Disappointment.

There is no greater disappointment than what we are to ourselves. We look back at what we were and most of us are better than that. We look back at how we made choices and there are some regrets, but for the most part we are satisfied with the choices. If we are not, hopefully we are mature enough to realize that hindsight is perfect and had we had to do it all over again, we would have done the same things for the same reasons than we had.

When we look back at the expectations that we placed on ourselves.., when we re-visit the dreams we had for ourselves, we have to hang our heads in shame for the failure of ourselves. We have to admit we over-estimated our own strength, our own commitment, our own wisdom and our own temerity. We look at the person we had become and wonder if we will ever measure up to the person we thought we would be.

Maybe this greatest disappointment of all can account, not excuse but account, for a few of our behavioral problems. The first is the blame game. If we blame our mistakes, our failures on someone else or something else we can escape the shame we feel toward ourselves. We can hate someone or something else and play the “if-only” game within ourselves and never really face reality. Facing reality may mean that we will have to face the character flaws that kept us from attaining the heights we once hoped for.

We may take a page from the animal kingdom and stick our head in the sand like the ostrich and ask: “What flaw?” If we do not acknowledge it, it is not there. Or we could be like the chameleon: “We all have our issues” and blend into our environment of dysfunction and brokenness so that the spotlight will safely pass us by. Or we may be like the ant and blindly cover ourselves with all manner of activity so that we never have to stop and think about the things that keep us from really seeing and being what we were designed to be.

Or we may be a little more inventive and develop a theology, a doctrine that completely theorizes all negatives out. We may come up with some interpretation of scripture that ascribe all negatives, all conviction, all sin and all that we are not comfortable with as part of the old covenant, the Old Testament. We may make up a believe system that says we are okay just the way we are and there is no need for change. Or we may even create a god of our own choosing, our own design, one that we can be comfortable with.

It is fairly easy to design our own god, our own doctrine. It only takes a certain level of stubbornness, some charisma and a bit of Bible knowledge, not too much so that we actually will come under conviction, but just enough so that we can bend, butcher and twist scripture to say what we want it to say. And soon enough we believe our own creation to be the truth and all others to be the lie. We curl up in our comfortable, self-feathered nest with our self-content and never have to be disappointed or disturbed anymore.

 If only King David of old knew some of these tricks then he would never had to cry out:” I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.” Or maybe if Paul, the apostle, knew how to spin it, or blame it, he would never have had to declare: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  If Jesus could only get the hang of always being positive He would not have to have the terrible words come from His lips: “My God, My God! Why have You forsaken me!”

Walk This Way

Gal 3:1-7,

2 Cor 7:1 Since these promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring consecration to completeness in the fear of God.

We are the children of God if we believe and receive Jesus Christ. We also by faith perfect our walk, our conduct and behavior to match the inward reality. The best cup of coffee will be unappealing when it comes to us in a dirty, cracked cup. We believe and let the Holy Spirit work His will, His nature into our hearts. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6

Phil 2:13 God works in us both to do and will… Our will is freed. We allow ourselves to co-labor with God in order that we may look and act/behave more and more like our Father. We grow up into this. We embrace the lessons by faith, believing, receiving His nature, we let it grow into fullness within us. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Eph 3:20-21.

Each of us have a garden inside of us. Each of us are responsible for what grows and are allowed to flourish in our garden.  Our job is to “let” and “let not”. Romans 6 says that we are no longer slaves. We have been freed to make choices, to make righteous choices. 1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and [fn]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

People ask why God allows the evil in the world. He gave us the job of taking care of this world and we allow the evil to flourish. When good people are only concerned about their own little circle, their own comfort, their own ease, then evil flourishes. When we do not take responsibility for the world we were given, we have wickedness in charge. We have the job to yield to God and not to evil. Yet we yield to evil, we refuse to fight it. We choose the easy, lazy way. We choose the path of least resistance and reap a dust storm.

