Answer: The apostle Paul answered a very similar question in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” The idea that a person could “trust in Jesus Christ” for salvation and then go on living just as he/she lived before, is absolutely foreign to the Bible. Believers in Christ are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit changes us from producing the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) to producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Christian life is a changed life because the Christian is changed.
What differentiates Christianity from every other religion is that Christianity is based on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ—divine accomplishment. Every other world religion is based on what we must do to earn God's favor and forgiveness—human achievement. Every other religion teaches that we must do certain things and stop doing certain other things in order to earn God's love and mercy. Christianity, faith in Christ, teaches that we do certain things and stop doing certain things because of what Christ has done for us.
How could anyone, having been delivered from sin's penalty, eternity in hell, go back to living the same life that had him on the path to hell in the first place? How could anyone, having been cleansed from the defilement of sin, desire to go back to the same cesspool of depravity? How could anyone, knowing what Jesus Christ did on our behalf, go on living as if He were not important? How could anyone, realizing how much Christ suffered for our sins, continue sinning as if those sufferings were meaningless?
Romans 6:11-15 declares, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”
For the truly converted, then, continuing to live sinfully is not an option. Because our conversion resulted in a completely new nature, our desire is to no longer live in sin. Yes, we still sin, but instead of wallowing in it as we once did, we now hate it and wish to be delivered from it. The idea of “taking advantage” of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf by continuing to live sinfully is unthinkable. If a person believes himself to be a Christian and still desires to live the old, sinful life, he has reason to doubt his salvation. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, There is FREEDOM"..
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
God did not highly emphasized on force & intimidation of tithes but Heartfelt giving
It is no longer needed or it is false to say you are curse when you don't tithe because Jesus paid all your sins the moment you accepted HIM and most of all, the old testament is teaching has many obsolete ways and one example is the prohibition of eating pork but why many christian now are the number one pork eaters? Jesus death on the cross would mean nothing if you are still under curse just simply because you don't tithe. This is absolute nonsense and money making schemes and worst than a swindler. What a shame.
Hopefully this set of web pages will assist you in understanding the
topic of tithing. Help you realize it is not necessary to tithe upon
ones income to please God.
For readers not familiar with the term 'tithing', as it is used in
Christian teaching, it means:
The practice of giving one tenth (a tithe) of ones income
(net or gross) to a church organisation based upon the
understanding that this is a biblical teaching applicable
to Christians.
A number of churches today require or encourage their members to
tithe on their financial increase. Depending on the church the
tithing practice may be to calculate the tithe based on either
pre-tax or after-tax income.
Whatever method of derivation is actually decreed the resulting
value of peoples tithe is usually significant. So it is easy to
perceive the monetary benefits a church may receive from the
continued support of this practice. Tithing enables buildings to
be financed, vehicles to be provided, ministers salaries to be
paid and other special projects to be funded.
This Old Covenant law can carry many benefits for a Christian church
and can be very effective in loosening the pockets of patrons.
Those members of churches, which are persuaded to provide a regular
payment of a tenth of their financial increase, are often kept under
this teaching through the mechanism of guilt. Such church citizens
are told that this portion of their increase is "holy" or that it
is the "Lord's" (referring to Leviticus 27:30). That one is stealing
from God (quoting Malachi 3:8) if one fails to forward it to their
church hierarchy - so that it may be used for the purposes of church
support and growth.
These days is has become common for literal Old Covenant teaching
to be quoted over the pulpit without any form of alteration. The
essential nature of the difference between the Old and New Covenants
is often not adequately emphasized and highlighted. Therefore these
denominations seem to act as if it is perfectly acceptable for them
to dip into the Old Covenant Law and select, unaltered, what aspects
they may desire to apply.
A further concern is that often the full complexity and workings of
the Old Covenant Levitical and priesthood financial support systems
are not fully explained to the congregations. The detailed mechanisms
underlying this ancient Israelite system are often poorly understood
even by the ministry.
The current reality is that tithing in the
short and long term can place considerable
strain on the lives of church goers. The
Minister's promises of monetary blessings
do not always materialise and great
difficulty can be encountered in financing
the family home and meeting family needs.
For new Christians initial blessings may often seem to confirm for
them the need to regularly pay tithes. However, God does frequently
encourage and support new Christians, so while these may initially
feel assured of the need to contribute a tenth, they should also
consider that many older Christians have stories of years of tight
finances and missed opportunities under the yoke of this teaching.
A further detrimental effect of this teaching is that it can have a
significant deterrent effect on potential new members. It also gives
credibility to claims by non-believers that Christian churches are
really just after people's money.
Appearances and financial issues aside, churches are required by God
to justly discern the spirit of the New Testament and teach his
children truthfully.
With this approach in mind we will explore an understanding which
will enable many to perceive a more balanced God. A God which is not
pleased with sacrifice, but rather desires us to value wisdom and act
with concern toward one another.
Hopefully this set of web pages will assist you in understanding the
topic of tithing. Help you realize it is not necessary to tithe upon
ones income to please God.
For readers not familiar with the term 'tithing', as it is used in
Christian teaching, it means:
The practice of giving one tenth (a tithe) of ones income
(net or gross) to a church organisation based upon the
understanding that this is a biblical teaching applicable
to Christians.
A number of churches today require or encourage their members to
tithe on their financial increase. Depending on the church the
tithing practice may be to calculate the tithe based on either
pre-tax or after-tax income.
Whatever method of derivation is actually decreed the resulting
value of peoples tithe is usually significant. So it is easy to
perceive the monetary benefits a church may receive from the
continued support of this practice. Tithing enables buildings to
be financed, vehicles to be provided, ministers salaries to be
paid and other special projects to be funded.
This Old Covenant law can carry many benefits for a Christian church
and can be very effective in loosening the pockets of patrons.
Those members of churches, which are persuaded to provide a regular
payment of a tenth of their financial increase, are often kept under
this teaching through the mechanism of guilt. Such church citizens
are told that this portion of their increase is "holy" or that it
is the "Lord's" (referring to Leviticus 27:30). That one is stealing
from God (quoting Malachi 3:8) if one fails to forward it to their
church hierarchy - so that it may be used for the purposes of church
support and growth.
These days is has become common for literal Old Covenant teaching
to be quoted over the pulpit without any form of alteration. The
essential nature of the difference between the Old and New Covenants
is often not adequately emphasized and highlighted. Therefore these
denominations seem to act as if it is perfectly acceptable for them
to dip into the Old Covenant Law and select, unaltered, what aspects
they may desire to apply.
A further concern is that often the full complexity and workings of
the Old Covenant Levitical and priesthood financial support systems
are not fully explained to the congregations. The detailed mechanisms
underlying this ancient Israelite system are often poorly understood
even by the ministry.
The current reality is that tithing in the
short and long term can place considerable
strain on the lives of church goers. The
Minister's promises of monetary blessings
do not always materialise and great
difficulty can be encountered in financing
the family home and meeting family needs.
For new Christians initial blessings may often seem to confirm for
them the need to regularly pay tithes. However, God does frequently
encourage and support new Christians, so while these may initially
feel assured of the need to contribute a tenth, they should also
consider that many older Christians have stories of years of tight
finances and missed opportunities under the yoke of this teaching.
A further detrimental effect of this teaching is that it can have a
significant deterrent effect on potential new members. It also gives
credibility to claims by non-believers that Christian churches are
really just after people's money.
Appearances and financial issues aside, churches are required by God
to justly discern the spirit of the New Testament and teach his
children truthfully.
With this approach in mind we will explore an understanding which
will enable many to perceive a more balanced God. A God which is not
pleased with sacrifice, but rather desires us to value wisdom and act
with concern toward one another.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
We live by GRACE only and nothing more..
What is meant by the grace of God?
When we speak of God's grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in life. There are so many. We could spend a lifetime celebrating them: blackberries, buttercups, moonlight, salamanders, etc. A more summary approach is to affirm that life itself is the fundamental gift, with all its delights. For us, the gift of life includes the wondrous gift of being human, finding ourselves plopped down in the midst of the larger gift of creation. That is the bedrock of grace—creation, life, human being. As humans, we are given a unique place in the created order. The creation stories in Genesis are ways of celebrating this original grace. In the stories, God pronounces all creation, including humankind, very good, that is, full of grace.
We also use the word grace to mean the secondary gifts we perceive in the skill and intelligence of creatures. The gospel says the boy Jesus grew in grace and favor, meaning he began to exhibit his unique personality and potential to contribute to his community. We speak of the beauty of a lion or a dancer, saying they exude an animal grace, discerned in the vitality and fluidity of their movement. When we use the word graceful to describe a creature, it's because the creature is being expressive of its God-given self.
There is another way of speaking about grace that is more about redemption than about creation. Whereas God pronounced original grace, the other side of the story is when we head off on our own, ignoring the Giver. This headstrong straying we have called original sin, meaning our freedom to choose the not so good, to turn aside from original grace. Ironically, this freedom is itself the most unique grace given humankind by God, the capacity to choose our own way, which must necessarily entail the possibility of choosing poorly. Because we have not always chosen the most graceful path, we have ended up in some miserable, blind alleys along the way. When we grasp our predicament and call for the help we had previously spurned, amazing grace comes to the rescue.
As in the beloved old hymn, the amazing kind of grace is God's gift of redemption, the grace which prompts us to repent, causing us to think again when we find ourselves in a bad way, and which prompts us to return, putting us back on a more godly path. This turning and returning we call conversion. As another simple hymn says, conversion is turning, turning, til we come round right. When we forget grace and our need of it, amazing grace prompts our memory and then upholds our will, our intention to right our lives, to make amends. The process of continual conversion is the grace most associated with the Holy Spirit. It is also called sanctifying grace. The action of this kind of grace is summarized as repentance, confession, and amendment of life. We rely on grace to make us whole, personally and communally, over time.
