"What is God's will for my life" is a question I hear all to often. If you are not saved, have not come to the cross, and have not been washed clean by the blood of Jesus, it is God's will for your life that you do so. Never mind all of the “ologies” and “isms”, leave the yokes of legalism behind and put your faith in the fact that Jesus died for ALL of your sins, past, present, and future. Repent of your sins and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and savior. That is God’s will for your life. He is waiting for you to do so.
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”.
For those who have received Christ as Savior, it is God’s will for your life that you be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
If you are a saved person and are still asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” I suggest that you read your bible, since, if you are asking the question, you obviously aren’t.
Also pray more. Prayer is our talking to God and reading the Bible is God talking to us. It is how we communicate. If we are not in prayer and meditating on his word how can God speak to our spirit? The answer is he can’t and then there is no way to know what God’s will is for your life.
It sounds too simple for most but there is genius in simplicity. God’s genius.
It is my hope that this has helped somebody who is struggling. That is always my goal.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Does God Discipline Believers
WOW! What a dicey subject to bring up. How can it be that a loving GOD, the same GOD who sent himself as his son, became flesh in order to become the perfect sacrifice to fulfill the law, punish believers?
Is there scriptural support for this? Let look at Hebrews 12:5, 6
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." NIV
Paul is referring to Proverbs 3: 11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father] the son he delights in. NIV
I think it is clear that GOD will chastise, punish, discipline, (however you want to put it), those believers who are living in continual sin by allowing certain things to happen to them. I think one of the major influences that lead believers to think they are covered for their sins and can continue in their sin,is the over emphasis on grace and the pounding home of Ephesians 2: 8-9
"8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV
While these verses are important to show that we cannot work our way to Heaven modern teaching has come full circle from the time Paul. Just as in Paul’s day Grace is viewed as a license to sin. All forms of sin are overlooked in many modern churches. Cohabitation, homosexuality, gossiping, greed, slander, etc. are all ignored and instead many church members are not only taught but it is emphasized that Jesus is our friend, our buddy, that he will take care of us and all of our troubles are over simply by believing in him. Grace is over emphasized and mistaught.
If sin is pointed out, if we are warned that we are doomed to spend eternity in hell if we don’t turn from our sin, if the WORD is taught in full context, with it’s original intention, somehow we are deemed to be fanatics and in some cases, guilty of hate speech. If we dare point out that GOD will not be mocked and that a believer is subject to discipline because of his/her behavior, we are ridiculed by fellow believers, and thought of by the world as ignorant, superstitious hate mongers, Neanderthals, or worse.
Don't listen to the world. Don't attend a church that emphasizes one aspect of the Christian walk over another, it leads to all kind of abuse. Grace is important, but it is not a license to sin. It is not the be-all and end-all of the Christian walk.
I hope this has help somebody., until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Is there scriptural support for this? Let look at Hebrews 12:5, 6
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." NIV
Paul is referring to Proverbs 3: 11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father] the son he delights in. NIV
I think it is clear that GOD will chastise, punish, discipline, (however you want to put it), those believers who are living in continual sin by allowing certain things to happen to them. I think one of the major influences that lead believers to think they are covered for their sins and can continue in their sin,is the over emphasis on grace and the pounding home of Ephesians 2: 8-9
"8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV
While these verses are important to show that we cannot work our way to Heaven modern teaching has come full circle from the time Paul. Just as in Paul’s day Grace is viewed as a license to sin. All forms of sin are overlooked in many modern churches. Cohabitation, homosexuality, gossiping, greed, slander, etc. are all ignored and instead many church members are not only taught but it is emphasized that Jesus is our friend, our buddy, that he will take care of us and all of our troubles are over simply by believing in him. Grace is over emphasized and mistaught.
If sin is pointed out, if we are warned that we are doomed to spend eternity in hell if we don’t turn from our sin, if the WORD is taught in full context, with it’s original intention, somehow we are deemed to be fanatics and in some cases, guilty of hate speech. If we dare point out that GOD will not be mocked and that a believer is subject to discipline because of his/her behavior, we are ridiculed by fellow believers, and thought of by the world as ignorant, superstitious hate mongers, Neanderthals, or worse.
Don't listen to the world. Don't attend a church that emphasizes one aspect of the Christian walk over another, it leads to all kind of abuse. Grace is important, but it is not a license to sin. It is not the be-all and end-all of the Christian walk.
I hope this has help somebody., until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, in Jesus name I pray.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Husbands, love your wives, .......
With the family and marriage under attack today unlike any time before I am often brought to thinking about the best way to hold a marriage and also a family together.
With all the worldly talk about equality it is often brought up to Christians that the concept of women being submissive to their husbands as stated in Ephesians 5:22:
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” is frowned upon by the world mainly because they have no sense of biblical concepts, and also because of the misuse of these verses by, supposedly, bible believing Christians. This verse has been wildly abused and misunderstood. It has been used as an excuse for men to batter their wives, abuse them mentally, and to otherwise treat their wives like second class citizens. That is not what this verse is supposed to mean. Here is the other part of the passage that is used to support verse 22 and some of the ungodly behavior that results from poor understanding of these verses . 24 “ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything”.
Here is the key to understanding the entire concept that Paul is trying to convey.
Eph 5:25 “ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
I want to implore every husband and father out there who may read this. If you focus on verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”, and live to bring it to fruition, the rest of it will take care of itself. You would be amazed at the turnaround in your family life that will take place when you take it upon yourself to truly hold your wife in such high esteem. To do so also shows true spiritual leadership which is a husbands primary responsibility to his wife and family.
Here is the clincher:
EPH 5:28-30 "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
With all the worldly talk about equality it is often brought up to Christians that the concept of women being submissive to their husbands as stated in Ephesians 5:22:
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” is frowned upon by the world mainly because they have no sense of biblical concepts, and also because of the misuse of these verses by, supposedly, bible believing Christians. This verse has been wildly abused and misunderstood. It has been used as an excuse for men to batter their wives, abuse them mentally, and to otherwise treat their wives like second class citizens. That is not what this verse is supposed to mean. Here is the other part of the passage that is used to support verse 22 and some of the ungodly behavior that results from poor understanding of these verses . 24 “ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything”.
Here is the key to understanding the entire concept that Paul is trying to convey.
Eph 5:25 “ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
I want to implore every husband and father out there who may read this. If you focus on verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”, and live to bring it to fruition, the rest of it will take care of itself. You would be amazed at the turnaround in your family life that will take place when you take it upon yourself to truly hold your wife in such high esteem. To do so also shows true spiritual leadership which is a husbands primary responsibility to his wife and family.
Here is the clincher:
EPH 5:28-30 "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body.
Until next time, may the LORD bless us and keep us, In Jesus name I pray.
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