Philipians 1:27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
Your faith's harvest, which is to be "standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News", is heard of if you don't relent "living as citizens of heaven, conducting yourself in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ".
Monday, August 30, 2010
A matter of life and death
Philipians 1:23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
your life is the calling of God and to die is gain; life is not always to be smooth and death should be a gain not a fear; a gain because you will no longer be here... a troubled planet Earth, and most important you will forever be filled at the awesome glory of God before His presence.
your life is the calling of God and to die is gain; life is not always to be smooth and death should be a gain not a fear; a gain because you will no longer be here... a troubled planet Earth, and most important you will forever be filled at the awesome glory of God before His presence.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Believe in Him and believe Him and be blessed
Lately I have been in prayer for maturity; both physically and spiritually. I believe they go hand in hand because when you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He does not leave you unchanged... He tells us that "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philipians 1:6) and "14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:14-26). *Ps: what is best, is that God is patient and good... He teaches you and guides you in His love to doing His will.
So lately I feel I cannot let go of certain things or people or even places... but God not only keeps reminding me not to fear but He continues to remind me that He is with me and is helping me and that all i have to do is trust Him.
God will one day reveal to us all; "10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears, 11b When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me, 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known"(1 Corinthians 13:10-12).
Verse 12 reminds us that we will know fully, but it also says NOW I KNOW in part... what is that which we know? "13 And NOW these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1Corinthians 13:13). God reminds us immediately that the Now is faith, hope and love, all which remain. May I add, I believe these will always remain. So I think that while Jesus is our only Savior, He is also our Lord, and when He reigns in us He, in His love, changes us... but we must act, like " 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:15-17) and " 1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). So while we are here on earth we do not know all, we should act though, in Christ, in the NOW known. For God calls us to the following: "22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:22-25). Did you catch it!? God tells us that we will forget if we do not act upon what we have heard from His word. What will we forget? I think what we already know NOW. So practice what you preach (*even if you are not a preacher, walk the talk, and if you are a mere listener/reader of the word of God... step it up... you are called to act upon what you know and have heard/read of God's word).
So as for me, I admit, I need to live more intently for God (whether this occurs at home, around my siblings, my co-workers, at school, the drivers around me, my enemies, and my parents, around those who yet do not believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, or even as the Scriptures say "If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Romans 14:8)) and I am in prayer, in Him, trying to trust Him fully and in so doing, being blessed like He promises us.
So lately I feel I cannot let go of certain things or people or even places... but God not only keeps reminding me not to fear but He continues to remind me that He is with me and is helping me and that all i have to do is trust Him.
God will one day reveal to us all; "10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears, 11b When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me, 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known"(1 Corinthians 13:10-12).
Verse 12 reminds us that we will know fully, but it also says NOW I KNOW in part... what is that which we know? "13 And NOW these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1Corinthians 13:13). God reminds us immediately that the Now is faith, hope and love, all which remain. May I add, I believe these will always remain. So I think that while Jesus is our only Savior, He is also our Lord, and when He reigns in us He, in His love, changes us... but we must act, like " 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:15-17) and " 1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). So while we are here on earth we do not know all, we should act though, in Christ, in the NOW known. For God calls us to the following: "22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:22-25). Did you catch it!? God tells us that we will forget if we do not act upon what we have heard from His word. What will we forget? I think what we already know NOW. So practice what you preach (*even if you are not a preacher, walk the talk, and if you are a mere listener/reader of the word of God... step it up... you are called to act upon what you know and have heard/read of God's word).
So as for me, I admit, I need to live more intently for God (whether this occurs at home, around my siblings, my co-workers, at school, the drivers around me, my enemies, and my parents, around those who yet do not believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, or even as the Scriptures say "If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Romans 14:8)) and I am in prayer, in Him, trying to trust Him fully and in so doing, being blessed like He promises us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)