We can through faith combat evil/sin/wickedness in our own personal lives; in our family, in our neighborhood. We have the authority from God, as kings and priests to say “NO” to wickedness and evil but “YES” to righteousness, goodness and godliness.  We are NO LONGER slaves. We have been freed. We have choices. Ro 6:14 says that sin/evil shall no longer have dominion over us. Eph 4:14-16 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Being under grace does not mean that you park your blessed assurance in a rocking chair or hammock and hang a sign that reads: “Don’t bother me. I’ve arrived.” Because of this grace we have received we persuade others. What do we persuade them of? What is our message? That the emancipation proclamation has been made! You and I have been freed from sin. Receive your freedom and take the responsibility to live like those who are free. You are redeemed in Jesus Christ. You are Kings and Priests. You are citizens of God’s Eternal Kingdom! Now live like it. Eph 2:10 says that we are God’s handiwork/ His workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do the good works which God has purposed for us.

This does not mean that we earn salvation by works. It means that because we are free to serve God, free to be His ambassadors, free to be His kings and priests, we do those things that bring Him glory and honor. We are His temple, His habitation, His body, His bride, His people, His army and we are to be busy doing His work. Col1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;, Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places..

Jesus, at the age of 12, told his mother and Joseph. “I need to be about my father’s business”. How about you?

The Issue of Sin

As some of you know, my niece and her un-born son died in April. Her husband and my sister, her mother, took the death certificate and her identity document clearly stamped “DECEASED” to all the places that she had business dealings with to close the accounts. Three months later, when I was visiting  my sister, one of the banks was still haunting the widower. This time they insisted on proof of residence and proof of her income for the past three months. He could no longer deal with it and called my sister to deal with it. This is what she said: “I am going to take a picture of her grave. Then I will take the picture and one of the funeral bulletins to them. That is her address now. They can see how much they can get from her.”

If you then be raised with Christ… If you are in Christ Jesus... then let the dead things stay dead. Before the resurrection comes death. It is a great revelation that when Jesus Christ died, I died. There is a giving up of the old to embrace the new. When something attempts to arise the same old emotions, the same old thinking that made you re-act and led to sin, say to it that you are dead. Deal with life as if you are dead to it but alive to God. That is what Romans 6 means when it says: “that our old man was crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Do not yield yourself to all those old things anymore. Colossians 2 speaks of our funeral, our death to the basic principles of this life. We are dead not only to sin, but also to the law, to the principles that gives self/flesh power; the things that make up rules, regulations, principles, laws to live by. These things, says Paul, are just shadows. These practices are just shadow-worship. We have to lay aside all the things that is not of God, does not give God glory and complicate our relationship with Him.

Paul in the first letter to the Corinthians: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Notice the past tense..."were" It is in our B.C.  - "Before Christ" When we are nagged, pursued by the old habits, the old patterns of behavior, when there is a voice coming at all hours of night and day to respond in the same old, dirty rotten ways: Take the picture and say to those old places and old faces that you are buried with Christ. Say that you are dead, that it is no longer you that live, but Christ that lives in and through you.




This is not done in our own strength but by the power, the ability of the Holy Spirit. Walk in the Holy Spirit, talk in the Holy Spirit, live in the Holy Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts, the temptation, of the flesh, old self in sin. (Gal 5:16) The Psalmist wrote: “Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I should not sin against You.” Jesus said that if we dwell, if we abide in Him and His word in us then we may ask what we will and it will be done to us. John 15 speaks of an abiding in the Vine, where Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. Make the relationship with God, the Father, through Jesus Christ in the power/ability of the Holy Spirit, the most important thing. You will be able to hang up on the call, to send the picture and say “I am dead”.

 
And then God makes another provision in 1 John 2:1-2 we read: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” So when we do miss it, on the rare occasion that we do answer the call and go along with the voices from the past to the things we are declared dead to, run back to Jesus. Run back to Him and be washed, be cleansed, be made whole. The wages of sin is death. There will always be death, disease, suffering, trauma and brokenness where sin is. But we have an answer. God provided a way out. We can be free from the slavery of sin, self and satan through Jesus Christ and appropriating His finished work; His death, burial and resurrection; to our lives.

There is no cleaving before there is leaving. There is no resurrection without a preceding death. We cannot continue our walk with God in newness of life, while still holding on to the old, sinful ways. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! God forbid! What a ghastly thought!

