A good rule of thumb is to not give offense to anyone who might offend you.
A little while back a friend of mine sent a news clip from Seattle, Washington of a pastor, in the state capital during the Christmas season, who was angry about an atheist sign being next to the Nativity scene. This pastor was so angry; he was practically salivating in vengeance as he yelled at those who supported the atheist sign, “You will all roast in hell like the pigs you are!”. Why does it seem the few who are the most vocal seem to paint the colors of majority to the public?
Obviously it is strange to have an atheist sign right next to the nativity scene but why give it the power to be offensive. It is RIGHT next to the nativity scene – WHAT better place to have an atheist sign during the Christmas season.
People can read the atheist sign and then they can walk pass that nativity scene and wonder why a baby in a manger is SO important. For those who forget themselves like that Pastor, we drink from the cup of Christ not from the wrath and condemnation of demons. We aren’t living in the dark ages and we aren’t people rulers. We are not to judge even though we know some are wrong. We are to be merciful, just, and faithful to God and love those around us in hopes they too will come to Christ.
I was thinking, the situation in Olympia, Washington at the capital building must have been similar to what Paul witnessed in the Greek empire with all their different gods being represented.
Paul however didn’t get upset and condemn anyone he just simply spoke in what the Holy Spirit led him to speak and the Holy Spirit gave the people full assurance and confidence that what Paul said was true. (1 Thessalonians)
Colossians 3:12 says .... “Since God chose you to be the Holy people whom he loves, you must clothes yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. You must forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the words Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be a representative of the Lord Jesus, all while giving thanks through him to the God the Father.”
Ephesians 4:31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
1 Corinthians 10:32 “Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what I like or what is best for me. But what is best for them as they may be saved. And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.”
What IS best for them? To act in bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander and vengeance? Or depend on the Holy Spirit in which God has given us -so to respond, as Christ would want us to respond. To love God with all our heart, mind and soul is to obey not just listen. We are to love our neighbors, friends, and relatives as ourselves.
Sure it foolish to believe in some of the things some people believe in but weren’t we all once foolish in believing in such things once?
Jesus says, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.” (Matthew 7)
If that wasn’t enough to not give offense… these too are from Jesus. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
Forgiveness falls on the obedience, surrender and trust of Christ.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
BAAAHHH!
God seems to be aligning and directing his people more then ever to scriptures that deal with salvation and the times, as we know, of his Son’s second coming. And it isn’t all that of a mystery to see why when observing the events and happenings of the world today.
God loves us but he cannot make anyone of us love him or even obey him if we don’t give our lives to him. Some individuals are afraid to give their lives to God because they are afraid they might have to give up something they enjoy but are the dark pleasures and things they enjoy more important then their eternity in heaven? Are they worth their soul? What is your soul worth?
I am guessing your soul is a whole lot more then anything you might enjoy temporarily down here.
Jesus says the decisive issue of someone entering the Kingdom Heaven is if they obey my Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21
We obeyed our parents because…. one we knew what would happened if we didn’t obey them …and two because they wanted to protect us and wanted what was best for us. The same is true with God.
But obeying God is a pretty difficult task to do without God’s help -and the proper respect and thankfulness He deserves. It is very hard to obey and be thankful towards a parent whom you don’t respect and don’t see has doing things in your best interests but that is what God does everyday for us yet many of us don’t respect or give him the thankfulness he deserves. Some even dismiss God totally and assume everything is “made right” and is “successful” because of our hard work, luck and chance. That is sure a whole lot left up to chance. That is like saying Jesus fulfilling 330 prophecies was up to chance.
Even as children, we disobeyed our parents knowing the consequences that would follow if we did get caught doing something we knew was wrong. Now just think of God who is all knowing and knows EVERYTHING about us. There is no way we can get away with anything when it comes to God.
God however sent his Son, Jesus Christ, not just for our “sins” so we would be forgiven by the Father but give us the Holy Spirit that would transform our hearts and help guide and protect our thoughts. Then and only then can we “truly” obey, love and respect the Father and do what he has asked of us.
I have gone over this before in another blog so I won’t continue but that is why it is so important as (Christians-the body of Christ-children of God) we constantly keep our eyes on Christ and follow His every directive in our life. Jesus Christ is and should be the only the shepherd in our life and if we aren’t following what Jesus Christ has said then we are following, our own sinful flesh, false prophets and even servants of Satan himself.
Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 24 and warns us about false prophets that will deceive and lead many astray even God’s chosen ones.
That is why it is so important to realize that in this day and age there are devious and evil individuals and spirits that don’t have our best interest in mind and want to lead us astray from God’s truths and even away from our eternity in Heaven. They may sound religious and wise but they twist and use partial biblical truths that sound good to trick you into believing what they say is entirely true but they don’t represent God, the Father or Jesus Christ, the Son.
