“I" Who’s Your Colleague”

“I Who’s Your Colleague”

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

I have always been one to wonder why some enjoy taking things that others throw away and finding a use for them. Often, they find something in the garbage and they adapt it for some other use. In this context, it makes me think about God doing something similar to every Christian. So far as our usefulness to God is concerned, when we are in our natural sinful state we are fit for nothing else than the trash. But because we have a patience and loving God who saves us through the person and work of His Son, we are transformed into something entirely new. Millions of Christians are begging God, as I once did, for something which is readily available -- just waiting to be appropriated by faith. They are seeking some kind of emotional experience, not realizing that such an attitude on their part is an insult to God -- a denial of faith. But faith is the only way you can please God.

The gospel song, "I've Seen Him Work" by Anita Wilson; For me I hear the ministry of the Holy Spirit as it is song! This song is really trying to make it known that life is an ongoing conversation with God. That's what a relationship is. It's not just going to God when you are in trouble asking Him to bail you out. I'm sure we've all had that moment. That's not what it is about. We need to come to God for the good things as well as the bad things. ^“the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”. Jn14:17-18 Here are a few verses:

Sometimes you wonder why
The troubles of life seem to weigh you down
well I found a friend that I highly recommend
He will stick closer than a brother
And will love you like no other

Even though what you see
Doesn't match what you believe
Hold on, wait and see
Remember that God is working it out

 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Philippians 4:13

How often I am reminded it is the help of the Holy Spirit not you personally Ron; but through that often-forgotten member of the body of Christ, He equips us for serving Him. He gives us a new identity and a new function.

 I have heard it said that a person’s character is the sum total of a lot of little choices. Well similarly, the Christian life is the sum total of a lot of little steps taken in submission to the Holy Spirit… and as we walk in the Spirit, God fills us with His Spirit in such a way that our lives more reflect His will, and our desire to sin lessens. So, what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? And, how can we be filled with the Spirit? 

As a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you.  You are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith/Grace.

Being filled with the Spirit means, basically, having great joy in God. Jesus gave us the Spirit, “Helper,” when He ascended into heaven.  And since the Bible teaches that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” Nehemiah 8:10, it also means there will be the ability in this joy for overcoming troubling sins and for boldness in witness. Therefore, to be filled with the Spirit means to be caught into the joy that emerges among the Holy Trinity and to love God the Father and God the Son with the very love with which they love each other. 

Galatians 5 says that if you belong to Christ you will put your old sinful self to death and live led by the Spirit.  Living a life led by the Spirit should compel the believer to practice what we refer to as “spiritual breathing.”  When one physically breathes, they both inhale and exhale.  Spiritual breathing implies an “exhaling” of sin (through confession), and an “inhaling” of Christ (through inviting the Holy Spirit’s help). If we call ourselves Christians, our lives should be changed by the gospel.  However, we cannot do good things on our own.  We cannot even know the heart and will of God without His help.  For all who have responded to the cross, we have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to assist us in our life-long pursuit of holiness.  We must seek to know God through His Word and allow that to soak into every aspect of our lives.  If we are in Christ, we never lose His Spirit. Yet if we are in Christ, we have an obligation to submit to his Spirit.

My Prayer

"Dear Father, we need You. we hunger and thirst for a more vital relationship with You. we admit that we have been in control of our life’s. As a result, we have sinned against You.

"Thank You for forgiving our sins through Christ's death on the cross for us. We now confess and turn from our sins and surrender life to the Lord Jesus. Giving control to our intercessor, he is always praying for us and speaking on our behalf.

 By faith we invite You to fill us with the Holy Spirit our as You commanded us to be filled.

You promised to fill us if we ask according to Your will. we pray this in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 So, what does it mean for you to belong to Christ and to live a “Spirit-filled” life?

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know, For the Bible Tells Me So

From the time, I was a young boy, the Bible was to me the most interesting book in the world, and though some years have gone by since I first knew my sins were forgiven, no other book has ever displaced it in my affections. As a young man I have had many questions about the bible contents, “What is the purpose behind all of these stories? Are they simply fairy tales? Did God supply the stories to break the monotony between families and laws”? Can it help me with those emotional hornets still swarming around within me? What about that separation anxiety, loss of identity and immeasurable tears?

I have seen many dark days, but maybe that’s what makes Jesus shine that much brighter. I had heard about my savior, first by my mom reading/singing his glories words to me. I was being set free. I have been showed a love that promises to never leave or forsake me by mentors, teachers and pastors who many times modeled it in my life, again the examples of the words. I know, without any hesitation, that I am loved despite what I have done and what has been done to me. I have hope because of this love I have found with the help of the Holy Spirit by his words. The Bible says that “to live is Christ but to die is gain” .

Philippians 1:21.

