April 23, 2015

The Holy Spirit is still active!!

Natural maturity and Spiritual maturity have some striking parallels. As our kids grow up, we expect them to develop maturity by being responsible for themselves in certain areas of life. Natural maturity involves working and sacrificing of self to benefit others. Natural maturity recognizes the difference between a type of freedom that says, "I'll do what I please" and a true liberty that allows me some latitude in choices. We demonstrate our responsibility by being aware of, and sensitive to the needs of others when we make those choices where we have liberty. Maturity means operating as a team player, even if you're the captain or coach of that team. Maturity means recognizing that we have a purpose greater than ourselves--greater than our own self-indulgence or self-enrichment.

Responsibility means being accountable when we violate boundaries, or get careless even within the boundaries. There is too much of the church today that sees itself in the light of a "grace covenant" that does not require change or maturing or becoming more responsible. That part of what claims to be Christianity has no true authority because it refuses to come under any authority.

April 17, 2015

The question of "Why evil??"

We all are aware of 'ordinary' people who are made victims by wicked people. Muslims throwing Christians off a boat to drown in the Mediterranean; a confused soccer mom shot by DC police for being in the wrong place; crazy people destroying family members or their possessions; and the list goes on. You've read and seen the news, and you may be aware of things that someone you know has seen. Part of the reason evil flourishes is because it intimidates the righteous with threats. We are at a point where government, at every level, seeks to intimidate the righteous, because it seeks an ever increasing amount of power and wealth. If someone declares the truth about the evil being promoted,
they will be fired, intimidated, audited, lied about in the media, have their bank accounts seized, or be killed by law enforcement personnel.

Keep living a righteous life. Keep proclaiming truth and God's Word in the face of evil. God is your refuge and strength. He will justify you before your enemies--even if it is only at the Judgement.

April 15, 2015

Just as surely as there is a real God, there is a real devil. he is going into 'overdrive' because he senses that his time is short. Fellow believer, he will do anything to disrupt whatever peace is inside you, whatever unity you have with others, whatever stability exists in government, business and finance. Stand your ground. Continue to believe God. Listen for what He wants to say to you. Obey with whatever power and strength God's Spirit imparts to you. Don't lose your peace.

April 14, 2015 (Post #2)

It has occurred to me that we, as a nation, have gone through a character change--and not one for the better. It's not everyone, but it is the predominant theme among so many, especially the most vocal. We have become prideful, scorning any mention of God, or of our need for Him. We have proclaimed our own self-sufficiency and we have assumed an attitude of entitlement.

God have mercy on us.

Pride goes before destruction. But repentance is the changing of the mind--the turning around....if My people will humble themselves....and pray.

April 14, 2015

Because [in part] we have grown up in a Western culture, with our roots in Athens and Rome (ancient), we tend to default to a concept of our relationship with God as being positional and/or intellectual. This is a hallmark of denominations--it's how they denominate themselves from each other {"We believe x, but they believe y--we're superior."}.

God's desire has always been for a relationship that is personal, intimate, trusting, open. In spite of our Western misinterpreting of the word "believe", none of us goes to heaven because of what we think is eternally true. We get to live forever with God by abandoning our own "theology" and surrendering to the person of God Himself. That's why Jesus said we had to be born again. Something in the realm of 'spirit' must take place. The Lamb was slain for each of us and for all of us. But that sacrifice, and the resurrection that confirmed it is something each person must personally embrace. We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We prove our faith is real by a personal obedience to His voice--His prompting us on the inside. Anything that seeks to "fix" you by focusing on 'form' and starting at the outside and working inward is from the pit.

April 13, 2015

We must always pursue character as opposed appearance, substance as opposed to form.

What has largely been lost is the pattern of mentor-apprentice, master-disciple. It is in this relationship that there is an imparting of spirit and understanding and skills-material and human. There has been a decades-long push to obliterate this pattern, substituting education or money or selfish relationships to reach or be placed into positions of power. It is, in a sense, the Peter Principle applied in such a way as to circumvent rightful, God-ordained authority. We see this in business where owners and managers don't really understand the complexities of operating a business--they're too busy accumulating profits for themselves. We see this in government wherever people in power use that power only to enhance their positions, not to do what is right by the constitution or the people they are supposed to serve.

Jesus said that we were to make disciples, not theologians or bishops or even students.

April 10, 2015

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  (Mark 2:17)

The mental picture that arose this morning was that of people, their bodies riddled with cancer, walking through a hospital not understanding why they were there. We ALL have a cancer called s i n that is slowly, but surely, killing us. How many of us--how many among those we know-- cannot bring themselves to acknowledge their problem, much less seek help for it.

While Jesus died and rose to kill that cancer once and for all, it seems to keep resurrecting daily in each of us. That's why there must be a daily cleansing by HIM by the power of HIS blood to keep that cancer from getting another foothold in us. The blood will never lose its power. But it cannot help us if we refuse to admit our need for it.