God Shakes Our Lives To Help Us Focus On Him.

For a long time I have been frustrated that few people in sunny Southern California are really hungry for God’s love and help. My prayer has been “Lord please do what it takes to make people (including myself) seek your presence.” The answer to prayers like this may initially shake our lives but ultimately re-establishes many on a firmer foundation, resulting in a deeper awareness of Jesus.

The Witch Creek fire ravaged our area a year and a half ago and three years before that another massive fire burnt many homes. Watching the television from a hotel surrounded by concrete in San Diego, during the most recent fire, I watched as brush about half a mile or so from our home was in flames. The reporter was windswept and shouted that without water being dropped by helicopters, he did not know what would stop the fire spreading. It was too windy for helicopters. The wind was blowing towards our home and while my kids escaped to see a movie, my husband, Martyn and I watched and prayed.

God Has An Eternal Home For Us.

I prayed about what Bible verses I should read. Immediately I turned to 2 Corinthians: 5: 1. It reads, “For we know that if the tent , which is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens……….” This describes our physical bodies, death and our future eternal bodies in Heaven, but it also reminded me that if my home was destroyed, God had a much better plan.

When we pray fervently and faithfully, we receive God’s peace and the knowledge that whatever happens we will be blessed. On this earth the worst that can happen is to be killed or to experience the painful death of a loved one. 2 Corinthians reminds us that our “earthly tent” or body is temporary and it is “burdened” (verse 4) and we groan. We are not supposed to put our trust in our health, or in our physical appearance, or in our property. Our temporary existence is far less important than our future eternal existence in Heaven.

Don’t Put Your Trust In Homes, Physical Strength Or Income.

If we have the Spirit of the living God living in us we have a “guarantee” (verse 5) from God.  If we are Christians, what is mortal will be “swallowed up by life” (verse 4). Are we focusing too much on our homes, our physical strength and our incomes? All of these things will age, decay and pass away. Instead we should focus on the heavenly body and home that we will receive from God.

The Holy Spirit is life. The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus indwelling our earthly bodies if we are believers. When life is challenging are we not more likely to seek strength, wisdom and power from Him? If our homes and bodies will one day die, burn or crumble down,  surely we should be thankful when our circumstances test and challenge our faith? Our perception of what life is about should be dominated by the one who offers us life to the full, for one day Jesus will give us a new heavenly body that will never suffer pain and death. Our home will be Heaven.

If We Worship Our Bodies And Our Homes We Will Not Worship God

Let’s receive the challenges that threaten our safety and prosperity as reminders to focus on Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4 encourages us that as we face difficulties we are dying to ourselves, carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies. As we are afflicted by pain, persecution, an aging body, disease or poverty… Jesus  transforms us if we seek Him. If we worship our bodies and our homes we will not worship God.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Our home survived the fire but this no longer seems very important. If we turn to Jesus through the challenges we will realize that our lives are much more than the homes we live in and our physical bodies. Rather than blaming God for fires, loss of income, or declining health, let’s see these challenging experiences as opportunities to re- focus our lives on Jesus. Of course Jesus can heal our diseases and bless our finances but He may wait a while so that we receive the deeper blessing of seeking more of His presence.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Focus on the Heavenly Body and Home that God has Prepared for Us: 2 Corinthians 4 and 5.

Related posts:

1. A heavenly homecoming This morning I was asked to deliver a five minute Bible talk at very short...
2. Self Effort and Divine Power: What does 2 Peter:1 Teach us about being an effective Christian? Currently, my family is looking at a failing economy, the threat of swine flu, a...
3. The Best Christmas Present The Nativity story is reassuring on so many levels. It contrasts so dramatically with what...

To live a good Christian life we need more than self effort.

As a Christian I must avoid giving the impression that life is more about trying hard by applying self effort than seeking and receiving God’s  power and strength. 2 Peter 1 addresses both “diligence” or effort, and the “divine power” that Christians receive from God. In verses 5-7 we are told by ‘giving all diligence” (by working hard),  add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” Yes, we must work diligently to develop Christian virtues but if we were to read these verses out of context we might conclude that hard work and focus alone will result in the development of all of these important Christian qualities.

