It's Alive and Growing

Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭- For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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...where believers are deeply committed to practicing their faith and passing it on to the next generation in a living way, there will be life and multiplication. As the saying goes, if it's alive, it grows. - Michael Brown

I read an article recently about the old fashioned way of Christianity and a progressive way that is taking shape. The quote above is in the article. People today want a Christianity that suits their lifestyle rather than the way God intended it to be...by the biblical standards set up for us in the Bible. 

If we do things the way God intended we are not oppressed but made alive. Like the scripture says, the Word of God is alive. It is life to those who have been touched by God, filled with His Spirit and who are rooted and grounded in His Word. 

Again, God never changes; therefore, neither does His Word. What sort of God would He be if He changed to suit our needs? He is infallible; we are not. Times change, but He never will. It's why the road to destruction grows larger while the road to eternal life grows narrower. We want to do life our way, not the way God suggests...um, commands.

But then we don't like being commanded. We are pride-filled, stubborn individuals until He opens our eyes. We want things our way and we want them now. I've been known to be impatient when the microwave isn't fast enough! 

God has only wanted to give us the best. Receiving the best starts with receiving Christ, the greatest treasure we can receive. He offers us the greatest gift possible, eternal life, in and only through Christ. If we are serious about Him and His Word, all His promises are, the Bible says, yes and amen. We are also taught that we live by faith, not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7) And Without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) It's important to have faith...not in self or a church or a pastor or our job or government or money, but God. People can say they have faith, but it must be in God or it is not faith at all. 

The promises of eternal life with Christ and in Christ far outweigh the alternative. We may not see in the here and now all the promises (that's the faith without sight), but some promises are for us today. These bring life; they keep us motivated in our faith and trust, even if we don't see what tomorrow brings. There is the peace that passes all understanding with no fear of the future. Contentment. Knowing that the trials we face today are small considering the glory that lies ahead for us in heaven. The book of Revelation tells us about this. It's that end result that keeps me going. The very big promise of eternal LIFE.

I just had to see if there was a count for the number of promises in the Bible. Bible Gateway came up with over 5400. It also stated this: The promises of God reveal his particular and eternal purposes to which he is unchangeably committed and upon which believers can totally depend. These promises are, however, conditional upon obedience on the part of believers.

There is always this condition. Hah, as I wrote that, it came to mind that it is our condition that causes us to need God! It is the very reason God sent His Son. Our sinful condition. But God...gave us a way out, through the unconditional love of Christ and His death on that cross. And here comes that word again...God gave us His Son in death...that we might have life. When we give in to that condition of God, that we receive Christ to secure eternal life, then those promises are for us. 

As I have said many times, it's not just about knowing who He is or what church we go to (or don't go to) or the amount of good we think we do. We must know that we have Him living in us through His Holy Spirit. And that can only happen if we truly desire Him and seek Him with our whole heart. 

How do we know we know Him? Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (‭‭1John‬ ‭2:3-4)  That's a pretty hard statement. It means believing the Bible is true, for today as much as it was yesterday. When God says something is wrong, it is wrong. Whatever He says, He means. We still can never be perfect but if we are in Christ we are covered by His blood, being perfected and will attain perfection when He returns. 

So back to the beginning...we cannot want a Christianity that suits our lifestyle rather than by the Bible, the very Word of God. This world is doing this and this nation is also. If we as individuals or a nation fail, and we all do, we seek God's forgiveness. So often in the Bible God has forgiven if forgiveness was asked for. Do you see the stubbornness, the rebelliousness being played out today?

...where believers are deeply committed to practicing their faith and passing it on to the next generation in a living way, there will be life and multiplication. As the saying goes, if it's alive, it grows. - Michael Brown  It's why I am committed.

For those who believe and have faith in God, whose Word is in them, both Jesus the Word of God and the written Word, it is alive and growing. Hallelujah. Is that Word in you? 