Romans 1:1

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the gospel of God…

1. Doulos (1401) 

What Paul is: a servant of Jesus Christ. This is what all disciples are supposed to be. We are all equal in this. We are all servants of Jesus Christ first and foremost. As a human He came to serve. Phil 2:7. He served His Father’s purpose and will, and serves humanity, is church, His disciples.(Luke13)HisHis church, His disciples. (Luke13)

We are to serve as slaves to one another in love. Gal 5:13. Ministry is correctly called “service”. Service to a King: It is similar to military service. All humans serve someone or something.

Phil 1:1, Eph 6:6, Gal 1:10, I Cor 7:22b, Col 4:12, James 1:1, 2 Pet 1:1

2. Called to be an Apostle.

No-one calls themselves. A calling is always received. A calling comes from somewhere, usually from a higher authority. In the days of compulsory military service, one was “called’ into duty.

God also calls people to serve. This is a calling: a call one can answer and obey or run from. It never goes away. Paul said that ought has been laid on him. A calling will nag you until you do it.

There is heavenly calling. We are all called to be reconcilers between God and men. We are called to be vessels of His light.  We are called to be saints, to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light.

Kalleo(2564) to call, to invite, to summons

Kletos(2822) called, invited.

Rom 1:7, Matt 20:16, Matt22:14, Rom 1:6-7 and Rom 8:28, Rom 11:29, I Cor 1:1-2 and 24-26, Jude 1, Rev 17:14, Eph 1:18, 4:4, Phil 3:14, 2Thess 1:11, 2 Tim 1:9, Heb 3:1, 2 peter 1:10

3. Separated, sanctified and set apart.

Aphartizo (873) “to mark of by bounds”, “to determine a limit”

This means that Paul was chosen, selected for a specific task. A chosen vessel: many are called, few are chosen. This cost at least a “yes” on our side. In military terms this is a special opp’s group. They are special to the task and chosen to a specific duty.

Psalms 4:3, Acts13:2, Gal 1:15, Acts 9:15, I Cor 4:9, I Cor 12:28 - 30, Romans 12.

Love as He loved...


Father’s day we sat down with a lovely brunch my husband cooked. We had the computer on to listen in, to a live stream of a church pastored by a dear friend. At some point he called the fathers forward and started to instruct them. Then he said something like this: “Jesus has a throne and just like Jesus has a throne, men you have a throne in your home. You are to rule in your homes.” He then continued about the responsibility to rule.

This has a stuck in my throat for about 24 hours now and I cannot get my head wrapped around it. There was a curse given to Eve that is "man shall rule over you" in Gen 3:16. This was a curse, just the same as that the man shall work and make a living by working hard enough to sweat. This curse of men domineering women has become one of the quiet strongholds in the Christian church. Even ministers that sometimes quote: “Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” will treat their wives as second class citizens or make snide remarks to their peers about the “ball-and-chain”. It seems like they want it both ways.

Kelley Varner was one of the few brave souls who addressed this in his book: “The Three Prejudices”
“Three great prejudices have infested the homes, churches, businesses, and cities of our society:

1.Gender (the wall between men and women).

2. Race ( the walls between blacks and whites[and all other skin colors})

3.Nation (the walls between Jews and Gentiles).

These walls can never be surmounted by human means. The people of God have fostered these ills through ignorance and apathy.”

And then Brother Varner said that in order to overcome these walls, these manmade strongholds, we need a revival of the love of God.

Now that is a new line of thought. A diversion from the old stale drumbeat of “submit, obey; submit, obey; submit, obey...”

And quoting brother Varner once more: “The only real, lasting cure for the unholy spirit of prejudice is the love of God.”

How come churches miss this? Where are the sermons on: How men can love their wives even as Christ love the church and gave His life for her? Not too easy of a topic now is it. It is so much easier to hold to the party line: she must first submit. Well gents, the church, we, were still enemies of Christ when He gave His life for us. Herein is love, not that we love Him, but that He first loved us and sent His Son to die in our place. 1 John 4:10
 It may make an interesting study: How Jesus loves His bride.

Note that the translators of the Bible often mistranslate the word “Anthropos = human, person” as “man”. Anthropology is the academic study of humanity. The word for “male” is “arren”. Unless the context denotes a male gender, the word should be translated person or people.
 Ex: Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'A Person shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one person, Adam, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all people, because all sinned—

Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all people.

