Who is God?
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Posted:Apr 22, 2009 5:47 pm
Last Updated:May 2, 2009 7:27 am 12281 Views
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Ethel wrote a comment on a previous post. Here is a pasting of it:
Would you think and pray, about writing an article on "how God's promises affect us today and also curses"...
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First, we have to remember that God has been around forever. That is an infinite time. Furthermore, he doesn't change. It is us that change. If we think back 6 months prior from today, not many of us can say that we are the same as we were then. We are constantly learning and evolving, some for better and some for worse.
But God is a constant in our lives and has always been. Therefore his promises are meant to affect us today the same as they did yesterday, the same as they did 6 months ago or years ago. The same as they were meant for Moses and Abraham. One of the characteristics that makes my faith so solid is I know I can always count on His word, His promises, His covenants, His everything.
What always changes is people, but never Him. For lack of better words, we then expect God to change and fit into our mental box we have built. I can't say He will or won't but I seriously doubt it. Keeping it simple like the series I was last working on called Christianity for Dummies, we need to remember that God loves us, only gives us one mission, ten commandments, and to accept His as our Lord and Savior. I know that is putting it simply and that there is more, but I am amazed how many don't follow His commandments, haven't turn all over to Him, nor work towards the one mission He gives us, yet they expect our Father to still fit into that proverbial box.
I was talking to a man last week. He told me he was a believer. I asked him what he believed in. His reply was "all of it" I asked "all of what?" After waggling for a few minutes I finally asked him if he had read all of the Bible, as most say, he told me he hadn't. I then asked him how does he know he believes all if he hasn't even read ALL God's word and all that He has given us in His word.
Well this is getting onto a tangent but the main point of this is that God' promised today mean the same thing they have met everyday since the day he gave them to us. The Bible will reveal this to you and the words in it have not changed either just as His promises have not changed.
Blessings,
Michael
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Greetings
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Posted:Jan 3, 2009 1:58 pm
Last Updated:Apr 22, 2009 5:15 pm 12454 Views
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I pray that all survived the Holiday Season. I have pondered if it really should be called HOLIDAY. Wouldn't Rambunctious Season be more appropriate. Some travel all over the place to see parents that are split, some rush around preparing the home and meals for guest and others fight the crowds in the stores. Many times the end of the year is anything but a holiday from the day-to-day grind and just a multiple grind.
I always try to revert my focus to the grind that Jesus went through for me and you, and it stills my heart and reminds me that anything we have to go through is minuscule in comparison.
We would all do well to remember this fact at all times and not just during the Holiday season and times of tribulations. It helps me and can you to get through every day.
I was talking to a lady a couple months ago on the phone and she told me that everyday she wakes up and the first thing she says out loud is, "Good Morning God." I have adapted this habit and it is amazing how starting the day with my mind in the right perspective has helped so much. I hope this helps others and they and you try it too. It is a wonderful new way to start a day and hopefully you will like me, have more good days than bad or mediocre one because of starting it with a great focus on our God.
I apologize for not updating the blog more often and plan to continue the "Christianity for Dummies" series and have a couple other what I hope will be writings that will be a blessing to many in the near future once I get this move finished. I am moving 25 miles north to Chattanooga, TN in the soon future.
I hope again all had a great holiday and will have a super time waking up and giving God the first Good Morning tomorrow and everyday.
Blessings,
Michael
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Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 4 : Go to Church
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Posted:Sep 11, 2008 8:00 pm
Last Updated:Oct 30, 2010 10:26 pm 21815 Views
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So often, we have all heard people say, "I don't need a church" or "the Bible says church is where any two believers meet." or "My belief is between God and me, not others." More often than not, this is an excuse to not attend a church.
Why is it importanyt to go. Let's start in Mathew 15:17-19, "17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Jesus wants us to bind together. The word "church" means "called out ones". The church is made up of those that have been called out to follow Jesus. In the Bible, the term church is used to refer to all believers but is usually used now to refer to a local group of believers.
CHURCH
A church is a group of believers that have been baptized and voluntarily come together for prayer, instruction, services and worship. Act 2:42-47 says, "42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
I remember growing up, a church in my hometown that when someone visited, they always invited them to someone's house after church or to go with them to a restaurant where they broke bread together. Unfortunately, most churches I have spoke and visited today, they shake your hand and tell you they are glad you are there, but then after the service, those visitors are many times ignorred. Next sunday, invite a visitor to go eat and watch your church grow.