My mentors, Sunday school teachers and relatives use to say, “There is a purpose for the wide variety of stories. Every Bible story has a purpose—as would be expected of a book inspired by the great and purposeful Almighty God”.

One of my relatives was big on doctrine. He would say, “The apostle Paul listed some of the purposes for the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16: “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Bible stories can make these purposes and lessons come to life for all of us.” His favorite book I may add was Roman’s.

I can hear my Aunt Annie say now,” in 1 Chronicles 16:12 and Deuteronomy 6:7, God also recorded these stories to help those idle parents, their job is vital for teaching their children. God wants us to “remember His marvelous works which He has done” and to diligently teach our children His good ways, “I pray they would listen to the Holy Spirit”.

Because of this, I am really surprised when young Christians (family and friends) tell me that they are not particularly interested in the study of the Word of God. I wonder why. Is it because after all one is really never born again and therefore has no appetite for spiritual things? Or is it because the Bible has never been approached from exactly the right standpoint? Let me suggest a few ways to   that may prove helpful if followed out.

Read the Bible consecutively. (I started with the Gospels) Become thoroughly familiar with the history and arrangement of the Book. Don’t dip into it in a mere haphazard way, but if you have never done so before, begin with Genesis and read right on through. You will find it a marvelous unfolding of God’s ways with men. Then as you read each chapter, ask God by His Holy Spirit to open it up to you. There are several questions you might put to each and then find the answer in the Word, as for instance:

o   Is there anything about Christ in this chapter?

o   Is there any picture of redemption presented here?

o   Is there anything special for me to follow or any commandment for me to obey?

After you have read your Bible through, study it topically. Take the great outstanding themes of Holy Scripture and with the aid of a concordance, follow them through the Word. See what God Himself has to say about Creation, Sin, Redemption, the New Birth, Faith, Repentance, Justification, Sanctification, the Work of the Holy Spirit, the Priesthood of Christ, His Second Coming, the Judgments and kindred topics. If you have never read Dr. C.I. Scofield’s little hand book, “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth,” I would urge you to read this with your open Bible before you and look up every reference.

  Study your Bible biographically. Read the life stories of the men and women whose names are household words in every Christian home. Some of these people were relatively good, some were very evil. But all were sinners and needed a Savior. In many of them the Grace of God shines out in a wonderful way, and they become examples for us as we seek to tread the path of faith. In others, it is rather their willfulness and rebellion against God that is emphasized, and this is in order that we may take warning by their failures and not walk as they walked, thus incurring the judgment of God.

  

Study your Bible with fellow Christians looking for the great texts that you can use in helping other people who may be in difficulty or perplexity about their souls. As you do this, it may be well to have a colored pencil or a fine pen handy so that you can mark the particular passages that appeal to you. In this way, they become yours in a special sense.

As I travel on this Faith journey, I do not know all of the questions and answers about Faith But without the Bible, the answers to these key questions of life would remain hidden or only scholarly learned. The biblical stories bring the answers to life and give us hope. The Bible is given for a reason and a purpose. Whether it’s to inspire us in the hard times or to help us learn a lesson the easy way, God has told us these stories for our eternal benefit.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe”. Proverbs 18:10

 God Bless You and This Ministry! 

“Extra! Extra read all about it.”

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. “John 17:25-26

Because of the greatest privilege God has entrusted to us the above scripture, reminds me when I was a newspaper boy,” Remembering those days when after my route, you could walk the streets of a city and hear the voice of a newspaper boy crying out. I would say, “Extra! Extra read all about it.” Trying to get the attention of people who were passing by so that they would come to me and buy a newspaper. That was the way the news was spread in those days”. How do people get the good news of Gods love today? Some get it from the radio, television, on line or coming to church and hear about Gods love. But the best way to spread the good news of Gods love is for believers to tell others about it!

Have you ever been asked a tough question or given an answer you didn’t know the response to? Have you ever been put on the spot with those dialogue stoppers about your faith, where you found yourself fumbling for a response? You know, “something like, how was humanity created for loving relationships when it comes to the Holy Trinity”? The most difficult thing for me as a Christian is the concept of the Trinity and that there is no way to perfectly and completely understand it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. That is the reason God tells us to lean on his Spirit. This is where we are given strength, the words, and the guidance for sharing his Good News. God equips you and gives you situations to share his love, even when you don’t think you can handle it.

I look to God’s Word about the Trinity: Deuteronomy 6; 4,1 Corinthians 8:4, Galatians3: 20, Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22 and Isaiah 6:8 to name a few.

