GOD'S TRANSFORMING WORK

We had a friend over that we have not seen in about 5 years. During that absence in our lives she has been saved. It is amazing to see the transformation that God does in a persons life. We asked her what brought her to repentance and her answer was great. She said that she truly understood how sinful she was and what it meant to have a broken and contrite heart before God.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

It was such a sweet reminder to me that God does not despise a person that is broken over their sin, repents, and puts their trust in HIM alone. I continue to deal with my pride and at times I forget this simple verse and the Lord causes me to repent as He uses His Word and other believers in my life to expose my sin to me. Lord Jesus please don't ever stop doing this sanctifying work in my life. Lord cause me to continue to be broken over my sin - Lord I have rebelled against you and the result of this rebelling is my sins of commission and omission that are offenses against You and Your ownership of me. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me, keeping me saved, and the promise that You will finish the work You have started in my life.

Philippians 1:6 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.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

I was thinking today of relationships I have had and still have of people that has shown me much grace in dealing with me. I have sinned against many people in my life through my words and actions and still have received grace from these folks to forgive me and love me regardless of my immaturity. I think of all the regrets in this area that I have had in the past of not having a forgiving heart toward others and even viewing them a certain way and not allowing them to change. I would hate for others to put me in a box and keep me there even though I continue to mature and become more like Christ. Lord Jesus - thank YOU that YOU don't do that to me. I want to Learn from YOUR example to have a heart that does not hold onto offenses done against me.

Let's all live without regrets and if you are holding onto stuff that should have been forgiven long ago - seek those folks out that you have had these attitudes toward and seek their forgiveness. Unity in the Body of Christ is paramount to our Christian life.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

THANKSGIVING

It is interesting that in general most people complain all year long but then a National Holiday calls us all to be thankful and then there are numerous facebook posts about how thankful we are. Well this is a great reminder for all of us to be thankful all year long regardless of our circumstances. I know for me personally that one of my businesses has been hit very hard because of the economy and it would be very easy for me to worry and be anxious but that would be sin. I am taking the right actions I need to and be responsible with what God has given me but the bottom line is that God has given me exactly what HE wants me to have not only financially but in everything.

Psalm 7:17 I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

Giving thanks is a determined exercise by us that is a discipline. Just think about the most important thing you have to be thankful for - the fact that Jesus Christ (God Himself) lowered Himself and took the form of man to redeem man from His sins and to input His Righteousness (applying His perfect fulfillment of God's requirements for you to be saved) to you. Think about it - He does not redeemed the fallen angels but He did that for those He has CHOSEN TO SAVE - Yes make no mistake my friend - YOU DID NOT CHOOSE GOD - HE CHOSE YOU. Now that is something to be thankful for if you are one of HIS. If you are apart from Christ - today is the day to repent of your sins and stop putting your trust in your works and put all your trust in Christ and HIM ALONE.

Have a great thanksgiving but don't stop giving thanks all year long.

ALL TALK NO WALK DOES NOT WORK

Hebrews 13:15-16

"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

It is all over the Scriptures. That is right - obedience to the Lord is the evidence of a transformed life. How did we as a Church ever get to a place that so many deny this clear teaching from God's Word? In our zeal to see people saved we end up watering down the Gospel to make it more pleasing - shame on us for disparaging God's Word in that manner.

It is so easy to say with your lips you love the Lord but actions must follow what you say with your mouth. Try telling your Spouse that you love them and then let your actions be rude, inconsiderate, abusive, neglect etc... and then ask them if they really think you love them. Are you out of your mind? NO WAY WILL THEY THINK YOU REALLY LOVE THEM. Then why do you think it would be any different with our Lord Jesus Christ?

Please listen - I am not teaching perfectionism which if you believe that false doctrine it is a sad day for you. Perfectionism just relabels sin as mistakes - which then I guess you dont have to repent of - THAT IS FALSE TEACHING. The Believer still sins after he or she is saved but that sin becomes less and less as the obedience to the Lord becomes greater and greater. It is called progressive sanctification - simply put - becoming more like Jesus every day.

So here is the way God grows us - We repent of our sins - putting our trust in HIS Work not our own for our salvation, We study HIS Word - the HOLY SPIRIT (who lives in every true Christian) takes that WORD applies it to our lives and brings fruit out of our lives (Gal. 5).

If fruit of the Spirit is absent in your life then you MUST examine yourself and see if you are in the faith. My prayer for each of you is that you are not self deceived and on a broad road that only takes you to hell.

ARE YOU TRULY A CHRISTIAN?

It is sad to me to see people on Facebook and other social media venues that call themselves Christians and yet just from what is on their accounts you have to question where they really are at. And then to see other professing believers that are their friends not calling them to repentance at all just adds to the condemnation of both. Matthew 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits." The fruit of the world is a loose living, vulgarity, courseness, and self pleasure just to name a few. It saddens me to see people that call themselves Christians living a life of sexual sin and self pleasure and then are offended when you question if they are a Christian or not. Unfortunately the Church is not far removed from the World. WAKE UP CHURCH - We are to be diffferent, holy in ALL AREAS of our lives. A life void of obedience to Christ is a Christless life. If you are a true believer first examine your life and make sure you are not in a habitual sin and then call your professing brothers and sisters around you to repentance and holiness. Let sin be kept far from you and dont give the devil opportunity to sift you.

HERE IS THE KILLER

What a title for a blog entry but there is a killer on the run and the killer is out to try to destroy us. It is none other than PRIDE.

Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

This was the downfall of Satan - he was proud and wanted to be God. He thought too highly of himself. I am amazed at the Christians that think the worldly teaching of a "low self esteem" is Biblical. Folks - it is pride - no one and I mean no one has a low self esteem - the Bible says we all think too highly of ourselves. We are all prideful. Oh wait a minute I met someone once that said they were not prideful - what a prideful statement :).

Really look at your life and see where that non mortified pride is lingering - get out the Sword of the Spirit (the Scriptures) and go to work at killing your pride. God has given you every ability you have so how can you take credit for anything that is remotely good or some ability you have?? Don't rob Him of His glory by thinking highly of yourself. I still maintain that the only thing I can take credit for is my sin - everything else is God's grace.

A DISCIPLINED LIFE

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

I was reading this morning and came upon this passage. My first thought was - "Sure this is the way it is supposed to be - we need to be workers". But then I thought about it a bit more and the fact is we live in a society that diminishes work habits and for that matter - it really diminishes being disciplined in your life. We are told to just do what we want to do. I am sorrowed over where our people are - not outside the Church but even inside the church. I see young men that continue to be boys rather than men. Same goes with the women too.

An undisciplined life does not just manifest itself in work but in every part of our lives. I struggle with being disciplined in my life for sure. I must kill my lazy tendencies and be diligent in my studying of the Word, then taking that Word and applying it (yes this takes discipline). I struggle with being disciplined in my eating and exercise. So believe me I have not arrived but am striving to obey these commands in this passage.

If you really start being disciplined in your study of the Word I do believe you will find yourself being more disciplined in other areas of your life. Let us commit to praying for each other in this area as we strive to bring GOD GLORY in ALL AREAS of our lives.