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And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ..... for where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? 1 Cor 3:1-4
Where have I been? Do you not hear what this says? I guess I haven't. Since I was saved out of false religion and actually even when I was in the midst of it... I have always wondered why the "Christians" have so many denominations? Oh... I have pondered and came up with many reasons and then today.... yep, today when I read my bible reading and 1 Corinthians starts with this in verse 3.... well... Do you hear it? Even Paul questioned why believers in Christ struggled among themselves. I truly believe if Paul was here now, he would be so down hearted that we still are struggling with the very identity that he directed when he wrote down 1 Corinthians. Even though we worship our Lord at different locations... why do we even make a point to tell people we are anything other than Christ followers... Christians? There should not be Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic in among God's people. As Paul made it clear, if we truly are wanting to be spoken to as 'spiritual' people then we must be ready to not classify ourselves as anything other than followers of Christ! Who cares about 'LifeChurch'...which is the body I serve? It is Jesus and only Jesus.
Are we so disillusioned that we would decide a persons walk with God by the mere mention of where they go to church? Try it... When someone says Henderson Hills... do you have an opinion? a thought? How about First Baptist? How about Waterloo Nazarene? Are we NOT all children of God? If you truly want to know a person and their faith... would you not be more accurate to just talk with them about the Lord? Paul gives us 3 identities to know if we are truly ready for spiritual food or if we are still babes in the Lord.... envy-strife-divisions. Could you, at God's will, leave where you worship and go where ever God sent you? Or do you leave when you feel the 'church' is no longer meeting your needs. These are tough thoughts but what do you really want? Do you want to roam endlessly as a babe in Christ or are you ready to be spoken to as a spiritual people?
"Father God, please help us see through your eyes. We want to no longer be babes but to mature into spiritual people serving and worshiping You with our whole hearts, soul, and mind. Show us Lord, anything that is in us that would be called envy-strife or division. Your word is sharper than a two edged sword. We want Your kingdom to come not only on earth but in our hearts and minds. We so love you Lord!... Please move in us... we rejoice at Your will being done within us! In Jesus name we pray...AMEN!"
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I can't breath!
"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39
Have you ever found yourself in that position? Jesus did. He knew what was getting ready to happen..The Crucifixion. Although, He still knew that God's way was higher than our fleshly ways and he submitted Himself to it. The scripture on my facebook site today is Romans 6:19-20...
19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. Romans 6:19-20
Our body has a tendency to just want to stay in slavery to sin. No matter what we know or even hear from God... we tend to just give way to it. We date ones we don't marry, we eat things that we shouldn't, we spend time everywhere but in the presence of God.... We "are weak in our natural selves." Yet we should strive daily to press in to the presence of God. Many don't even want to truly hear the Word of God...that is why they don't read it. They go as far as to manipulate God's own words to support their ways. One of the biggest verses manipulated I hear... God says the greatest of all things is to "love your neighbor as yourself". They use this one to oppose war, be tolerant of others sins, support a politician that shows to embrace helping the poor yet overlooking the very fact of their support for the murder of countless babies in abortions. They really can't tell you more but just that scripture alone. Like our Lord God..creator.. had to write this huge book for just that one simple verse that we need. I believe that not one single word in the Bible is unimportant. THE WHOLE word of God is for our lives. Although I may not understand the importance of the family trees spoken of over and over... I know that I can trust that it is for my good to know it.
Which all takes me back to the verse I began with. Jesus is crying out... He is stressed, broken, lonely... even more... He knows He is one with God... He can do anything...a n y t h i n g! Yet, here, for our good... He says, "yet not as I will but as you will." Are you there?... Death, sickness, financial destruction, sexual sin, ...your car, your house, your job, your spouse, your children, .. Are you at a point where you can't breath? Stop!! Cry out unto your heavenly father..the same one that Jesus did. Be ready...are you ready?.... be ready to say "yet not as I will but as you will." Then let God be God. Do you really want it any other way? God knows and we don't. He has been there... through it all. More importantly, for all of you who have kids, He experiences everything we go through because we are His children. Just focus on Jesus... He will guide you and get you through. It may not be easy... or even pleasant... but being in His will is the best place to be.
Have you ever found yourself in that position? Jesus did. He knew what was getting ready to happen..The Crucifixion. Although, He still knew that God's way was higher than our fleshly ways and he submitted Himself to it. The scripture on my facebook site today is Romans 6:19-20...
19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. Romans 6:19-20
Our body has a tendency to just want to stay in slavery to sin. No matter what we know or even hear from God... we tend to just give way to it. We date ones we don't marry, we eat things that we shouldn't, we spend time everywhere but in the presence of God.... We "are weak in our natural selves." Yet we should strive daily to press in to the presence of God. Many don't even want to truly hear the Word of God...that is why they don't read it. They go as far as to manipulate God's own words to support their ways. One of the biggest verses manipulated I hear... God says the greatest of all things is to "love your neighbor as yourself". They use this one to oppose war, be tolerant of others sins, support a politician that shows to embrace helping the poor yet overlooking the very fact of their support for the murder of countless babies in abortions. They really can't tell you more but just that scripture alone. Like our Lord God..creator.. had to write this huge book for just that one simple verse that we need. I believe that not one single word in the Bible is unimportant. THE WHOLE word of God is for our lives. Although I may not understand the importance of the family trees spoken of over and over... I know that I can trust that it is for my good to know it.
Which all takes me back to the verse I began with. Jesus is crying out... He is stressed, broken, lonely... even more... He knows He is one with God... He can do anything...a n y t h i n g! Yet, here, for our good... He says, "yet not as I will but as you will." Are you there?... Death, sickness, financial destruction, sexual sin, ...your car, your house, your job, your spouse, your children, .. Are you at a point where you can't breath? Stop!! Cry out unto your heavenly father..the same one that Jesus did. Be ready...are you ready?.... be ready to say "yet not as I will but as you will." Then let God be God. Do you really want it any other way? God knows and we don't. He has been there... through it all. More importantly, for all of you who have kids, He experiences everything we go through because we are His children. Just focus on Jesus... He will guide you and get you through. It may not be easy... or even pleasant... but being in His will is the best place to be.
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