In HiM we live and move and have our being Part 2

Too often the preservation of our traditions, careers, jobs, recreational & religious activities and lifestyles are more important than what God wants for us. As long as we invite His presence into whatever we are doing He will keep us on the Narrow Path. God wants to be a part of every area of our lives. All of God’s Word is true! God does not need us, but  we all certainly  need Him through Eternity. This is why He has given us Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is only with Him can we overcome sin.

Sin separates us from God. When we commit to HIS WORD as we grow spiritually we learn to sin less. As a result we actually begin exercising self-control. It is each individual’s choice to accept Christ Jesus into their heart as Savior and Lord. Just take a look around this world He has made and see the results of “doing your own thing.” Perilous times are now upon us. Notice all the extreme tragedies… Things have gone  much too far. But if you check out God’s Word you will find that there is “nothing new under the sun.” 

God has been quite patient with us. But this never means that He condones any sin. He gave us Christ Jesus to help us from allowing the power of sin to reign within our daily lives. As believers each of us must learn to consistently better exercise self-control. It is part of the Fruit of His Spirit. Diligently seek the “Will and Way” of the Lord above all.

With the Lord there is always hope!

God has created each of us with a plan in mind. He has; “Blessed us in the Heavenly realms with every spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus for He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight…”  Ephesians 1. He disperses His blessings as He sees fit.   In the Lord we can discover everything that we will ever need for life, daily living and eternal life. The problem is we allow life to get in the way. But this does not have to be. God really does have a better way.

We cannot change anything that has happened. But we can always begin anew,  learning  invaluable life lessons that  can help us  become better people. This is true once we really begin to include God in the equation rather than as an afterthought. This does not mean that everything will always be just fine.  Actually just the opposite for the spiritual warfare has heightened. It will be ongoing to the Lord calls us home. Or either until Jesus returns… And quite often it is designed to rock your world. But guess what when you  truly build  or begin to build your foundation on the Lord Jesus Christ you then become grounded and rooted within Him; for He is “The Solid Rock.” 

Things are not always as they appear.  There is much going on in the world and in and around God’s Church as well. Life takes on a deeper meaning when you realize that with Him you have Eternal life.   I always say; “I do not want the Lord to be a stranger when I see Him face to face.”  The Lord will help you make it through ALL the challenges that life presents.  He also brings about some wonderful refreshing times as well. In His time when you love Him, He will “Work all   things together for the GOOD!”

Few really like healthy confrontation. They become evasive and avoid dealing with the problem unless or until they become angry. From a counseling point of view I find it very helpful in resolving issues. It easily squashes gossip. It is healthy to seek to resolve issues readily rather than allow them to ferment. This is also how we become spiritually mature. Quite often over a period of time a lot of garbage gets on the line and the facts become distorted. Know when to clean house.

It is important to always be willing to take responsibility for what you say. Therefore say what you mean and mean what you say. This should never be done in a malicious way. Self control is the better part of valor. It is also part of the Fruit of the Spirit. The intent and motive should always be to improve and enhance the quality of a relationship. It can be quite rewarding when confrontation is handled properly.

Redemptive confrontation is good!

God has given us His Word as a life manual. He loves us so much that He allowed His only begotten Son Jesus to come to earth wrapped in a sinless body of flesh, live a victorious sinless life, suffer & die upon the cross, then raise  Him from the dead  with all power and  overcome sin for us.    Now that’s  ultimate POWER!  He took back the power from the  unseen principalities…  It is because of His great love for us that He made it possible for us to be reconciled back to our Heavenly Father.   WOW!  We no longer  have to live being a slave to sin.  Sin  is what separates us from God.  You never have to be alone;  because  everywhere we  are God is there! 

God’s love makes us stronger.  His Word teaches us “Finally be strong in  The Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggles are not against flesh and blood…”  Ephesians 6. 

We can learn to “overcome evil with GOOD”  But it is your choice? It is time to really start living your life everyday to please God rather than being a slave to sin, or conforming to the ways of this world.   Instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind!  However, we must learn to love God’s way,  humble ourselves, repent whenever necessary  and call upon Him to help us rise above sin that wants to separate us from the Lord. This also why we all need Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord! God has not left us alone to fend for ourselves. Thank You Lord for Your precious Holy Spirit. So get busy and  always remember this;  Through Jesus Christ we have the Victory!

In HiM we live and move and have our being Part 1

“In Him we live and move and have our being”

There is no way getting around God! You can  try to ignore Him. You can choose not to believe in Him. You can have a surface relationship with Him that makes you feel  comfortable?   You can have a weekend relationship with Him and simply   just attend Worship Services every Sabbath Saturday or Sunday and just go right back to living however it is you please all during the week.   But you will not experience his abiding inner peace.  Or, you can make it your goal to draw closer to Him everyday and  really invite Him into the messiness of your life. This is how we can build a strong secure solid  intimate relationship with Him.

God will and can give you His peace that surpasses the understanding of man.  It is your choice!  God does not force Himself into your life. Everywhere you are God is there.  He is The Most High God. He is Omnipresent!

“The GOD who made the world and everything in it is The LORD of Heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And He is not served by human hands,  as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all  men life and breath and everything else.  From  one man He made very nation of men, that they should inhabit  the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and  the exact places where they should live.  God did this so  that men would seek Him and perhaps  reach out to Him and find Him though  He is not far from each one of us ‘For in HIM we live and move and have our being.’ As some  of your own poets  have said. ‘We are His offspring.”  Acts 17

Christianity is meant to be an ever growing daily life long lifestyle! It means that we are supposed to learn, embrace and implement the principles of His Word within our lives  everyday.  Remember HiM = Him in me!

“God is Love!” God is eternal and  so is His Love.  He created us so we could learn how to love, grow spiritually,  enjoy life  His way and extend His love that begins to  flow through us  naturally when we are connected to Him. His love draws others to us.  With love comes much responsibility this is why we must learn to become disciplined.  There is much deception about us due to spiritual warfare. It is important to know that you cannot fool GOD.  Not everyone understands what true love really is.

“GOD IS LOVE!” True love does not manipulate!  God’s love is patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record  of wrongs.  His love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth.  (See  Corinthians 13)

God’s love does not suffocate. Nor does it make you comfortable in sin. It protects not out of insecurity but out of concern. Sin is anything that separates you from God.  It was Moses’ Mother who loved him enough to allow him to float down the Nile River in “an ark of bulrushes” to safety. The King of Egypt had given an order for the Hebrew babies to be killed. This is one of many examples of the power of God’s protection. Moses is known as one of the greatest Biblical leaders. He spent many years encouraging the children of Israel to live lives pleasing to God.  For more details See Exodus 2. Take some time to learn more about God’s love in His Word.

Society gets confused between love and lust.  God’s Love is Eternal. There is a worldly love that mimics His love. It is selfish not sincere. This is what I call “intoxicating affections.”  It is important to be able to distinguish between the two.  One should pray for spiritual discernment.

God created us in His image for a purpose.  It is God’s desire for us to continuously build an ever increasing up close and personal growing relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.  During our fellowship and personal devotion time with Him we are being transformed.  God has placed a void in all of us that only He can fill. The more we become like  Him we learn how to  better properly love.  God’s love is eternal.  God’s spiritual gifts begin to grow and multiply within our lives as we stay connected to Him who is the ultimate source of love.

 

Know that God is totally aware of; where each one of us are or where we are not.  He knows our strengths and weaknesses. As we grow in His Grace and the knowledge of Him our weaknesses diminish as we wholeheartedly embrace and apply the Truth of His Word within our daily  lives. He gives us the power to over come them.  He continuously shapes and mold us in His image as we embrace and apply His Word to our lives.

 

God has given each one of us an inborn unique  natural temperament.  He did not create us to be like anyone else. He extends His grace and love to us daily. He wants us to have better home lives, better marriages, relationships and better families.

 

He even wants you to have better lives if you are single. He wants all of us to have better relationships with one another as the family of God. He does not want us to conform to the ways of this word. Nor does He want us to compromise HIS principles. Many of the ways of the world have nested themselves within the midst of God’s Church. He wants us to have better  healthier worship services, work, school, play  and recreational environments as well. God did not create us to become puppets. He wants us to become whole!  Becoming whole means to be complete in Him. God wants what is best for us in every area of our lives. But all too often He is left out of the equation when deciding what we want and what really is best for us.

Part 2