Worthiness

To refuse to forgive someone is to imply that I am more worthy of His love and grace than that person is. No offense, but I've got my doubts. Love you.

Stumbling Blocks

Paul tells us that if someone honestly believes that doing a certain thing is sin--even if it falls under the liberty we have in Christ--to them it is sin. For me to encourage them to do that thing they believe is sin is to be a stumbling block in their growth to spiritual maturity. God's not very pleased with stumbling blocks. Be a building block instead--love them, encourage them, build them up where they are and let the Holy Spirit do the teaching and changing. To truly embrace the liberty that I have in Christ is to be willing to give it all up in order to not be a stumbling block to others. Wouldn't it be sadly--tragically--ironic to condemn someone else for being a Pharisee and thus become the biggest Pharisee of them all? Spiritual pride is so subtly infectious.

Every Nation

Every nation that exists is under the power of the "prince of the air"--and we all know who that is. Every nation--from it's very formation--its beginning--until today. That includes the one you live in. Do you evaluate its history from that clearly biblical point-of-view? Genuine ambassadors of Heaven do. Be sure you know where your citizenship lies. Be careful what you "worship."

Qualified

Aren't you glad Christ came to save sinners and not the righteous? I confirm my eligibility every day. To be the worst of sinners doesn't disqualify anyone; in fact, it makes them the most eligible. We need to see all sinners--and treat them--as prime candidates for sainthood--the very people for whom He willingly died. Just like us. Aren't you glad that God has more grace than all the sin in the world?

 "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." Not might be--will be. All the other "stuff" is extra. Not that obedience is unimportant--it's the only way I can show Him how much I love Him--but it is not what saves you. And, yes, growth is evidence of life. But no one is saved by works of righteousness.

Mindset

The Modern Mind:
"The fool has said in his heart that there is no God."
"The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to him and he is powerless to understand."
"They become futile in their speculations. Professing to be wise, they become fools"
"Ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"
"They walk blindfolded in a world of illusion. and are cut off from the life of God through ignorance and insensitivity. They have stifled their consciences and then surrendered themselves to sensuality, practicing any form of iniquity that lust can suggest."
"And every man did what was right in his own eyes."

The Challenge to us:
"But you have learned nothing like that from Christ, if you have really heard His voice and understand the truth that Jesus has taught you. No, what you learned was to fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living, which were rotted through with lust's illusions, and with yourselves mentally and spiritually remade, to put on the clean fresh clothes of the new life which was made by God's design for righteousness and the holiness which is no illusion."
"Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men's ideas of the nature of the world, and disregards Christ."
"May your spiritual experience become richer as you see more and more fully God's great secret, Christ Himself. For it is in Him, and in Him alone, that men will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

So:

"Dress" right. Don't wear the world's "emperor's new clothes." Live right.

Develop a world-view based on God's ideas--and they are not God's opinions--of what man and world are really like. Guard your mind. Think right.

Focus on Him--the Author of the written Word and the perfect example of the Living Word--"full of grace and truth." Immerse yourself in the study of the life of Christ. Lay up the right treasures. Serve the right Master. Be an example of the believer in word and truth.

We have the mind of Christ.

A Hundredfold

The Christian walk: Total dependence on Christ, submission to all the other members of His body and bride--the church, a daily, willing death to self. To act independently of Christ's loving claims on one's life, to forsake the fellowship of the body, and to live for self leads irrevocably to spiritual disaster--for the believer and for all those he or she claims to love. The sorrow caused by those who deny His Lordship, despise the church, and make choices to please themselves indifferent to whoever the hurt caused by their selfishness is heart breaking. And do not those who love most deeply suffer most deeply because of those choices? Starting with Him whose heart is love.

:"Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that will he reap." And the harvest produced by the sowing of one seed can be a hundredfold.

Pressing On

Reflecting on 69 years of life can be instructive. How many days, hours, minutes, seconds has that been? Lots--I think that should be the answer to most math questions. And yet, most of the time it doesn't seem like "lots." A "time for everything" as Solomon puts it. Good, bad. Exciting. Mundane. Clear. Muddled. Empty. Full. Right choices. Wrong choices. Success. Failure. Yes. No. Breakthroughs. Frustrations. Faith. Doubt. Laughter. Tears. Energized. Exhausted. Calm. Seething. You get the idea. One truth I have found out about Him over and over again--a truth that always keeps me pressing on: He cares.