Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast....
Isn't it great that as followers of Jesus Christ we don't have to get up every single morning and remind ourselves to "keep the 10 Commandments or else!" We are not under law! However, we abide by the Holy Spirit indwelling us. So as Christians, living to please God can come
"naturally" when we allow the Holy Spirit to sit on the throne of our hearts to be led by Him instead of by our own will and human desires. When we open up our hearts and willingly follow His ways out of love for God and gratitude towards Him and Jesus for what they have done for us.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8-9)
Look in the Bible at the letter to the Galatians in chapter 5 and verses 16-18 and verse 26. And then go back to verse 1. We can have so much freedom in Christ. Paul wrote to the Galatians because false teachers were messing with them, telling them that besides accepting Jesus Christ as Savior they have to do something else; add-ons for good measure, so to speak. Those false teachers were telling them they have to go back to the Law. Yes, accept Jesus as Savior, but... but...you need to do this and that and the other things to cinch it. NO WAY! That way is to go back into bondage and slavery. Now, said Paul, is the day of grace and the time to live by the Spirit of God, Who is with and in each believer and follower of Jesus Christ leading and guiding us into God's will and way for us.
~ERC 2016~
Morning musings with the boys at breakfast....
They just care about themselves; that's false prophets for ya. Always looking for a profit. They care about their own agenda: power, influence, $$, a following, all topped with pride and depravity (see Galatians 4:17-18).
The apostle Paul was a true apostle (see Galatians 4:19-20). He cared very deeply about his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. He admonished them of the true way to walk with Christ and this for their own good and benefit.
When we follow the true way we are free in Christ. Let us follow the way of truth.
Follow God's way through Jesus Christ and you'll be free of the penalty of your sins and move towards greater spiritual freedom in everyday life. As we work at our sanctification we will have greater freedom from those things which entangle us and, among other things, free from falseness.
~ERC 2016~
Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast....
We're all in this together. One family. One as being in the same family having gotten there by "faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-29) We came to Jesus by faith which is a gift of God.
God made a covenant with Abraham of old. Abraham believed God's promise. God commended him for his faith and says all of us who have such faith are Abraham's children. We are all of the same faith. (Galatians 3:15-29)
Through faith NOT through our own merit. Faith was, and still is, a gift. (Romans 6:23)
Do you see yourself then as your race first and foremost? Or your religion? Or of your country first? Or as a child of God first? That which is your priority is that which you will serve.
As Christians, let us see ourselves as children of God and characterize ourselves in line with God's Word and become more like Christ. Let's not say, "Oh, I'm such and such a race, we do it like this or we do it like that." This is divisive in a Christian circle. Rather, let's hear and encourage one another to say, "A child of God behaves like this or like that," and then do so.
How can one find out what characterizes a child of God? Read God's Word of course. Obey it. Remember we became a child of God by faith. So that is a start. Be full of faith in God, not just for our salvation which is paramount to this process of becoming more like Christ, but also build up our faith, hope and trust in Him. Walk by faith not by sight. The books of James and 1st and 2nd Peter are good for starters. Have a go.
Take joy and hold on to joy too. When someone asks what race you are, say joyfully, the human race. And I hope you can see Christ in me.
~ERC 2016~
Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...
Back in March of 2015 we were reading Psalm 24:3-4 which asks,
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart."
We who are children of God, made His offspring through Jesus Christ, can stand in His awesome presence. Lift up your voices. Praise Him Who has made you clean and pure in His sight. He is worthy of all our praise and adoration. We His children can do this.
Live life in honesty and with integrity. Be holy as He is holy. Avoid loopholes and gray areas of living.
(You can check out my earlier posts on this subject called "White, Gray, Black-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3")
Praise Him, Praise Him all you children of God!
~ERC 2015~
Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast....
Do you feel like it? To love your enemies and to bless and pray for those who persecute you? Is this possible?!! Who wants to do that!? This is what God asks of us who are followers of Jesus Christ...it's a command, actually. See Matthew 4:43-45 and Roman 12:14-21; very comprehensive in what we are asked to do. "Bless and curse not"! "Feed 'em when they are hungry"! This really goes against our natural inclinations but God's divine power and grace is in us through His Holy Spirit aiding and abetting us to do so.
