"For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, shall not enter it".
I was thinking today about how people preaching the Gospel can hinder people from believing and receiving salvation in Jesus Christ. I remembered how I've heard the ridiculous hatred against an easy salvation? Some people want to make out that being saved isn't easy. If salvation wasn't easy, then why does God call it Good News? And why in the world would you want to make it hard for people? We are not to hinder anyone who wants salvation in Christ. All they need to do is call on His name.
I believe people who try to make salvation seem hard are people who just won't accept the truth of the Gospel. To those people is it hard to be saved. They're so full of pride and unbelief that they cannot fully accept the Gospel. The Law is still nullifying their faith in Christ. They still believe they must do something. If they didn't then why would they say it's hard to be saved? They imply that it depends upon their own faithfulness to meet some unknown level of service. They believe salvation is their life dedicated to Christ rather than Christ's Life dedicated to saving us.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Today was one of those spiritual ADD days for me where I wanted to seek God, but my flesh wanted other pursuits.
It started because I had a dream about someone and then I couldn't quit thinking about that person all day. The dream was weird because in the dream I was in love with this person all over again and that feeling came into my day after I woke up. Weird? Yeah.
Sometimes I just want to leave this body as it doesn't feel the things I want it to feel. I want my Father to be the only desire I have, but there are sinful desires in my body "waging war with the law of my mind".
It will be an amazing feeling when we will have no more feelings of pride, lust, anger, jealousy and fear. What will it feel like? I can't imagine. Perfect peace, perfect love, perfect joy. Of course I don't want to just sit back and wait to die or wait for Jesus' return. But at times the sinful desires are just so heavy and weigh you down that you need to just rest and renew your mind on who God is.
It started because I had a dream about someone and then I couldn't quit thinking about that person all day. The dream was weird because in the dream I was in love with this person all over again and that feeling came into my day after I woke up. Weird? Yeah.
Sometimes I just want to leave this body as it doesn't feel the things I want it to feel. I want my Father to be the only desire I have, but there are sinful desires in my body "waging war with the law of my mind".
It will be an amazing feeling when we will have no more feelings of pride, lust, anger, jealousy and fear. What will it feel like? I can't imagine. Perfect peace, perfect love, perfect joy. Of course I don't want to just sit back and wait to die or wait for Jesus' return. But at times the sinful desires are just so heavy and weigh you down that you need to just rest and renew your mind on who God is.
Monday, February 25, 2008
I was confronted again today with something I should have dealt with sooner. And that is that I committed to trusting in God's grace in Jesus Christ have been very critical in my mind toward my brothers and sisters in my Church. Even the slightest indication of legalism will cause me to fear, leading to bitterness toward the brethren. I got tired of hiding it from them. I need to let them know about this so that I can be at peace with them in my heart, not afraid of them or uncomfortable with them. I didn't mention it to them for fear of what I thought I would hear. I want to love them without fear. I want to be free to love God's family and stop feeling like I'm the goat and they're the sheep. I simply hate making myself vulnerable. But thats what love is about, right? Making yourself vulnerable. And I've yet to tell all of them this in person. I've simply e-mailed one brother.
I don't want to make this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.
Anyway...I was reading through 1st Peter and the Spirit stressed the fact that we are to love the brethren as it was the true sign of our faith in Christ. I was tired of being accused of hating the brothers and thus proving myself never really saved or whatever.
1st John also says that the one who fears cannot be made perfect in love. I don't want to be afraid of my brothers and sisters anymore. I want to be apart of their lives, whether they're like-minded or not. I need to know this freedom. I need intimacy with the family of God. I can't handle the stress of feeling out of place with them.
I don't want to make this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.
Anyway...I was reading through 1st Peter and the Spirit stressed the fact that we are to love the brethren as it was the true sign of our faith in Christ. I was tired of being accused of hating the brothers and thus proving myself never really saved or whatever.
1st John also says that the one who fears cannot be made perfect in love. I don't want to be afraid of my brothers and sisters anymore. I want to be apart of their lives, whether they're like-minded or not. I need to know this freedom. I need intimacy with the family of God. I can't handle the stress of feeling out of place with them.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Look at Jesus!
I tried drinking black coffee and I'm just not there yet. But I also hate drinking my coffee with sugar in it. I'm out of coffeemate french vanilla at the moment...:(
I figured I would write some ridiculous accusations that were thrown at me today. One voice was "You're so pampered..what would you do without coffee every morning? You wouldn't be anything if you didn't have all these comforts." And thats crap.