So besides eating, why should we be faithful to a church. The Bible tells us 4 reasons:
 (1) Instruction
Ephesians 4:11-14, "11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."
Jesus gives the church spiritual leaders so that we can grow and not be infants in our knowledge. Knowledge is power and keeps us from "cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
(2) Worship
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Notice it says "teach and admonish." I have seen many churches do one or the other and feel it is a rounded church when they do both. As part one says, we are infants untiil we mature and yes, us infants need admonished at times to learn, but we also must have teaching to learn too.
(3) Fellowship
Hebrews 10:24-25, "24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Why do you think God made us into families. It is for our developement, care, protection and fellowship. We need the church for the same reasons and even more.
(4) To Serve
Romans 12:5-8, "5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to hisfaith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
We are all part of the body and have special gifts so that we can serve others in the church.
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No one is perfect, nor is any one church perfect or perfect for all. If you are not regularly attending a church, then you might not be where God wants you to be. I pray you bow to our Father and Jesus and ask them to lead you to where you can Serve, Worship, Fellowship and Learn.
Psalms 122:1, "I rejoiced with those who said to me,
'Let us go to the house of the LORD.' "
Blessings,
Michael
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Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 3 : Sin and Repentence
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Posted:Aug 24, 2008 8:33 pm
Last Updated:Sep 11, 2008 6:52 pm 22520 Views
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{Walter Jones prepared and led a study on repentance on 4/11/96. This was taken from it and a followup he did.)
What is Sin?
A short answer can be found in Romans 8: "7The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." God created us, God sustains us, God sent his , Jesus, to take the punishment for our sin. (Romans 8:3-4). In accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior, we have accepted a rebirth in him, submitting our will to his. We can never atone for our own sins, but through the blood of Jesus, we have a way to be cleansed of the stains sins put on our soul: confessing the sins to Jesus and those we have sinned against, and repenting.
Why should we be concerned about sin?
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Summary: you sin, you die and go to hell. Fortunately, God isn't that pessimistic, and has provided a way to escape that.
Implicit definitions of Sin in Bible
There are several words for it in the Old Testament; one of those that has both a literal and figurative definition is means to miss the target, such as the target when shooting slings (Judges 20:16), or God (Exodus 20:20). There is no partial credit with God-- one must follow all of his commandments and laws; following eight of the ten commandments means breaking the other two. The next word is used for crimes, grievous offenses, and sins in general.
The worst form in Hebrew is the above, but qualified with other words meaning to `twist' `do wickedly' or `lead others astray.' That is, if you are leading others away from the true path of Christianity, it is more than just you sinning; you have caused them to sin as well. There are then two sinners instead of just one; a worse problem. Jesus has something very pointed to say about those in Mark 9:42 "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck"
The New Testament is not much different. The main word for sin, hamartia, such as in John 8:46, has the same context of `missing the mark.' Others, such as asebeia, are stronger, in terms of wickedness and ungodliness. But, in addition to the deliberate wickedness, there's also the concept of unintentional sin in paraptoma.
Fine, nice, so you probably don't read Greek, and almost certainly don't read Hebrew. What was the point of going into all of that? Well, in English, we have `sin,' `tresspass' (if you know the more traditional Lord's Prayer), and that's about it. But, the variety of words in the Bible should tell you that this is a thing that God cared deeply about-- enough to send his own to die for our sins.
The consequences of sin
The precise origin of sin, Satan, and the like could be the subject of many long debates, but for this article, we will assume the following: sin exists, and as long as we're breathing, we're sinners. (For further reference, check out the CCF library or your local Christian bookstore) In attempting to be as like God, instead of the calling to praise, worship, and submit one's will to him, Adam & Eve's fall brought sin to the rest of us, with the following consequences:
* Death.
Genesis 2:16 "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." God promised that, and that he's done.
* Man's shame and fear towards God.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God. To us, how lucky they were. After they ate, they could not stand the sight of God, and felt ashamed in confronting God. To those who may take the Garden of Eden less literally than others, you can still see in yourself and others the shame of being around God when we know we've sinned.
* All mankind is now sinners.
