As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colossians 2:6-9
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3
Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Him. But deceivement is a real problem for many Christians because they go off tangents and worship a truth or a man who brought them the truth. However, we are not to worship no one or nothing but God, and God alone. As we have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so we are to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. We are not to allow anyone to cheat us through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition and ideas of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him alone dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and He has the answers to every problem that we face!
Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States (1801-1809) and author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the greatest men who ever lived, stated:
I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.. – Thomas Jefferson Letter To Francis Hopkinson, Paris Mar. 13, 1789
"Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author of nature, because necessary for his own sustenance." --Thomas Jefferson: Legal Argument, 1770.
The harmony of life is based on One’s understanding of who your Creator is. He is not a thing out there, He is a Person and He has feelings. Your relationship with Him is not like any other relationship you have experienced in this Universe. He is both sensitive and rational. He is warm and tender, yet wise and full of judgment. He is both caring and ready to do justice. He loves to be loving and compassionate, but if He must, He will be judgmental and assertive.
He is all things to all men that some may be won to His Kingdom, but He will not compromise His values and position to avoid doing what is an unpleasant thing. He does not try to avoid the unpleasant. If you arouse His anger enough He can become very angry. If you do what is wrong, you will be punished, in this He is unflinching. He is the great Creator and He will not be moved by men’s moods, attitudes or black-mail. He will only be moved by faith and a deep trust in Him.
Yes, God does have His timing and His choosing and His ways. He does not necessarily fit into people’s perception of Him. They think He is only a God of love, mercy and grace but He is also a God of judgment. He forgives but He also brings the consequences of people’s behavior upon themselves. He even brings it upon their children to the third and fourth generation.
Many think that He is a liberal God but He is not a liberal. Some think He is a republican God but He is not a republican. He is the LORD of this universe and what He says goes! Men can think as they please, they can do as they please and they can go where they please. But if what they think and do, does not please Him they have missed Him and the consequences of their actions will be exacted from them. For He is a person of great price! He demands their all! He demands their hearts! He demands their souls raised to Him! No, He doesn’t ask little He asks all for He is the Great I AM!
Those who persist in doing things their own way will eventually pay a terrible price for it. Though it may appear that no price has been paid, looks can be deceiving. We as men, love to deceive ourselves that all is well with us and wrong with everyone else while we betray God and is calling for our lives. We forget that we have to have an intimate relationship with Him that transcends all our desires, plans, purposes and goals in life.
If our goals and plans are totally submitted to Him, we can expect He will probably change them for the better if we just trust Him. He is in a far better position to guide us into a deeper more meaningful life than we could ever think up on our own. He is able to do what we could never think out or dream of. He is able to deal with our out of control inner man who only wants things for self. He is able to set our compass straight and chart the right kind of course for our life. He is just the kind of God. He loves us so much.
But, we must give Him a chance. Not for a week or a year but for a lifetime. If we don’t we’re the losers and so is He because He loves us so much He will lose the love He desired from us. Our place in the Kingdom will be empty because only we can fill that place. His is able to lead us to the special place just for us in the Kingdom but we have to follow Him with great fidelity and respect. He is able, not because we say so in words, but because in His own strength and power He is truly able to lead us out of our Armageddon into the Promised Land! The choice is ours. Do we really want Him at all costs, or do we want our own way and our own desires because without Him we are not going to make it no matter what the world says.
The world is not making it without Him despite how they act and what they say. They may appear to be very successful in terms of worldly success but that has nothing to do with real spiritual success. It doesn’t mean we should not try to be financially accountable and successful in the world, but it should not be our priority. The Lord should be our priority. As we lean on Him and do what He has called us to do we will be both spiritually and carnally successful.
If we are not successful we have to look to the Lord to show us why, so we can turn it over to Him to change with the understanding we can’t change ourselves only He can. Our relationship with Him is based on a mutual trust. We trust Him to change us, He trusts us to remain faithful and true to Him. This cycle of success breeds more success until we begin to see one victory after another in our life.
Then, this cycle of success breeds a lifestyle of success until we are truly more than conquerors through Christ Jesus and can now lead others into this right kind of lifestyle in Him. This is true success! What more can you ask except to know you are in harmony with your Lord and Savior and the world around you. There can be no greater satisfaction than this. That we have helped others toward the right kind of life that will bring them health and freedom to be themselves and in turn love those around them. A world set free from sin and death there can be no better victory!
Imagine a world walking in the victory Jesus Christ provides. People free from emotional upheavals, depression, despair and grief. People genuinely happy to see each other and love one another helping one another when needed. Open to the Commandments God has given them to follow. Doing it out of the gladness of their yielded hearts. Doing the will of the Father with all of their soul and very being. Avoiding backbiting, gossip, slander, evil speaking and all other forms of nasty qualities such as envy, jealousy, cowardice, selfishness, anger, rage, strife, rejection, pride, arrogance and many other such evil behavior. All of it is not of Him. He is the author and finisher of our faith and we need to take all of our faults, flaws and problems to Him and He will give the power to overcome because He is able.
How often we have come across carnal Christians who have not given their sinful nature over to God and witnessed the devastating results in churches and para-organizations world over. We need Jesus. We need the Spirit of Jesus in Christians today. We need to get on our knees and stop looking to our neighbor. Yes, they have their problems but so do you. Look not on the speck in your brother’s eye before you care for the beam in your own eye.
Take care of that beam first then gently remove the speck in you brother’s eye. Gently, beloved! Not roughly, cruelly or without regard for the destruction of your manner. Love is the rule. We all respond to love even when we don’t appear to. We all need it. We’d rather scrape and fight for it than admit we need it, so we scrape and fight and wonder why no one loves us.
It’s because we are going about it the wrong way. If we knew we were loved unconditionally we would yield if we’re smart. If that is our true goal? If not, even our wrong motives will be revealed and we will be exposed to God and man. No one gets away with their behavior and wrong motivations!
God is no fool. He knows us intimately. He loves us purely. He defends His own when they surrender and become humble before Him and others. He is the greatest forgiver on this entire planet. No one escapes His piercing glaze. It is we who must swallow our pride and admit we are wrong! Ouch! That hurts! Wrong! Ouch!
But once the thorns are removed what sweet relief. It’s even better if we can walk with Him in personal fellowship and watch Him guide us through life with the wisdom from above. Those who chose to follow us can do so. Those who chose not to, are equally free. But, I know from personal experience that only those who humble themselves and yield to the Heaven Father are the truly successful on this planet. The Lord marks a man’s success by the purity and motives of His heart and He alone knows what’s in the human heart! His word is unchanging:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:11-15
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
EXTRACT FROM Be Filled
http://walthope.tripod.com/befilled.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
No comments:
Post a Comment