(Some of the newer translations have so translated this word. Ex: NLT, Common English, New Century, TNIV, Good News Translation, The Message)

Resist Sickness and Disease

Jesus died for the whole human – : spirit, soul and body. The fact that He is the last ultimate sin-sacrifice is readily accepted in Christian circles. By Him we have access to the Father, forgiveness of sin and redemption. Few Christians argue this and rightly so, for this is the essence of Christianity. Yet, Jesus also bled and died to free us from the harassment of the enemy. We also receive freedom from sickness, disease, demonic possession, lack and all kinds of dysfunction.

Jesus solved the sin issue at Calvary yet some born again, blood washed believers still struggle with sins. That fact does not make us adjust our doctrine of the finished work of the cross. Why does the fact that some get sick, never get better, even with prayer, and die; why would it make us invent the silly notion that sickness, disease and dysfunction is the will of God?

The scripture bears out that we are healed by His stripes, that when we are sick we pray, lay hands on the sick and they recover, that He is the Lord our Healer. Yet some argue that there is some spiritual benefit in sickness and dysfunction. This would be like saying a little sin will do you good.

The same blood that washed away your sins, is the same blood that was spilled for the healing of sickness, illness, disease. You would never, should never, embrace and accept sin, why embrace sickness?

It is as much a slap in Jesus’ face to suggest His work of redemption incomplete, than negate-ting the fact of healing and health by the same sacrifice. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Some may say that sickness, illness, disease and dysfunction are from God. Yet, didn’t Jesus say that a kingdom divided against itself will not stand?

If Jesus healed the sick, if Jesus gave us a mandate to lay hands on the sick in His name, if the scriptures clearly say that He is our Healer; then why do we embrace physical ailments as if it is our friend? Why don’t we resist and fight it like we do with other temptations? There is not much of a difference. We seem to be willing to speak about sickness more readily than sin and other temptations. Yet, Jesus paid for all of it equally and all comes from the same source. Sickness and sin are often interconnected and at times cause one another.

It is a total, complete redemption of a total, complete human. Nothing was and is excluded. When Jesus said: “It is finish”, it was indeed finished. We cannot add to it - generally agreed – and neither can we subtract from it.

Isn’t it time we receive the entire salvation? Isn’t it time we receive the total Savior, the one who redeemed body, soul- mind will and emotions – and spirit, by paying the complete price of redemption. He gave it all. How dare we pick and choose which part we would like to receive?

1John 3:8, James 5:14-15, Matt 8:16, Luke 10:9, Matt 10:8, Mark 16, Psalms 103:3, James 4:7, Psalms 147:3, Eph 6:13, 1 Peter 5:9, Matt 10:1, John 9:3 Luke 4:18

Where have all the good preachers gone?

During the past few decades we have been fed a "gospel" of self, of humanism thinly veiled as Christianity. We have heard how we can get all we want from God, only by commanding Him to do by holding Him to His promises. We have heard how we can have all our best life now, our wishes and dreams by having faith. We now also hear that the grace of God gives us all kinds of permission to live in sin and that God is only good and impotent to make any judgement on our behavior since Jesus already paid for it all. Someone actually said that the purpose and center of the gospel is man(humans).

Now, if any or all of this sounded good and great to you excuse me for busting the bubble. None of it is the true gospel. All of it, in its purest form, is just man using God for his own pleasures, plans and designs. Just take any of the above statements, or any like it, and follow it to its most extreme conclusion and the ugly truth will be that this is a false teaching.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible, is about God. It is the history of an eternal, all powerful, all-knowing, ever present Being's relationship with a finite, weak, ignorant and barely conscious specie. It is the revelation of the magnificent to the insignificant, for the sole purpose of the good pleasure of the former. It is God limiting Himself in order to communicate, relate and interact with people for no other reason than He wants to do it. He does what He does for His own pleasure. His good pleasure, His choosing is the source, the center, the genesis of all.

One would therefore imagine that His ministers would spent the bulk of their time, educating the people on this awesome Deity. One would expect to hear wonderful expose' on His attributes and His wondrous deeds. Is that not what one does with the object of ones affection? Praise and exultations comes naturally, easy, when a person is overwhelmed with affection. The question then begs to be asked: what is wrong with the majority of His ministers, His agents? Why do they not inform the people of His greatness? Why do they not speak of His wonders? Why do they replace the fantastic, unfathomable, adventure of knowing Him with the weak, milk toast diet of man's limited, confusing, speeches? Do they not love Him? Or maybe they do not really believe in Him.

( Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God...; Philippians 2:13 it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Isaiah 53:10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. Isaiah 40:5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Psalms 50:6 And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge.2Samuel7:24For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God. and so, so many other scriptures)

Basics for Ambassadors

Our response, our responsibility, as a fellowship of believers is twofold. We have a responsibility and covenant, (contract, agreement) toward God and toward people. This is often referred to as our vertical and horizontal relationships. The first is the vertical, towards God. If we have a solid relationship towards God and if we are on a solid foundation with God then the horizontal relationship toward people will also be balanced. We cannot neglect our responsibility in either direction. 1 John 3:23

Vertical

Our relationship toward God is threefold. We relate to God through Prayer, Worship and the Word. These are the three pillars of any congregation or individual relationship between God and human.

PRAYER: Prayer has many facets, parts and expressions: Prayer, supplication, asking, requests, intercession, thanksgiving, and even silent prayer. We approach God the Father, through Jesus Christ, - through His Name which means all that He is and has done and is doing – by the power, ability and help of the Holy Spirit. There are a multitude of recorded prayers in the Bible. The Psalms are full of prayers, hearts poured out before God and many of the prophets recorded their prayers. The Apostle Paul in his epistles, letters, writes down how he prays for the people. Jesus gave us the model prayer in what is now popularly called “The Lord’s Prayer” but He also prayed a few other times. He prayed a very short powerful prayer at the tomb of Lazarus, in Gethsemane and in John 17 He intercedes for the disciples and us. We are commanded to pray without ceasing. – 1 Thess. 5:17- and to pray at all times in Ephesians 6:8. This means that you are in constant communication with God, not in a formatted, formal way, but being aware of Him and His influence in every area of your life, whispering a prayer, a thanksgiving, a simple request. 1Ki 8:28, Psalm 55:1, Phil 4:6, Col 4:2, John 16:26, Rom 8:26,27 and 34

WORSHIP: Worship includes, praise, thanksgiving, dancing, art, clapping hands, making noise, silence, music in all forms, adoration… and so much more. Worship is ALWAYS directed, focused, toward God, in three persons, Father God, Jesus Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It is never with the motive to attract attention to ourselves or our worship. It is an offering, an exhibition, an action directed towards God and for Him. It is like the Old Testament sacrifices and burnt offerings a sacrifice to God only. This refer to the part of our “worship”, lifestyle of serving God, that has to do with giving God honor, adoration, exaltation, thanksgiving, exaltation and generally celebrating who and what He is. The Psalms are full of examples of this. The entire Bible is full of proclaiming how awesome and wonderful God is. We see in Revelations 13 that worship will be carried through into eternity. Worship is also a continual thing. We can keep God in high regard in our hearts so that we give thanks, praise and adoration at all times. This is our responsibility but also our love offering to Him. Gen. 22:5, Psalms 29:2, 66:4, 95:6, 99, 150, Acts 16:25, Romans 12:1, Phil. 3:3, Heb. 13:15.

WORD: With “word” we refer to the communication from God to us. We have the Bible, God’s inspired written word, 66 books in one volume. We have the responsibility to get very acquainted with it. We cannot call ourselves Children of the Most High God and not even know His Book. This book of the law, of the words of God and His dealings with His own shall not depart from us. We shall speak of it when we are walking, driving on the road, when we sit down to eat, when we go to sleep at night. It is to be our constant companion and should be buried in our hearts so that we may keep from sinning against God. It should be in our hearts and hands so that we may know how to choose, to discern good and evil, right from wrong. We are given a plumb-line, a measuring stick, something to hold all things that comes our way against, so that we may know how to live in a pleasing manner before God. We cannot exclude other ways that God uses to communicate with us, through other Christians speaking, preaching, prophecy-ing to us, or even through dreams and visions. These are all mentioned in the Bible. But it cannot contradict the Bible. Many interpretations of scripture exist and of this there is much to say. Let it suffice with this: It is a thick book. Take the whole counsel of God in consideration. Whatever way God communicates to us, it is our responsibility to hear, - to discern His voice – and to obey Him. Ps119, Joshua 1:8, Luke 8:21, John 10:35, Col 3:16, 2 Tim. 3:16, Hebrews 4:12

