Friday, May 27, 2011

To die for God is not to attain God

Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation; for I can testify to their zeal for God. But it is not based on correct understanding; for, since they are unaware of God’s way of making people righteous and instead seek to set up their own, they have not submitted themselves to God’s way of making people righteous.
Romans 10:1-3 (Complete Jewish Bible)

Knowing about God, even belonging to the “right” church or denomination isn’t salvation.  My heart’s desire and prayer to God for all church goers is that they may be saved.  Enthusiastic activity, even that which seems to be for God, if not based in the surrender and truth of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, will make the work for not.  Such effort will fall short of the expectations of those who work so hard and diligently for their piece of heaven.  Do you believe there is a God?  “Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder” (James 2:19); believing there is a God does not lead to eternity in heaven.  Great academic knowledge of the Bible, and being active, industrious in religious activities isn’t salvation. 

To die for God is not to attain God. 

God’s grace has given the opportunity for all to be received by the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, whom He has raised from the dead.  No fan fair, no hoops to jump, no special rituals, no regimentation, no certificate of membership … it is by God’s great mercy and love that we are by His grace saved; His grace is manifested in you through faith in Jesus Christ; we are justified worthy before a holy God, saved without doing anything we can brag about (John 3:16, Eph. 2:3b-10, Romans 3:28).  

Knowing Christ,
Owen <><

Romans 10:9-11
That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Have to Love ‘em—Don’t Have to Like ‘em

The command we have from Christ is blunt:
Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.”
—1 John 4:21 The Message  

Jesus made a very strong, clear point to His disciples, for them to be acknowledged or recognizable as a Christian would require them to stretch themselves, that they would be bound by obeying His new command.  He said, “A new command I give you:  Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). 

When Jesus commanded Christ followers to love fellow believers, to love one another, he used the word agapate, that Greek word has the widest application of love in all moral and social obligations.  This love is a love that fully gives of self (agape).  And, agapate is inclusive of a Christ follower to yielding or giving of one’s “will” to engage in phileo, which is to be a friend, to be fond of someone, to have personal attachment.  Simply we’re commanded to give our hearts over to the unity Christ, we are to love, befriend … like one another. 

I, and probably you, have been drawn into conversations about fellow Christians.  We say and hear things, such as, “I know Jesus commanded us to love other believers, and I do—but, I don’t have to like them.”  That’s like saying, “I love brussel sprouts, but I don’t like the taste of those nasty little things!”  In simple terms, Henry Blackaby states, “We can claim to love God all we want, but if we are not intimately connected to the people of God, we are deceiving ourselves.”  When you or I say that a fellow Christian is someone "I love, but I don’t like them," well, you’ve deceived yourself, and offended the body of Christ—of which you are part. 

Owen <><

Monday, May 16, 2011

Silent Agony

Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.    1 Peter 4:7

Does it seem easier not pray than it is to pray?  It’s crazy, but we seem to believe that is a fact of life.  Can you talk to strangers, but not to God?  Do you intend to pray, and even though you have a need to pray there seems to be a wall, a “yeah but,” or the “I don’t want to bother God” excuse?  Do you suppose Peter is warning against all the excuses?  Are too many things in life keeping you from being “clear minded?”  Living in prayerlessness will clutter your mind.    

Richard Foster writes, “We today yearn for prayer and hide from prayer. We are attracted to it and repelled by it. We believe prayer is something we should do, even something we want to do, but it seems like a chasm stands between us and actually praying. We experience the agony of prayerlessness.”

The agony of prayerlessness is birthed in silence.  We become empty without someone to talk to, that is agony.  God wanted us to have joy, a clear mind, so He created us with the ability to talk, to Him and others.  As Peter warns, a clear mind and self-control is crucial.  Silence, prayerlessness brings agony, worry, anger, lose of self-control.  Prayer brings us closer to Jesus, just as talking to someone allows us to be closer to one another.  God enables us in spirit and by conversation to edify and encourage.  Prayer enables you to be clear minded, and emptiness—that void in your heart—is filled by Christ in prayer.  Paul advises to “pray continually” (1 Thess 5:17), because it is God’s will for you … He wants to talk to you—because He loves you.  Paul says in 5:16 to “be joyful always;” to talk, converse with God (prayer) brings joy, clearing your mind; allowing you to be self-controlled.  In prayer, agony and its illnesses are healed.  

Speak up, pray,

Owen <><

Monday, May 9, 2011

All Dogs Go To Heaven

"Come to me, … ”  Matt 11:28a

Billy Graham once said that “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.”  I’m not sure of Biblical support for that, but I hope my dogs—Boomer, Murray, and Zoë (Golden and Labrador Retrievers)—will all be there, if so, Boomer & Murray are waiting.

Although a great dog, I do admit, Zoë (her name is a Greek word, meaning Life) pushes her luck with me at times. I will call her, “Come Zoë.”  She’ll glance my way then amble off in another direction, as if she didn’t here me.  She probably knows I’m gentle and humble in heart towards her, so doesn’t cower in fear; then, I’ll take a few steps toward her and cheerfully say, “Let’s go”, and she comes. A game with her, I guess.

Jesus calls to us, “Come to me. Then, he adds, “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” and he assures us that he is “gentle and humble in heart” and desiring that we “will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28-29).  Ask yourself, “Do I look toward Jesus, then pretend I didn’t hear him?”  Why would you ignore the life, the Zoë, he has for you?  We’re just like Adam and Eve.  They hid from the Lord when they heard the “sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Gen 3:8).  God came walking to them, seeking them, “in the cool of the day,” that wonderful time of rest.  Just like Zoë, people hear the Lord call out, “Come to me,” but, we turn the other way like we didn’t hear.  You may ignore the Lord, thinking you’re well hidden; but, there in hiding, there is no rest … is there?

The thing about dogs is they may wander away, but always come to the Master.  We all wander away from the Master, even after hearing him say, “Come to me.”  Then act as you didn’t here the Master. Why is he calling you?  He is offering you a treat, His peace, eternal rest without condemnation, if … if, you’ll just “Come.” 

No Games, Let’s Go,

Owen <><

Thursday, May 5, 2011

In Prayer—All of Me

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.  Mark 14:37

Prayer is a move in a person’s spirit, through the Spirit to the presence of God.
Prayer is a lifting of a person’s soul—mind, emotion—to God our Father.
Prayer is a posture of a person’s body as spirit and soul go before God.

The whole person must pray.
 
If your lips are moving, but your heart is not sincerely seeking Christ’s very presence—then what is the point, is that only noise?  If I lift up prayers of supplication, possibly a cliché of thanksgiving or platitude of adoration, yet my body does not reflect humility before the Almighty—is that a mere demand in pride?

E. M. Bounds writes in work, Essentials of Prayer, the following: 
“PRAYER has to do with the entire man. Prayer takes in man in his whole being, mind, soul and body. It takes the whole man to pray, and prayer affects the entire man in its gracious results. … Where there is earnest and faithful praying the body always takes on the form most suited to the state of the soul at the time. The body, that far, joins the soul in praying.”

Are you praying in full or only partially?  Just a thought…        

Blessings,

Owen <><

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