Back in March of 2015 there were newscasts about the exceedingly awful actions of the ISIS and Boko Haram groups. All those things they perpetrated towards our brothers and sisters in Christ (as well as towards others) in those countries of Iraq and Nigeria and elsewhere. Beheadings and more. Beheadings of adults is bad enough but these were reported to be children! Oh how our hearts hurt for those very brave and courageous children and parents who would not surrender their faith in Jesus Christ to these wicked men. Kidnapping of many young girls to be forced into marriage with them and others they did not wish to marry.
We are supposed to forgive them? We are supposed to bless them? We are supposed to feed them? Again, most of us would not feel like doing so. This is an act of God's grace working through us to be able to do this. These are commands from God.
Remember Saul of Tarsus in the book of Acts? He was just such a man as these people; collecting Christians from house to house to throw them in jail, and etc. A cruel man who seemed unstoppable til God arrested him in his tracks. Look what a great and mighty work he eventually accomplished for God. It could happen again.
Someone sent me a message which included the following:
"Our response to this wave of terror cannot be fear--or hatred. Don't just curse darkness. Be proactive by praying fervently. Ask God to unleash in the Middle East a great outpouring of His Holy Spirit to bring peace and salvation to those who need it." These people certainly do.
Pray for those unrighteous men but also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ to have ever increasing courage to face the terror and stand firm in their faith; to forgive; to love and pray for and bless their enemies. Don't let them stand alone. Pray. Bless.
~ERC 2016~
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Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...
"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, NOT wanting anyone to perish (go to Hell forever) but he wants everyone to come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
There is suffering in this world--everyone experiences it. Why? Because of sin in general (human nature) and sin in particular (our own personal arsenal). There is sin, therefore there is suffering, death and hell. God's Word says in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death..." That is hard truth and may even seem unfair but we can't blame God. It was Satan and his subtle deception that caused Eve, the first woman who ever lived, to choose to eat the forbidden fruit and then Adam to directly disobey God and eat some too. From there on human beings were under the curse of sin...which is death and full punishment is for us to end up in Hell.
Good news though is that Jesus paid the price for our sin in His death and resurrection. He took the punishment for our sins. Romans 6:23 continues to say that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". Jesus is alive and waiting for one and all to accept His free gift of salvation.
'Karma' has been explained as "getting what we deserve due to our sin". Christianity is "Jesus getting what we deserve due to our sin". He is waiting patiently for you to let Him clear you of your punishment. Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord today. He loves you and wants you to be part of His family.
Admit you have done wrong and are a sinner.
Repent of it.
Believe that Jesus death and resurrection has paid for the punishment for your sins. Even if you think you are a good-living person, you are still a sinner under the curse due to Adam and Eve's disobedience. Seems unfair, yet that's how it is.
Confess then to God and tell Him you are sorry for those sins you've done all your life.
Tell Jesus you accept His gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him in Heaven. Ask Him to wash your sins clean in His blood which He shed on the cross for you. If it helps, write out all the sins you can think of and go through each one and thank Him for dying for each. "The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7).
When you are truly sincere in this, then you have become a forgiven sinner, called a Christian. You are then a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ. We still do wrong things though but God has given us a further promise and that is found in the book of the Bible called 1 John and chapter 1 and verse 9 which states
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and clean us from all unrighteousness."
This is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.
~ERC 2016~
Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...
In my post "Morning Musings-Two-Way Street" we talked about relationships between God and ourselves; our children and ourselves (the parents); and between members of God's family and ourselves. I believe that when we care most for our relationship with our heavenly father God, that the other relationships will fall into place better. This relationship with Him needs honesty and purity. What are some of the ways we can do that?
Continuing from the last few verses of 2 Corinthians 6 we run, naturally, into 2 Corinthians 7. This talks about not being unequally yoked with unbelievers, those who are not of God's family. We are asked to come out from among them and be separate from them since we are sons/daughters of the Lord God Almighty who is the Holy One.