2Corinthians 1:20-22 - For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Know His Sufferings

Philippians 3:10-11 - that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

I'm blown away again by how God works, how He gets me thinking me in advance of what is about to be revealed. I had part of this blog written last week but something was missing. I'd not quite finished it. During church yesterday I was able to complete this. God is so good. I'll try to piece the two together...

Our interim pastor, Paul Hanson, spoke his first sermon and it spoke volumes. He spoke on the Commitment to Press On. As a church we are in transition and Hanson has stepped in until we find a new pastor to lead this flock. In a nutshell he spoke about pressing on...toward the goal God has for each of us as individuals and as a church. Part of the sermon was on suffering...we all go through it, the church has gone through it, but we are not to keep that in the forefront of our mind.

Pressing on...toward knowing Christ...not learning about Him, but experiencing Him. This has got to be one of the most difficult things to explain. I've said it several times...it's not just about knowing who Jesus is but really knowing Him with every fiber of our being. The definition of knowing according to Hanson is come to know. It's an ongoing thing. It's not just hearing about Him and saying we know who He is. It's getting to a place in life when you desire to know Him, to sense His presence...to experience Him...to know His power.

Pressing on...to know God's will for each of us and again as a church. We each have talents. It's recognizing them and using them for God's glory. It doesn't need to be anything great, just walking the path God has put before us.

Pressing of the past and the future...forgetting the past and moving forward. Gee, I think I wrote about that already... But Hanson gave us the meaning of forget: it means to neglect--to no longer allow ourselves to feed whatever it is we should let go of. And then he told us this is how God sees those who have accepted Christ and have been washed by His blood. He no longer sees our sin. Hard to comprehend, but I'm believing it.

So the one thing he discussed was the phrase "the fellowship of sharing in His suffereings." And that was what I had started to blog. I've mentioned how Adam and Eve lived with toil and pain after their fall. So it is with us. However, Jesus came to be an example. "Follow Me," He tells us. The meaning of suffering is passion. Yes, passion. It's knowing the will of God. For Jesus God's will was to die for us. He sacrificed His own life. What is our will? One, to sacrifice ourselves for Him. Two, to know His will, which if accepted properly will be a sacrifice. And for all believers that is to show others the magnificence of who God is. 

Life will not be without suffering even for true Christians. Suffering can be part of our sacrifice. Suffering can be others rejecting what we have to say about Jesus, just like so many rejected what Jesus had to say about Himself. And I believe trials are there for us to look to God for strength...and to let others see our attitude and behavior as we go through a difficult time. Will others see the strength of Christ in us or will they see a person whose beliefs are weak when trouble comes? Suffering came out of disobedience and we won't get out of it. Christ came to help us through this suffering...because He's already gone through it all. He's the one who brings peace in the midst of trials.

Suffering, I think, can mean pressing on in a supernatural strength. I've seen people in our church who look defeated...week after week. Some grouse about their situations. There are others who never show their pain...they may feel it but it doesn't own them.  It's for a time but with God's help the mourning turns to dancing. If people are in Christ, truly counting on Him, there will be an inner joy--the joy of the Lord. And it means pressing on with life despite what life deals us. 

Either I have not experienced grief so unbearable or I bounce back quickly. I just don't know. I may go through troubling times but I think I get over it. There may be many mini-griefs but they're short-lived. I would like to believe this is the joy of the Lord, the peace that passes all understanding. I would hope I am gathering up the strength each day.

Pastor Hanson began the sermon by stating that commitment is liberating. What freedom is there in masking the troubles of life with alcohol or drugs? When we commit ourselves to Christ it is freeing. This so goes against the beliefs of some who think following Christ is a crutch. What are drugs and alcohol? I don't know what people who cannot get past their defeated attitudes need to do if they are adhering to the words of Jesus. I so hope that if I am in a situation where the trials truly come I will remember my words, no, Jesus' words...that I will turn to the Lord for my strength...and remember that as I suffer, I am sharing in His sufferings.

John 16:33 - [Jesus said] "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will  have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."