Drunkard. Swindler. Liar. Adulterer. These are titles given to people because they define the lifestyles of the people. Believers in Christ are not defined by these terms. True children of God do not continue in their sinful lifestyles.
1JN 3:6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Jesus said, in John 12:46 - I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
We do not have to sin, or stay in darkness. We can't. So why are "believers" living in sin? Prominent leaders are having affairs, misappropriating funds, getting divorced.
Give me your insight. What is happening to the church? Is God powerless over your sin? He can't stop us from sinning? Your thoughts.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Study...Learn...Grow.
God told us in Hosea 4:6:
HOS 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
He may have been speaking to other people at the time, but I believe the same could be said of our day. People in the church do not know what the Bible says. They often don’t even really care. They may say they care, but they don’t act on it. If we carried that inaction over to other areas of life, we could see how true this statement is:
“Caring about something demands action.”
Ladies, if your husband says he cares about what you have to say, but doesn’t show any signs of listening, do you believe him? Men, if your child tells you that she has heard what you have told her, and that she loves you very much, but she disobeys you and does something completely different than you had instructed her to do, how real would those claims of love for you feel? Would you be pleased with her?
If you care about something, you must act on it. God’s word says that His people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Let’s break that down:
“My people” - He doesn’t say “people”, He doesn’t say “lost people”, He says, “My people”. People who have believed in Him for salvation, He is talking about you! He is talking about me! A lack of knowledge will destroy you in your relationship with Him. Christians need to keep learning to build a relationship with God that survives.
“Destroyed” – It isn’t just a shame people don’t know the Lord better. It’s not just a sad statement on the church and our failures that people don’t know the Lord or His word. It is a matter of life or death; overcoming or being destroyed! That means that ignorance about God is a terminal situation. Does that matter to you?
“Lack of Knowledge” – We aren’t talking two-plus-two kind of knowledge, we are talking about knowledge of the scriptures. Knowing the word of God helps us know the person of God. We can know how to please Him, what makes Him happy or unhappy, and we can hear the Spirit remind us of all God has said. But we must make the effort to learn. (Read 2 Peter 1:5-8)
I would like to recommend that you get involved in Sunday School. This is not supposed to be just a “program” we offer. It is the tool by which we strive to gain knowledge and understanding from the word of God, and I believe it is very important for all believers; those whom God called “My people.” Hosea 4:14 says:
“…a people without understanding will come to ruin!”
Do you care? Then do something about it. God Bless.
HOS 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
He may have been speaking to other people at the time, but I believe the same could be said of our day. People in the church do not know what the Bible says. They often don’t even really care. They may say they care, but they don’t act on it. If we carried that inaction over to other areas of life, we could see how true this statement is:
“Caring about something demands action.”
Ladies, if your husband says he cares about what you have to say, but doesn’t show any signs of listening, do you believe him? Men, if your child tells you that she has heard what you have told her, and that she loves you very much, but she disobeys you and does something completely different than you had instructed her to do, how real would those claims of love for you feel? Would you be pleased with her?
If you care about something, you must act on it. God’s word says that His people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Let’s break that down:
“My people” - He doesn’t say “people”, He doesn’t say “lost people”, He says, “My people”. People who have believed in Him for salvation, He is talking about you! He is talking about me! A lack of knowledge will destroy you in your relationship with Him. Christians need to keep learning to build a relationship with God that survives.
“Destroyed” – It isn’t just a shame people don’t know the Lord better. It’s not just a sad statement on the church and our failures that people don’t know the Lord or His word. It is a matter of life or death; overcoming or being destroyed! That means that ignorance about God is a terminal situation. Does that matter to you?
“Lack of Knowledge” – We aren’t talking two-plus-two kind of knowledge, we are talking about knowledge of the scriptures. Knowing the word of God helps us know the person of God. We can know how to please Him, what makes Him happy or unhappy, and we can hear the Spirit remind us of all God has said. But we must make the effort to learn. (Read 2 Peter 1:5-8)
I would like to recommend that you get involved in Sunday School. This is not supposed to be just a “program” we offer. It is the tool by which we strive to gain knowledge and understanding from the word of God, and I believe it is very important for all believers; those whom God called “My people.” Hosea 4:14 says:
“…a people without understanding will come to ruin!”
Do you care? Then do something about it. God Bless.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
The Economy and the Church
We decided we didn't want to be a free market society. We decided we didn't want to answer for the money that we spend. We decided that the government is supposed to take care of us. We are going to the government for help, for hope. We've made mistakes and we are asking the government to pay the price for us - to bail us out.
We "disposed" of God, and put government in His place. In the words of the vernacular: "How's that working out for you, America?"
A request to His church: Would you please set the example to the world and pray without ceasing? Would you please live by faith in God, and faithfully trust Him with your future instead of depending on your 401K? We are citizens of heaven, and the world is trying to mock us for our faith as they drown in debt, fear and hopelessness. The only way this mockery works is if we continue to live no differently than the rest of the world - full of fear and hopelessness.
Continue to pay your tithe, now, more than ever, because God's blessing on His people is needed! He has always been our supply, but we forgot. Now we are being reminded in a spectacular way. Will we learn, again, to live by faith in God, and nothing else? No candidate for president can fix this if God decides not to allow it to be fixed. We need Him!
"Without faith, it is impossible to please God." - Hebrews 11:6
We "disposed" of God, and put government in His place. In the words of the vernacular: "How's that working out for you, America?"
A request to His church: Would you please set the example to the world and pray without ceasing? Would you please live by faith in God, and faithfully trust Him with your future instead of depending on your 401K? We are citizens of heaven, and the world is trying to mock us for our faith as they drown in debt, fear and hopelessness. The only way this mockery works is if we continue to live no differently than the rest of the world - full of fear and hopelessness.
Continue to pay your tithe, now, more than ever, because God's blessing on His people is needed! He has always been our supply, but we forgot. Now we are being reminded in a spectacular way. Will we learn, again, to live by faith in God, and nothing else? No candidate for president can fix this if God decides not to allow it to be fixed. We need Him!
"Without faith, it is impossible to please God." - Hebrews 11:6
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