ISDAMan
04-08-00, 12:47 AM
Welcome back Brothers and Sisters. I don’t know about you but I can tell you that I have quite a week. I know that I have been wrestling with God and man on issues as of late. I truly am glad to have this time to reflect. I’d just like to say, now, that, no matter what, stand your ground for God. Sometimes the trials you face will seem to surprise you straight out of the very things you thought would be victories. Sometimes winning is the burden itself. Please, of all things that you do in hard times, make sure that you cling to God. I know, myself, that I am a man that will tend to withdraw to myself when I am hurt. That’s not the right way. I know that it can seem that there is no one out there that you can trust or share your intimate inner self with. I know what it is like to have everyone against you or just seem to be. Still, cling to God. If there is no one else that you can trust, you can trust Him. He will not betray you. In fact, you betray Him in not trusting Him with your victories, troubles, wants, and needs. He Loves us so very much and like any good parent, He wants to give us all the best and more! He can’t do that if we turn in on ourselves. He may not take the burden away all the time. He’ll always help to see you through it though. Please trust Him. I know that this is one of my biggest problems. My display of trust for Him needs real growth!!! I can see how He is working on me with that now. I just thought I’d pass this little tidbit along. I may be of use though I’m not really sure how this will fit into this FNS.
<< Read Verse 1 >>
Know this! For the very fact that we are aware of the mercy that God has bestowed upon us, because it is that we know the vile sinners that we were and now are aware of the work of God, by Jesus and with the Holy Spirit, to free us to His righteousness, it is certainly reasonable for us to give that which was lost to us and we, now, do have. What had you when you were lost and on your way to Hell? Nothing!!! You now have an inheritance in Heaven in part with Christ. Is there any reason why you should not dedicate all that you are to the service of the Lord right now?!?!?! Is there any reason why you should be so earnestly seeking your own self-gratification? Don’t think that you are do you? How much time do you spend watching the boob tube? Oh, I know. You need to see the local news. Yeah right. Do you know the local news in your own neighborhood? Do you know about the wife that was just beaten ten minutes ago? Who’s going to be on her side to help her? Do you know about the boy that just twisted his ankle? Whose arm will he lean on? Do you know about the local drunk that’s going to pass out drunk in a alley tonight, as is usual, only this time, he won’t weak up? Who will preach the Gospel to him before it’s too late? What’s your excuse for not knowing the needs in your own neighborhood? What use is the local news on t.v.? I’ll tell you that it’s little at best. Why invest in something with such time and effort when it yields little to no prosperous dividends in your life? Who is really being served when you watch the local news? I think that it is self!!! Needless to say, I could give many examples. The fact is; we need to examine where our hearts are in our deeds. We need to do right and for the right reasons. We need to desire to give it all to God because it was never ours in the first place. To us, it was all lost. It was dead weight dragging us into Hell. God has taken what was rotten and made it ripe. Will you allow God’s good fruit in you spoil? Let God choose how He will use you in His own way! It’s o.k. if you are scared or even a bit depressed. Trust God and He will care for you. Remember what He has already done in you in just saving you from the clutches of sin. Whatever He asks now is minor leagues compared to that great task. Do what He asks of you. Trust me. It really is the least that you can do. If you want to do the most, Love Him with all of your heart and your neighbor as yourself.
<< Read Verse 2 >>
Now, this is so very important. Be careful what you let influence you. Your mind, also speaking of your heart, is heavily shaped by the things you choose to put into it. Your choice of what to put into it comes from your spirit and your flesh. Be aware of where you sinful bent turns. If you take in the evil of the news every day, what do you expect the outcome to be? Do you think that it has no effect on you? Really?!?!?! Do you pray for those people you hear about in the morning traffic report that have had car wrecks? Perhaps you just pray that the traffic is cleared up by the time you get to that area. Maybe you only thank God when they say that traffic is smooth where you’re going. That doesn’t sound like a caring heart to me. Your thoughts and your lusts do not define who you are any longer. Why should you live like they do? If you are consistently angry, lustful, prideful, depressed, slothful, disrespectful, or so many other things, that is a clear sign that you are not focusing in upon the God that saved you. Your mind is somewhere else. You have lost your perspective in the relationship between you and God. If you wonder why your walk with God is so choppy, try smoothing out the bumps by fixing the potholes in your mind. Be filled with the Spirit of God in that you take your Great Joy from serving Him and wanting to serve Him as well as grow in a relationship with Him where in you get to know Him better.
<< Read Verses 3-21 >>
This is more relational stuff here. How we se ourselves in relation to God will determine how we will see ourselves in relation to other Christians and sinners. I think that it’s interesting to note that the more that Paul realized about God’s glory, the less he thought of himself. Now, look at you own life. How has the realization of God’s work in you affected you. Do you see yourself as being better than others? No? Are you sure about that? Have you said or thought, ”At least I’m not like that guy.” Or how about, “At least I’ve never done XYZ.” What about, “I don’t understand how people can XYZ.” I know I got us all in there somewhere. We have this tendency to act as if we are somehow so far apart from sin that we have no capacity for what we see in others. We are the same! It is God that makes the difference in us. Those that sin against us are in one of two categories. There are the Saved that have committed a sin and the sinner that knows no better but to sin. Both are in need of God’s truth most of all. I know that it can be tough to deal with people that sin against you and even wore ones that do it on a regular basis. Never the less, we have a directive to Love them and share the Gospel and serve them even as Jesus served us!!! What part of that don’t we understand. I’ll tell you. We have a personal problem with the part that says that we don’t get to be there to see justice handed out. We don’t like feeling like someone has gotten over on us. Is it not the same God that causes it to rain on the just and the unjust alike? Who is in control here. Is it you or God? Did He say love your friends and step on those that hate you? I think not!!! How much suffering are you willing to take to see a lost soul come to Christ? I don’t care if you were right and they were wrong! How much suffering do you think that Christ would have taken? Who do you want to be like,… Man or Christ?