Certainly God goes after the lost sheep but if those sheep that are lost don’t want rescuing or help then it’s the sheep’s decision not God’s.
Paul wrote in Romans 1 ”For am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes- Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from them. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.”
I have talked about making God into some kind of salad bar god before so I won’t go down that road today. I believe even Paul who for a time, hated Christians and thought he was doing God a service by hunting them down and killing them felt like a fool by some of his false assumptions he had of God and the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Some of us, like myself, are like Paul. We didn’t even know we were lost until Christ revealed it through some extraordinary circumstances.
When sheep finally see they are lost, God can help them. They don’t hesitate to come to their master when they see his invitation. They don’t hesitate to be carried to the flock where they truly belong.
Yes there are some sheep that act like goats. I suppose I was a little bit goatish too. They are stubborn and they buck and they pull and ram and bite and fight their way into places where they put themselves endanger. Surrounded by nothing but thorns and jagged rocks outcroppings with dark deep caverns lingering below, they seem blind to the dangers around them. Hopefully those stubborn sheep realize the danger they are in before it is too late so Jesus can pick them up and carry them to safety.
John 10 “I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather then going through the gate must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep,” he said. “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief’s purpose us is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren’t his and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
God loves us but he cannot make anyone of us love him or even obey him if we don’t give our lives to him. Some individuals are afraid to give their lives to God because they are afraid they might have to give up something they enjoy but are the dark pleasures and things they enjoy more important then their eternity in heaven? Are they worth their soul? What is your soul worth?
I am guessing your soul is a whole lot more then anything you might enjoy temporarily down here.
Jesus says the decisive issue of someone entering the Kingdom Heaven is if they obey my Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21
We obeyed our parents because…. one we knew what would happened if we didn’t obey them …and two because they wanted to protect us and wanted what was best for us. The same is true with God.
But obeying God is a pretty difficult task to do without God’s help -and the proper respect and thankfulness He deserves. It is very hard to obey and be thankful towards a parent whom you don’t respect and don’t see has doing things in your best interests but that is what God does everyday for us yet many of us don’t respect or give him the thankfulness he deserves. Some even dismiss God totally and assume everything is “made right” and is “successful” because of our hard work, luck and chance. That is sure a whole lot left up to chance. That is like saying Jesus fulfilling 330 prophecies was up to chance.
Even as children, we disobeyed our parents knowing the consequences that would follow if we did get caught doing something we knew was wrong. Now just think of God who is all knowing and knows EVERYTHING about us. There is no way we can get away with anything when it comes to God.
God however sent his Son, Jesus Christ, not just for our “sins” so we would be forgiven by the Father but give us the Holy Spirit that would transform our hearts and help guide and protect our thoughts. Then and only then can we “truly” obey, love and respect the Father and do what he has asked of us.
I have gone over this before in another blog so I won’t continue but that is why it is so important as (Christians-the body of Christ-children of God) we constantly keep our eyes on Christ and follow His every directive in our life. Jesus Christ is and should be the only the shepherd in our life and if we aren’t following what Jesus Christ has said then we are following, our own sinful flesh, false prophets and even servants of Satan himself.
Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 24 and warns us about false prophets that will deceive and lead many astray even God’s chosen ones.
That is why it is so important to realize that in this day and age there are devious and evil individuals and spirits that don’t have our best interest in mind and want to lead us astray from God’s truths and even away from our eternity in Heaven. They may sound religious and wise but they twist and use partial biblical truths that sound good to trick you into believing what they say is entirely true but they don’t represent God, the Father or Jesus Christ, the Son.
Certainly God goes after the lost sheep but if those sheep that are lost don’t want rescuing or help then it’s the sheep’s decision not God’s.
Paul wrote in Romans 1 ”For am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes- Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from them. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.”
I have talked about making God into some kind of salad bar god before so I won’t go down that road today. I believe even Paul who for a time, hated Christians and thought he was doing God a service by hunting them down and killing them felt like a fool by some of his false assumptions he had of God and the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Some of us, like myself, are like Paul. We didn’t even know we were lost until Christ revealed it through some extraordinary circumstances.
When sheep finally see they are lost, God can help them. They don’t hesitate to come to their master when they see his invitation. They don’t hesitate to be carried to the flock where they truly belong.
Yes there are some sheep that act like goats. I suppose I was a little bit goatish too. They are stubborn and they buck and they pull and ram and bite and fight their way into places where they put themselves endanger. Surrounded by nothing but thorns and jagged rocks outcroppings with dark deep caverns lingering below, they seem blind to the dangers around them. Hopefully those stubborn sheep realize the danger they are in before it is too late so Jesus can pick them up and carry them to safety.
John 10 “I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather then going through the gate must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep,” he said. “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief’s purpose us is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren’t his and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
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