In Chapter One of Isaiah, God is speaking to His people, whom at this point in time are wicked in their actions and intents of the heart. He addresses them by stating the facts.....His children come before Him but out of obligation. They are not seeking Him with right motives, their sacrifices are offered solely due to the law for they are not seeking any change in relationship with their Father...they do not want to change their ways but bring the blood offerings because that is what is expected of them.
God was not interested in the blood of the innocent animals then any more than He is interested in it today! He looks at the intent of the heart - the motivation behind our outward actions. The Hebrews were spilling innocent blood without any inclination of looking inward and offering their heart along with the sacrifice. This is wickedness in the sight of a Holy God and unacceptable to the heart of a caring, forgiving Father.
The blood sacrifice is a key theme that runs throughout the entire Bible. Without the shedding of innocent blood, there can be no atonement for our sins/transgressions therefore continued relationship with God is broken. The key word is relationship - defined as 1. a significant connection or similarity between two people, or the state of being related to something else 2. the connection between two or more people or groups and their involvement with one another, especially as regards to the way they behave toward and feel about one another 3. an emotionally close friendship. I'll come back to that in a minute.
In Isaiah, God tells His children that their hands are full of blood and He will not hear them. What this means is that yes, they have brought the blood sacrifice as required for atonement but their hearts are far from acknowledging that they have issues that need mending. They are not offering the sacrifice as a way to restore a close friendship with God, they simply offer it out of obligation without any thought to changing or addressing why the sacrifice is needed in the first place. God's concern is with restoring our relationship....that emotionally close friendship with His children....not with the careless, route actions of His children; He seeks our heart.
After God tells them that their hands are full of blood, He instructs them to wash themselves to make themselves clean....He tells them to cease doing evil and learn to do good. Okay did you catch that! He says stop doing evil but LEARN to do good....we have to learn to do the good; why? because of our fallen nature. We do not need to be instructed in evil doing rather we need to renew our minds in the Way of doing good.
Good is defined as a high quality or standard, either in an absolute scale or in relation to another. Learn is defined as acquiring knowledge of a subject or skill through education or experience. Therefore we are instructed by God to acquire knowledge through our experience (sacrifices) of a higher quality (of life) or higher standard of doing things. His children miss out on the opportunity of acquiring additional knowledge of their Father as well as a higher quality of life simply because they fail to offer their heart along with the sacrifice! God also instructs His children to seek justice...rebuke the oppressor...defend the fatherless..plead for the widow.
After He gives instruction, the Father offers an invitation....."come now and let us reason together" AMAZING The Creator of all things invites the same group of people that have slighted Him to come to Him!
"Come now" here means: to go or walk....could it be that the Creator is inviting His Creation once again to walk with Him in the cool of the day as He did in the Garden?
"Reason" here means: to be in the sunshine (Light), to be clear, to prove-judge-rebuke-decide-correct-convince....God asks us to "walk" with Him and come into the Light to be corrected/convinced....now the question is what are we to be convinced of??? Well, the following verses answer that very question.
God proceeds to tell them that "though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson they shall be as wool. IF you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. BUT if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured by the sword."
Here He tells them that even though they are stained with the consequences of their sin, through their willingness to obey, HE will cleanse them...remember what God told them earlier...He instructed them to wash themselves and make themselves clean....then He invites them to walk with Him as He explains that HE will wash them...how incredible! He corrects their mind-set that their actions, simply "going through the motions" and offering the sacrifice is enough; God makes it clear to them that it is ALL about Him...the only thing they are asked to do is be willing to obey (definition of obey is to be controlled by someone) Another key theme in His Word is obedience....to be obedient is to be willing to carry out instructions, or submitting to somebody's will or authority.
So what does all this mean to us?!?!
God asks us simply to understand that He has provided a way for us to be in continued relationship with Him; this provision has nothing to do with what we can do - our actions - but is solely based on what He has done by offering the innocent blood of Himself as the required sacrifice for the atonement/forgiveness of our sins! All He asks of us is that we be willing or to desire to walk with Him, in the Light of His Truth, and be willing to submit our self to His Will....not our own; to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
We have no blood sacrifice to bring to Him because He has already paid the penalty for our sin with His very own Blood! We have only to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice...to be willing to live this life He gave us for His glory; to submit our will to His and do things His way, which is a higher quality of living.