In fact, if we just try, try, try again without sitting at the feet of Jesus, humbly receiving His power, His grace and His love, as well as studying His word, and seeking His direction through prayer, we will fall flat. Our priority as Christians should be to receive God’s empowering presence: the Holy Spirit, continuously seeking His help and mercy, knowing that in our own strength we can do absolutely nothing.

We need to receive the gift of faith.

We become Christians when we obtain the gift of faith which enables us to put our trust in Jesus who through His sacrifice, made it possible for us to be forgiven and to be set free from spiritual darkness and the punishment that we deserve. 2 Peter 1:1 reminds us that this faith is not something that we purchase but it is obtained from God. It is precious and it is only possible for us to receive it because of what  Christ did for us when he shed His blood on the cross. A fundamental truth is that this faith cannot be earned by our own effort. Rather it is a gift thanks to Jesus’ life giving effort. 2 Peter 1: 2 explains that the precious faith is “by’, or thanks to, “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

This faith is not weak but powerful. Peter writes that this faith is just like his own faith (verse 1) and the faith of the apostles. There are no second class Christians. We all receive a faith that can move mountains. Let’s receive it and ask for the strong faith that helps us to focus on Jesus,  knowing that only He can help us navigate the challenges that we face. With such a faith we can apply every effort to be godly, but without faith we cannot.

God calls us to Himself. We cannot become Christians through trying hard.

A living faith in Jesus is the gift of God that we receive as Christians. The Holy Spirit, God Himself in us, is the one who gives us faith and the one who sustains our faith, giving us all that we need to live godly lives. 2 Peter 2-4 reminds us that we cannot take any credit for becoming Christians as “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue…” God called us to Himself.  He called us through what He achieved, through His “glory and virtue”. We can never be good enough to receive His love and forgiveness, but we can receive with love and thanks His Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to live for Jesus in a godly way.

The Holy Spirit transforms us so that we can live good lives.

Without God’s indwelling presence we cannot have faith and without faith we cannot please God. If we have not been transformed by the Holy Spirit, becoming a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)  we are incapable of true virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance. godliness, brotherly kindness and love(2 Peter 1:5-7) even if we try very hard. These virtues will develop when we belong to Jesus and when, through faith, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. God Himself lights the fire in us to give us the diligence that we need to apply to life, to be the pure, holy people that He has called us to be. Without Jesus, our effort will glorify ourselves rather than Him.

Why can we not exhibit these Christian qualities unless we are Christ’s children, indwelled by His Spirit? Until we become Christians we are spiritually dead and slaves to sin. We are lost. Of course non Christians are capable of acts of kindness but they are not pleasing to God as the motivation is self oriented. Self control for a Christian includes standing firm for Christ whatever the opposition. Love must involve sharing the Gospel, for how can we truly love someone unless we share the great news of God’s salvation gift? How can a non Christian please God when he has no concept of Jesus?

Jesus offers us a new life. He will help us to do what is right.

Peter describes “the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (verse 4). Many are stumbling along in darkness, trying to find the way, but not possessing the power to rise above the depravity of this world. Lust and selfish ambition dominate this world and until we receive Christ’s forgiveness and the presence of His Holy Spirit we cannot do what is right. Receive the gift of life and freedom from sin that Jesus offers and enter a new life with Jesus at the center. Then you can do what is right, with His help.

If you are a Christian, do not forget that you were cleansed from your sins by Christ(verse 9). Do not turn your back on the power and love that Jesus offers. If you are not showing these Christian virtues in your life (verses 5-7) you are in a dangerous place, turning your back on your Savior, Jesus. All Christians will produce “fruit”. Their lives will show God’s love making a difference. Ask God to have mercy on you. Repent and seek His forgiveness. In this life time, it is never too late to curl up in a humble heap, crying out for God’s mercy and help. How we respond to God now will affect our eternity.

A fruitful life is proof that God is at work in you.