But while we're on the subject, I'd like to throw out an idea I had on how to be in the world but not of it.
I think MAYBE the trick to overcoming the love of the world is to quit trying not to. I've noticed the more worried I become with how attached I am to my possessions and the more I try to overcome it, I become more entangled in it. It's like trying to run in knee deep mud that keeps getting thicker and deeper as you go. I think we overcome this by simply gazing at Jesus and quit looking at it. I don't mean abstain from it. I mean be in it, but not of it. Just accept God's love and grace for you and quit condemning yourself or feeling on edge if you've watched more than an hour of TV. Abstaining from TV or internet or whatever it may be may appear to be godly, but it is a snare. It will trap you in condemnation and you will end up worse than before.
If I am to overcome my love for the world, I must first receive victory and quit trying to achieve victory. And receiving victory isn't a work either. Some people will tell you that you must muster up faith to receive, but thats a lie. Faith is a gift as well. In one part of Acts it is written "And many, through grace, believed."
I figured I would write some ridiculous accusations that were thrown at me today. One voice was "You're so pampered..what would you do without coffee every morning? You wouldn't be anything if you didn't have all these comforts." And thats crap.
But while we're on the subject, I'd like to throw out an idea I had on how to be in the world but not of it.
I think MAYBE the trick to overcoming the love of the world is to quit trying not to. I've noticed the more worried I become with how attached I am to my possessions and the more I try to overcome it, I become more entangled in it. It's like trying to run in knee deep mud that keeps getting thicker and deeper as you go. I think we overcome this by simply gazing at Jesus and quit looking at it. I don't mean abstain from it. I mean be in it, but not of it. Just accept God's love and grace for you and quit condemning yourself or feeling on edge if you've watched more than an hour of TV. Abstaining from TV or internet or whatever it may be may appear to be godly, but it is a snare. It will trap you in condemnation and you will end up worse than before.
If I am to overcome my love for the world, I must first receive victory and quit trying to achieve victory. And receiving victory isn't a work either. Some people will tell you that you must muster up faith to receive, but thats a lie. Faith is a gift as well. In one part of Acts it is written "And many, through grace, believed."
Listening
I found this over at Malcolm Smith's website. I had to chuckle at it because I've done this for as long as I can remember. It's really pathetic. I've seen it in me with the Church.
"You see, the fact is, among mankind today, we do not listen to each other. We have no relationship with each other, nor do we expect to be listened to. That would be a fantasy world. America has learned how to “ego-speak” better than any other nation in the world. You know “ego-speak”? That’s when I do the talking and you’re not listening. You are waiting for one word that I say that you can latch onto and start talking, and when you start talking, I don’t listen to you. I’m listening for something that you will say that will enable me to start talking again. So, we talk over each other’s shoulder. There’s no relationship. We don’t listen to each other."
"You see, the fact is, among mankind today, we do not listen to each other. We have no relationship with each other, nor do we expect to be listened to. That would be a fantasy world. America has learned how to “ego-speak” better than any other nation in the world. You know “ego-speak”? That’s when I do the talking and you’re not listening. You are waiting for one word that I say that you can latch onto and start talking, and when you start talking, I don’t listen to you. I’m listening for something that you will say that will enable me to start talking again. So, we talk over each other’s shoulder. There’s no relationship. We don’t listen to each other."
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Sin Is Remembered No More
I am reading The Power of the Blood Covenant by Bishop Malcolm Smith at the moment. I have been reading it slowly over the past few weeks. I can't help but read a few sentences, get excited and soak in them for awhile. The Spirit has gifted Malcolm with incredible teaching abilities.
I was compelled to post something I found in the first 2 paragraphs of this new chapter called "Sin Is Remembered No More".
We have seen that Jesus lived and died as our representative; therefore, the men and women who believe are participators and sharers in all that He suffered, endured, and earned. On the cross, He stood as us not in some monstrous pretend game but in awful, agonizing reality. We were truly there in Him and He as us received pardon, justification, and resurrection. These blessings of covenant were given to Him first as our representative and then to us as we are united with Him and participate with Him through the Spirit.