Redemptive grace is focused most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians call Christ, meaning the one chosen to deliver this particular grace. We might refer to Jesus as Grace himself, as Grace in the flesh, as Grace walking around. The grace of Christ can inspire us in such a transformative way as to change our awareness of ourselves, of our potential as human beings and as humankind, and our awareness of God's gracious purpose for us and through us for all creation. It is this changed awareness which recognizes a still more specialized form of grace—the grace made available to all who choose to serve God's hope for all in Christ. This is the grace which makes us disciples and is available as spiritual power for goodness' sake. Jesus exhibited this kind of power and challenged us to do the same.
The spiritual power demonstrated by Jesus, and the saints who have sought to imitate his cooperation with God, is the energy which continues to heal the world, to bring it into more and more wholeness. This specialized grace is available to any who want to offer themselves in gratitude, to enlist in God's vision for humankind and to discover our proper place in creation as we serve. This is the grace that makes us into earth stewards for Christ's sake. This grace is the assistance given us when we choose to become the people that God means us to be, giving ourselves over to whatever goodness we are meant to create, to redeem, to sustain. This kind of grace comes with the breathtaking awareness that we are participating in the very life of God, and it's awesome good!
When we speak of God's grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in life. There are so many. We could spend a lifetime celebrating them: blackberries, buttercups, moonlight, salamanders, etc. A more summary approach is to affirm that life itself is the fundamental gift, with all its delights. For us, the gift of life includes the wondrous gift of being human, finding ourselves plopped down in the midst of the larger gift of creation. That is the bedrock of grace—creation, life, human being. As humans, we are given a unique place in the created order. The creation stories in Genesis are ways of celebrating this original grace. In the stories, God pronounces all creation, including humankind, very good, that is, full of grace.
We also use the word grace to mean the secondary gifts we perceive in the skill and intelligence of creatures. The gospel says the boy Jesus grew in grace and favor, meaning he began to exhibit his unique personality and potential to contribute to his community. We speak of the beauty of a lion or a dancer, saying they exude an animal grace, discerned in the vitality and fluidity of their movement. When we use the word graceful to describe a creature, it's because the creature is being expressive of its God-given self.
There is another way of speaking about grace that is more about redemption than about creation. Whereas God pronounced original grace, the other side of the story is when we head off on our own, ignoring the Giver. This headstrong straying we have called original sin, meaning our freedom to choose the not so good, to turn aside from original grace. Ironically, this freedom is itself the most unique grace given humankind by God, the capacity to choose our own way, which must necessarily entail the possibility of choosing poorly. Because we have not always chosen the most graceful path, we have ended up in some miserable, blind alleys along the way. When we grasp our predicament and call for the help we had previously spurned, amazing grace comes to the rescue.
As in the beloved old hymn, the amazing kind of grace is God's gift of redemption, the grace which prompts us to repent, causing us to think again when we find ourselves in a bad way, and which prompts us to return, putting us back on a more godly path. This turning and returning we call conversion. As another simple hymn says, conversion is turning, turning, til we come round right. When we forget grace and our need of it, amazing grace prompts our memory and then upholds our will, our intention to right our lives, to make amends. The process of continual conversion is the grace most associated with the Holy Spirit. It is also called sanctifying grace. The action of this kind of grace is summarized as repentance, confession, and amendment of life. We rely on grace to make us whole, personally and communally, over time.
Redemptive grace is focused most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians call Christ, meaning the one chosen to deliver this particular grace. We might refer to Jesus as Grace himself, as Grace in the flesh, as Grace walking around. The grace of Christ can inspire us in such a transformative way as to change our awareness of ourselves, of our potential as human beings and as humankind, and our awareness of God's gracious purpose for us and through us for all creation. It is this changed awareness which recognizes a still more specialized form of grace—the grace made available to all who choose to serve God's hope for all in Christ. This is the grace which makes us disciples and is available as spiritual power for goodness' sake. Jesus exhibited this kind of power and challenged us to do the same.
The spiritual power demonstrated by Jesus, and the saints who have sought to imitate his cooperation with God, is the energy which continues to heal the world, to bring it into more and more wholeness. This specialized grace is available to any who want to offer themselves in gratitude, to enlist in God's vision for humankind and to discover our proper place in creation as we serve. This is the grace that makes us into earth stewards for Christ's sake. This grace is the assistance given us when we choose to become the people that God means us to be, giving ourselves over to whatever goodness we are meant to create, to redeem, to sustain. This kind of grace comes with the breathtaking awareness that we are participating in the very life of God, and it's awesome good!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
MARVELOUS GRACE
What is there in us that attracts the marvelous grace, mercy and pardon of
our
Savior? Is it some kind of beauty, goodness, or strength? Is it some kind of
potential in us?
No! It is our great need and utter helplessness that attracts his grace. It
is
our weakness that attracts his strength. Our helpless condition is
exemplified
by the palsied man in Mark, chapter two: "And they came unto him, bringing
one
sick of the palsy..." (Mark 2:3).
Here is a picture of absolute helplessness, a man without one iota of
strength
or power. He cannot even bring himself to Christ. Look again at that
trembling,
weak, helpless creature-a prisoner to his own bed. That is you and me before
we knew anything of Christ's power.
Jesus stood before this helpless man, let down to him through the roof, and
did
not even mention his physical condition. The Lord chose to bring him into
the
Father's presence clean and cleared. He would be accepted before he was
healed.
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy
sins
be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5).
What a beautiful picture of the love of God in Christ Jesus! Here is a
helpless
man, too overwhelmed by his infirmity to even whimper. He cannot even muster
a
weak confession.
"We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:10). The
Pharisee, with all his good works, his boasting, never did attract the grace
of
the Lord. It is not of works, lest any man should boast.
Show me the child of God who struggles against a hated besetting sin, one
who
is crushed beneath a load of guilt and despair, one who feels helpless and
weak-and I will show you the one who is the object of abundant grace. Where
sin abounds, grace abounds much more (see Romans 5:20).
When you have repented, stand by faith on the finished work of the cross!
Through faith in him, your sins are under the blood. You now live on the
other
side of the veil, seated with Christ in heavenly places, accepted in the
beloved, one with Christ and the Father! God's wrath against your sin has
been
satisfied. You are now more than a conqueror, living and moving in the
Spirit.
You are filled with the fullness of Christ with power to meet everything
having
to do with life and godliness. You are the apple of his eye, renewed in your
mind, and made an heir to all that belongs to Christ the Lord!
our
Savior? Is it some kind of beauty, goodness, or strength? Is it some kind of
potential in us?
No! It is our great need and utter helplessness that attracts his grace. It
is
our weakness that attracts his strength. Our helpless condition is
exemplified
by the palsied man in Mark, chapter two: "And they came unto him, bringing
one
sick of the palsy..." (Mark 2:3).
Here is a picture of absolute helplessness, a man without one iota of
strength
or power. He cannot even bring himself to Christ. Look again at that
trembling,
weak, helpless creature-a prisoner to his own bed. That is you and me before
we knew anything of Christ's power.
Jesus stood before this helpless man, let down to him through the roof, and
did
not even mention his physical condition. The Lord chose to bring him into
the
Father's presence clean and cleared. He would be accepted before he was
healed.
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy
sins
be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5).
What a beautiful picture of the love of God in Christ Jesus! Here is a
helpless
man, too overwhelmed by his infirmity to even whimper. He cannot even muster
a
weak confession.
"We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:10). The
Pharisee, with all his good works, his boasting, never did attract the grace
of
the Lord. It is not of works, lest any man should boast.
Show me the child of God who struggles against a hated besetting sin, one
who
is crushed beneath a load of guilt and despair, one who feels helpless and
weak-and I will show you the one who is the object of abundant grace. Where
sin abounds, grace abounds much more (see Romans 5:20).
When you have repented, stand by faith on the finished work of the cross!
Through faith in him, your sins are under the blood. You now live on the
other
side of the veil, seated with Christ in heavenly places, accepted in the
beloved, one with Christ and the Father! God's wrath against your sin has
been
satisfied. You are now more than a conqueror, living and moving in the
Spirit.
You are filled with the fullness of Christ with power to meet everything
having
to do with life and godliness. You are the apple of his eye, renewed in your
mind, and made an heir to all that belongs to Christ the Lord!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Devil wants to Steal your peace, Joy and everthing and most of the time he uses People to destroy you so be ALERT!