All love flows from the three persons, who relate to one another in perfect unity as one essence. God is love, His Nature! His love has no beginning and no End.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Perhaps maybe you have been in situation where, weather it is about your faith or not you have been asked a question that made your confidence sink and your level wane because you couldn’t reply with a swift, certain answer. I have been thinking lately about “Living with the Gospel in the church is often comfortable for most. But living with the gospel beyond the church doors is often less so”. My question for me/us how do we follow Jesus’ example of spreading the good news of God’s love? The effective Christian communicator must establish grounds for understanding because the gospel seems improbable, unthinkable, and unimaginable to non-Christian spiritual seekers. Call it what you will. The task of moving non-Christians from the improbable to the probable, from the unimaginable to the imaginable, is a vital task of living epistles through prayer. It is about cultivating a certain frame of mind and attitude in our relationships — one that, ultimately, moves people ever closer to saving faith. Is it possible to surrender the boundaries (protective walls) without losing the essential life and integrity of the faith (some call it doctrinal purity or compromise)?

Our Lord thought so. As He looked to His own death, by which he would gather the nations to himself, He told his disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. John 12:24 what has to die in the seed are not its essence, just its protective husk. “Paul’s ability and requirement “for the sake of the Gospel” to “become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some”. Seemed to cause significant anxiety among the Judean believers that he was compromising the true doctrine as revealed through Moses in the Torah

As a former coach, teacher and worker in numerous other occupations; while the church, bible classes have taught me many, many things, I have had a unique opportunity to learn mostly while serving outside the church and put spiritual teachings into practice as we are called to do with the help of the Holy Spirit.

 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God”.

 2 Timothy 1:7-8

Dear Jesus, may we follow your example and share the good news of God’s love with everyone we meet in Jesus Name Amen!

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Salvation Thoughts

As I sat in church, during a funeral for the Celebration of Eternal Life of a friend, surrounded by the wonderful sounds of Faith and Songs of the service. I looked for away to dispose of my chewing gum. I remember the little slips of prayer-request paper in each pew, and I grabbed one.  Knowing this is an improper use of the slips, I immediately had the feeling, God was reminding me of their proper use when I noticed some writing on the slip I had grabbed.  Instead of making its way into the offering plate, this neglected slip found itself back in the pew. 

Yet the prayer request it held, though simple, speaks volumes for our world today. In a wonderful script on the line for “Name of Individual or to be prayed for” was scrawled,” People who are alone”. It gets better on another line section on the slip, “Specific Prayer Requests the request was for, “ Please help me deal with Salvation” and when people say,” How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved? The profound questions were not lost on me. Yes, at times as a teen, I had heard, said something similar to that before. A phrase we/I use when things aren’t going well for us during times of struggled with doubts over our salvation. Actually, struggled would be an understatement. For years I was plagued by this question, wrestled with it daily, and could find no peace. What does that mean? The question kept raging in my mind; wasn’t sure if I had enough faith, wasn’t sure if I could be sure.

I asked counsel of a teacher and listened to Sunday school lessons, but it just wasn’t helping. Our Bible lessons on how to know you’re saved left me with more questions than I started with. The talk with my great aunt ‘Annie’ who was my encouraging Angel one day,” My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul. I believed her slightly. I had heard a great many old people say the same thing and it seemed to me they ought to know”. But still left me questioning again. But she also said, turn to the Bible on your own and start writing down verses that discussed salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13

Are you hungry? Not physically hungry, but do you have a hunger for something more in life? Is there something deep inside of you that never seems to be satisfied? Do you ever feel like you are locked out of life? Have you tried so many doors, only to find that what is behind them is empty and meaningless? Are you looking for an entrance into a fulfilling life? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty “. John 6:35

Whenever doubts would assail me, I would get out my list and start reading. I would read Romans 10:13 and remind myself that I had called up the name of the Lord so I was saved.  I would read Acts 16:31 and remind myself that God does not lie, so if I believe on Jesus I am saved. As I read and claimed these verses, I would find peace. Ask yourself this question: “Have you believed on Christ and asked Him to save you?”  The bible only presents one step to salvation. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” Acts 26:30-31. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior is the only “step” to salvation. The message of the Bible is abundantly clear. We have all sinned against God Romans 3:23 Because of our sin, we deserve to be eternally separated from God Romans 6:23. God promises forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven to all who receive, by grace through faith, Jesus Christ as Savior.

Here are some of the verses that helped me. Add to these as you begin your quest because of your struggle with doubts over your salvation.

These Scriptures reaffirm God’s promise of salvation especially during lonely times, we are saved by faith. First, we must hear the gospel—the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection Then, we must believe—fully trust the Lord Jesus This involves repentance, a changing of mind about sin and Christ, and calling on the name of the Lord:

            John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

            John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

            Acts 16:31 and they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

            Romans 10:9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

            Romans 10:13 ^for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

            Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not have works, lest any man should boast.

           

I John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26

God Bless You and This Ministry!