JUST A POOR OLD SINNER

Recently I was a witness to a conversation that started over  President Obama coming out in favor of same sex marriage. However, what I am about to blog has nothing to do with that conflict people have but with a statement one of the participants made regarding sin.  They stated adamantly in the debate that we are all sinners.

I don't know this person so maybe they were speaking for themselves, but I have never found any indication in Gods word about we as Believers being sinners. As a matter of fact this statement is in contradiction to what the bible actually says about us as believers. The bible says we are ambassadors of Christ, his representatives on earth. How can a sinner represent a holy, sinless God that cannot even look on sin. We are citizens of heaven,  Through the Blood we have been made the righteousness of God through Christ, The one who was without sin was made sin for us. He took our sins and made us Righteous (in right standing with God). So if we are sinners He really did not take our sin and we are not righteous. We are not citizens of heaven, or ambassadors of Christ. So where does that leave us.

John says in his 1st epistle that we do sin but if we confess He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. He later goes on to say that whoever abides in Him does not sin. What he is saying is that even though we sin we are not sinners because that sin cannot live in us since Holy Spirit lives in us and the 2 cannot live together. As believers we are not characterized by sin.  It is not natural to the believer. When we do commit a sin Holy Spirit, that lives in us, convicts us of that sin, we repent and He is faithful to forgive us. Children of God cannot sin without the Spirits conviction. Living constantly, I believe, in sin goes against the claim of having a relationship with God through Christ.
If we are to conclude that we are sinners, then how can we be holy, when in Hebrews 12:14 Paul says pursue holiness, without which no one will see The Lord.
Eat the Bread, Drink the Wine.  How He loves Us!!

Turn Back

I haven't posted on this blog for over two years now because I got busy doing other things and I just never got back into it. My zeal for the things of God wanned and I did not have  the enthusiasim for continuing because I let other things take the place of my time with God, I think the Bible calls that Idolatry. That's a pretty strong word for too much television, computer (surfing, news, sports, social networks) music, reading  and too little of the things of the spirit, Huh? Well I think that is exactly what it is. It is not that these things are bad,  in themselves unless we indulge too much in the world and our hearts turn from the precepts of the One True God. When we do this we are turned away and our hearts become cold toward Him.  But if we turn to Him, Spend time with Him in His word, prayer, fellowship and meditation our relationship will strenghten and we will become more like Him. As we can see in the scripture below not only will our relationship grow and blossom but these things will be planted in our children and all of our descendents.

Isaiah 59: 21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.



In reading this scripture we need to also understand that other things can be passed to other generations. Have you ever heard like father like son, or like mother like daughter. We have to be careful what we are passing along the future generations. It it an obsessive love of sports, hunting, fishing, shopping, boating, traveling' Please don't missunderstand these things are not bad in themselves but If we are going to be fanatic about anything lets make it the love of God, the Grace of Jesus Christ and Fellowshiping with the Holy Spirit. OH HOW HE LOVES US!!!

On the Scene

Have you ever known someone that just lit the room up when they entered, they came on the scene and an ordinary occurence turned into maybe something maybe a little extraordinary? That's the way Jesus is. When He comes on the scene extraordinary happens. Jesus came to Peter's house, his mother was sick Jesus touched her and she got up and served them. He was on the scene and that evening many came to Him and were healed. He got into a boat along with His disciples and as they went across the lakea storm came up. They came to Him and woke Him up, He got up rebuked the winds and sea and it was calm. Then He came to the other side He met two men demon possessed and He cast them out of the men. He then crossed over to Capernaum His own city where a paralytic was brought to Him ,"Be of good cheer" Jesus told him, "your sins are forgiven, arise take up your bed and walk" and he got up and walked.
When Jesus comes, when He is on the scene, something is going to shake, something extraordinary is going to happen.
At that time, In His physical body he came on the scene physically and could only be at one place at a time. But now because He went away and left us the Comforter and Counselor the Holy Spirit, He is present with us and in us, Always available to us. He is on the scene. That in itself is THE extraordinary thing about Him, He came to this earth to give us life abundant and He never leaves us or forsakes us. John Wesley the great revivalist of the 18th century, uttered, on his death bed these last words. "above all He is with Me".
Jesus did, however, come to one place where He could not perform miracles and that was His hometown of Nazareth. They were familiar with Him. Say isn't that the son of Joseph the carpenter. Are you too familiar with Him? Maybe you have been exposed to Him and you just take Him for granted, He's that man in the Bible that you have heard about all of your life. I know Him we learned about Him in sunday school. Just familiar! He did those things then but he doesn't really do them now. If you will to Matthew and read about all of these things mentioned above you will see one common factor in the people that were healed or delivered. They believed! It was done according to their faith.
How about you, He has come and is on the scene are you just too familiar with Him or not at all. Do you take him for granted or just not concerned? Do you know Him or just know of Him?