Whenever you are going through trials in your life praise God regardless how you feel.The devil is a spirit and God is a Spirit. They are both watching you. The worst thing you could do is allow fear in your heart to the point that you start talking negative towards your situation.The devil is after your faith in God because He knows faith pleases God Hebrews 11 v6 without faith it is impossible to please God. He doesn't want us to obey God's word. Resit the devil and he will flee from you. Give thanks to Him and praise His name psalm 100 Vs 4 when you start talking negative against God you are doing exactly what the devil wants you to do and you are hurting yourself and the devil is also using you to make a mockery of God too. Don't try to figure out what's going on in your life trust God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight Proverbs 3 vs 6 .The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit Proverbs 18vs 21. Speak the word of God over your situation and find a scriptures that pertains to your situation and stand on it. Speak it out loud on a daily basis no matter what it looks like in the natural. Please don't say it's hard for you to do . Philippians 4 vs 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The devil is already defeated 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and arise from the dead. He is at the right Hand of God cheering for us right now. my brothers and sisters in the Lord you have to understand when a teacher is giving you an exam the teacher never talk during the exam. It's the same thing with God too. If you look at the story of job when the devil ask God permission to take everything away from Job. During that time God stay silent while Job went through His trials .Job never said anything negative about God. He had family and friends who told him to curse God but yet Job never said anything negative about God. please go and read the story of Job in the bible for yourself . God knew that he could trust Job no matter what Job would never stop believing in God's word.At the end Job passed the test. When you are going through a trial in your life the devil put fear in you and you cannot think straight. Fear is False- Evidence- Appear- Real when you spell out the word fear that's exactly what it is. Even if you are feeling afraid speak out the word of God out loud regardless how you feel. The devil cannot see what's in your heart but he can hear what's coming out of your mouth and see your reactions towards your situations. No matter what you are going through in life always put a smile on your face say all is well with you. The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehemiah 8vs10 you have to understand not everyone in your life who really wants what's best for you. There are people in your life who really don't want you to be bless Spiritually financially at all. They want you to stay where they are and not go up or grow spiritually or to be bless by the Lord. Some people when they call you and ask you how you are doing they are not really concern about you at all. They just want to see how bad you are doing. It's a spirit of Jealousy and the devil is behind it all. You have to understand that Judas was one of Jesus disciples and the devil uses him to betrayed Jesus.We have to be careful to guard our heart. Proverb 4vs 23 Above all else guard your heart. We are responsible to guard our hearts. The next thing for you to do is to find Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit. who are strong in the Lord who's going to uplift you in the Lord. Who is going to encourage you by speaking the word of God in your life. We are who we hang out with. don't hang around with people who's so negative to the point that they drained the life out of you. If you are not affecting someone's life in a positive way and that person is affecting you in a negative way it's time for you to keep your distance from that person. Rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell Matthew 10 vs 28.There are people the devil uses to bring you down it doesn't matter it could be family members friends co-workers he is a spirit. He hates God and hates God's people. We need to open our Spiritual eyes in here not many people can go with you where God is taking you. Abraham had to separated himself from His nephew lot because He couldn't go with him where God was taking him. you can read the story for yourself Genesis 13. God has a plan for your life and you cannot people with you where God is taking you. There are people who are hindrance in your life and need to let them go they are keeping you from moving to the next level in God. You have to understand the closer you are getting to your destiny the more the devil will attack you.Moses was called the friend of God.And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Gen. 5:24 .We need to keep our peace it doesn't matter what we are facing in our life.The peace Jesus is talking about in here is when you are going through trials of life. you keep the peace of God in your heart no matter what the devil throws at you # 1 you praise God for the Victory . # 2 you keep the peace of God in your heart. # 3 ) you keep joy in your heart. when you rooted in the word of God nothing will move you. That's a signs of maturity in the Lord. you also keep the focus off the situation by serving God when you serve others in different ways by encouraging someone else pray for your brothers and sisters whatever God places in your heart for you to do just obey God.Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the way law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers Psalm 1 vs 1, 2, 3 peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. john 14 vs 27 God bless you all.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Trials & Weaknesses or If you cannot get what you desire most is One perfect way how God will make you Humble & Patient person
Life is always a test because God is molding you to become more patient & humble; hence, its always an easy way to be proud if you have everything but if you possessed weaknesses such as you cannot reach what you want then that's one way to make you humble & patient to wait for God..That is what Happened to St Paul when He said that God allowed weaknesses in his life to keep him from becoming proud but don't you know God can make a weak person shame the powerful? The answer is YES.. Why? Because God is not limited to our limitation; hence, God loves to display His power to weak people just like when Jesus made the weak blind man see and all the people who heard it were so amazed.
Saint Paul admitted in His letter in the bible that He cried out three times to God to removed the the sufferings he was facing but God said NO because it is the Grace of God which is sufficient enough for us to conquer any sort or kinds of sufferings and trials or why you cannot get all the things you desire in life such as:" Unsuccessful Marriage or divorce; Financial Problems; Physically handicap; Joblessness; Barren womb; death of your love ones in the family and among others; etc..
But wait! before you get frustrated, you must realized that whatever problems you face in life, God allowed it for a purpose to make you a better person and that God will used you mightily beyond what you can imagine. And one Great example is the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. Don't you ever think that Christ crucifixion does not make sense at all as it was very painful and shameful experienced Jesus Christ has to suffer until HE died naked on the cross of calvary?
What do you think is the reason why God the father allowed such thing to happened to His one and only Son Jesus Christ?
The answer is Because of His great Love for you and me. It is the only way to let us be redeemed and become saved from the fires of hell that has already prepared by God for the devil and his children. God knew before the creation of the world the you, me and all humanity is destined to go to hell because no one can saved us except the blood of Jesus which must be shed in order to pay all our sins.
Therefore, I want to conclude that you must not be discouraged if you are a victim of divorce, broken relationships; Financial Limitation and all sort of problems which cannot be imagined anymore because God allows it for a reason only He is the only Person who knows why.
Do you want to know why? Because He has plans to make you great one day just like Abraham & Sarah in the bible history. Abraham & Sarah prayed to have a child but they are already very old and Sarah's womb was barren so Abraham felt so down as there is no longer reason to hope for yet Abraham kept His faith that One day God will answer his prayer.
As a result, Sarah gave birth to Isaac at age more than hundred and God made Abraham the father of all nation and His children was as many as the number of stars in the sky.. Now let me challenge you, Do you now believe that what God did to Abraham can also happened to you? The answer is just persevere and wait on God even though there is no more reason to believe because God knew and sees what is in your heart; and, one day HE will grant the desires of your heart the least you expect of it
Saint Paul admitted in His letter in the bible that He cried out three times to God to removed the the sufferings he was facing but God said NO because it is the Grace of God which is sufficient enough for us to conquer any sort or kinds of sufferings and trials or why you cannot get all the things you desire in life such as:" Unsuccessful Marriage or divorce; Financial Problems; Physically handicap; Joblessness; Barren womb; death of your love ones in the family and among others; etc..
But wait! before you get frustrated, you must realized that whatever problems you face in life, God allowed it for a purpose to make you a better person and that God will used you mightily beyond what you can imagine. And one Great example is the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. Don't you ever think that Christ crucifixion does not make sense at all as it was very painful and shameful experienced Jesus Christ has to suffer until HE died naked on the cross of calvary?
What do you think is the reason why God the father allowed such thing to happened to His one and only Son Jesus Christ?
The answer is Because of His great Love for you and me. It is the only way to let us be redeemed and become saved from the fires of hell that has already prepared by God for the devil and his children. God knew before the creation of the world the you, me and all humanity is destined to go to hell because no one can saved us except the blood of Jesus which must be shed in order to pay all our sins.
Therefore, I want to conclude that you must not be discouraged if you are a victim of divorce, broken relationships; Financial Limitation and all sort of problems which cannot be imagined anymore because God allows it for a reason only He is the only Person who knows why.
Do you want to know why? Because He has plans to make you great one day just like Abraham & Sarah in the bible history. Abraham & Sarah prayed to have a child but they are already very old and Sarah's womb was barren so Abraham felt so down as there is no longer reason to hope for yet Abraham kept His faith that One day God will answer his prayer.
As a result, Sarah gave birth to Isaac at age more than hundred and God made Abraham the father of all nation and His children was as many as the number of stars in the sky.. Now let me challenge you, Do you now believe that what God did to Abraham can also happened to you? The answer is just persevere and wait on God even though there is no more reason to believe because God knew and sees what is in your heart; and, one day HE will grant the desires of your heart the least you expect of it
Jesus says:"The End Times Is None Of Your Business & Focus More On Doing His Will & Stop Talking About It!!!
"Be Ready but Forget the End Times rather just do His will"
Matthew 24:36-44 declares, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” At first glance, these verses would seem to provide a clear and explicit answer to the question. No, no one can know when Jesus is coming back. However, those verses do not say that no one will ever be able to know when Jesus will return. Most Bible scholars would say that Jesus, now glorified in Heaven, knows the timing of His return, indicating that the phrase “nor the Son” does not mean Jesus will never know when He will return. Similarly, it is possible that, while Matthew 24:36-44 indicates that no one at that time could know the timing of Jesus’ return, God could reveal the timing of Jesus’ return to someone in the future.
In addition, there is Acts 1:7, which states, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority." This was said by Jesus after the disciples asked Him if He was at that time going to restore the kingdom to Israel. This would seem to confirm the message of Matthew 24. It is not for us to know the timing of Jesus coming back. But, there is also the question of to which return these passages are referring. Are they speaking of the rapture or the second coming? Which return is unknowable—the rapture, the second coming, or both? While the rapture is presented as being imminent and mysterious, the timing of the second coming could potentially be pinpointed based on end-times prophecy.
With that said, let us be abundantly clear: we do not believe that God has revealed to anyone when Jesus is coming back, and we see nothing in Scripture which indicates that God will ever reveal to anyone when Jesus is coming back. Matthew 24:36-44, while spoken directly to the people in Jesus’ time, also contains a principle. The timing of Jesus’ return and the end of the age is not for us to know. Scripture nowhere encourages us to try to determine the date. Rather, we are to “keep watch, because we do not know on which day our Lord will come” (v. 42). We are to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we do not expect Him” (v. 44). The force of Jesus’ words diminishes if at some point in the future someone will be able to determine when Jesus is coming back. If the date is discovered, we no longer need to “keep watch” or “be ready” until the date is approaching. So, with the principle of Matthew 24:36-44 is mind, no, it is not possible for anyone to know the date that Jesus is coming back.
Despite this clear biblical principle, many throughout Christian history have attempted to prophesy the date that Jesus is coming back. Many such dates have been proposed, and all of them have been wrong. Today, there are two popular proposed dates: May 21, 2011, and December 21, 2012. The December 21, 2012, date is related to the Mayan calendar, with no biblical data used as evidence. The May 21, 2011, date is proposed by Harold Camping of Family Radio. It should be noted that Harold Camping previously predicted that Jesus would come back in 1994. Obviously, Camping was wrong. This should give us yet another reason to doubt the validity of his prediction of May 21, 2011. Camping, does, however, claim to find evidence for the May 21, 2011, date in Scripture. By using a speculative date of 4990 B.C. for the Flood, and then applying the “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” of 2 Peter 3:8 to the seven days of Genesis 7:4, and then counting down the 7000 years from 4990, the year 2011 results. Then, based on “the seventeenth day of the second month” from Genesis 7:11 and using the Hebrew calendar, the date of May 21 is determined. So, is there any validity to Camping’s methodology?