Romans 5:12-14 makes it very clear that all of the rest of mankind was brought into sin by Adam's actions.
* The Earth is also poisoned by sin.
Genesis 3:17 and Romans 8:20 both make this very clear.
* God's wrath against sin.
Mankind was kicked out of the Garden of Eden by God for sinning, and was prevented from returning. God hates sin, and it was a while before one's sins could be dealt with in the Mosaic laws.
Why is God concerned with Sin, anyhow?
Sin is an act against God, in breaking his rules as to how we are to live. God has two choices for action: 1) Do nothing, 2) Get angry. Since God created the whole world, each of us, and wants desperately for us to love him back, when we reject him, his stated response is to get angry. Fortunately, in the Old Testament, he provided a way to mitigate (but not remove) the anger. In the New Testament, he did more.
The Old Testament & Sinning
After Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20, if you can't remember all 10), and the Tabernacle was built according to God's layout and dedicated with sacrifices. The first three sacrifices listed in the book of Leviticus are for voluntary worship, devotion, and thanksgiving. But, next on the list of sacrifices was for sin. There was a very specific sacrifice for sin, detailed in Leviticus 4. It was the mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin, confession of sin, forgiveness of sin, and cleansing from defilement. Further, for the guilt resulting from unintentional sin, Leviticus 5 details a sacrifice. God's plan in giving us this list of sacrifices to perform was that he is first to be glorified, but humans will sin, and so 40% of the sacrifices are for our failures.
The plan was simple: after sinning, confess one's sins (Lev 5:5), barbecue a few animals as the symbolic victims of the sin and punishment, and God promised forgiveness. (Lev 5:13). Did the Israelites listen and follow, as they promised? Nope. Read the books of Judges through 2 Chronicles for the history of the Israelites over many hundred years. They were called by God, promised to keep the covenant (Deut 29-30), and fell away. The history of Israel's kings starts off with Saul, who had the kingship taken away because of his sins (1 Samuel 15), David & Solomon do a fairly decent job, and then things start sliding away. 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles has many kings who's main description was "King X did what was wicked in the eyes of the LORD" and end with Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC at the hands of the Babylonians because of the Israelites sin. After the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites repented of their sin (more on that in the section on repentance), and swore to uphold the covenant. Still didn't work.
God is serious about sin. Sodom was nuked to rubble, and Ninevah almost got a similar fate, except that they heeded Jonah's warning. Sin will separate you from God. God's mercy is what keeps us all alive each and every day. God's love keeps our hearts breathing. God's patience will come to an end one day, be it by our own deaths, or by the second coming of Jesus. Do you want to be permanently and separated from God? It isn't a pleasant thought at all.
The New Testament and sin
In addition to the Old Testament concept of specific actions or inactions being sins, Jesus makes it `harder' for us. It is not necessarily the outward actions that are sins (for the Pharisees would keep the outward law), but one's heart and thoughts. Hating your brother (not just the biological one, but anyone else in the fellowship) is as bad as murdering him. Looking at a woman with lust in your eye is just as much a sin as the more physical acts of adultery. (Matt 5:21-28 ) Wanting to sin is just as much a sin as the actual act.
But, there was also a message of hope. Christ was the ultimate sacrifice, and the reason why Christians do not need to visit the Temple or transfer our guilt to animals. Jesus, as part of God, took God's wrath upon himself, and died for our sins. By repenting and accepting Jesus into our lives, we can become cleaned whiter than snow.
This does not mean by any means that since we have had our sin taken care of that we are home free. As long as we live, we are sinners, and so will transgress again. When we do, since we know that we have broken God's laws, we should be convicted, both in a judicial sense and as well as mentally to deal with the sin. Knowing the law, we have no excuse to break it and think there's a way out. This is where we must make
Repentance
What does repentance mean? The Greek in the the New Testament has a distinction between various levels of repentance that we should definitely care and be concerned about. There is the repentance where you realize what you did was wrong, but you don't seem to care that much about it. Then, there is the repentance where you see what you've done is wrong, change your heart, and do not do it again. The first falls into the category of "nice, but not good enough;" it's the second that is required.
Given that we have sinned against God, no matter whether it's also against someone else or not, we must repent to God, possibly in addition to the person we wronged as well. By the act of Jesus's dying on the cross, we have a way to do this-- we can pray and talk to God directly.
