Fri, Jun 13th - 6:52AM

Our new lives in Jesus Christ

Jesus does not sugar coat what He wants from you, me, or any of us His followers:

Mar 8:34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 

Deny means: Strong's G533 – aparneomai, 2. to forget one's self, lose sight of one's self and one's own interests.

Follow means: Strong's G190 – akoloutheō, 1. to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him 2. to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple 1. side with his party

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Our Lord disabuses us of any magical thinking that He is O.K or sympathetic towards those who are sinning amongst us. Sin ain’t O.K, and neither you nor I have any right or excuse to practice any sin. If sin has gotten the better of me you or any other brother or sister it is because we choose to allow it to do so, and God said to stop it. He has supplied the power and the how to do that very thing to every one of us His kids.

As the people of God our task is to not only preach the gospel but live it as godly examples of it based on the scriptures correctly understood. We must address any among us who are still living according to sinful flesh and not the Spirit of God. Sin is not harmless. That brother or sister playing video games far into the night is neglecting their families, and their work towards God. That man, who chooses to spend the night watching pornography, is financially supporting evil while neglecting his wife and/or his work towards God. These things become idols, and God forbids the worship of  idols- which is idolatry.

Most Christians believe and practice self-denial out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ. I do not claim to have any omniscience whatsoever; I stand on the word of God alone regarding this. For the head of the church (believers in Christ), is not a man but the eternal High Priest/Mediator Jesus Christ. I do not condemn or make false assumptions about the church (people of God) in America being bankrupt or a failure based on what my eyes have seen of the half-baked religious gurus on the T.V., radio, and other forms of mass media. These gurus are the blind leading the blind. 

Nevertheless God has multitudes of faithful brothers and sisters in this country and throughout the world that by faith in Him and by His power, have never bowed their knees to baal and never will. Therefore, we walk by faith and not by sight. I greatly praise our God for the true Christian church (the people of God) in America and also the world that God is using to support and make a way of escape for persecuted Christians in many places. Brothers and sisters, take heart, because as God has said and commanded that THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.

Love

serola

Sat, Jun 7th - 11:22AM

OUR NEW LIVES IN JESUS CHRIST

Ro. 6: 3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death: 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection. 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

Through faith in Jesus Christ the power and dominion of sin is broken in the lives of Christians. Under the New Covenant ALL Christians are commanded, and enabled to overcome sin:

Ro. 6: 13: Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Brothers and sisters I thank my God for the multitude of faithful pastors and other church leaders who faithfully uphold biblical truth in their own lives and teach as well as encourage it in the lives of all the saints (G40 hagios). Every Christian must participate in these endeavors.   It is only through correctly understanding the Bible that we can do what God wants His way and never our own. God has laid out and enabled every brother and sister to know and do His will His way. God's way is the only right way and the only right way is God's way. Do not ever let anybody, even yourself think or believe any differently.

We can greatly rejoice that the Bible tells us in general and in the minutiae of what our new life absolutely must look like, as well as the things we are to do privately and publicly to reflect it. Moreover, the Bible gives general and highly detailed commands as to what should never be done in our new lives. No Christian should ever, ever, ever look at sin from the world’s perspective. When this happens what we get is various kinds of “addictions” groups and addictions mentally within some churches. We also find  some Christians getting mixed up within these addictions groups outside of the church as well. God ain’t never told any of His people that any sin or their particular sin is so overpowering that there is little they can do to overcome it.

love

serola