First, Camping conveniently ignores the second half of 2 Peter 3:8, “and a thousand years as one day.” Further, 2 Peter 3:8 is not providing a method for dating the end times. Rather, 2 Peter 3:8 is simply saying that God is above and beyond time. God is timeless, infinite, and eternal. Second, nothing in the context of Genesis 7:4-11 indicates that the “seven days” and “seventeenth day of the second month” are to be interpreted as applying to anything other than what God was specifically saying to Noah. Third, the Flood being dated to 4990 B.C. is speculative at best, with no explicit biblical evidence. Camping’s calculation of May 21, 2011, falls apart with even the most basic biblical scrutiny. Now, is it possible that Jesus is coming back on May 21, 2011? Yes, but it is just as possible that He will come back on any other date. Does Harold Camping’s particular dating methodology have any biblical validity? No, it does not. Assuming that Jesus does not return on or before May 21, 2011, Camping and others will surely calculate new future dates and will attempt to explain away mistakes by “errors in the formula” or something to that effect.
The key points are (1) the Bible nowhere encourages us to attempt to discover the timing of Jesus’ return, and (2) the Bible gives no explicit data by which the timing of Jesus’ return can be determined. Rather than developing wild and speculative calculations to determine when Jesus is coming back, the Bible encourages us to “keep watch” and “be ready” (Matthew 24:42-44). The fact that the day of Jesus’ return is unknown is what should motivate us to live every day in light of the imminence of Christ’s return.
Matthew 24:36-44 declares, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” At first glance, these verses would seem to provide a clear and explicit answer to the question. No, no one can know when Jesus is coming back. However, those verses do not say that no one will ever be able to know when Jesus will return. Most Bible scholars would say that Jesus, now glorified in Heaven, knows the timing of His return, indicating that the phrase “nor the Son” does not mean Jesus will never know when He will return. Similarly, it is possible that, while Matthew 24:36-44 indicates that no one at that time could know the timing of Jesus’ return, God could reveal the timing of Jesus’ return to someone in the future.
In addition, there is Acts 1:7, which states, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority." This was said by Jesus after the disciples asked Him if He was at that time going to restore the kingdom to Israel. This would seem to confirm the message of Matthew 24. It is not for us to know the timing of Jesus coming back. But, there is also the question of to which return these passages are referring. Are they speaking of the rapture or the second coming? Which return is unknowable—the rapture, the second coming, or both? While the rapture is presented as being imminent and mysterious, the timing of the second coming could potentially be pinpointed based on end-times prophecy.
With that said, let us be abundantly clear: we do not believe that God has revealed to anyone when Jesus is coming back, and we see nothing in Scripture which indicates that God will ever reveal to anyone when Jesus is coming back. Matthew 24:36-44, while spoken directly to the people in Jesus’ time, also contains a principle. The timing of Jesus’ return and the end of the age is not for us to know. Scripture nowhere encourages us to try to determine the date. Rather, we are to “keep watch, because we do not know on which day our Lord will come” (v. 42). We are to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we do not expect Him” (v. 44). The force of Jesus’ words diminishes if at some point in the future someone will be able to determine when Jesus is coming back. If the date is discovered, we no longer need to “keep watch” or “be ready” until the date is approaching. So, with the principle of Matthew 24:36-44 is mind, no, it is not possible for anyone to know the date that Jesus is coming back.
Despite this clear biblical principle, many throughout Christian history have attempted to prophesy the date that Jesus is coming back. Many such dates have been proposed, and all of them have been wrong. Today, there are two popular proposed dates: May 21, 2011, and December 21, 2012. The December 21, 2012, date is related to the Mayan calendar, with no biblical data used as evidence. The May 21, 2011, date is proposed by Harold Camping of Family Radio. It should be noted that Harold Camping previously predicted that Jesus would come back in 1994. Obviously, Camping was wrong. This should give us yet another reason to doubt the validity of his prediction of May 21, 2011. Camping, does, however, claim to find evidence for the May 21, 2011, date in Scripture. By using a speculative date of 4990 B.C. for the Flood, and then applying the “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” of 2 Peter 3:8 to the seven days of Genesis 7:4, and then counting down the 7000 years from 4990, the year 2011 results. Then, based on “the seventeenth day of the second month” from Genesis 7:11 and using the Hebrew calendar, the date of May 21 is determined. So, is there any validity to Camping’s methodology?
First, Camping conveniently ignores the second half of 2 Peter 3:8, “and a thousand years as one day.” Further, 2 Peter 3:8 is not providing a method for dating the end times. Rather, 2 Peter 3:8 is simply saying that God is above and beyond time. God is timeless, infinite, and eternal. Second, nothing in the context of Genesis 7:4-11 indicates that the “seven days” and “seventeenth day of the second month” are to be interpreted as applying to anything other than what God was specifically saying to Noah. Third, the Flood being dated to 4990 B.C. is speculative at best, with no explicit biblical evidence. Camping’s calculation of May 21, 2011, falls apart with even the most basic biblical scrutiny. Now, is it possible that Jesus is coming back on May 21, 2011? Yes, but it is just as possible that He will come back on any other date. Does Harold Camping’s particular dating methodology have any biblical validity? No, it does not. Assuming that Jesus does not return on or before May 21, 2011, Camping and others will surely calculate new future dates and will attempt to explain away mistakes by “errors in the formula” or something to that effect.
The key points are (1) the Bible nowhere encourages us to attempt to discover the timing of Jesus’ return, and (2) the Bible gives no explicit data by which the timing of Jesus’ return can be determined. Rather than developing wild and speculative calculations to determine when Jesus is coming back, the Bible encourages us to “keep watch” and “be ready” (Matthew 24:42-44). The fact that the day of Jesus’ return is unknown is what should motivate us to live every day in light of the imminence of Christ’s return.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
What does it mean to say that you need to Forget the past because You are now a New person?
Newness of life! “If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he (or she) is a new creation; old things have gone, new things have come!”
Our old lives were often full of despair; of sin; of regrets; of unhappiness; of serving ourselves and not serving God. Our new lives once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior can be filled with the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit — peace, and love, and joy, and patience, and kindness, and gentleness, and faithfulness, and self-control. The Kingdom of God can reign in your life and in mine.
How do we experience the kingdom of God in our life? First, we must accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must also repent — which means to turn from our own ways and from sin and turn to God. Ask forgiveness of your sins. Then ask the Holy Spirit of God to come into your heart and life and fill you full of God’s love, and His life, and His Holy Spirit. You can experience newness of life.
Finally, focus your mind on things that are good. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about these things.” Set your minds on the things that are of God and not on the things on earth. Focus on Jesus Christ and His kingdom and fill your thoughts with what is good — and let Jesus Christ transform your life and make everything new.
Our old lives were often full of despair; of sin; of regrets; of unhappiness; of serving ourselves and not serving God. Our new lives once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior can be filled with the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit — peace, and love, and joy, and patience, and kindness, and gentleness, and faithfulness, and self-control. The Kingdom of God can reign in your life and in mine.
How do we experience the kingdom of God in our life? First, we must accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must also repent — which means to turn from our own ways and from sin and turn to God. Ask forgiveness of your sins. Then ask the Holy Spirit of God to come into your heart and life and fill you full of God’s love, and His life, and His Holy Spirit. You can experience newness of life.
Finally, focus your mind on things that are good. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about these things.” Set your minds on the things that are of God and not on the things on earth. Focus on Jesus Christ and His kingdom and fill your thoughts with what is good — and let Jesus Christ transform your life and make everything new.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Why Pride is like a cancer in our lives? I Encouraged comments and Reactions to this Topic
Why Pride is like a cancer in our Lives? It is because all sort of troubles such as anger, violence, unforgiveness, hatred in many forms; lying and all source of evilness comes from pride alone because it all started from satan himself when he was made by God as one of the the most beautiful angel in heaven, he wanted to become like God and started acting like one therefore, he was casted out in the heavenly world and he was called satan or the devil and popularly known as the devil. You might wonder that there are so many terrible things the devil did to God and His people here on earth. In other words, everytime there is pride in you, be better watch out because that is satan residing inside of you and you can do terrible things by destroying your life and other's because of that simple as you may wanna call it:"The pride".. Because of Pride many marriage were broken due to unforgiveness and nonacceptance of one's fault. Because of pride, there is war among nations; because of pride there is rebellion even inside the wonderful family; because of pride, people fights until bloodshed has reached; because of pride, people don't get married; because of pride, people are ready to kill and do anything. That is because Pride is the capital of all sin.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Why Many people Suffers Financial Problem?
