by humiliating you.
With all these verses in the Bible warning us not to be prideful, it is no surprise that a man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor (Proverbs 29:23).
The more you doubt, the more you'll have to live without.
Complaining is one of the worst traps that many Christians fall into. A complainer thinks, "I can't stand my boss. If she would only treat me better, I'd be happy. I hate this traffic. Why can the government improve traffic flow with all the tax money I pay?" This is a deceptive trap because it leads one to believe that life would be better if something would be different. However, it is far more productive for to believe that God can change the situation than to doubt him.
This trap of complaining is the same trap that the Israelites fell into. They were not satisfied with what God had given them and they continually wanted more. Psalm 106:12-15 is a great example of what happens to people who are unthankful and always want more: Then they [Israel] believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
That passage refers the Israelites' persistent request for food, water, and other basic resources. They didn't trust God; they doubted his ability to provide and tested him. So, because of their doubt, God sent a wasting disease upon them. Furthermore, for forty years God withheld the promised land from them. Their doubt caused them to live without.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Let your life match your lip.
There are far too many Christians who live two different lives: one on the inside, another on the outside; one Sunday morning,or Saturday morning another the rest of the week.
Such people are hypocrites, phonies, Christian liars; they live wrong lives. Why? Because they have a wrong heart. We must be very careful that our heart is clean and pure (see Psalm 51:10).
We are told in Matthew 12:34 why our heart is so important: For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, your heart affects your mouth.
Since our lives, and especially our words, are being examined by unbelievers, we must be careful to have a clean heart so that we will have clean words; and if we have clean words, then our lives will show good fruit. In other words, a good (spiritual) heart will bear good fruit.
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:43-45).
Therefore, be careful that your words are clean and pure and that your actions are equally clean and pure so that the world will see that your life matches your lip.
For the one who stores treasures on Earth, death is loss, but for the one who stores treasures in Heaven, death becomes gain.
In his longest sermon, known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" ( Matthew 6:19-20).
Jesus commands us not to store up earthly treasures. Why? Because they're bad? No. Because they won't last!
Jesus makes absolutely clear that all earthly treasures will not last. Either they will leave you while you live, or you will leave them when you die. There are no exceptions.
Jesus tells us not to store up earthly treasures, but amazingly he instead says that we can—indeed, should—store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. It's an amazing concept that we can use our earthly (temporary) treasures in such a way as to assure ourselves heavenly (eternal) treasures.
How can you store up for yourself treasures in heaven? By investing in eternal causes instead of temporary ones—by giving to the poor instead of hording up money for yourself (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 12:33). By putting your treasures into eternal causes you secure for yourself treasures that can never be lost.
Proverbs 23:5 says, Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Next time you buy something you really care about, imagine it sprouting wings and flying off. That will help you keep an eternal perspective, remembering that every earthly treasure is temporary.
When you die, you will lose every treasure that you have stored up on Earth, but when you die, you will also receive every treasure that you have stored up in heaven. In that way, death is a loss for the one who stores up treasures on Earth, but death is a gain for the one who stores up treasures in Heaven.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Such people are hypocrites, phonies, Christian liars; they live wrong lives. Why? Because they have a wrong heart. We must be very careful that our heart is clean and pure (see Psalm 51:10).
We are told in Matthew 12:34 why our heart is so important: For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, your heart affects your mouth.
Since our lives, and especially our words, are being examined by unbelievers, we must be careful to have a clean heart so that we will have clean words; and if we have clean words, then our lives will show good fruit. In other words, a good (spiritual) heart will bear good fruit.
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:43-45).
Therefore, be careful that your words are clean and pure and that your actions are equally clean and pure so that the world will see that your life matches your lip.
For the one who stores treasures on Earth, death is loss, but for the one who stores treasures in Heaven, death becomes gain.
In his longest sermon, known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" ( Matthew 6:19-20).
Jesus commands us not to store up earthly treasures. Why? Because they're bad? No. Because they won't last!
Jesus makes absolutely clear that all earthly treasures will not last. Either they will leave you while you live, or you will leave them when you die. There are no exceptions.
Jesus tells us not to store up earthly treasures, but amazingly he instead says that we can—indeed, should—store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. It's an amazing concept that we can use our earthly (temporary) treasures in such a way as to assure ourselves heavenly (eternal) treasures.
How can you store up for yourself treasures in heaven? By investing in eternal causes instead of temporary ones—by giving to the poor instead of hording up money for yourself (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 12:33). By putting your treasures into eternal causes you secure for yourself treasures that can never be lost.
Proverbs 23:5 says, Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Next time you buy something you really care about, imagine it sprouting wings and flying off. That will help you keep an eternal perspective, remembering that every earthly treasure is temporary.
When you die, you will lose every treasure that you have stored up on Earth, but when you die, you will also receive every treasure that you have stored up in heaven. In that way, death is a loss for the one who stores up treasures on Earth, but death is a gain for the one who stores up treasures in Heaven.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
The dreams of your future have no room for the devastations of your past.
When Aaron, the brother of Moses, died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days (Numbers 20:29). However, after those thirty days, the time of mourning was over, and the Israelites had to move on with life.
There is a great lesson in this: you must push beyond the past in order to enter the future -- a future filled with great things God has planned for you. The Apostle Paul knew this, which is why he wrote, One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).
You may have great dreams for your future, but if you fill your future with junk from your past, then you'll never fulfill your dreams. Therefore, like the Israelites, after a certain period of time, you must decide to forget what is behind and press on toward the things that are ahead.
The storms of life won't harm you if you have deep roots in God.
In Matthew 13:3-6, Jesus told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." One point Jesus makes in this parable is that people without deep roots in God will fall away from faith whenever persecution or trials come on account of the word (see Matthew 13:20-21).
Similarly, Jesus encourages his followers to build their house (i.e. their life) on "the rock" (see Matthew 7:24-27). Even though the wind and storms beat against that house, it did not crumble because it was founded on the rock. If you have deep roots in God, your life will be built on the Rock—Christ. As one hymn says, "On Christ alone I stand, all else is sinking sand."
It is no surprise, then, that Paul encourages believers to be rooted and built up in Christ, strengthened in the faith (Colossians 2:6-7). If you are strengthened in faith, then you won't crack under the pressure of difficult situations because you will be able to dig deeply into the word of God on which you are firmly grounded. Unfortunately, too many Christians have a cracked foundation.
Make it a priority to have deep roots in God so that you will not wither under the heat of life. Invest time into reading and memorizing God's word, praying, and communing with God. Be rooted in God.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
There is a great lesson in this: you must push beyond the past in order to enter the future -- a future filled with great things God has planned for you. The Apostle Paul knew this, which is why he wrote, One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).
You may have great dreams for your future, but if you fill your future with junk from your past, then you'll never fulfill your dreams. Therefore, like the Israelites, after a certain period of time, you must decide to forget what is behind and press on toward the things that are ahead.
The storms of life won't harm you if you have deep roots in God.
In Matthew 13:3-6, Jesus told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." One point Jesus makes in this parable is that people without deep roots in God will fall away from faith whenever persecution or trials come on account of the word (see Matthew 13:20-21).
Similarly, Jesus encourages his followers to build their house (i.e. their life) on "the rock" (see Matthew 7:24-27). Even though the wind and storms beat against that house, it did not crumble because it was founded on the rock. If you have deep roots in God, your life will be built on the Rock—Christ. As one hymn says, "On Christ alone I stand, all else is sinking sand."
It is no surprise, then, that Paul encourages believers to be rooted and built up in Christ, strengthened in the faith (Colossians 2:6-7). If you are strengthened in faith, then you won't crack under the pressure of difficult situations because you will be able to dig deeply into the word of God on which you are firmly grounded. Unfortunately, too many Christians have a cracked foundation.