There is also the person(s) we have sinned against. We have hurt them, even if they don't realize it, and so we should repent to them as well. Going to them and admitting your sin is a good first step. John the Baptist tells us in Matthew 3:8 to produce fruit in keeping with repentance; if we sincerely repent, we will behave differently. Who we are or how important we think we are makes no difference; we have to produce this fruit, as John commands in Luke 3:8. Repentance is a change of attitude and action, not just muttering, "Oh, I screwed up. God forgive me," and not restoring your harmed brother.
What is restoration? Something that depends on the sin committed, and what God convicts you to do. If you have stolen, giving it back would be a good start. Concerning sin that results in physical damage or loss, the Old Testament demands full restitution plus 20%, something which is a good model to start with. Yes, paying back all that extra hurts, but remember that you hurt the other first, and that the 20% is an added incentive not to sin in the first place.
Repentance, obviously, should be sincere and should be accompanied by actions that reflect a change of heart. It is not a trivial matter. The Bible does give a few examples of repenting to other people. The parable of the Prodigal (Luke 15:21) is one example. David repenting to Nathan (II Samuel 12:13-15) is another example. Notice that since David sinned publicly, he paid for it publicly. As stated above, you must repent to God and whomever you have sinned against; sin publicly, you must repent publicly.
Once we have repented, we have the promise of forgiveness. 1 John states it quite well: 9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Thus, by properly and in a timely manner dealing with our sins, we have the promise of total and permanent repentance. What a great thing.
Is there a statute of limitations on repentance?
You may eventually forget that you sinned against your brother. The other may eventually forget as well. Problem is, God's been around a heck of a lot longer than any of us, and his memory is very, very good. One's sins are remembered, and if bad enough, the problems will affect your descendants. Once the Israelites were restored to Jerusalem, as seen in Ezra 9, as a whole, they were convicted to make public and vocal repentance for the sins of their forefathers, those whose unrepented sins had caused the Babylonian captivity.
We cannot make repentance for our ancestors sins and help them; once we are under the new covenant, we are personally responsible our own sins. But, the model of Ezra still applies-- we always able to repent for all of the sins we have committed throughout our lives. Jesus has promised that we are always able to repent and receive forgiveness for our sins.
We can be convicted at any time of our sins, and dealing with them is such an important thing that even worship can and should be put aside if there is sin that has not been dealt with. Jesus said it best at the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5 23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."
Another view on sin
(Thanks to Daniel Chang for mentioning the idea to me) If we take the concept of sin being breaking God's law, what laws did Jesus affirm? Should be a fairly quick thing to remember. Here's the quote from Matthew 22:34
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Fine, so what's love? Try this quote from John 15:
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
In short, putting others, such as God and your friends, above yourself is love. Thus, Jesus's listing of the commandments in Matthew takes on a far more serious meaning. When you put your interests above your friends' that is not love, therefore breaking God's commandment. That's a sin. What about when you go to Church not to glorify God, but for personal gain, you're putting yourself ahead of God, which is a sin.
Are you reexamining your motivations for things now? God should be first in your life, we all know somewhere in the backs of our minds, but we get uncomfortable when that fact is pointed out to us. Surrendering all control to God is always a tough thing, but very necessary.
Listen to your conscience.
There is no single list of sins in the Bible. Thus, how would you know if and when you have sinned? One solution is to pray that the Holy spirit would tell you about things, and deal with them as you are told. Another is detailed above: when you put your feelings and desires above God's or others. To quickly check if things are a sin, examine your heart, and see if your intentions are for personal gain or others.
Further, if your conscience is warning you about something, but you can't find an explicit commandment against it in the Bible so you go ahead and do it anyhow, that is a sin. Once you are warned, there is no excuse for not listening to your conscience.
Questions to think about for later (write up your answers for the Fishline!) Are there various levels of sins for which the punishment is not as much or God doesn't care? For example, would it be ok to steal a paper clip from someone, but it's obviously not ok to murder a friend. This sets up a slippery slope-- at which point does God care? One way to deal with this is to be very concerned about ALL sins.
Given that we are always tempted to sin, there is no real way to stop sinning forever, short of death, and that's not an option. Despite repentance, we all seem to sin again in various areas. Could you lift up those concerns to Jesus and see what can be done when it is not just your actions working against sin, but your will and God's?