When God raised Him from the dead, He declared that the penalty for our sins, which Jesus had freely taken, had been paid in full; our sentence placed on Him was fulfilled. Jesus risen from the dead is Jesus no longer carrying our sins that took Him to death. He as our representative was forgiven of all our transgressions; our guilt no longer weighs Him down, and He has been freed from all necessity of further punishment for them. If Jesus is alive from the dead, we are forgiven of all our sin!
I was compelled to post something I found in the first 2 paragraphs of this new chapter called "Sin Is Remembered No More".
We have seen that Jesus lived and died as our representative; therefore, the men and women who believe are participators and sharers in all that He suffered, endured, and earned. On the cross, He stood as us not in some monstrous pretend game but in awful, agonizing reality. We were truly there in Him and He as us received pardon, justification, and resurrection. These blessings of covenant were given to Him first as our representative and then to us as we are united with Him and participate with Him through the Spirit.
When God raised Him from the dead, He declared that the penalty for our sins, which Jesus had freely taken, had been paid in full; our sentence placed on Him was fulfilled. Jesus risen from the dead is Jesus no longer carrying our sins that took Him to death. He as our representative was forgiven of all our transgressions; our guilt no longer weighs Him down, and He has been freed from all necessity of further punishment for them. If Jesus is alive from the dead, we are forgiven of all our sin!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Baby Got Book
My little brother sent me the link to this earlier. I thought it was kinda clever..I heard that you like those Weird Al Yankovic type parody's, Joel. So heres to ya. ;)
Loving People You Don't Like
How do you love people you don't like, or people that you don't feel comfortable with?
It's easy to love people I like. Especially the people who believe God's grace like I do. But how do you love the people who scare you or make you feel uncomfortable? What about people who annoy you? People who always want to hang out and you don't really like them. I've tried this before and there is a complete inability for ME to do it. I asked God today to love the people I don't like through me. Because honestly, in my own capacity to love, loving someone unconditionally is absolutely impossible.
I think another thing that hinders my building relationships with people is that they wanna DO stuff. They want me to hang out with them! lol I hate going outside my comfort zone. I wanna love the people I like..and even that can be hard.
It's easy to love people I like. Especially the people who believe God's grace like I do. But how do you love the people who scare you or make you feel uncomfortable? What about people who annoy you? People who always want to hang out and you don't really like them. I've tried this before and there is a complete inability for ME to do it. I asked God today to love the people I don't like through me. Because honestly, in my own capacity to love, loving someone unconditionally is absolutely impossible.
I think another thing that hinders my building relationships with people is that they wanna DO stuff. They want me to hang out with them! lol I hate going outside my comfort zone. I wanna love the people I like..and even that can be hard.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
If I trust in behavior change, I'm not trusting in Jesus.
If I only come to God boldly when I have been a good boy, then I am not trusting in Christ Jesus' death.
If I think that my faithfulness or dedication to God has anything to do with God's love for me, I am not having faith in Jesus.
Why do we only come boldly to the throne of GRACE when we feel good about what we have done for God? I thought God resists the proud?
Why are we so focused on what we do for God? God has done it all in CHRIST JESUS. Why do I subconsciously feel the need to run from God if I'm on a "sinning streak" and feel my behavior isn't what it should be? Should I not rather run to God and come boldly to the throne of GRACE for help in time of need?
If I don't receive from God freely, then I have nothing from Him. If I think my obedience or spiritual disciplines has any effect in my salvation or sanctification, then I am not living by faith, rather I am living by law. The law nullifies faith in Jesus because the law is NOT of faith. So get out from under the old covenant and get in JESUS CHRIST.
If I only come to God boldly when I have been a good boy, then I am not trusting in Christ Jesus' death.
If I think that my faithfulness or dedication to God has anything to do with God's love for me, I am not having faith in Jesus.
Why do we only come boldly to the throne of GRACE when we feel good about what we have done for God? I thought God resists the proud?
Why are we so focused on what we do for God? God has done it all in CHRIST JESUS. Why do I subconsciously feel the need to run from God if I'm on a "sinning streak" and feel my behavior isn't what it should be? Should I not rather run to God and come boldly to the throne of GRACE for help in time of need?
If I don't receive from God freely, then I have nothing from Him. If I think my obedience or spiritual disciplines has any effect in my salvation or sanctification, then I am not living by faith, rather I am living by law. The law nullifies faith in Jesus because the law is NOT of faith. So get out from under the old covenant and get in JESUS CHRIST.
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