Thank you very much Mr John J. Jacobs.. before anything else I have 42 Videos in you tube and all you have to do is simply type "rickpila" in the search area then every topic will pop up or you may also read in my blog http://rickpila.blogspot.com. In the Cruz of the controversy, let me ask you? Why am I saying this? because I have a video about tithing a& love offering. Never did any verse in the bible says that the laws in the old testament is no longer in effect due to Christ Jesus Death on the cross and again its a doctrinal error to say that: "The bible says that be curse to anyone preaching that is not in scriptures"..Again, It is said in malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it..in verse 11: it says that I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
Look, Dont you know that one of the wealthiest nation on earth (America) is now suffering pestilence in their crops and fruits on their barns or in layman's term USA now is facing recession or economic meltdown..why? One of the Big reasons is first people are no longer believing in God as there are many Atheist and Agnostic existing everywhere denying the truth about Jesus and His Commandments and Second is the worse there are many Christian professing Christianity yet they divided the truths or just pick up verses that they wishes because it is a burden for them to give money to the church like Tithes. Many Christian don't give because they feel burden every time they give 10% away from their earnings so at the end, they become a curse and as a result they have Financial lack and worst it grows and the nation became a curse thats the essence why recession occur in USA today. It is very clear also in the New Testament that Jesus fasted forty days to seek God and this Fasting is not in the context of the new testament.. Are you telling me that Jesus fasting for 40 days in the dessert was wrong? The Bible says:
Matt 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites For you pay tithe of mint and anise and Cummings, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Luke 11:42 But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.(Tithes)
Christ spoke these words during His ministry and this teaching was in harmony with the directives of the Old Covenant.
The following verse explains the position of Christ in relation to the
existing Old Covenant Law. Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time
had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
:5 to redeem those who were under the
law, ...
In other words, Christ planted the seeds of the New Testament while acting and speaking in harmony with the law of the Old Covenant. It is for this reason that
He also commanded a cleansed leper to obey the law of Moses.
Matt 8:3 ... And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
:4 See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
If you will observe that Christ commanded His church to make disciples among nations so if you depend on offerings only, many hypocrites will give 1 cent or perhaps or not all so that it will appear that they already offer so offering can be abused but tithing cannot because it is a requirements of 10% so to speak so Christians cannot scape by giving 1 cent because it is relaxing to give 1 cent then claim the benefit of offering as the bible promised it?. It is also recorded in the New testament that give to Caesar what is due him and give to God what is due HIM. in other words, you may observe here that this is not offering but a requirement to give God what is due HIM so Technically this is Tithing. So think and use your common sense.
Look, Dont you know that one of the wealthiest nation on earth (America) is now suffering pestilence in their crops and fruits on their barns or in layman's term USA now is facing recession or economic meltdown..why? One of the Big reasons is first people are no longer believing in God as there are many Atheist and Agnostic existing everywhere denying the truth about Jesus and His Commandments and Second is the worse there are many Christian professing Christianity yet they divided the truths or just pick up verses that they wishes because it is a burden for them to give money to the church like Tithes. Many Christian don't give because they feel burden every time they give 10% away from their earnings so at the end, they become a curse and as a result they have Financial lack and worst it grows and the nation became a curse thats the essence why recession occur in USA today. It is very clear also in the New Testament that Jesus fasted forty days to seek God and this Fasting is not in the context of the new testament.. Are you telling me that Jesus fasting for 40 days in the dessert was wrong? The Bible says:
Matt 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites For you pay tithe of mint and anise and Cummings, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Luke 11:42 But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.(Tithes)
Christ spoke these words during His ministry and this teaching was in harmony with the directives of the Old Covenant.
The following verse explains the position of Christ in relation to the
existing Old Covenant Law. Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time
had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
:5 to redeem those who were under the
law, ...
In other words, Christ planted the seeds of the New Testament while acting and speaking in harmony with the law of the Old Covenant. It is for this reason that
He also commanded a cleansed leper to obey the law of Moses.
Matt 8:3 ... And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
:4 See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
If you will observe that Christ commanded His church to make disciples among nations so if you depend on offerings only, many hypocrites will give 1 cent or perhaps or not all so that it will appear that they already offer so offering can be abused but tithing cannot because it is a requirements of 10% so to speak so Christians cannot scape by giving 1 cent because it is relaxing to give 1 cent then claim the benefit of offering as the bible promised it?. It is also recorded in the New testament that give to Caesar what is due him and give to God what is due HIM. in other words, you may observe here that this is not offering but a requirement to give God what is due HIM so Technically this is Tithing. So think and use your common sense.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Since we are just Humans & prone to sin then What does God expect Of Me?
If you are like many Christians, you want to please God with your life. At the same time, in all honesty, sometimes you get tired trying to live the Christian life. Sometimes it just feels like it’s way too much pressure.
When I was an atheist, sin was never an issue to me. I wasn’t particularly aware of it. I didn’t really experience guilt. But when I became a Christian….whoa. I found out there were things I was doing that God did not want in my life. I also became aware of the need to love others, to read the Bible, to pray, to witness, to disciple others, etc. And at times I thought, “It was way easier being an atheist.” Now that I knew God, I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to please him with my life. I would read the Bible, read a command, and it seemed that verse after verse I could honestly say, “Yep, good idea. I need to do that more.”
Fortunately God taught me something in Scripture that totally freed me from this highly responsible, performance mind-set, so that I could see God again and deeply enjoy my relationship with him. There is a huge principle in Scripture that is throughout Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, 1&2 Corinthians…it’s all over the place.
Here it is: God does not demand perfection in you. God is not expecting you to measure up. God never thought that you could live the Christian life, nor does he expect that you could actually meet his holy standards. If he thought that you could, he wouldn’t have come to earth to die for you. But he did.
Jesus said to the crowds, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” So, it is true that God’s laws, his commands, require perfection. And if we were to be accepted by God based on living up to his commands, we would have to be perfect. No wonder Jesus came to save us from the penalty of our sins!
God is aware of the gap between his perfection and your sinfulness. Even as Christians, there is a constant tension within us to try to close that gap, so that we feel more comfortable, so that we feel closer to God. Some will try to close the gap by trying to lower God’s standards: “God doesn’t really mean…” Others will try to close the gap by trying to raise their performance: “I’ll try harder…”
What does God say about this gap? It’s there and it will always be there. But you, who have put your faith in Jesus, received him into your life, have been forgiven, declared righteous, precious in his eyes, held in his hand of care. You are completely his and he loves you unconditionally, in spite of the gap.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”1
It is likely however that you will come to a point in your life where you begin to think that surely God must now want some repayment.
The purpose of this article is to keep you from falling into the trap of feeling like you must now perform for God. Scripture cautions against this, because it will rob you of the joy of knowing Christ.
So, let’s take a serious look at what God says about your relationship with him. Let’s look at the ground rules, what he says about relating to him.
How you became a Christian
When you became a Christian, look at the weight of responsibility God carried in that process vs. your effort:
God chose you before the foundation of the world and called you to be his.2
God came to earth for you.3
God personally died for your sins.4
God made sure someone explained the gospel to you.5
God offered to come into your life.6
God gave you the desire to know him and respond to him.7
You turned to him and received him.
God entered your life, declared you righteous and forgiven, and called you his own.8
You became a Christian by simply responding to God in faith. That is the same way he wants you to live the Christian life…by simply responding to God in faith. The weight of responsibility (and ability) stays with God. You may be thinking, “That seems simple enough. What’s the big deal?” The problem is that almost every Christian gets tripped up on this at one time or another. Why?
It is human nature to think that you owe God for what he has given you. It is also human nature to think that now that you know the Bible a little, now that you know a little bit about prayer, or now that you may understand a little about talking to others about God…now it’s time to take on the responsibility of being a “good Christian.” There is nothing that will more quickly zap your joy in knowing God.
And if, on your own, you don’t come to this erroneous conclusion that you must now perform for God, then other Christians, unfortunately, are very good at making you feel a measure of guilt, pressure and expectation to obey God better. This article (hopefully) will give you an understanding from Scripture about how to live the Christian life without beginning to feel a weight of false expectations to perform for God. It will show you how deeply God loves you and how he wants you to relate to him.
God has not set up your relationship with him as contingent upon you, but rather contingent upon himself. Let me illustrate from these verses:
How are we acceptable to God?
You were declared forgiven by his grace (his kindness), because of Jesus’ death for you. You received his gift of forgiveness by believing that Jesus has paid for your sin, right? You didn’t earn your forgiveness. You simply believed God when he says he has forgiven you.
“…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy.”9 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us…”10
Ok, now that you are a Christian, do the rules change? Does God now have a long list of expectations for you? No. Now you may think, “Wait a minute. The Bible is FULL of commands. You can’t read a paragraph without being told what to do.” That is true. But while God gives you commands, he also tells you that you can’t fully obey them. In fact, he tells you that the harder you concentrate on trying to obey them, the more that you will see your sin.11 Also, the harder you try, the more you might feel like a failure, deserving of God’s judgment and condemnation, and thus the more distant you will feel from God.
The apostle Paul talks about this frustration that he also felt. He looked at God’s law and said, “The commandment is holy, righteous and good.” Yet as much as he tried to live according to it, he kept on sinning. He said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”12 In complete frustration he says, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” His solution? “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”13
The feelings of failure, sin, condemnation need to be faced with Scripture. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”14 “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!15”
So when you look at God’s commands, don’t attempt to obey them on your own effort…but instead ask God, who lives inside of you, to produce that in you. If God says to love each other, he doesn’t intend for you to march off with enthusiastic responsibility and show God how loving you can be. Instead he wants you to depend on him, “God, I ask you to live in my heart and cause me to see this person as you do, and put love in my heart for this person in the same way that you love them. I cannot love them on my own, but ask that your great love would be produced in my life for them.”
What is the difference?
It is the difference between independently trying to perform for God, verses depending on God and relying on him to live through you. We do not mature into independence from God. We mature only by remaining dependent upon him, and that’s the way he wants it. He wants you to enjoy the freedom and love of being in relationship with him, trusting him, depending upon him. He is not expecting you to perform for him.
The Bible refers to God’s commands as “the law.” Now that you are a Christian, you are no longer under the law or under God’s judgment and condemnation – instead you have forgiveness and eternal life. You have been set free from the law’s demands.
Paul said, we “know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”16
How much does Paul focus on God’s commands and trying to fulfill them? “…I died to the law so that I might live for God…I have been crucified with Christ…Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”17
Before you received Jesus, you were distant from God, able to only know God’s commands, and you were under God’s judgment. But now you know Christ and his Spirit lives within you.