For further reading
The book of Romans is rather good. Look for it in Bibles everywhere!
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Understanding
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Posted:Aug 23, 2008 10:22 am
Last Updated:Sep 30, 2008 11:41 am 12483 Views
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In my study last night, I came across this verse in Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
We have to remember that rather dealing with men or women, we are all different. We come from different educations, families, upbringings, parts of the world, genders, everything. Relationships often have turmoil due to misunderstandings and that is why it is always correct to Trust in the Lord with all your heart instead of going with our own understandings. More times than not, those understandings about others will be wrong. But God always knows what is right. Are we foolish not to leave our trust in Him?
Blessings,
Michael
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Paul Harvey - Billy Graham
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Posted:Aug 20, 2008 7:53 pm
Last Updated:Sep 11, 2008 8:37 pm 13553 Views
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Recieved this the other day and wanted to share it with my blogging friends. Feel free to pass it on.
Billy Graham's prayer aired by Paul Harvey...........................
THIS CHRISTIAN WARRIOR SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY! PAUL HARVEY'S ON- AIR PRAYER
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your for giveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God.'
If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. 'If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything.'
Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. (It's worth a try!)
One Nation Under God
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....On the road again tra la la,,,
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Posted:Jul 25, 2008 2:24 pm
Last Updated:Aug 24, 2008 8:38 pm 12304 Views
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Thanks for the comments lately. I hope to get chapter 3 up when I return home. I am visiting Spiritfilled this weekend in Alabama.
Hugs,
Michael
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Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 2 Salvation
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Posted:Jul 15, 2008 12:50 am
Last Updated:Sep 11, 2008 6:57 pm 22106 Views
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One of the most misunderstood things is about our salvation. Many still think it is earned, asked for, desired. But the bible tells us that God wants us to know for sure that we have eternal life. It is based on facts in the Bible that will be covered below. What we need to understand first and foremost is that it is not based on feelings. Let me say that again. It is NOT based on FEELINGS.
Too many of us don’t feel saved. That is understandable because we are all sinners. Why would God give salvation to someone who sins, sins and sins again and again. Our assurance is based on 3 things, first, the Word of God; second, the promises of God; and third, the character of God.
Lets look at these separately, first the Word of God;
God tells us in John 3:16, “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only , that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 5:11-13 says, “11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his . 12He who has the has life; he who does not have the of God does not have life. 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
These and other verses are how with the Word of God, that He lets us know that you have eternal life.
Second, the promises of God:
Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
And John 5:24 says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
Third, the character of God:
We must remember that a promise made by a scoundrel is worthless, but one made by a person beyond reproach is unswerving. Therefore a promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Character is everything and that is why you can be assured of your salvation resting on God’s character.
1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
and
1 Thessalonian says,”The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
and
Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ”
The Bible teaches that God is trustworthy, stable and reliable. We can believe the promises because God is absolutely faithful. Nothing will change His mind about our salvation and nothing will separate us from His love. Our relationship to God through and in His Jesus is secure.
How do we know it is secure, God’s word tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
To further assure us, God went further. He stamped with a seal our assurance of salvation. He sent the Holy Spirit as living, daily proof of your relationship with Him. Just as a seal is placed on a contract between 2 individuals to guarantee a contract’s validity, God gave His spirit to us as a seal or guarantee of His promise to us.
Ephesians 1:13-14 tells of this seal as, “13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. ”
The Holy Spirit at work within us saved is the indisputable proof of our salvation. He will bring changes. Some of these changes will be gradual and some will be instant. The inward and outwardly changes are the final proof of our salvation.
In conclusion, we end as we started. Salvation is not the result of a feeling but of facts and faith is a result. If you do not have the Spirit, there is one way to receive it. Profess Jesus as your Savior, contact a Christian friend or pastor, and they will be happy to witness and help you start a glorious journey of eternal life.
Blessings,
Michael
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Christianity for Dummies: Prologue and Chapter 1 : Praying
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Posted:Jul 9, 2008 1:09 pm
Last Updated:Jul 16, 2009 10:08 am 22003 Views
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This is a new series. For a long time, I would go into stores and see these (Blank) for Dummies books, and I thought, wouldn't it be neat if we had one for Christianity. One common thread I have notice among christians, whether in a 1-on-1 setting, at retreats, bible study groups, church, Sunday school or where ever it might be is that things get too complicated. Thus I will be praying for God to help me write this series.