God asks us to be willing (to desire) and obedient (to hear, to listen, to obey) - in essence He asks us to be willing to carry out His instructions of being Him manifest upon the earth in bodily form once again. We are His body...think about the powerful effect that we collectively could have upon the people here on earth if we simply were an obedient child and listened to His voice and did as Jesus did.....only do as we saw the Father do and only speak what the Father said....
If we would allow our self to "learn" to do good as He instructs then we would be able to rebuke the oppressor...defend the fatherless....plead for the widow....
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Fitness....spiritual that is
Everyone knows that getting into physical shape takes determination, will power, exercise and diet; but do you know that getting into spiritual shape requires the same tools? Yes, if you want to get yourself into shape spiritually, you will need all of these:
Determination - fixing or setting a purpose; act of discovering something
Will Power - control of one's actions or impulses; self-control
Exercise - the act of carrying out the terms of an agreement
Diet - habitual nourishment
Determination:
The act of discovering something...yes, the path to spiritual health is a journey that will take you down the path of self discovery; you will discover how God, the Creator of All things, sees you; you will discover the authority you have in Him; you will discover the promises of blessings that He offers; you will discover who you are in Christ! That is the "something" you will discover if you have the determination to follow through and not give up.
Will Power:
It will take great control over your impulses to continue on the path of spiritual growth but as you go, you will learn that you are never alone :) When you feel like you cannot take another step, stop and simply ask the Father to help you; you cannot do it on your own. You will need to take the power over you will to quit...because you will feel like giving up, trust me. The enemy of your soul does not want you to grow closer and stronger in the Lord so he will test you....he will push you to your limit and then push a little harder. You will want to stop but do not give up or give it! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Exercise:
What agreement is there you ask? Well, the agreement between you and God. He did not send His Son to suffer in the flesh and die a horrible death just so that you can "skate by"...no my friend...God sent His Son so that you could have life and have it to the fullest...so you could be made whole! The journey of spiritual health includes you carrying out your portion of the agreement...you must grow in your faith. His Word says...faith without deeds is dead and to those that know what to do, and do not do it, it is sin.
Diet:
A habit of nourishing your mind with God's Word...He does say that we should renew our mind and we do this daily. Reading His Word and praying should become our habit. We feed off of the life giving words found in the Bible and He sustains us with His words as we pray.
Prayer is not complicated nor does it need to be mysterious. Prayer is simply a conversation with a friend, that friend being God. You reveal what is in your heart by being honest and He will speak to you...remember, a conversation is not one sided :) He speaks to each of us differently but He still speaks to each of us.
So this journey of spiritual wellness requires the same tools as does physical wellness....are you ready to take the first step of your journey?
Determination - fixing or setting a purpose; act of discovering something
Will Power - control of one's actions or impulses; self-control
Exercise - the act of carrying out the terms of an agreement
Diet - habitual nourishment
Determination:
The act of discovering something...yes, the path to spiritual health is a journey that will take you down the path of self discovery; you will discover how God, the Creator of All things, sees you; you will discover the authority you have in Him; you will discover the promises of blessings that He offers; you will discover who you are in Christ! That is the "something" you will discover if you have the determination to follow through and not give up.
Will Power:
It will take great control over your impulses to continue on the path of spiritual growth but as you go, you will learn that you are never alone :) When you feel like you cannot take another step, stop and simply ask the Father to help you; you cannot do it on your own. You will need to take the power over you will to quit...because you will feel like giving up, trust me. The enemy of your soul does not want you to grow closer and stronger in the Lord so he will test you....he will push you to your limit and then push a little harder. You will want to stop but do not give up or give it! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Exercise:
What agreement is there you ask? Well, the agreement between you and God. He did not send His Son to suffer in the flesh and die a horrible death just so that you can "skate by"...no my friend...God sent His Son so that you could have life and have it to the fullest...so you could be made whole! The journey of spiritual health includes you carrying out your portion of the agreement...you must grow in your faith. His Word says...faith without deeds is dead and to those that know what to do, and do not do it, it is sin.
Diet:
A habit of nourishing your mind with God's Word...He does say that we should renew our mind and we do this daily. Reading His Word and praying should become our habit. We feed off of the life giving words found in the Bible and He sustains us with His words as we pray.
Prayer is not complicated nor does it need to be mysterious. Prayer is simply a conversation with a friend, that friend being God. You reveal what is in your heart by being honest and He will speak to you...remember, a conversation is not one sided :) He speaks to each of us differently but He still speaks to each of us.
So this journey of spiritual wellness requires the same tools as does physical wellness....are you ready to take the first step of your journey?
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Living within the boundries of The Status Quo....
The Status Quo... the condition or state of affairs that currently exists; The American Heritage New Dictionary defines it as the existing order of things; present customs, practices, and power relations: This is what we have come to know as the meaning of status quo....basically, it is what is is. My question to you is this....Is that all that it is?
If you are anything like me then you have been in situations where it just seems that things will never change; times where that phrase becomes a haunting repetition in your mind - over and over it seems to play in your head.... It is what it is, and it will never change. That is living in a place of hopelessness! That is living in the boundaries of the "status quo" and those boundaries become prison walls if not questioned and challenged and moved!
STATUS is a condition that is subject to change
Hmmm...a condition that is 'subject to change' is one that is not meant to remain the same...it is subject to change. The term subject in this context has an interesting definition; open or exposed. Therefore, 'subject to change' then becomes 'open or exposed to change'.
Subject also means being under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a sovereign or some governing power; owing allegiance or obedience.
This phrase...this mantra that has hissed at me in times past is slowly taking on a new meaning :)
Subject to change....being under dominion to change; being under authority to change...owing obedience to change....This status or the condition that currently exists owes its obedience to change!
QUO is latin for "to which place" "to what place".
Thus, the 'status quo' is rightfully defined as being a condition or situation that owes its obedience to change; change to which and/or to what place.....Yes, that is THE question. To which place are you going to allow your current situation to change? By definition change has dominion over your situation but you have authority over "what place" change will take you. That's right...you have the authority.
The Bible tells us in Luke 10:19-20 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice , because your names are written in heaven. " That is a wonderful promise from our Father in Heaven! You have the authority because the Creator has given it to you...this is the authority with which you direct the path this change has on your situation. It is NOT hopeless anymore :)
I believe that God is dissatisfied with the "status quo" in our country and in our lives. We have swallowed the pill that tells us that "it is what it is" or that "it will never change"....and this is a dangerous place to set up camp!
God is all about changing us; if we would allow Him, He would be continually changing our hearts. 2 Corinthians even tells us that we are being transformed...from glory to glory. God says our situation is subject to change...He says He sets before us each day a choice...blessings or cursing; life or death...it is a choice that we must make. Ever wonder why sometimes it feels like all hell as broken loose in your life? Dear one, if you decide not to choose than you have just subjected yourself to the dominion of change that the enemy will bring.
Accepting "the status quo" is rejecting the blessing of authority that God Himself has given to you! I say challenge the status quo...get mad enough in your current situation that you feel like flipping things upside down just like Jesus did when he flipped the tables of the money changers in the temple.
The church has become too comfortable with the way things currently exist...we have been lulled into believing that change is not a good thing and we have become comfortable with how our lives are functioning. After all, it does not take any real work to maintain and be "steady as she goes"...we simply sit in a pew, listen to the service and walk out the door...what work is there is that? No the real work is in standing up and walking in the authority you have been given by the Father....now that takes work! That is a daily decision to make a difference, to initiate change, to take authority and be responsible for the direction of our life.