God says, “I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds.” And in the same place he says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”18 So, instead of the law being outside you, hovering over you with its demands, God has placed his law within your heart, and as the Holy Spirit changes you, he gives you an increasing desire to do what pleases him. Over time, as you grow in your relationship with God, he will continue to build in you the desire and capacity to live a holy life before him.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”19
God has a plan for your life, to use your life to benefit others and for his glory. Your relationship is now with God, with his life living in you, producing good works in you.
What to do with sin?
Now let me pose this question: What if you ask him to produce something in your life or to free you from a particular sin, and you still struggle? What if you still see your bad temper or you still see yourself giving into temptation, or you see yourself failing to pray or read your Bible like you think you should? Then what? Would that be the time to begin taking on the responsibility of the Christian life and give it your full effort? No. The moment you begin to try to perform for God, the more you will see your failure, the more you will distance yourself from God, and the less joy your will have in knowing him.
It is easy for a Christian to think that God rewards effort, because that is how our entire society is set up…be responsible, work hard, give it your best effort…and you will be rewarded. A Christian can look at the commands in the Bible and think, “Yes, if I try hard enough I can do this.” And they are headed for a lot of frustration, because the Bible says that focusing on the law brings only one thing…an awareness of your sin. God has not set up your relationship with him as effort & reward. He has set it up that instead, he wants you to trust him to produce in your life what pleases him.
As long as you live on this earth you are going to sin. You will never be perfect in this life. Not only do you know that, but God knows that. As you recognize sin in your life, confess it, and believe what he promises you:
“If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”20
Be patient in letting God change you
Focus on getting to know God. Pursue knowing him better through prayer, reading the Bible, being in fellowship and teaching with other Christians…all of that is good. But your faith is not to rest in your effort, but instead in God’s ability to work in your life. Jesus said it’s like grapes on a vine. Jesus is the main vine and he said we are like the branches. “Remain (or abide) in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”21
Jesus went on to say, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”22
What about Jesus saying “obey my commands”?
The right way to live, the way that you will experience a more abundant life as Jesus talked about, and become more easily convinced of his love for you is by doing what he says. Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”23 He wants you to live according to what he says is right and experience his love and have joy as a Christian. But the way that you obey his commands is by relying on him as you approach those commands.
So when I see a verse in the Bible where God says, “Do this….”, I immediately say to God, “Good idea. I want my life to please you and I ask you to build that into my life through your Spirit. Give me the ability to obey you in this way. God, I am headed for disaster if I think I could obey this on my own. But I ask you to change my thinking or work in my life whatever way you need to, that my life would line up with this verse.” And then I don’t worry about it. I might write out that verse and learn it, think about it, maybe even memorize it. But my faith to do it remains in God.
He has freed you from the demands of the law, and welcomes you to rest in him, dependent upon him…where you can fully enjoy the intimacy of knowing him.
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.”24
“We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit…”25
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”26
“And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness…”27
1. Romans 5:1,2
2. Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9
3. John 3:16
4. Romans 5:8
5. Ephesians 1:13
6. Revelation 3:20; John 1:12,13
7. Revelation 3:20
8. I John 3:1; Colossians 1:13,14; Ephesians 1:4; John 1:12
9. Titus 3:3-7
10. Ephesians 1:7
11. Romans 3:20
12. Romans 7:18,19
13. Romans 7:24,25
14. Romans 8:1
15. Romans 5:8-10
16. Galatians 2:16
17. Galatians 2:19-21
18. Hebrews 10:16,17
19. Ephesians 2:8,9
20. 1 John 1:9
21. John 15:4
22. John 15:9
23. John 15:10,11
24. Romans 7:4
25. Romans 7:6
26. Romans 10:4
27. Romans 4:5
When I was an atheist, sin was never an issue to me. I wasn’t particularly aware of it. I didn’t really experience guilt. But when I became a Christian….whoa. I found out there were things I was doing that God did not want in my life. I also became aware of the need to love others, to read the Bible, to pray, to witness, to disciple others, etc. And at times I thought, “It was way easier being an atheist.” Now that I knew God, I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to please him with my life. I would read the Bible, read a command, and it seemed that verse after verse I could honestly say, “Yep, good idea. I need to do that more.”
Fortunately God taught me something in Scripture that totally freed me from this highly responsible, performance mind-set, so that I could see God again and deeply enjoy my relationship with him. There is a huge principle in Scripture that is throughout Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, 1&2 Corinthians…it’s all over the place.
Here it is: God does not demand perfection in you. God is not expecting you to measure up. God never thought that you could live the Christian life, nor does he expect that you could actually meet his holy standards. If he thought that you could, he wouldn’t have come to earth to die for you. But he did.
Jesus said to the crowds, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” So, it is true that God’s laws, his commands, require perfection. And if we were to be accepted by God based on living up to his commands, we would have to be perfect. No wonder Jesus came to save us from the penalty of our sins!
God is aware of the gap between his perfection and your sinfulness. Even as Christians, there is a constant tension within us to try to close that gap, so that we feel more comfortable, so that we feel closer to God. Some will try to close the gap by trying to lower God’s standards: “God doesn’t really mean…” Others will try to close the gap by trying to raise their performance: “I’ll try harder…”
What does God say about this gap? It’s there and it will always be there. But you, who have put your faith in Jesus, received him into your life, have been forgiven, declared righteous, precious in his eyes, held in his hand of care. You are completely his and he loves you unconditionally, in spite of the gap.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”1
It is likely however that you will come to a point in your life where you begin to think that surely God must now want some repayment.
The purpose of this article is to keep you from falling into the trap of feeling like you must now perform for God. Scripture cautions against this, because it will rob you of the joy of knowing Christ.
So, let’s take a serious look at what God says about your relationship with him. Let’s look at the ground rules, what he says about relating to him.
How you became a Christian
When you became a Christian, look at the weight of responsibility God carried in that process vs. your effort:
God chose you before the foundation of the world and called you to be his.2
God came to earth for you.3
God personally died for your sins.4
God made sure someone explained the gospel to you.5
God offered to come into your life.6
God gave you the desire to know him and respond to him.7
You turned to him and received him.
God entered your life, declared you righteous and forgiven, and called you his own.8
You became a Christian by simply responding to God in faith. That is the same way he wants you to live the Christian life…by simply responding to God in faith. The weight of responsibility (and ability) stays with God. You may be thinking, “That seems simple enough. What’s the big deal?” The problem is that almost every Christian gets tripped up on this at one time or another. Why?
It is human nature to think that you owe God for what he has given you. It is also human nature to think that now that you know the Bible a little, now that you know a little bit about prayer, or now that you may understand a little about talking to others about God…now it’s time to take on the responsibility of being a “good Christian.” There is nothing that will more quickly zap your joy in knowing God.
And if, on your own, you don’t come to this erroneous conclusion that you must now perform for God, then other Christians, unfortunately, are very good at making you feel a measure of guilt, pressure and expectation to obey God better. This article (hopefully) will give you an understanding from Scripture about how to live the Christian life without beginning to feel a weight of false expectations to perform for God. It will show you how deeply God loves you and how he wants you to relate to him.
God has not set up your relationship with him as contingent upon you, but rather contingent upon himself. Let me illustrate from these verses:
How are we acceptable to God?
You were declared forgiven by his grace (his kindness), because of Jesus’ death for you. You received his gift of forgiveness by believing that Jesus has paid for your sin, right? You didn’t earn your forgiveness. You simply believed God when he says he has forgiven you.
“…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy.”9 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us…”10
Ok, now that you are a Christian, do the rules change? Does God now have a long list of expectations for you? No. Now you may think, “Wait a minute. The Bible is FULL of commands. You can’t read a paragraph without being told what to do.” That is true. But while God gives you commands, he also tells you that you can’t fully obey them. In fact, he tells you that the harder you concentrate on trying to obey them, the more that you will see your sin.11 Also, the harder you try, the more you might feel like a failure, deserving of God’s judgment and condemnation, and thus the more distant you will feel from God.
The apostle Paul talks about this frustration that he also felt. He looked at God’s law and said, “The commandment is holy, righteous and good.” Yet as much as he tried to live according to it, he kept on sinning. He said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”12 In complete frustration he says, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” His solution? “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”13
The feelings of failure, sin, condemnation need to be faced with Scripture. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”14 “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!15”
So when you look at God’s commands, don’t attempt to obey them on your own effort…but instead ask God, who lives inside of you, to produce that in you. If God says to love each other, he doesn’t intend for you to march off with enthusiastic responsibility and show God how loving you can be. Instead he wants you to depend on him, “God, I ask you to live in my heart and cause me to see this person as you do, and put love in my heart for this person in the same way that you love them. I cannot love them on my own, but ask that your great love would be produced in my life for them.”
What is the difference?
It is the difference between independently trying to perform for God, verses depending on God and relying on him to live through you. We do not mature into independence from God. We mature only by remaining dependent upon him, and that’s the way he wants it. He wants you to enjoy the freedom and love of being in relationship with him, trusting him, depending upon him. He is not expecting you to perform for him.
The Bible refers to God’s commands as “the law.” Now that you are a Christian, you are no longer under the law or under God’s judgment and condemnation – instead you have forgiveness and eternal life. You have been set free from the law’s demands.
Paul said, we “know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”16
How much does Paul focus on God’s commands and trying to fulfill them? “…I died to the law so that I might live for God…I have been crucified with Christ…Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”17
Before you received Jesus, you were distant from God, able to only know God’s commands, and you were under God’s judgment. But now you know Christ and his Spirit lives within you.
