It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Archive for October, 2023

Success For a Christ Follower is to Look Like Christ. – repost

The world has taken on the definition of success as the attainment of wealth, position or honor, but followers of Christ must define success differently. Christ followers define their success as the achievement or attainment of one who is Christ like in their various endeavors, performances or just in their daily lives. When we live life like Christ and when we follow in His footsteps, then we will have obtained success in the eyes of God and His kingdom.

To be a follower of Christ or to be Christ like, we must change our view of what Christianity is. The word Christian was given to the early followers of Christ by the world who were nonbelievers. This was because the Christ follower behavior was so different from the world’s way, they actually saw them behaved and walked like Christ.

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. NKJ

The world was living a life in fear of lack, in scarcity and in self-focus, while the followers of Christ were giving out of their poverty, sharing their resources and loving those that were unlike themselves. Christ is the One who gave Himself for others, the One who became poor that others may be rich, the One who died that others might have life and the One who forgave and loved those that abused and reviled Him.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. NKJ

1 John2:2 And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone. GNT

1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. NIV

Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. NKJ

Successful followers of Christ are defined as the ones who live their lives like Christ. It has been said if you want to find Christ, go low. He was born in a stall not a palace, He lived as a servant and not as a Pharisee, He washed the feet of His friends and even the one who would betray Him. If we want to be first in the kingdom of God, then we are to be last in the eyes of the world. If we want to be chief among the people in the kingdom of God, then we are to be a servant to the people. If we want to be exalted by God live simply in humility, respectfully toward all people, regardless of the origin or status because all humanity are image bearers of God.

John 13:5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. NKJ

Mark 9:3 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” NKJ

1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, NKJ

The name Christian is a label the world gave to the followers of Christ in the early church but now the world has used this label to skew, twist or change the image of how the followers of Christ are viewed. Many people label themselves as Christians but choose to live like the world. They are self-centered, in fear of losing what they have, in fear of lack, or of not having enough, and their only concern is themselves, while refusing to help or assist others.

God has called us children born into the family of God, The Almighty God, El Shaddai, the Inexhaustible One who pours out and whose source is unlimited, boundless and everlasting. God gave us a position not a label. We are children of the Most-High King and we are in His family and we are to look like our Father. Though labels may change but God as our Father and us being born into His family will not change. Just as children in the natural take some resemblance or likeness of their parents, so do we as we grow more knowledgeable through the Spirit, into the image of Christ the Son of God.

Ephesian 2:19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.NKJ

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. NIV

Like the early church, our lives should so reflect the life of Christ that the world would notice a lifestyle different than their own. We as Christ followers should live from a place of grace and forgiveness, because the God we serve gives grace to us, therefore we give grace and forgiveness to others. We serve The Almighty God who is limitless and lives in abundance. He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ and not according to our self-importance or works. Therefore, we can give without fear of lack, we can love because He first loved us.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. NKJ

We can be generous because the God we serve is Yahweh “I am that I am,” He is Elohim the God who creates. Whatever the need, Yahweh is the fulfillment of that need, be it peace, joy, healing, protection, provision, The Great “I Am” is that, and all we will ever need.

Followers of Christ are most successful when they operate in love, humility and grace that Christ displayed while on earth and because our goal is to love God with all that we are and to love and serve others as Christ loved us. Christ followers’ success is not measured by the world’s standards of wealth, position or honor. We are to look like Christ, to operate in meekness and not be prideful; in gracious generous giving and not mean, tightfisted or grudgingly giving. Followers of Christ are to live in kindness, having compassion, sympathy and charity to all, even those who misuse and revile us.

Acts 2:44-47 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. NKJ

People of the world become mean and lack generosity because they operate in fear of never having enough and refusing to share. They will not give to the needs of others because they are afraid in the end there might not be enough for themselves.

Followers of Christ operate out of kindness, generosity and humility, because we know God is our endless, vast and everlasting source. We know we can rely on God, Yahweh, El Shaddai, the One who pours out of His abundance and we do not have to rely just on our limited resource, our job or our earthly means.