IF YOU KNOW HIM PRESS IN AND PRESS ON
IF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM YOU CAN

Rescue Me and Take Me in Your Arms

Ever heard that expression "get real"? I think about that sometimes in my relationship to Christ Jesus. Am I being real? I know when I was first saved I thought I could kinda straddle the fence live a little in the world and a little in the church, after all I had witnessed this with some people that I knew in the church. In the pew on Sunday dressed in their "Sunday go to meeting clothes", doing all of the right things, or so it seemed, singing in the choir, serving in the government of the church. Well, I tried this double life but I was miserable, more so than before I had given my life to Him, and finally came to the conclusion that I needed to get real if I wanted things to change in my life. At that point things began to turn around; I let go of the world and began my quest for that relationship with the creator of the universe through His Son and by the fellowship of His Holy Spirit. I let go of a lot of things that I held very dear, including friendships; because I wasn't strong enough spiritually to withstand living in the same environment among the old influences.
I guess what has brought this to my mind are certain things that I have seen and experienced. I have just gone to work in a environment that I haven't been in in years. I see myself in the way I was in the past and how easy it would be to fall back into some of the old ways if it weren't for the strength God gives me through His Spirit that lives in me. He gives me strength to carry on.

I say all of this to ask "what is your story"; are you going through the motions, church on Sunday and Wednesday and living straddled across the fence the rest of the time just so you will be accepted by those around you? There are probably some things that you will need to let go of, but you will find when it all comes down to it, as Paul says you will count it all joy. Don't let acceptance by world keep you from a "real" relationship with Jesus Christ. You can begin that relationship by just inviting Him to help you. Ask Him to search you heart and know your thoughts and to change the wicked ways that you have and he will lead you in the right path. GET REAL!!

21 So I've discovered this truth: Evil is present with me even when I want to do what God's standards say is good. 22 I take pleasure in God's standards in my inner being. 23 However, I see a different standard {at work} throughout my body. It is at war with the standards my mind sets and tries to take me captive to sin's standards which still exist throughout my body. 24 What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body? 25 I thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ rescues me! So I am obedient to God's standards with my mind, but I am obedient to sin's standards with my corrupt nature.

Romans 7:21-25 (GW)

IF YOU KNOW HIM PRESS IN AND PRESS ON
IF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM YOU CAN

For You

As we prepare for Good Friday and Easter we should all be reminded of the Love the Father has for us in that he sent His only son to suffer and die on the Cross for our sins but for all that he wants for us. I have attached a clip from "The Passion of the Christ" and in doing this I am being brief because I could not express what you will see and I hope, feel in your heart the passion that He has for you. I want to say a lot but the spirit quenches me. Here is what the prophet Isaiah says in Chapter 53. Please watch the video and meditate on the scripture.

Chapter 53

1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord's power been revealed? 2 He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything. 4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him. 5 He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.
6 We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the Lord has laid all our sins on him. 7 He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth.
8 He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people's rebellion. 9 He was placed in a tomb with the wicked. He was put there with the rich when he died, although he had done nothing violent and had never spoken a lie.
10 Yet, it was the Lord's will to crush him with suffering. When the Lord has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, he will see his descendants for many days. The will of the Lord will succeed through him. 11 He will see and be satisfied because of his suffering. My righteous servant will acquit many people because of what he has learned {through suffering}. He will carry their sins as a burden.
12 So I will give him a share among the mighty, and he will divide the prize with the strong, because he poured out his life in death and he was counted with sinners. He carried the sins of many. He intercedes for those who are rebellious.

Isaiah 53:1-12 (GW)

All of this because He loves you.
If you know Him Worship Him and press on.
If you have wandered away come back.

If you don't know Him you can. He will take you Just as you are warts and all. Ask Him for forgiveness and invite Him to be your saviour. He will come in and change you into His image.

Press On

For the past two weeks it seems that in every direction I turn I am reminded of the scripture that says " in this world there will be tribulations". I know as you do that this is true but the next part of the scripture says "but do not fear I have overcome the world". This part of the scripture seems to be a whole lot harder to grab hold of than the first. We know there is tribulation but then we tend to ask the question Where is God? He is as close as we want Him to be. Have you ever been or are you now in a situation where you are wallowing in the mire of fear, anger, or self pity. When we get in that place it seems that is all we think about and talk about. Those things become magnified beat us down and they become so big that we are consumed. Every ounce of energy that we have is taken from us and the longer we roll around in it the more mud we get on us the harder it is for us to get out of it. There are people reading this that know exactly what I am talking about. You have gotten so deep in the muck and mire that you don't see any way out. Some want out and some choose to just stay in it and wallow around.
Just as we magnify or make large those things we can do the same with God. The Bible says magnify the Lord. If we begin to learn to take those negative thoughts captive as the scripture says we can, all of this old mire will begin to dry up and drop off. Through meditating on God's promises and making them a part of our lives the old things will begin to fall away and God will grow bigger in our eyes. If we continue in Jesus the Christ, trust Him and press through we will see the other side. He will bring us out of the tribulations and trials we are going through.
The thoughts of anger, self pity, fear, and worry will be overcome by His promises.

6 I called on the Lord in my distress. I cried to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and quaked. Even the foundations of the mountains trembled. They shook violently because he was angry. 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and a raging fire came out of his mouth. Glowing coals flared up from it. 9 He spread apart the heavens and came down with a dark cloud under his feet. 10 He rode on one of the angels as he flew, and he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made the darkness his hiding place, the dark rain clouds his covering. 12 Out of the brightness in front of him, those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning. 13 The Lord thundered in the heavens.The Most High made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.14 He shot his arrows and scattered them.He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion. 15 Then the ocean floor could be seen.The foundations of the earth were laid bare at your stern warning, O Lord,at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.He pulled me out of the raging water.

Psalms 18:6-16 (GW)

Do the raging waters surround you? Call on Him.

If you don't know Him personally you can.
If you know Him Press On and Press In