Month: March 2013

  • The Essence of the True Christian's Lifestyle

    ...As described by the Apostle Paul:  Romans 12:1-3, Amplified Bible (AMP)

    I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

    Do not be conformed to this world, [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

    For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.

    The rest of Romans 12 will be added here over the coming weeks.

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  • Surrender is Not an option!

    Romans 12 Amplified Bible (AMP) verse 1:  "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship."

    This verse was the cornerstone of discussion at the Wednesday Night Bible study which I attended last night.  Again and again I heard others describe their moments of "surrender" when they fully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  But the concept of "surrender" does not appear in this verse!

    When I decided to go "all in" following and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ, it was after I finally realized Who He is!  The Creator of the Universe and Lover of my Soul.  I presented my whole self to Him because I knew at last I could not possibly go wrong with that decision.  I didn't surrender.  I enlisted.  I volunteered. Etc.  And He proves to me that I was right every day, sometimes several times in a day!

    Can I get an amen?  Or do you not agree?

     

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  • Would You Pray Like This?

    The Apostle Paul prayed these blessings for seekers of God like you and me.

    Now I pray them for myself, having changed Paul's word "you all" to the word me, etc.

    "I pray continuously that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…

    For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  that He would grant us, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in our inner man,  that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. "

    This prayer was and is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.  See Ephesians 1:16-20 & 3:14-19.  Many Christians have prayed in this way and grew spiritually; and I learned it from Brother Kenneth Hagin Sr.

    Do you think that, perhaps, praying sincerely in this way will make your life more spiritually profitable?

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  • Ours in Christ Jesus! He Has Given Us Much!

    Because of many visitors to this lately, I am re posting my summary of Jesus' prayer in John 17 with added commentary so that my readers may better understand What is Ours in Christ Jesus:

    Jesus said to His Father in Heaven, "Just as You have granted Me power and authority over all humankind, now glorify Me even as We have planned it, so that I may give eternal life to all whom You have given Me.  And eternal life means they shall  know (perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand)You, Father, the only true and real God, and likewise know Me, Jesus the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent."

    Now God Himself keeps and preserves us in the knowledge and worship of Himself so that we may be one with God even as Jesus is One with His Father, and that we may experience God’s delight in us.

    We who are in Christ Jesus stand in God’s protection from “the evil one,” satan, who is still trying to rule the world of men, desperately, knowing his time remaining is short. 

    We are being sanctified (purified, consecrated, set apart for God, made holy) by the Truth which is God’s Word, (Jesus Himself as the Holy Spirit guides us to understand the scriptures.)

    Jesus intended these blessings not only for His disciples alive with Him before His crucifiction but also for us today!  For He said: "…but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world of men even over the many centuries may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me."

    Jesus Christ said He has given us the very same glory (spiritual clout) and honor which His Father gave to Him!

    God the Father loves us, His adopted children through Jesus the Christ, even as much as He loved and still loves His “only – begotten” (unique) Son, Jesus!

    Jesus told His Father He wants us to be where He is so that we may see and operate in His glory (spiritual clout)!    It is revealed in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians.  And, if you are a believer you are seated there with Jesus in the seat of spiritual authority!

    God intends to use us according to His love within us!  He said "I have made Your Name known to my first disciples and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make You known to and through those latter disciples whom I am also sending into the world, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them."

    Believers, are you not astonished again and again to realize the truth of all that is ours in Christ Jesus?  Truth Seekers, can you believe it?

     

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  • A Taste of Grace

    Ah! Truly a breath of fresh, clean Spiritual air!

    In December 2012 I purchased Greg Albrecht's book, A Taste of Grace, Christianity Without the Religion for my Kindle Fire from Amazon.com.  Now I've read it cover to cover three times while checking the author's points of view on the several of Jesus' parables against the opinions of many other Bible teachers.

    When I started this, I posted about it on Xanga; and many of you readers of mine asked me to announce my conclusions.

    And here they are in one sentence:  If you truly desire to understand the gospel of grace in Christ Jesus, and how it compares with the performance- based religion represented by the 21st century Apostate Church,  you really must read this book!

    Jerry