Getting a new relationship with your sin - one mark of a Christian

Recently, my prayer has been transformed to asking God that His people would have a new relationship with their sin.  It is one thing to have a new or fresh relationship with the LORD - but we ought to have a fresh relationship with our sin.

You see, for every attribute of God that exists - there are so many of them - we need to realize that what we are really doing is identifying a statement of comparison.  For when we say that God is Holy, that brings the comparison that something else is unholy.  When we say that God is righteous, that brings the comparison that something else is unrighteous.  When we discuss how everyone who has victory will not have their name erased from the book of life, that brings the comparison that some will not have victory.

Jesus Himself spoke that there are some people to whom He will say, "Get away from me, I never knew you!"

So I encourage you my brother and sister, freshen up your relationship with God.
But also, develop a fresh relationship with your sin.

We often ask the question of, "Do you really know God?"
I'm asking also, "Do you really know your sin?"

How can we know what Holiness is, how can we know how much we need God... until we see how full of sin we are indeed.  Please allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you everything that is unholy in you.

Remove the junk from your life, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The admonishment is that the Wages of Sin is Death.
But the glorious good news is that God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ the LORD.

Amen.

When temptation comes, STAND

Stay True and Never Deviate

We, every single one of us, struggle with temptation at some point in our day, even every hour.  There is an inherent part of us that wants to turn away from the truth and follow our own selfish desire.  Our body is at war with our spirit.  So the winner, will be what we desire the most.

God said He will give us the desires of our hearts, so if we desire to remain stuck in our sin, so be it.  But if we desire to be over comers, so be it.

In my personal life, I admit that I have great weakness with certain temptations.
But lets look at 1st Corinthians 10:13-15.(CEV translation)

You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations. My friends, you must keep away from idols. I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. 

So we can realize that whatever our temptation is... whatever we are struggling with, there isn't anything new under the sun.  All of us are tempted the same way, and God is faithful to provide an escape route!!!  Do you realize what that means?

It means we don't have to struggle.  It means we just have to trust.

And to make it even simpler, I just need to trust in God.  In this, I have learned something simple.

When ever I am tempted, I just need to stand.   Yes, literally, I stand, and I lift my hands to surrender to the Almighty Powerful God who Saves me.  I surrender to the One who has the escape planned for me.

So friend, I encourage you to turn to Jesus - desire Him the most, and He will give you your desires.

Stay True and Never Deviate -  that escape route will be made clear to you.

The impatience of wanting a harvest...

There are moments in ministry where we feel the urgency of wanting the best for our friends, but the frustration of not immediately seeing the fruits of the ministry. So I'm just going to leave this prayer here....

If you've known the agony of impatience, please pray with me.

  Holy Father, please bless me as I try to lead __________ (put the name of several non-Christian friends here) to forgiveness and healing in Jesus. Give me the tenacity and tact to do this with gentleness and respect without losing my sense of urgency to see their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Name Above All Names

Matthew 20:1-16 --- The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

This is a tough parable to read.  In the flesh, I think we have all experienced a little unfairness regarding our own salaries.  Certainly, we work hard, but there is always someone who works less and yet they earn more.  I don't understand it in the secular sense.

But with Ministry, I think this parable has real value, and should be taught in seminary and in church as a reference to the value of what happens when we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The value of the pastor's work is no more valuable than the janitor's work.  The value of the street preacher is no more valuable than the secretary's work.  All who proclaim the Mysteries of God and all who labor to lift up Jesus Christ need to remember that the work we do isn't about us.  The work of spreading the Gospel, if it were reckoned on the scale of the recordings in the New Testament, would most likely lead to our own crucifixion.  We need to stop placing ministers on pedestals, and start working side by side with them to support the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

We will receive the same inheritance, if our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  Therefore, put off the childish bickering of what ministerial role is more important.  

You are just as valuable, and you will receive the same reward for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  So be empowered, and be bold!  Lift up the Name of Jesus!

Why does a person fear?

1John 4:18  Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love takes away fear. It is his punishment that makes a person fear. So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear. 

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This verse is usually memorized... at least the first part of it.  

And it is a beautiful verse to memorize.  It brings comfort and hope that God will always be demonstrating His love to us.  But it also calls us to think responsibly about why we may have fear in our hearts.

This verse  shows us the redeeming power of God to always provide for our mental well being.  If we continue looking at what God's love can do for us, we keep smiling.  But perhaps we should be a bit more practical about this passage -- we need to put it into practice!

As the pressures of life surround us, when bills pile up after unexpected expenses, or when a death of a loved one causes us to reflect on our own life and vitality, and when the stresses of our job come rushing into our minds.... what is the typical reaction?

We begin to worry, we run "what if" scenarios, even developing contingency plans perhaps?  That worry can turn into a fear... and we have become afraid of our circumstances.

In this Bible passage, the origin of the word "fear" comes from the Greek "phobos."  Yes, this is the word that is known in psychology as phobia.  A phobia is an anxiety disorder, and describes the persistent fear where the person commits to great lengths in avoiding a situation, even when recognized as irrational in his or her reasoning for avoidance of that situation.

So, blessings upon you as you reflect on the fears in your life.  May those fears be replaced with God's perfect love.

Heilig Heilig Heilig ist der Herr Gott Allmächtig!