November 2011
22 posts
3 tags
Being A Christian
A person can be good, kind, ethical, and generous without being a Christian. However, a Christian is all of those — with a religious spirit.
To become a Christian is to realize an ongoing conversation is happening between yourself and God. This in turn leads to worship, repentance, challenge, and commitment. Life becomes a constant effort to give the Spirit control in all word and...
4 tags
Who Own Us?
We live in a very self-affirming world, and one which encourages self-centeredness. “It’s my life. I can do with it what I want,” is a much heard, and widely accepted belief. But the Christian realizes that our life is not our own. Our life belongs to Christ. We are His, and He can do with us as He pleases. And what does He please? That we do justice, love mercy, and...
4 tags
A Thoughtless Expression
“I didn’t really mean it,” is probably one of the more un-Christlike things which we can say. For the most part, this is something we say because we know that what we have said or done has hurt someone else; yet instead of owning the action and apologizing for the mistake, we seek to justify ourselves.
Look at it yet another way. True, we did not mean it. It was not in our...
4 tags
Our Thoughts
What we think is the foundation of who we are. Our thoughts is the quarry from which are cut the blocks that make our life. If our thoughts are right, faithful, loving, wise, and gentle, then so will be our life. If our thought are on God and of His Christ, pondering on the truths which God has given, then it follows that our life will be a testimony to the faith which we say we have.
...
5 tags
A Thankful Spirit
The Christian is to be thankful to God for all of life — whatever the circumstances. Being thankful turns the soul from being self-centered to being God-centered; from envy to appreciation; from complaining to grateful joy. Being thankful instills a sense of peace and appreciation in a Christian, and in response it causes the heart to sing of what God has done. Happy is the thankful...
4 tags
Follow
When Christ says “Follow me,” it is for doing His will, but we set out to accomplish our own will instead. Is it right for us to have our own way, and to press forward to our own desired ends? When God, or Christ, calls us to “follow,” is that not exactly what is meant — to follow? It does not mean for us to take the lead, and neither does it mean for us to...
3 tags
A Troubling Question
Who should the Christian be more concern with pleasing, God or our neighbor? Pleasing our neighbor; accepting our neighbor; not judging our neighbor when we observe him or her doing wrong; is this pleasing to God?
It is a very difficult concern for the Christian to ponder, but we must. If we really believe that the Word of God last forever, and is unchangeable, then how can we advocate...
3 tags
Christian Principles
The world’s promises, and our own desires, are foolish at best and do not reflect the principles of Christ. True Christian principles are those precepts which last from generation to generation. The test is: if they change, then they are weak and of the world. But if they endure and stand, then they are born of Christ. The responsibility of each person is to learn which are of Christ,...
5 tags
Forgiveness
Many people, and Christians are among them, think of forgiveness as a common, ordinary thing. Forgiveness is seen as a way to be excused from punishment, an avoidance of the consequences for doing wrong. But true forgiveness must be much more.
If forgiveness is to be more than just not facing consequences, then what is it? It is the hostility which results from wrong, gone away. It is trust...
3 tags
The Measure Of A Person
The measure, the worth, the character of an individual is not determined by what is gained or possessed. A person may have an overabundance of God’s gifts — wealth, intelligence, power — yet fail to share those things with others around him or her. The measure of an individual is determined only to the degree by which others are blessed.
All that we have is God’s. Our...
4 tags
Trust Comes First
Before we can have any kind of a meaningful relationship or friendship with a person, trust must exist. Doubt digs great chasms between people, and distrust builds high walls which keep us apart. Trust is what overcomes these obstacles.
The same is true for having a relationship with Jesus. In order to know and to be near him, there must be trust. However, the rewards for such trust is...
4 tags
Live Truth
Many people in our world would never think of stating a lie, and yet untruths are said in their lives everyday. Words are couched so as to leave the impression of truth when they are really not so. Behavior is acted out contrary to promises made or commitments assured, thus making the words a lie. Insincerity, deceit, concealment, each contribute to a climate of dishonesty.
Christians must...
4 tags
Looking Back On Life
Sin often comes to us disguised as something exciting, risky, or daring; yet afterwards only disappointment, ugliness, and horror is all that is left. Ministry and Christian service are often very demanding, they lay heavy burdens upon people and require much energy and time, yet when finished they leave a deep sense of gratitude, fulfillment, and reward. The true character of our actions is...
4 tags
Finding Your Life
When faced with a large task, a Christian should presume that it is duty given by God. Therefore, it is not right to turn down the work, or walk away from the opportunity because it is “just too much.” Neither should a Christian ever think a specific task to be beneath him or her, to be too hard, too daunting, or too frightening. The best use which we can make of our life is to give...
3 tags
Two Views
Through all of history those who are deceitful and dissolute have always attempted to bring down what is true and holy. Evil will always attempt to pervert good.
Today the Christian is being faced with this truth being played out all around — and both sides are claiming to be doing so in the name of Christianity. One side speaks of reform, completeness, and ethics; the other is centered...
4 tags
God's Law
There are only two ways which a human can go — either follow God or not follow God. To follow is to live by His laws. To not follow is to live by our laws. To follow Him is to enjoy a relationship with Him. To not follow Him to to be outside the circle. To follow is to have life. To not follow is to know death. The law of God is not made for us to judge, but rather to judge us and for...
3 tags
True Belief
Many Christians believe in their mind that if Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the only way to salvation, then they are true followers of Christ. The problem we have in the church though, is not one of belief. Intellectual ascent is not synonymous with commitment. True, intellectually we must first believe; but soon the call of God moves beyond simple belief and we must be ready to commit...
4 tags
Stand With God
To stand as faithful guardians of our traditions and faith when the winds of culture blow strongly against us requires uncommon fortitude. Before a person can walk out into the world,there must be a clear and confident sense of what God is saying — and that can only happen through prayer and study. Then courage must be summoned to stand with God who often stands alone against the mores of...
3 tags
Ask For God
When we go to God in prayer, we tend to ask for things like healing, health, wisdom, clear thinking, comfort through times of pain, or guidance through times of turmoil. But why are we content with so many small things like these? When a Christian goes to God in prayer, he or she should ask God Himself to enter in to life and then be prepared to get all of this… and more.
True Love
In his sonnet titled “Intimations of Immortality,” Shakespeare asserted that when a person is fully and truly in love then mortality becomes unthinkable. When a Christian become fully in love with Christ, the result is no less. Christ enwraps us and enfolds us, He places His joy in us and our joy is made full; He loves us and we know His love; He is love.
Having been filled with...
3 tags
Upward Bound
There is no other way to climb a mountain than by taking one step at a time — step upon step upon step. Each step is a little higher than the one before; it is slow, methodical, but always a little closer to the goal.
The Christian life is not unlike conquering a mountain. We do not achieve “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” simply by wanting it. It is a...
Doing God's Work
There exists in the human heart a desire for self-affirmation — to make one’s self look good or to build one’s self up. It is one of the fruits of humanism, and it is one of the faults which come with being human. Often it is heard in such expressions as, “Publish or die,” “Make yourself known,” or “You have to toot your own horn.” It is the...