If when you read 2 Peter 1:5-7 you realize that your faith is not effective or fruitful, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Make “your call and election sure” by responding to Christ in obedience and diligence (verse 10). A fruitful life is proof that God’s love and power are actively equipping that person to be an effective Christian. Keep trusting, keep receiving, keep following. You are on the way to Heaven: “…an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:11)

Without Jesus empowering us we cannot please Him. Our self effort alone is hopeless. When we receive the gift of faith, through what Jesus did on the cross , we will be equipped to do what is right. To this  faith we add effort and diligence, but we must never rely on ourselves. God supplies us with the love, power and motivation that we need to please Him. What a relief! When I cry out seeking God’s help, admitting that I cannot control a situation, He will supply me with the knowledge, goodness and patience, self control, love ….(2Peter1:5-7) that I need to do His will. Jesus will encourage me as I run the race that He leads me along: the journey that will bring glory to Himself. Jesus will  lead others to worship Him, as they see how He is impacting our lives! Run the race with enthusiasm and effort but remember that God gives you the power that you need. Do not run alone!

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Self Effort and Divine Power: What does 2 Peter:1 Teach us about being an effective Christian?

Related posts:

1. Peter Was A Fisher of Men- Are You? For many, going fishing is the prospect of a day spent quietly in a peaceful...
2. A baby Christian I have described how Jesus began to change my life when I started as a...
3. A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil? Do we understand that there should be a dramatic difference between someone who is a...

Were we Born Good? Are Children Good Enough to Enter Heaven?

At school,  children may be told that they are good or great, and self esteem, at least in The States, is considered more important than actual achievement. Kids are given trophies for participating in a sport, and sports and after school activities so often dominate life that it is hard to find time to actually teach our children that according to Jesus, they are not good enough. If we are parents, surely we are aware that our children were not born perfect and unless we give in to them at every turn they will remind us of their self centered rights.

Are Adults Good enough to Enter Heaven?

Adults may be better at disguising their imperfections, calling materialism “caring for the family” and manipulative office politics as “healthy ambition”, but we, like our children, fall far short of being good enough to enter Heaven. All of us desperately need a Savior, and His name is Jesus.

We all need Salvation from Eternal Death

Jesus means “the Lord is salvation”. That is what Jesus achieved on the first Good Friday: our salvation from eternal death.  He is the Lord God and He came to the earth as a human to grow up to be punished, receiving the punishment that we all deserve. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote: …”the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Jesus offers us the Gift of Eternal Life

Only God can give us the gift of eternal life that He invites us to receive. Jesus willingly died on the cross in our place. He understood that our sin (being self centered rather than being focused on pleasing God and living for Him) would lead to fatal consequences. Paul explains Jesus’ s amazing sacrifice in Romans 5: 6 : “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We will never deserve God’s love. Even if we are not materialistic and even though we may help old ladies cross the road etc, etc…we can never be good enough to go to Heaven and to live with Jesus forever. Compared to God we are bad and we all desperately need Him. Unless Jesus deals with our bad attitudes and behavior we cannot expect to go to Heaven. If some how we arrived in Heaven with our selfish motives intact, our sin would pollute Heaven. No, we can’t arrive in that perfect place unless God intervenes and dramatically changes us. We need a heart transplant.

How should we respond to Jesus?

If you are a Christian I would like to encourage you to thank Jesus for what He suffered on Good Friday to rescue you from Hell.

If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, I would like to encourage you to consider how much Jesus loves you. Look beyond the cultural lie that persuades us that every type of life style is good, even if it totally contradicts the teaching of Jesus. Take a reality check and realize that even though you try to be good you can never earn your way into Heaven and neither can I.

If you have given up trying: good. Admit that you need Jesus’s help. Tell Him that you are sorry that you have ignored Him for so long and ask Him to forgive you, wash you clean and fill you with His love and power: the Holy Spirit (Himself). Jesus can turn your life around right now, filling you with His love that will enable you to love God and others: giving you a new heart. Don’t miss the opportunity to receive the most important gift.

What will you do with the Gift that Jesus Offers?

Let’s not rely on our goodness to enter Heaven one day. Instead let’s admit that we are by nature bad and we desperately need to depend on the wonderful gift that Jesus secured for us when He demonstrated His goodness,  dying for us on the cross. We need to humbly receive that gift and not assume that we already have it, or to dismiss it as unnecessary. Without the intervention of Jesus, none of us will ever be good enough to go to Heaven. Only He is good enough. Aren’t we privileged to have Jesus as our Savior?