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Chapter 1 - Praying
This is something all Christians and many non-christians do. The non-christian part of the comment stems from an old saying that, "there are no Atheists in foxholes." Before getting into the meat of this topic, cover a couple tangents about prayer.
When we want to get to know someone, the best way to do this is to talk to them. God is all knowing, he knows us, but he wants us to get to know Him.
1 Chronicles 28:9, "If you seek Him, He will be found by you."
In Jeremiah 24: 7 God says, "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD."
Many associate praying with what we use to hear before a game with an invocation, or when a family member blesses the food. Convening with God is called prayer. It is a conversation, not a monologue and it includes speaking to God and hearing from Him.
Why pray? Jesus teaches the necessity of prayer. Luke 18:1 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Verses 1-8 gives the full parable. WHAT, you want me to do all the work. Look it up. ha ha.
So now that we know it is necessary, there are 2 more things concerning prayer we need to know. We have to learn to pray and we do this by practicing it. The 2nd point is how do we practice. Over and over continually. 1 Thessalonian 5:16-18, "16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
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There are 4 types of prayers and they can be remembered with the Acronym ACTS.
A doration
C onfession
T hanksgiving
S upplication
Adoration is prayer or praise that focuses on God and who he is. Some good examples are Psalms 145:3
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 147:1,5
1Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
5Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
Spend time praising God daily.
Confession is acknowledging our sins to God in order to receive forgiveness. When we are saved and accept Jesus, a relationship with God was established which will never be broken since he formed a covenant to and with us, but our fellowship with Him can be hindered by sins that are un-confessed.
Daily we need to our sins and receive His promise of forgiveness. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." and last, daily claim victory over temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Thanksgiving is when we pray to God expressing gratitude for specific acts. This is not for just before meals but also for things like Spiritual, Physical and Material blessings. It can be for people that are in our lives helping us. God says to do this continually. 1 Thessalonian 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Supplication is when we ask or express desires from God. These can be personal petitions or intercession. The first is for your needs and the second is praying for the needs of others.
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In conclusion, prayer is a wonderful thing that we need to do daily. It is time communing with God. I know many of you do this already, but two things that I found astounding once I was a Christian was that so many have never read the bible for themselves and that so many do not pray consistently. Look for more Christianity for Dummies on upcoming subjects about The mission, studying your bible and many others.
Blessings,
Michael
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Happy 4th of July
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Posted:Jul 4, 2008 4:28 pm
Last Updated:Sep 11, 2008 6:42 pm 12236 Views
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Happy 4th of July
Everyone since the dawn of time has wanted to be free. Free to pursue happiness and joy. Free to get what they want and pursue our dreams. Since we were two years old saying, “Mine, mine, mine.” There is just something in us that human beings want to be free. The second point is that God wants us to be free. Those two truths that we want to be free and God wants us to be free are joined together. Now I know some will argue the second point. That we are in Christ, we aren’t free to do anything. But it is a truth and we will look at these 2 points.
America was founded on those two principles. That people wanted to be free and are endowed in those inalienable rights. We founded a nation based on God wanted us to be free and that people by design want to be free. But many view Christianity as oppressing freedom, and many in error view God as against freedom. Thou shalt not, thou shalt not etc, etc.
In James it talks about true freedom and where it comes from in James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
You see what he is saying is the mirror doesn’t lie. We can look in it and it shows us we need to shave, or need a haircut, or lose some weight. But we can turn away from it and forget about all that. So what he is saying if we go to church or read the Bible and hear something we need and ignore it, then we are like those looking in the mirror and then leaves forgetting about it.
He then says “25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.” Notice it says we get FREEDOM. We are truly free under God. I know this goes against what the world says. But only in Christ are we free from sin. Free from the Law. Free to be all we can with the blessings of God.
When we place ourselves under God, it maximizes freedom. Some of us want to believe that we know best and we can do everything. How many times have we been frustrated when we try to do everything ourselves. But once we place ourselves under the authority of God, then we realize the freedom of being all we can be.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day and experiences the true Freedom God has graciously given us.
Blessings,
Michael
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