My hope is that the body of Christ will soon realize that we need to change....we are each responsible to walk out our faith in such a way that the world takes notice...not of us, but of our God! It's time to take God out of our neatly decorated boxes and allow the Creator to....well, to be creative :)
We need to become dissatisfied with the status quo and challenge what we accept as "normal" and step out of our comfort zone...you just might be surprised where your feet land ;)
If you are anything like me then you have been in situations where it just seems that things will never change; times where that phrase becomes a haunting repetition in your mind - over and over it seems to play in your head.... It is what it is, and it will never change. That is living in a place of hopelessness! That is living in the boundaries of the "status quo" and those boundaries become prison walls if not questioned and challenged and moved!
STATUS is a condition that is subject to change
Hmmm...a condition that is 'subject to change' is one that is not meant to remain the same...it is subject to change. The term subject in this context has an interesting definition; open or exposed. Therefore, 'subject to change' then becomes 'open or exposed to change'.
Subject also means being under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a sovereign or some governing power; owing allegiance or obedience.
This phrase...this mantra that has hissed at me in times past is slowly taking on a new meaning :)
Subject to change....being under dominion to change; being under authority to change...owing obedience to change....This status or the condition that currently exists owes its obedience to change!
QUO is latin for "to which place" "to what place".
Thus, the 'status quo' is rightfully defined as being a condition or situation that owes its obedience to change; change to which and/or to what place.....Yes, that is THE question. To which place are you going to allow your current situation to change? By definition change has dominion over your situation but you have authority over "what place" change will take you. That's right...you have the authority.
The Bible tells us in Luke 10:19-20 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice , because your names are written in heaven. " That is a wonderful promise from our Father in Heaven! You have the authority because the Creator has given it to you...this is the authority with which you direct the path this change has on your situation. It is NOT hopeless anymore :)
I believe that God is dissatisfied with the "status quo" in our country and in our lives. We have swallowed the pill that tells us that "it is what it is" or that "it will never change"....and this is a dangerous place to set up camp!
God is all about changing us; if we would allow Him, He would be continually changing our hearts. 2 Corinthians even tells us that we are being transformed...from glory to glory. God says our situation is subject to change...He says He sets before us each day a choice...blessings or cursing; life or death...it is a choice that we must make. Ever wonder why sometimes it feels like all hell as broken loose in your life? Dear one, if you decide not to choose than you have just subjected yourself to the dominion of change that the enemy will bring.
Accepting "the status quo" is rejecting the blessing of authority that God Himself has given to you! I say challenge the status quo...get mad enough in your current situation that you feel like flipping things upside down just like Jesus did when he flipped the tables of the money changers in the temple.
The church has become too comfortable with the way things currently exist...we have been lulled into believing that change is not a good thing and we have become comfortable with how our lives are functioning. After all, it does not take any real work to maintain and be "steady as she goes"...we simply sit in a pew, listen to the service and walk out the door...what work is there is that? No the real work is in standing up and walking in the authority you have been given by the Father....now that takes work! That is a daily decision to make a difference, to initiate change, to take authority and be responsible for the direction of our life.
My hope is that the body of Christ will soon realize that we need to change....we are each responsible to walk out our faith in such a way that the world takes notice...not of us, but of our God! It's time to take God out of our neatly decorated boxes and allow the Creator to....well, to be creative :)
We need to become dissatisfied with the status quo and challenge what we accept as "normal" and step out of our comfort zone...you just might be surprised where your feet land ;)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Do you see what I see....
Christmas time is here! A time when the hearts of men are open to receive a nibblet of Truth....those who have been hurting all year now seek a ray of hope as they listen to the carols being sung on the radio. This is the only time of year when songs about Christ are played on secular stations; all men now have an opportunity to hear the good news!
Good news....what is this good news? Ask any respectable Christian and they will tell you that it is Jesus, of course.
Jesus....Jesus Christ is the good news that these hurting souls are seeking...and the Word of God says "...seek and ye shall find..." so I ask you this...do they find this good news that we say is Jesus? At a time when the world bends toward the Divine....in this moment, can the seeking soul find good news?
Do you see those around you or do you rush past in a frenzy to find that perfect gift? Do you see the hurting or are you preoccupied with which party is this weekend? Do you hear the heartfelt cries of those less fortunate than you or is that muffled by all the "noise" in your own life? Do you know that the "good news" is within you? Can you feel it in your soul...does it stir your heart as if the Christ was speaking directly to you?
Do you see what I see.....a world searching for something that makes sense; searching for something that can lift them out of the pit they find themselves in;
Can you see the broken hearts in the children around you? The brokenness in the eyes of the women around you - the despair in the men who have been so beaten down that they have given up? This is the world that I see.....a world full of broken people who seek some "good news"!
These broken people are not just the unchurched or the unsaved...NO...these people are sitting in the chairs in the very building you attend on Sunday mornings. And chances are if you asked them how they were doing, they would smile and answer "fine"....did you really believe them?
The body of Christ...the church...has been evaluated and found lacking my friend! We are lacking true compassion for one another....a compassion that looks beyond how inconvenient it is and sees the hurts of your neighbor...yes, the one sitting next to you on Sunday. Lacking in unity...lacking in brotherly love...lacking in forgiveness for one another...simply put...the church of today is lacking any power to draw those in the world to Jesus thus reconciling them with the Father.
Do you see what I see? A body that has become wounded and divided and The Word says that if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Do you see what I see? Hearts that have been wounded, dreams that have been crushed, visions that have been forgotten.....A people that are called by His Name yet does not resemble Him at all.
This Christmas....why not take a moment to purposefully notice those around you? Take a moment to lend someone a hand that is in need; to give a smile to one that looks so downtrodden; to do a good deed simply because you are able...and really listen to the answer when you ask the question....to step out of your comfort zone and help those in need.....to seek to be the "good news" to the person sitting next to you....
Yes, Christmas time is here! And I see a world waiting for us to bring them some "good news" :o)
Good news....what is this good news? Ask any respectable Christian and they will tell you that it is Jesus, of course.
Jesus....Jesus Christ is the good news that these hurting souls are seeking...and the Word of God says "...seek and ye shall find..." so I ask you this...do they find this good news that we say is Jesus? At a time when the world bends toward the Divine....in this moment, can the seeking soul find good news?
Do you see those around you or do you rush past in a frenzy to find that perfect gift? Do you see the hurting or are you preoccupied with which party is this weekend? Do you hear the heartfelt cries of those less fortunate than you or is that muffled by all the "noise" in your own life? Do you know that the "good news" is within you? Can you feel it in your soul...does it stir your heart as if the Christ was speaking directly to you?
Do you see what I see.....a world searching for something that makes sense; searching for something that can lift them out of the pit they find themselves in;
Can you see the broken hearts in the children around you? The brokenness in the eyes of the women around you - the despair in the men who have been so beaten down that they have given up? This is the world that I see.....a world full of broken people who seek some "good news"!
These broken people are not just the unchurched or the unsaved...NO...these people are sitting in the chairs in the very building you attend on Sunday mornings. And chances are if you asked them how they were doing, they would smile and answer "fine"....did you really believe them?
The body of Christ...the church...has been evaluated and found lacking my friend! We are lacking true compassion for one another....a compassion that looks beyond how inconvenient it is and sees the hurts of your neighbor...yes, the one sitting next to you on Sunday. Lacking in unity...lacking in brotherly love...lacking in forgiveness for one another...simply put...the church of today is lacking any power to draw those in the world to Jesus thus reconciling them with the Father.
Do you see what I see? A body that has become wounded and divided and The Word says that if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Do you see what I see? Hearts that have been wounded, dreams that have been crushed, visions that have been forgotten.....A people that are called by His Name yet does not resemble Him at all.
This Christmas....why not take a moment to purposefully notice those around you? Take a moment to lend someone a hand that is in need; to give a smile to one that looks so downtrodden; to do a good deed simply because you are able...and really listen to the answer when you ask the question....to step out of your comfort zone and help those in need.....to seek to be the "good news" to the person sitting next to you....
Yes, Christmas time is here! And I see a world waiting for us to bring them some "good news" :o)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Mocked....
A phrase kept repeating itself in my thoughts....My God will not be mocked...throughout the day this phrase just kept popping into my head. This statement became like a morsel that needed to be chewed repeatedly to extract every last bit of nourishment from within it....
What does it mean? What is 'mocked'? Does this mean that God is never mocked? Why did I get this tid-bit? What lesson is in there? The questions were almost as endless and the repeating phrase...I have heard teachings on this before; the lesson was something to the effect that it was not a wise idea to mock God because He would "get you" if you did...now I ask...what kind of teaching is that?!?!?! So I started to think about it. What exactly does God mean when He says that He can not be mocked? I knew just what to do with it....take it to God in the morning during my alone time with Him and ask why He put this in my head :)
This is what I got...
Wait a minute...God has been mocked in the past as well as in current times! But the Word says that God cannot be mocked...confusing, well, yes it was a bit confusing. Okay, so I looked up the definition of mocked in the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary; the definition is as follows:
Mocked = imitated or mimicked in derision; laughed at; ridiculed; defeated, illuded.
Derision = the act of laughing at in contempt; a laughing stock.
Yes, God has been laughed at...He has been ridiculed...and some even think He can be illuded. Oh, you don't think so...think Jonah :O) So if God has been mocked then why does His word say that He in not??? I think the theological answer is that God will ultimately hold everyone accountable for his or her own actions, whether it be here on earth or when we stand before Him. Okay, the ultimate judgement at the moment you stand before Him...yeah, I can see that but is there more?
This verse is found in Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"
A warning of sorts for those who call themselves by His name; a stern reminder to the followers of Christ that indeed, our actions are to be carefully considered! We will reap what we sow....a spiritual principle that once put into action, well, the outcome cannot be prevented; there are consequences for our actions.
A warning for those that are not called by His name....Yes. Do not be deceived into thinking that your end will be anything other than a life without the presence of God IF you have chosen to live your life here on earth without Him.
But what if there is another implication? What if it also implies to those who believe and are called by His name that when trouble comes, do not be deceived into thinking that you will be overtaken by it. Do not be deceived....what you sow you will also reap. If you sow a life of faith, trust and obedience you SHALL reap a harvest of blessings! YES, you will receive blessings because God is not mocked my friend :) It is a spiritual principle that works in the positive just as it does in the negative connotation.
I believe there are many, many people today that have been so deceived into thinking that things will never get better! You are faithful...you tithe...you obey His Word...you are kind...you are compassionate...but your life just seems to be one storm after the other. I have to ask you....do you believe you deserve to be blessed? Do you believe that good things can happen to you? Or do you think that life will always be the same....that no matter what you do, your life will never change?
My friend...DO NOT BE DECEIVED! God is not mocked, for whatever a man soweth he shall also reap. That is a promise from the Father and He is not a man that He should lie so take Him at His word :)
The Spirit - His Spirit - is in you; He has taken up residence in you. He cannot be mocked dear one. Allow yourself to reap a harvest of blessings...allow yourself to be loved on by the Father...allow yourself to be free from the thoughts of shame, the feelings that you are not good enough....you are the child of the King and He is not mocked! You must learn to see yourself as He sees you....learn to love yourself as He loves you...learn to trust in His promises that indeed, they are for you.
May you be set free from the prison of shame and begin to believe that you are accepted by the Father and His promises are for you....may you learn to accept the blessings that are yours....
What does it mean? What is 'mocked'? Does this mean that God is never mocked? Why did I get this tid-bit? What lesson is in there? The questions were almost as endless and the repeating phrase...I have heard teachings on this before; the lesson was something to the effect that it was not a wise idea to mock God because He would "get you" if you did...now I ask...what kind of teaching is that?!?!?! So I started to think about it. What exactly does God mean when He says that He can not be mocked? I knew just what to do with it....take it to God in the morning during my alone time with Him and ask why He put this in my head :)
This is what I got...
Wait a minute...God has been mocked in the past as well as in current times! But the Word says that God cannot be mocked...confusing, well, yes it was a bit confusing. Okay, so I looked up the definition of mocked in the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary; the definition is as follows:
Mocked = imitated or mimicked in derision; laughed at; ridiculed; defeated, illuded.
Derision = the act of laughing at in contempt; a laughing stock.
Yes, God has been laughed at...He has been ridiculed...and some even think He can be illuded. Oh, you don't think so...think Jonah :O) So if God has been mocked then why does His word say that He in not??? I think the theological answer is that God will ultimately hold everyone accountable for his or her own actions, whether it be here on earth or when we stand before Him. Okay, the ultimate judgement at the moment you stand before Him...yeah, I can see that but is there more?
This verse is found in Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"
A warning of sorts for those who call themselves by His name; a stern reminder to the followers of Christ that indeed, our actions are to be carefully considered! We will reap what we sow....a spiritual principle that once put into action, well, the outcome cannot be prevented; there are consequences for our actions.
A warning for those that are not called by His name....Yes. Do not be deceived into thinking that your end will be anything other than a life without the presence of God IF you have chosen to live your life here on earth without Him.
But what if there is another implication? What if it also implies to those who believe and are called by His name that when trouble comes, do not be deceived into thinking that you will be overtaken by it. Do not be deceived....what you sow you will also reap. If you sow a life of faith, trust and obedience you SHALL reap a harvest of blessings! YES, you will receive blessings because God is not mocked my friend :) It is a spiritual principle that works in the positive just as it does in the negative connotation.
I believe there are many, many people today that have been so deceived into thinking that things will never get better! You are faithful...you tithe...you obey His Word...you are kind...you are compassionate...but your life just seems to be one storm after the other. I have to ask you....do you believe you deserve to be blessed? Do you believe that good things can happen to you? Or do you think that life will always be the same....that no matter what you do, your life will never change?
My friend...DO NOT BE DECEIVED! God is not mocked, for whatever a man soweth he shall also reap. That is a promise from the Father and He is not a man that He should lie so take Him at His word :)
The Spirit - His Spirit - is in you; He has taken up residence in you. He cannot be mocked dear one. Allow yourself to reap a harvest of blessings...allow yourself to be loved on by the Father...allow yourself to be free from the thoughts of shame, the feelings that you are not good enough....you are the child of the King and He is not mocked! You must learn to see yourself as He sees you....learn to love yourself as He loves you...learn to trust in His promises that indeed, they are for you.
May you be set free from the prison of shame and begin to believe that you are accepted by the Father and His promises are for you....may you learn to accept the blessings that are yours....
Monday, August 22, 2011
Compelled....
Have you ever felt compelled to do something or say something? The "urge" just strikes you and you are compelled to just, well, to just do it...
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 "For Christ's Love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."
Paul states that the Love of Christ compels him simply because he is convinced. Convinced of what? Paul believes that Christ is who He claimed to be...the Messiah; the One who died for all yet lives!
The fact that Christ died and was buried in a tomb...that He was raised from the dead and LIVES compelled Paul to continue...even after he had been falsely accused, beaten and jailed; the Love of Christ compelled this man to continue...he had an authentic encounter with this Christ...the man who was dead yet walked the earth after his burial...Paul had an encounter with the Love of Christ!
You could say that Paul was radical about his faith walk; he was radical about persecuting those that followed Jesus until he had his encounter on the way to Damascus. At that point, Paul came face to face with Christ...Paul's life was never the same. There was a visible transformation in the life of Paul...he went from being driven or compelled to persecute and even execute Christ-followers to a man that was compelled to spread the Good News! A radical transformation after an authentic encounter with Jesus.
Our own life should so mirror that of Paul...
There should be a defining moment in our life that has transformed us - our thinking - our behavior - our speech. Our encounter with the Love of Christ should compel us to live a life transformed...simply because we are convinced that Jesus IS who He claimed to be....the Messiah; the One who died for all yet lives.
So I ask you...if you have had an encounter with Jesus, how has it compelled you?
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 "For Christ's Love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."
Paul states that the Love of Christ compels him simply because he is convinced. Convinced of what? Paul believes that Christ is who He claimed to be...the Messiah; the One who died for all yet lives!
The fact that Christ died and was buried in a tomb...that He was raised from the dead and LIVES compelled Paul to continue...even after he had been falsely accused, beaten and jailed; the Love of Christ compelled this man to continue...he had an authentic encounter with this Christ...the man who was dead yet walked the earth after his burial...Paul had an encounter with the Love of Christ!
You could say that Paul was radical about his faith walk; he was radical about persecuting those that followed Jesus until he had his encounter on the way to Damascus. At that point, Paul came face to face with Christ...Paul's life was never the same. There was a visible transformation in the life of Paul...he went from being driven or compelled to persecute and even execute Christ-followers to a man that was compelled to spread the Good News! A radical transformation after an authentic encounter with Jesus.
Our own life should so mirror that of Paul...
There should be a defining moment in our life that has transformed us - our thinking - our behavior - our speech. Our encounter with the Love of Christ should compel us to live a life transformed...simply because we are convinced that Jesus IS who He claimed to be....the Messiah; the One who died for all yet lives.
So I ask you...if you have had an encounter with Jesus, how has it compelled you?
What do you believe
The message at church yesterday was this....
Believe what you believe...Walk what you believe...and let the chips fall where they may. If you are able to do this as Paul did, you will have peace in spite of any circumstance.
The life of Paul is an example to each of us on how to WALK out what you believe! Before he had his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus...he was bold is his belief that all those who followed and dared to believe in this risen Jesus should be prosecuted and killed. He chased Christians and had them executed...he fully walked in the belief that he held...and did so with boldness.
Paul also walked with the same boldness AFTER he encountered the Lord on his journey; he himself was beaten, jailed, mocked and he was in danger of death many, many times for his boldness - for his belief - for the way he chose to walk it out! What Paul held as Truth was vividly walked out for all to see....what he believed was obvious...to the "common" people, to the religious people, to those in government and to the Kings; Paul walked what he believed!
So as I thought about this yesterday it occurred to me....would others be able to accurately state what I believe by how they see me act or respond or interact with those around me? That is a tough question!
If we are to use Paul as an example, as the Word of God says, than I have failed. You see, I believe with every fiber in my being that the Bible is the Absolute Truth and the inspired Word of God. So then, how should I live this belief out?
The life of the one who has chosen to be a Christ Follower should be radically different than the one who has not....shouldn't it? YES...it most certainly should :)
The church...this body of people who believe...need to have their foundation shaken by their King!
It is time for us to make the decision to walk out what we claim we believe...ARISE CHURCH!!! Let's be the Light that we are called to be and let our life shine like the life of Paul.....
Let's be RADICALLY HIS :O)
Believe what you believe...Walk what you believe...and let the chips fall where they may. If you are able to do this as Paul did, you will have peace in spite of any circumstance.
The life of Paul is an example to each of us on how to WALK out what you believe! Before he had his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus...he was bold is his belief that all those who followed and dared to believe in this risen Jesus should be prosecuted and killed. He chased Christians and had them executed...he fully walked in the belief that he held...and did so with boldness.
Paul also walked with the same boldness AFTER he encountered the Lord on his journey; he himself was beaten, jailed, mocked and he was in danger of death many, many times for his boldness - for his belief - for the way he chose to walk it out! What Paul held as Truth was vividly walked out for all to see....what he believed was obvious...to the "common" people, to the religious people, to those in government and to the Kings; Paul walked what he believed!
So as I thought about this yesterday it occurred to me....would others be able to accurately state what I believe by how they see me act or respond or interact with those around me? That is a tough question!
If we are to use Paul as an example, as the Word of God says, than I have failed. You see, I believe with every fiber in my being that the Bible is the Absolute Truth and the inspired Word of God. So then, how should I live this belief out?
The life of the one who has chosen to be a Christ Follower should be radically different than the one who has not....shouldn't it? YES...it most certainly should :)
The church...this body of people who believe...need to have their foundation shaken by their King!
It is time for us to make the decision to walk out what we claim we believe...ARISE CHURCH!!! Let's be the Light that we are called to be and let our life shine like the life of Paul.....
Let's be RADICALLY HIS :O)
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