God says, “I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds.” And in the same place he says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”18 So, instead of the law being outside you, hovering over you with its demands, God has placed his law within your heart, and as the Holy Spirit changes you, he gives you an increasing desire to do what pleases him. Over time, as you grow in your relationship with God, he will continue to build in you the desire and capacity to live a holy life before him.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”19
God has a plan for your life, to use your life to benefit others and for his glory. Your relationship is now with God, with his life living in you, producing good works in you.
What to do with sin?
Now let me pose this question: What if you ask him to produce something in your life or to free you from a particular sin, and you still struggle? What if you still see your bad temper or you still see yourself giving into temptation, or you see yourself failing to pray or read your Bible like you think you should? Then what? Would that be the time to begin taking on the responsibility of the Christian life and give it your full effort? No. The moment you begin to try to perform for God, the more you will see your failure, the more you will distance yourself from God, and the less joy your will have in knowing him.
It is easy for a Christian to think that God rewards effort, because that is how our entire society is set up…be responsible, work hard, give it your best effort…and you will be rewarded. A Christian can look at the commands in the Bible and think, “Yes, if I try hard enough I can do this.” And they are headed for a lot of frustration, because the Bible says that focusing on the law brings only one thing…an awareness of your sin. God has not set up your relationship with him as effort & reward. He has set it up that instead, he wants you to trust him to produce in your life what pleases him.
As long as you live on this earth you are going to sin. You will never be perfect in this life. Not only do you know that, but God knows that. As you recognize sin in your life, confess it, and believe what he promises you:
“If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”20
Be patient in letting God change you
Focus on getting to know God. Pursue knowing him better through prayer, reading the Bible, being in fellowship and teaching with other Christians…all of that is good. But your faith is not to rest in your effort, but instead in God’s ability to work in your life. Jesus said it’s like grapes on a vine. Jesus is the main vine and he said we are like the branches. “Remain (or abide) in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”21
Jesus went on to say, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”22
What about Jesus saying “obey my commands”?
The right way to live, the way that you will experience a more abundant life as Jesus talked about, and become more easily convinced of his love for you is by doing what he says. Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”23 He wants you to live according to what he says is right and experience his love and have joy as a Christian. But the way that you obey his commands is by relying on him as you approach those commands.
So when I see a verse in the Bible where God says, “Do this….”, I immediately say to God, “Good idea. I want my life to please you and I ask you to build that into my life through your Spirit. Give me the ability to obey you in this way. God, I am headed for disaster if I think I could obey this on my own. But I ask you to change my thinking or work in my life whatever way you need to, that my life would line up with this verse.” And then I don’t worry about it. I might write out that verse and learn it, think about it, maybe even memorize it. But my faith to do it remains in God.
He has freed you from the demands of the law, and welcomes you to rest in him, dependent upon him…where you can fully enjoy the intimacy of knowing him.
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.”24
“We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit…”25
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”26
“And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness…”27
1. Romans 5:1,2
2. Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9
3. John 3:16
4. Romans 5:8
5. Ephesians 1:13
6. Revelation 3:20; John 1:12,13
7. Revelation 3:20
8. I John 3:1; Colossians 1:13,14; Ephesians 1:4; John 1:12
9. Titus 3:3-7
10. Ephesians 1:7
11. Romans 3:20
12. Romans 7:18,19
13. Romans 7:24,25
14. Romans 8:1
15. Romans 5:8-10
16. Galatians 2:16
17. Galatians 2:19-21
18. Hebrews 10:16,17
19. Ephesians 2:8,9
20. 1 John 1:9
21. John 15:4
22. John 15:9
23. John 15:10,11
24. Romans 7:4
25. Romans 7:6
26. Romans 10:4
27. Romans 4:5
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
WHAT IS TRUE LOVE RELATIONSHIP?
Don't you know that according to the bible, Love & God is synonymous? The bible says God is Love & not a religion..Never in the the bible that says God has Love but GOD IS LOVE... ( Read 1 John 4:7,8 ) Religion is Man-made as it could be sometimes be evil cause even satanism is also is a religion but ta...lking about your Personal & Intimate Relationship with the Lord our God has nothing to do with Religion because God is not religion; hence He is GOD and HE is LOVE!.. Take Note: God is Love! ( Read 1 John 4:7,8 )
Relationship with Our Lord is like "a Relationship in marriage or shall we say:"a Boyfriend-Girlfriend affair..
Don't you know God wants to have a Relationship wit you? hence, Relationships/Affair isn't perfection as many boy-Girl relationship quarrels due to infidelity and many other reasons as we are humans so to speak & that is most of the time not sometimes.. Relationships quarrels most of the time but at the end of the day, They end up forgiving each other.. The bible says:"Every time you sin, once you asked forgiveness to God, He will instantly forgives & cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1-9)
Take Note Again:" it is not the faults that count most in Relationships but the relationship itself what matters most..It is also the same with God, if you establish a personal relationship with HIM, your faults does not matter cause what matter again is your relationship with the LORD...Isn't it awesome to have a relationship with GOD?
Don't you know God wants to establish a relationship with you?
Relationship with Our Lord is like "a Relationship in marriage or shall we say:"a Boyfriend-Girlfriend affair..
Don't you know God wants to have a Relationship wit you? hence, Relationships/Affair isn't perfection as many boy-Girl relationship quarrels due to infidelity and many other reasons as we are humans so to speak & that is most of the time not sometimes.. Relationships quarrels most of the time but at the end of the day, They end up forgiving each other.. The bible says:"Every time you sin, once you asked forgiveness to God, He will instantly forgives & cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1-9)
Take Note Again:" it is not the faults that count most in Relationships but the relationship itself what matters most..It is also the same with God, if you establish a personal relationship with HIM, your faults does not matter cause what matter again is your relationship with the LORD...Isn't it awesome to have a relationship with GOD?
Don't you know God wants to establish a relationship with you?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Question: "What does it mean that believers are to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16)?"
Question: "What does it mean that believers are to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16)?"
Answer: Jesus used the concepts of salt and light a number of different times to refer to the role of His followers in the world. One example is found in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Salt had two purposes in the Middle East of the first century. Because of the lack of refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food, especially meat which would quickly spoil in the desert environment. Believers in Christ are preservatives to the world, preserving it from the evil inherent in the society of ungodly men whose unredeemed natures are corrupted by sin (Psalm 14:3; Romans 8:8).
Second, salt was used then, as now, as a flavor enhancer. In the same way that salt enhances the flavor of the food it seasons, the followers of Christ stand out as those who “enhance” the flavor of life in this world. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to Christ, will inevitably influence the world for good, as salt has a positive influence on the flavor of the food it seasons. Where there is strife, we are to be peacemakers; where there is sorrow, we are to be the ministers of Christ, binding up wounds, and where there is hatred, we are to exemplify the love of God in Christ, returning good for evil (Luke 6:35).
In the analogy of light to the world, the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see. The following verses in Matthew 5 highlight this truth: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB). The idea here is similar—the presence of light in darkness is something which is unmistakable. The presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man (John 1:1-10), but also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see. And indeed, our deeds will be evident if they are performed in accordance with the other principles which Jesus mentions in this passage, such as the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11. Notice especially that the concern is not that Christians would stand out for their own sake, but that those who looked on might “glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16, KJV).
In view of these verses, what sorts of things can hinder or prevent the Christian from fulfilling his or her role as salt and light in the world? The passage clearly states that the difference between the Christian and the world must be preserved; therefore, any choice on our part which blurs the distinction between us and the rest of the world is a step in the wrong direction. This can happen either through a choice to accept the ways of the world for the sake of comfort or convenience or to contravene the law of obedience to Christ.
Mark 9:50 suggests that saltiness can be lost specifically through a lack of peace with one another; this follows from the command to “have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” And in Luke 14:34-35, we find a reference to the metaphor of salt once again, this time in the context of obedient discipleship to Jesus Christ. The loss of saltiness occurs in the failure of the Christian to daily take up the cross and follow Christ wholeheartedly.
It seems, then, that the role of the Christian as salt and light in the world may be hindered or prevented through any choice to compromise or settle for that which is more convenient or comfortable, rather than that which is truly best and pleasing to the Lord. Moreover, the status of salt and light is something which follows naturally from the Christian’s humble obedience to the commandments of Christ. It is when we depart from the Spirit-led lifestyle of genuine discipleship that the distinctions between ourselves and the rest of the world become blurred and our testimony is hindered. Only by remaining focused on Christ and being obedient to Him can we expect to remain salt and light in the world.
Answer: Jesus used the concepts of salt and light a number of different times to refer to the role of His followers in the world. One example is found in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Salt had two purposes in the Middle East of the first century. Because of the lack of refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food, especially meat which would quickly spoil in the desert environment. Believers in Christ are preservatives to the world, preserving it from the evil inherent in the society of ungodly men whose unredeemed natures are corrupted by sin (Psalm 14:3; Romans 8:8).
Second, salt was used then, as now, as a flavor enhancer. In the same way that salt enhances the flavor of the food it seasons, the followers of Christ stand out as those who “enhance” the flavor of life in this world. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to Christ, will inevitably influence the world for good, as salt has a positive influence on the flavor of the food it seasons. Where there is strife, we are to be peacemakers; where there is sorrow, we are to be the ministers of Christ, binding up wounds, and where there is hatred, we are to exemplify the love of God in Christ, returning good for evil (Luke 6:35).
In the analogy of light to the world, the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see. The following verses in Matthew 5 highlight this truth: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB). The idea here is similar—the presence of light in darkness is something which is unmistakable. The presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man (John 1:1-10), but also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see. And indeed, our deeds will be evident if they are performed in accordance with the other principles which Jesus mentions in this passage, such as the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11. Notice especially that the concern is not that Christians would stand out for their own sake, but that those who looked on might “glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16, KJV).