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Are we Good Enough to Enter Heaven?

Related posts:

1. A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil? Do we understand that there should be a dramatic difference between someone who is a...

In the movie, the youngest of the three Pevensie children, Lucy,  has the most faith in Aslan, the lion, who represents Jesus. Aslan waits for the children to seek him and he does not force himself upon them. Lucy’s oldest brother, Peter, is eager to take control and leads the Narnians into battle against the Telmarines. The battle is doomed to disaster as he does not seek Aslan’s help. The rivalry between Peter and Prince Caspian is indicative of lives which are not relating to God or in “Prince Caspian”, lives that are not seeking the help of Aslan. Many of the brave Narnian creatures are killed and the stress is unbearable. In our lives, do we encounter unnecessary stress and difficulty because we do not seek the help of Jesus? Do we argue and compete with those who should be our allies? These problems are consequences of avoiding Jesus’ help, of forgetting that Jesus is king and He wants to help us.

Finally in “Prince Caspian” the children seek Aslan’s help and suddenly, dramatically, the Narnians are successful in battle. The river powerfully washes many of their enemies off the bridge, somewhat like the Red Sea (in the book of Exodus, in the Bible) parting to let the Israelites flee from Egypt, only to move back over the land in time to engulf the Egyptians who were pursuing them.

Do we realize that God offers those who believe in Him “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We have access to God’s wisdom and power through Jesus. As Christians we should not be stumbling in the dark, relying on our limited senses. Rather, we need to reach out to Jesus seeking His help. Paul writes to the Ephesians, commending them for their faith and their love for other Christians. However, Paul is not content for them to stop there. He writes: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”(Ephesians 1:17)

Paul also prays that they would know “God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms….” (Ephesians 1: 19) What greater power could there be than God’s  power that  raised Jesus from the dead? God can dramatically affect the course of our lives. He can change our hearts, heal us, protect us from danger and give us the right words at the right time to change a life.

God wants to shower us with blessings. If we entrust our lives to Jesus we can ask for His wisdom and supernatural power. We have been adopted into His family and God is our Father who is generous with His gifts. Let us not be like Peter in “Prince Caspian” who relies on his own strength for far too long. Instead let’s kneel before the throne of grace seeking God’s power and wisdom. In this challenging year when it is hard to find work we may be reminded that relying on Jesus  is the best way forward. We may never acquire as much money as we would like but God offers us much more than wealth. He offers us great spiritual riches including peace, hope, forgiveness, wisdom, joy, salvation and a warm friendship with God Himself.

To be honest, I am a bit daunted about my role in 2009. I want to spend as much time as possible sharing the good news about God’s greatest gift to us: Jesus. I also need to contribute more financially so that we can pay our bills. I know that Jesus will provide wisdom, direction and power to show Martyn and me what to do and what to avoid. As you seek Him, I believe that He will direct you too, in His perfect way, and as we seek His path for us we will get to know Him better. Nothing could be more valuable than a more intimate walk with God.

May you receive many blessings from Jesus this year.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

“Prince Caspian” Teaches us to rely on God rather than on Ourselves.

No related posts.

Jesus’ family was poor and they could not have imagined the modern “essentials” that we give to one another at Christmas. There would have been no clutter to get in the way. The Roman census had forced the young couple to leave their families in Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem, adding their names to the list. They would have had very little with them.

There was no baby shower, no hospital help, no material comfort. We can be assured that God was there ensuring that His Son entered this world safely. He announced the birth with angels and a radiant star. He sent both shepherds and wise men to worship Jesus. We are also encouraged to worship Him. Our focus should be on the Savior and we should not remember Him briefly at Christmas and then forget.

The wise men gave Jesus valuable gifts: far more significant and costly than Mary and Joseph could have imagined. Do you realize that God wants to give you gifts way more valuable than those that your relatives can buy in the store? God is a “triune” God which means that He is one in three persons. At the first Christmas God the Father stayed in Heaven, as God the Son was born in Bethlehem. Once Jesus returned to Heaven after He died and rose from the dead (to secure the forgiveness and salvation for those who believe in Him) believers were filled with the third person of the Trinity: God the Holy Spirit. They were also given special gifts so that they could effectively help people on earth be blessed by God. These include  the “gifts” of communicating God’s message and the ability to help and to heal others.