This chapter 7:1 asks us to purify ourselves from anything that would contaminate our body and spirit. In so doing we continually perfect holiness. Our motivation for doing this is our "reverence for God." So, how much do you revere God? Our measure of reverence will manifest itself in our measure of "perfecting holiness."
These verses aren't just for teenagers developing boy-girl relationships. These are for one and all. Who are our business partners? If they are not perfecting holiness, they may well be using unethical practices in business. Do we want to associate ourselves with such people? Are we equally or unequally yoked together (1 Corinthians 6:14)?
Other areas which we need to examine are in the movies we watch; books we read; music we listen to? Are they 'clean'? Are they contaminating our spirits?
May God help you, through the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer in Jesus Christ. Use the Holy Spirit's power to choose to purify out of our lives that which does not revere God.
NOTE: If anyone reading this is married to someone who is not a Christian and you have willingly chosen to marry that person against God's will but do repent of it, you still cannot "purify your spouse out of your life". The consequences of your choice will be with you until Jesus comes or "until death do you part". God is merciful and gracious and may bring your spouse to Christ; but he may not. God is the one who knows the hearts of mankind.
If you've become a Christian after being married, God's Word asks that person to hang on and to live an exemplary Christian life so as to hopefully and prayerfully get your spouse's attention and win him or her to Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 7:8-16)
Further to this, we have Titus 2:6-15 which talks about purifying oneself and having integrity. Couple that again with 1 Peter 1:13-15, 22, 23 and 1 Peter 2:1-3 which speaks of being holy in all we do. There are no gray areas--no loopholes. Prepare our minds to be holy. Be holy.
This action calls for ridding ourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Take note of the 'all's' and 'every's'. They emphasize the thoroughness we need to exercise in purifying our hearts and minds to be holy as God is holy. No loopholes. Spit spot!
1 Peter 2:12 admonishes
"Live such lives that though pagans may accuse you of any wrong doing, they'll see your good deeds and glorify God..."
Going a way back into the Old Testament, back to Exodus 30:22-29 and to 40:9-10, when Moses and the Israelites were setting up the Tabernacle for worshiping God, even the Bronze Altar of sacrifice and all its utensils were to be made holy before God! If things of worship needed to be made holy, how much more the worshipers!
When we become followers of Jesus Christ by accepting God's gift of salvation, God Himself has made us righteous (pure) in His sight by Jesus' work on the cross. (Jesus death and resurrection. Romans 5:18-20) Yet we still must be living as "living sacrifices" before God (Romans 12). To do this we must live right in the sight of man and of our own selves.
There is work to do. To be those "living sacrifices" before God look at the book of James. This is to perfect our faith to be holy as He is holy in our ongoing Christian living; that is, in our character and conduct: are we greedy; are we sly in business to hurt another; do we cheat....? As followers of Jesus Christ we need to become ever more like Him in kindness, meekness, patience, generosity, goodness and grace; to name a few. These are "acts of worship" before God. James 1:3, 4, and 27 clearly show us how we can be doing these things to work and persevere toward maturity and to keep "oneself from being polluted by the world". This does not save us rather, it sanctifies and purifies us to be ever more like Jesus.
When we examine ourselves honestly in God's sight, daily communing with Him and conforming to His Word, will and ways, our relationship with Him will grow. We will trust Him more and more. We will, out of gratitude for Him, aim for that perfection and holiness with continual purification as 1 John 1:9 states:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I trust God to do that for me.
~ERC 2016~
Isn't it great that as followers of Jesus Christ we don't have to get up every single morning and remind ourselves to "keep the 10 Commandments or else!" We are not under law! However, we abide by the Holy Spirit indwelling us. So as Christians, living to please God can come 
"naturally" when we allow the Holy Spirit to sit on the throne of our hearts to be led by Him instead of by our own will and human desires. When we open up our hearts and willingly follow His ways out of love for God and gratitude towards Him and Jesus for what they have done for us.