Horizontal

Our relationship towards People can be divided into two groups. There are only two groups of people in the world: those who love, obey and follow God, who has given their lives to Him and received Jesus as Lord and Savior and those who stubbornly refuse to bow before the God and creator of all. We have the saved and unsaved, the saints and sinners, the children of God and the children of wrath, disobedience. The Bible makes this distinction and so should we. Mark 4:11, 1 Cor. 5:13, James 1:27& 4:4, 2 Peter 1:4, 1John 4 and 5

UNBELIEVERS, World

Our first and foremost responsibility towards those who are in the world, unbelievers are to bring the message of reconciliation between God and man. We are all messengers of hope, of a better way of a God who loved this whole world, everyone so much that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, to pay the penalty, punishment for all our sin. By this an opening, door, way was made for humans to have a relationship with God the Father. We are always to be ready to lead someone to repentance, to agreeing with God, to see the offense our rebellion towards God really is. This is our primary responsibility towards all humans.

We are His hand extended to minister healing and deliverance in the process of bringing salvation to all people. We introduce them to a God who is both love and holy, both forgiving and just. Ps 9:8, John 3:16, 2Cor. 5:18 &19, Eph 1:13, Romans 3:23, Romans 10

BELIEVERS, Children of God.

Those who call upon the Name of Jesus are saved. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born into the Kingdom of God and He gives them the right, the authority to be called children of God. All believers have a ministry of bringing sinners to salvation and also to help one another along the way in our path to maturity in God’s kingdom by encouraging one another, loving one another, laying our lives down for one another. The Bible says to do good to all but especially and first to the household of God. Gal 6:10. There are a whole lot of scriptures about how we are to behave toward one another. In all this we ought to remember that God is the Father of us all and He is well able to take care of His own household. Romans 15:14, Gal. 5:13, 6:2, Eph.4:32, Phil 2:3, 5:19 & 211 Thess. 5:15, Heb. 3:13, Heb. 10:25, James 4:11, 5:16, 1Peter 2:2, 1Peter 4, 1 John 4:7 &11,

In HIS image...

One of the fundamental mistakes people make in their relationship with God is to view Him as human. He is NOT human. He is a total different specie. Humans are made in His image. We are like Him. In His likeness.



That does not mean that He is like us.





God cannot lie, sin or be unfaithful. God is always light and love. God is outside of time. He is everywhere and every time at the same time. God does not die or stop being. He always was and always will be. He knows everything and sees everything. He can choose to limit Himself in His dealings with a specific person. He can understand completely since He knows completely.






He cannot be tempted since He has no sin-nature.




When we relate to Him as if He is another human being we falter and fail. When I relate to a pet, I cannot think it to be a child. The misconception will bring about a flawed relationship. If I expect the pet to act and re-act like a child I will be disappointed. It is not the pets fault that I had erroneous expectations.


Applying human logic to God almost always leads to a cul-de-suc. He is so much more than we can reason out. When we apply human wisdom and understanding, we will come to a place of astonishment with no explenation. When we attempt to grasp Him with human emotions we find ourselves fickle, superficial and Him so much more comprehensive and enduring. Our physical bodies cannot even begin to stand in His presence.


So how can we relate to this God... who is so much more, so much greater, so much better than anything we can invent, envision or dream up?


On His terms. That is the only terms. By His power, ability. It is the only power. By asking Him to do in us what He tells us to do. By admitting that we can't, but He can. By submitting to His plan, His authority. Our only contribution is to yield. Our only authentic, unique ingredient to this recipe is our choice and even in that He can make us willing if we desire to be made willing.




Presumption and assumption must cease if we ever would have a true relationship with Him. And our only prayer: "Lord, make me willing to be made willing..."