Let’s push aside the clutter and the materialism and instead let’s worship Jesus. He alone can give us the gifts we need to be cleansed of our sins, filled with love and to have the capacity to love and to help our world as we share Jesus with them. In the movie “The Grinch who stole Christmas”, the Grinch’s heart trebled in size when he saw an unselfish response to Christmas and he became a good Grinch. When we receive the gift of Jesus’ presence (God the Holy Spirit) in us, our hearts will more than treble: they will burst with love for Jesus and for others.

John’s Gospel explains that Jesus came into the world that He created and most  people failed to recognize Him or to believe in Him. There are exceptions and some people responded and continue to respond to Jesus…”to all who believed Him and accepted him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1: 12-13

If you are willing to walk away from your old sinful life and become a child of God, Jesus will give you a new, clean heart, capable of love that even the reformed Grinch was not capable of. You can be re-born as a child of God with the Holy Spirit(Jesus) in you.

Please receive the best Christmas present that you can receive. By now you may have grown tired (already) of your Christmas presents but Jesus is fulfilling forever.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The Best Christmas Present

Related posts:

1. A ‘Who’ Christmas In the week since I wrote my last post about Christmas, I have noticed that...
2. Christmas: how we Celebrate the Real Meaning of Christmas When we first arrived in The States, I was overwhelmed by the importance given to...
3. A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil? Do we understand that there should be a dramatic difference between someone who is a...

If you have not seen the movie please go, if it is still showing at a movie theater where you live. Bring friends and family. It is ideal for anyone who is 13 and above, although some younger girls might also appreciate it.

The message reminds us that Jesus wants us to offer love rather than passive indifference or resentment. Love is an action and we can’t wait for our husband, child or friend to be pleasant before behaving in a godly manner. If Jesus is our Lord we have His power and His help to love unconditionally. “Fireproof” shows that with Jesus, true love is possible.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when the quality of our relationships are tested, especially when we are worried about finances or job security. Rather than focusing on others’ attitudes to us, let’s offer Jesus’ love without expecting anything back. In Ephesians 4:17-the end of the chapter and Ephesians 5 there are many examples of putting off the old sinful nature and putting on Christ. My challenge to you is to read these verses and apply them. If we are Christians, we are not living as we ought if we hang on to sin. We need to repent of any behavior that is ungodly but typical of our lives. Don’t simply remove it, but replace it with the godly alternative.

Ephesians 4: 21 exhorts: “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life , which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.”

We could develop a forty day challenge for ourselves, covering the period from Thanksgiving until the new year. Each day, I suggest we focus on a behavior that we must stop doing, repent of it and replace it with its godly replacement. The process should be cumulative. We should not forget about Biblical lessons that we have already learned, as we learn new ones. The challenge is to keep all aspects of godly behavior going …………! We can’t do this in our own strength. We must abide in Jesus, receiving the love and the stamina to persevere from the Holy Spirit.

The first challenge is in Ephesians 4:25 is “stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth…” I need to pray about this. When am I withholding truth? When am I agreeing with lies to keep people happy? How can I tell truth in a gentle, loving way? The second challenge is about anger in verses 26-27. I will let you work out what you need to “put off”regarding this and what godly behavior to replace it with.

I believe that as we apply the Bible to our lives, we will be changed. How else can we love our husbands, relatives or friends? We need God’s help but we also need to persevere. The movie “Fireproof” demonstrated changed lives. God encourages us to improve our relationships too. He wants to transform our lives and as we become more like Him, we will be much easier for others to love! We may even find that they change too, especially if they seek Jesus’ help.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Fireproof the Movie and how our Lives can be Changed

Related posts:

1. A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil? Do we understand that there should be a dramatic difference between someone who is a...
2. Lust or love? Lust and love are often confused, to the detriment of many. Teenagers, who start to...
3. “Prince Caspian” Teaches us to rely on God rather than on Ourselves. I rarely watch an entire movie at home as I am usually trying to multi...

Yesterday I taught the Bible to teenagers at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ club at my daughter, Alice’s, middle school. I wanted them to understand the differences between a child of God and a child of the devil. I drew two columns on the white board, one for each type of child. There is a tendency in this culture to either over or under emphasize the devil. The children are usually shocked when I mention him and they are also offended by “hell” considering it to be a bad swear word rather than a real place where many are heading.

The kids wanted me to create a third column for those people who were not Christians but did not intentionally get involved with devil worship or witchcraft. I explained that I could not as the Bible clearly teaches that unless we are rescued out of the kingdom of darkness by Jesus ( Colossians 1:13 ) we are under the power of the evil one and are children of the devil.

I taught from 1 John 3:7-10: “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love his brother does not belong to God.”

This passage does not say that by behaving well we can earn our way into the family of God. Instead it explains that when we become part of God’s family, Jesus enters us and because we are now led by the Holy Spirit, we are changed and we cannot keep sinning routinely (although we will still make mistakes).

How do we become part of God’s family? The teenagers who prepared their testimonies believed that baptism was the clear proof that someone had become a child of God. The Bible explains that baptism is symbolic of a believer passing from death to new life and this is a powerful image. The reality is that some people get baptized and then settle down to a life of sin with the smug assumption that they have done what it takes to go to heaven one day. A baptism must be accompanied by a dramatic spiritual new birth, if it is to be more than a historic ritual. John 1 explains that ..”to all who believed Him and accepted Him, he gave the right to become children of God.” They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan but a birth that comes from God.” God re- creates us when we respond to Him, believing and receiving Him, accepting Him as Lord of our new life and repenting of the messy lives we used to live.

Once we are under the leadership of Christ, rather than (wittingly or unwittingly) under the devil’s authority, we will change, so long as we really are living under the authority of Christ with His Spirit.1 John 2:3 says that ..”we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.” If we refuse to obey Jesus we are not His children. Jesus commands us to love one another in a Christ like way. 1 John 4:17 challenges us to copy Jesus. He showed us real love by giving up His life for us. Similarly, “..we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” This is made even more challenging by the following verse: “Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

We are taught to be like Jesus: “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” If we are Christians we will obey Him and resemble Him, otherwise we are not His children. I John makes this very clear. A very important part of being a Christian is loving God and loving other Christians. Elsewhere we are also told to love our enemies: we are commanded to love everyone, but if Christians fail to love those who are members of the body of Christ, how can we effectively help people who are not part of the Christian family? We know that walking as Jesus did involved meeting all sorts of people, to heal them, to cast out demons, to teach them the truth and to invite them into a relationship with Him. Without Christ’s love we will fail to reach out to those who so desperately need His love.

If we are God’s children are we letting Him lead us, are we obedient, do we give up our lives to help others, are we asking Jesus to fill us with His Holy Spirit? Thankfully Jesus will forgive us and re-instate us as he did with Peter. We are told in 1 John that we will not continue to live a life of sin once we have been dramatically re-created as Christians, as Jesus is in charge of us. I John 1:8-10 encourages us that when we confess our sins Jesus will forgive us and purify us. Sin should be the exception rather than the routine. Let’s make sure that we are truly living as children of God: forgiven, transformed and radiating the love of Jesus in action. We can be full of good intentions but thankfully Jesus did not just profess His love for us but He demonstrated it on the cross. Let’s follow his lead and show others that we are truly God’s children expressing His love, extending His hand of mercy. If you are not yet a child of God, ask Him to rescue you from the kingdom of darkness and receive Him so that He will live in you, dramatically changing your life.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil?

Related posts:

1. The Devil blinds us from seeing the truth. Where I live in Southern California we try to grow grass in almost desert like...
2. Fireproof the Movie and how our Lives can be Changed Have you seen the movie “Fireproof”? I was impressed with the strong message that marriage...
3. Conversion: a Brand New Life in Jesus I am concerned that many people go along to church or check the box on...

In contrast, our local high school offers many opportunities for the kids to celebrate their school and their fellow students. It was only this year that I became aware of the meaning of homecoming in the high school context. A good friend of ours who is a senior was in the homecoming “court” and he asked our son, James, to ask us if we would watch the parade and the football game as he would be making an appearance at both. Typically, James said that we would not be interested, but his friend persisted and spoke to me. It was a real honor to be invited by a teenager to go to something that was important to him, and this invitation provided me with a reason to finally discover what homecoming is.