Search Your Heart,
ISDAMan
<< Read Verse 1 >>
Know this! For the very fact that we are aware of the mercy that God has bestowed upon us, because it is that we know the vile sinners that we were and now are aware of the work of God, by Jesus and with the Holy Spirit, to free us to His righteousness, it is certainly reasonable for us to give that which was lost to us and we, now, do have. What had you when you were lost and on your way to Hell? Nothing!!! You now have an inheritance in Heaven in part with Christ. Is there any reason why you should not dedicate all that you are to the service of the Lord right now?!?!?! Is there any reason why you should be so earnestly seeking your own self-gratification? Don’t think that you are do you? How much time do you spend watching the boob tube? Oh, I know. You need to see the local news. Yeah right. Do you know the local news in your own neighborhood? Do you know about the wife that was just beaten ten minutes ago? Who’s going to be on her side to help her? Do you know about the boy that just twisted his ankle? Whose arm will he lean on? Do you know about the local drunk that’s going to pass out drunk in a alley tonight, as is usual, only this time, he won’t weak up? Who will preach the Gospel to him before it’s too late? What’s your excuse for not knowing the needs in your own neighborhood? What use is the local news on t.v.? I’ll tell you that it’s little at best. Why invest in something with such time and effort when it yields little to no prosperous dividends in your life? Who is really being served when you watch the local news? I think that it is self!!! Needless to say, I could give many examples. The fact is; we need to examine where our hearts are in our deeds. We need to do right and for the right reasons. We need to desire to give it all to God because it was never ours in the first place. To us, it was all lost. It was dead weight dragging us into Hell. God has taken what was rotten and made it ripe. Will you allow God’s good fruit in you spoil? Let God choose how He will use you in His own way! It’s o.k. if you are scared or even a bit depressed. Trust God and He will care for you. Remember what He has already done in you in just saving you from the clutches of sin. Whatever He asks now is minor leagues compared to that great task. Do what He asks of you. Trust me. It really is the least that you can do. If you want to do the most, Love Him with all of your heart and your neighbor as yourself.
<< Read Verse 2 >>
Now, this is so very important. Be careful what you let influence you. Your mind, also speaking of your heart, is heavily shaped by the things you choose to put into it. Your choice of what to put into it comes from your spirit and your flesh. Be aware of where you sinful bent turns. If you take in the evil of the news every day, what do you expect the outcome to be? Do you think that it has no effect on you? Really?!?!?! Do you pray for those people you hear about in the morning traffic report that have had car wrecks? Perhaps you just pray that the traffic is cleared up by the time you get to that area. Maybe you only thank God when they say that traffic is smooth where you’re going. That doesn’t sound like a caring heart to me. Your thoughts and your lusts do not define who you are any longer. Why should you live like they do? If you are consistently angry, lustful, prideful, depressed, slothful, disrespectful, or so many other things, that is a clear sign that you are not focusing in upon the God that saved you. Your mind is somewhere else. You have lost your perspective in the relationship between you and God. If you wonder why your walk with God is so choppy, try smoothing out the bumps by fixing the potholes in your mind. Be filled with the Spirit of God in that you take your Great Joy from serving Him and wanting to serve Him as well as grow in a relationship with Him where in you get to know Him better.
<< Read Verses 3-21 >>
This is more relational stuff here. How we se ourselves in relation to God will determine how we will see ourselves in relation to other Christians and sinners. I think that it’s interesting to note that the more that Paul realized about God’s glory, the less he thought of himself. Now, look at you own life. How has the realization of God’s work in you affected you. Do you see yourself as being better than others? No? Are you sure about that? Have you said or thought, ”At least I’m not like that guy.” Or how about, “At least I’ve never done XYZ.” What about, “I don’t understand how people can XYZ.” I know I got us all in there somewhere. We have this tendency to act as if we are somehow so far apart from sin that we have no capacity for what we see in others. We are the same! It is God that makes the difference in us. Those that sin against us are in one of two categories. There are the Saved that have committed a sin and the sinner that knows no better but to sin. Both are in need of God’s truth most of all. I know that it can be tough to deal with people that sin against you and even wore ones that do it on a regular basis. Never the less, we have a directive to Love them and share the Gospel and serve them even as Jesus served us!!! What part of that don’t we understand. I’ll tell you. We have a personal problem with the part that says that we don’t get to be there to see justice handed out. We don’t like feeling like someone has gotten over on us. Is it not the same God that causes it to rain on the just and the unjust alike? Who is in control here. Is it you or God? Did He say love your friends and step on those that hate you? I think not!!! How much suffering are you willing to take to see a lost soul come to Christ? I don’t care if you were right and they were wrong! How much suffering do you think that Christ would have taken? Who do you want to be like,… Man or Christ?
Search Your Heart,
ISDAMan