Make it a priority to have deep roots in God so that you will not wither under the heat of life. Invest time into reading and memorizing God's word, praying, and communing with God. Be rooted in God.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(NAMTAKA YESU NEW VIDEO JIPANGE SAWA SAWA )
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(ROSE MUHANDO NIBEBE NEW VIDEO JIPANGE SAWA SAWA)
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(ROSE MUHANDO - MWAMBINIE MUNGU)
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(Rose Muhando - Nakaza Mwendo )
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(Rose Muhando- Mungu Wangu nitakushukuru )
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Nyimbo Za Kiswahili(Rose Muhando - Yesu Nakupenda )
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
How Does Jesus free us?
As it is written, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
The Way Out of the Darkness!
As it is written,For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
So What is the Cost of sin?
As it is written,
Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things
are worthy of death,
not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things
are worthy of death,
not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
So why do you still say, "I'm basically a good person" ?
Holy Spirit,I ask thee to search my heart on this day, and reveal to me by your power the truth Amen!
When was the last time you said the Lord's name (GOD) in vain?
Have you ever stole anything in your entire life?
Do you desire something that does not belong to you {covet}?
What about Cussing, Lying, Hating, Cheating or just plain simple Lust?If you break any part of the law, you are guilty of breaking it all!!!!!
As it is written, For whosoever shall keep the whole law,and yet offend in any one point, he is guilty of all.
So why do you still say, "I'm basically a good person" ?
As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
When was the last time you said the Lord's name (GOD) in vain?
Have you ever stole anything in your entire life?
Do you desire something that does not belong to you {covet}?
What about Cussing, Lying, Hating, Cheating or just plain simple Lust?If you break any part of the law, you are guilty of breaking it all!!!!!
As it is written, For whosoever shall keep the whole law,and yet offend in any one point, he is guilty of all.
So why do you still say, "I'm basically a good person" ?
As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
Why do you want to be a SLAVE to sin?
As it is written,
If the Son Jesus therefore shall make you free,ye shall be free indeed.For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,they are the sons of God. The Holy Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
A Slave when he failed to please his master, there were fearful consequences that had to be faced. Born out of his slavish fear, however, was one security. When the master specified in detail all of his duties and the slave fulfilled them, he could feel some security and acceptance. It was a security through accomplishment and perfectionism, but the sense of security was always overshadowed by his fears of inadequacy. The slave could perform his service with no love, admiration, or oneness of purpose with his master. That is a spirit of bondage.
A Son serves his father out of a sense of belonging, acceptance, love, and unity of purpose with the father. This son knew that his security and acceptance were dependent upon his relationship rather than his ability and diligence to achieve. His confidence was in the unconditional love of his father. His service was in gratitude for the father's love and sustenance rather than to meet demands of specifics and quotas set by the father. This young man was free from the fears of inadequacy in performance and he was free to exercise himself creatively in a loving relationship expressive of love and joy. This is the spirit of freedom that sons may enjoy.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
If the Son Jesus therefore shall make you free,ye shall be free indeed.For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,they are the sons of God. The Holy Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
A Slave when he failed to please his master, there were fearful consequences that had to be faced. Born out of his slavish fear, however, was one security. When the master specified in detail all of his duties and the slave fulfilled them, he could feel some security and acceptance. It was a security through accomplishment and perfectionism, but the sense of security was always overshadowed by his fears of inadequacy. The slave could perform his service with no love, admiration, or oneness of purpose with his master. That is a spirit of bondage.
A Son serves his father out of a sense of belonging, acceptance, love, and unity of purpose with the father. This son knew that his security and acceptance were dependent upon his relationship rather than his ability and diligence to achieve. His confidence was in the unconditional love of his father. His service was in gratitude for the father's love and sustenance rather than to meet demands of specifics and quotas set by the father. This young man was free from the fears of inadequacy in performance and he was free to exercise himself creatively in a loving relationship expressive of love and joy. This is the spirit of freedom that sons may enjoy.
See Ya Soon,
May God bless you today and forever!
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