Martyn and I stood on the corner straining to see the car that Patrick was traveling in.

Homecoming 2008 Prince Patrick

As we waited we watched the band and the high school dance team showing off the skills that had been their focus since entering high school. It was bright and bold and uplifting, as were the floats that were all representations of Alice in Wonderland. I used to teach kindergarten in England and an effective way of keeping four and five your olds creatively busy was to give them tissue paper and glue and the scrunched up colors were an easy way to fill a shape to make a valentine’s card or another small project.

I could not believe that high school kids had the stamina to cover huge areas with little pieces of scrunched up tissue: Alice, a rabbit and playing cards were modestly large but the rest of the float was vast. The kids involved with each project walked behind the float and there were not many of them. Each float was judged and the winner was announced at the homecoming football game that evening. I feel sure that I would have suggested paint as a faster option. School spirit is obviously a strong enough force to get kids working hard for many hours to create something that was attractive but only of temporary value. I wonder what has happened to those floats four days after the parade?

Poway High Homecoming 2008 float

In one respect I admire the enthusiasm, the energy and all the smiling faces. In the England where I grew up, I can’t imagine the same effort or enthusiasm. This simply was not the type of thing that we would do at school. Pranks and dry humor were more likely to motivate us. I am pleased to live in a less cynical time and place yet I wish that there was equal “spirit” in the churches as there is in the homecoming parade or at the homecoming football game. I have visited many churches and real enthusiasm and joy is not generally bubbling over as you enter the church service. It is sad that high school kids can get so excited about a school event, but in many cases avoid church or become disconnected when they go to church. The homecoming kings and queens, the school football heroes and the brightly colored float cannot present as much “spirit” as that which is offered by Jesus.

Those who commit their lives to Jesus are promised the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a weird, ghost but rather he is God himself who lives with us in a spiritual, invisible form. In John 14:23 Jesus says, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my Word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with Him. The “we” and “Our” refers to the Trinity, the triune God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples that they would be better off with the Holy Spirit than actually spending time with Jesus, for the Holy Spirit would be in them rather than just with them. They would only receive the Holy Spirit once Jesus returned to Heaven. Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of Truth” and the “Helper” who will be with his followers forever. Jesus also says that the Holy Spirit will also “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” All of these quotes are from John chapter 14. They are huge reminders to us that Jesus can continue to live in us today, pointing us towards God and helping us understand his Word, the truth. He will only be active in us if we are prepared to yield to Him, to love and obey Him. The Holy Spirit is much more dynamic than school spirit so let’s ask him to turn us around, wake us up and fill us. He will enable us to love our neighbors and to get our priorities right.

Very soon after Jesus returned to Heaven after his triumphant resurrection; the Holy Spirit came and transformed His followers. Dramatically they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they preached with authority, healed the sick and risked death as they urgently told people about the truth and hope offered by Jesus. He also offers us His presence, His truth, His help, His power and His love. Many teenagers seem to have other interests to pursue which contribute to school “spirit”. The homecoming parade would have been nothing if it wasn’t for the band, the dancers and the multiple pieces of colored tissue. Of course much of what we do is fun and is worthwhile, but none of this school spirit or anything else that preoccupies us: our kids, job, house etc can match the eternal love and transformation that Jesus offers. The Holy Spirit brings eternal joy and life that is of real purpose and value. Let’s look beyond the obvious and seek the one who has so much more to offer us; leaving our sin, our egos and our pride behind so that we can worship him with our lives. The church should reflect this devotion and enthusiasm. Let’s ask Jesus to make His home with us, indwelling our beings. As He makes changes in our lives and answers our prayers, let’s tell everyone, with more enthusiasm than the kids who cheer on their homecoming “royalty”, that Jesus is the king of kings.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Homecoming

Related posts:

1. A heavenly homecoming This morning I was asked to deliver a five minute Bible talk at very short...
2. A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil? Do we understand that there should be a dramatic difference between someone who is a...
3. Biblical illiteracy This morning my husband Martyn went to a meeting to discuss how high schools can...