In view of these verses, what sorts of things can hinder or prevent the Christian from fulfilling his or her role as salt and light in the world? The passage clearly states that the difference between the Christian and the world must be preserved; therefore, any choice on our part which blurs the distinction between us and the rest of the world is a step in the wrong direction. This can happen either through a choice to accept the ways of the world for the sake of comfort or convenience or to contravene the law of obedience to Christ.
Mark 9:50 suggests that saltiness can be lost specifically through a lack of peace with one another; this follows from the command to “have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” And in Luke 14:34-35, we find a reference to the metaphor of salt once again, this time in the context of obedient discipleship to Jesus Christ. The loss of saltiness occurs in the failure of the Christian to daily take up the cross and follow Christ wholeheartedly.
It seems, then, that the role of the Christian as salt and light in the world may be hindered or prevented through any choice to compromise or settle for that which is more convenient or comfortable, rather than that which is truly best and pleasing to the Lord. Moreover, the status of salt and light is something which follows naturally from the Christian’s humble obedience to the commandments of Christ. It is when we depart from the Spirit-led lifestyle of genuine discipleship that the distinctions between ourselves and the rest of the world become blurred and our testimony is hindered. Only by remaining focused on Christ and being obedient to Him can we expect to remain salt and light in the world.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
FAITHFUL IS HE....A Poem
Are you passing through a testing.
Is your pillow wet with tears?
Do you wonder what the reason,
Why it seems God never hears?
Why it is you have no answer
To your oft-repeated plea,
Why the heaven still is leaden
As you wait on bended knee?
Do you wonder as you suffer,
Whether God does understand,
And if so, why He ignores you,
Fails to hold you in His Hand?
Do black doubts creep in, assail you,
Fears without, and fears within,
Till your brave heart almost falters
And gives way to deadly sin?
All God's testings have a purpose-
Some day you will see the light.
All He asks is that you trust Him,
Walk by faith and not by sight.
Do not fear when doubts beset you,
Just remember-He is near;
He will never, never leave you,
He will always, always hear.
Faithful is He who has promised,
He will never let you fall,
Daily will the strength be given
Strength for each and strength for all.
He will gladly share pain with you,
He will gladly give you peace.
Till your tired and weary body
Finds its blessed, glad release.
When the darkened veil is lifted,
Then, dear heart, you'll understand
Why it is you had to suffer,
Why you could not feel His hand
Giving strength when it was needed,
Giving power and peace within
Giving joy thru tears and trial,
Giving victory over sin.
So till then just keep on trusting,
Thru the sunshine and the rain,
Thru the tears and thru the heart-aches,
Thru the smiles and thru the pain-
Knowing that our Father watches,
Knowing daily strength He'll give,
Victory for each passing hour,
This is life, so let us live!
Is your pillow wet with tears?
Do you wonder what the reason,
Why it seems God never hears?
Why it is you have no answer
To your oft-repeated plea,
Why the heaven still is leaden
As you wait on bended knee?
Do you wonder as you suffer,
Whether God does understand,
And if so, why He ignores you,
Fails to hold you in His Hand?
Do black doubts creep in, assail you,
Fears without, and fears within,
Till your brave heart almost falters
And gives way to deadly sin?
All God's testings have a purpose-
Some day you will see the light.
All He asks is that you trust Him,
Walk by faith and not by sight.
Do not fear when doubts beset you,
Just remember-He is near;
He will never, never leave you,
He will always, always hear.
Faithful is He who has promised,
He will never let you fall,
Daily will the strength be given
Strength for each and strength for all.
He will gladly share pain with you,
He will gladly give you peace.
Till your tired and weary body
Finds its blessed, glad release.
When the darkened veil is lifted,
Then, dear heart, you'll understand
Why it is you had to suffer,
Why you could not feel His hand
Giving strength when it was needed,
Giving power and peace within
Giving joy thru tears and trial,
Giving victory over sin.
So till then just keep on trusting,
Thru the sunshine and the rain,
Thru the tears and thru the heart-aches,
Thru the smiles and thru the pain-
Knowing that our Father watches,
Knowing daily strength He'll give,
Victory for each passing hour,
This is life, so let us live!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Don't you Know that everything That happens To You Is Meant For Good By The Lord?
Dear Friends
One thing that encourage me in life is that no matter how bad things happens to a life of a christian, always remember that the bible says:" Everything that happens to you is meant for good and no other more except the term:" For Good".. because God meant it for good.. One example is it doesn't make sense to hear about the message of the crucifixion of Christ but God the father allowed it to saved us all so it was meant for good.
There are so many things we want in life and we want it to improve so we do everything to improve it but if we really can't, Don't be discourage because no one is perfect in this world and most of all it is still is meant for good cause God controls all even your future so he sees.
Pastor Rick Warren is the author a very famous book entitled:"The Purposed Driven Life" and many other books that is originally accepted to be a noble Prize award and very known in the whole world but despite of Rick's fame, we don't know the other side of his life that he had experienced tremendous pain, sorrow & despair as it is allowed by God whether good or bad because whatever happens in our life even in the utmost sphere of being none sense or shall we say it:"It never make sense at all".. like illnesses, Divorce,Tragic & fatal car accidents, Murder like the murder of Jesus Christ when He was Tortured until death on the cross; frustration, cancer, death of love ones and many other more painful realities in our lives are but allowed by God for a purpose and God allowed everything to be meant for good to a life of a believer who seeks the Lord Jesus Christ day after day.
Rick Warren's wife had cancer and they were so down according to rick because they are at the same time handling a huge number of people in the church as a pastor but later, her wife's cancer was healed and then after a year or more her wife became the director of a cancer foundation; therefore it is very purpose driven as God uses that cancer which does not make sense in order to let Rick warren's wife lead and preach and encourage millions of cancer patients in that foundation & eventually in the whole world that there is HOPE in the midst of Pain as those hopeless patients believes in her as she suffers the same so she gave a great Testimony.
The question is :Is there anything in your life that doesn't make sense with you today? well, always remember God uses everything to be meant for good even it doesn't make sense because there is a purpose whatever happens to you"...
For every grief, for every trial,
for every weary, lonely mile,
there is a reason.
For every pain that we must bear,
for every sorrow, every care,
there is a reason.
But if we trust God as we should,
all will work out yet for our good,
God knows the reason.
One thing that encourage me in life is that no matter how bad things happens to a life of a christian, always remember that the bible says:" Everything that happens to you is meant for good and no other more except the term:" For Good".. because God meant it for good.. One example is it doesn't make sense to hear about the message of the crucifixion of Christ but God the father allowed it to saved us all so it was meant for good.
There are so many things we want in life and we want it to improve so we do everything to improve it but if we really can't, Don't be discourage because no one is perfect in this world and most of all it is still is meant for good cause God controls all even your future so he sees.
Pastor Rick Warren is the author a very famous book entitled:"The Purposed Driven Life" and many other books that is originally accepted to be a noble Prize award and very known in the whole world but despite of Rick's fame, we don't know the other side of his life that he had experienced tremendous pain, sorrow & despair as it is allowed by God whether good or bad because whatever happens in our life even in the utmost sphere of being none sense or shall we say it:"It never make sense at all".. like illnesses, Divorce,Tragic & fatal car accidents, Murder like the murder of Jesus Christ when He was Tortured until death on the cross; frustration, cancer, death of love ones and many other more painful realities in our lives are but allowed by God for a purpose and God allowed everything to be meant for good to a life of a believer who seeks the Lord Jesus Christ day after day.
Rick Warren's wife had cancer and they were so down according to rick because they are at the same time handling a huge number of people in the church as a pastor but later, her wife's cancer was healed and then after a year or more her wife became the director of a cancer foundation; therefore it is very purpose driven as God uses that cancer which does not make sense in order to let Rick warren's wife lead and preach and encourage millions of cancer patients in that foundation & eventually in the whole world that there is HOPE in the midst of Pain as those hopeless patients believes in her as she suffers the same so she gave a great Testimony.
The question is :Is there anything in your life that doesn't make sense with you today? well, always remember God uses everything to be meant for good even it doesn't make sense because there is a purpose whatever happens to you"...
For every grief, for every trial,
for every weary, lonely mile,
there is a reason.
For every pain that we must bear,
for every sorrow, every care,
there is a reason.
But if we trust God as we should,
all will work out yet for our good,
God knows the reason.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Why is Fasting very significant in our Lives? and what is the bible saying about it?
Why is Fasting very significant in our Lives?
Fasting is not a sacrifice nor penance as you can no longer add what Christ has done for u by dying a very shameful death by cruxifixion on the cross 2000 years ago because of His great Love for you and me but fasting is an act of humbling ourselves and seeking God desperately in prayers & mediatation of God's word.
Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God.
By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Even though fasting was a tradition, not a commandment, it was an important part of the Jewish religion and was also practiced by the early Christians, so it is mentioned many times in the Bible. For example, Zechariah mentions a public fast in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth month (Zech. 8:19); Jesus mentions fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:16-18); the Day of Atonement is called the “Fast” (Acts 27:9); and the early Christians fasted (Acts 13:1-3). Please join our Annual Parayer & Fasting at www.victorygreenhills.org & check my blog in http://rickpila.blogspot.com/
Fasting is not a sacrifice nor penance as you can no longer add what Christ has done for u by dying a very shameful death by cruxifixion on the cross 2000 years ago because of His great Love for you and me but fasting is an act of humbling ourselves and seeking God desperately in prayers & mediatation of God's word.
Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God.
By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Even though fasting was a tradition, not a commandment, it was an important part of the Jewish religion and was also practiced by the early Christians, so it is mentioned many times in the Bible. For example, Zechariah mentions a public fast in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth month (Zech. 8:19); Jesus mentions fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:16-18); the Day of Atonement is called the “Fast” (Acts 27:9); and the early Christians fasted (Acts 13:1-3). Please join our Annual Parayer & Fasting at www.victorygreenhills.org & check my blog in http://rickpila.blogspot.com/
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