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

Our Problem Is Not Sin, but It Is Our Belief or Unbelief!

Sin entered into the world through unbelief in the truth of God’s word. The eating of the fruit was only the action which displayed mankind’s distrust and unbelief of God’s word. God told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because the day they did they would surely die. Satan came and questioned God’s word and God’s intentions to do well by them, Satan created doubt in their minds. Satan told Eve they would not die and he told them that God knew thatthey would become like Him, knowing good and evil. Instead of believing God, they believed Satan and obeyed him, and thereby sin enter into the world. 

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:4-7 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.   For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. NKJ

Temptation rarely comes from a place of getting us to do a bad thing, but it is usually a temptation to do a good thing by some illegitimate or dishonest way. Satan tries to trick mankind into doing something good in a forbidden way, to give a short cut, so that they do not follow all the rules, to get there quicker, but in being disobedient to God.  

Adam and Eve were tempted with becoming like God, knowing good from evil. But the overarching question was, who were they going to trust, believe and obey?   Our actions will expose and exhibit our allegiances and will show who we really trust in and whose word we really believe. Though we may say with our words we believe God and His plans to help, bless and protect us but our actions will show where our trust truly lies.

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? NKJ

God had given mankind dominion over all the earth and gave them only one command, to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because it would kill them and they would surely die. They died that day, because their spirit was separated from their bodies, which became death to their relationship with God. Though their body and soul still were alive, their spiritdied and their relationship with God also died that day.  The man God created die that day, he was no longer in the completed likeness of God, the glory of God’s Holy Spirit was separated from mankind. Their innocence turned to shame and fear, their unity and oneness turned into accusations and blame. They were no longer full of the light of God’s goodness but now there was darkness and evil in the life of humanity. Which was unlike the man God created and placed in the garden.

Genesis 3:9-13  Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” NKJ

The day mankind ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the God like man that God created died and they became knowledgeable of how to do evil. The perfect man created in God’s likeness was dead but the image of God was still upon mankind, though Satan tricked them out of their total holiness and completeness that was like God. 

The light of their glorious glory left them and they became full of fear, caring only about themselves while blaming others for their actions, their problems and for whatever was wrong with them. This has become the bedrock of mankind’s relationshipwith one another without Christ. 

When people listened to the constant lies of Satan, he nourished them with lies and a mistrust of God.   The enemy feeds their souls a steady diet of lies and deception until their actions, lines up with their thoughts of what they have been fed and becomedisobedient to God and His word. Whatever we allow our mind to continue to feed upon will eventually produce after its own kind, in our words, our character, our actions and our life. That is why we are told to change the way we think, to renew our minds in the word of God.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJ

Obeying Satan rather than God gave proof as to whose word they believed and trusted. It is the same question we have today, whose report will we believe, whose word will we believe and allow to be the ruler of our actions and how we live our lives? 

1 John 4:16 We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. (Amplified Bible)

God has given all humanity another chance, another opportunity to choose to believe in Him. Though Satan beguiled and lied to mankind causing them to commit treason, to rebel and sin against their God and king. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection became the payment for the sin of the whole world.  Once again mankind has the opportunity to make the choice to believe and follow God into eternal life, or choose the path of Satan of disobeying God, which leads to a final eternal death. 

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. NKJ

We can always find an excuse or a reason as to why we did what we did wrong, but it takes the light of Christ to show us His way, which is in truth and forgiveness.  Our problem is not sin, but it is in us not believing God is able to turn our lives around and bring us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Once we believe God and take Him at His word, we will confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

It is when we believe with our heart and confess with our mouth Jesus is our Lord and Savior, that we will receive the Holy Spirit of God. He comes into our lives and start the cleaning process that transforms us back into the image of the Son of God.  We are then made right with God and there in no shame in Christ, because we have been forgiven and it is God who gives us the power and the desire to do His will.  

Romans 10:9-11 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  NKJ

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. NKJ

It is God who orchestrates situations and circumstances that allow us to line up with His will.

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with: